Society for Range Management


SRM HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH FORUM



History

In 1966, the Society for Range Management (SRM) recognized a need to involve youth with range-related activities of the annual meeting. As a result, each year since this time, the Society for Range Management has sponsored a forum at the high school level to provide an opportunity for deserving high school students to learn about rangelands and other related resources. Because of the high quality of the Forum, many in the Society feel that the High School Youth Forum (HSYF) is the highlight of the SRM annual meetings.

Goals and Activities

In the United States, Mexico and Canada, SRM is made up of 21 sections that belong to the parent society. One of the goals of members at the section level is to recognize high school students that have demonstrated a real interest in range and other related natural resource areas. These youth have perhaps shown their interest in related activities at a range or natural resources camp, in 4-H, or FFA. Once interest is observed, these youth then can be considered to serve as delegates to the HSYF, representing their respective SRM Sections.

With this in mind, the goals of the HSYF are:

  1. provide insight for these students concerning the function and workings of the Society
  2. provide opportunities to meet Society members
  3. provide a format that encourages thinking and enhancement of communicative skills
  4. provide an opportunity to learn about range management and future careers through interaction with Society professionals
  5. provide an opportunity to learn about the ecology and natural resources of the Annual Meeting site
  6. provide an atmosphere that fosters camaraderie, friendship, and lasting relationships
To achieve these goals, various activities are conducted which include an orientation session, an ecological field trip, a professional interaction dinner, a business meeting, a student luncheon, a conflict resolution workshop, and the popular Forum Paper Presentation session.

An important part of the HSYF is the demonstration and fostering of leadership qualities of those present. One way this is achieved is through the election of a HSYF President each year. Once elected by the participants at the HSYF business meeting, this person serves as the leader and voice of the participants for the next year. As part of their responsibility, they write letters to next year's HSYF delegates, conduct all meetings during the HSYF, announce the paper winners at the SRM's Annual Awards Ceremony, and serve as a member of the Student Affairs Committee. It is indeed an honor to be elected to this position.

Today, many of the leaders in SRM and others with careers in range or other related fields became interested in advanced education or a career in range after attending SRM's HSYF. Former delegates choosing other unrelated careers have stated that the Forum was a very special event in their lives. It resulted in lasting friendships and a better understanding of the environmental and land management issues of today.

The Forum Paper Presentation Session

As one of the main activities scheduled for the participants in the HSYF, the Forum Paper Presentation session has always proved to be a highlight to not only the participants, but to SRM's general membership as well.

This session consists of each participant giving a 6-8 minute presentation based on some aspect of range management. Topics for this session have been very diverse, with one key common element-quality. As those who attend this session will attest, the papers are always of very high quality which in turn makes the judging of these very difficult. Many of those attending have commented that most of the HSYF papers are of higher quality than many of the professional papers that are given. This kind of praise has been heard year after year.

For this session, a panel of 3-4 judges, all with diverse backgrounds, are selected to evaluate each presentation. The top five individuals are awarded a plaque during the SRM's awards ceremony. In addition, the top individual is invited to return to the next annual meeting to present their winning paper as well as serve as a junior mentor. Also, as special recognition of the top three papers, the HSYF subcommittee works with the editors of the Society's range journal, Rangelands, to have these papers published. This has been deemed as very important by not only the directors of the HSYF, but by the members of the Student Affairs Committee as well.

Participant Selection Criteria

As a subcommittee for the SRM's Student Affairs Committee, the HSYF subcommittee has established criteria that qualifies delegates (students) for participation in the HSYF.

First, the delegate must be currently enrolled in high school when attending the HSYF. Second, delegates that have participated in the HSYF in previous years are ineligible. The purpose behind this criteria is to keep novelty, quality and fairness in the forefront for every HSYF each year. Past participation gives experience that could dictate an unfair advantage when compared to first-time participants. Lastly, the maximum number of delegates that any one section can send is three (3).

To select these delegates, many sections sponsor range/natural resource camps and/or presentation contests for interested students from these sections. This kind of selection process is encouraged for various reasons. In working with past delegates who have attended, it has been noted that those coming from sections who have advanced through a selection process are better prepared for the presentation session, more interested in the range management field, and seem to be better able to interact with the other youth.

Role of Each SRM Section

Since the selection of Forum delegates begins at the section level, section involvement is very important. A Section Contact should be established each year within each section. This person serves as the liaison between the HSYF subcommittee and the sponsoring section with the delegate. While the Section Contact serves as the information source for the delegates from that section, they are also important during the preparation process prior to the delegate's attendance to the HSYF. This includes making sure a student is receiving all the necessary information on a timely basis, planning their trip to and from the meeting site, establishing funding for the students, registering each delegate for the annual meeting, and working with the HSYF Chairman to insure that all necessary forms and payments have been made prior to the actual meeting. In addition, news release information is also distributed to each participation delegate prior to and after the HSYF. Each Section Contact is encouraged to work with their delegates to insure that proper recognition in local media outlets is granted for them. Thus, the interest and involvement by each participating section is crucial to the success of the HSYF each year.

In addition to providing a contact person during the preparation period prior ot the HSYF, each section is also required to provide a contact person who will be responsible for the delegate(s) while at the annual SRM meeting. While the HSYF is responsible for all the delegates during the scheduled duration of the Forum, each Section is responsible for their students outside this specified time frame.

Barron Rector
Rm. 225, Animal Ind. Building
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX USA 77843-2126
409-845-2755
email

Mary Reece
NRCS
RR 3, Box 199
North Platte, NE USA 69101
308-532-7100 ext. 3