Aroostook County 4-H Newsletter: February 2018

Dates to Remember

February 10: Public Speaking Clinic, 10:00 a.m. at the UMaine Extension Houlton office; 2:00 p.m. at the UMaine Extension Presque Isle office
February 15: Leaders
February 18: Everyone Cares Community Dinner
March 10: Public Speaking County Tournament
March 18: Everyone Cares Community Dinner
March 24-25: Northern Maine Agri-business Trade Fair
April 1: Livestock Approval Forms due for Horse
April 2: 4-H enrollment forms due for new members
April 11-22: Tractor Supply Clover Event
April 22: Everyone Cares Community Dinner
June 1: Livestock Approval Forms due
July 27- August 5: Northern Maine Agricultural Fair

State Events

February 24: Engineering Expo
March 15: Maine Science Festival in Bangor
April 7: State Public Speaking Event
May 19-20: 4-H @ UMaine in Orono

Happy Birthday to all 4-Hers born in February!

Frankie P
Manuel S
Michael L
Michaela G
Paige B

Club News

4-H Market Hogs

4-H Market Hogs are a multi purpose club this year and had a couple meetings in January. Our first meeting we had a marshmallow science meeting. We did marshmallow catapults and marshmallow geometric shapes. The group had a fun time. For snack we had ants on a log and microwave smores.

Our second meeting we had a craft and cooking meeting. We made homemade Valentine’s Day cards for the community who will be attending the February Everyone Cares Community dinner. We then learned how to fry and boil hotdogs and make macaroni and cheese. The older kids learned knife skills and peeled and cut up cucumbers and apples. The younger members helped to set the table and pass out drinks. We had a nice family style meal together.

In February our club is attending the Public Speaking workshop, Engineering expo, and hosting the Everyone Cares dinner. We have two members (Bethany and Shannel) going to Augusta to be Pages for the day.

4-H members making cards — Some of our newest members making cards.

Paca Pals

Paca Pals continues to meet the first two Saturdays of each month. We made cards for Madigan Nursing Home during one of the meetings. We also had a wonderful morning at the Cooperative Extension Office doing STEM activities with Mari Glatter. This was during one extremely cold Saturday morning (our house was about 50 degrees!) and we are very appreciative of Mari opening the Office and hosting our club. The kids really had an enjoyable time!

Our club doing the STEM activities. Thank you Mari!

Public Speaking Activities

Public Speaking Clinic

Saturday, February 10 at 10:00 a.m. there will be a Public Speaking Clinic in Houlton, at the Cooperative Extension office. Saturday, February 10 at 2:00 p.m. there will be a Public Speaking Clinic in Presque Isle at the Cooperative Extension office. These clinics will have demonstrations and new fun ideas for public speaking. Please sign up with Leisa by Wednesday, February 7.

Public Speaking County Tournament

Saturday, March 10 is the Public Speaking County Tournament. The location and time will be determined by who signs up. If you would like to attend the State tournament you must attend and pass at the County level.

State Public Speaking Event

Saturday, April 7 in Orono is the State Public Speaking Event. Last year there were over 45 4-Hers who presented at the state level, 12 of whom went on to Eastern States at the Big E. We had two 4-Hers, Alex and Jackie, from Aroostook County who participated last year. Both received a blue ribbon and Alex went to Eastern States at the Big E. The state event is a long day with check-in at 10:00 a.m. and presentations of awards at 4:00 p.m. Box lunches will be provided again this year. Please bring snacks and a water bottle.

Everyone Cares Community Dinner

The next Everyone Cares Community dinner will be Sunday, February 18, from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Houlton Rec. Center. The 4-H Market Hog club will be hosting this event. The menu this month is chop suey, rolls, salad, vegetables and pies. If you would like to donate non-perishable items or your time to another community dinner event please contact Kate at katemurphynewman@gmail.com.

Upcoming dates for the community dinner:

Sunday, March 18
Sunday, April 22

Engineering Expo

The Engineering Expo will be held on Saturday, February 24, 2018. This is a wonderful event packed full of science activities. 4-H is taking a group down again this year. We have reserved two vans — one 7-passenger and one 12-passenger — for this trip. We do have an 8-person van also available if needed.

Participants are asked to bring a bag lunch, snacks and spending money. The cost to attend is $2 per person; 4-H will pay for all leaders and members who travel with us. If you plan to attend on your own and want 4-H to pay your way in, you will need to first let us know you are coming and plan to come through the doors with the group.

