Lucky Clovers are toast masters at the Cluster Communications Contest
By Eric Guernsey
The 2018 Central Cluster 4-H Communications Contest was held on March 17 at Bushy Park Elementary School in Glenwood, MD. The contest is held every year and winners get to compete in the State Communication Contest during Maryland Day at the University of MD.
There are three different age groups – Juniors, Intermediates and Seniors. There are four different categories to compete in – Radio Spot, Prepared Speech, Extemporaneous Speech and Interpretation. A radio spot is a 30 second spot that encourages people to join 4-H. A prepared speech is a speech that you prepare yourself that can be on any topic. For Extemporaneous speaking, you have to pick a topic from a bowl, then you get time to write notes on a notecard and then you present it in front of the judges. It’s usually a question about either 4-H or things that you like or a memorable event in your life. If you don’t like the first question you pick, you can usually pick another question. An interpretation is like doing a part in a play. You memorize a poem, play script or something that somebody else wrote and present it with feeling.
Ten 4-Hers from the Lucky Clovers competed in the Cluster Contest this year – Bettina Mastle, Sabina Mastle, K.L. Plano-Faber, Cayleigh Zhao, Clayton Zhao, Brennan Zhao, Heather Guernsey, Lauren Guernsey, Ryan Guernsey and me. My favorite speech is a Radio Spot. I like that you have 30 seconds to try to convince the audience to join 4-H. I talk about my favorite things in 4-H, like Rocketry and entering in the county fair. I won Champion for my Radio Spot and I can’t wait to compete in the State Contest at Maryland Day! Congratulations also to Cayleigh Zhao, Brennan Zhao, K.L. Plano-Faber and Sabina Mastle for winning Champion and Reserve Champion Awards at the Cluster Communication Contest. Reserve Champions can also compete at the State Contest if the Champion is not available to compete.
Maryland Day is really fun, so everyone from the club should come! There are many fun activities, like feeling 30 MPH winds in the wind tunnel, or watching the fire tornado or making smoke rings or doing beetle races. Our club has a booth at Maryland Day, so everyone should come!
