February 2019 4-H Newsletter
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
February 12 – 6:30pm – Leaders’ Meeting at the Extension Office
February 18 – Presidents’ Day – Extension Office Closed
March 8 – National 4-H Trips Application Deadline
March 9 – Hancock County Public Speaking Tournament – Location TBA – Snow Date March 16
March 12 – 6:30pm – Leaders’ Meeting at the Extension Office
March 13-17 – Maine Science Festival in Bangor
March 27 – April 7 – Paper Clover at Tractor Supply
April 5 – Homemaker’s Scholarship Application Due in the Office
April 6 – 12:00 noon – State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament at UMaine in Orono
April 13 – Leaders’ Association Scholarship Applications Due in the Office
County News
Agri-Science Summit
What is the Agri-Science Summit? Let me tell you. From January 10th-14th, I attended the Agri-Science Summit in Washington DC. The summit started off with a group gathering, there were many icebreaker games; us 4-H’ers love that sort of thing. I had the chance to meet people from all different states and made some new friends. The first night consisted of air hockey, pool and youth getting to know one another. The next morning is when the real work began. For the next three days, I attended many workshops, speeches, met amazing people, and had the opportunity to hear from many inspiring speakers.
Going on this trip, granted me the opportunity to learn many new things, from the presenters, my peers, staff, and chaperones. Along with being taught many new things, myself and my good 4-H friend Andrew D. had the opportunity to teach others. We taught a class on tomato grafting and its benefits. While in D.C I got to experience things outside of just 4-H walls. On our trip we visited the D.C Botanical gardens, Abraham Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Franklin D Roosevelt along with the capitol building and other sights. After experiencing this trip I would recommend going to anyone who gets the chance to attend. You won’t be disappointed! Submitted by Mckenzie, Independent 4-H member
Leaders’ Meeting – the next Leaders’ Association meeting will be on February 12 at 6:30 pm. If you cannot attend in person – join the meeting by computer! Go to: https://maine.zoom.us/my/hancock4h or by phone 1-646-876-9923, then enter the meeting ID #207 667 8212.
We will be collecting donations of paper goods (toilet paper, paper towels, napkins) and trash bags at the February meeting and will be donated to the Emmaus Homeless Shelter.
Agenda includes Public Speaking planning among other upcoming events. We encourage every club to send a leader to the Leaders’ Meeting!!
4-H Insurance – Remember downhill skiing, snowboarding, sledding and other downhill winter sports are excluded (not covered) by the AIL year round accident policy used by 4-H clubs on a statewide, county wide, and individual club basis. The good news is coverage is available online at www.americanincomelife.com by choosing the “Submit 4-H Activity Report” button and requesting special activity insurance used for individual group events like ski trips. All three plan options provide full accident coverage for downhill skiing, snowboarding, sledding and other downhill winter sports. Contact the office with any questions!
4-H Public Speaking Reminder – Every 4-H member in Hancock County is encouraged to participate in Public Speaking! Youth choose a topic of their choice and then practice the important life skill of public speaking by giving presentations to their clubs, community, and at the county and state tournaments.
The Hancock County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament will be held on March 9, snow date of March 16. Location TBA. ALL 4-H’ers are encouraged to practice their Public Speaking Presentations in January and February before the county tournament!
Get all the details – including tips for planning your presentation and registration for the 2019 county tournament – on the Public Speaking page on our new website! *Note: you can access this page and other programs/events under the “Programs” tab on the 4-H main menu.
NEW REGISTRATION THIS YEAR: Public Speaking participants are encouraged to register online for the county tournament instead of their club leader doing it for them – because it allows us to easily track your participation, guests, and more. However, if Club Leaders prefer, they can still register their members as a group online, or call/email the office to register as a group.
Don’t hesitate to contact any of the 4-H Staff with your Public Speaking questions!
The State Public Speaking Tournament will be held on Saturday, April 6, at noon at the Neville Hall, University of Maine in Orono.