Schedule

Presque Isle: Meet at Marden’s parking lot and leave at 6:00 a.m.
Monticello: Meet at Country store and leave at 7:00 a.m.
Houlton: Meet at Marden’s parking lot and leave at 7:30 a.m.
Island Falls: Meet at Island Fall’s town office and leave at 8:00 a.m.
*Medway rest area: Stop for a 10-minute stretch break.
Orono: Arrive at around 9:30 a.m.

Orono: Leave at around 3:15 p.m.
Island Falls: Drop off around 4:45 p.m.
Houlton: Drop off around 5:30 p.m.
*Stop for a 10-minute stretch break at either Marden’s or Big Stop.
Monticello: Drop off around 6:15 p.m.
Presque Isle: Drop off around 7:00 p.m.

I currently have 15 people signed up. 4-H Members: Perry H., Faith G., Dani G., Michael L., Shannel B., Bethany D., and Manny W. Public: Dakota W., Isaiah W., and Hershel W. 4-H Leaders: LouAnne L., Donald D., Elizabeth D., Adam P., and Leisa P.

I know it is tournament week and I wish you all well. All teams should know by Thursday if they will be doing playoffs on Saturday. If you want to attend the Engineering Expo, please sign up by Thursday, February 22. Leisa will need your name and number to reach you the morning of the event.

Northern Maine Agri-business Trade Fair- March 24 & 25, 2018

We are looking for clubs to help with the 4-H booth at the trade fair. Please call 561.8108 if you would like to help or you can email Leisa. We will need a list of all members who will be attending the event. I can send member and leader cards to the leaders so you will not have any problem getting into the event. Only members and leaders will be allowed to enter without paying. Family members will be required to pay. Thank you to those clubs who have already signed up.

Saturday, March 24, 2018

9:00 – 11:15: _____________________
11:15 – 1:30: AV 4-H Baby Beef Club
1:30 – 3:45: AV 4-H Baby Beef Club
3:45 – 6:00: Paca Pals 4-H Club

Sunday, March 25, 2018

9:00 – 11:00: _____________________
11:00 – 1:00: _____________________
1:00 – 3:00: 4-H Market Hog Club

TSC Paper Clover Event

This runs from April 11- 22. Please call your local Tractor Supply Company to sign up for a time slot. Fundraising is allowed at this event. You must contact the 4-H office to inform us if you are planning to fundraise so we may give you the proper equipment. Please also let the 4-H office know if you plan to participate. Presque Isle will be doing their 4-H Fun Day on Saturday, April 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Houlton will tentatively be doing their 4-H Fun Day on Saturday, April 21. If you would like to come out and help run games, sell cookbooks, or hold a club fundraiser, please let Leisa know. The 4-H Market Hog Club will be doing a hot dog BBQ fundraiser in Presque Isle and Mane Eventers will being doing pony rides. A bake sale would be wonderful as well if anyone is interested. Animals are always welcome. Please let Leisa know if you would like to participate in Presque Isle and let Mari know if you plan to attend in Houlton.

Maple Meadows Festival/Fair

We are sad to announce that Maple Meadows will not be doing their Festival/Fair this coming year. They have leased out their land and there is not enough room to hold the event. Leisa would, however, love to do a float for the Mapleton Days Parade on Saturday, June 23 if anyone is interested in participating. Please let her know.

Houlton Fair

The Houlton Fair is still no longer a 4-H fair. It will be open to all youth. You do not need to sign up for the Houlton fair with the UMaine Extension office. Please contact the Houlton Fair Association for details.

4-H Horse Clinic and Show

The Mane Eventers 4-H club will be hosting a 4-H (possibly open) horse show at the Northern Maine Fair Grounds the weekend of June 30 – July 1. Horses will be brought in Friday, June 30, the 4-H Horse Clinic will be Saturday, June 31, and the show will be Sunday, July 1. There will be more details in March’s newsletter.

Northern Maine Agricultural Fair July 27 -August 5

Now is a great time to plan for your 4-H Exhibit Hall and animal projects. The fair is in 16 weeks. Soon the snow will be leaving us and it will be time to really start working and training hard with your animal projects. We are hoping of having two new show classes this year, working steer and highlanders. Those in these projects need to start working with your animals so you are ready for the fair. We will know for sure by the end of February.

Project Records

Project Records are new this year. There will be hard copies available in both offices and at some point online. All 4-H members will start with the beginner project records so everyone starts at the same point. You will be expected to keep track of your club meetings and how much time you spend at each meeting and 4-H event. The guideline sheet is also available in both offices. If you would like Mari or me to come to your club and go over the new forms please let us know. Please remember that project records are required to show livestock at the Northern Maine Fair.

