Geneva Amundson of Galesville, Wisconsin, was winner of the first 4-H style show at the 1924 National 4-H Club Congress. Her dress was navy blue pin-striped wool serge with red collar, cuffs, piping and buttons. Her hat was navy blue, trimmed with red.
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The 1924 Club Congress witnessed the first national 4-H "style" show, as it was called. Maude E. Wallace, then in charge of 4-H girls work in North Carolina (and later Home Demonstration leader in Virginia), was in charge. The girls modeled on the marble steps leading to the balcony in the ballroom of the Drake Hotel. Geneva Amundson, later an assistant State leader in Wisconsin, was named winner. Years later she made a facsimile of that first dress and appeared in the revue program again.
Some of Extension's women leaders at the state level felt the style show event might be undignified, but it caught the public fancy and not only continue for decades, but became a highlighted event at the state level during state fairs, and in many counties. In later years the national event was referred to as the National 4-H Dress Revue and the National 4-H Fashion Revue. Particularly during the earlier years, this event was also a "pleaser" to the media reps who were keen in showing the stylistic accomplishments of rural girls as another side of the growing list of 4-H projects.
A few day following the close of the 1924 National 4-H Club Congress Geneva Amundson received in the mail from Washington a copy of the Declaration of Independence, 29" x 33" in size, accompanied by an engraved appreciation note: "Presented to Geneva Amundson of Galesville, Wisconsin, winner of the trip to the International Livestock Exposition, Chicago, 1924, for Creditable Work in the National Boys' and Girls' Club by the President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge."
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