4-H members integral part of Shelby County Fair

The following was originally published July 19, 2016.

A packed 4-H building at the Shelby County Fairgrounds on Monday night showed just how important the program remains to local participants. First-year member Julia Hamblen, clutching a poster showing how some deadly toxins look like common household items, snaked her way through the rows of fellow members waiting in line for judging.

“The process was very complex but very fun,” Hamblen said, detailing the brainstorming, research and materials gathering processes over the past two months. “Construction of each project took about five days to complete and we put the finishing touches on the Sunday before we turned them in.”

Not only did Hamblen learn about topics like children and horses, she also collected four blue ribbons at Monday’s judging.

On the other side of the photography judging table was Amy Haehl, a previous ten-year 4-H member. The successful local photographer learned the ropes through 4-H as a child.

“My mom was nice enough to let me use her camera and taught me so much,” Haehl said. “She showed me how to have an eye for a beautiful photograph instead of just snapping photos and hoping for the best.”

Beyond photography skills, Haehl learned the business basics that she uses routinely as an entrepreneur. By accepting the invitation to become a 4-H judge, Haehl’s photography journey came full circle.

“I love seeing the kids that are just like I was at that age,” she said. “Of course I’m there to do my job of judging their projects, but I also feel that it is very important to be a source of encouragement and knowledge for them. I want every child who has a project judged by me to walk away feeling good about themselves and their work, and to feel inspired to continue moving forward.”

It’s a tall task for a short interaction. With participants fidgeting in line, the judge reviews a student’s work in real time, looking for adherence to the rules, project requirements, and quality of the photograph, including composition, exposure, focus, and storytelling ability.

“Lastly, I look for those extra special touches that make the project stand out to consider it for an honorable mention and potentially a higher ribbon placement,” Haehl said.

With so many projects judged, the difference between a blue ribbon and Grand Champion depends on minor details.

“It’s an important life lesson to not be lazy,” Haehl said. “Always do your best and go the extra mile because you never know when it might make a difference.”

With a successful first year under her belt, Hamblen plans to continue 4-H participation until she graduates from high school.

“The program is a great opportunity for us to learn new things and it personally brought me closer to my family because the whole process brought us all together and I enjoyed every minute of it,” Hamblen said.