International 4-H Team

I am looking for teens that would like to be part of an International 4-H Team. The team would host fun 4-H events and trainings for the New Brunswick group and the Aroostook county 4-Hers and take fieldtrips to Grand Falls to join the 4-H groups in Canada. Please let Leisa know if this is something you would be interested in.

Upcoming Leader Trainings and Meetings

February’s Leaders Meeting

Thursday, February 15 at 6:00 p.m. there will be a Zoom Leaders Meeting. The link will be sent out the day before so everyone can try to link up. This month the agenda is: fair theme; food booth ideas; 4-H steak dinner; and cookbook sales. If you have something you would like to add to the agenda, please let Joe Boyce know at joseph.boyce1977@gmail.com or Leisa at leisa.plissey@maine.edu.

VOLT Training

Leisa is waiting for paperwork back from interested adults. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for 4-H please contact Leisa or Mari and they can give you the information you need. Leisa would like to hold a V.O.L.T. training before April.

State 4-H News

Save the Date for 2018 Maine 4-H Days

Maine 4-H Days will take place July 20 – 22 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. If you are interested in helping to plan next year’s event, please contact Jessy Brainerd at jessica.brainerd@maine.edu or 207.581.3877.

Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee

July will be here before you know it, and we are looking for a few good volunteers to join the fantastic current Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee. Joining this committee gives you the chance to help come up with ideas and plans for one of our biggest statewide events! If you are interested in joining the Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee, or have general questions/comments/recommendations about the event, please email jessica.brainerd@maine.edu, or call 207.581.3877.

Come to Orono for the 2018 4H@UMaine May 18-19!

Planning has started and the wheels are in motion thanks to the efforts of a tremendous team! We are looking forward to another great event this year, and there are some exciting changes in the works! Stay tuned for details. For more information about 4-H@UMaine, contact Greg Kranich at gregory.kranich@maine.edu or 207.581.3292.

State 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl

Sunday, February 18, 2018 (snow date of Saturday, February 24), at 1:00 p.m., University of Maine at Augusta Room 218, Randall Student Technology Center. Open to all currently enrolled 4-H Dairy project members ages 9 – 18. For those 4-H Dairy members who may be planning to attend the Eastern States Exposition in September, please keep the following information in mind. You must participate in at least one of the following three events: State 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl, State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest, or Fitting Contest at the 2018 Maine 4-H Dairy Show. You must also complete and submit an ESE Intent to Participate Form, which will be due on February 1. These can be found on the State 4-H website, or check with your county office. Your completed 4-H Animal Approval and Lease Form (if applicable) will be due in your county office by May 1. Participation in a showmanship class and your animal’s breed/age class at the State 4-H Dairy Show will also be required. If you have questions, please contact 4-H Dairy ASC Coordinator Stephanie Smith at 207.860.0979 or by email at a_mfarm@yahoo.com, or staff liaison Tara Marble at the UMaine Extension Franklin County office at 800.287.1478 (in Maine) or by email at tara.marble@maine.edu, or staff liaison, Alisha Targonski at the UMaine Extension Kennebec County office at 800.287.1481 or by email at alisha.r.targonski@maine.edu.

Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)

Start making plans now to visit our Nation’s Capitol during the week of June 30 to July 7, 2018. CWF is a leadership program conducted by the National 4-H Council for high school youth ages 14 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 down on June 30 and travel home July 7, 2018. You will stay at the National 4-H Conference Center just outside Washington, DC. Visiting the most popular sites in Washington, DC 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 delegates on April 28th, 2018. For more information visit Citizenship Washington Focus. Contact your county 4-H office for details about how to be a part of this experience if you don’t hear from them very shortly. All county offices have different criteria/dates to apply, so please contact them ASAP.

National 4-H Trip Applications Are Due March 9, 2018 (Conference and Congress)

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 National 4-H Trips. Any Maine 4-H Youth, ages 14 to 18, is eligible to apply. Applicants must be current Maine 4-H members both at the time of application and the time of the actual trip. Application packets must be sent to your county office and postmarked by March 9, 2018. Interview dates are April 21 or 22, 2018. If you have any questions, please contact Heidi Palmer at 207.310.4235 or heidi.thuotte@maine.edu. 2018 National 4-H Congress is November 23-27, 2018 in Atlanta, GA, with an orientation for the trip on October 27, 2018. 2019 National 4-H Conference is April 6 – 11 in Washington, DC., with an orientation for that on Feb 9, 2019. Leaders and office staff, if you have senior members in your clubs, please encourage them to participate. They are amazing trips!

