ESTEVAN — Jason Frey is continuing a tradition of provincial 4-H leaders from the southeast region.
Frey was elected as the president of 4-H Saskatchewan during the organization's annual general meeting in March. His initial months in the role were interrupted by summer, which is typically a quieter time for the provincial board. But they just had a big in-person gathering, and there are some announcements coming that will be revealed to the public.
"We're looking to really focus on our members and leaders over the next few years, to make sure that they're well supported, and to try to make it easier on our volunteers and make it more fun for our members," said Frey.
An annual general meeting might sound boring to a lot of people, but Frey said the 4-H gathering is geared towards the members and the kids have a lot of fun over a weekend.
The 43-year-old Frey said 4-H has been a passion of his for decades. It started when he joined a club when he was six. He remained until he aged out at 21. From there, he took a year off and returned to help out as a leader. Twelve years ago, he became a general leader of the Alameda club.
"My younger siblings were all involved in 4-H, my wife was a 4-H member for half a dozen years. With my kids, my daughter went through the program. She has since aged out, and both my sons are still involved in the Alameda club," said Frey.
For the past decade, he has been president of 4-H Saskatchewan's District 41, which is part of the southeast region. He has been on the Saskatchewan provincial board for three years, with two years remaining.
Frey said he enjoys watching how 4-H can help kids mature over time by enhancing their communication and leadership skills and helping them become better members of society.
The southeast has had leaders on the provincial board in the past. Glenn Gress from the Browning club was the president for 3 1/2 years until he stepped down in March 2022. Frey said the leadership reflects the strength of 4-H in the southeast.
"There is lots of community support behind them, which is awesome," said Frey.
Frey said he is good friends with Gress and credits Gress with getting him involved on the provincial board. The two have remained in touch since Frey became the head of 4-H Saskatchewan.
While 4-H is known for kids learning about cattle and horses and building their public speaking skills, Frey said there are clubs that focus on all sorts of projects, including sewing, welding, baking, photography and more. Young people can also travel through 4-H.
