by Connie Tabbert
Editor
WESTMEATH — Cailen Bromley, 18, is an ambassador for 4-H Ontario.
The Westmeath teenager applied for the position and earned it.
“I heard about the program from previous ambassadors and how they really enjoyed the experience,” she said. “I also wanted to get out and promote 4-H more.”
A 4-H member since she was 10, Ms. Bromley has completed 62 projects. A project is equal to a club, she explained. Each club is 12 hours long. However, it’s usually broken down into six two-hour meetings, she added.
“You do different activities relating to the club,” she said.
Currently, Ms. Bromley is in a card-marking club and has completed Christmas cards, Christmas tags, Valentine Day cards and birthday cards. On achievement day, which involves showing the public what you have accomplished, this club will be at the Westmeath Winter Carnival this weekend showing children how to make crafts.
Other clubs Ms. Bromley has enjoyed include sports, exchange (her group went to Brant County), jewellry, dairy judging, and overall judging.
“I’ve done everything from home ec to livestock to field and crop,” she said.
To apply, Ms. Bromley filled out an application, which included various questions about herself and what she has done for and in 4-H.
Then, she filled out another form about why she wanted to be a 4-H ambassador, hand in a resume, and write about who she is, what assets she would bring to the 4-H ambassador program and why she would be good in that role.
“I thought I could bring various assets because I have been involved in all of the different 4-H clubs, gone to multiple camps 4-H put on for leadership, I’ve been a strong leadership role in the Renfrew County 4-H, I’ve been a youth leader, I’ve been a youth director. I can bring all those skills to it.”
Promoting the 4-H program is a huge part of being an ambassador, and being so involved, Ms. Bromley believes she’s a strong candidate for the program.
“I have a large understanding of 4-H and I will be able to promote it to other people and tell them what it really is about and what it has to offer.”
Ms. Bromley was then contacted to go for an interview. While the interviews are usually done in Guelph, she was able to do tele-conference interview because she’s so far away. In her tele-conference, she was to tell how she would give a presentation to a Grade 6 class on why they should join 4-H.
“I actually went in and did a presentation to the Westmeath Grade 6 class,” she said.
For her presentation to the interview panel, she explained how her presentation to the class went.
She was then asked questions, such as who her 4-H role models were, and get a better understanding of who she is.
Once notified she was one of six ambassadors, Ms. Bromley travelled to Guelph for a training weekend.
Throughout the weekend she learned how to properly represent 4-H Ontario as an ambassador, and meet the other ambassadors and the program sponsors, who are Growmark Inc. and UPI Energy LP.
“These are the people who are giving us the money to be able to go around the province and promote 4-H,” she said. “They allow the program to work. I am very thankful to them.”
The ambassadors also had to select various events they would like to attend throughout the year. Ms. Bromley chose Discovery Days in Kemptville and Sudbury. These are activity days for children aged 9 to 12 and the ambassadors help out while also promoting 4-H. She will also attend the sponsors golf tournament in Ottawa and a convention in Dryden that will train her to be a better leader and volunteer.
Ms. Bromley will also attend any event that she’s asked to participate in.
“Any 4-H club can request an ambassador come to their meeting,” she said.
She is an ambassador for one year, but can apply for a second year, but that’s not the norm.
Ms. Bromley is hoping to see more of the 4-H program outside of Renfrew County as an ambassador, as well as make more connections.
“I want to learn even more skills as an ambassador, such as learning to speak to large groups,” she said.
The connections she will make by meeting so many more people through the ambassadoraship will help her in life as well, she said.
“I just went down for my training week and I got so many good ideas to bring to our association,” she said. “We should try this, other clubs do this and this is how it works.”
Ms. Bromley also wants to show clubs outside of the county what has worked for the clubs she has been involved with.
She’s looking forward to making connections with more people, experience much more than she would if not an ambassador and just basically learn a lot, she said.
This is the 10th anniversary of the 4-H ambassador program, she said.
Ms. Bromley said young people should know that what they get out of something depends only on how much they put into it.
A daughter of Anne and Andrew Bromley, she is a Grade 13 (victory lap) student at Fellowes High School in Pembroke. Her goal is to be an environmental engineer.
“Many of the things I’ve done in 4-H has got me out and about in the world,” Ms. Bromley said. “I really see a lot of the environment and how that affects certain things by doing the dairy club and my alternate crop. You get to see the impact humans have on the environment and what we can do for it.
“It’s also taught me how to interact with people. I’ve learned how to be out there and take opportunities. 4-H has also prepared me well to learn from these oportunities, whatever they may be.”
Speaking about 4-H, Ms. Bromley said the ages are now 9 to 21 years and you can join at any time. Her sister Meeka and brother Tanner are also in 4-H.
For more information on 4-H, Ms. Bromley suggested people check out the facebook page or the web site, which she is hoping to make more user-friendly and up-to-date.
