4-H

    4-H Connections
    Summer 2006
   

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely, 
Janice Zerbe, 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator
rajzerj@msu.edu

Liz DeBoer, AmeriCorps with Explore, Experience, Achieve Through 4-H Mentoring, will be leaving us this month. We are looking for a new AmeriCorps at this time.

Duties include: Recruit and train new mentors, complete the Volunteer Selection Process on all new mentors, provide support to mentors matches, coordinate events for mentors and mentees to attend, monitor established school-based mentoring programs, promote mentoring in Van Buren County, work with the Van Buren Mentoring Roundtable, willing to work flexible hours, possibly nights and weekends.

Necessary skills: Flexibility and patience with teenagers, experience with effective communications with a diverse group of youth and adults, knowledge of community resources and involvement with community groups/businesses, commitment to being a positive role model, ability to work as part of a group or individually, project coordination, possess good writing, computer and communication skills, and a valid drivers license/insurance.

Citizenship Washington Focus

Applications are now available for the Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) trip for 2007. This trip is tentatively scheduled for June 23-30, 2007.

The cost of the trip is $950. Applications are available at the Extension office. All applications are due September 18th with a $100 deposit. All applicants will be required to go through an interview.

The Van Buren County 4-H Leaders’ Association does provide $500 scholarships to qualified youth.

Please call the office if you have any questions.

4-H State Award Workshop

It is never too early to start working on your State Award portfolio. There will be a training offered on Saturday, November 11th at the Extension Office from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Come learn what it takes to put a State Award portfolio together or just get help on improving your current award portfolio.

Please RSVP by November 9th to the Extension office.

The Michigan 4-H State Awards Celebration is held during Exploration Days on the campus of Michigan State University. This year, Van Buren County had nine youth that participated in this program - seven were up for State Awards and two received recognition for Mark of Excellence.

The following youth received Regional recognition: Stephanie Chopp, Almena Happy Helpers, in Sheep; Katy Massey, Young Explorers, in Achievement and Casey Tripp, Geneva Wrens, in Achievement.

The following youth received State Honorable Mention: Mary Shafer, Porter Busy Fingers, in Rabbits and Cavies and Tammy Smith, Young Explorers, in Foods.

Van Buren County had two State Award winners: Paul Callens, Young Explorers in Performing Arts and Nic Massey, Young Explorers, in Companion Animals.

Taylor Hollis, South Haven Jay Dees and Ellie Seelye, Almena Happy Helpers, received recognition for their essays that they wrote for the Mark of Excellence.

Please help me congratulate all of these youth. They all put a great deal of time and effort into their award portfolios and essays.

For more information on Exploration Days, please contact Janice at the Extension office.

This year, the Van Buren County 4-H Leaders’ Association has decided to sell candles as the countywide fundraiser. These are the same candles that some of you may remember seeing at the fair.

We will begin taking orders October 1^st. Please check with your key leader to receive your order form. The money needs to be collected at the time the order is taken. Each club will set a date to have the orders turned back in. This date will be before November 20^th. All candles will be in before the holiday season.

All clubs are required to participate in this fundraiser if the youth in the club are to be eligible for any Leaders’ Association scholarships.

New Leader Orientation

All new leaders are required to attend one new leader orientation. All current leaders have the option to attend an orientation session. Leader orientation is now part of the process that all new leaders go through.

There are sessions scheduled for Tuesday, October 17th at 6:30 p.m. at the Extension Office and on Thursday, December 7th at 6:30 p.m. at the Extension Office.

Please RSVP to the Extension Office for the date that you plan on attending. There may be one more session offered in the spring, but don’t wait for the last minute!

Club Officer and Parliamentary Procedure Workshop

After a huge success last year, there will be a workshop for training on being a club officer and on parliamentary procedure on November 16th, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center in Lawrence.

All youth that are returning officers, new officers or any youth that wants to learn more about parliamentary procedure and being an officer are encouraged to attend this workshop.

Please RVSP to the Extension office by November 13th.

Leader/Youth Award Banquet

This year, the Leader Banquet and the Youth Awards will be held together.

Please mark the date on your calendar. November 8th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Conference Center in Lawrence.

