April 2019 4-H Newsletter

April 5, 2019 4-H News

4-H Happenings

A monthly newsletter for Hancock County 4-H Members

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Table of Contents

Upcoming Dates| County News | Club News | State News | Leaders Meeting Minutes | Cooking with Kids

Upcoming Dates to Remember

March 27 – April 7 – Paper Clover at Tractor Supply
April 5 – Homemakers’ Scholarship Applications Due in the Office
April 6 – 12:00 noon – State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament – UMaine – Orono
April 9 – 5:30 pm – Jamboree Meeting – All Welcome
April 9 – 6:30 pm – Leaders’ Meeting – Extension Office
April 13 – Leaders’ Association Scholarship Applications Due in the Office
April 15 – Patriot’s Day – Extension Office Closed
April 19 – Registration Deadline for Style Revue – register on line
May 9 – 4:00 pm – Style Revue Dress Rehearsal – Surry Elementary School
May 10 – 6:30 pm – Style Revue – Surry Elementary School
May 14 – 6:30 pm – Leaders’ Meeting – Extension Office

County News

4-H Public Speaking Tournament2019 Public Speaking Tournament
Our Hancock County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament held on March 9th, featured fourteen informative presentations from youth 5 to 17 years of age. The crowd was engaged as they listened to presentations about Aquarium Care, How to Pack a Lunch, Galaxy Bottles, Traditional Timber Framing and more. We have four youth planning to attend the Maine    4-H State Public Speaking Tournament on April 6th at the University of Maine in Orono.
Top Honors went to Donnie for Senior Illustrated Talk, Donnie, and Abbey for Senior team Illustrated Talk, and  Margaret Mae for Junior Demonstration. We would like to thank our club leaders, parents, and volunteers for the limitless support and encouragement they provide to our youth. A big thank you to our Judges and the Assembly of God in Ellsworth for hosting us and for the Hancock County Leaders’ Association for sponsoring this event. Congratulations to all of our participating youth for stepping out of your comfort zones, persevering and teaching us all!

Leaders’ Meeting – the next Leaders’ Association meeting will be on April 9 at 6:30 pm. If you cannot attend in person – join the meeting by computer!  Go to: https://maine.zoom.us/j/243761673 or by phone 1-646-876-9923, then enter the meeting ID #207 667 8212.

4-H Public Speaking – The State Public Speaking Tournament will be held on Saturday, April 6, at noon at the Neville Hall, University of Maine in Orono.  We have three Hancock County youth participating – best wish to them all!

4-H Scholarships and Grants – Do you know about all of the scholarship opportunities available to Hancock County 4-H’ers and Clubs? This is the time of year to learn about these and apply, some deadlines are approaching in March and April.College Scholarships | Camp Scholarships | Leadership Scholarships | 4-H Foundation Scholarships for individuals and clubs. Visit our website for details and application materials.

Paper Clover Campaign – March 27-April 7 at Tractor Supply Co. in Ellsworth. – Each Spring and Fall, Tractor Supply helps raise money for 4-H programs with the Paper Clover campaign where customers donate $1 to 4-H at the register. The funds are used for scholarships for camps and leadership events.
You can contribute by:
1)Donating in the store
2)Donating online at checkout when you make a purchase
3)Participating in the store during the fundraiser with a display, helping to bag purchases, or answering questions about 4-H. Contact us by phone, email, or Facebook to sign up to participate and for more details.

Style Revue – Our 2019 Style Revue will be held on Friday, May 10th at 6:30 pm, at the Surry Elementary School.  The theme this year is Carousel of Color.  Dress rehearsal will be Thursday, May 9th.  Many thanks to Judy Nevells and Jennifer Dunn for joining the Style Revue committee!
Registration is on line at:

Photo Contest – All details on the 2019 Photo Contest is now on our website at https://extension.umaine.edu/hancock/4h/photo-contest/. Deadline to submit your photos is Friday, July 19th.  If anyone needs the info mailed, please call Joyce at the 667-8212 or email at joyce.forter@maine.edu.  There are so many beautiful and unique scenes to take pictures of. Keep those cameras snapping so you will have some good photos to choose from at the end of the contest.

Youth Summer Camps! UMaine and UMaine Cooperative Extension offer lots of summer camp opportunities throughout the state. Be sure to check out the 4-H camps on the web!

Our Sympathy goes out to the family of Bill Thayer who passed away on Monday morning, April 1st.  His wife, Cynthia, is a former Hancock County Extension Association member and 4-H volunteer.  Our love and prayers to the family.

