As the first part of a two-legged event, the competition served as an opportunity for the club’s members to prepare work on their public speaking abilities ahead of their showing at the Shawville Fair.

According to the Shawville 4-H Club’s President, Bradley Dubeau, the judging competition served as a prerequisite for members wanting to partake in the showing.

The event comprised of a judging session where students earned points depending on their assessments on a variety of commodities, including livestock and produce.

After all the kids got registered, organizers divided them into small groups according to their ages. All participants were between six and twenty-five years old. Additionally, the event varied between a series of written and oral challenges.

With six stations on site, each representing a different class of product, kids had six minutes in order to verify the products in front of them and make their assessments before rotating onto the next station.

Each class featured four items and ranged from live cattle, to soybeans and even mittens.

Kids had to base their own opinions and explain which stood out most.

Once all the members went through each station, they took part in a quiz put together by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ), which also counted in the competition.

At the end of the event, kids feasted on ice cream and cookies provided by the 4-H club, Dubeau said.

According to one of the club’s leader, Jessica Cox, the competition is a great teacher of leadership skills and a good test for their public speaking abilities.

“It’s just teaching them to make choices and to know what they’re looking at,” she said. “Because you’re judging stuff all day every day, like if you’re picking out a shirt, you’re deciding which one is the best one. So, it’s the same thing.” Along with contributing to various community events, members have worked on their respective projects all year. The showing serves as a culmination of all the efforts they’ve put in, said Cox.

“It’s kind of where they get to show off their hard work all year,” she said.

“It’s been a super long tradition,” she said.

WIn the past, the judging competition took place at the fair during the same time as the showing. But with the fair growing, the club decided to, instead, use the event as an opportunity to prepare for the big showing at the fair.

For Dubeau, the most rewarding aspect of the judging competition, besides trying to win it all, is that it helps young people find ways to think and express their thoughts freely.

“It’s a way to learn how to have your own opinion,” he said. “It’s a valuable skill that you don’t really realize until later on.”

For the 19-year-old, the oral judging portion of the event is also very beneficial for members to grow as individuals.

Throughout his time with the club, he’s noticed quite a few people emerge from their shell and become much more comfortable speaking in front of people on any given subject.

“It’s to build confidence,” he said. “A lot of people are nervous when they judge. I’ve talked to many young members and they feel accomplished and they start feeling better about talking in front of people. It’s a great way to help your public speaking.”

After both events, the kids’ scores will be tallied up and the winners of the top judge and the top aggregate (scores of both events combined) will be announced at a ceremonial banquet, which is to be held in November, according to one of the organizers Kayla McCann

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