January 2023 4-H Newsletter
4-H Happenings
A monthly newsletter for Hancock County 4-H Members
Table of Contents
Upcoming Dates| County News | Club News | State News | Leaders Meeting Minutes
Upcoming Dates to Remember
January 2 – New Year’s Day Observed-Extension Office Closed
January 5 – Intent to Sell at Fryeburg Forms Due
January 10 – 6:30 pm Leader’s Meeting (Hybrid)
January 15 – Beef ESE Intent to Participate Forms Due
January 16 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day-Extension Office Closed
January 21 – 10:00 am Independent Club Meeting at Extension Office
January 29 – 11:00 am Aquatic Tankers Meeting/Fieldtrip to Vance’s Tropical Fish and Exotic Pets
January 29 – 2:00 Public Speaking Workshop at Extension Office
February 15 – Horse, Dairy, Sheep, Goat, and Dog ESE Intent to Participate Forms Due
County News
A New Year, a new Project Record! – 4-H Project Records are used by 4-H members of all ages to demonstrate the goals they have set, what they have learned, and what they have achieved during their 4-H year. 4-H youth all over the world are working on Project Records throughout the year – you are not alone! As you are planning your 4-H projects this year, we encourage you to keep a record of your experience by using the 4-H Project Records.
We are pleased to announce that the project records template has been reimagined via a statewide effort to make them more accessible and individualized. You can request these new templates by calling the Extension office at 207.667.8212 or by emailing andrea.mahoney@maine.edu.
Intent to Sell Forms – Intent to Sell forms are due THIS WEEK! As a reminder, youth MUST have already enrolled by December 31, 2022, in order to sell at the Fryeburg Fair. Once re-enrolled, families can contact the office for Intent to Sell forms or submit an online form for beef or sheep at our state website.
Egg Business Project Interest Form – 
We are so happy to announce the 4-H Egg Business Project is coming back to Hancock County in partnership with Machias Savings Bank! Take advantage of this amazing opportunity for your child to learn financial literacy, marketing, advertising, cash flow, start-up costs, profitability, and the operations of running a business. Through the experience, they learn to face challenges and develop problem-solving skills, both necessary for budding entrepreneurs.
This club is open to ages 11+, and will be capped at a maximum of 5 families. For more information about the club please visit our Egg Business Project website and fill out an interest form.
Aquatic Tankers – Gear up for a field trip because this January 29, at 11:00, Kristin and Tom will be venturing out to Bucksport with the youth to visit Vance’s Tropical Fish and Exotic Pets for a Q&A session with Vance himself!
Public Speaking Workshop – Attention Hancock County! Do you have youth that LOVE to talk? Or maybe some kids who want to step out of their comfort zone? Well then sign them up for our Public Speaking Workshop!
Hancock County will be hosting a Public Speaking workshop on Sunday, January 29th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. By attending this workshop, youth will begin to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to give a good presentation, while practicing in small groups the skills needed to be a great public speaker! Space is limited to 16 youths. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. Sign up today on the Hancock County Public Speaking Website to reserve your place or contact the Extension Office at 207.667.8212.
Save the Date: All of our 4-H youth are invited to prepare for this year’s Hancock County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament, which will be held on Saturday, March 11. The Maine 4-H State Public Speaking Tournament will be held on Saturday, April 8.
Tyler App Challenge – Is your child 13 or older and interested in app building? Well, make sure they take advantage of their talents and enter this awesome state-wide challenge for the chance to win prizes and scholarships totaling $10,000. Visit the Tyler Technologies website to learn more about how to enter and other restrictions. The deadline to submit is March 31, 2023, so get to work!
Free Girls’ Night: Mars Exploration! – 
On January 19 from 6:30-8:00 pm the Challenger Learning Center in Bangor will be hosting a FREE virtual girls’ night all about Mars! This event is open to grades 5-8. They will be kicking it off with an introduction from Richa Sirohi (NASA Aerospace Engineer!) who worked on the Perseverance Rover and continues to work on NASA’s new Mars work! After a chance for Q and A with Richa, students will embark on a virtual Destination Mars mission run by CLC staff, where they must work together to research the very best location for a human habitat on one of Mars’s two moons! Participants will also receive a space-themed goody bag! Sign up now by contacting Challenger Learning Center.