Rails N' Trails membersClub News

Rails N’ Trails  – at their monthly meeting made St. Patrick’s Day community service gifts for the Bucksport Senior Center filled with sweet treats and a thoughtful note!  As usual – we got a little side tracked!  We also assigned club officers: Alex – president, Kacie – vice-president, Zoe – secretary, Lily – treasurer, and Alyssa– reporter. Submitted by Alyssa

Free 2 Be 4-H club successfully served a chili supper to over 50 people at the Downeast Table of Plenty on Sunday, March 17th.  Margaret Mae and Mya  went to the county tournament and did a great job with their public speaking demonstrations. Our members are continuing to work on public speFree 2 Be - chili supperaking practice by making posters of their favorite animals breed and its past and current uses. Lots of baby goats to meet at Painted Pepper Farm, Goat social on Sunday, March 31st from 12-2. Submitted by Jenny Lassen, 4-H leader.

Horse & Rider – members met on March 9th to celebrate Heather’s horse, Phillippe’s 30th birthday.  We all sang Happy Birthday to him and Heather Horse & Rider - birthday partymade a “cake” of oats, apples & carrots for al of the animals to enjoy.  After the barn work we went inside and had cupcakes, ice cream and punch in the dining room that had been decorated in a horse theme.  Best wishes, Phillippe, for many more birthdays.  Submitted by Sally Jordan, 4-H leader

Spruced Up Homesteaders –  What a fantastic month!! First and foremost, we would like to send out a huge congratulations to our children for their outstanding performance as presenters and supporters at the Public Speaking Tournament! Willow taught us how to fry an egg, and discussed some different ways to source our eggs! Robert taught us how to make an origami boat and shared the story behind his creation! Belle taught us how to dress and undress a baby, and discussed different options for different seasons! Shiloh taught us how to draw a unicorn Spruced Up Homesteaders PSTand gave us inspiration on how to give our unicorn our own artistic touch! Wyatt taught us how to manage a healthy freshwater aquarium and discussed different feeding options! I’d also like to applaud our other club members who chose not to present but still showed up to support their club mates today!!! Everyone was also excellent in their inquisitive/informative Q&A roles, really showing their budding abilities to be actively positive community members! We’d also like to thank the judges panel and organizers, as well as the other Hancock County clubs, who all played an equal role in creating a welcoming and warm environment that provided excellent support and feedback. If you’re reading this… we love you guys!!! GREAT job families!!! What a great day it was!!!

The kids also put together some amazing art with a purpose to sell for their fundraiser this month! We promote the concept of recycling being a broken system, and fully advocate for reduction and repurposing as a first line. It was a beautiful thing to see the kids

embrace this in a hands on way, as they crafted beautiful flower vase sconces from kombucha bottles, which contributed to their raised earnings of nearly $100 at their fundraising event! They will be donating a portion of their earnings to Apifera Farm, a local farm sanctuary that connects elder & disabled animals, to the elder & disabled human community. A truly special and important mission!!

At their next meeting the children voted on how to spend their fundraiser earnings after their donation and I am shocked (and proud!!) to say they voted to SAVE!!! Next we tackled the diversity we often see on a homestead: pea planting and hoof trimming!! We covered some basics, and they also had turns reading interesting facts! After that We heard a springtime story and got to work in the field…The children crafted trellises, planted peas, and watched Mr. Spruce trim hooves! On a personal note, I just can’t emphasize enough the joy these children bring to my heart. We are already starting to feel like a little family, and I am so excited imagining our future together! Big love to our parent volunteers as well… if a village is what it takes, we’ve got the best neighbors! Submitted by club leader Kristin Beauchamp

Jolly Juniors – The Waltham Town Meeting is held annually in March and our club provides the dinner after the meeting. This year the JJ2s planned the menu and then cooked at home. The 4-Hers made all the food, set up, and cleaned up. High School senior & club member Josie led our group in Jolly Juniors - plantingplanning for this event and also made her delicious yeast rolls, a tradition the Walthamers love!

Club officers for 2018-2019 will be president Sam, vice-president Cassidee, treasurer Bryce, and club reporter Olivia.

On Friday night the JJ2s had a sleepover at club leader Brenda’s house. We had to guess clues that led to a destination. On our way to the first place we had a scavenger hunt in the car which Team Amy won. The first clue led us to the bowling alley where Team Brenda won bowling! We all had fun playing in the arcade and eating pizza. Our next clue was dessert at Dairy Queen. Our third clue was to the Colonial for swimming. The fourth clue led us to Walmart where we had a challenge to see who could buy the the most items in 15 minutes with $20. Team Amy won with 41 items, but all together we donated 72 items to the Hancock County Food Drive. Our final clue was to Cave Hill School where we played dodge ball, human hungry hungry hippo, basketball, and with the parachute. It’s was strange being at the school at 10:30 at night! After getting out our energy we headed to Brenda’s where we watched Jumanji and ate pancakes at midnight. The sleepover was a lot of fun and we are already planning the summer one at camp. Our final March activity had some of us finishing our tied blanket project with help from Sam and Amy. We worked on our craft project records and started one for sewing.  There are eight of us that might try sewing our own pajama bottoms! Nora showed us

how to make friendship bracelets with embroidery floss. Submitted by Olivia, JJ Club Reporter

