January 2019
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Be sure to scroll down to see State 4-H Office Core Newsletter, too!
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Upcoming Events and Important Dates
January 12 Indoor Winter Field Day at PITCH, Rockport
January 12 UMaine Unconference volunteer forum, Lewiston (see State News)
January 18 Deadline to register for Maine Science Fair, Brunswick (3/23-see State News)
January 22 NEW DATE KLLA Meeting, 6pm, Extension office
January 26 UMaine Unconference volunteer forum, Orono (see State News)
January 29 Honorary Page Day, Maine Legislature, Augusta (see State News)
January 30 *NEW SCHEDULE* Oxton Trust Applications due
February 1 ESE Horse, Dairy, Dog, Goat, Sheep Intent forms due (Find forms here)
February 9 Public Speaking Workshop, NEW TIME 9am-12pm (snow date 2/16)–register by 2/4
February 19 KLLA Meeting, 6pm, Extension office
February 22 Deadline to register for KL Public Speaking and Demonstration Tournament (3/3)
January Birthdays
Happy Birthday to Adam Eaton, Nathaniel Dube, and Serena Blasius!
NEW Oxton Trust Applications Due January 30 for All of 2019
Through the generosity and foresight of Robert Oxton, the Oxton Trust Fund was established to support 4-H youth development programs and activities in Knox and Lincoln Counties. The funds are available annually. In an effort to streamline the grant process and better track funds awarded, the Oxton Trust Committee has voted to change from a bi-annual application schedule to a once-a-year application process. This means that clubs, volunteers and members must anticipate what funds they expect to request for the entire 2019 calendar year, and submit an application for funds to the Oxton Trust Committee by January 30, 2019.
Since this is the time of year that clubs are creating their club plan for the year, it seems like a logical time to have these applications due. If, however, a club, volunteer or member discovers a need for funds at a later date in 2019, a special meeting of the committee can be called and an application considered at any time. Funds available for mid-year requests, however, will be more limited.
Grants may be awarded for 4-H youth development programs and projects falling into one of the following areas: leadership, youth development and special programs. Applications can be submitted by 4-H staff, volunteers or members enrolled in the Knox and Lincoln Counties 4-H program. The application form is available at http://umaine.edu/knox-lincoln/4-h/oxton-trust/ and at the Extension office in Waldoboro.
4-H Public Speaking Workshop-Earlier Time
There will be a 4-H Public Speaking Workshop on Saturday, February 9 from 9am-12 noon at Knox-Lincoln UMaine Extension (snow date February 16). Come try some fun activities that will get you ready to participate in the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Public Speaking and Demonstration Tournament on March 3, and the State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament on April 6. This workshop is open to all ages and levels of public speaking experience. If you have competed in the tournament before and want to hone your skills, or if this will be the first time you have tried public speaking, this workshop is for you! Register for this workshop by February 4 by contacting Pamela Doherty at 832-0343, Pamela.doherty@maine.edu.
4-H Public Speaking Reminder
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 3 (snow date March 10), 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 22. The registration form for the Knox-Lincoln tournament can be found at https://extension.umaine.edu/knox-lincoln/4h/public-speaking/. Get more information, including tips for planning your presentation and registration for the 2019 State Public Speaking Tournament, at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/public-speaking/ .
Welcome New 4-H Leaders!
Knox-Lincoln 4-H has gained three new adult 4-H Volunteers and one Junior Leader! We are late in welcoming Kate Ritz to the Knox-Lincoln Leaders’ Association. She has been working with a group of students at Vinalhaven School on a 4-H gardening program, complete with greenhouse!
Kathleen Gross has been a leader for most of the past year. She has been working with the 4-H Garden Club at Prescott Memorial School in Washington, and has volunteered to help with county-wide activities as well.
Carrie Burridge is our newest leader. Her daughter, Kyra, is a member of the Jolly Farmers and the Garden Club. Carrie has already attended a KLLA meeting and we look forward to working with her more.
Sadie Olmsted has completed her training and officially become a Junior 4-H Leader. You may have already witnessed Sadie’s leadership skills as a Youth Helper at 4-H Farm-to-Fair this past summer!
Welcome New Dean of UMaine Cooperative Extension
We are looking forward to welcoming Dr. Hannah Carter as the new Dean of University of Maine Cooperative Extension this spring! Read more.
Master Gardener Volunteer Program Hosts Seed Swap & Saving Workshop
On Saturday, January 26, 10am-2pm at Knox-Lincoln Extension in Waldoboro, Master Gardener Volunteer, Jean Vose, will open the fourth annual Seed Swap & Seed Saving Workshop with a short slide show covering the history of saving seeds. If you have them, bring perennial, annual, biennial, flower, herb or vegetable seeds to share. Please avoid GMO seed and seed from hybrid plants (which won’t grow true to type). The workshop is free and open to the public. Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be served. Directions: https://extension.umaine.edu/knox-lincoln/directions. Park in the rear of the building. (Snow Date: Sat, Feb 2.) FMI, call Vose at 563-7564 or email godslove@tidewater.net.