There will be a $10 charge for anyone attending, which must be pre-paid. Only award receipts will receive $5 back at the door if they have pre-paid.

Watch for more information to come in the mail.

Extension Office Cuts

As many of you may already know, MSU Extension in Van Buren County will be faced with some changes due to budget cuts.

Jill Casanto, 4-H secretary, and Jerri Pursley, Agriculture and Horticulture secretary will be losing their positions with MSU Extension. They both will still have jobs at another Van Buren county office. This will leave us with a receptionist and a part-time secretary.

Also with these cuts, we lost two Educators, Mark Thomas, Economic Development, and Kelly Getman-Dissette, Community Development.

What does this mean for 4-H? 4-H will still go on as normal. It may take longer to get a phone call returned or get a response to an email. Please bare with me on this. There will be some minor changes and I will let you know as those occur throughout the year.

Please contact me if you have any questions. 

Enrollments

Enrollments for the 2006-2007 4-H year begin September 1^st.

Please check with the key leader of your club to see when they will be conducting sign-ups.

This will be the last newsletter that you receive if you do not re-enroll.

Award Application Deadline Extended

We have extended the deadline for county medals. This also includes Key Club, Outstanding 4-H Member and the College Scholarship.

Applications are due September 18th. Those that met the original deadline will receive extra points.

Fair Info...

2007 Fair Date

July 16-21, 2007

Livestock Tags

Due to budget cuts, livestock animal tags will no longer be available at the Extension office. For now, livestock tags will be available at the JLPA meetings beginning in October. Tags will be sold 30 minutes prior to the start of the meetings at 7:00 p.m.

New Fair Web Site: www.vanburenyouthfair.com

September
4 - MSU Extension Office closed - Labor Day
6 - Horse Council meeting 7:00 p.m. at the fairgrounds
11 - Fair Board meeting 7:00 p.m. at the fairgrounds
14 - SMAC meeting 7:30 p.m. at the fairgrounds
18 - Leaders’ Association meeting 7:00 p.m. at the fairgrounds
25 - JLPA meeting 7:00 p.m. at the fairgrounds

October
1 - Countywide candle sale begins
1-7 - National 4-H Week
2 - Fair Board meeting 7:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center
4 - Horse Council meeting 7:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center
7-8 - Visual Arts & Crafts Workshop at Kettunen Center
14-15 - 4-H Clothing and Textile Workshop at Kettunen Center
16 - Leaders’ Association meeting 7:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center
17 - Leader Orientation 6:30 p.m. at the Extension office
20-22 - 4-H Goat Volunteer Leader Workshop at Kettunen Center
23 - JLPA meeting 7:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center

November
1 - Horse Council meeting 7:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center
6 - Fair Board meeting 7:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center
8 - Leader and Youth Awards Banquet at the Van Buren Conference Center
11 - 4-H State Awards Workshop 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Extension Office
16 - Club Office & Parliamentary Procedure Workshop 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center
20 - Leaders’ Association meeting 7:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center
23-24 - MSU Extension Office closed - Thanksgiving
27 - JLPA meeting 7:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center

December
4 - Fair Board meeting 7:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center
6 - Horse Council meeting 7:00 p.m. at the Van Buren Conference Center
7 - Leader Orientation 6:30 p.m. at the Extension Office
25-26 - MSU Extension Office closed - Christmas   

Thank You

We would like to thank the 4-H community for their support throughout the budget process these past months. The letters, phone calls and public support showed county policy makers that our 4-H program makes an impact on citizens’ lives. This support has also validated the work of individual educators and staff members and helped them endure a very difficult time. Though the outcome is not ideal and impacts of recent cuts will be significant to the people who have relied on us to be there when they needed us, the partnership for our core program areas of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family Consumer Sciences and 4-H Youth Development will continue.

County Extension Director

  Cloverbud Day at Carpenter's Corn Maze

5-8 year olds with a parent or guardian!

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Meet at Carpenter's - 12:00 p.m. - 64015 M-43, Bangor, MI

$4.00 per youth - $6.00 per adult

RSVP with payment to MSU Extension by September 20th.   801 Hazen St., Ste. A, Paw Paw, MI 49079

Corn Maze, Rope Maze, Hay Ride, Cider Making, Snack Bar

Last modified:  August 2006