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4-H State Congress
Mississippi State Extension 4-H Specialists, Dr. John Long and Cobie Rutherford discuss 4-H State Congress.
Transcript:
Announcer: This is 4-H-4-U-2, a podcast from the Mississippi State University Extension Service promoting 4-H programs and positive youth development. Here, now, your host, Dr. John Long and Cobie Rutherford.
John Long: All right, well welcome back to 4-H-4-U-2, and how's it going Cobie?
Cobie Rutherford: Doing good, John. Episode three.
John Long: Yeah.
Cobie Rutherford: Already.
John Long: We're racking them up.
Cobie Rutherford: We are, yes sir. It's good to be here today. It's such a nice day outside.
John Long: Oh, it's beautiful. And, you know, I think it's so dry. I think we need some more rain. And it's coming.
Cobie Rutherford: It looks like four inches this weekend...
John Long: Oh yeah, it's going to be quite a deluge. I'm never going to get my garden planted.
Cobie Rutherford: I know every time we get a day off on Saturday or Sunday here lately it's been raining.
John Long: Invariably. And my yard looks like it, too.
Cobie Rutherford: And inevitably everyday we're in the office, it's beautiful outside.
John Long: Never fail, never fails.
Cobie Rutherford: Gosh, we got a lot going on.
John Long: Yes.
Cobie Rutherford: It's definitely the time to be in the office as we get ready for State Congress and all the different happenings in the 4-H world.
John Long: Pretty much looks like you kicked an ant bed.
Cobie Rutherford: It does, yeah. So we've got State Congress coming up and as a first time staff member, I am super excited about this event. The last week in May here on campus bringing, they said 600 to 700 4-H'ers.
John Long: That's right.
Cobie Rutherford: From all around the state are going to be here on our campus at Mississippi State. So I'm excited about that. I know you've been with 4-H for awhile. What are some of your favorite State Congress memories?
John Long: Well, you know, I've got a lot. I like the interaction that I get to have with the kids and one of the things that I really enjoyed was doing the Congress media. Was doing a lot of, you know, doing photography, doing filming. We would do the pre-Congress media, the promotional video and stuff like that. I really enjoyed that and did that for several years. Last year I got the opportunity to assist with the ambassador interviews, not as a judge, but just as a co-coordinator, I guess you could say. Basically that sounds like a real high job, but it really wasn't. It was basically making sure that everybody was where they were supposed to be at a certain time. But I really thoroughly enjoyed that. Of course, the dance is always, you know, it's always fun too.
John Long: But, yeah, it's a whole collection. I think this is my 12th or 13th one, so I've got a lot of good memories and we just have a good time. It's long. It is ...
Cobie Rutherford: Hot.
John Long: Hot and long days and hot. Oh, I will say I haven't got my ... I know what my favorite memory is. Can I share it now? It just hit me.
Cobie Rutherford: I can't wait to hear it.
John Long: Okay, so my favorite memory is, I'm sorry, I got a little excited when I realized. Okay, so saying that it's long days made me remember this. So we were ... This was actually my first Congress. We had a ice cream freezer, and I'm talking about like you would go in a drugstore, and open the thing up and get you ice cream. And they said, "Well we can't leave it out overnight, would you take it home and plug it up?" I said, "Sure, no problem." So we loaded up in the back of my truck, and this is midnight or afterwards, and I pull out of Bost building and all of a sudden this vehicle comes flying up behind me and flashing their lights, flashing. I'm like, Lord, what is happening? Is this thing about to fall out? Or, you know, something's wrong.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah.
John Long: And so I pull over and guy jumps out and he runs up to the truck, he says ... And come to find out it was our photographer at the time, for Extension photography. He jumped out and he says, "Hold on John, hold on." He said, "I just wanted to get some ice cream." And I thought, Oh my goodness.
Cobie Rutherford: Chasing the truck...
John Long: He's chasing the truck down for ice cream.
Cobie Rutherford: Hey, I would too for some muscadine ripple.
John Long: Oh, I know, I know. And, by the way, I felt very fortunate that I could have that at my house, but I did, I ran an extension cord from my, the side of the house out, and crawled in bed for about two hours and got back up and did it all over again. So yeah, that's one. That's the funnier ones that I can remember.
Cobie Rutherford: I can't wait. I've been, when I was in over in animal science, I help Doctor Joe [Samson 00:04:49] with the visual presentations and always amazed me at the talent that these kids would have when they came to present with whatever they're talking about. They would give presentations on anything from a cattle management scheme to sheep or goat disease. So it was really cool seeing that. And I think about how important the skill of being able to present a visual presentation is today. And, gosh, we're getting these kids off to a really good headstart by providing them with opportunity.
