By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The 4-H motto is “Make the best better.” The saying holds true for 4-H members and the people who are judging those youth 4-H projects.
“For me, judging 4-H projects is about evaluation, tips for improvement. …. The positive aspect of judging is so much a part of the 4-H culture,” said 4-H Shooting Sports judge Bruce Sampson at last week’s miscellaneous/non-livestock judging.
Results from the Wood County 4-H non-livestock judging can be found here.
With grandfatherly vibes and dressed in a 4-H green clover shirt, he welcomed 4-H members of various ages as they approached the judging table – some with trepidation and others with pure confidence.
As he looks at the person in front of him, he knows he needs to be kind. “Let’s face it, they are going to be picking out our nursing homes someday,” he said with a chuckle. “So, we want them to grow up to be good, useful adults, don’t we?”
They learn much of that through parents and family members. Yet, the value of 4-H allows them to is get some of those lessons one-on-one with a non-family person.
“The subject matter of their 4-H project, no matter the discipline, is just another tool. That’s the way I come into judging,” he said.
He believes in rewarding the work that has been performed and at the same time encouraging them to think about what they want to do. In his area of expertise—after seeing his own kids grow into shooting instructors and continuing the work with area youths—Sampson talks about “recipes” and the “ingredients” it takes for topics such as gun safety and sight alignment.
“I try to leave them with the idea that, ‘Oh, I can influence the outcome too.’ Our goal is to get them to think about what goes into the process.”
First-time judge, but longtime 4-H member, Katie Shanks was set up to judge STEM and STEM-related projects. The Bowling Green State University geology graduate student who is deeply involved in polar research, was enjoying interacting with the 4-H members.
Having been born and raised in Wood County and as a 14-year member of 4-H (including her Clover Bud years), Shanks pulled from her years of being judged for her style of judging the projects. T
“I think I’m pretty used to how this works,” she said.
The 4-H STEM projects ranged from robotics and science fun with flight to electricity and ATV safety.
Some of her judging criteria are not necessarily tied to the project, but to simple courtesies, such as do they shake hands and make eye contact.
“I don’t expect them to be super knowledgeable, but I want to see that they have a basic grasp on what the project was. Did they do recordkeeping in the book? Did they answer the questions?” she said “After that, it’s just good back and forth conversation.”
Her ultimate goal as a judge is to know that they enjoyed the experience and chose the project themselves, rather than having a parent choose it for them. “I remember that I chose projects that I would actually be interested in,” she said. “I hope they learn and grow from their 4-H years as much as I did.”
