Dates to Remember

May 15- Deadline for 4-H June Jamboree- Must be postmarked by this date-no exceptions

May 17-18- 4-H@UMaine

June 7-9- 4-H June Jamboree at Blue Hill Fairgrounds

June 8- Club and School Exhibit Contest at Blue Hill Fairgrounds

July 18-21- Maine 4-H Days at Windsor Fairgrounds

August 29-September 2- Blue Hill Fair

4-H Shooting Sports Training Held in Columbia

A group shot of the volunteers who have successfully completed the 16-hour 4-H Shooting Sports training.

On April 6th and 7th, 13 volunteers gathered to train in the 4-H Shooting Sports at the Pleasant River Fish and Game Conservation Association in Columbia.  The disciplines of rifle and shotgun were taught by Philip Catanese and Ryan LeShane from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension from Bryant Pond.  Thank-you to both organizations for making this training a great experience!

Volunteers were trained in the 4-H Shooting Sports curriculum, learning how the program can be shared with youth in a club setting.  Safety and positive youth development were focal points of the event.  After volunteering 16+ hours of their weekend, I’d like to extend a HUGE THANK-YOU to the following Washington County 4-H volunteers: Charlie Robbins, Travis Willey, Nancy Curtis, Bob Jones, Ron Gallant Jr., Todd Smith, Darin Hammond, Josh Wilbur, Jasmine Hammond, Jane Bell, Mike Warnock, Brian Carlton, and Amanda Hardaswick.
These volunteers are working diligently towards starting a 4-H Shooting Sports program here in Washington County.  Be watching for updates on their ongoing success.

June Jamboree – Register Now!

The Hancock County 4-H June Jamboree will be held once again at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds, June 7th through 9th. Registration materials have been sent to all enrolled 4-H members here in Washington County.  Please contact the office if you haven’t received the information! The registration deadline will be May 15th – all registrations must be postmarked or received electronically by this date – NO EXCEPTIONS! Keep in mind that work- shops will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. There will be a small registration fee per day to help cover expenses of $3 per person or $8 per family (immediate family only). Hope to see you there!

4-H Wedding Bells

Evan and Jewel Hawkins

It is with great excitement that we share that Jewel Carle from the Princeton Pioneers 4-H club was married to Evan Hawkins on April 6th!

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins!!!

4-Hers Visit the University of Maine’s College of Engineering

On April 17th, independent members, Blaine Grant and Cole Willey, visited the University of Maine’s College of Engineering.  At request, the college will offer activities to groups interested in learning more about Chemical and Biological Engineering, Computer and Electrical Engineering, Engineering Technology, and Engineering Physics.  If any Washington County members (typically ages 12-17) would like to work together to plan such an event, please contact Nicole Willey in the Machias office.

4-Hers vising the University of Maine College of Engineering.

Maine’s Harvest for Hunger Program

Here is a great service opportunity for 4-Hers that can be done right in their backyard!  The Maine Harvest for Hunger Program gives seeds to those who would like to grow them for donation to a local food pantry.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Tara Wood at the office- 255-3345 or by email at tara.a.wood@maine.edu.

Cooking With the Kids

Quick Kabobs

Ingredients
• 1/2 ounce cubed roasted deli turkey
• 1/2 ounce cubed Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grapes
• 6 dried apricots

Preparation
• Thread turkey, cheese, grapes and apricots onto a wooden skewer.

From EatingWell: October/November 2005

Downeast School Reports

Trenton Elementary School
Trenton Elementary School has done an amazing job this year with their worm bins. With 4-H Leader, Bob Ellis, taking charge of the afterschool program’s vermiculture project, the worms are multiplying so much that they need to start a second bin! We harvested castings before April break, which was fun and very dirty. With all that good new soil, we will be starting a seed germination series of activities in May. Stay tuned for what will come next!

Ella Lewis Elementary School
The Ella Lewis School students have some very innovative ideas about how to get their gardening efforts underway. Combining community service, recycling and fund raising all together is just one idea. The challenge for the students’ new school garden is to have funds to build beds and renovate their existing greenhouse. A challenge for the school is how to get all their paper recycling to the town recycling center. A challenge for the town of Steuben and their Recycling Committee is how to get all the overflowing redeemables to the redemption center. Combine all these together, and they have come up with one great plan.

The students have agreed to be responsible, with the help of their science teacher, 4-H leader Danielle Wells, to get all the school paper recycling to the recycling center weekly. While they are there, they will bag up all the redeemables to go to the local redemption center. Parents will rotate taking the bagged redeemables to be redeemed. The bottle deposit money gets returned to Ms. Wells, who then turns it into the town office. The Town has agreed to give half the proceeds back to the students to help fund their school garden. Their first redeemable delivery gave them $20! That is definitely a win-win for everyone, and a great way to recycle those bottle deposits right into wholesome food to be grown at the school. Congratulations on your great problem solving and what you are doing for your school, your community and the earth.

4-H News from the State

1. 2013 Maine 4-H Days – Registration Begins in May – Maine 4-H Days will take place July 18 – 21, 2013 at the Windsor Fairgrounds, and the registration materials will be available online in May. As always, workshops are assigned on a first come, first serve basis, so be sure to register early. If you do not have online access, please contact your local county office for paper copies of the forms.