John Long: Yeah, for sure.
Cobie Rutherford: To compete.
John Long: I like, was one other thing too is, I like the ... We used to have Linnaean Games, I don't know ... That used to be like a County deal, you rocked your County team and we would do Linnaean Games, which was entomology contest game. That was a lot of fun. It was kind of like Citizenship Bowl, but with insects. And that, I do remember that being ... I always wanted to make sure I was there when it was going on because it's so much fun to see that. Of course I love insects anyway, but yeah, that's another one too, that I enjoyed.
Cobie Rutherford: The contest I always liked being a part of was the dairy products judging team, or the team contest. And Doctor Joe Samson would go to the grocery store and buy all these different samples of different ice creams, and I'm like, "Well, Doctor Joe," I said, "I can't taste the difference between these brands." And he's like, "Well if you really start thinking about the flavor, you might taste more of a metallic flavor in this brand versus this brand, or more of an acidic or the aftertaste may be like this." I'm like, how can eating ice cream be so complicated?
John Long: Right, right, right.
Cobie Rutherford: But these kids are excelling at it and, I mean, definitely changing their lives and the preferences on their ice cream choices later on, but it's kind of interesting to see. And-
John Long: I think that, you know, again, you actually enjoy eating ice cream if you're not tasting metallic taste. I don't know. I just want to eat it and get it over with.
Cobie Rutherford: Well, there was one particular brand of ice cream that I always enjoyed and Doctor Joe said, I said, "Well, how'd that place in the contest?" He said, "Well, that was third because it has a strong metallic taste in that particular flavor." My wife purchased that particular flavor, that brand of ice cream a few weeks after that-
John Long: Was that specifically to see if y ou can taste it.
Cobie Rutherford: No, it's the kind that we had eaten before and I'm like, why don't you buy that? It has that metallic.
John Long: See it did, oh, I'm sorry. It ruined you for the...
Cobie Rutherford: It absolutely did. Which is sad, but I guess saving some calories here, but, who knows? But I also, these judging contests have always intrigued me. And one of the first things I participated in 4-H was live stock judging as a young child. You think, well I'm just trying to place these animals from one to four or whatever judging contest you're in, you're like, I'm ranking something how hard is that? But what those judging contests give you as an opportunity to have a chance to make a decision quickly, and you have a certain time frame and you've got to make a justification for that placing in your mind and then oftentimes give a set of reasons on defending your placings. And I think about all the times in my life that that skill's kind of came in handy. Even justifying why I deserve a a job or why I did what I did to keep from getting in trouble, maybe. There's a lot of reasons that those skills are good to have.
John Long: Absolutely. So what are you, let me ask you this, what is your expectations? I know, and see that's a benefit you have. You've seen Congress from both sides. So you've seen it as a 4-H'er and then now you're about to experience it as a staff member. How do you, what are you thoughts on it? Like, what do you think that's going to be different or going to be the same?
Cobie Rutherford: So I'm expecting three days of fun and not really organized fun, not pandemonium, but just a lot of things going on. A lot of different things. As a 4-H'er I always enjoyed to go into watch other 4-H'ers compete in contents. And one of my favorite memories was, I had went to State Congress to compete in a public speaking contest and there was this girl from a neighboring County that I knew through showing cattle that was competing in the dairy foods demonstration contest. And I went to watch her contest and who would've known, I guess it was 10 years later, she and I married. And I still remember her contest. She gave a dairy demonstration about making grape ice cream. [crosstalk 00:09:28] she was talking about a purple cow and this rhyme, and afterwards I thought, I'll make fun of her, that was so stupid. Why would you ever say that?
Cobie Rutherford: Of course she was the state winner, of course, and then that kind of just stuck with me. How weird is that, that I wound up marrying her?
John Long: Hey, you never can tell. I met my wife, not so glamorously, in stats class.
Cobie Rutherford: Oh wow.
John Long: Yeah. Yeah. I couldn't stand her.
Cobie Rutherford: Oh yeah?
John Long: Yeah, yeah. If you ever see her, ask her what she made on the second stats test.
Cobie Rutherford: Really?
John Long: And then I can tell you what I made on it. it's still a sore subject in our house.
Cobie Rutherford: Is it really?
John Long: Oh yeah.
Cobie Rutherford: We have some memories like that. We went on to Auburn together and did some different things, but, yeah, I thought that was just kind of the driving thing. I'm like, well, I need to go watch that dairy foods contest because that Hill girl from the opposite County from me is competing in that. I want to see her do her dairy foods demonstration. But what fun. And then also, I remember a kid from our County went with us to compete in the barbecue chicken cook-off contest. It was called the Alabama 4-H Chicken Q. And his name was Shontay, and he had a disaster of a contest and he basically blew up his grill.
