Thank you notes

PARENTS, PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHILDREN READ THIS POST.  THANKS!

Hey Fabulous 4-H youth!

Tis the season to be writing thank you notes.  I wanted to send a few reminders about what makes up a good thank you note.  Sometimes we get in such a hurry to write a thank you note and don’t always come across as expressing extreme amounts of gratitude.  Choose a minimum of 3 of the following bullets to write in your notes:

-          What grade are you in and how long have you been in 4-H?

-          What did you show in the livestock show, did it have a name?

-          Why do you like that project?

-          Will the money go toward college/vocational school (if so, which one are you considering attending), or to feed/an animal for next year?

-          How does their support of the livestock show help you?

-          What do you want to do when you grow up and has your 4-H experience effected your choice?

Make sure to thank buyers multiple times for their generous gift in your letter.  Please keep in mind that the average person in Caldwell County makes $11.30/hr. prior to taxes.  If your animal sold for $500, that is a minimum of 44 hours that people worked to raise that money to assist you.  Also, when you’re writing your thank you letters, don’t forget the people that helped you get here…Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, Grandma, Grandpa.  These projects are not free.  They have assisted you with these projects because they see the value in what the project teaches you.  So please, take the time to write a letter that represents the amount of gratitude you feel toward the buyer or supporter.  Also, remember that the livestock show board members, club managers and volunteers spent many hours working to help you have a successful year, a note to them would be appreciated.  Remember when finding your buyer to deliver pictures, make eye contact, be grateful and shake their hand.  We are all incredibly proud of all of you for your hard work and would be more than happy to assist you with additional guidance on thank you notes if you need.

Great show season, y’all!

Julie Zimmerman