THE 4-H PUBLIC SPEAKING CONTEST WAS RECENTLY HELD, WITH 4-H MEMBERS IN GRADES 4-12 THAT WERE WINNERS IN THEIR LOCAL CLUBS BEING ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND AND COMPETE. PICTURED ABOVE ARE THE 4^TH GRADE SPEAKERS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE EVENT. FIRST ROW (L to R) PEYTON CLARK, ZACHARY POLSTON, DYLAN TURNER, BRANDON DOSS, DALTON DRIVER, THOMAS MASSEY. SECOND ROW- (L to R) MICHELLE SMITH, RACHEL SHRUM, LAUREN GAMMONS- 3^RD PLACE, LOREN WHITE, ASHLYN MURPHY, BRITTANY BOWLING, DAKOTA DICKENS, MIKAYLA SEXTON, BRIAN OCHOA, JADE ELLIS- SECOND PLACE, MACEY KEMP- 1^ST PLACE, KRISTEN HALE.

THE SPONSORS OF THE EVENT ARE KNOLLWOOD MANOR, AND MR. TODD AUSTIN AND Ms. LINDA AUSTIN. A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE STAFF AND FACULTY AT THE MACON CO. JR. HIGH FOR ALLOWING THE EVENT TO BE HELD AT THEIR SCHOOL.

PICTURED ABOVE ARE THE 5^TH GRADE PUBLIC SPEAKING PARTICIPANTS THAT COMPETED FOR A CHANCE TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT LEVEL THE SUB-REGIONAL SPEAKING CONTEST- FEBRUARY 13^TH IN SMITHVILLE, TN. PICTURED ABOVE FIRST ROW (l to r) IAN WHITTEMORE-1^ST PLACE, REAGAN SHRUM- 3^RD PLACE, CASSIDY BAUGHN, NICHOLUS BUSSELL- 3^RD PLACE,

REBECCA BALLOU- 2^ND PLACE, RACHEL LUIZ. 2^ND ROW - (L to R) HALEY QUALLS, COLTON KIRBY, ASTON RICH, EMILE CHAFFIN, Ms. LINDA AUSTIN-SPONSOR. NOT AVAILABLE FOR PICTURE: HARLEY BRAWNER. IAN WILL ADVANCE ON TO COMPETE AGAINST OTHER 5^TH GRADE SPEAKERS IN THE SUB-REGIONAL EVENT.

PICTURED ARE THE 6^TH GRADE PUBLIC SPEAKING PARTICIPANTS THAT COMPETED AT THE COUNTY CONTEST. FIRST ROW (l to r) SHERENA SWONER,

, HANNAH PEEK. 2^ND ROW (l to r) CALAMITY JANE COLEY- 3^RD PLACE, ERICA BURTON, 3^RD PLACE, MICHAELA THOMPSON, ASHLEY CROWDER- 2^ND PLACE, LAYLA DAVIS- 1^ST PLACE, JAMIE REECE, KRISTIN DAVIS, KALLIMA BEAN. ALSO PICTURED IS SPONSOR Ms. LINDA AUSTIN-KNOLLWOOD MANOR.

PICTURED ABOVE ARE THE WINNERS IN THE JUNIOR HIGH LEVEL OF PUBLIC SPEAKING. PICTURED (l to r) McKENZIE PAINTER- 2^ND PLACE IN 7^TH GRADE, HEATHER COTHRON- 1^ST PLACE IN 7^TH GRADE, MARY ANNE BALLOU- 1^ST PLACE- 8^TH GRADE, SIMONE ILIA-2^ND PLACE – 8^TH GRADE. Ms. LINDA AUSTIN- SPONSOR OF AWARDS AND FIRST PLACE PREMIUMS.

THE 10^TH AND 11^TH GRADE PUBLIC SPEAKING WINNERS ARE PICTURED ABOVE ALONG WITH CONTEST SPONSOR Ms. LINDA AUSTIN- KNOLLWOOD MANOR. JUSTIN KIRBY (LEFT) WAS THE WINNER IN THE 11^TH GRADE DIVISION AND AUSTIN KEMP (RIGHT) WAS THE 10^TH GRADE WINNER. BOTH WINNERS WILL ADVANCE TO THE REGIONAL PUBLIC SPEAKING CONTEST IN MURFREESBORO ON FEBRUARY 25^TH FOR A CHANCE TO GO ON TO STATE COMPETITION. FOR GRADES 9-12, THEY CAN BY-PASS THE SUB-REGIONALS AND GO DIRECTLY TO REGIONALS. OVER 600 SPEECHES WERE GIVEN BY 4-H MEMBERS DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER IN LOCAL CLUBS. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THAT COMPETED IN THE LOCAL AND COUNTY CONTEST.