May 2024 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
May 1 – Deadline for Equine ESE Intent Forms (See State News)
May 1 – June Jamboree Registration Open to Enrolled 4-H Families
May 9 – Style Revue Dress Rehersal (4:30 – 5:30 pm)
May 10 – Style Revue Showcase (6:30 – 8:00 pm)
May 10 – 4-H at the Ellsworth Library (2:00-3:30 pm)
May 14 – 4-H Afterschool workshop at the Extension Office (4:30-5:30 pm)
May 14 – 4-H Leader’s Meeting (6:30 pm)
May 16 – June Jamboree Registration Open to the Public
May 27 – Office Closed for Memorial Day
May 31 – Last Day to Register for June Jamboree
June 1 – First Day of Pride Month
June 3 – Summer Learning Series Registration Opens
June 14-15 – June Jamboree
June 30 – Animal Approval and Lease Forms Due in Office
County News
State Public Speaking
Hancock County never fails to make the 4-H staff proud, especially when it comes to public speaking! Four of our junior qualifying presenters joined us at the State 4-H Public Speaking tournament in early April and did an amazing job. Huge shout-outs to Robert, Noah, Anabelle, and Kowen for participating, and a big thank you to all the volunteers and parents who represented Hancock County as well. We can’t wait to see you all back next year!
Paper Clover
The Spring Paper Clover campaign will be held April 24 through May 5, with the opportunity to donate to 4-H in-store and online. We encourage clubs to take part in this opportunity and use it to foster community involvement. Let us know if you need help making a connection with your local Tractor Supply!
Style Revue
Please drop all projects off at the office by Friday, May 3, at 4:00 pm for judging. We will bring your lovely creations to dress rehearsal and the Style Revue Showcase.
Dress rehearsal will be at take place at Cave Hill Elementary in Eastbrook on Thursday, May 9, from 4:30-5:30. At 6:00 the following evening, we will meet back at Cave Hill Elementary for the Style Revue Showcase! See you there!
June Jamboree
We know it has been a while, but June Jamboree is making its way back to Hancock County. The 2024 June Jamboree will be held on June 14-15 at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds. Plan to camp with us on the fairgrounds on the 14th, and wake ready to participate in fun-filled workshops and activities on the 15th! Workshops will include hands-on crafts, engineering, and animal science. The “Anytime Science” and “Anytime Craft” tables will run between workshops all day on Saturday, June 15 – be sure to stop by to explore! Registration will open to enrolled 4-H members on May 1st. Workshops are first come, first serve, so don’t delay! The public may begin registering on May 16th. Registration closes May 31st, so sign up now!
4-H After School
In April, youth at the office reflected on their eclipse experiences by analyzing how they used their head, heart, hands, and health to view the eclipse. They also continued to learn about the sun by experimenting with UV beads, and hypothesizing which materials would stop UV exposure. At the library, youth learned about some awesome services Extension has to offer, like our Insect ID Photo Submission portal. Then, youth learned how to differentiate “good” garden bugs from “bad” garden bugs by asking themselves what purpose the bug serves in the garden. To wrap up, everyone crafted their own cork bug to take home and keep in a mason jar.
This month, our office workshop will be a craft hour. Bring a project you’re working on, or just come up with some creativity on the spot with the craft supplies on hand. We’ll snack, have a chat about your 4-H goals, and go home with a new piece of art! At the library, we’re going to hope for a sunny day and learn how about sun safety by experimenting with UV protection methods just like we did at the office. Can you think of what materials might help us block the harmful UV rays from the sun this summer?
Photo Scavenger Hunt!
Join our monthly newsletter photo scavenger hunt! We encourage all 4-Hers to be inspired by our monthly themes and snap the perfect pictures. Then, you can submit your photos on the photo contest webpage for a chance to be featured in the following month’s newsletter!
May Themes
- Things to do on a rainy day
- My favorite thing about spring is…
- Look what I did this weekend!
