2017 Osage County 4-H royalty, escorts and attendants, front from left, Josie Thompson, JP Sands and Shelby Harris, back, Nocona Brinkley, Dalton Hook, Royce Cowan, Lily Shultz and Isaac Shultz.
By Jessica Flory
Frontier Extension District
In a ceremony held Aug. 9, 2017, at the Overbrook Osage County Fair, Royce Cowan, Osage City, Willing Workers 4-H Club, and Lily Shultz, Burlingame, Clover Wranglers 4-H Club, were crowned as the 2017-2018 Osage County 4-H King and Queen.
Attendants Shelby Harris and JP Sands helped with the ceremony along with last year’s 4-H royalty Dalton Hook and Nocona Brinkley, and escorts Josie Thompson and Isaac Shultz. The competition was organized by the Osage County 4-H Council.
Osage County 4-H King Royce Cowan and Queen Lily Schultz.
4-H Queen Lily Shultz was escorted by Isasc Shultz and attendant JP Sands. Lily is 15 years old and a nine-year member of the Osage County 4-H program. Lily is currently the vice-president of the 4-H County Council and secretary of Clover Wranglers 4-H Club. She has previously held a variety of offices on the council and in the 4-H club, which she helped form in 2012. Lily enjoys helping at all the fairs, working on her fiber arts projects, and teaching younger 4-H members. Lily is a junior member of the Burlingame Fire Department. She enjoys volunteering at the library and Schuyler Museum. Lily is a member of the Cornerstone Family Schools Performance Choir, and last winter she had the opportunity to sing with the Topeka Symphony Orchestra.
4-H King Royce Cowan was escorted by Josie Thompson and attendant Shelby Harris. Royce joined 4-H when he was seven years old. He started with poultry, showing chickens and turkeys. As the years progressed, he enrolled in projects such as bucket calves, horticulture, dairy, tractor restoration and woodworking. His favorite projects are dairy and tractor restoration. In 2013, he was elected senior treasurer for the Willing Workers 4-H club. 4-H has taught him responsibility and how to manage his time. He is more comfortable with public speaking because of 4-H. He has helped with several projects and spent many hours doing community service.
To be a candidate, 4-Hers between the ages of 14 and 18 submitted an application and participated in a personal interview. The king and queen will serve one year and have a variety of responsibilities, including promoting 4-H, being visible at the county fairs to hand out ribbons, helping host other countywide 4-H events, and participate in next year’s crowning ceremony to pass on their titles.
Photos thanks to Jessica Flory.