The third year Cloverbud sewers made a tote bag that we can carry our books in for school or maybe our swim suit and towel. We learned how to make a French seam and not to stab yourself with the pins! My sewing leader stabbed herself and told me we should always bring bandaids. After I finished my bag I worked on my project record.  Submitted by Olivia, Cloverbud Club Reporter

Some of the Jolly Junior Cloverbuds are doing a gardening project with Judy Nevells and we started last week. We ripped apart flowers so we could see all the parts inside and learned what the different parts do. We got to bring home a little bit of the plant and I planted mine in the dirt I brought home, too. We loved doing the project and had fun. We are both looking forward to our next class.

Submitted by Gunnar & Ella, Cloverbud Club Reporters

State News

1. Save the Date for 2019 Maine 4-H Days
Maine 4-H Days will take place July 19 – 21 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.

2.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

3. Come to Orono for the 2019 4H@UMaine May 31 – June 1!
Planning has started and the wheels are in motion thanks to the efforts of a tremendous team! We are always looking for individuals interested in helping with pre-event planning or attending the event itself! Stay tuned for details. For more information about                4-H@UMaine, contact Greg Kranich at gregory.kranich@maine.edu or 207.581.3292.

4. 2019 Maine 4-H Public Speaking Tournament
The 4-H State Public Speaking Tournament will be held Saturday, April 6, 2019at the University of Maine at Orono. 4-H Youth ages 9 to 18 who have participated in their county 4-H public speaking tournament and received the required score are invited to participate. For youth in counties which do not hold public speaking tournaments, arrangements may be made through their county’s Extension office to present their presentation to their county’s 4-H staff in order to be eligible. More information is available.

Leaders Meeting Minutes

March 12, 2019 Meeting

Members Present- Dwight Sargent, Lee Sargent, Lisa Carney, Heather Jordan, Brenda Jordan, Liz Duke, Izzy Duke, Terry Swazey, Audra Porter, Rosie Evans, Heather Linnehan and Kasha Robertson

The flag was saluted and the 4-H pledge recited.

The Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports from February were accepted as written and read.

Club reports – Updates given

Old Business-

  • Public Speaking – Rosie and her family did a lot. It was held at Assembly of God. The church had coffee going, and welcomed us back any time. We might want to limit number of questions to maybe 5 in the future if time is an issue.
  • February Vacation Bowling – about 12 youth participated. Maybe we should think about starting up the Bowl a thon again.
  • Government Day – do we have any kids going? Brenda is willing to take some. Need to plan soon. She can contact Louis Luchini. No one has applied for CWF.
  • Jamboree – Lisa reported on the meeting held immediately prior to the Leaders Meeting, you can request notes if you’d like. The next meeting is April 9th at 5:30 right before the Leaders Meeting, all are welcome.
  • Style Revue – The theme will be Carousel of Color, held May 9th (rehearsal) and 10th(Style Revue) at the Surry Elementary School. Jen Dunn, Judy Nevells, Joyce Fortier and Rosie Evans are organizing.
  • Razor Crossman alternative award – Terry put a document up on Google docs. We need to print out Terrys document for the next meeting. Table to next meeting. Suggested title: “Hancock County 4-H Service Award”

New Business

  • April Vacation Activity – Afternoon/evening movie night at Heathers. If we don’t charge and use it as an event should be fine.
  • Bangor Fair Horse Show Invite – Kasha says the lady who organizes the Bangor Fair Horse show would like more kids to stay overnight and do quiz bowl.
  • Expenses for Eastern States may be going up sharply (Lee). Discuss funding at future meetings. The check is due at tryouts in July.
  • Voted to give a donation to help Rebecca Maddocks Wilbur family.

Motion to adjourn made at 8:06

Respectfully submitted by Lisa Carney

Cooking with Kids

Fudgy Buttermilk Brownies

Makes 16 servings / Serving size: 1 brownie

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup unsweetened coca powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 egg or the whites of 2 eggs
½ cup unsweetened applesauce (or fat-free fruit-based-fat replacement)
½ cup nonfat or low-fat butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp fat-free milk

Directions:  Mixing Brownies:   Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Prepare a 9 X 9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; stir well.  In a small bowl, lightly whisk egg whites or egg.  Whisk in remaining brownie ingredients.  Add egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix until well blended.  Pour batter into baking pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Let cool in pan on rack.

Mixing Frosting: Combine confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder in a small bowl and stir well.  Stir in vanilla extract, and then gradually stir in milk until frosting is spreading consistency.  Spread over cooled brownies.  Cut into 16 squares.
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