Egg Business Project – Are you interested in participating in the Egg Business Project that is coming to Hancock County 4-H this spring? Under the mentorship of a trained 4-H Leader, participants will learn about, understand, and follow state and local regulations for producing and selling poultry eggs in order to run their own Chicken Egg Business! The program is run in partnership with the Maine Small Business Development Center (Maine SBDC) at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) in Ellsworth. There will be a kick-off meeting for all participants on Saturday, March 23 from 1-3pm at the Extension Office. For more information and to register, visit our website .
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.
High School Internship Opportunity
Maine EPSCoR is pleased to announce the Maine EPSCoR High School Internship Program at the University of Maine in Orono for the summer of 2019. This program provides Maine high school students with a paid, hands-on opportunity to participate in cutting edge research with faculty, postdocs, and graduate students at UMaine. For more info and to apply.
2019 Maine Science Festival – Hancock County 4-H has $25 gas cards available to families who attend the 2019 Maine Science Festival on March 13-
17 and are willing to complete a simple evaluation. For more information or to reserve your gas card please contact us by phone, email, or message us on facebook! We have ten cards to give away, so please help spread the word around the county — they can go to anyone planning to attend – not just 4-H’ers!
Photo Contest – Information on the 2019 Photo Contest will be coming soon. There are so many beautiful and unique scenes to take pictures of this winter. Keep those cameras snapping so you will have some good photos to choose from at the end of the contest.
Style Revue – Have you started your project? Our 2019 Style Revue will be held on Friday, May 10th at 6:30 pm, location to be determined. Dress rehearsal will be Thursday, May 9th. Registration is on line.
We love the opportunity our annual Style Revue participants have to showcase their
sewing skills and the ability to coordinate an outfit, but we can’t do it without the help of
our volunteers.
Every year we count on dedicated volunteers to get involved in county events, this year we are in need of volunteers to be apart of the Style Revue committee. If you are interested please contact Joyce at 667-8212 or at joyce.fortier@maine.edu. We would love to hear about your great ideas and welcome you to our next committee meeting on March 5th.
Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) – CWF is a National 4-H trip geared toward 4-H youth ages 15-18. This years trip will take place the week of June 29 – July 6th. If you are interested in applying for CWF, please submit a completed 4-H Portfolio and a $25 deposit by February 22nd and hold April 27th for a mandatory orientation meeting. Scholarship funds to help cover the fees will be available. For more information, contact Sue at the Extension Office at 667-8212 or sue.baez@maine.edu.
Details will be emailed to 4-H members ages 15-18 soon. If you do not receive one, please call the Extension Office. Be sure to read your letter for full details.
New & Improved Website – We encourage you visit our new & improved, mobile-friendly website soon! Our goal is for the new site to be the “go-to” place for information relevant to current 4-H’ers, as well as a resource for the general public to learn about what we do. We will add new features and content over the coming weeks and months, and we are asking for your feedback! Please fill out the feedback form on the site, or contact us to let us know about your experience with the new site. A big change coming this year is that you will be able to register for ALL 4-H events online – for example, Public Speaking, Style Revue, June Jamboree, etc. We will provide links to register for events when they are available, but feel free to poke around now to explore!
Welcome New Volunteers – We are pleased to announce three newly VOLTed leaders who have completed their training and paperwork in Hancock County.
- Michele Levesque – Sargentville – Peninsula Explorers
- Christine Spratt – Castine – Peninsula Explorers
- Mary Tobey – Castine – Blue Hill Consolidated School
Welcome to the 4-H Family!
Congratulations! – We received the news from Carla Scocchi that they welcomed Elara Nina Murray into the world at 12:51pm on Wednesday, January 30! The whole family is happy, healthy, and very content. Elara is 6lbs, 14oz. We are all so happy for the family!
A Heartful Thanks from Lee –
When I was 9 years old I was living in Ohio & I got my first pony. I joined a local 4-H Club. I really enjoyed learning about my pony, going to 4-H shows, & 
making new friends. 4-H was great!
I wanted to share a little story with you all about how 4-H can impact your life even after you get older and “age-out” of 4-H. In January of last year my boyfriend, of many years, passed away suddenly. You may have seen him helping me at different 4-H events. He was a very giving person like that. It was a difficult time for myself, his family, and especially his daughter with whom he was very close to. My boyfriend wore mainly button-down plaid shirts. It was just his “thing”! I had sixteen shirts of his and I got the idea of making a quilt out of the shirts that I wanted to give to his daughter as a Christmas gift. The problem was the extent of my sewing knowledge was basically sewing a button on! So a quilt was way outside of my comfort zone.
