October 2023 4-H Newsletter
4-H Calendar
4-H Club Happenings
State 4-H News
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
October 4-15: Tractor Supply Company’s Fall Paper Clover Event
October 19: CC 4-H Leaders & Volunteers Meeting, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Online & 80 Huston Road, Gorham, ME
October 23: 4-H Information Night, Windham Town Hall, 6:30-7:30pm
October 24: Teen Council, 6:00pm, 4-H Office, 75 Clearwater Drive, Falmouth, ME
October 25: Wacky Wednesday #1, 3:00-4:00 p.m., Pumpkins
October 25: 4-H Project Records 2022-23 due to the Extension office by 4:00pm
October 30: Maker Monday #1, 4:00-5:00 p.m., Pumpkins
Tractor Supply Paper Clover Fall Campaign, October 4-15, 2023
Invite friends and family to support 4-H by donating $1 at check out when they are done shopping at their local Tractor Supply. 100% of each dollar goes to 4-H. 90% of all funds collected support local and state 4-H programs right where you live.
CC 4-H Leaders Association Meeting – October 19, 7:00PM
Join us on Thursday, October 19 at 7:00p.m. in-person at the Gorham Public Works Building (80 Huston Road, Gorham) These meetings are a chance to meet other volunteers, and to offer input on 4-H programming in Cumberland County! All volunteers are welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like the Zoom link please email Allison, allison.pollock@maine.edu
4-H Information Night – October 23, 6:30PM at Windham Town Hall
Join Mitch Mason, 4-H Extension Educator and Allison Pollock, 4-H Community Education Assistant, and a few 4-H volunteers to learn all about what 4-H can offer youth and volunteers alike. We will discuss what 4-H is, clubs currently offered in Cumberland County, how to start your own club, educational toolkits and resources available, how to become a volunteer or member, and more! We will also have plenty of time for questions.
For more information, to RSVP, or to request a disability accommodation, email Allison at allison.pollock@maine.edu or call 207.781.6099 or 800.287.1471 (in Maine only).
Teen Council – October 24, 6:00PM at the 4-H Office in Falmouth
We are looking for members between the ages of 12-18 who are interested in gaining more leadership and event planning skills. This year the Teen Council will include six meetings/events October-May and the opportunity to plan several county events.
This will be an initial interest meeting to discuss projects, opportunities, and more. Come learn more about Teen Council! Pizza will be provided.
If you are interested in attending, please let Allison (allison.pollock@maine.edu) know so she can plan accordingly for pizza.
Maker Monday & Wacky Wednesday
One Monday or Wednesday afternoon each month October – December, we will offer a themed hands-on activity for youth ages 5-11 that may include crafts or science. 5-8 year-olds must have an adult present for assistance and some projects encourage adult assistance for all ages. Current 4-H enrollment is not necessary for participation in the Maker Series program. You can choose to join us for one project or all three. Registration ends one week prior to each class or when full (maximum of 10). The same theme will be provided at both locations for each month.
OCTOBER- PUMPKINS, NOVEMBER- SNOW, DECEMBER- HOLIDAY DECORATIONS
CLOVERBUDS
- Dates: Mondays, October 30, November 27, December 18
- Time: 4:00-5:00 PM
- Ages: 5-8 year olds
- Location: UMaine Extension Cumberland Office, 75 Clearwater Dr, Falmouth
- Cost: FREE
- Registration: Click Here to Register
WINDHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY
- Dates: Wednesdays, October 25, November 29, December 20
- Time: 3:00-4:00 PM
- Ages: 9-11 year olds
- Location: Windham Public Library, 217 Windham Center Rd, Windham
- Cost: Free
- Registration: Click Here to Register
Have questions? Contact Allison by email allison.pollock@maine.edu or phone 207.781.6099.
Awards Packets and Start-Up Packets
Awards Packets for the 2022-2023 4-H year were mailed in August to all Primary Club leaders. If you have not received your packet, or have questions, please contact Allison. For more information about how to complete your project records, please visit extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteers/project-records/. Awards Packets are due to the UMaine Extension Cumberland Office by 4:00 pm, Wednesday, October 25, 2023.
Start-Up packets for the new 4-H year where available at Cumberland Fair to all Primary Club Leaders. If you did not receive yours, please contact Allison.
Paul Merrill Memorial Fund
The Paul E. Merrill 4-H Memorial Fund was established as a memorial to Paul E. Merrill who died in April 1982. Mr. Merrill firmly believed in the merits of the 4-H program and in the character-building qualities of learning to care for and raise livestock. This fund is a splendid way to carry on the beliefs of Mr. Merrill and in doing so, encourage youth to grow in character and ability as Mr. Merrill had done. It is designed to provide financial aid for projects from the interest of the account to 4-H livestock clubs or 4-H members with livestock projects. The application deadline is November 1, 2023.
For more information and an application, please visit the Paul Merrill Memorial Fund page.
IRS 990 N E-Postcard Filing Reminder: Due November 15, 2023
All 4-H Clubs must have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service. If you have already applied for and received an EIN and had this number for the tax year July 2022 – June 2023 you must file a 990N E-Postcard. Detailed instructions are available online from the IRS and have been updated on the Additional Volunteer Policies B.1. page (under the heading, B.1.9 Tax-Exempt Status of 4-H Organizations) of the state 4-H website. If you need assistance with filing or would like the County 4-H Office to file for you, please email or call Allison, allison.pollock@maine.edu, 207-781-6099.
