Oklahoma Farm Report intern Haden Snelson visited with Oklahoma 4-H State Program Leader Steve Beck and state 4-H president Kate Sherrill during the 105th State 4-H Roundup at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
Beck described State 4-H Roundup as Oklahoma 4-H’s premier leadership event, bringing young people from across the state together for competitions, educational workshops, officer elections and recognition.
“Oklahoma 4-H Roundup is our premier leadership event for our youth,” Beck said. “It’s an event in which quite a few things happen.”
The event includes leadership assemblies, the election of new state officers, several contests and more than 40 workshops hosted by OSU departments and other organizations. Roundup also features an honors assembly recognizing state project winners and new members of the Oklahoma 4-H Hall of Fame.
Contests held during Roundup give members opportunities to demonstrate skills in several areas. The communications contest includes public speaking, demonstrations, photography and written stories. Members also participate in events such as the family and consumer sciences Skill-a-Thon and livestock competitions.
Workshop offerings span agriculture, STEM, safety, leadership and other areas. Some participants also tour locations around the OSU campus, including the OSU Museum of Art and the OSU Student Farm.
Beck said the enthusiasm displayed by the members has helped this year’s Roundup stand out.
“The kids have shown up with a lot of energy,” Beck said. “They’re excited to see Roundup get kicked off, and this year’s officer team has done an outstanding job preparing for this conference.”
While members develop practical skills through contests and workshops, Beck said some of the most important lessons come through leadership, public speaking and personal connections.
“I think some of the best skills they learn here are those of fellowship and belonging and just getting to make new friends,” Beck said.
Those relationships can continue long after members leave Stillwater. Beck said he regularly meets former 4-H members who developed lifelong friendships — and sometimes met their future spouses — at Roundup.
Oklahoma 4-H continues to introduce new programs as the interests and needs of young people change, but Beck said its central mission remains positive youth development.
“Our real goal, regardless of what we’re teaching our youth, is positive youth development,” Beck said. “We want to make sure they have the life skills they need to be ready for life in general.”
One newer program is the Junior Governor Conference, which teaches fourth- through sixth-grade students how government works. Oklahoma 4-H also offers STEM Innovators, a program that trains teenagers to lead STEM workshops in their schools, libraries, local clubs and communities.
“While a lot of the projects have differed through the years and have changed, that base value of empowering our young people to be leaders is still there,” Beck said.
Sherrill said Roundup allows members from counties across Oklahoma to explore workshops in agriculture, family and consumer sciences, leadership and civic engagement. Participants also hear from guest speakers, elect a new officer team and build relationships with other members.
As state president, Sherrill has spent the past year serving as a representative and voice for Oklahoma 4-H. Her presidential platform focused on advocating for people with disabilities, an issue inspired by her cousin, who has Down syndrome.
Sherrill said she has worked with disability advocates and spoken about how 4-H can provide a welcoming and inclusive community for young people with disabilities.
One of her favorite parts of Roundup is watching the next group of state officers be elected. She said the election process demonstrates how members can remain supportive of one another even while competing.
Sherrill recalled entering a runoff election against Brandt Barnett during the previous Roundup. When her name was announced as the winner, Barnett was the first person to congratulate her.
“He was the first person who came up to me and gave me the biggest hug,” Sherrill said. “Even when we are competing against each other, we can grow close together as we are running against each other.”
Candidates for the state executive council deliver campaign speeches and answer questions during a town hall. Voting delegates representing counties across the state then select the president, vice president, secretary, reporter and recreation leader.
For families considering 4-H, Sherrill said the organization offers opportunities in areas ranging from STEM and healthy living to shooting sports, leadership and national travel.
More importantly, she said, 4-H gives young people a supportive place to develop confidence and form lasting relationships.
“Your kids will find their family, and they will find a place where they definitely belong,” Sherrill said. “I used to be really shy and really timid, and now I’m a person who can walk into a room full of strangers and leave with a dozen new friends.”
Families interested in joining Oklahoma 4-H can contact their local OSU Extension office. Beck said an Extension educator can help families learn about available clubs, projects and enrollment opportunities in their county.