Fast forward to the night of our Cloverfest in October, roughly 2 months before Christmas. I happen to be talking to Robin (4-H leader) & Sherry Foster (4-H member) and mentioned to them the sewing project I wanted to do. Robin said they would love to help if I could find someone that knew how to make quilts. This 
is where Terry Swayze (4-H leader and Treasurer of the Leaders’ Association) came in to play. I explained to Terry what I wanted to do with the shirts. These three people took on the challenge of helping me to make this special gift a reality in just two short months. Keep in mind these women also have a life… full time jobs, families to take care of, church, 4-H meetings, & holiday events so extra time was precious. Not only did they donate a ton of time on this project but also some sewing supplies & they opened up their homes for space to be able to work on the quilt. We accomplished the goal of making this beautiful quilt but these amazing women also did more than that. Using some of the leftover shirt material Terry made a smaller quilt that we decided to give to my daughter and I was surprised by Robin with a braided rag rug that she made for me.
Though this quilt was not a gift for me per se the reaction from my boyfriend’s daughter, when I gave her the quilt, was priceless. The happy tears, the warmth & security that came from the hug of her father through the quilt and her happy heart was, for me, the best gift of all!!
I find it hard to express in words how appreciative I am for what Terry, Robin, & Sherry did for me. They are true friends. I am honored to be a part of this “4-H family” with these incredible ladies!
4-H is not just for kids…
4-H is forever!
THANK YOU,
Lee Sargent, 4-H Club Leader and former President of the Leaders’ Association
Club News
Lock Stock and Barrel 4-H – Reports that Basic Archery will start on Wednesday, March 27, at 6:00pm and continue through April 3, 10, 17 and 24. New members may sign up for the archery discipline any time before the program begins or on the first day. We meet at the Blue Hill Rifle and Pistol Club on the Range Rd in Blue Hill. Call Norwood and Becky Ames, 4-H club leaders, for more information at 567-3066.
Free 2 Be club has been busy working on many projects this winter. We have chosen two service projects. We made a wooden box to put outside called a give and take box, for giving or receiving small donation items such as mittens, food, books for anyone in our community. We also are volunteering on February 24th to cook and serve a chili supper for The Downeast Table of Plenty, a free volunteer run community supper. We are also
working on our Public Speaking demonstrations, making our posters, and planning a club practice potluck. In addition, one of our club parents, Jennifer Chase, has taught our club to knit and all the kids are enjoying their progress! Submitted by Jenny Lassen, 4-H leader
The Spruced Up Homesteaders – started out 2019 on the right foot…and paw! Our special guest trainer introduced the kids to three different livestock 
guardian dogs with three different temperaments: 1) excited to see you 2) pleased to meet you but I’d rather not play and 3) I feel fearful around you. After some practice, everyone met Lone Spruce Farm’s very own Roamin, who often works his way through all these feelings! Everyone did an outstanding job processing and respecting our canine friends’ body language and boundaries, and will carry these experiences with them forward, setting them up for success in a safe environmet when spending time on the farm.
Our kids also had a bread making meeting and made seeded spelt bread as a group to taste, and also crafted individual sourdough starters to bring home and care for while listening to verses and poetry about bread making throughout! This month the kids also voted on how to allocate their fundraiser earnings, and created cards to send along to the non profit they are supporting! Best of all, everyone shared in each other’s joys as they watched their efforts come to life. So proud of these guys!! Submitted by Kristin Beaucham, Club Leader
Jolly Juniors – The month of January brought sewing, public speaking prep, and ice fishing to the Jolly Juniors 4-H 
Club.
The Cloverbuds first sewing project is always a pillow case! They love cutting out the cloth, ironing and pushing the pedal! Most of the time ironing is their favorite part!
The JJ2s spent a Saturday morning going through preparations for the upcoming public speaking and planning their projects and activities. Even if it’s just making a sandwich, they are happy!!
