Local youth honored at 2022 LeFlore County 4-H Awards Banquet

Several local youth were honored, sometimes getting more than one honor, during the 2022 LeFlore County 4-H Awards Banquet, which took place Monday night at the Cameron Community Center with the Cameron 4-H Club as the hosts.

Several individuals were honored with participation certificates for projects. They were Aarow Academy’s Zoey Chaplin (sheep), Cameron’s Paityn Beason (swine, leadership and citizenship), Cameron’s Kattie Couch (record book), Aarow Academy’s Adelyn Dennis (genealogy), Cameron’s Luxy Sweeten (archery), Cameron’s Jason Watts (beef), Cameron’s Brayle Welker (archery), Cameron’s Kaylee Brady (community service), Cameron’s Anistyn Marrow (swine), Cameron Harley Shipman (archery), Cameron’s Greenlee French (beef) and Cameron’s Kimmie Couch (archery).

Eight youth were awarded pins for their projects. Aarow Academy’s Julianna Waldroop got her pin for her food and nutrition, outdoor education and recreation project, Aarow Academy’s Isaiah Frerich for entomology, Aarow Academy’s Delton Allen for community service, Heavener’s Brinley Mills for achievement and public speaking, Heavener’s Bryce West for swine, Aarow Academy’s Hannah Reed for cake decorating and cooking, Aarow Academy’s Lucia Waldroop for public speaking and food and nutrition and Aarow Academy’s Jorja Hendrix for food and nutrition and performing arts.

The other big award category at Monday night’s awards banquet was for 4-H students who completed and turned in record books. Beason, Dennis, Sweeten, Watts, Welker, Marrow, Kimmie Couch, West, French and Chaplin all received participation certificates.

Allen, Brady and Harley Shipman all got bronze medals for their record books, Julianne Waldroop, Frerich, Mills and Lucia Waldroop received silver medals for their record books and Reed and Hendrix got gold medals for their record books.

Allen and Mills (who last year was with Howe’s 4-H Club) were named “Rookie 4-Hers” as both individuals received a T-shirt and a certificate. The “Rookie 4-Her” Award recognizes outstanding firstand second-year 4-H members.

Beason got a pullover for being named the Outstanding Junior Youth, while Frerich and Chaplin each got hoodies for being named the Outstanding Intermediate Youths. Julianne Waldroop got a plaque for being recognized as the Junior Outstanding Public Speaker.

LeFlore County Oklahoma State University Extension Office 4-H Educator Danette Russell recognized Southside Baptist Church, with church secretary Marsha Reed accepting a plaque on behalf of the church, for its community support of LeFlore County 4-H, while she awarded the “Friend of 4-H” Award to Cameron Public Schools, which was represented by Cameron Public Schools Superintendent John Long.

The new youth LeFlore County 4-H officers team was introduced and installed. Beason and Fanshawe’s Jasper Shipman were named the new junior representatives. Chaplin was named the new LeFlore County 4-H president, Poteau’s Maddy Claiborne as vice-president, Brady as secretary, French as reporter and Watts as recreational leader.

To cap off the banquet, Russell recognized three of last year’s 4-H local club leaders, Reed for Aarow Academy, Cameron’s Leah Culwell and Heavener’s Jan West. Russell also recognized all the certified volunteer leaders — Fanshawe 4-H Club leaders Penny Williams and Sherry Shadwick, shooting sports coach Eric Hendrix, camp counselor Lance Frerich, Howe 4-H Club leader Courtney Henson, Arkoma 4-H Club leaders James and Carrie Lockhart and Heavener 4-H Club leaders Lisa Tackett and Amanda Moore. Moore also will become the shooting sports coordinator for all of LeFlore County.

Oklahoma District 3 State Rep. Rick West was in attendance at Monday night’s banquet.

PDN photos by David Seeley Several local youth were honored and recognized at the 2022 LeFlore County 4-H Awards Banquet, which took place Monday night at the Cameron Community Center. Top left photograph is the project awards as Aarow Academy’s Zoey Chaplin, Cameron’s Paityn Beason, Cameron’s Kattie Couch, Aarow Academy’s Adelyn Dennis (not pictured), Cameron’s Luxy Sweeten, Cameron’s Jason Watts, Cameron’s Brayle Welker (not pictured), Cameron’s Kaylee Brady, Cameron’s Anistyn Marrow (not pictured), Cameron Harley Shipman (not pictured), Cameron’s Greenlee French and Cameron’s Kimmie Couch received participation certificates, while Aarow Academy’s Julianna Waldroop, Aarow Academy’s Isaiah Frerich, Aarow Academy’s Delton Allen, Howe’s Brinley Mills (not pictured, who now is with Heavener’s 4-H Club), Heavener’s Bryce West, Aarow Academy’s Hannah Reed, Aarow Academy’s Lucia Waldroop and Aarow Academy’s Jorja Hendrix got pins. Top right photograph is the record book awards as Beason, Dennis (not pictured), Sweeten, Watts, Welker (not pictured), Marrow (not pictured), Kimmie Couch, West, French and Chaplin all received participation certificates, while Allen, Brady and Harley Shipman (not pictured) all got bronze medals, Julianne Waldroop, Frerich, Mills (not pictured) and Lucia Waldroop received silver medals and Reed and Hendrix got gold medals. Bottom left photograph are the special award winners as Allen and Mills (not pictured) were named “Rookie 4-Hers,” Beason was named the Outstanding Junior Youth, Frerich and Chaplin were named the Outstanding Intermediate Youths and Julianne Waldroop was the Junior Outstanding Public Speaker. Bottom right photograph is the new officers, from left, Chaplin as president, Poteau’s Maddy Claiborne as vice-president, Brady as secretary, French as reporter, Watts as recreational leader and Beason as junior representative. Jasper Shipman, not pictured, also was named a junior representative.