We are in need of volunteers willing to help with all aspects of the event. Last year, Maine 4-H Days brought almost 500 individuals to the Windsor Fairgrounds, and we are preparing for even greater numbers for 2013. Volunteers are needed for: presenter assistance, office/ registration help, being crafty in the Creativity Area, set-up, cleanup, and more. We request that one member of each group sign up for a minimum of one volunteer shift.

Along with many of your favorite returning workshops (Archery, ATV Certification, Modular Origami, Shades of Creativity, Blacksmithing, etc.), there are a ton of awesome new workshops this year: Decorating a 4-H Birthday Cake, Milk Science, Duct Tape Projects, Exploration of an Owl’s Diet, and so much more! The State 4-H Dairy Show will also be held during 4-H Days. All of the workshops, and their descriptions, will be posted on the Maine 4-H Days web page.

If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please contact Jessy Brainerd at jessica.brainerd@maine.edu or 581-3877.

2. Celebrating 100 Years of 4-H in Maine – 2013 marks the 100th birthday of 4-H in Maine, and we want YOU to celebrate with us!

Check with your local county office to find activities in your neck of the wood, and plan on coming to the party at Maine 4-H Days this year; there will be cake, ice cream, a chance to look back on all that we’ve accomplished, as well as a chance to look forward and see what’s in the works!

Please check out our special Celebrating 100 Years website.  We are also encouraging all of you to consider giving financially to the 4-H Foundation as we work to raise $100,000 in 2013 to support the 4-H program.

Happy 100 years Maine 4-H, and here’s to many more!

3. State 4-H Dairy Program Dates – Please hold the following dates for your participation in the State 4-H Dairy Programs:

- Intent to Participate Form due May 1, 2013 for 4-H Dairy Team to Eastern States. – Fitting Competition – July 20, 5:00 pm at the Windsor Fairgrounds.
- Maine State 4-H Dairy Show – July 21, 9:00 am at the Windsor Fairgrounds.
The Dairy Packet is available on the 4-H Dairy web page.

Eastern States Exposition – form Deadlines – Please checkout the 4-H website for additional information: look for “animal forms” towards the bottom of the page, click on that and the list of animal commodities will appear. – Dairy Cattle – May 1st
- Sheep – May 1st
- Dog – May 15th-  Horse PACKETS are due June 7th

These dates are when forms are due to the Activity Coordinator! All forms must first go to the county in which you are 4-H enrolled for confirmation of eligibility. Do not wait until they are due as they will be late!

4. Great News for 4-H Shooting Sports! – University of Maine Cooperative Extension is one of seven state 4-H programs to receive $100,000 for its youth firearm safety programming from the MidwayUSA Foundation, Inc., and Scholastic Shooting Trust. The funding is part of a $3 million donation from Larry and Brenda Potterfield, founders of MidwayUSA. In addition to supporting 4-H Shooting Sports programs, the donation provided 192 shooting sports teams nationwide endowments of $10,000 each. Last November, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife also administered $23,600 from the U.S. Department of the Interior/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support a three-year 4-H Shooting Sports partnership. Additionally, in June of last year, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation donated $10,000 to the endowment fund, which was matched by the Potterfields. In the 4-H Shooting Sports programs, youth learn marksmanship, safe and responsible use of firearms, as well as principles of hunting and archery. The activities of the program and the support of caring adult leaders provide young people with opportunities to develop life skills, self-worth, and conservation ethics. Click to learn more about University of Maine 4-H Shooting Sports program.

5. Eastern States Exposition, New England Center Program – Calling all 4-H youth, ages 11 and up, along with volunteers who have an interest in showcasing the many interests and talents of Maine 4-H… we want you! Join the group of dedicated performers and demonstrators as we share our love for 4-H with the fairgoers at The Big E in West Springfield, MA, the 3rd weekend in September. It’s an experience you will not soon forget.

Maine 4-H participates with displays and demonstrations in the New England Center, which also houses creative arts competitions, and daily stage performances. Working in teams of two at stations called “pods”, youth demonstrate 4-H projects this year will be focused on Robotics and Engineering. Youth also have the opportunity to participate in stage performances, which consist of planned presentations using costumes and other props, as needed. All projects and demonstrations will be centered on a science theme. Please call the UMaine Cooperative Extension Office in Oxford County at 743-6329 or 800-287-1482 (in Maine) for specific details and for the team application. Space is limited, and will be filled on a first-come, first served basis. Sign up now as a small group with other teens. Students will stay in the dorm; meals and transportation will be provided. 4-Hers participating in the New England Center Program are eligible to apply for the Morris Scholarship.

6.  4-H @ UMaine: Connecting Kids to Campus – This program will take place May 17th & 18th at the University of Maine in Orono. Youth ages 12-17 can join the fun of becoming familiar with campus and what it has to offer. The youth will stay in dorm rooms overnight, eat at the dining halls, and attend workshops presented by UMaine professors to get a real feel of what college is like. We hope to see you all there. Details are available on the 4-H events webpage. Please contact Debra Kantor at debra.kantor@maine.edu or 474-9622 with any questions, or if you’re interested in volunteering.

7. 2013 Morris Scholarship for Eastern States Participants – This is the year that Maine has the opportunity to select an Eastern States Exposition participant to receive a $500 scholarship towards continuing his or her education beyond high school. Application deadline is August 5. To find if you qualify and for information on how to apply for this scholarship, look online or inquire at your local County Extension Office.

8. Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove Open Houses – We are having Open Houses at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove this spring. Come visit and get a feel for camp before the summer season starts. Take a tour and learn more about the site-specific programming centered in the lush woods around the Ducktrap River at Tanglewood on May 18th, and the beautiful Atlantic coast in Tenants Harbor at Blueberry Cove, on May
4th. These open house events will run from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. each day.

To celebrate 100 years of 4-H in Maine, Tanglewood will host special activities at their open house including: pond scooping, garden games, crafts, fire building, and more. All materials and snacks will be provided.

Staff will be on hand to answer any questions your family may have as well. If you can’t make it to the open house, you are still welcome to visit either of our sites any time. Please call Patti Chapman at 207-789-5868 to set up a tour. All 4-H families qualify to receive $100 off any overnight camp or adventure trip, and $50 off any day program. Visit our Tanglewood website for more information. We hope to see you at camp.

9. Beef Heifer Project – The New England Galloway Group is announcing their annual Heifer Project, which places a Belted Galloway heifer calf with a deserving youth recipient to allow for a hands-on education in beef cattle rearing and showmanship and to develop a love of the breed. The youth selected to receive a heifer is expected to return the first heifer calf back to the program so it will continue each year. If you are interested in applying for this program, you can download the application; the application deadline is December 31, 2013.

10. UMaine 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Training Weekend – The annual 4-H Shooting Sports Workshop will be held June 14-16, 2013 at the Bryant Pond 4-H Camp in Oxford County. This weekend training will certify you as a State of Maine 4H Shooting Sports Instructor in the Rifle, Shotgun, Archery or the Hunting/Wildlife discipline. (One discipline of your choice) Weekend includes meals and lodging at Bryant Pond’s beautiful Lakeside Lodge. For more information please go to the Bryant Pond website or contact Scott Olsen at scott.olsen@maine.edu or 665-2068.

11. Northeast Livestock Exposition (NELE) – The Northeast Livestock Exposition will be held May 17, 18, and 19 at the Windsor Fairgrounds, with many
past favorites and new events for youth. Register for these events by visiting the Northeast Livestock Exposition webpage  and clicking on Youth for registration information.

New this year will be a market lamb sale with a jackpot show at Skowhegan Fair! Local breeders are offering great market lambs for youth to purchase for Maine market lamb shows and sales. For the latest and most up to date information, check out their Facebook page: NELE Youth Events.

12. 4-H Market Lamb Tagging for Windsor & Fryeburg Fairs-  Please submit your Intent to Participate Forms for the 4-H Market Lamb classes at Windsor and Fryeburg Fairs by May 1. You can find the form on the 4-H Sheep Project web page.

The first Market Lamb tagging site for 4-H lambs will be at NELE on Sunday, May 19 at noon at the Windsor Fairgrounds. Tagging sites in June will be announced in the next CORE, on the 4-H Sheep Project web page, and will be emailed to every one who sends their Intent to Participate Form.

Donna Flint will be doing the tagging, and will provide the approval forms. If you have any questions, you can call her at 324-2814, or (800) 287-1535, or contact her via email at: donna.flint@maine.edu.

Dates to Remember

April 15- Extension Office Closed
April 27- VOLT Training at Hancock Extension Office, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
April 28- Registration Deadline for 4-H@UMaine
May 10- Deadline for 4-H June Jamboree- Must be postmarked by this date-no exceptions
May 17-18- 4-H@UMaine
June 7-9- 4-H June Jamboree at Blue Hill Fairgrounds
June 8- Club and School Exhibit Contest at Blue Hill Fairgrounds

2013 Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament

Everyone wins when it comes to 4-H Public Speaking.  This year we had a wide and wonderful variety of presentations including single and team Demonstrations and Illustrated Talks.  It was so nice to see some new faces presenting. What more could you ask for – certificates, beautiful ribbons, gifts, snacks, fantastic judges and an appreciative audience.  Our Overall Demonstration Top Honors recipients were Paige Bell and McKenna Robinson with their Junior Team Demonstration “Cake Pops”.  Our Overall Illustrated Talk Top Honors recipient, as well as Overall Public Speaker Top Honors recipient, Mikaila Loughlin with her Junior Illustrated Talk “Finding Your Perfect Match”.  Those that went on to the Regional Tournament were Hope Carle and Mikaila Loughlin.

Behind the scenes, were committee members Jane Bell, Regina Grabovac and Patty Wallace.  Special thanks to our extra youth helpers. Thanks to all of you, we had a very smooth and well-run event.

Participants from the Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament.

4-H Regional Public Speaking Tournament

The 4-H Regional Public Speaking Tournament, held on March 23^rd at the University of Maine at Orono, was a huge success and learning opportunity well enjoyed by all.  Of the fourteen youth presenting, five were from Hancock County, two from Washington County, and two from Lincoln County and five were from Penobscot County.  There was a wide array of interesting topics shared, and the audience of over 60 people all left with something new that they did not know before they came.

We were especially fortunate to have a great group of volunteers to help make this event go smoothly.  We had an especially large contingent of volunteers and audience members from the Fine Pines in Waldo County who promise to be presenters next year!  We also had a wonderful core of volunteers from the Regional Public Speaking Committee on hand to do everything from set-up to timing to tabulating to answering questions from presenters, judges and attending guests.  They put in many hours before and during the event making sure all the materials that help youth prepare and judges do their judging were just perfect.  Thank you to our volunteers.  Without them, events like these just would not be possible.  We look forward to Hope and Jewel Carle of Princeton Pioneers joining Jane Bell, Regina Grabovac and Patty Wallace on the committee to share their valuable experience and help plan our 2014 event!