Best day on the pond – not so much for catching fish but overall not too cold and a lot of folks tried ice skating! Family ice fishing day alway
s provides fun, food, and laughs! We love having former 4-Hers join in the fun – thank you, Blake Hardison, for helping out! Submitted by club leader, Brenda Jordan
State News
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.eduor 207.581.3292. - Citizenship Washington Focus – Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) Start making plans now to visit our Nation’s Capital during the week of June 29 to July 6, 2019. CWF is a leadership program conducted by the National 4-H Council for high school youth ages 14 to 18. Delegations of 4-Hers from across the country spend six days touring the city and attending leadership skill-building workshops. This summer, the Maine delegation will travel down on Saturday, June 29 and travel home Saturday July 6, 2019. You will stay at the National 4-H Conference Center just outside Washington, DC. Visiting the most popular sites in Washington, DC will be a part of the trip, including spending the 4th of July in our nation’s capital. There is a mandatory orientation for Maine delegates on April 27th, 2019. Contact your county 4-H office for details about how to be a part of this experience if you don’t hear from them very shortly. All county offices have different criteria/dates to apply, so please contact them ASAP. Websites are currently being updated. For specific questions, please contact Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator at: heidi.thuotte@maine.edu.
- National Trips
National 4-H Trip Applications Are due March 8th, 2019 (Conference and Congress) National 4-H Trips are excellent opportunities to meet 4-H members from across the nation. Participants learn about many career options, and learn through educational workshops at Congress or become a part of a team making recommendations to National 4-H Council at Conference. To learn more about these trips, visit. Websites are currently being updated. For specific questions, please contact Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator at: heidi.thuotte@maine.edu. - 2019 Engineers’ Week Expo – Every year, near George Washington’s Birthday, engineers across the country celebrate National Engineers Week, as George was a civil engineer who founded our nation. Here in Maine, our custom is to hold a huge “Expo” for all those young engineers (people who explore ingenuity) to visit and get to know us better. Our next Expo will be in southern Maine at USM in Gorham, with a banquet event the night before in Portland. Those of you who’ve come, already know how intense and fun it can be! We hosted over 3,000 last time it was at USM!
Our Expo will be from 9:00-2:00 Saturday, March 2, 2019 in the Field House at USM’s Costello Sports Center. Snacks will be available, with souvenir tee shirts. Campus tours will be available. Check here for general information. Depending on our sponsors, some busing costs will be available. - Winter Tracking Workshop – Please join us for a Winter Tracking Workshop hosted by Maine Wildlife Habitat Education Program. February 9, 2019 from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm at Lake St. George Park in Liberty, Maine. Everyone is welcome to this free event, but pre-registration is required. More information available.
- 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 here.
- Please provide feedback on Project Records! Click the following link to take the 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.
Leaders Meeting Minutes
January 15, 2019
Attendance: Lisa Carney, Meghan Carney, Heather Linnehan, Katherine Jordan, Joannie Jodrey, Brenda Jordan, Norma Hardison, Lee Lee Leonard, Dwight Sargent, Lee Sargent, Terry Swazey, Kasha Robertson (on phone), Staff: Carla, Rosie, Joyce
5 guests were in attendance and prizes were won! Thanks Brenda.
Pledge of allegiance and 4-H pledge given.
Secretary’s Report: There was no meeting in December. Happy New Year!
Treasurer’s Report from Terry Swazey was accepted as read.
Club reports:
Horse of Course: Project Records were started and Carla will come this week to help with project records. Pet shopping and what it can cost for an animal.
Rails N’ Trails: Riding meeting and horses came for kids to ride. December a Christmas party and some short planning on Public Speaking and Projects.
Peninsula Explorers by Blue Hill Heritage Trust. Next session is Ice Fishing. It has been very successful so far, looking forward to planning future sessions and potential collaborations with Blue Hill Grange and Pierce Pond Alewife committee.
Jolly Juniors: Read newsletter. Middle group discussed Public Speaking and watched example videos and guidelines. 1st year Cloverbuds have started the sewing projects. Finishing up with a tie blanket project with 4/5th graders. Ice fishing last of the month.
