Brattleboro, Vt. (August 1, 2016)…Holstein Association USA has updated the eligibility rules for the Distinguished Junior Member (DJM) award, removing the cap on the number of youth who may apply from any state. These changes will take effect for the 2017 competition. The 2017 DJM application & forms are now available on the Holstein Association USA web site at www.holsteinusa.com/juniors, and are due March 1, 2017.
“Removing the number of applicants allowed per state in the Distinguished Junior Member Contest will encourage more Holstein youth members to apply,” said Kelli Dunklee, Youth Programs Specialist. “This will allow us to select from the most qualified youth members in the country, regardless of what state they are from.”
The Distinguished Junior Member award is the highest honor bestowed on Holstein Association USA Junior members, who have excelled in their junior project work, involvement on their farm, and in their communities. To apply, youth must be between the ages of 17 and 20 as of January 1 in the award year.
Based on the applications submitted, a group of semifinalists is chosen to travel to the National Junior Holstein Convention, where they go through an interview process. Six finalists are selected each year to receive annual renewed memberships to Holstein Association USA.
For more information about the Distinguished Junior Member award, visit www.holsteinusa.com/juniors, or contact Kelli Dunklee, youth programs specialist, at 800.952.5200, ext. 4124, or kdunklee@holstein.com.