December 4-H 4-U

December 1, 2025 4-H 4-U Newsletter, 4-H News, News

Table of Contents

Important Dates to Remember

  • November 28 – December 14: Tractor Supply Paper Clover Promotion
  • December 14: 2026 National Conference & Congress Applications Due 
  • December 17: Snowball Launchers at Bangor Public Library
  • December 31: 4-H Re-enrollment Deadline
  • December 31: Club Audits

County 4-H News

Tractor Supply Paper Clover Promotion

The Fall Tractor Supply Company 4-H Paper Clover Campaign is coming up November 28–December 14! This nationwide event helps raise support for 4-H programs—and it’s a great opportunity to promote 4-H right here in our community. We encourage members, clubs, and volunteers to stop by your local Tractor Supply store to share what 4-H means to you and help spread the word.

If you plan to participate, please let your club leader and county 4-H staff know when and where you’ll be helping, so we can stay connected and support your efforts.

Remember, participating in the Paper Clover Campaign helps qualify you for scholarships through the County Leaders’ Association—so mark your calendars and join in the fun! Also, check out the 4-H Christmas ornaments!

Snowball Launchers at Bangor Public Library

Get ready for some chilly fun on December 17th at 4 PM at Bangor Public Library! Join us for a Winter STEAM activity where kids will build their own snowball launchers. Experiment with design, test your launcher, and see whose snowball flies the farthest! It’s a hands-on way to explore science, engineering, and creativity this winter—perfect for curious minds of all ages.

Penobscot County 4-H Socks with a Purpose Fundraisergreen and white flyer with examples of socks being sold for Penobscot county 4-H fundraiser

If you have not heard, we’re partnering with Bloom for Good for a fun and cozy way to support our 4-H community! Bloom for Good helps youth organizations like 4-H raise funds through custom socks that support leadership, education, and agricultural advocacy. Proceeds will go to our Penobscot County 4-H Leaders’ Association, which helps fund scholarships and other educational opportunities for youth in our county.

Participation in a county fundraiser is a part of the scholarship eligibility requirements, so this is a great chance for youth and clubs to get involved.

You can help by sharing our Facebook post, the fundraiser link, hanging up flyers, or spreading the word in your clubs, schools, and communities. Every pair of socks sold helps our 4-H members grow, learn, and lead! Please let Wendy or Emily know if you have any questions or need us to forward the flyers to you.

Club News

Welcome Our New 4-H Volunteer!

We’re excited to welcome Marlena as our newest 4-H volunteer! She will be supporting Penobscot Livestock, the very club her children have been a part of. We’re thrilled to have her bring her enthusiasm and family connection to the group. Please join us in giving Marlena a warm welcome to our volunteer community!

Penobscot Livestock 4-H Club

Penobscot Livestock 4-H Club held its first in-person meeting of the year! It was a great mix of voting and creating committees for the upcoming 4H year. We welcomed 5 new members and had 17 returning members.

Our committees include; community service, social, and program. All of our committees are made up of our members and help coordinate and plan community service projects, social gatherings, and learning activities within the club.group of youth

Our members elected Adam B. as President, Brody M. as Vice President, Jace B. as Secretary, Isabella M. as Treasurer, and Kamryn R. as Reporter.

We also welcomed Emily Bishop, Penobscot County Community Education Assistant, to talk about project records. 

State 4-H News

Deadline Extended for National 4-H Trips!

Great news! The application deadline for National 4-H Conference and National 4-H Congress has been extended to December 14. Youth ages 14–18 are encouraged to apply for these incredible national leadership opportunities.

Trip Dates:

  • National 4-H Conference: April 10–15, 2026
  • National 4-H Congress: November 27–December 1, 2026

Interviews for both trips will take place the week of December 15. Selected applicants will be contacted with their interview date and time.

We encourage all interested youth to take advantage of this extended deadline and apply today!