February Clover Campaign Supports Maine 4-H Youth

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H will partner with Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Feb. 1-28 as part of a nationwide in-store fundraiser benefitting state and local 4H programming in communities and counties where a store is located.

This is the first year the 4-H Paper Clover Campaign will be available at Jo-Ann stores. Shoppers will have the opportunity to support 4-H by choosing to purchase paper clovers for $1 and $4 at checkout. All funds raised will be donated to 4-H to support 4-H youth development activities.

Each Paper Clover will include instructions for a special Valentine’s Day craft idea that customers can create to share with someone special. With the $4 Paper Clover, customers will also receive a coupon for $4 off their next purchase.

To learn more about the national partnership, visit www.4-h.org/JOANN. More information about Maine 4-H is available online (Maine 4-H).

4-H Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) Wildlife Education Training Event April 19-20. Please hold the date!

Maine will host the National Wildlife Habitat Education Program this July at the Schoodic Institute at Acadia. In preparation, Maine 4-H will have a training event to prepare and select a team to compete in the national event. On April 19 and 20 the Maine 4-H program will host an overnight educational training program and team selection. Plans include an ongoing WHEP event and participation in the national program each year. More information will follow. Cost will be $25 per member all meals and materials included. The training will be held at the University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Bryant Pond. Training is open to all youth ages 8-19. Studying a science-based manual, participants:

Learn wildlife terms and concepts
Learn about wildlife habitat
Learn how to judge the quality of wildlife habitat
Learn about wildlife habitat management practices
Learn about wildlife damage management

To learn more, go to Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) or mainewhep on Facebook or contact Sally Farrell, sarah.s.farrell@maine.edu or 207.324.2814.

Maine 4-H Project Records, Reflection Tools and Digital Badges!

Maine 4-H is excited to roll out new 4-H project records, reflection tools and opportunities for digital badges.

A team has been working to design the new records aligned with research and connections to Maine’s commitment to proficiency based education in mind. We know that these won’t be perfect and are anxious to have YOU help us try them out and be part of the process. The new records are now posted online and can be found on the state 4-H website. Direct links are available here.

Project Record – Advanced (Word | PDF)
Project Record – Beginner (Word | PDF)
Project Record – Cloverbud (Word | PDF)
Project Record – Intermediate (Word | PDF)
Portfolio (Word | PDF)

We are also planning a few ways for you to be part of the team to ask questions and give feedback.

Join our Google classroom community. This will be a place where volunteers and youth members are able to share real time feedback about these tools. To join:
- Sign in to Classroom at classroom.google.com.
- On the homepage, click Add Join class.
- Enter the code d9jmty and click Join.
Participate in our live feedback sessions.Please save the date for feedback sessions. These will be conducted using Zoom. Register for these sessions with KymNoelle Hopson at 207.353.5550 or kymnoelle.hopson@maine.edu.
3/24/18 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
9/11/18 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

We are looking forward to having YOU as part of our team. If you have any questions please contact Kristy Ouellette, kristy.ouellette@maine.edu or 207.353.5550, extension 12.

Show + Tell = Public Speaking (Do It!)

What is your Spark? What do you like to do? Others want to know! Show or Tell it this year by Public Speaking!

Plan a short talk about something you like to do, or about something you find interesting. Ask a friend to take a video of it or practice in front of a mirror to get more comfortable. Make a poster with steps to show how to do something 1-2-3. Or tell about something interesting with a poster or PowerPoint to show or illustrate it.
Show or Tell your club or after school program or family this Demonstration or Illustrated Talk. It is fun and good practice!
Sign up and perform it at your County Public Speaking Tournament or in front of your CEA or County Educator if your county does not have a Tournament (before March 17).
If you are older than a Cloverbud AND get a score of 78 or higher, ask you County Staff person to help you sign up to come to UMaine Orono for the April 7, 2018 Maine 4-H State Public Speaking Tournament (before March 31).
If you place among the top scorers at State, are 12+, have participated at County level for 2 years and State level for 1 year, made sure you re-enrolled by Jan 1st or are a new enrolled member – 10 members can participate as the Maine 4-H State Communication Science Team at Eastern States Exposition in Massachusetts in September!
Learn more; watch videos; see how the judges score, get inspired to Show and Tell (Do a Demonstration or Illustrated Talk); and browse all four pages at Maine 4-H Public Speaking.
Why? Did you know that the average person spends up to 50% of their waking time either speaking or listening? 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 that they learned.
2018 is your year to participate!