LENE FALL PHENOLOGY PHOTO CONTEST
We are looking for original images that capture essential fall features in your environment.
SUBMISSION CRITERIA:
- One main piece of media – it must be a photo you have taken in panorama or 360 mode, that displays fall phenology: cyclic changes tied to a certain natural phenomenon.
- Text descriptions or information of 3+ things featured in the main piece of media.
- Additional elaboration with 3 – 5 original media (e.g., zoomed-in photos, videos, audio that you have taken) that provides more detail about the fall phenomenon.
JUDGING:
- Submissions will be judged by a panel of researchers and educators.
- Special consideration will be given to images, supporting media, and text descriptions that include climate science-related elements.
Questions? Contact Rachel Wolf (rcwolf@stanford.edu) or Doris Chin (dbchin@stanford.edu) For more information visit the website.
EDUCATORS MUST SUBMIT FOR YOUTH ON THEIR BEHALF.
Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place submissions in each division!
1st place — $100 Amazon Gift Card
2nd place — $50 Amazon Gift Card
3rd place — $10 Amazon Gift Card
Media must be submitted by November 28th, 7pm ET.
Winners will be announced December 8th.
If interested, you may submit your photos to Sarah, sarah.sparks@maine.edu
Club Happenings
Your 4-H Club Happenings could be featured here! Just email allison.pollock@maine.edu by the 28th of each month with information about your club meetings, events, or fundraisers. Pictures are always a plus!
State 4-H News October 2023
Fall 2023 Maine 4-H Agricultural Ambassadors Program
Who: This program is for all Maine youth ages 14 – 18.
What: This hybrid program will provide youth with an opportunity to connect to local agriculture, build relationships with industry professionals, develop professional and advocacy skills, and explore careers in agriculture. The 2023 fall cohort will explore careers and local agriculture through in-person field trips (limited transportation available), and by attending virtual meetings to grow their professional skill set (e.g. resume writing and interviewing skills). Additionally, youth will complete a personal reflective project exploring the role of agriculture and their future. This program includes mentoring in post-secondary opportunities as well as exploring current issues around food systems, livestock, crop sciences, aquaculture, climate issues impacting food systems, food equity, and more.
Why: The goal of the Maine 4-H Ag Ambassador Program is to provide experiences for youth to explore their interest in agriculture. The program focuses on.
– connecting youth with their local food systems and industries
– exploring the richness and diversity of the Maine food system
– developing “ag-vocacy” skills
– increasing access to career and post-secondary opportunities in agri-science and food systems.
Where: Virtually and in-person throughout Maine.
When: Virtual Meeting Dates: October 18 & 25, November 1 & 15
– In-Person Meeting Dates: October 21, November 10, and December 2.
How: Interested in Joining? Register Online by October 11th.
4-H Weaving SPIN Club
Calling all creative youth ages 9 & up! You are likely familiar with crochet or knitting – but have you ever thought about weaving? In this SPIN club, we will cover the basics – from understanding the mechanics of simple knitting – to investigating different types of fiber to know why you might choose to use wool rather than cotton. This will be a VERY hands-on club – we will provide all the necessary tools and materials to everyone attending – and club members will have the opportunity to work on a traditional tapestry loom and experiment with circular weaving!
Meetings will take place over Zoom October 24, and 26; November 2, 14 & 16; 4:00 – 5:00 pm. Find out more and register online. This club is open to the first 10 participants who register by October 16th.
4-H Tick Project
The 4-H Tick Project is a community science project engaging K-12 youth and educators, made possible through a partnership between 4-H Youth Development, UMaine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, Maine Forest Tick Survey, and members of the Learning Ecosystems Northeast partnership. The project provides youth an opportunity to explore ticks and tick-borne diseases, which is a connected story of climate, ecosystem change, and public health.
All educators interested in teaching about ticks in Maine are encouraged to participate in the project at no cost to you. This is a great project for 4-H clubs, SPIN clubs, homeschool groups, and more. For more information and to register, visit the 4-H Tick Project webpage.
It’s Time to Enroll for the New 4-H Year!
If you manage your family’s account via ZSuite, reenrollment is just a few clicks away:
Login at 4h.zsuite.org
- Click on the PRIMARY profile and enter your 4-character PIN.
- Click on the name of the youth member you wish to enroll.
- Click on ENROLL MEMBER NOW.
- Review/update the requested member information. When you are done with that, click NEXT
- Here you will read and electronically sign the 4-H participation waiver(s), click NEXT
- Here is where you will select your club or clubs and desired projects. There may be clubs and projects listed that carried over from your enrollment during the last program year.
- To add clubs, select your county. This defaults to the county submitted when you created your account. You may need to select another county to find your desired club.
- Select your Club from the drop-down menu. Select ADD CLUB.
- To add projects for any of the clubs, select ADD PROJECT for the desired clubs. Select the desired project from the drop-down menu. Select ADD PROJECT and selection will be added to the club. Feel free to add additional clubs or projects. If you make a mistake or wish to remove a project, select the X and confirm you wish to delete the project.
- When done making your selections, click Submit.
Enrollment records need to be active/green status before engaging in 4-H activities and to register for events.
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
UMaine Extension Cumberland County offers many different workshops throughout the year. To learn more about our workshop offerings please visit https://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/upcoming-events/