John Long: Oh my goodness.
Cobie Rutherford: He did not follow safety protocols and squirted the lighter fluid directly on his charcoals. And the thing just went up in smoke.
John Long: Well you know, Dean gave a demonstration one, Dean Jousan, everybody, gave a demonstration on what not to do. It was so funny because it was, he was like live video from the horse park and he was like, "All right, I'm going to show everybody what not to do now," and he had his fire and he shot the lighter fluid on it, and it just went [explosion sound]. And everybody watching was like, holy smokes. But it's true, yeah.
Cobie Rutherford: We had our County eliminations and this chicken was honestly the best chicken I've ever had. And it just, Shontay was the nicest guy. Just so funny. And we had our County meeting that night after the contest. I'm like, "Shontay, you how'd you do?" Because we were all expecting him to be the first place winner in the state. He said, "Y'all I burnt that chicken up." He said the whole thing went up in smoke, but it was so much fun. We would swim and dance and compete. My very last Congress, I was the state runner up in public speaking and I thought that was pretty cool. Always held that pretty close as one of my favorite awards.
John Long: Well that's cool. It was something I was going to ask you. About the a service project. Why don't you talk a little bit about service project we've got going on this year too.
Cobie Rutherford: Oh yeah. That's going to be pretty neat. You know Mississippi has had a lot of bad weather and inclement weather...
John Long: Close by us, too.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah, definitely. Even here on campus with South Farm, but tornadoes to flooding, we kind of got together and came up with a Cleanup Mississippi idea. And basically we're having a cleaning supply drive for the American Red Cross. So we're asking our 4-H'ers to bring anything that might be associated with cleaning. So anything from gloves to disinfectant wipes to floor cleaners, mops, brooms, buckets, whatever might be useful. Sponges, magic erasers, you name it. And then we're going to donate all of those products to the American Red Cross. And I think that, the folks I've talked to at Red Cross, they've used quite a bit of their supply inventory, so this is going to help replenish that. And then from the flooding in the Delta, there's still quite a bit of cleanup to do, so they can disperse these products out to the communities in need. And I think it's going to be a good way for our 4-H'ers to give back.
John Long: Yeah, I always liked to service projects. Seems like they always, it's going toward and it's giving back to the community, which is important for sure.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah. And I think that's, when we start ... When we all think about all these things we offer in 4-H and how wonderful this Congress is going to be, part of this project is ... Or part of 4-H, I think, is leaving a legacy. And how you give back and contribute to your community or your society. I think all that's important and that's the big picture that we hope these kids go home with.
John Long: Yeah. And it's always, you know, when you see that ... It's moving to see a young person contribute and to take the time for somebody else because we're so ... seemingly so busy and everybody's rush, rush, rush, and it's kind of like we're in our own little world. But then when somebody stops and says, "Hey, I see somebody in need and I'm going to fill that need," that's an awesome thing. And 4-H is great at doing that, I think. It's great at teaching a young person, hey, life is not about give me, give me, give me, it's about giving back, giving back, giving back.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah, that's right. I heard a quote one time, you saying that made me think about it, is that what separates humans from animals and all the other spaces of living organisms on the face of this planet is our ability to care for others.
John Long: Yeah, empathy.
Cobie Rutherford: And I think care for others we don't know is what the quote said, and I think about, you know, from a livestock perspective or any other animal species perspective, that really is what sets us apart. Being able to care for people we've never met and have feelings for them.
John Long: That's exactly right.
Cobie Rutherford: I think that could be another topic for another day, but ...
John Long: We may have to have like a guest come in for that one.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah, that would be good, that'd be good.
John Long: What about, I'm sorry.
Cobie Rutherford: No, go ahead.
John Long: The one thing that I'm really excited about, and it's new to this year, is the ... I don't know, how do you ... I don't know what the correct term for it is. It's the one that Doctor Lacy and Dr. Mitchell are doing. It's...
Cobie Rutherford: Oh the Jam Session.
John Long: Jam Session. It's a little bit of everything. What is that exactly?
Cobie Rutherford: So this was an opportunity for our 4-H'ers who are interested in creative arts to come and showcase, I guess, their talents. So we're going to have youth come in that play the guitar, piano, maybe any other kind of instrument. Maybe interpretive dance.
John Long: And Doctor Lacey's doing stand up?
Cobie Rutherford: I don't know. I'm sure not going to speak for ...
John Long: I think I'm kidding, Doctor Lacy.