The awards were as follows for Washington County  –  Blues were awarded to:

Hope Carle – Washington County, Junior Single Illustrated Talk

Mikaila Loughlin – Washington County, Junior Single Illustrated Talk – also Overall Junior Single Illustrated Talk Top Honors, Overall Illustrated Talk Top Honors & Overall

Participants of the Regional 4-H Public Speaking Tournament held in Orono on March 23.

Mikaila was very successful at both the Washington County and the Regional Public Speaking Tournaments this year. Congrats!

4-H @ UMaine

Come join us for 4-H@UMaine, May 17-18!

Youth ages 12-17 can join the fun of becoming familiar with campus and what it has to offer. The youth will stay in dorm rooms overnight, eat at the dining halls, and attend workshops presented by UMaine professors to get a real feel of what college is like. We hope to see you all there!

4-H@UMaine takes place on the University of Maine, Orono campus from Friday, May 17 at 3:00 PM until Saturday, May 18 at 5:30 PM.

Cost: $50 for 4-H members ($40 for each additional sibling), $70 for non-4-H youth

Registration now open.  Deadline to register: April 28th

4-H Robotics Expo

The 7th Annual 4-H Robotics Expo was held at University of Maine at Machias on Saturday, March 16th. Over 80 youth from nine schools from Washington County, Penobscot County and New Brunswick gathered to spend the day learning about and sharing their knowledge of robotics. Over twenty teams visited with judges and people from the general public during the morning session, demonstrating their robotic projects. “Maine 4-H is working to put more emphasis on the STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology and Math) skills than ever before to better prepare our youth for the future. Yet, life skills such as public speaking, problem solving, communication and team work are critical as well,” says Jen Lobley, UMaine Cooperative Extension Educator. “This event combines it all.”

The event is held on the University of Maine at Machias in an effort to connect youth to the campus. The afternoon offers science-based workshops led by faculty and staff members from UMM, UMaine Cooperative Extension, Maine Robotics and even by Quinn Sluzenski, a current Calais High School student and former Expo participant. From learning how to program robots to learning about a science summer camp offering at UMM, youth attend two hands-on sessions in the afternoon. “We want youth to see a variety of sciences, think about areas of study and possible careers that might be related to science,” said Lobley. “The workshop presenters are awesome! The kids love the topics and activities!”

The afternoon offers a challenge activity to interested teams. The activity challenged teams to program a robot that would “put out a fire”. The teams’ mission was to use the robot to cover the fire (flashlight) with a fire box. The team with the fastest score won. Programming the robots along with a lot of patience, critical thinking and problem solving was required.

Winners at this year’s Expo were as follows:

• Rookie All-Star Award: Lego Rookies of Princeton Elementary
• Creativity Award: 2 Artists of Charlotte Elementary and Mean Green Geckos of Edmunds School
• Best Robot Design: Mean Green Geckos from Edmunds School
• Best Non-Robotic Design: 9797 Newbies of Edmunds School
• Best Overall Presentation: Mean Green Geckos and Purple Pins from Edmunds School
• Community Service Award: Charlotte Elementary School
• Crowd Pleaser’s Award: Bay Ridge One from Bay Ridge Elementary School
• Challenge Event: Indian Township of Indian Township School

Special thanks to our volunteer judges from the community: Jane Bell, Tom Bickford, Danielle Bragg, Katherine Cassidy, Gretchen Cherry, George Crawford, Betsy Fitzgerald, Ben Goff, Mike Henry, Malcolm Holmes, Michelle Jaques, Catherine Kropp, Emily Lobley, Joan Miller, Reece Miller, Andrew Muholland, and Candy O’Brien.

4-H June Jamboree

Save the date! The Hancock County 4-H June Jamboree will be held once again at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds, June 7th through 9th. This is a great event for an overnight, weekend or day-long school group fieldtrip, as well as a fantastic chance to have a whole-club event.

4-Hers, guests and families from Hancock, Penobscot, Waldo & Washington counties are welcome to participate. They may arrive Friday afternoon, June 7th, beginning at 3 pm, and stay over for fun activities and games as well as a camp fire and smores. Youth may also arrive Saturday, June 2nd to participate in livestock and enrichment workshops beginning at 8:30 am and concluding at 4:30 pm with circle dancing led by 4-H volunteer Carl Karush. We have some wonderful offerings lined up – “Puppet Pizzazz”, “Pet Rock Garden Buddies”, ATV Safety, Archery, Quill Cards, Quiz Bowl, Gardening, “Rockin’ Round Rug Weaving”, “Improv!”, “Tie your Fly”, “Chicken Spa”, “Art of Paper Filigree”, and so much more — along with great hands-on animal activities as well for youth interested in exploring the different 4-H animal projects. We will also have our usual cookout potluck lunch on Saturday with hot dogs and hamburgers provided by the Leaders’ Association.

Once again, 4-H school groups and clubs are invited to present club and school exhibits for judging with the theme “Celebrating 4-H – 100 Years of 4-H in Maine!”, as well as club gardening exhibits. What a great way to end your 4-H group’s school year or to get a jump on the club exhibit for the Blue Hill Fair! For more details, see Lisa’s Corner.

