Boys and girls from more than 25 4-H clubs across St Mary came out last Tuesday, March 25, to show a range of skills and abilities mainly in craft, the arts, agriculture and culinary sciences at the annual 4-H Achievement Day for the parish. Iona High School, Tower Isle was the venue for the event that attracted displays and presentations from 26 schools. Organizers said main aim of the 4-H clubs is to help children to develop a skill from an early age so that when they finish school, they will have some useful, marketable skills if they desire to enter the work force. The clubs also help to bring people together and to teach young and old people about their health and how to take care of the environment. There were 33 different areas of competition, including meal preparation, cake making and decorating, soft furnishing, table setting, vegetables juice drinks, towel folds, sandwich making, trash and cash, goat care and management and health and lifestyle competitions. The competition was judged by Antonio Wright, Travis Green, Victoria Lambert, Hugh Lambert, Mark Zajac and others. Only the first, second, and third place winners who participated in each category received trophies. Top boy and girl were both from St Mary High, Highgate. They are: top boy, Romario Townsend and the top girl, Sadrina Ramdam. Iona High School cadet and choir were part of the entertainment. Principal of Iona High School, Melva Humes-Johnson who hosted the event and worked with Elis Williams and the St Mary Parish Achievement Day and Expo team said: ”I had some doubts organizing this 4-H club competition, but I’m really amazed at the different variety of skills that was displayed.” Among those attending were: Jeffery McKitty, Custos of St. Mary; Mayor of Port Maria, Councillor Levan Freeman; Sgt. Hodel Harris Lasco Top Cop of 2014, and Ronald Blake, executive director Jamaica 4-H clubs Guest speaker, Dean Johnson-superintendent of police for the St Mary division, encouraged the 4-H clubs and teachers to continue on their mission as he said the clubs were helping the children to develop skills and that would help to reduce crime and violence in the parish.