Cobie Rutherford: I think he's going to bring his guitar and do some picking and grinning, perhaps. So I'm really excited about that. And then the Share the Fun contest that Doctor Mitchell does. I mean that seems like the ultimate talent show for a Mississippian.
John Long: Right, and that's separate. That's separate from this, what we're talking about. Even though it's similar, I guess you could say. The Jam Session is ... Jam Session is for fun, right? I mean, not that everything's not for fun, but ...
Cobie Rutherford: Well, the Jam Session, I think it's more of a workshop and kind of a ... it's not necessarily a talent showcase, it's to where you may can go participate and learn something about how to play the guitar. Maybe you go into the Jam Session and you are, you can play the piano. Well maybe you have a chance to showcase that ability and then you say, "Hey, let me borrow this guitar," and learn from each other.
John Long: Oh that's good.
Cobie Rutherford: So I think it can be pretty neat.
John Long: Yeah. I'm looking forward to that.
Cobie Rutherford: Maybe some drama type contest, or not really contest, but drama showcases. So a kid, they may have some scripts and get to practice being an actor or actress. So, yeah, it can be very cool.
John Long: That'll be fun. Do we have anything else that's not our normal standard fare? Oh, talk about where we're going to be staying. Do we know where, the dorms? Where we're going to be located, and where registration is going to be and everything. You know that off hand?
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah. I think we're going to have most of our registration and activities in Hearst, but most of our events are going to take place in the Union and surrounding buildings here, to Bost. Of course, all our general sessions will be in the Bost Auditorium, I think. And so they'll be pretty local. But just a lot going on for sure. I'm looking forward to seeing the bicycle contest.
John Long: Yeah, always try to get over and see that.
Cobie Rutherford: You know, that was something that I never got to go to state in, and I competed in that contest every year from the time I was nine to 18. And the last year, I'm pretty awful at riding bicycles, and our state representative was judging the contest and I ran over his foot. I still remember that. Every time I see him, "Sorry, Representative Campbell."
John Long: I'm the guy that ran over your foot.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah, but we ever came that.
John Long: That's good. He didn't hold it against you?
Cobie Rutherford: Well, I didn't win.
John Long: Oh, he may have.
Cobie Rutherford: I think you did, actually. I ran out of the way. But, that was fun. Tractor driving, I had a funny incident with that too.
John Long: Oh yeah, you told me that.
Cobie Rutherford: I tore up the whole course at state contest. I didn't realize the tractor had a wagon hooked up to it.
John Long: Now listen, young people that are listening, this is not a license to tear the course up. Just because Cobie did, you're not allowed to do that.
Cobie Rutherford: Exactly. It was was so embarrassing because I was this farm kid, I knew how to drive tractor, but I had not ever practiced with a 16 foot wagon. And it was a disaster and embarrassing, but, needless to say I didn't get called up on stage for that contest.
John Long: Did you ever do automotive?
Cobie Rutherford: We didn't have that contest. No, I never did. I did plant cell science exhibit one time, and my dad and I, we built this container and I planted all of these different row crops in it. We didn't plant it correctly though, so we had to replant two or three times because our corn got four foot tall and we had to transport it to the state contest. It just wasn't feasible. So it was a fun contest. I think I placed in the state in that, but, I don't know. Wasn't something that was easy, for sure.
John Long: Right, right, right.
Cobie Rutherford: We didn't volunteer to do that again. But I'm looking forward to, it's going to be a fun three days.
John Long: We've got some good workshops and things, other tours and things like that. Of course that information is out there as well. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it. And, you know, after that we start looking at the next thing.
Cobie Rutherford: It'll be Project Achievement Days for our younger 4-H youth coming up.
John Long: We can talk about that at a later date because that's, basically what that amounts to is a mini, M-I-N-I, Congress for younger people. So, I enjoy that too, because we get out on the road and go to these different places and that's a lot of fun as well.
Cobie Rutherford: They're in each of the four districts.
John Long: Yeah, that's right. And first one coming up is Northeast, so that'll be in June. So we'll take one day at a time and go from there, I guess.
Cobie Rutherford: That's right. Well we thank you all for listening today. I think that kind of wraps up our talk on 4-H State Congress. And thank you for tuning into 4-H-4-U-2. This is Cobie Rutherford.
John Long: And I'm John Long, and if you need anything, just give us a holler.
Cobie Rutherford: Thanks a bunch.
Announcer: Thanks for joining us for 4-H-4-U-2. For more information, please visit extension.msstate.edu and be sure to subscribe to our podcast. 4-H-4-U-2 is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, Office of Agricultural Communications.
