4-H Flash- January 2012
January 12th, 2012Volume 7, Issue 1
Calendar
January 15- PST Workshop, Extension Office, 28 Center Street, Machias, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
January 16- Office Closed due to Holiday
February 7- Science Road Show for 4-H Volunteers, Hancock Extension Office, 5:30 p.m.
March 10- Washington County PST
March 24- Washington County Robotics Expo
A Happy New Year Greeting and Special Thanks to Special People….
From all the staff at the office, we send you best wishes for the new year and special thanks to each and everyone of you for your participation in 4-H. To the volunteers, a HUGE thanks for your gifts of time and talent to our youth! To the parents, many thanks for the time and energy you put into helping with 4-H projects, club activities, fundraising, and every other way you make your child’s participation possible. And last, but not least, to our wonderful youth! This program is all about you – about your aspirations, your leadership development, your enthusiasm, curiosity, and caring. You are an inspiration to us all!
It’s a New Year
It’s time to start thinking of what projects you can be working on. Have you…
- Picked your public speaking project yet?
- Started your project records (they are much easier to do when done a little at a time!)
- Thought about individual and club exhibits for the Blue Hill and Perry Harvest Fairs?
- Thought about National trips?
- Thought about Maine 4-H Days? This is a great opportunity for you and your family.
That’s all we will list for now, but time passes so quickly that we thought a reminder would be helpful to you. If you have any questions call the Extension Office at 255-3345.
Washington County Bulletin Board Items
Dennys River Manure Movers Volunteer at First Light Equine Shelter
The Dennys River Manure Movers Club held their end-of-year gathering at First Light Equine Shelter http://www.firstlightfarm.org/ in Perry, Maine. The 4-H members picked paddocks and removed ice from the water pails. The day was windy and frigid, but a good time was had by all!
Citizen Washington Focus- Citizen Washington Focus (CWF) is a week-long 4-H citizenship program for youth ages 15-19. CWF provides opportunities for young people to:
* Strengthen communication, leadership and other citizenship skills on a national level
* Understand the importance of civic and social responsibilities as they relate to the development of better citizens and leaders
* Exchange ideas, practice respect and form friendships with other youth from diverse backgrounds
College-aged Program Assistants serve as tour guides and facilitators, who immerse delegates in the culture and history of Washington, D.C. These role models, many of whom are outstanding 4-H alumni, will lead the way to:
* The Capitol * Mount Vernon * Arlington National Cemetery * Presidential and War Memorials * Smithsonian Museums
Citizenship Washington Focus gives 4-H youth the opportunity to explore, develop, and refine the civic engagement skills they need to be outstanding leaders in their community, country and world. Through sightseeing tours in Washington D.C. and hands-on educational workshops, youth will learn about the history of our nation and how they can apply their leadership and citizenship skills when they return home.
Please visit http://umaine.edu/4h/youth/4-h-events/citizenship-washington-focus/ and www.4HCWF.org to learn more about this great opportunity! Please contact the Washington County office to register, no later than mid-February.
Robotics Expo-Save the Date- The Robotics Expo is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 24th. More information will be available in the February newsletter. If you are interested in attending, please contact Nicole Willey at nicole.h.willey@maine.edu.
4-H Demonstrations and Illustrated Talks –
What are they anyway?
4-H Public Speaking Clinic – Sunday, January 15th, 2 to 4pm
Washington County Cooperative Extension Conference Room
For ANYONE! — 4-H Youth, Volunteers & Supporters
Come to learn new skills or to brush up on old ones!
Presented by Lisa Reilich
4-H Youth Development Professional for Hancock & Washington Counties
With the ringing of the New Year, it is time to get up in front of your family, friends, club, class and/or community and give your 4-H demonstration or illustrated talk! For some of us, that can sound a little scary – even for me, and I have been getting up in front of people and talking or presenting for quite a long time.
Did you know that the average person spends up to 50% of their waking time either speaking or listening? 70% of American adults say they fear public speaking. These adults also report fearing public speaking (41%) more than death (18%). 4-H alumni who participated in 4-H Public Speaking when they were younger, come back to tell us that this was their most important 4-H life skill. Don’t worry; YOU can learn public speaking skills very easily. Just like any other skill, the more you work at it, the better you will become – and it’s never too early to get started!
I will be holding a fun and interactive 4-H Public Speaking Clinic at the Washington County Cooperative Extension office on Sunday, January 15th, from 2 to 4pm. We will go over what makes a 4-H Public Speaking presentation, how demonstrations and illustrated talks differ from one another – with some live and video examples, try your hand at creating a presentation together, and have you leave with valuable suggestions for helping you, your 4-H youth, or your school group decide on a topic, prepare a presentation and have the courage to get up there and do it! Please let us know if you can make it by calling Tara at the office, 800-287-1542 (toll-free within Maine) or 255-3345. You can also e-mail her at tara.a.wood@maine.edu. I hope to see many of you there!
