Western 4-H Family and Consumer Science Show

The 55th Annual Western 4-H Family and Consumer Science Show will be held October 6 and 7th at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City, SD. While this is called a show, it consists of various contests for developing life skills that 4-Hers, non 4-H youth, and adults may participate in. The event kicks off with an 11AM to 1PM Burger Bust sponsored by the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce. The contests begin on Friday, October 7 at 9AM with bread baking and other contests run from Noon to 6PM, some contests will continue from 8AM to 12:30 PM on Saturday. More information maybe found by emailing w4hfcshow@gmail.com or on Facebook under the show name. A complete show catalog is also available there.

New participants and youth group members are encouraged to come and you do not need to pre-register. Contestants may come from outside the state of South Dakota and may enter as many contests as they wish but in only one age category. Board members and volunteers are available to assist you if you are a newcomer to the show. The contests are bread baking, meat identification, family life photo, scrapbook pages, home living, place setting, fashion revue both sewn and purchased, public presentation, ingredient measuring, Family and Consumer Sciences judging, Produce ID and judging, and a Family and Consumer Sciences Skill-a Thon. The public may view the exhibits after the contests.

The Saturday contests are followed by an honoree tea, public fashion show and awards presentation at 3 PM in the Walter Taylor Building on the edge of the Fairgrounds. This year the Board of Directors of the Western 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences Show is pleased to honor Kathy Reeves, Rapid City, SD.

Reeves has been working in the background of the Western 4-H Show since she arrived in South Dakota and began working for the Extension Service in 1990 but prior to that she was a Colorado 4-h member, International 4-H Youth Representative and a 4-H coordinator in Colorado Springs, CO. Over the many years, her involvement has mostly been working in the background, providing a helping hand, setting up tables, laptops, updating spreadsheets and dress revue programs, making copies or other tasks as needed. For the past five years, she has been the chair for the Family and Consumer Science Judging Contest as well as a board member. When asked about her participation, she said, "The volunteers that run this show do a fabulous job, my goal has always been to provide assistance, but to allow them to be center stage. They are a dedicated and knowledgeable group; they do not need me telling them how to do their jobs!" She served on the committees for the Anniversary shows in 2012 for both Western Junior Livestock Show and the Western 4-H FCS Show.

Reeves says her favorite part of the show is watching the kids grow and develop as they gain experience each year, and seeing the generations of families coming through. She sees parents each year that she remembers as children, and it is humbling to be able to work with them as adults.

She has always loved the fall show because it provides brand new 4-H members an opportunity to see the big picture, and to get some understanding of what they can do in 4-H. It is a doorway they can enter that welcomes them in their inexperience, and encourages them as they begin their 4-H careers.

After 31 years as a 4-H professional, Kathy has left SDSU Extension and is now developing Kidnotes Piano Studio in Rapid City. She is on hiatus from the Western 4-H FCS show this year, to allow her to concentrate on her new endeavor, but looks forward to returning in some capacity.

Kathy has been married to Greg for nearly 29 years, and they have two grown daughters, Emily and Amanda, both who participated in the show.

Kathy is also involved in music at her church, gardening and canning, and loves needle arts of all forms.