State 4-H Office Core Newsletter
UMaine 4-H Unconference – not your average volunteer forum! Led by 4-H volunteers for 4-H volunteers, the 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 at: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteers/unconference/
Join us for one or both of these awesome dates! Registration begins at 8:30am and door prizes will be drawn by 3:00pm.
Lewiston – Saturday, January 12, 2019 (snow date January 19, 2019)
Orono – Saturday, January 26, 2019 (snow date February 2, 2019)
Please provide feedback on Project Records!
Click the following link to take the survey. This survey is no longer active.
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 five 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 (or e-mail gayle.jones@maine.edu).
2019 Maine State Science Fair: It’s time to announce the 2019 Maine State Science Fair, to be held Saturday, March 23 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. Prizes and awards include 12 four-year, full-tuition scholarships to The University of Maine (including admission to the UMaine Honors College), and major scholarships from University of New England, College of the Atlantic, and Husson University. In 2018, MSSF awarded over $1 million in scholarships and awards. Other scholarships may be announced in the coming weeks. The Maine State Science Fair is open, without cost, to all Maine high school students who complete their own research or engineering project individually or in teams of 2-3. The purpose of MSSF is to present, learn, and discuss science with peers and STEM professionals from across Maine. Projects are invited from across all STEM disciplines: life sciences, agriculture, mathematics, computer sciences, psychology, energy, physics, marine science, environmental sciences, ecology, chemistry. All STEM projects are considered!
– January 18 – student registration deadline
– February 1 – research plan deadline
– March 1 – preliminary research results deadline
– March 23 – Maine State Science Fair
More information at: https://www.jax.org/education-and-learning/high-school-students-and-undergraduates/maine-state-science-fair
4-H Page Day in Augusta – January 29, 2019: UMaine Day at the Legislature is a day where Cooperative Extension gets to highlight our awesome programs, and 4-H is one of the best! Since legislators like to see 4-H members from their districts, 4-Hers (age 13 or older) are encouraged to serve as Honorary Pages. The Maine 4-H program has up to 30 slots for Honorary Pages.
What does a page do? Legislators are constantly communicating and making decisions while in session and pages make that communication possible. Pages hand out information packets or place the paper information on their desks. Pages will also run communication and documents directly from legislator to legislator.
If you are interested in serving as a page, please contact Diana at 207-622-7546 or diana.hartley@maine.edu. We would love to have pages from all over the state represented. Slots, representing different state senators and representatives, will be filled in the order they are received, but the final deadline is January 20th. If the slot for your legislative district has been filled, your name will be added to a wait list in the order it is received. If you are leaving a message, please be sure to say “I am interested in serving as a 4-H Page at the Legislature on January 29”. Your slot will be reserved if you leave this complete information:
– Full Name
– Age
– Mailing Address
– County
– Phone Number
– Email Address (this is how we will confirm you)
– Name of your School
– Name of your 4-H Club
– Name of your Maine State Representative
– Name of your Maine State Senator
– Name of your Adult Chaperone
– Adult Chaperone’s cell phone number
4-H Honorary Pages will be in the Capitol from 8:30am–3:00pm. A parent or 4-H volunteer must provide transportation and chaperoning. If you have questions, please let Alisha know at alisha.r.targonski@maine.edu.
NEW Expanded Page Day: Explore American Civics even more in Augusta! Afternoon tour and activities with the newly opened First Amendment Museum. After lunch we invite participants of Page Day to explore this new museum experience located in the Gannett House, next door to the Blaine House, on State Street, in Augusta. From 1:30-2:30pm on January 29 the First Amendment Museum will showcase displays as well as have interactive experiences to explore the “Five Freedoms” guaranteed by the First Amendment. There may be limited space for this tour, please indicate when you RSVP for Page Day whether you and your chaperone plan to join.
$1,000 scholarship to the University of Maine in Orono: The inaugural Maryann Hartman Scholarship Essay Contest provides an opportunity for Maine high school students in grades 10-12 to recognize an influential Maine feminist with a personal essay developed in response to this prompt: What Maine feminist has inspired you? Deadline: January 31, 2019, open to Maine high school students in grades 10-12. Learn more and submit essay here
4-H Foundation Scholarships Available: There are several scholarships available to participants in the 4-H Program, pursuing higher education. Deadlines: March 1, 2019 to local UMaine Extension county office; March 8, 2019 to Maine 4-H Foundation. Find information and applications here: https://extension.umaine.edu/4hfoundation/funding/
Eastern States Exposition Horse Intents: 2019 Eastern States Horse tryouts intent to participate is available at: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/animal-science-resources/horse/. AGE CHANGE for 2019, youth who are aged 13-18 (as of December 31, 2018) are eligible to try out as a rider/driver or teen leader. Please contact Kristy Ouellette (kristy.ouellette@maine.edu) if you have any questions. Intent to participate forms must be post marked by 2/1/19.
Citizenship Washington Focus: 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 27, 2019. For more information visit https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/annual-events/citizenship-washington-focus/. 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.
National Trip Applications: due March 8, 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: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/national-trips/. For specific questions, please contact Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator 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! 9:00am-2:00pm 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. See http://www.engineeringme.com for general information. Depending on our sponsors, some busing costs will be available.
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.