The annual Webster County 4-H Awards Celebration was held at the Opera House at the Fort Museum and Frontier Village. This event recognizes 4-H members, volunteers, and supporters. The night is sponsored each year by the Webster County 4-H Foundation and the Webster County Extension and Outreach Office.

The 4-H County Council thanked 4-H volunteers, donors, and other 4-H supporters. Throughout the evening, they presented a variety of club and project area awards, special awards, scholarships, and volunteer recognition awards. Council members also celebrated graduating seniors as they began their last year as 4-H members. The host and hostesses for the program were Aianna Kirby and Brookelynne Peterson.

Club awards were presented to the following:

Badger Builders

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Bob Butrick, left, of Lehigh, and Curt Davis, of Lehigh, both received the Alumni 4-H Member Award.

First Year Member Awards: Isaac Banks, Johnathan Bedel, Chloe Harrison, Ecca Lo, Naomi Zaharia

C/C Sidekicks

First Year Member Awards: Cassandra Clute, Gale Egeland, Misha Egeland, Aubree Hanse, Gabriel Parrish, Jennifer Touney. Officer Awards: Ignatius Kirby — President Award, Josie Novencido — Vice President Award, Miura Novencido — Secretary Award, Sylvia Wacholtz — Treasurer and Photographer Award, Aianna Kirby — Historian and Photographer Award, AvaMarie Kirby — Photographer and Recreation Leader Award.

Dayton Tigers

First Year Member Awards: Brayten Allbee, Taylor Goeders, Jaxson Halsrud, Autumn Jones-Popp, Canton Richardson, Max Swanson, Emma Wilson. Junior Achievement Awards: Emma Hayes, Kelsey Hayes, Xavier Cunigan, Molly VanSickle, Hanna Wicklein. Intermediate Achievement Awards: Caleb Hayes. Senior Achievement Awards: Blessing Cunigan, Karah Hayes, Alex Lambert, Hailey Rees. Officer Awards: Lauren Eslick — Secretary Award. Project Area and Record Keeping Awards: Hailey Rees — Sheep and Communication Award. Karah Hayes — Poultry and Visual Arts Award. Harley Eckert — Horse and Long Time Record Keeping Award.

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Kara McGonegle received the Bill & Pat Coffey Memorial Scholarship.

Douglas Dreamers

First Year Member Awards: Paislee Albright, Lyra Douglas, LaKesha Gines, Laila Hickey, Evan Newman, Casey Nielson. Junior Achievement Awards: Paislee Albright, Kaci McGonegle. Intermediate Achievement Awards: Cora Anderson, Nora Kate O’Connor, Aviela Savov, Lauren Schelle. Senior Achievement Awards: Kara McGonegle. Officer Awards: Kara McGonegle — President Award, Skye McMahon — Vice President Award, Grace Winkel — Vice President Award, Alex Guddall — Photographer Award, Gracie Kallansrud — Recreation Leader Award. Kaci McGonegle — Recreation Leader Award. Project Area and Record Keeping Awards: Nora Kate O’Connor — Rabbit Award, Kara McGonegle — Long Time Record Keeping Award.

Elkhorn Eagles

Intermediate Achievement Awards: Logan Jaeschke, Eli Johnson, Ella Johnson, Owen Pudenz. Senior Achievement Awards: Jiselle Donahe, Tristen Holst, Lilly Johnson. Officer Awards: Lilly Johnson — President Award, Tristen Holst — Vice President Award, Jiselle Donahe — Secretary Award, Logan Jaeschke — Treasurer Award, Owen Pudenz – Reporter Award, Eli Johnson — Photographer Award, Ella Johnson — Historian Award.

Elkhorn Earlybirds

First Year Member Awards: Penelope Coleman, Zane Haney, Leia Hruska, Aleah Judson, Liam Kaft. Officer Awards: Nash Terry — President Award, Sara Grace Haney — Vice President, Reporter and Historian Award, Hannah Maschino — Secretary Award, Kyle Eastman — Treasurer Award, Julia Eastman — Recreation Leader Award, Olivia Clausen — Recreation Leader Award.

