February 2020
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Upcoming Events and Important Dates
February 13 *NEW SCHEDULE* KLLA Meeting, 6pm, Extension office
February 14 Deadline to register for KL Public Speaking and Demonstration Tournament (3/1)
March 1 Knox-Lincoln 4-H Public Speaking Tournament, 1-4pm, Jefferson Village School
March 12 KLLA Meeting, 6pm, Extension office
March 14 Winter Fun Day, 10am-1pm, Extension office-register by 3/10
March 15 Deadline to notify KL Extension staff of intent to participate at Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) (age 14-18)
March 20 Applications for 4-H National Conference 2021 and National Congress 2020 due at Knox-Lincoln Extension (age 14-18)
March 28-4/2 4-H National Conference, Washington, D.C. (age 14-18)
April 1 ESE Horse Animal Approval form due
April 1 KLLA Camp/Program Scholarship applications due
April 4 State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament, University of Maine, Orono (snow date 4/5)
February Birthdays
Happy Birthday to Nomi B., Alanna G., Paige G., Elia B., Izabella S., Joshua M., Teah H., Tara M., Britney J., and Julia B.!
Seeking Oxton Trust Committee Members
The Oxton Trust Fund Committee is seeking new members. The committee meets one time per year (usually February). Occasionally the group is asked to meet one or two additional times if the need arises. Members can be from the Knox-Lincoln Counties Extension Association, Knox-Lincoln 4-H Leaders’ Association, 4-H Foundation, Umaine staff, or the communities of Knox and Lincoln Counties. Committee responsibilities:
-Decide when, where and how the committee will function
-Read and evaluate applications submitted to the Fund
-Award funds and track how the money is spent by the applicants
-Track the money in the Fund
For more information, contact Kathryn Jensen: kathryn.a.jensen@maine.edu, 207.832.0343.
4-H Public Speaking at Ag Trades Show
Thanks to all of the Knox-Lincoln 4-H members who spoke on the main stage at State of Maine Agricultural Trades Show 2020 at the Augusta Civic Center in January. The presentations were very well received by show staff and attendees. Hopefully, we can plan to do this again in 2021. Great job representing 4-H Public Speaking!
Winter Fun Day March 14
Sign up for 4-H Winter Fun Day, 10am-1pm on Saturday, March 14. Come enjoy outdoor fun, learn and practice identifying different tree species, and animal tracks (snow/mud dependent). We will also share a potluck lunch together and play some group games. Register by March 10 by contacting Pamela Doherty pamela.doherty@maine.edu, 207.832.0343.
Register Now for the KL 4-H Public Speaking Tournament
Every 4-H member in Knox and Lincoln 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 Knox-Lincoln 4-H Public Speaking & Demonstration Tournament will be held Sunday, March 1 (snow date March 8), 1-4pm at the Jefferson Village School in Jefferson. ALL 4-H’ers are encouraged to practice their Public Speaking Presentations in January and February before the county tournament. Register to participate by February 14. Tips for planning your presentation, including videos and judging criteria are located on the State 4-H Public Speaking page.
Apply for Citizenship Washington Focus
Start making plans now to visit our Nation’s Capital June 27 to July 5, 2020. 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 will tour the city and attend leadership skill-building workshops. 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 25, 2020. Contact your county 4-H office for details about how to be a part of this experience. For specific questions, please contact Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator heidi.thuotte@maine.edu. In Knox-Lincoln, let Cindy Rogers know by March 15 that you intend to go to CWF.
Thanks from a CWF Participant
My name is Sadie O. and last summer I attended Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF), which is a youth leadership [and citizenship] trip to Washington D.C. We took a bus to Chevy Chase Maryland and stayed at the National 4-H Conference Center. We toured the capitol, as well as many monuments, and even got to see the 4th of July fireworks! There were many workshops for the youth and it was very interesting to hear other 4-Her’s opinions about different topics.
I would definitely recommend this trip to other 4-Hers. Thank you to the Oxton Trust Committee for awarding me a scholarship to attend CWF.
National 4-H Trips (Conference and Congress)
National 4-H Trips applications are due at your county Extension office by March 20, 2020. This competitive application process for National 4-H Trips is open to members age 14-18. Both trips are excellent opportunities to meet 4-H members from across the nation. Participants learn about many career options and attend educational workshops at 4-H National Congress in Atlanta, GA. Youth become a part of a team making recommendations to the National 4-H Council at 4-H National Conference in Washington, D.C. For specific questions, contact Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator heidi.thuotte@maine.edu.
Scholarships Offered for Camps and Programs
KLLA is offering scholarships to Knox-Lincoln 4-H members to be used to attend educational camps and programs in the coming year, including, but not exclusive to: 4-H National Trips (CWF, 4-H National Congress and National Conference), summer camps (including Tanglewood, Blueberry Cove, Bryant Pond, and Greenland Point 4-H Camps), science camps, animal camps, exchange programs, and school programs. Preference will be given to applicants attending 4-H-sponsored programs and camps. Applications are due April 1, 2020. The amount of the scholarships will be determined by the funds available and the number of qualified applicants. NOTE: Additional funds are available for 4-H camps through the Maine 4-H Foundation. See the article in the State Core Newsletter below.