Farm Animal Care FUNdamentals 4-H SPIN Club

Are you interested in learning about livestock animals (such as cows, goats, or sheep)? How do we care for them? How do you know what to feed them, how do you actually do regular health checks and have proper housing? Join the 4-H Animal Science SPIN club. We will have 3 virtual sessions focused on what livestock need to live a healthy life and one field day that provides hands-on experience. Set yourself up for success in your 4-H project by learning the basics of animal care. Participants do not need any prior animal experience or currently own livestock to participate. This is a beginner/introductory level program.

This is a free opportunity for youth ages 9 – 18.  Virtual sessions will be Thursdays, January 22, 29th, February 5, 2026, 4:00-5:15 pm.  February 12th will be an optional session for youth who intend to participate in a 4-H livestock project. The final session will be geared towards youth who are beginning their journey into raising livestock. Learn More and Register Here before January 9, 2026.

4-H Public Speaking Update

You asked, we’re excited! Performing Arts demonstrations will now be part of Speak Up, Maine 4-H the statewide Public Speaking Program.

From dramatic monologues to musical performances, this creative category is your time to express yourself and share your spark center stage.

Performing Arts demonstrations include:

  • a spoken introduction
  • your performance
  • and a spoken conclusion

Specific details, including updated evaluation tools and judges’ support for all categories, will be available soon on the Speak Up, Maine 4-H website and through county staff. Stay tuned!

Maine 4-H ESE Beef Intent to Participate Forms are Now Available

The 2026 Maine 4-H Beef ESE Intent to Participate form is now available online and must be submitted by January 15, 2025. This is a requirement for all youth intending to participate as members of the Maine 4-H Beef Team at the Eastern States Exposition in September. Youth must be 12-18 years old as of December 31, 2025 and have completed one year in a beef project prior to this year. Please contact Kristen Grondin, kristen.grondin@maine.edu, 207-581-8193, or Cathy Bartlett Gray, cathy.gray@maine.edu, 207-743-6329  with any questions.

Market Beef at Fryeburg Fair3 brown cattle, one white faced, standing in a field

The 2026 Maine 4-H Intent to Sell a Market Beef Project at Fryeburg Fair is now available for eligible youth.  The animal must be owned and in the youth’s possession, and the youth must be enrolled in their county by December 31, 2025.  More information and the form are available on the Maine 4-H Beef page.  Online forms must be submitted, and paper copies must be postmarked by January 6, 2026.

4-H Volunteer Corner: Your corner for connection, tips and tricks
Nurturing Sparks (Part 3 of 3)

Once you notice a spark, did you know you can actually help fuel it? 4-H volunteers support youth sparks by facilitating exploration through varied activities, fostering a supportive environment where questions are valued, encouraging exploration, and building relationships that empower youth to discover and develop their passions. Connecting youth with resources, mentors, or new opportunities is a great way to help fuel the spark. Other ideas for you as a 4-H volunteer include:

  • Modeling curiosity:  Showing your own excitement for learning and discovery can encourage youth to adopt a similar mindset.
  • Showing genuine interest:  Listening actively to the youth’s thoughts, opinions, and aspirations to build trust and encourage their self-expression can be powerful. Sometimes we all need a sounding board.
  • Allowing for silence and space:  Giving youth time to think, process information, and formulate their own ideas without the pressure of immediate answers can be helpful. Circling back to a topic after a few weeks, asking if they have given any more thought to something, or inquiring to see how you might help them with a next step, can help youth feel supported.

4-H Volunteer Huddle:

Join us for a short “gather and learn session” to help you up your game. We meet on the first Friday of each month from 12:00-12:30 pm via Zoom. Whether you are an experienced 4-H volunteer or just getting started, there’s something for everyone. We’d love to see you there! No registration required!