- Nature is changing
4-H Event Bingo
Hancock County 4-H is bringing something new to the table this year: 4-H Bingo! If you haven’t already seen them, you can check out our new bingo cards here . They’re a fun tool our youth can use to keep track of what events they can participate in throughout 4-H and win some neat prizes along the way! Our first 4-H youth has earned a first and second bingo and received two scratch-off cards. Who else is working on their bingo card?
Club News
Horse of Course: At the last Horse of Course meeting, the youth learned how to draw horses using some internet guides! Youth colored the horses they drew and had the chance to color some horse coloring pages. While they were drawing, they were asked some multiple-choice horse-related questions to practice their knowledge. Over the April school vacation, the club held our annual bake sale outside The Galley in Deer Isle to raise money for the Bagaduce River Equine Rescue in Brooksville. The club was able to raise $197 in two hours for donations!
Jolly Juniors: We had a Sunday Funday to finish our sewing projects, make May baskets, and plant some seeds. Our cloverbuds made really cute aprons for Style Revue, thanks to Debbie Dik, Kate Atherton, and Lindsay DuBois. Amanda Doyle helped Jazzy, Lincoln, and me start our tie blankets. It’s going to take a lot longer than I thought it would to finish.
Olivia and Abby Doyle helped some of us learn how to make May baskets, and we all got to eat some of the candy! Olivia also helped us plant seeds in milk cartons. Stay tuned for pictures of our vegetables and flowers. We hope they grow!
Adalyn and Jazzy finished their ice fishing traps with Jeremy and Jessica McDevitt. Next year they will get to use them at our 4-H ice fishing day.
Some of us participated in the annual Waltham Roadside Clean Up. We had a small group, so we could only cover a small area. There were LOTS of bottles and cans on the side of the road. You should join us next time so we can clean up more!
– Coryann S, Club Reporter
State News
Maine Career Exploration: The Maine Career Exploration program would like to invite young adults to the 2024 Maine Employer Summit: Engaging Today and Tomorrow’s Workforce! This dynamic one-day event is dedicated to empowering employers with resources as well as allowing them to engage with Maine’s youth as they consider possible career paths. The primary times for student engagement are from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm on May 14.
This year, the Maine Employer Summit introduces The Innovation Hall, a vibrant space designed to facilitate connections between employers and Maine’s youth. With a focus on fun, food, and meaningful interactions, young people will be able to experience hands-on demonstrations with employers such as:
- Northern Light Emergency Medical Transportation Services
- Sargent Construction
- The City of Bangor
- People’s Inclusive Welding
- Maine Forest Service
- L.L Bean
- Bath Iron Works
- And many more!
The Summit will be held on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. It is free for students, support staff, and teachers to attend—and includes lunch. Register here by May 1: REGISTER NOW | MAINE EMPLOYER SUMMIT and select the Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) Coordinator / ELO Program Support Staff option.
UMaine 4-H Invites You to be a Part of Pride 2024: 4-H will be participating in Pride festivities in Portland on June 15, 2024. A pride event is a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, the rights won, and recognition of these individuals as existing and loved members of our communities. 4-H will participate in the parade portion by walking with a banner. Participants should plan on being at the event from 12pm – 2:30pm.
This event is open to any 4-H member or 4-H volunteer. Friends, family, and 4-H alumni are welcome but must have a 4-H member/volunteer hosting them. To register or for more information, go to this webpage. If you have questions you can email 4-hpride@maine.edu.
4-H Market Lamb Intent for Fryeburg Fair: Youth planning to participate in the Market Lamb program at Fryeburg Fair need to submit the 2024 Fryeburg Fair Market Lamb Intent form by June 5th. An online form is available, otherwise youth can print and mail a copy downloaded from the website.
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.
Save the Date: Maine 4-H Days is Happening in 2024: Registration for the event for 4-H’ers and their families will be opening in mid-May. More information is coming soon. We can’t wait to see you there!
