By MAGGIE MCMURRAY
Moapa Valley Progress
“Manners, Mayhem, Moolah, and Mixing” were the key words last week as local teens took part in the second annual installment of a 4-H program called “M-Week.”
The program was the brainchild of local 4-H coordinator Lacey Sproul-Tom. It covered topics important for teens to know as the new school year began.
“We decided on several topics that would be of use to teens, but that might be overlooked by school or other programs,” Sproul-Tom said. “Most parents cover some of them, but sometimes teens listen better if the information is coming from someone other than their parents. Seeing other adults talk about them makes them realize these things are important and they take more notice.”
The program was originally open only to high school students.But due to popular demand, it was expanded this year to include older middle school students as well. The program was free of charge and included dinner every evening. This year saw an increase in attendance over last year for all activities.
The first night covered manners. Guest speaker Bren McClean taught participants about how proper behavior can making impressions on others. She covered a wide range of topics that included lessons in the importance of dress and clothing, how to tailor your outfit to match the event you will attend, basic etiquette on what to do and what not to do at dinner, which utensils to use at a formal dinner, and the power of a thank you note, among other topics. Young men attending were taught to rise when a woman leaves the table and again when she returns. Everyone had the opportunity to put lessons into practice and write a thank you note. The highlight of the evening was a formal dinner served to the group where they could put their newly-honed skills into practice.
On the second night, “Mayhem” was taught by guest presenter Nick Yamashita. It covered the basics of self-defense.
Yamashita has taught self-defense for many years and strongly feels that many people don’t realize the importance of learning self-defense skills. He opened the eyes of many attendees as he quoted statistics nationwide and across Nevada for violent crimes such as assault and rape. According to Yamashita, the current national statistics for rape are 1 in every 3 women and 1 in every 11 men with Nevada ranking 26th in the nation for violent crime.
With these statistics fresh in mind, Yamashita began his class by teaching kids how to break a hold if someone should grab them. He moved on to other self-defense moves, allowing kids to practice as he went. Yamashita worked with the teens for about two hours.
“I was happy to come and educate these kids on something that’s not really understood or talked about but is prevalent in our society,” Yamashita said. “Getting training like this takes only two hours, but it could save your life.”
On Wednesday the focus shifted to “Moolah” as the kids learned about budgeting from guest speaker Cally Wade. Wade had lots of fun activities that helped the kids realize some hard truths about expenses and income. Participants were given play money at the beginning with an assortment of snacks and treats on which to spend that money. In a fun twist, however, at the end, kids had to use the “money” they had left to buy dinner. Dinner was a baked potato bar and every topping cost money.
Some kids had saved their money and had gourmet potatoes loaded with toppings. Others had spent it all earlier on snacks, leaving them broke by dinner.
“I spent all my money on snacks because I didn’t know I had to buy dinner,” said Kash Burris. “I had to borrow money for my potato. It was a really good lesson in saving money because you never know what you might need some for.”
Thursday was the only day really geared toward high school students. The theme “Mixing It Up” primarily focused on dating do’s, don’ts, and ideas. Guest speakers Diana Walker and Tricia Wickersham helped kids learn the importance of working with others and being cognizant of their feelings. The dinner activity was making tacos in small groups so the kids got hands on experience working, communicating, and compromising with others.
Organizer Lacey Sproul-Tom was pleased with how the week went and the amount of participation the program had. “Kids get to meet new kids and work with people they don’t always hang out with,” she said. “They get to hear other adults besides their parents talk about important topics, hopefully in a fun way.”
Those that missed the local M-Week, but would still like to participate, are invited to attend the same program in Mesquite on August 28-31. For more information, call East Clark County Cooperative Extension at 702-397-2604.
