Snell takes 4-H Congress 'one stitch at a time'

Madeline Snell, a 4-H member from Thompson Falls, recently took her skills to the Montana State Congress and came back a winner.

Snell qualified to compete in 4-H Congress through the Fashion Revenue Division. She had competed at a county level to enable her to qualify for the state contest.

“Fashion Revue involves making an item or outfit of clothing and showcasing it to its advantage through use of accessorizing and presentation,” explained Snell.

She went on to say the her love of creating clothes began at a young age, and she was inspired not only by her older sisters but also their friends.

“There was something so satisfying and fun about being able to say that I made what I was wearing. It is nice to know that I can make clothes exactly how I want them instead of having to buy them in the store, and also it is just a good skill to have,” she said.

Having won her division at the Montana State Congress, Snell was awarded a trip to the National 4-H Congress convention that will be held in Atlanta, Ga., just after the Thanksgiving holidays.

“There was no option to compete further in this category, so instead, I was rewarded a trip to 4-H National Congress, which is a non-competitive event that includes workshops, speakers and a chance to interact with kids from all around the nation,” she said.

ACCORDING TO the National 4-H website, Snell will spend five days in Atlanta attending leadership and citizenship workshops as well as participating in community service activities. One of the many highlights of this long-standing program is the chance to interact with many different 4-H members from around the country.

“The competition was very friendly! There were five girls (including Snell) in the Fashion Revue and nine girls in the Quilting Show — which we modeled together. It was really cool to see all of the different projects that had been made. We helped each other out with modeling and had a ton of fun. We all also had the chance to tour the costume room and talk with a costume maker at the Shakespeare in the Parks headquarters at the MSU campus,” Snell said of her state competition experience.

This year was the third state 4-H Congress that Snell had attended. She said that though it is a competition, there is plenty for any 4-H member to gain by attending.

“We did a state service project where kids from all over the state brought donated books that we sorted, packed, labeled and shipped to aid the Books for Africa project. Besides that, there are plenty of leadership opportunities and chances to improve yourself and get to know people from both around the world and around the state,” she explained.

ALTHOUGH SNELL will be headed off to college and this was the last year she was able to compete at this level, she was happy to end it all on a high-note finish.

“In 4-H I was determined to develop the skill of sewing, which thanks to many teachers and friends, I was able to do to a certain degree,” Snell said. “In sewing one of my goals, besides wanting to work with/tutor a younger sewer, was to win a trip to National Congress, which I was able to do in my last year. I also got the chance to work with a younger 4-Her in sewing who has shown a lot of promising talent.

“In general, I wished to gain more confidence both in leadership and working with kids, both of which 4-H has helped me immensely with, providing me with plenty of opportunities to practice,” she explained of the benefits from her years in the national program.

As Snell looks back on her 10-plus years in 4-H, she encourages other local kids to get involved — saying there is much more than you realize to gain from being a part of something as special as the 4-H program.

“Through the years, the events, the projects and the demonstrations, I have gained so much confidence in both talking to people one on one and talking to a whole room of them. Even though the world is rapidly changing, 4H teaches skills that are timeless,” Snell said. “Not only that, but through 4-H I have had the best times, learning to dance, playing fun games, making lasting friendships, learning new things, having a group of people singing musicals with piano accompaniment at Congress, and making good memories.”