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By Mississippi State Extension 4-HMississippi State Extension 4-H Specialists, Dr. John Long and Cobie Rutherford discuss 4-H State Congress.
Transcript:
Announcer: This is 4-H-4-U-2, a podcast from the Mississippi State University Extension Service promoting 4-H programs and positive youth development. Here, now, your host, Dr. John Long and Cobie Rutherford.
John Long: All right, well welcome back to 4-H-4-U-2, and how's it going Cobie?
Cobie Rutherford: Doing good, John. Episode three.
John Long: Yeah.
Cobie Rutherford: Already.
John Long: We're racking them up.
Cobie Rutherford: We are, yes sir. It's good to be here today. It's such a nice day outside.
John Long: Oh, it's beautiful. And, you know, I think it's so dry. I think we need some more rain. And it's coming.
Cobie Rutherford: It looks like four inches this weekend...
John Long: Oh yeah, it's going to be quite a deluge. I'm never going to get my garden planted.
Cobie Rutherford: I know every time we get a day off on Saturday or Sunday here lately it's been raining.
John Long: Invariably. And my yard looks like it, too.
Cobie Rutherford: And inevitably everyday we're in the office, it's beautiful outside.
John Long: Never fail, never fails.
Cobie Rutherford: Gosh, we got a lot going on.
John Long: Yes.
Cobie Rutherford: It's definitely the time to be in the office as we get ready for State Congress and all the different happenings in the 4-H world.
John Long: Pretty much looks like you kicked an ant bed.
Cobie Rutherford: It does, yeah. So we've got State Congress coming up and as a first time staff member, I am super excited about this event. The last week in May here on campus bringing, they said 600 to 700 4-H'ers.
John Long: That's right.
Cobie Rutherford: From all around the state are going to be here on our campus at Mississippi State. So I'm excited about that. I know you've been with 4-H for awhile. What are some of your favorite State Congress memories?
John Long: Well, you know, I've got a lot. I like the interaction that I get to have with the kids and one of the things that I really enjoyed was doing the Congress media. Was doing a lot of, you know, doing photography, doing filming. We would do the pre-Congress media, the promotional video and stuff like that. I really enjoyed that and did that for several years. Last year I got the opportunity to assist with the ambassador interviews, not as a judge, but just as a co-coordinator, I guess you could say. Basically that sounds like a real high job, but it really wasn't. It was basically making sure that everybody was where they were supposed to be at a certain time. But I really thoroughly enjoyed that. Of course, the dance is always, you know, it's always fun too.
John Long: But, yeah, it's a whole collection. I think this is my 12th or 13th one, so I've got a lot of good memories and we just have a good time. It's long. It is ...
Cobie Rutherford: Hot.
John Long: Hot and long days and hot. Oh, I will say I haven't got my ... I know what my favorite memory is. Can I share it now? It just hit me.
Cobie Rutherford: I can't wait to hear it.
John Long: Okay, so my favorite memory is, I'm sorry, I got a little excited when I realized. Okay, so saying that it's long days made me remember this. So we were ... This was actually my first Congress. We had a ice cream freezer, and I'm talking about like you would go in a drugstore, and open the thing up and get you ice cream. And they said, "Well we can't leave it out overnight, would you take it home and plug it up?" I said, "Sure, no problem." So we loaded up in the back of my truck, and this is midnight or afterwards, and I pull out of Bost building and all of a sudden this vehicle comes flying up behind me and flashing their lights, flashing. I'm like, Lord, what is happening? Is this thing about to fall out? Or, you know, something's wrong.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah.
John Long: And so I pull over and guy jumps out and he runs up to the truck, he says ... And come to find out it was our photographer at the time, for Extension photography. He jumped out and he says, "Hold on John, hold on." He said, "I just wanted to get some ice cream." And I thought, Oh my goodness.
Cobie Rutherford: Chasing the truck...
John Long: He's chasing the truck down for ice cream.
Cobie Rutherford: Hey, I would too for some muscadine ripple.
John Long: Oh, I know, I know. And, by the way, I felt very fortunate that I could have that at my house, but I did, I ran an extension cord from my, the side of the house out, and crawled in bed for about two hours and got back up and did it all over again. So yeah, that's one. That's the funnier ones that I can remember.
Cobie Rutherford: I can't wait. I've been, when I was in over in animal science, I help Doctor Joe [Samson 00:04:49] with the visual presentations and always amazed me at the talent that these kids would have when they came to present with whatever they're talking about. They would give presentations on anything from a cattle management scheme to sheep or goat disease. So it was really cool seeing that. And I think about how important the skill of being able to present a visual presentation is today. And, gosh, we're getting these kids off to a really good headstart by providing them with opportunity.
