Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Council & Adult Leaders Meeting in Kingsville

by: Luis SaldaƱa

Kinsville, TX - During the most recent January 17th meeting of the South District 12 4-H Council and the Adult Leaders Association, we had a special treat...a special guest. Sean McLelland, 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Member in Men's Skeet, came to share some of his experiences in Beijing this past summer. He credits his career having started in 4-H in Hidalgo County. His comments served as a little motivation for all of us in many different ways, I am sure. He talked about perseverance, and hard work. He talked about the need to be physically fit through good diet and exercise. Considering his experience and skills as one of the top 20 shooters in the world, his humility and down-to-earth attitude made it quite easy for all to relate to his experiences. Sean shared his experiences in 4-H and how his involvement in leadership and service were important to his success. Photos of Sean and 4-H members and leaders have been posted on the District 12 4-H website.

One interesting thing I discovered last Saturday was that Sean appeared on the Discovery Channel's program entitled Time Warp. The episode entitled "Cheerleading" (each episode has many segments) features Sean with the two hosts shooting skeet and helping viewers learn about shot patterns and other things related to his sport. Although I have not been able to find a video clip online, Discovery Channel does replay episodes (Season 1, Episode 14 premiered November 26, 2008).

Other highlights of the meeting:

  • Adult leaders participated in a new approach to teaching Food & Nutrition...4-H Food Challenge
  • Adult brainstormed different ways to make 4-H program support better...details coming
  • 4-H members discussed district events & community service projects