FH & Ben H pretty much sum it up.  It's really sad that 4-H is not about teaching a kid to raise an animal and maybe see some profit from the effort.  When I was in 4-H I bought my steers from the ranch and got to pocket any of the profit.  I paid the feed, did the work, and got little in return other than the satisfaction and knowledge.

My neice and nephew are doing it now and it's a shame.  My in-laws or we do the work, the kid goes in the ring, does a bad job, and gets the money. What's the point?

This isn't how my kids will do it. Either they will do it or they wont.  The worst part is that I really got into it when I got going.  We showed cattle at NILE, MT State Fair, County fairs and went to Denver with a few of ours and some big time ranches.  I worked for several big Polled Hereford outfits and always got to get down on the "good ones".  It was fun, I had a blast and met lots of good people because of it. 

My favorite memory was helping fit NJW Wrangler 19D at Reno.  He was a big SOB that liked to step on your feet in the washrack, and then stand like a poodle in the fitting chute!!

I just hope my kids have the opportunity to do that and know that they worked to do something well.