Where: Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, Maine
When: Friday evening, July 19 – Saturday, July 20. Animal Science tracks are scheduled to be Friday, July 19 – Sunday, July 21.
Do you know someone interested in becoming a 4-H Volunteer? Tell them about Start Your 4-H Journey!: University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer a two-part online informational session for adults interested in becoming Maine 4-H volunteers on May 22 & 29 from 6 – 7 p.m. “Start Your 4-H Volunteer Journey” will provide participants with information about the UMaine Extension 4-H youth development program through four short e-Learning modules. Attendees will also participate in an experimental learning activity, learn about the key aspects of positive youth development, and be introduced to ages and stages of youth. The two one-hour virtual sessions will wrap up with an outline of next steps and an introduction to a county staff contact to help with the application process if desired.
Registration is required. The sessions are free. To register, visit our website. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Jennifer Lobley, jennifer.lobley@maine.edu, 207.255.3345.
Sailing Ships Coastal Maritime Immersion Program: Sailing Ships Maine is a non-profit organization that has been bringing students to sea for over ten years, and this year they have the unique opportunity to get 144 Maine students out on the ocean in Casco Bay for a series of 5-day education/adventure programs all summer, at no cost to their families. This experience is dedicated to creating life-changing opportunities for teens of all abilities, backgrounds, and income levels to experience and discover the ocean environment, expand leadership skills, and gain access to opportunities for careers in maritime trades.
The sponsors would like to encourage submission as soon as possible, as these spots are available on a “first come, first served” basis. If you would like more information, please reach out to your local 4-H office or contact Darcie Couture with your questions.
Leaders Meeting Minutes
Present (6) (all on Zoom)- Lisa Carney, Terry Swazey, Brenda Jordan, Lee Sargent, Lisa Reilich, Joanie Jodrey, and staff member Leah McCluskey.
The Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports for March were accepted as written in the newsletter and as read by Terry.
Club reports:
- Elaine had a meeting where the members learned how to draw horses. They were introduced to Ranger the Chincoteague pony. They plan to have their annual bake sale outside the Galley in Deer Isle over April break. They plan to donate the proceeds to the Bagaduce Horse Rescue. Discussed the May meeting in which a high school senior who shows minis can demonstrate what she does to prepare for showing. In June they plan to learn showmanship with Lee and Chubbs.
- Brenda’s club is finishing sewing projects and planting seeds. They plan to start the tick project again and will try dragging prior to spraying this year.
Old Business:
- Open Farm Day – Kristin will not be running one this year. Perhaps we can do something at Tractor Supply in the fall and tie in with Autumn Gold in October.
- Zabet works for the city of Ellsworth now, we should contact her about having a 4-H presence at the weekly Farmers Market. Having an activity in the Extension parking lot in the summer helped us recruit before, perhaps we can do that again.
- Scholarships – We now have two applications. We need someone from outside of 4-H to read them, Sue should know some people. As a reminder, we give out $1000 total. We might want to think about revamping the application paperwork.
- June Jamboree – We should have a skills wheel there. The due date is next Monday. We will have a circle dance again!
- Style review – Leah found judges, and decorations are being discussed. If anyone want to help reach out to Leah.
- State public speaking- We had four participants, and they did very well. The Impromptu category was popular, we should think about incorporating it in our public speaking and at Cloverfest/Jamboree. Similar to Paper Bag Theater.
- Brenda talked to Brent Doyle about creating photo op cutouts for the Blue Hill Fair, and he agreed to work on them. Big clover? Cow? Farmer with chicken? Terry has pictures, she’ll send them to Brenda.
- Need to order steer tickets.
New Business:
- Brenda may not be able to make next months meeting, she will check and get back to us.
Office Business:
- Paper Clover starts on the 24th
- Aquaculture CEA – new position in the office, spread the word! Link to apply on our Facebook
- Summer Learning Series planning is starting, does anyone have an interest in teaching an online workshop?
Adjourned 7:47
Respectfully submitted by Lisa Carney, Secretary