Gordon County 4-H’ers Take Leadership Roles
During the school systems’ fall break, Gordon County 4-H hosted two leadership opportunities for youth. The first was a County Council officer retreat held on October 10. The eight County Council officers are President Hannah McElrath, Vice-Presidents Chelsea Clayton and Gabrielle Ralston, Reporters Noah Marchman and Jazmine Ralston, Secretary Olivia Forrest, and Junior Representatives Hannah Jones and Breana Manning. As county officers, these eight youth took part in learning about their roles and planning county events for the year. To begin, they each took a personality test to learn about their personality types and then took part in multiple teambuilding activities emphasizing communication and teamwork. Afterwards, the officers learned about their roles as an officer team and the responsibilities associated with each office. For the final business item, the officers planned the business, learning activities, crafts and games, community service projects, and menu for each of the County Council meetings for the year. The day ended with a fun trip to Chattanooga for bowling and laser tag.
The following day, October 11, three 4-H’ers took part in teen leader training. These three youth were Bryson Bowen of Calhoun High, David Niles of Gordon Central High, and Ashton Stanley of Red Bud Middle. These students discussed leadership and learned about communication, positive attitude, and typical characteristics of 9-11 year olds. They also role played various scenarios on how to work with younger children, how to handle conflict, and how to set an example for other youth. In addition, they learned games, songs, and activities to engage other 4-H’ers, as well as their roles and responsibilities as a teen leader in the various activities offered by 4-H.