Especially exciting will be two days dedicated to mentoring youth involved in livestock projects, especially focused on getting ready for this year’s fair season. Youth enrolled or interested in livestock projects are invited to stay over Friday and Saturday night and participate in the following livestock projects: Beef, Dog, Goat, Horse will have programming on both Saturday and Sunday, and Sheep will be on Sunday only. You do not need your own animal to participate, just enthusiasm and interest in the animal project. We will have a potluck lunch Sunday as well with sandwich fixings provided by the Leaders’ Association. Also, all youth with Dogs, Sheep and Goats are also invited to join in the Small Animal Obstacle Course on Saturday afternoon – great fun for
participants and spectators alike!

Full schedules, information and registration forms will be in
a separate e-mail later this month. The registration deadline will be May 10th – all registrations must be postmarked or received electronically by this date — no exceptions! Keep in mind that workshops will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. There will be a small registration fee per day this year to help cover expenses of $3 per person or $8 per family (immediate family only). Hope to see you there!

Lisa’s Corner

Club Exhibits for Jamboree

In just a few weeks, we will hopefully see many of you at the Hancock County 4- H June Jamboree at the Blue Hill Fair Grounds, which this year will be held on June 7th through 9th (details coming soon).

I want to challenge every club and school group to find time this month to put together their 4-H Club Exhibit with the theme “Celebrating 4-H – 100 Years of 4-H in Maine”. This year marks the 100th anniversary of 4-H in Maine, so we are really hoping for full participation from our clubs to really show the public how diverse and wonderful 4-H is in Hancock County and beyond. This is also a great chance for your group to share about your experience of 4-H, so bring your imagination and teamwork to the table and go for it!

For those of us new to the idea of club exhibits, these exhibits will follow the exact same format as that for club exhibits for the Blue Hill Fair – in fact, they can be submitted for judging again just as they are or with improvements to the Fair in September. Often these are made using tri-fold poster board with or without additional props, photo books, and other elements, and even can be 3-D, but as long as your group follows the parameters for creating your display — must not exceed 4 feet tall by 4 feet wide and must be able to stand alone – the sky is the limit. Exhibits for the Jamboree judging must be received by 8am on Saturday, June 8th (but may arrive on Friday as well any time after 3pm). Your club does not have to attend Jamboree to enter a club exhibit – but we certainly hope you do!

As you start your planning and brainstorming for your exhibit, think about the following:
Does the exhibit express one idea?
Is it creative and imaginative?
Is the title creative and catchy?
Is it prominently placed?
Is the lettering neat and of an appropriate size?
Has the use of color and placement been considered?
When planning the exhibit, can it be recognized at a distance of 6 feet?
Have you included a neatly printed
3” x 5” card which includes: club name, town and county?

So have fun and create – we can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

 Downeast School Reports

On March 8^th, Jonesboro Elementary School had its final 4-H Public Speaking Tournament. The first graders presented their very well done demonstrations to the kindergarten students, with wonderful presentations on drawing snowmen, lady bugs, butterflies and more.  Congratulations to Jonesboro Elementary for their having all their students in K-8 participate in 4-H public speaking.  Next year, we look forward to their students presenting at the Washington County Tournament!

NOTE: School Group 4-H youth, parents and staff – If you don’t see your picture here and your school was mentioned above, it means we don’t have the photo releases for your school that we need on file. Without your photo releases, we can’t share the great pictures we have of your students doing all those great 4-H activities. PLEASE help us to make sure we can feature pictures of you and your school in the next newsletter! If you need forms or want to check to see if yours is already on file, please contact Tara at 800-287-1542 or tara.a.wood@maine.edu, or Lisa at 207-598-6621 or lisa.reilich@maine.edu. Thanks — can’t wait to “see” all of you in here next month.

The Morning Song Home School Cooperative’s 6th grade class held a 4-H public speaking event this month, using the 4-H illustrated talk format and judging rubric to create an oral presentation highlighting their biography reports. People featured included a very famous rap star, a television actor, an Olympic gymnast, a world-class soccer champion, an NBA basketball Hall
of Fame player and the horse whisperer. Congratulations to these students for their very well done and enlightening presentations!

Ella Lewis School is having a wonderful year in 4-H. With their school 4-H Public Speaking Tournaments behind them, they are now working hard to get their school gardens up and running. Ella Lewis staff, 4-H volunteers, parents and students are working together to plan out how to get gardens funded and built that will help with a garden-based science curriculum along with eventually contributing to the school cafeteria. To start with, 4th through 8th grade have started working with vermiculture, creating their own worm bins with the help of our Washington County Food Corp service member, Taylor Weiss.

4-H News from the State

1. Celebrating 100 Years of 4-H in Maine -A Message from Lisa Phelps, 4-H Program Administrator

Did you know the first 4-H club in Maine was started in 1913, and it was a Potato Club
in Scarborough Maine? Yes, indeed, it’s true! In 2013, 4-H is celebrating 100 years
in Maine. I hope you will join me in celebrating the 100th birthday of 4-H in Maine and
look for ways you can celebrate locally and statewide. We have a lot to be proud of in
our 4-H program in Maine! Since the beginning, the youth development program of University of Maine Cooperative Extension has emphasized the importance of building the life skills needed to be successful adults.

We would not have had the strong program we have had for the past 100 years if it were not for the extremely dedicated volunteers and staff. On behalf of the thousands of youth all of you have impacted over the years, thank you for all you have done.

Please check out our special Celebrating 100 Years website.  I would also encourage all of you to consider giving financially to the 4-H Foundation as we work to raise $100,000 in 2013 to support the 4-H program. Happy 100 years Maine 4-H, and here’s to many more!

