Adams County 4-H celebrates 87th annual Achievement Day by recognizing members, volunteers

URSA, Ill. – Adams County 4-H members and volunteers were recognized for their yearlong project achievements at the annual Achievement Day event.

For 4-H members, the annual achievement program brings to close a full year of work in a project area. Records are typically completed in the fall, which allows youths to detail and summarize their 4-H project experience while allowing them to reflect and make plans for the upcoming project year.

4-H Federation members led the awards program, which started with recognizing Cloverbud members. Those recognized were:

• Luke Bockhold
• Rhett Bockhold
• Mia Coronado
• Ayda Duesterhaus
• Scarlett Duesterhaus
• Skyler Duesterhaus
• Brylee Evans
• Wesson Kill
• Aubrey Llewellyn
• Walter Mathews
• Danika Mock
• Jaxon Powell
• Remington Prenger
• Levi Smith
• Lincoln Swift
• Abby Taylor
• Macy Whitlock

Cloverbuds is a 4-H exploratory program for youths ages 5-7 that promotes healthy, positive youth development and is a springboard into the traditional 4-H program.

Club leaders were then recognized to honor service milestones. The following leaders were recognized:

• John Entrup – 1 year
• Mona East – 5 years
• Brady Haschemeyer – 5 years
• Krista Hoener – 5 years
• Sam Miller – 5 years
• Taylor Kill – 5 years
• Katlyn Roberts – 5 years
• Melissa Entrup – 10 years
• Barb Dickhut – 10 years
• Jeremy Liesen – 10 years
• Carol Hull – 15 years
• Carolyn Hildebrand – 20 years
• Linda Dawson – 25 years

Leaders organize club meetings, help members with project choices and completion resources and provide opportunities for members to gain experiences in leadership and other opportunities at the county, state and national levels.

Senior 4-H members and first year members were recognized.

Senior 4-H members were:

• Wade Allen
• Jacob Davis
• Baylee Dedert
• Riley Genenbacher
• Olivia Keefe
• Emma Kill
• Noah Klauser
• Adayre Klauser
• Olivia Kno
• Hayley Lair
• Hunter Louderback
• Daniel Miller
• Sierra Miller
• Simon Mixer
• Brady Muegge
• Elizabeth Perry
• Grace Peter
• Andrea Schaffnit
• Sophia Shaffer
• Cody Shaffer,
• Elaina Smith
• Cage Thompson
• Evan Wolfmeyer.

First-year members were:

• Nicholas Barry
• Breanna Boone
• Raelle Cook
• Cora Frazier
• Everett Hodgson
• Liam Ippensen
• Andi Kirlin
• Kinser Lummer
• Tatum Maas
• Helen Mathews
• Marial Mathews
• Simeon Mathews
• Walter Mathews
• Danika Mock
• Keeden Orpet-Hulett
• Jaxon Powell
• Kooper Powell
• Olivia Riley
• Piper Steward
• Josie Venvertloh

Individual project award applications ask 4-H members to reflect on their experience, identify successes and challenges in their project area and offer suggestions for future plans in the project area.

This year’s individual project award recipients were:

• Isaiah Brass – Family Heritage, Woodworking;
• Rozalyn Brass – Visual Arts, Vet Science, Visual Arts;
• Braylee Brackensick – Visual Arts;
• Devon Carolan – Geology;
• Avva Chandler – Visual Arts;
• Gabriella Chatten – Rabbits;
• Raelee Cook – Horses;
• Aria Courtney – Poultry;
• Paysli Dieterle – Photography;
• Kodi Duke – Food and Nutrition;
• Olivia East – Creative Writing, Photography, Rabbits, Theater Arts, Visual Arts;
• Owen East – Aerospace;
• Emmaline Garman – Clothing and Textiles, Visual Arts;
• Brinley Hackamack – Child Development, Sheep;
• August Hesse – Swine;
• Zoey Kasparie – Ready4Life;
• Wyatt Kill – Forestry;
• Dax Klusmeyer – Intercultural;
• Bradley King – Animal Science;
• Hayley Lair – College and Career Readiness, Consumer Education;
• Helen Mathews – Floriculture;
• Marissa Mintle– Civic Engagement, Interior Design;
• Asher Mock – Woodworking;
• Grady Norsworthy – Dogs;
• Owen Potter – Woodworking;
• Ryleigh Powell – Vegetable Gardening;
• Parker Schaffnit – Beef;
• Grady Shaffer – Beef, Welding;
• Kolby Shaffer – Visual Arts;
• Ashley Walbring – Leadership, Vegetable Gardening;
• Lance Woolam – Electricity, Food and Nutrition, Outdoor Adventures, Shooting Sports, Small Engines, Tractor, Visual Arts

The 4-H Experience Award offers recognition for members who participate in activities and events and are awarded based on age and level of experience.