John Long: Yeah, for sure.
Cobie Rutherford: To compete.
John Long: I like, was one other thing too is, I like the ... We used to have Linnaean Games, I don't know ... That used to be like a County deal, you rocked your County team and we would do Linnaean Games, which was entomology contest game. That was a lot of fun. It was kind of like Citizenship Bowl, but with insects. And that, I do remember that being ... I always wanted to make sure I was there when it was going on because it's so much fun to see that. Of course I love insects anyway, but yeah, that's another one too, that I enjoyed.
Cobie Rutherford: The contest I always liked being a part of was the dairy products judging team, or the team contest. And Doctor Joe Samson would go to the grocery store and buy all these different samples of different ice creams, and I'm like, "Well, Doctor Joe," I said, "I can't taste the difference between these brands." And he's like, "Well if you really start thinking about the flavor, you might taste more of a metallic flavor in this brand versus this brand, or more of an acidic or the aftertaste may be like this." I'm like, how can eating ice cream be so complicated?
John Long: Right, right, right.
Cobie Rutherford: But these kids are excelling at it and, I mean, definitely changing their lives and the preferences on their ice cream choices later on, but it's kind of interesting to see. And-
John Long: I think that, you know, again, you actually enjoy eating ice cream if you're not tasting metallic taste. I don't know. I just want to eat it and get it over with.
Cobie Rutherford: Well, there was one particular brand of ice cream that I always enjoyed and Doctor Joe said, I said, "Well, how'd that place in the contest?" He said, "Well, that was third because it has a strong metallic taste in that particular flavor." My wife purchased that particular flavor, that brand of ice cream a few weeks after that-
John Long: Was that specifically to see if y ou can taste it.
Cobie Rutherford: No, it's the kind that we had eaten before and I'm like, why don't you buy that? It has that metallic.
John Long: See it did, oh, I'm sorry. It ruined you for the...
Cobie Rutherford: It absolutely did. Which is sad, but I guess saving some calories here, but, who knows? But I also, these judging contests have always intrigued me. And one of the first things I participated in 4-H was live stock judging as a young child. You think, well I'm just trying to place these animals from one to four or whatever judging contest you're in, you're like, I'm ranking something how hard is that? But what those judging contests give you as an opportunity to have a chance to make a decision quickly, and you have a certain time frame and you've got to make a justification for that placing in your mind and then oftentimes give a set of reasons on defending your placings. And I think about all the times in my life that that skill's kind of came in handy. Even justifying why I deserve a a job or why I did what I did to keep from getting in trouble, maybe. There's a lot of reasons that those skills are good to have.
John Long: Absolutely. So what are you, let me ask you this, what is your expectations? I know, and see that's a benefit you have. You've seen Congress from both sides. So you've seen it as a 4-H'er and then now you're about to experience it as a staff member. How do you, what are you thoughts on it? Like, what do you think that's going to be different or going to be the same?
Cobie Rutherford: So I'm expecting three days of fun and not really organized fun, not pandemonium, but just a lot of things going on. A lot of different things. As a 4-H'er I always enjoyed to go into watch other 4-H'ers compete in contents. And one of my favorite memories was, I had went to State Congress to compete in a public speaking contest and there was this girl from a neighboring County that I knew through showing cattle that was competing in the dairy foods demonstration contest. And I went to watch her contest and who would've known, I guess it was 10 years later, she and I married. And I still remember her contest. She gave a dairy demonstration about making grape ice cream. [crosstalk 00:09:28] she was talking about a purple cow and this rhyme, and afterwards I thought, I'll make fun of her, that was so stupid. Why would you ever say that?
Cobie Rutherford: Of course she was the state winner, of course, and then that kind of just stuck with me. How weird is that, that I wound up marrying her?
John Long: Hey, you never can tell. I met my wife, not so glamorously, in stats class.
Cobie Rutherford: Oh wow.
John Long: Yeah. Yeah. I couldn't stand her.
Cobie Rutherford: Oh yeah?
John Long: Yeah, yeah. If you ever see her, ask her what she made on the second stats test.
Cobie Rutherford: Really?
John Long: And then I can tell you what I made on it. it's still a sore subject in our house.
Cobie Rutherford: Is it really?
John Long: Oh yeah.
Cobie Rutherford: We have some memories like that. We went on to Auburn together and did some different things, but, yeah, I thought that was just kind of the driving thing. I'm like, well, I need to go watch that dairy foods contest because that Hill girl from the opposite County from me is competing in that. I want to see her do her dairy foods demonstration. But what fun. And then also, I remember a kid from our County went with us to compete in the barbecue chicken cook-off contest. It was called the Alabama 4-H Chicken Q. And his name was Shontay, and he had a disaster of a contest and he basically blew up his grill.