2. State 4-H Dairy Program Dates-  Please hold the following dates for your participation in the State 4-H Dairy Programs:

- Dairy Judging – April 13, Sat., time / location to be announced. Open to all 4-H Dairy project members.
- Intent to Participate Form due May 1, 2013 for 4-H Dairy Team to Eastern States.
- Fitting Competition – July 20, 5:00 pm at the Windsor Fairgrounds.

- Maine State 4-H Dairy Show – July 21, 9:00 am at the Windsor Fairgrounds. The new dairy packet will be posted in March.

Forms are/will be posted on the 4-H Dairy web page.

3. Eastern States Exposition – form Deadlines- Please checkout the 4-H website for additional information: look for “animal forms” towards the bottom of the page, click on that and the list of animal commodities will appear.

- Dairy Goat – April 15th,  Dairy Cattle – May 1st
,  Sheep – May 1st
,  Horse PACKETS are due June 7th

These dates are when forms are due to the Activity Coordinator! All forms must first go to the county in which you are 4-H enrolled for confirmation of eligibility. Do not wait until they are due as they will be late!

4. Eastern States Exposition, New England Center Program -Calling all 4-H youth, ages 11 and up, along with volunteers who have an interest in show-
casing the many interests and talents of Maine 4-H… we want you! Join the group of
dedicated performers and demonstrators as we share our love for 4-H with the fairgoers at
The Big E in West Springfield, Mass, the 3rd weekend in September. It’s an experience you will not soon forget.

Maine 4-H participates with displays and demonstrations in the New England Center, which also houses creative arts competitions, and daily stage performances. Working in teams of two at stations called “pods”, youth demonstrate 4-H projects, which this year will be focused on Robotics and Engineering. Youth also have the opportunity to participate in stage performances, which consist of planned presentations using costumes and other props, as needed. All projects and demonstrations will be centered around a science theme. Please call the UMaine Cooperative Extension Office in Oxford at 743-6329 or 800-287-1482 (in Maine) for specific details and for the team application. Space is limited, and will be filled on a first-come, first served basis. Sign up now as a small group with other teens. Students stay in the dorm, meals and transportation are provided.

5. 2013 Morris Scholarship for Eastern States Participants -This is the year that Maine has the opportunity to select an Eastern States Exposition
participant to receive a $500 scholarship towards continuing his or her education beyond high
school. Click on the link for more information on how to apply for this scholarship.

6. 4-H @ UMaine: Connecting Kids to Campus -If you know of a youth between the ages of 12 – 18, make sure they save the date! 4-H @ UMaine will take place May 17 & 18, 2013 at the University of Maine in Orono.  More details about including registration, 4-H @ UMaine.

7. Beef Heifer Project -The New England Galloway Group is announcing their annual Heifer Project, which
places a Belted Galloway heifer calf with a deserving youth recipient to allow for a hands-
on education in cattle rearing and showmanship and to develop a love of the breed. The
youth selected to receive a heifer is expected to return the first heifer calf back to the pro-
gram so it will continue each year. If you are interested in applying for this program, you can download the application.  The application deadline is December 31, 2013.

8. ESE Dairy Goat Intent to Participate – Maine Eastern States Dairy Goat Team
The Dairy Goat Animal Science Committee wants to invite youth who were at least 12 years
old but not 19 years old as of December 31, 2012 and in at least their second year of the
Dairy Goat 4-H project to tryout to be a part of the Maine ESE Dairy Goat team. Youth who
are interested in this opportunity must submit an Intent to Participate by April 15, 2013. This form is available online.

Submitting an intent form does not guarantee a position on the team and does not commit a youth to participating. Those who are unsure are encouraged to submit the form as it is required as part of the tryout criteria. No late forms will be accepted. If you have questions about the process please contact Tami Hussey at 207-282-3201 or thussey2@maine.rr.com.

9. 2013 Maine 4-H Days – Presenters Needed-  Maine 4-H Days will take place July 18 – 21 at the Windsor Fairgrounds, and volunteers are needed to present a variety of workshops. If you have a skill you could share with youth, anything from photography to cooking or botany, let us know! We also have 4-H Science toolkits available, and can provide materials for your workshop. Some workshops we have had in the past: Wood Working, Jewelry Making, Fun with Science, Theatre, Cheese Making, Nature Walk, Phenology, Jump Rope Fun, Make Your Own Hula Hoop, and much more – workshops can relate to any of the 4-H projects – from public speaking to dairy goats or robotics. We have many more ideas available if you are interested in volunteering, but aren’t sure what you’d like to offer. Youth volunteers are also needed to be presenter assistants, or to offer their own workshops.

If you are interested in volunteering, as a presenter or otherwise, please contact Jessy Brainerd at jessica.brainerd@maine.edu or 581-3877.

10. Fryeburg Youth Show – April 25 – 28, 2013 – Join us for the 23rd Annual Fryeburg Youth Show held each year in conjunction with the National Belted Galloway Sale and The Maine Event – Elite Heifer Sale at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds in Fryeburg, Maine. Open to youth from USA and Canada. Stock Show University will be conducting educational clinics for all. Registration information is available online.

11. April Vacation Day Camp at Tanglewood 4-H – This outdoor day camp will be held at Tanglewood 4-H Camp in Lincolnville, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day on April 15th- 19th for 6-11 year olds. It’s a fun-filled week packed with games, art and exploration that encourages personal growth in harmony with nature. The cost is $140 for the week. For more information or to register visit the Tanglewood website or contact Patti at 789- 5868 or patricia.chapman@maine.edu.

