November 2018 4-H Newsletter

November 13, 2018 4-H News

4-H Happenings

A monthly newsletter for Hancock County 4-H Members

Download the PDF

Upcoming Dates to Remember

November 12: Veteran’s Day Observed – Extension Office Closed
November 17, 10–1:00pm: Leaders’ Banquet – Halcyon Grange – Blue Hill
November 22-23: Thanksgiving – Extension Office Closed
November 26: Re-enrollment Forms are Due in the Extension Office
December 1, 9:30am: Ellsworth Christmas Parade – See 4-H News
December 25: Christmas – Extension Office Closed
December 31: State Deadline for Re-enrollment Forms – No Exceptions
January 1: New Year’s Day – Extension Office Closed
January 8, 6:30pm: Leaders’ Meeting – Extension Office

County News

Cloverfest
We had such a great night at Cloverfest celebrating the achievements of all Hancock County 4-Her’s! Special thanks to David Sturm from the UMaine Physics Roadshow for all the fun demonstrating the physics around us every day. Some of the highlights include: learning about air pressure through toilet paper, experiencing the power of momentum by spinning around and around, encountering the amazing properties of dry ice, playing catch with a leaf blower, and examining the fascinating things electricity can do – like pop a balloon!
Congratulations to all the youth who achieved amazing things in 4-H events and programs throughout the year. We are looking forward to another fantastic year ahead!

Re-enrollment Deadline – Your re-enrollment paperwork needs to be returned by Monday, November 26th. The absolute deadline is Monday, December 31st. No exceptions will be allowed after that date.

The 2018 Leaders’ Banquet – will be held on Saturday, November 17th at the Halcyon Grange. Calling all 4-H Volunteers! Please join us for this annual 4-H Volunteer Recognition Event which includes a meal and silent auction. Volunteers will be recognized for their efforts throughout the year as well as for reaching milestones in 1, 5, 10,15, 20, 25, 30 and 50 years of volunteer service! Please bring any items you wish to auction in support of Hancock County 4-H.

Reminder about Fundraising – If your club is planning fundraising events this year, please remember to post a UMaine fundraising sign at your location (such as on a table, etc). You can request signs from the Extension Office, or download a PDF .

Thank you for complying with this mandate from UMaine.

NEW THIS YEAR – Ellsworth Christmas Parade – will be held on Saturday, December 1st. This year’s theme is “Seasons Greetings”. After talking with our club members and their families, we have decided to be spectators instead of participators this year. Many of us have been part of the parade for several years now and we have never been able to actually watch the parade. We will plan to meet as a group at the Flex-It Café building at 9:30 and watch the parade from that vantage point. If you decide to join us, remember to dress warmly! You can park at Emmanuel Baptist Church’s lower parking lot on School Street and walk down there to meet us. Bring your camera and maybe some hot chocolate!:) Oh, and wear your 4-H gear! – Heather Linnehan, 4-H leader

Project Records – 4-H Project Records are used by 4-H members to demonstrate the goals they have set, what they have learned, and what they have achieved during their 4-H year. We encourage all 4-H members to practice this very important life skill by working on your project record throughout the year. Please note: we have a new Project Record webpage, which is where to find all project record related information. Please visit it and contact us with any questions

We also want to send a special congratulations to all of the youth who submitted project records this year – you paved the way for others to use the new project records, and we are so proud of your accomplishments!

4-H Awareness Day – Our Annual Awareness Day at Tractor Supply was a success. We lucked out with a beautiful fall day and plenty of 4-H’ers ready and willing to help patrons load their vehicles and hang clovers. Horse & Rider kindly provided pony rides and delectable baked goods, while Izzy Duke astonished us with her painting abilities and Jolly Juniors sold goodies and chattered about with patrons. Overall it was a good day. In true 4-H custom, volunteers and youth volunteered their time to help others and spread the word about 4-H and all the varied opportunities it offers while socializing with our friends. Thank you to everyone who took the time to come out and share 4-H with the community.

Note from the Office: This year’s Paper Clover Campaign made history! For the first time ever, 4-H and Tractor Supply Company raised over 1 million dollars across the country thanks to 4-H youth and volunteers, like you, spreading awareness about our programs. Don’t forget that those funds come to our county as scholarship funds for 4-H Camp, National 4-H Trips, and other leadership programs. If you need financial support for a 4-H program, contact the office for how to apply for scholarships.

Club News

New 4-H Club – We are excited to announce Hancock County’s newest 4-H club, The Spruced Up Homesteaders! This club is located at Lone Spruce Farm in Dedham with 15 enrolled members, ages 5-18. The Spruced Up Homesteaders will be following the cornerstones of sustainable homesteading throughout the season, connecting to agriculture and growing together. Welcome to the 4-H Family!