Gowrie Groundbreakers

First Year Member Awards: Brinlynn Alliger, Taylor Carlson, Caden Haug, Cooper Hefley, Ella Kuhn, Ina McGuire, Adalynn Milham, Caden Milham, Cheyenne Mumaugh, Lillian Newell, Kenley Spece. Junior Achievement Awards: Kenley Spece, Kensley Cox, Kaylee Hicks, Brock Norine, Blaine Peterson, Andrew Wanat. Intermediate Achievement Award: Benjamin Wanat. Senior Achievement Awards: Aiden Anderson, Grant Farnham, Hannah Hicks, Alexis Peterson, Tyler Wanat. Officer Awards: Grant Farnham — President Award, Aiden Anderson — Vice President Award, Hanna Hicks — Secretary Award, Benjamin Wanat — Reporter Award, Andrew Wanat — Photographer Award, Kaylee Hicks — Photographer Award, Lane Ahlers — Recreation Leader Award, Mason Newell — Recreation Leader Award — Tyler Wanat — Recreation Leader Award. Project Area and Record Keeping Awards: Aiden Anderson — Horticulture Award, Hanna Hicks – Food & Nutrition and Visual Arts Award, Tyler Wanat — Visual Arts Award, Alexis Peterson — Long Time Record Keeping Award.

Johnson Jaguars

First Year Member Awards: Jaycee Arnold, Calli Bird, Cade Buenting, Ava Carlson, Kendrick Fredericksen, Emma Johnson, Emma Loseke, Matt O’Hern, Amarie Pettigrew, Malaki Pettigrew, Miriam Stein, Bentley Walstrom, Bentley Weimer, Audree Weiss. Junior Achievement Award: Calli Bird Ava Carlson, Emma Johnson, Miriam Stein, Bentley Weimer, Audree Weiss, Kase Condon, Kinnick Egli, Natalie Jones, Emma Losseke, Millie Egli, Cameron Flowers, Olivia Illg, Mickey O’Hern, Madelyn Wittrock. Intermediate Achievement Awards: Bellah Aquino, Ava Nelson, Cheyenne Dahlhauser, Hailey Dawson, Gracelyn Illg, Rachel Jones. Senior Achievement Awards: Bianca Aquino, Cade Buenting, Owen Compart, Alexis Essing, Oryan Hanson, Addison Loseke, Ava Messerly, Keaton Wittrock, Rashia Barrett, Matthew Condon, Kyla Egli, Logan Wittrock, Owen Eldridge, Ethan Egli, Michael Illg. Officer Awards: Ethan Egli — President Award, Kyla Egli — Vice President Award, Logan Wittrock — Treasurer Award, Bianca Aquino — Secretary Award, Cameron Flowers — Reporter Award, Madelyn Wittrock — Photographer Award, Owen Compart — Recreation Leader Award.

Washington Winners

First Year Member Awards: Charlie Meyer. Junior Achievement Award: Charlie Meyer, Raelynne Brady. Intermediate Achievement Award: Jacob Nieland. Senior Achievement Awards: Jared Geis, Sasha Hess, Sylvia Hess, Hope Miller Madelyn Stanek. Officer Awards: Sylvia Hess — President Award, Hope Miller — Vice President Award, Jared Geis — Secretary Award, Sasha Hess — Historian and Reporter Award, Madelyn Stanek — Photographer Award, Charlie Meyer — Recreation Leader Award.

Other awards

The 4-H Spirit Award was given to several 4-H’ers for their extra work and dedication to the 4-H program. This award was given at the Junior level to Olivia Clausen of the Elkhorn Earlybirds, Turner Ahlers of the Gowrie Groundbreakers, Mason Newell of the Gowrie Groundbreakers, and Aubree Hanse of the C/C Sidekicks. At the Intermediate level, the award was presented to Jennifer Touney of the C/C Sidekicks. At the Senior level, award recipients were Aiden Anderson of the Gowrie Groundbreakers, Grant Farnham of the Gowrie Groundbreakers, and Ignatius Kirby of the C/C Sidekicks.