12. Youth and Stress - This publication is available as a free download, and is a great resource for parents, and adults who work with children. This publication offers insights and ideas for adults who know a young person who gets stressed from time to time. It shares the symptoms of stress, and some strategies for how to talk about it. Available at: .

13. UMaine 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Training Weekend - The annual
4-H Shooting Sports Workshop will be held June 14-16, 2013 at the Bryant Pond 4-H Camp
in Oxford County. This weekend training will certify you as a State of Maine 4H Shooting
Sports Instructor in the Rifle, Shotgun, Archery or the Hunting/Wildlife discipline. (One discipline of your choice) Weekend includes meals and lodging at Bryant Pond’s beautiful Lakeside Lodge. For more information please go to the website or contact Scott Olsen at scott.olsen@maine.edu or 665-2068.

Calendar

April 6 & 7- 4-H Shooting Sports Training-Columbia
April 15- Extension Office Closed
April 27- VOLT Training-Hancock Extension Office- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

UMaine Day at the Legislature – 4-H Honorary Page Program

Article by: Emily Bosley, Horse Power 4-H member

I’m 16, and on February 26th, I was able to serve as an Honorary Page at the Maine State Capitol, through the 4-H program. I served in the Senate. During the session that day, I was able to sit and listen, except when I was needed for my page duties. I delivered papers, handed out pamphlets, and passed back and forth messages; along with the other girls that were serving as pages through the 4-H that day also. It was a very fun and interesting experience! I was able to meet, talk with, and have a ‘formal’ photo taken with both my Senator and Representative. I really enjoyed being a page, and I am planning to hopefully attend again next year! The page duties definitely didn’t seem like ‘work’ at all. Plus, I was able to learn a lot about what the Senate does, through hands-on experience and being right there. I’m so glad I was able to go!
~Emily B.

Emily pictured with Representative David Burns taken while being an Honorary Page at the Maine State Capitol.

Washington County Bulletin Board Items

Welcome New Volunteers: 
Malinda Worcester
Mike Warnock
Bob Jones
Stim Wilcox
Travis Willey

Congratulations and THANK-YOU to the following new volunteers who have recently become VOLT certified:
Jennifer Prout
Charlie Robbins
Larry Balchen
Brian Carlton
Michael Todd Smith

*************************
WELCOME to our newly enrolled volunteers:
Welcome to Malinda Worcester, new leader of the 4-H Machines!
Welcome to Travis Willey, leader of a newly forming 4-H Shooting Sports club!
Welcome to Charlie Robbins, leader of a newly forming 4-H Shooting Sports club!

Downeast Region School News

SCHOOL PUBLIC SPEAKING – School Public
Speaking Tournaments are winding down now with tournaments completed now at Jonesboro Elementary School
2nd – 8th, Ella Lewis Grammar School 2nd & 3rd and
Downeast Homeschool Cooperative. Even with County
Tournaments already under way and Regionals looming
on March 23rd, there are still more school tournaments to
come for Trenton Elementary, Jonesboro Elementary
and Morning Song School Cooperative this month. This
just goes to show that it is never NOT a good time to learn
and polish our public speaking skills — and those skills that
we learn in 4-H for public speaking can be put to good use for projects outside the normal schedule of tournaments — like is happening for Morning Song students, where the 6th grade students are using their training in 4-H public speaking to create and present illustrated talks to go along with their written biography projects OR the second graders at Trenton Elementary who were able to use the great skills they gained as first graders doing 4-H demonstrations and bring those along with some new ideas on connecting with the audience to their presidential speeches — amazing!

 Maine State News

1. State 4-H Dairy Program Dates- Please hold the following dates for your participation in the State 4-H Dairy Programs: Dairy Judging – April 13, Sat., time / location to be announced. Open to all 4-H Dairy project members.
 Intent to Participate Form due May 1, 2013 for 4-H Dairy Team to Eastern States.
 Fitting Competition – July 20, 5:00 pm at the Windsor Fairgrounds. Maine State 4-H Dairy Show – July 21, 9:00 am at the Windsor Fairgrounds. The new dairy packet will be posted in March.

Forms are/will be posted on the 4-H Dairy web page.

2. 2013 Maine 4-H Days – Maine 4-H Days will take place July 18 – 21 at the Windsor Fairgrounds, and the State Dairy Show will be on the 20th & 21st.

Volunteers are needed to help with all aspects of the event – from planning to presenting workshops, if you are interested in volunteering, please contact Jessy Brainerd at jessica.brainerd@maine.edu or 581-3877.

3.  Eastern States Exposition, New England Center Program — Calling all 4-H youth, ages 11 and up, along with volunteers who have an interest in showcas
ing the many interests and talents of Maine 4-H… we want you! Join the group of dedicated performers and demonstrators as we share our love for 4-H with the fairgoers at The Big E in West Springfield, Mass, the 3rd weekend in September. It’s an experience you will not soon forget.

Maine 4-H participates with displays and demonstrations in the New England Center, which also houses creative arts competitions, and daily stage performances. Working in teams of two at stations called “pods”, youth demonstrate 4-H projects, which this year will be focused on Robotics and Engineering. Youth also have the opportunity to participate in stage performances, which consist of planned presentations using costumes and other props, as needed. All projects and demonstrations will be centered around a science theme. Please call the UMaine Cooperative Extension Office in Oxford at 743-6329 or 800-287-1482 (in Maine) for specific details and for the team application. Space is limited, and will be filled on a first-come, first served basis. Sign up now as a small group with other teens. Students stay in the dorm, meals and transportation are provided.