Horse & Rider: 4 levels of kids and scheduling is hard with overcommitted youth schedules.
Expectations for 4-H club members is 80% attendance.
Old Business:
Leaders Banquet- The banquet was great and the venue was beautiful. Weekends or weeknight is still a question – also discussed ways to recognize volunteers at Cloverfest. This year, Cloverfest in October was well-attended by kids and volunteers. Idea of sending out a survey to all groups and leaders on when to have a Leaders Banquet and Cloverfest.
Cloverfest: The roadshow was great and the kids enjoyed that.
New Business:
Budget: Terry presented the proposed budget. The Committee reviewed the presented budget. Motion to approve, second budget, all in favor.
Review of Committees:
4-H Awareness Days: Heather Linnehan & Sally Jordan – Staff: Rosie Evans
BHF Exhibit Hall/Activity Tent: Carla Scocchi and Rosie Evans
Cloverfest: Officers & Directors
CWF: Sue Baez & Annie Smith
Ellsworth Christmas Parade: Heather Linnehan & Sally Jordan
Food Booth: Lisa Carney (Chair), Bill Carney, Audra Porter, Lee Sargent, Dwight Sargent, Ken Silsby, Terry Swazey
Government Day: Brenda Jordan & Heather Linnehan
June Jamboree: Lisa Carney, Liz Duke, Kasha Robertson, Dwight Sargent, Lee Sargent & Terry Swazey – Staff: Rosie Evans
Leaders’ Banquet: Officers & Directors
Photography Contest: Rosie Evans
Project Records: Lisa Carney, Lee Sargent, Terry Swazey, Carla Scocchi
Public Speaking: Lee Sargent, Terry Swazey, Rosie Evans
Scholarship: Heather Linnehan, Dwight Sargent, Terry Swazey
Steer Raising and Steer Tickets: Dwight Sargent, Joyce Fortier
Style Revue: Joyce Fortier, Rosie Evans
State Animal Science Committee Members
Beef Team – Carla Scocchi
Horse Team – Audra Porter
February Vacation Activity: Brenda will organize with Heather a 4-H movie night/bowling.
Public Speaking: County Tournament, Saturday March 9th, Snow date March 16th. State Tournament Saturday April 6 at noon. Public speaking Workshops: Rosie offers on request basis.
Style Revue: Friday May 10th, rehearsal the 9th
Government Days: Heather and Brenda will organize
Dwight suggested to raise price for Steer Ticket prices for steer money $650. All in favor.
Lee- recognized another leader (Terry and Robin) for helping her make a quilts in memory of a loved one. She wanted to share how special the 4-H Family is to her.
Office Report:
New Dean of Extension starts May 1, Dr. Hannah Carter, 4-H Alumna
New website for Hancock County 4-H: What does this group want on the Leaders Association tab?
Hancock County Extension Association received a budget cut this year, we will be okay this year but not if it continues. It is important to communicate the impact of our programs to stakeholders and county commissioners/government.
Blue Hill Co-op chose Hancock County 4-H for the Sept 2019 “Round Up at the Register” program
Carla purchased 4 tablets for use by Hancock County 4-H. We will use for program evaluation but if there is a need for club programs please let her know.
Volunteer UnConference in Orono coming up January 26
Next Meeting February 12th 6:30pm
Agenda: repairs for food booth…siding and new sign?
Jamboree Planning Meeting
Cooking with Kids
Gluten Free Pancakes
Makes 12, 3-inch pancakes
Ingredients
1 cup Gluten Free Flour Mix
2 Tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 1¼ cups skim milk
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions
- In a small bowl, whisk together gluten free flour mix, sugar and baking powder.
- In a medium bowl beat egg. Add oil and 1 cup of milk and whisk together.
- Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix. Mixture will be thick and lumpy. Add up to ¼ cup more skim milk if you would like a thinner batter.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter into pan, using the back of the spoon to spread the batter around.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and until surface of pancakes have some bubbles, and some have burst. Flip pancakes with a spatula and cook until browned on the bottom – about 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Serve warm with desired toppings.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension Eat Well