BOYLE – The Boyle 4-H Beef Club held a special 60th-anniversary banquet and awards night Dec. 3 at the Boyle Community Centre.
The large gathering included many members and leaders from past years, including two members from the very first club in 1962 — Ed Zilinski and Lawrence Raaflaub. They would tell you they haven’t changed in those 60 years, at least not in personality.
The club actually formed in 1960, when Philip Leternsky, manager of the Boyle Co-op at the time, started it as a grain club. In the fall of 1962, he suggested they should add beef membership, and Lawrence Botten and Leternsky became the leaders — Botten carried on as beef leader for many years and now Robyn Jackson, a former member herself, is now the third generation in the family to serve as general leader.
Membership has risen and fallen over the years as in the 1999-2000 they had 27 members and were actually inactive during the 2008-2009 4-H year. In 2003-2004, there were several members who joined with sheep, and the club’s name was changed to Boyle 4-H Beef and Sheep Club. In the 2006-2007 year, the name was changed back to the shorter Boyle 4-H Beef Club.
This year, the club has 11 very active and enthusiastic members, plus three Cleaver members under the leadership of Jackson. Dean Splane, a senior member is club president. Hayden Kowalchuk serves a dual role as vice-president and club reporter. Ryleigh Turner is secretary with Remington Turner is the treasurer.
Following the banquet meal guest speakers Tracy Shymoniak and Cathy Botten shared their experiences and memories of their days as members and the life lessons they learned from those days; particularly in public speaking.
Among other things, Shymoniak noted from her days as a member some 40 plus years ago, that “as for any club, it takes a lot of dedicated volunteers and time to create and execute club activities.”
She spoke about raising both steers and heifers, and the work of feeding, keeping records and getting her animals ready for the June show — grooming, washing, training them on the halter and the sadness at sale time. One upside for her though was that it was usually her grandfather who purchased her steer.
“But with the money I received from the sale, I was able to purchase my first vehicle when I graduated from Boyle High School. I felt it was a large reward for all the experience.”
Shymoniak added 4-H gave her the opportunity to meet lots of people, noting “one person in particular, Elwood Splane, who was our leader at the time.” And 4-H introduced her to public speaking, and while difficult at the time, said it has helped her deal throughout life as events came up that she has had to attend and speak.
4-H also gave her the opportunity in her final year to participate in a student exchange trip with a girl from Athabasca with a group in New Brunswick, then hosting them in return. “We had a great time together and made memorable friendships.”
“The 4-H club was a great experience to learn some valuable life lessons at a very young age. It was like a giant family all working for a common goal. It was an experience I will truly treasure.”
Cathy Botten shared some similar experiences from her eight years as a member of the Boyle 4-H Beef Club and said she “started off as a shy, quiet 10-year-old who was terrified to get up and do a speech and who was equally terrified to lead a calf around a ring” while noting that “each year, my strengths, skills, and confidence grew.”
Botten added, “When I think of who I am today, it’s impossible to not trace my strength, skills and character back to 4-H.”
Like Shymoniak, Botten also praised the values of the public speaking program each member is required to participate in, regardless of whatever other programs a club has.
“Thanks to what I learned about public speaking, I was able to speak up in my classes in university and make presentations in front of the class. In my Master of Education in Counselling Psychology program, I needed to present to my advisory committee which was an excruciating hour of defending my thesis. To become licensed as a psychologist, I needed to complete an oral exam which involved answering questions for about an hour to demonstrate my knowledge and skill. So, I was very thankful for all of my impromptu speech experience.”
She added in her career as psychologist, she has written and delivered many workshops to audiences of 30 to 130.
“And over the last 15 years of being a 4-H leader, I have presented at 4-H leader and member learning events. All of these experiences I believe can be credited to those eight years of writing and delivering speeches as a 4-H member,” Botten said, adding, to the current 4-H members, “public speaking will be a skill you will use throughout your life.”
She added 4-H also contributed to her love of travel and encourages all members to take advantage of travel opportunities as “they truly are life-changing.”
Botten had many words of advice to 4-H members, and the many opportunities it provides, not just in 4-H, but in life from the skills learned in 4-H.
“Judging by how many 4-H members carry on to become leaders, I think it is safe to say that 4-H builds life-long volunteers. I encourage all 4-H members to participate at a level they are interested in — whether that be improving their skills in showing their steer, trying a new project, writing a speech on a topic they are passionate about, taking on an executive position at their club or district level, participating at a regional judging event, attending a regional or provincial camp, becoming a key member, attending senior symposium, and the list goes on.”
She said there is a reason why 4-H is over 100 years old in that it has “always focused on putting the members first, giving them experiences to learn, grow, and give back.”
“This and so much more is why 4-H is the best youth program that I have been very proud to be a part of.”
Some of the current members shared their thoughts on 4-H, and leader Robyn Jackson introduced three Cleaver Kids in this year’s Boyle 4-H Beef Club program, whom she lovingly refers to as “4-H Kindergarten” — Lillian Splane, Lennoxx Jackson and Ethan Kowalchuk.
Following the program and a brief break, the awards presentations for members from the 2021-2022 year were made, rounding out what was truly an enjoyable and memorable evening.
