Local youth participates in '4-H Grows True Leaders' event in Helena

Carter Jasper of the Mineral County Camo Critters 4-H program, helped to host the Biennial 4-H Legislative Breakfast in Helena on Jan. 17.

The breakfast is sponsored by Montanans for 4-H, an all-volunteer group of concerned citizens. This year, a majority of legislators attended the breakfast to learn about the 4-H program in Montana. Our local member of the House of Representatrives, Rep. Denley Loge, joined Carter at the breakfast.

With a focus on “4-H Grows True Leaders,” this year’s event presented 4-H alumni and current 4-H members with leadership skills that are positively impacted by 4-H and Montana State University Extension.

Members, adult leaders, and volunteers highlighted the personal importance of the program, and the 4-H benefits to the state. The educational programs of 4-H are open to all youth—both rural and urban. Montanans for 4-H thanks legislators and capitol staff who participated in the breakfast, to learn about 4-H Youth Development and MSU Extension, which sponsors 4-H around the state.

Carter also participated in a two and a half day leadership seminar with 30 other students from around the state. The students learned about the legislative process, ran for office, tried to pass legislation through mock committees and senate. The students performed service projects and practiced talking with legislators about 4-H. They went to presentations by Governor Bullock, Lieutenant Governor Cooney, Secretary of State Stapleton and Senator Daines (via Skype).

Students also toured the Capitol and Carter had the privilege of being introduced as a special guest on the House floor by Rep. Loge.

The students wrapped up their seminar by visiting the Montana Supreme Court. They were given a presentation and tour by Montana Supreme Court Justice Laurie McKinnon’s law clerks, and then given a presentation by the justice herself.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: As part of his role for attending the meetings in Helena, Carter Jasper was required to submit the press release used in this story. After he returned home, he said it was a great experience and he learned first-hand how legislation works, “it was a real wakeup moment for me.”

A seventh-grade student at St. Regis School, Carter plans on being a politician, with aspirations of becoming president someday. During the session, he and 29 other students, held a mock committee session, where he was president pro tem. The participants were required to write and present a bill to the Senate. His bill was to raise taxes on tobacco products from $1.70 to $4. With the extra funding to be used in schools for educational purposes. Carter merged his bill with another student’s bill that proposed raising the age for tobacco use from 18 to 21 years.

The bill did not pass.

“I think raising the age was the biggest problem,” he said. “There seemed to be a lot of support for the tax part of the bill.”)