Receiving the Bronze Experience Award were Bellamy Carolan, Cohen Maas, Grady Norsworthy and Makenna Taylor.

Receiving the Silver Experience Award were Braylee Brackensick, Blake Hackamack, Brooklyn Hackamack, August Hesse, Allie Hoener, Callie Longlett, Marissa Mintle and Willow Shaffer.

Receiving the Gold Experience Award were Kodi Duke, Olivia East, Emmaline Garman, Xander Garman, Brinley Hackamack, Andi Kirlin, Bradley King, Madilyn King and Mariah Mintle.

Ashley Walbring received the Diamond Experience Award in Leadership.

Receiving the Emerald Experience Award in Leadership were Dax Klusmeyer, Hayley Lair, Grady Shaffer and Kolby Shaffer.

Lance Woolam received the Emerald Experience Award in Community Service.

In Adams County, 14 clubs and SPIN clubs serve as groups for members to belong to and learn from. Of those 14, four clubs were recognized for their Illinois 4-H Club Award Applications. Those clubs included:

• Burton Flyers – Community Service;
• Central Adams Firecrackers – Community Service;
• Ellington Hilltoppers – Community Service, Leadership, and Project Learning;
• Ursa Willing Workers – Community Service and Leadership.

Special awards presented include:

• Energy Education Council Electricity Award to Lance Woolam
• 4-H Club Treasurer Award to Jillian Shaffer
• 4-H Club Secretary Award to Claire Norsworthy
• 4- H Club Scrapbook Award to Central Adams Firecrackers
• Growing 4-H Member of the Year to Dax Klusmeyer
• Growing Federation Member of the Year to Parker Schaffnit
• 4-H Family of the Year to Dale and Linda Kill
• Supportive Alumni of the Year to Linda Duncan and Dale Donley
• Leader of the Year to Brenda Williams

The 4-H Foundation supports 4-H members by providing financial encouragement and aid for programs, awards and scholarships.

The foundation recognized the top experience awards:

• Grady Norsworthy – Bronze;
• Brooklyn Hackamack – Silver; and
• Brinley Hackamack – Gold.

The “I Dare You Award” was presented to Kodi Duke, Hayley Lair, and Zoey Kasparie. This award is presented in memory of former 4-H leader, Ruby Crow, and recognizes youths ages 15-18 who show potential leadership, scholarship and character.

Andi Kirlin was presented the Betty Venvertloh Memorial Award in recognition of her continued leadership, project growth and achievement in club, county and beyond.

Gretchen Hilburn, a sheep exhibitor, and Olivia Whitlock, a dairy exhibitor, were presented the John Alison Memorial Award in recognition of outstanding work in the sheep and dairy project areas. This award is based on Adams County 4-H Fair results. John Alison was a livestock farmer and an outstanding 4-H livestock judge from Mendon, who graduated from the University of Illinois.

New this year, a 4-H member was recognized for the Debbie Reed Leadership Award. Ashley Walbring was named the recipient of this award, which recognizes an Adams County 4-H member who exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding leader: kindness, compassion, dedication, patience, responsibility, integrity and a commitment to service. 

Reed, a former leader of the Ellington Hilltoppers 4-H Club, was honored with the Dale Donley 4-H Leader of the Year Award. Her leadership and dedication to non-profit work and youth support in the community inspired others to step up and lead where needed.

A scholarship was presented to Kaitlyn Walbring for the Glen Tenhouse Leadership Memorial Scholarship in recognition of continued leadership, project growth and achievement in the club, county and beyond. Tenhouse and his wife, Joan, organized Country Cousins on a trial basis in 1968 as a first combined agriculture and home economics 4-H club for boys and girls in Adams County. He and his wife served as leaders for many years.

The final award, another scholarship, was presented to Ashley Walbring for being named the Outstanding 4-H Member of the Year. This award recognizes members continued leadership, project growth and achievement in club, county and beyond.

The Adams County 4-H Achievement Program signifies completion of the 2023-24 4-H year. The 2024-25 4-H year is underway, and members are encouraged to reach out to club leaders for a meeting schedule for the upcoming program year.

For more information about the Adams County 4-H program, call 217-223-8380 or email Siera Duesterhaus at snthomps@illinois.edu.