Peninsula Explorers Club with Blue Hill Heritage Trust

Congratulations to the Peninsula Explorers who very successfully completed their pilot program on Orienteering! Registration is now open for the next session: THE NIGHT SKY, which will cover a range of “night sky” skills and information taught by local experts in the field. The focus of the club is to provide area youth with fun, educational, and safe experiences in a variety of outdoor activities. This club is open to youth in grades 3-8, living in the seven towns of the Blue Hill Peninsula, and is run in partnership with Blue Hill Heritage Trust. Youth may participate in any one single session, or for multiple sessions. Visit our website for more info. Contact the Extension Office to register.

State News

Please provide feedback on Project Records!
Take the following survey.
You are invited to participate in a statewide research project being conducted by Kristy Ouellette and Jennifer Lobley, Extension Educators at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. 4-H volunteers and staff from all over Maine will participate in this study.Purpose of this research project: We recognize the value of our 4-H volunteers. As a state we have rolled out new 4-H Project Records. We want to have a better understanding of your beliefs and understandings of the function of these records. What will you be asked to do? If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete an on-line survey with questions pertaining to your attitudes and beliefs regarding 4-H project records in Maine. The survey will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete. Risks: Except for your time and inconvenience, there are no foreseeable risks to you in participating in this study. Benefits: You will be eligible to enter into a raffle for a $25.00 gift card to Hannaford. Confidentiality: As a participant you will be anonymous. Investigators or a student will enter data into a computer. Data will be kept on a secured computer with only the investigators or a student having access. Data will be kept for a period of 5 years. Voluntary: Participation is voluntary. If you choose to take part in this study, you may stop at any time during the study. You may skip any questions you do not wish to answer. Participation in the on-line survey implies consent to participate.Contact Information: If you have any questions about this study, please contact Kristy Ouellette at 207.353.5550 or kristy.ouellette@maine.edu If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact Gayle Jones, Assistant to the University of Maine’s Protection of Human Subjects Review Board, at 581.1498.
2019 Maine State Science Fair
It’s time to announce the 2019 Maine State Science Fair, to be held Saturday, March 23 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. Prizes and awards include 12 four-year, full-tuition scholarships to The University of Maine (including admission to the UMaine Honors College), and major scholarships from University of New England, College of the Atlantic, and Husson University. In 2018, MSSF awarded over $1 million in scholarships and awards. Other scholarships may be announced in the coming weeks.The Maine State Science Fair is open, without cost, to all Maine high school students who complete their own research or engineering project individually or in teams of 2-3. The purpose of MSSF is to present, learn, and discuss science with peers and STEM professionals from across Maine. Projects are invited from across all STEM disciplines: life sciences, agriculture, mathematics, computer sciences, psychology, energy, physics, marine science, environmental sciences, ecology, chemistry. All STEM projects are considered!Important dates for this year’s MSSF:
– January 18 – student registration deadline.
– February 1 – research plan deadline.
– March 1 – preliminary research results deadline.
– March 23 – Maine State Science Fair.More information can be found online.
4-H Page Day in Augusta – January 29, 2019
UMaine Day at the Legislature, Tuesday, January 29, is approaching. It’s a day where Cooperative Extension gets to highlight our awesome programs, and 4-H is one of the best! Since legislators like to see 4-H members from their districts, 4-Hers (age 13 or older) are encouraged to serve as Honorary Pages. The Maine 4-H program has up to 30 slots for Honorary Pages.What does a page do? Legislators are constantly communicating and making decisions while in session and pages make that communication possible. Pages hand out information packets or place the paper information on their desks. Pages will also run communication and documents directly from legislator to legislator.
If you are interested in serving as a page, please contact Diana at 207-622-7546 or diana.hartley@maine.edu.
We would love to pages from all over the state represented. Slots, representing different state senators and representatives, will be filled in the order they are received, but the final deadline is January 20th. If the slot for your legislative district has been filled, your name will be added to a wait list in the order it is received. If you are leaving a message, please be sure to say “I am interested in serving as a 4-H Page at the Legislature on January 29”. Your slot will be reserved if you leave this complete information:
– Full Name – Age
– Mailing Address – County
– Phone Number – Email Address (this is how we will confirm you)
– Name of your School – Name of your 4-H Club
– Name of your Maine State Representative
– Name of your Maine State Senator
– Name of your Adult Chaperone
– Adult Chaperone’s cell phone number4-H Honorary Pages will be in the Capitol from 8:30am– 3:00pm. A parent or 4-H volunteer must provide transportation and chaperoning. If you have questions, please let Alisha know at alisha.r.targonski@maine.edu.
Farm Service Agency Youth Loans
The Farm Service Agency makes loans to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum loan amount is $5000. Requirements:

Be a citizen of the United States
Be 10 years to 20 years of age
Comply with FSA’s general eligibility requirements
Be unable to get a loan from other sources
Conduct a modest income-producing project in a supervised program of work as outlined above
Demonstrate capability of planning, managing and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project advisor.