All of our 4-H youth are invited to prepare a demonstration or illustrated talk for their club or class, and for this year’s Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament, which will be held on Saturday, March 10th.
adapted from Knox-Lincoln County & UNH Cooperative Extension materials
More information on the Public Speaking Tournament can be found on the following Hancock County website- http://umaine.edu/hancock/programs/hancock-county-4-h/2012-public-speaking/.
4-H Science Road Show For 4-H Volunteers- Satisfy your curiosity and come to have a fun time of learning on February 7 at the Hancock Extension Office, 5:30 pm pot luck, 6:00 pm show will start. This two-hour introductory 4-H Science training is for volunteers. The training will help volunteers to “see the science” they are doing in their county program and include a brief overview of 4-H Science, curriculum and resources, and a hands-on science activity. Please contact Nicole Willey at 255-3345 or by email at nicole.h.willey@maine.edu by February 1st if you plan to attend (some carpooling may be available).
Maine State 4-H News
1. 2012 Maine 4-H Days- The 2012 Maine 4-H Days will take place June 22 – 24, 2012 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. More information and registration packets will be available in mid-Spring of 2012 at: http://umaine.edu/4h/youth/4-h-events/maine-4-h-days/.
2. 4-H Foundation Post-Secondary Education Scholarships- The 4-H Foundation’s Post-Secondary Education Scholarships are available to participants in the 4-H Program, pursuing higher education. Because some scholarships have different sets of guide- lines, please refer to the 4-H Foundation’s website (http://umaine.edu/4hfoundation/funding/) when applying. Deadlines for the applications are as follows: March 2, 2012 to the UMaine Cooperative Extension County Office, March 9, 2012 to the 4-H Foundation Office. Recipients receiving the scholarship awards will be invited to the Foundation’s Annual Meeting on May 16, 2012.
3. Market Beef Forms- All 4-Hers in the Market Beef project who plan to raise a steer for the Windsor Fair or Fryeburg Fair in 2012 need to send in an “Intent-to-Sell” form to their County Cooperative Extension Office by January 3, 2012. The forms are available at your county office and on-line at http://umaine.edu/4h/youth/4-h-projects/animal-science-resources/beef/
In January, you will be contacted about the time and place to tag your steer. The person tagging your steer will have an approval form for you to fill out and s/he will record your tag numbers. The person tagging your steer will send your Market Animal Approval Form to the State 4-H Office and they will send you an embossed copy of your Approval Form. If you have questions, please contact Michaele Bailey at the State 4-H Office at 581-3872 or 1-800-287-0274.
4. National 4-H Trips Applications Due – National 4-H Trips are excellent opportunities to meet 4-H members from across the nation. Participants learn about many career options, and learn through educational workshops at Congress or become a part of a team making recommendations to National 4-H Council at Conference. To learn more about these trips, visit: http://umaine.edu/4-H/home/national-4-h-trips/.
Any Maine 4-H Youth age 14 to 18 is eligible to apply. Application packets must be sent to your county office and postmarked by March 16, 2012. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Sparks at 1-800-287-1458 or sarah.sparks@maine.edu.
5. 4-H Dairy Project members – Hold the Dates in 2012 – Please hold the following dates for your participation in the State 4-H Dairy Programs:
- Dairy Quiz Bowl – February 19, at the Farm Bureau office in Augusta. Time to be an-
nounced. Open to all 4-H Dairy project members.
- Dairy judging – April 14, time and location to be announced. Open to all 4-H Dairy project members.
- Intent to Participate Form due May 1, 2012 for 4-H Dairy Team to Eastern States: http://umaine.edu/4h/youth/4-h-projects/animal-science-resources/dairy/
- Fitting Competition – July 21, 5:00 pm at the Windsor Fairgrounds
- Maine State 4-H Dairy Show – July 22, 9:00 am at the Windsor Fairgrounds. The new dairy packet will be posted in February.
6. Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)- Start making plans now to visit our Nation’s Capitol during the week of July 1 to 7, 2012. CWF is a leadership program conducted by the National 4-H Council for high school youth ages 15 to 18. Delegations of 4-Hers from across the country spend six days touring the city and attending leadership skill-building workshops. This summer, the Maine delegation will travel on July 1 to July 7, 2012. You will stay at the National 4-H Conference Center just outside Washington, DC. Visiting the most popular sites in Washington will be a part of the trip, including spending the 4th of July in our nation’s capitol. There is a mandatory orientation for Maine dele- gates on April 28th. For more information visit http://umaine.edu/4-H/youth/4-h-events/citizenship-washington- focus/. Contact your county 4-H office for details about how to be a part of this experience.
Cooking with the Kids
Pumpkin-Peanut Butter Soup
2 cup chopped onion
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
Plain yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Cook onion in hot olive oil on medium heat for 4 minutes, or until tender. Stir in pumpkin puree, low-sodium chicken broth, water, peanut butter, curry powder, and salt; heat through. Swirl plain yogurt on top of each bowl.
www.parents.com
Posted in News