John Long: Oh my goodness.
Cobie Rutherford: He did not follow safety protocols and squirted the lighter fluid directly on his charcoals. And the thing just went up in smoke.
John Long: Well you know, Dean gave a demonstration one, Dean Jousan, everybody, gave a demonstration on what not to do. It was so funny because it was, he was like live video from the horse park and he was like, "All right, I'm going to show everybody what not to do now," and he had his fire and he shot the lighter fluid on it, and it just went [explosion sound]. And everybody watching was like, holy smokes. But it's true, yeah.
Cobie Rutherford: We had our County eliminations and this chicken was honestly the best chicken I've ever had. And it just, Shontay was the nicest guy. Just so funny. And we had our County meeting that night after the contest. I'm like, "Shontay, you how'd you do?" Because we were all expecting him to be the first place winner in the state. He said, "Y'all I burnt that chicken up." He said the whole thing went up in smoke, but it was so much fun. We would swim and dance and compete. My very last Congress, I was the state runner up in public speaking and I thought that was pretty cool. Always held that pretty close as one of my favorite awards.
John Long: Well that's cool. It was something I was going to ask you. About the a service project. Why don't you talk a little bit about service project we've got going on this year too.
Cobie Rutherford: Oh yeah. That's going to be pretty neat. You know Mississippi has had a lot of bad weather and inclement weather...
John Long: Close by us, too.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah, definitely. Even here on campus with South Farm, but tornadoes to flooding, we kind of got together and came up with a Cleanup Mississippi idea. And basically we're having a cleaning supply drive for the American Red Cross. So we're asking our 4-H'ers to bring anything that might be associated with cleaning. So anything from gloves to disinfectant wipes to floor cleaners, mops, brooms, buckets, whatever might be useful. Sponges, magic erasers, you name it. And then we're going to donate all of those products to the American Red Cross. And I think that, the folks I've talked to at Red Cross, they've used quite a bit of their supply inventory, so this is going to help replenish that. And then from the flooding in the Delta, there's still quite a bit of cleanup to do, so they can disperse these products out to the communities in need. And I think it's going to be a good way for our 4-H'ers to give back.
John Long: Yeah, I always liked to service projects. Seems like they always, it's going toward and it's giving back to the community, which is important for sure.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah. And I think that's, when we start ... When we all think about all these things we offer in 4-H and how wonderful this Congress is going to be, part of this project is ... Or part of 4-H, I think, is leaving a legacy. And how you give back and contribute to your community or your society. I think all that's important and that's the big picture that we hope these kids go home with.
John Long: Yeah. And it's always, you know, when you see that ... It's moving to see a young person contribute and to take the time for somebody else because we're so ... seemingly so busy and everybody's rush, rush, rush, and it's kind of like we're in our own little world. But then when somebody stops and says, "Hey, I see somebody in need and I'm going to fill that need," that's an awesome thing. And 4-H is great at doing that, I think. It's great at teaching a young person, hey, life is not about give me, give me, give me, it's about giving back, giving back, giving back.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah, that's right. I heard a quote one time, you saying that made me think about it, is that what separates humans from animals and all the other spaces of living organisms on the face of this planet is our ability to care for others.
John Long: Yeah, empathy.
Cobie Rutherford: And I think care for others we don't know is what the quote said, and I think about, you know, from a livestock perspective or any other animal species perspective, that really is what sets us apart. Being able to care for people we've never met and have feelings for them.
John Long: That's exactly right.
Cobie Rutherford: I think that could be another topic for another day, but ...
John Long: We may have to have like a guest come in for that one.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah, that would be good, that'd be good.
John Long: What about, I'm sorry.
Cobie Rutherford: No, go ahead.
John Long: The one thing that I'm really excited about, and it's new to this year, is the ... I don't know, how do you ... I don't know what the correct term for it is. It's the one that Doctor Lacy and Dr. Mitchell are doing. It's...
Cobie Rutherford: Oh the Jam Session.
John Long: Jam Session. It's a little bit of everything. What is that exactly?
Cobie Rutherford: So this was an opportunity for our 4-H'ers who are interested in creative arts to come and showcase, I guess, their talents. So we're going to have youth come in that play the guitar, piano, maybe any other kind of instrument. Maybe interpretive dance.
John Long: And Doctor Lacey's doing stand up?
Cobie Rutherford: I don't know. I'm sure not going to speak for ...
John Long: I think I'm kidding, Doctor Lacy.