4.  2013 Morris Scholarship for Eastern States Participants — This is the year that Maine has the opportunity to select an Eastern States Exposition participant
to receive a $500 scholarship towards continuing his or her education beyond high school. Information on how to apply for this scholarship is available online.

5.  4-H @ UMaine: Connecting Kids to Campus – If you know of a youth between the ages of 12 – 18, make sure they save the date! 4-H @ UMaine will take place May 17 & 18, 2013 at the University of Maine in Orono. Details will be available online in February.

6.  Beef Heifer Project – The New England Galloway Group is announcing their annual Heifer Project, which places
a Belted Galloway heifer calf with a deserving youth recipient to allow for a hands-on education in cattle rearing and showmanship and to develop a love of the breed. The youth selected to receive a heifer is expected to return the first heifer calf back to the program so it will continue each year. If you are interested in applying for this program, you can download the application; the application deadline is December 31, 2013.

7.  ESE Dairy Goat Intent to Participate — Maine Eastern States Dairy Goat Team
The Dairy Goat Animal Science Committee wants to invite youth who were at least 12 years
old but not 19 years old as of December 31, 2012 and in at least their second year of the
Dairy Goat 4-H project to tryout to be a part of the Maine ESE Dairy Goat team. Youth who are interested in this opportunity must submit an Intent to Participate by April 15, 2013. The form is available online.

Submitting an intent form does not guarantee a position on the team and does not commit a youth to participating. Those who are unsure are encouraged to submit the form as it is required as part of the tryout criteria. No late forms will be accepted. If you have questions about the process please contact Tami Hussey at 207-282-3201 or thussey2@maine.rr.com.

Cooking with the Kids

3-Can Chili

Makes: 6 (1 cup) servings
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can beans (pinto, kidney, red, or black), undrained
1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained or 10-ounce package frozen corn
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
Chili powder to taste

Directions

1. Place the contents of all 3 cans into a pan.
2. Add chili powder to taste.
3. Stir to mix.
4. Continue to stir over medium heat until heated thoroughly.
5. Refrigerate leftovers.

The event is held on the University of Maine at Machias in an effort to connect youth to the campus. The afternoon offers science-based workshops led by faculty and staff members from UMM, UMaine Cooperative Extension, Maine Robotics and even by Quinn Sluzenski, a current Calais High School student and former Expo participant. From learning how to program robots to learning about a science summer camp offering at UMM, youth attend two hands-on sessions in the afternoon. “We want youth to see a variety of sciences, think about areas of study and possible careers that might be related to science,” said Lobley. “The workshop presenters are awesome! The kids love the topics and activities!”

The afternoon offers a challenge activity to interested teams. The activity challenged teams to program a robot that would “put out a fire”. The teams’ mission was to use the robot to cover the fire (flashlight) with a fire box. The team with the fastest score won. Programming the robots along with a lot of patience, critical thinking and problem solving was required.

Winners at this year’s Expo were as follows:

• Rookie All-Star Award: Lego Rookies of Princeton Elementary
• Creativity Award: 2 Artists of Charlotte Elementary and Mean Green Geckos of Edmunds School
• Best Robot Design: Mean Green Geckos from Edmunds School
• Best Non-Robotic Design: 9797 Newbies of Edmunds School
• Best Overall Presentation: Mean Green Geckos and Purple Pins from Edmunds School
• Community Service Award: Charlotte Elementary School
• Crowd Pleaser’s Award: Bay Ridge One from Bay Ridge Elementary School
• Challenge Event: Indian Township of Indian Township School

Special thanks to our volunteer judges from the community: Jane Bell, Tom Bickford, Danielle Bragg, Katherine Cassidy, Gretchen Cherry, George Crawford, Betsy Fitzgerald, Ben Goff, Mike Henry, Malcolm Holmes, Michelle Jaques, Catherine Kropp, Emily Lobley, Joan Miller, Reece Miller, Andrew Muholland, and Candy O’Brien.

Members of the Bay Ridge One Team, who won the Crowd Pleaser’s Award, demonstrate how their robot works. They designed their robot to bring a snack at the sound of a clap.

Members of the Mean Green Geckos and the Purple Pins of Edmunds School display the trophy won for Best Overall Presentation at the 4-H Robotics Expo.

Arthur Carter of Charlotte will receive the Norman W. Duzen Community Service Award. Arthur has made many contributions to the city of Calais and many surrounding communities including his volunteer efforts at the Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry, Down East Hospice Volunteers, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue, the Pembroke and Charlotte Historical Societies as well as many other organizations and projects.

The University of Maine Pen Awards will be presented to Shirley Moores of Lubec for her contributions to the Senior Companion Program and to Marilyn Ness of Lubec for her commitment and contributions to the Washington County Senior Companion Program, 4-H Program and as a former President and board member of the Washington County Extension Association.

The evening program will feature business owners who have participated in the Recipe to Market Program of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Local specialty food business owners will participate in a panel discussion.

There will be a potluck supper. Please bring a dish to share. The supper will begin at 5:00 p.m. and the Awards Ceremony will begin at 6:00 p.m. For questions about the evening, please contact the Extension office- 255-3345 or 1-800-287-1542.