• By Kathy Hepler
• Posted Tuesday, September 4, 2012

FORSYTH COUNTY 4-H’ERS WIN HONORS AT STATE 4-H CONGRESS

Brian Phagan and Laura Hutchins were inducted into the 4-H Honor Club, one of the highest honors a 4-H’er can achieve. New Honor Club members were tapped during a candlelight ceremony Monday night, July 16. Membership in the Honor Club is based on service to the 4-H program, leadership, moral standards, 4-H activities and project achievement. Less than one-half of 1 percent of North Carolina 4-H’ers are selected for membership each year. Members must be at least 16 years old and have a minimum of three years 4-H experience.

Hutchins, 16, is the daughter of Brian and Glenda Hutchins of Winston-Salem. She is a member of the Trailblazer Teens and Carolina Inspirational Artists clubs and has been involved in 4-H for eight years. Hutchins also competed in the Application, Interview, Resume and Essay contest on the Monday of 4-H Congress where she earned a trip to National 4-H Congress in November.

Phagan, 17, is the son of Tim and Leanne Phagan of Winston-Salem. A 4-H’er for nine years, Phagan is a member of the Trailblazer Teens club.

Phagan and six other Forsyth 4-H’ers won gold medals in contests designed to test 4-H’ers’ knowledge of a variety of subjects. Phagan won the 14- to 18-year-old division of the health and fitness competition with his presentation on blood typing and blood components. The N.C. 4-H Development Fund sponsored the competition.

Emily Bohanon, 10, of Kernersville won the 9- to 10-year-old division of the health and fitness competition. She is the daughter of David and Jennifer Bohanon and her presentation was called Super Soccer.

Allison Wise, 16, daughter of Benny and Karen Wise of Kernersville, won the 14- to 18-year-old division of the bugs and bees competition sponsored by Southern States Cooperative Inc, MSC Inc., the N.C. Pest Control Association, and the N.C. Pest Management Association. Her presentation was titled Which Insect Has the Most Painful Sting: Wasp, Bee or Ant?

In the 11- to 13-year-old division of the fisheries and aquatic resources contest, Alex Arrowood won the gold medal with a presentation on walruses. The 11-year-old is the son of Mark and Carla Arrowood of Lexington. Duke Energy sponsored the competition.

Brynna Phagan, 10 and Hope Arrowood, 13, won gold medals in the forestry and wildlife competition sponsored by the N.C. 4-H Development Fund. Bryanna, who is Brian Phagan’s sister, won the 9- to 10-year-old division with a presentation on otters. Hope, who is Alex’s sister, took first place in the 11- to 13-year-old division. She discussed the red-cockaded woodpecker.

In the 11- to 13-year-old division of the careers and entrepreneurship competition sponsored by the Bell Family Foundation, Austin Wise, 11, won with a presentation about being an Apache pilot. Austin is the son of Benny and Karen Wise of Kernersville.

Nathan Barrick, 17, son of Michael and Melinda Barrick of Winston-Salem, was elected state 4-H president for the coming year. Youth campaigned for state offices, and new officers were elected Wednesday, July 18. Barrick also received the 4-H Citizenship and Community Development Trophy at an awards luncheon held July 18. Three state trophy winners were recognized at the luncheon. Barrick was also awarded a trip to the National 4-H Conference in Chevy Chase, Maryland in April of 2013 as a part of the Application, Interview, Resume and Essay contest.

Hosanna Gourley, 17, daughter of Tim and Leslieann Gourley of Walnut Cove, won Silver in the Individual State 4-H Project implementation and Silver in the Overall competition. The theme for 2012 was Hungry to Help. The Trailblazer Teens 4-H Club of Forsyth County won Gold in the Group Award and Bronze overall. The award was submitted by Allison Wise, who is the club’s secretary and also serves as the chair of the club’s volunteer work at the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission.

More than 560 4-H’ers, volunteer leaders and North Carolina Cooperative Extension agents attended 4-H Congress.

The 4-H program is the youth education program of North Carolina Cooperative Extension, based at North Carolina State and North Carolina A&T State universities. More than 235,000 young people between the ages of 5 and 19 participate in North Carolina 4-H activities each year with the help of 21,500 adult and youth volunteers.

View a slide show of pictures of the winners here