Cobie Rutherford: I think he's going to bring his guitar and do some picking and grinning, perhaps. So I'm really excited about that. And then the Share the Fun contest that Doctor Mitchell does. I mean that seems like the ultimate talent show for a Mississippian.
John Long: Right, and that's separate. That's separate from this, what we're talking about. Even though it's similar, I guess you could say. The Jam Session is ... Jam Session is for fun, right? I mean, not that everything's not for fun, but ...
Cobie Rutherford: Well, the Jam Session, I think it's more of a workshop and kind of a ... it's not necessarily a talent showcase, it's to where you may can go participate and learn something about how to play the guitar. Maybe you go into the Jam Session and you are, you can play the piano. Well maybe you have a chance to showcase that ability and then you say, "Hey, let me borrow this guitar," and learn from each other.
John Long: Oh that's good.
Cobie Rutherford: So I think it can be pretty neat.
John Long: Yeah. I'm looking forward to that.
Cobie Rutherford: Maybe some drama type contest, or not really contest, but drama showcases. So a kid, they may have some scripts and get to practice being an actor or actress. So, yeah, it can be very cool.
John Long: That'll be fun. Do we have anything else that's not our normal standard fare? Oh, talk about where we're going to be staying. Do we know where, the dorms? Where we're going to be located, and where registration is going to be and everything. You know that off hand?
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah. I think we're going to have most of our registration and activities in Hearst, but most of our events are going to take place in the Union and surrounding buildings here, to Bost. Of course, all our general sessions will be in the Bost Auditorium, I think. And so they'll be pretty local. But just a lot going on for sure. I'm looking forward to seeing the bicycle contest.
John Long: Yeah, always try to get over and see that.
Cobie Rutherford: You know, that was something that I never got to go to state in, and I competed in that contest every year from the time I was nine to 18. And the last year, I'm pretty awful at riding bicycles, and our state representative was judging the contest and I ran over his foot. I still remember that. Every time I see him, "Sorry, Representative Campbell."
John Long: I'm the guy that ran over your foot.
Cobie Rutherford: Yeah, but we ever came that.
John Long: That's good. He didn't hold it against you?
Cobie Rutherford: Well, I didn't win.
John Long: Oh, he may have.
Cobie Rutherford: I think you did, actually. I ran out of the way. But, that was fun. Tractor driving, I had a funny incident with that too.
John Long: Oh yeah, you told me that.
Cobie Rutherford: I tore up the whole course at state contest. I didn't realize the tractor had a wagon hooked up to it.
John Long: Now listen, young people that are listening, this is not a license to tear the course up. Just because Cobie did, you're not allowed to do that.
Cobie Rutherford: Exactly. It was was so embarrassing because I was this farm kid, I knew how to drive tractor, but I had not ever practiced with a 16 foot wagon. And it was a disaster and embarrassing, but, needless to say I didn't get called up on stage for that contest.
John Long: Did you ever do automotive?
Cobie Rutherford: We didn't have that contest. No, I never did. I did plant cell science exhibit one time, and my dad and I, we built this container and I planted all of these different row crops in it. We didn't plant it correctly though, so we had to replant two or three times because our corn got four foot tall and we had to transport it to the state contest. It just wasn't feasible. So it was a fun contest. I think I placed in the state in that, but, I don't know. Wasn't something that was easy, for sure.
John Long: Right, right, right.
Cobie Rutherford: We didn't volunteer to do that again. But I'm looking forward to, it's going to be a fun three days.
John Long: We've got some good workshops and things, other tours and things like that. Of course that information is out there as well. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it. And, you know, after that we start looking at the next thing.
Cobie Rutherford: It'll be Project Achievement Days for our younger 4-H youth coming up.
John Long: We can talk about that at a later date because that's, basically what that amounts to is a mini, M-I-N-I, Congress for younger people. So, I enjoy that too, because we get out on the road and go to these different places and that's a lot of fun as well.
Cobie Rutherford: They're in each of the four districts.
John Long: Yeah, that's right. And first one coming up is Northeast, so that'll be in June. So we'll take one day at a time and go from there, I guess.
Cobie Rutherford: That's right. Well we thank you all for listening today. I think that kind of wraps up our talk on 4-H State Congress. And thank you for tuning into 4-H-4-U-2. This is Cobie Rutherford.
John Long: And I'm John Long, and if you need anything, just give us a holler.
Cobie Rutherford: Thanks a bunch.
Announcer: Thanks for joining us for 4-H-4-U-2. For more information, please visit extension.msstate.edu and be sure to subscribe to our podcast. 4-H-4-U-2 is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, Office of Agricultural Communications.