Volunteers were presented with clover pins and certificates for serving five and 10 years as a 4-H volunteer. Five years of service to the 4-H program receive the silver clover pin: Becky Aquino — Johnson Jaguars club leader, Erin Ford — SESS leader, Beth Peterson — Dayton Tigers club leader, Kelsey Urlis — Douglas Dreamers club leader, Patricia Wanat – Gowrie Groundbreakers club leader. Receiving a gold clover pin for 10 years of service: Kerry Rees — Dayton Tigers club leader. Receiving a diamond clover pin for 20 years of service: Debra Shelton — C/C Sidekicks club leader. Receiving a five-point diamond clover pin for 40 years of service: Linda Cline — Douglas Dreamers club leaders

A special State 4-H Foundation award was re-recognized during the night. Linda Cline was awarded the Successful Farming/Loren Kruse Outstanding Iowa 4-H Leader Award in August at the Iowa State Fair. Linda was nominated for the award by Emma Alstott, a Webster County and Douglas Dreamers alumni 4-H member. Alstott was present Sunday night and shared reflections on her own 4-H career and how Cline made meaningful impacts on her own 4-H career as well as many other club members. Cline is currently a leader of the Douglas Dreamers 4-H Club and has been the leader for the past 40 years.

The Caring Adult Award was presented to Mary Rethwisch, who finished out her final year as a club leader this past year. She helped out leading the club even though she had no active family members. We thank her for her years of service and dedication to all the Elkhorn Earlybirds’ club members. Keeping the club together and active during the COVID pandemic was not easy but she did a wonderful job.

The Alumni 4-H Member Award was presented to Curt Davis, of Lehigh, and Bob Butrick, also of Lehigh. Davis was a long-time superintendent for the poultry project alongside Butrick. He dedicated many hours to helping member learn about their birds and how to care for and show them. Prior to his time spent as a volunteer, Davis was a Webster County 4-H member. He was a member of the Lost Grove Go-Getters and was involved in showing cattle, swine, and poultry. Davis stepped away from being the poultry superintendent this past year, but played a big role in mentoring our current superintendent.

Butrick was a member of the Lehigh Hilltoppers. Most recently, he served as a poultry project superintendent for many years alongside Davis. He put in many hours on the poultry project and was a great role model to the 4-H members. He spent time educating the members about their birds and how to care for and show them. Butrick stepped away from being the superintendent this past year. He played a big part in mentoring our current superintendent and left the program in good hands.

The Honorary 4-H Member Award was presented to Scott Klingson, of Gowrie. Klingson is most known for his auctioneering for the Webster County Livestock Auction. He has been volunteering his services at the auction for 20 plus years. He began his auctioneering career right out of high school by attending auctioneer school in Mason City. He now owns his own auctioneering business and frequently auctioneers at the Gowrie Livestock barn.

College scholarships were presented in memoriam of individuals associated in various ways with Webster County 4-H. The Bill & Pat Coffey Memorial Scholarship was presented to Kara McGonegle; the MaryAnn Haase Memorial Scholarship to Alexis Peterson; and the Eddie Peterson Memorial Scholarship to Harley Eckert. Each of the scholarships presented are valued at $500.

Seventeen graduating seniors were also celebrated as they began their final year as Webster County 4-H Members. Senior members included: Brylie Butrick, Harley Eckert, Owen Eldridge, Jared Geis, Gracie Grady, Lilly Johnson, Emma Maschino, Kara McGonegle, Josie Novencido, Rozalyn Osborne, Alexis Peterson, Malaki Pettigrew, Emily Schroeder, Gabby Stewart, Haley Stewart, Spencer Suchan, Jillian Woodruff.