For more information stop by your Local FSA County Office or call Mary Anne Coffin at 207.990.9140.

Leaders Meeting Minutes

September 11, 2018

Members Present: Brenda Jordan, Heather Linnehan, Liz Duke, Kasha Robertson, Terry Swazey, Lee Sargent, Dwight Sargent, Audra Porter, Rosie Evans, Carla Scocchi
6:31 Meeting Started

The flag was saluted and the 4-H pledge recited.
The Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports from September were accepted as written and read. Savings of ~$100 with Insurance company this year. Dwight moves to bring the Tyler Baez scholarship fund up to $2k with Leaders Association funds. Seconded and passed unanimously.

Club Reports
Horse & Rider: 4-H Awareness Day at TSC. Busy with horse rides. Did okay on food sales, made just under $100. Concerned about risk and liability – a farm in Maine was sued recently for a girl falling off the horse. Leaders concerned about personal risk. Carla will follow up to get specific answers on policies, accident insurance, etc. Three new members coming in to her club. Lost two members, one is moving to independent.

Liz Duke: Starting a new Art Club – after school SPIN club in Bucksport.

Rails N’ Trails: Had a meeting, considering whether to remain as a club or become Independents. Lee’s work commitments have changed and are interfering with club meeting times. Also hard to find common meeting times with changing youth schedules. Looking for someone to step up and lead, Lee will be an assistant. Two members went to Eastern States – Alia with Horse Team, won Sportsmanship award. Maine received two big awards. Zoe went with Communications Team. Both represented very well!

Horse of Course: Working on cookbook title.

Jolly Juniors: Went for a hiking trip, kids had a great time finding things in the riverbed. Went to see waterfall, but wasn’t much water! Finishing up Community Calendar project. Participated in TSC 4-H Awareness Days and Waltham Turkey Shoots. Brenda also struggles with finding common meeting times.

Old Business
4-H Awareness Day: Planned around Paper Clover Campaign, once talked about changing it to weekend of Autumn Gold. TSC/4-H relationship is important, staff were very welcoming, but wasn’t a great turnout. Ideas: Petting Zoo, Pets dressed in costumes for Halloween. STEM activity. Press release for next year?

Cloverfest: Pizza from Eastbrook Variety, bottled water and apple juice drinks. Motion to reimburse David Sturm, Physics Roadshow, $100 for mileage and to gift with 4-H Swag. Seconded and passed.

New Business
Heather: Put discussion of Razor Crossman award on the agenda for future meeting, Jan 2019.

Election of Secretary: Terry moves to elect Kasha Robertson as secretary, Dwight seconds, All in Favor.

Leaders’ Banquet: Nov 17, Saturday Brunch. Terry will bring more tickets for silent auction.

Holiday Parade: Don’t know the theme until mid-November. Always the first Saturday in December. Heather will work on plans.

Public Speaking Prep: Encourage leaders to start doing club presentations Dec-Jan. Rosie offered to visit clubs that haven’t done public speaking before.

Leaders Meeting: How to get new people to come to meetings? Leaders Association marketing initiatives. Leaders meeting meet & greet. Mention something at Cloverfest and Leaders’ Banquet.

Committees: Work on establishing committees in January.

Fair Book: Get input from kids who entered in Exhibit Hall to update Fair Book for next year. Can we see other county fair books? Carla will ask colleagues from other counties.

Ghostport: Donate $40 to sponsor the pumpkin contest. Motioned, seconded, passed.

Office Report: New Dean interviews, you can participate in stakeholder session.

Terry moves to not have a December meeting. Kasha seconded. All in favor.

Other Business: need to move horse panels into Exhibit Hall.

Heather moves to adjourn. Audra seconded. All in Favor. Meeting adjourns 8:11pm

Cooking with Kids

Pumpkin or Squash Bread

Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
¼ cup oil
¾ cup pumpkin or squash puree
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Optional Ingredients:
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped nuts

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2.In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, pumpkin or squash and eggs.
3.In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Fold this into the other mixture just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. (Optional: Stir in the raisins and nuts.) Pour the batter into a greased 9 X 5” loaf pan.
4.Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Eat Well

Cooperative Extension in Hancock County