Independent Club – Join us for a morning of team-building and goal-setting exercises at the Hancock County Extension Office. All 4-H members are welcome, but we encourage our Independent youth to join and find a community to share your projects with. We will be meeting on January 21 at 10:00 am. If you are interested in attending, please email leah.mccluskey@maine.edu, or call 207.667.8212 to confirm your attendance.
Beef ESE Intent to Participate – For those interested in participating at the Eastern States Exposition with the Maine State Beef team, the due date for Intent to Participate forms is January 15.
Horse, Dairy, Sheep, Goat, and Dog ESE Intent to Participate – For those interested in participating at the Eastern States Exposition with the Maine State Animal teams, the due date for Intent to Participate forms is February 15.
Club News
Horse of Course – 
At the November Horse of Course meeting, members made holiday cards to send to residents of the Benjamin River Apartments in Sargentville. They followed up with these cards in December by signing them and getting them ready for delivery! Everyone brought a snack to share and the members also painted wooden butterflies as a fun holiday gift to take home. What a wonderful way to celebrate the end of the year!
State News
- Maine 4-H Equity Challenge for all Maine Youth
Are you a photographer? A performer? A writer? Then consider the 4-H Equity Challenge. The challenge is for youth ages 5-19 to create a digital photograph, a performance, a presentation, or a writing piece that tells why every Maine youth belongs in a welcoming and inclusive environment. There are prizes based on age. This challenge is open to any 4-H’er or partner organization in Maine. There are helpful guides and a rubric to help you understand what judges will look for in an entry. To submit an entry or to find out more information go to the Maine 4-H Equity Challenge webpage. To participate, submit your creation by February 24, 2023. - Maine 4-H Engineering Virtual Club
Registration is now open for the Maine 4-H Engineering Club, which will introduce basic engineering skills by exploring a different topic each week. Each week will have a new hands-on engineering challenge to work on while making connections with fellow 4-H engineers around the state! UMaine Extension 4-H staff will lead the challenges. The club is free; limited to 20 participants. Register by January 17 on the event webpage to receive the link and at-home materials. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207.581.8206 or email Sarah Sparks. Additional information also is available on the Extension 4-H Virtual Learning webpage. - State Public Speaking Tournament – Save the Date!
Our state public speaking tournament will be held on April 8, 2023 at DP Corbett Hall on the University of Maine campus. Youth must qualify for this event by achieving a score of 78 or higher at their county or regional tournament. Check with your county 4-H staff to find out when your county tournament will be held. - Public Speaking In-Person Workshop
The Maine 4-H Communication Science Team invites all enrolled 4-H members to an in-person workshop on January 21st from 2 – 4 pm. The meeting will be held at the Penobscot County Extension Office in Bangor. Participants will learn how to prepare for county/regional public speaking contests for both Demonstrations and Illustrated Talks. Please contact Sheila Norman for more information or to register. - 2023 4-H Volunteer Training Opportunities
As we get ready for the new 4-H year, we are looking forward to offering a variety of learning experiences (both in-person and virtual) for our 4-H volunteers. Sessions are free of charge, but require registration. Some sessions have limited space. Visit the 4-H Volunteer Calendar of Training Opportunities to learn more and register! - Androscoggin/Sagadahoc 4-H Monthly Workshops – Open to All Maine 4-Hers!
Come join the Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties 4-H program at their monthly workshops – the Third Friday of every month (unless otherwise noted) from 6:00 – 7:30 pm at the Lisbon Extension Office at 24 Main Street. Anyone interested can contact Cathy Gray to find out more information.
Currently Scheduled Topics:
– January 20, 2023 – “Getting the Word Out” Digital Marketing
– February 17, 2023 – Short Film Making
– March 10, 2023 – Spa & Relaxation Science
– April 21, 2023 – Movie Premier Night
– May 19, 2023 – Wool Spinning Workshop
Leaders’ Meeting Minutes
There was no meeting in December 2022. The next scheduled meeting: January 10, 2023.