The Middletown Meddlers 4-H club enjoyed another outstanding Montgomery County 4-H Awards Banquet this year.

Five members earned Outstanding 4-H Member awards at the event on Sunday at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Montgomery City. Winning awards for the Meddlers were Reid Newland (Outstanding First Year Boy), Elise Cochran (Outstanding 10 and Under Girl), Dallas Cochran (Outstanding 10 and Under Boy), Paige Cochran (Outstanding 11-13 Girl) and Kolton Craven (Outstanding 11-13 Boy). It’s the second year in a row that the Middletown 4-H club had five members winning Outstanding Member awards.

“I’m proud of them,” said Beth Cochran, who is a co-leader for the Meddlers. “We have a really great club. We have a really active club. The ones who were here really put the work in.”

Beth is the mother of Elise, Dallas and Paige. Elise and Dallas won their third straight outstanding member awards, while Paige won her first.

Beth said her children were very active in 4-H all year along. The 10-year-old Elise participated at the 4-H event at the Old Threshers Show in August and helped with several auctions, the 10-year-old Dallas received 10 ribbons for his 4-H projects and the 12-year-old Paige worked as an officer and was involved in fundraising and community services activities.

“It keeps us busy,” Beth said. “They did a clowning group, so they clowned around. It’s been great.”

Other county 4-H members who won outstanding member awards were Nola Taylor of the Montgomery Progressors (Outstanding First Year Girl), Lucy Politsch of the Jonesburg Kountry Kids (Outstanding 14 and Over Girl) and Grayson Gerding of the Montgomery Progressors (Outstanding 14 and Over Boy).

“All of our outstanding 4-H winners go above and beyond in everything they do,” said Jolene Rodgers, 4-H Youth Associate. “You can find them around town wearing 4-H shirts. They love 4-H.”

The 4-H banquet honored the achievements of the six Montgomery County 4-H clubs — the Meddlers, Bellflower Boosters, Big Spring Busy Beavers, Coon Creek Cronies, Jonesburg Kountry Kids and Montgomery Progressors – for the 2025-26 season. The Progressors hosted this year’s event.

Also on Sunday, Pat Korman was honored for her 40 years of 4-H leadership. She has been involved in 4-H ever since she was a child. Three of her children and five of her grandchildren were involved in 4-H.

Korman got emotional at the end of her four-minute speech.

“Without the 4-H program, I am not sure what my life would have been,” Korman said. “Thank you to all of the volunteers who changed our youth lives for the better.”

Mary Nichols, Amanda McCurdy, Tammy Ridgley, Chelsea Stille and Christine Ridgley were honored for their five years of 4-H leadership.

Membership pins were given out to members who served between 5-10 years at 4-H. Seth Walton, who is now attending Central Methodist University, was the only member who was honored for serving 10 years.

Awards were also given out for secretary books, treasurer books, scrapbooks, report forms and junior/teen leaders.

During the banquet, Rodgers reflected on the 4-H Day at Old Threshers on Aug. 22. The group did demonstrations and held a fashion show and a Clover Kid parade. The 4-H Day at Old Threshers will be held every year.

“This year, (Old Threshers Secretary) Val (Johnson) called me and said she would really like for the 4-H to get a little more involved in Old Threshers,” said Rodgers, who is in her second year as 4-H Youth Associate. “I said, ‘Amazing, absolutely.’”

4-H Day at Old Threshers Top Point awards were given out to Emery Rodgers of the Bellflower Boosters and Elise Cochran.