State 4-H Office Core Newsletter
Come to Orono for the 2020 4H@UMaine May 29-30, 2020
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.
Save the Date for 2020 Maine 4-H Days
Maine 4-H Days will take place July 16- 19, 2020 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.
UMaine 4-H Unconference – Not Your Average Volunteer Forum!
UMaine 4-H Unconference – a volunteer forum led by 4-H volunteers for 4-H volunteers. UMaine 4-H Unconference will be an organized forum for 4-H volunteers, club leaders, afterschool providers, teachers, parents and teens leaders to gather. UMaine 4-H Unconference is intentionally designed to have YOU teach and learn from each other. There is no agenda—you come with 4-H ideas and topics you want to talk about or learn more about, and we’ll guide the process to get folks into groups where YOU are the experts. All experience levels are welcome and no one person has all the answers. Door prizes will be given at the end of the day. Register online.
Join us for one or both of these awesome dates! Registration begins at 8:30am and door prizes will be drawn by 3:00pm:
-Ellsworth (Ellsworth High School 24 Lejok St. Ellsworth, ME), TO BE RESCHEDULED
-Lewiston (USM Lewiston Auburn Campus – 51 Westminster St. Lewiston, ME) Saturday, March 14, 2020.
4-H Science Saturdays are Returning in 2020!
Thanks to the generous support of the Maine 4-H Foundation, we will be offering opportunities for middle/early high school-aged youth to visit the UMaine campus for targeted science or engineering experiences! Science Saturday programs run from 10 am-1:30 pm, and include time for youth to engage in hands-on activities with professors and current UMaine students, as well as time for lunch in a UMaine dining hall! We need your input! What topics should we offer? Please let us know by filling out the survey.
Maine 4-H Project Records Survey
The final survey regarding the Maine 4-H Project Records is available. 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. This is the third of three surveys. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete an online 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. You will be entered in for a drawing of a Hannaford Gift Card.
Higher Education Scholarships
The Maine 4-H Foundation provides a number of scholarships for graduating seniors. The applications are found online and are due in your local county office by March 1 and to the Maine 4-H Foundation by March 8. Please see the rubric and application requirements online.
Camp Scholarships Available
The Maine 4-H Foundation has camp scholarships ranging from $100-$200 available for 4-H members to any one week of 4-H camp. Try one of our University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers at Blueberry Cove, Bryant Pond, Greenland Point and Tanglewood. Call the camps to ask for a scholarship. Scholarships are based on need and are first-come, first-serve.
National 4-H Dairy Conference
The 66th National 4-H Dairy Conference will be held September 27-30, 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. It will be held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo, which attendees will have the chance to visit. Learn about careers in agriculture, attend seminars on dairy topics, and interact with dairy 4-H members from across the country. The Maine 4-H Animal Science Dairy Committee would love to support a team of motivated kids who are involved with the Dairy Goat, or Dairy Cattle Project Areas for this very unique and meaningful opportunity. 4-H team members must have spent at least 3 years in these project areas, and be at least 15 years old but not yet older than 18 (4-H age). We are also looking for potential 4-H-certified chaperones to help organize and facilitate this trip. Interested parties can contact Tara marble at tara.marble@maine.edu, or 207.778.4650 at the Franklin County Office.
4-H Statewide Teen Dance Seeks Planning Committee Members
There is a small group of 4-H members that is planning a statewide dance for teen 4-H members across the state. We are looking for teen volunteers who would like to be a part of the planning committee for this event. FMI please contact Maddie Gray maddicus83@gmail.com.
4-H Dairy Team Dates
The summer show season is fast approaching and it is time to start preparing for the 2020 Eastern States Exposition. Please save the dates below for Eastern States 4-H Dairy team tryouts and events. Please contact Tara Marble at tara.marble@maine.edu or Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu with any questions.
Note: In order to be eligible for participation on the 2020 ESE 4-H Dairy Team youth must:
-Be enrolled in a 4-H dairy project for at least one year
-Be 12 years old or older by December 31 of the current 4-H year
-Submit an ESE dairy team intent to participate form by Feb. 1, 2020
-Participate in at least one state tryout event
-Submit their animal approval form to their county office by May 1 (if they intend to bring an animal)
-Participate in the Maine State 4-H Dairy show in July
Maine 4-H Dairy Team Dates:
-4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Team Tryouts: 2/15/2020, at 10:00 am at UMA in the Randall Student Center, Room 218 (snow date: 2/16/2020 same time and location)
-4-H Dairy Judging Team Tryouts: 4/18/2020, time and location TBD
-Animal Approval and Lease Form Due Date (for ESE participants): 5/1/2020, in your local County Extension Office
-Animal Approval and Lease Form Due Date (for non-ESE participants): 6/30/2020, in your local County Extension Office
-Maine 4-H Dairy Show 7/18/2020-7/19/2020 at Windsor Fairgrounds