  • Dec. 5- Delegating/Asking parents and other adults to help
  • January 2, 2026- Navigating 4-H Curriculum Resourcesseveral hands holding up letter that spell volunteer

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android:
maine.zoom.us/j/82015703524?pwd=QkT05bDbaaDIeYAQ8aGUd4eco5c6Rd.1
Password: volunteer

4-H Volunteer Connections
January 21, 2026 Volunteer Excellence: Recognizing Achievement, Inspiring Growth
6:30-8:00pm

Connect with 4-H volunteers from states in the North East region to hear inspiring 4-H volunteer stories including those recognized through the National 4-H Salute to Excellence Award. Come celebrate success, learn from peers, and strengthen your own impact. Free to attend, but registration is required! Register here!

4-H Volunteer Opportunities Calendar:
Find our 4-H volunteer training opportunities on our calendar of events here – scroll to the bottom of the page to subscribe to the calendar and never miss upcoming events, workshops, and more!

Resource Spotlight
Do you work with Cloverbuds (youth ages 5-8)? If so, check out these resources!

  • We love our friends at Ohio State University for creating an amazing collection of Click and Do 4-H Cloverbud activities! All organized by themes, there’s something for everyone!
  • A welcoming environment is the cornerstone to a successful 4-H club meeting.  Try these Icebreakers for Cloverbuds from Michigan State University!
  • Looking for some holiday craft ideas for younger youth? Check out this Holiday Activity Guide from National 4-H Council- there is even a cookie recipe collection included!

Maine 4-H Ag Challenge Open Through 2025

As announced earlier this year, Maine 4-H is celebrating  “The Year of Youth in Agriculture” with the 4-H Ag Challenge. Many 4-H’ers from around the state have already taken on the challenge and been awarded their commemorative hat.

Many members completed and turned in challenge forms at local fairs
Photo by Megan Cook.
Two members show off the compost bin they made as part of the ag challenge
Photo by Michael Guerrette.

We encourage all our members to delve deeper into the rich and diverse world of Maine agriculture. This is the perfect time for our 4-H members to explore the many facets of this dynamic industry.

To help you do just that, Maine 4-H has launched the 4-H Ag Challenge! This special challenge is designed to guide members through an exploration of the unique and vast opportunities within Maine agriculture. To complete the challenge, members must complete activities from each section, with the number of required activities varying by age group:

– Cloverbud (ages 5-8): 2 activities per section
– Junior (ages 9-13): 3 activities per section
– Senior (ages 14-18): 4 activities per section

Download the Ag Challenge PDF. Some of these activities you may already be doing!

Once you’ve completed your activities, please return the form to the 4-H Ag Leadership team at mailto:extension.4hagleadership@maine.edu or to your local UMaine Extension office. As a special reward for completing the challenge, you will receive a specially designed Maine 4-H Ag Challenge hat! Prizes will be mailed to those who complete the challenge. This challenge will run through the entirety of 2025, but time is running out. Don’t miss out on this fun opportunity!

If you have any questions please contact:
Megan Cook
4-H Youth Development Professional, Aroostook County
megan.cook@maine.edu
207.532.6548

Penobscot County 4-H Leaders’ Association

Penobscot County 4-H Leaders’ Association Meeting Minutes – November 20, 2025

Attendance: Emily Pigeon (staff), Lucia Brown (Sec./Treas.), Scott Leeman (Pres.), Grace Coffee, Donna Gangitano, Erin Percival Carter, Corinna Caron (VP)

The meeting was called to order at 6:03.

Secretary’s Report: Scott motions to accept the minutes as written, Erin seconds.  All in favor.

Election of Officers:

President – Nominee, Scott Leeman
Vice President – Nominee, Corinna Caron
Secretary – Nominee, Lucia Brown
Treasurer – Nominee, Lucia Brown

Grace makes a motion to elect the slate of officers as presented, Erin seconds.  No discussion.  All in favor. 

 4-H Fun Fact/Ongoing Reframing of Volunteer Voices

 Volunteer Voices recap and sharing of resources – thoughts from the meeting

  • Web site (Volunteers, potential families) more user friendly
  • Projects – what are available at the fair, county
  • Curriculum – grab and go
  • 4-H Curriculum in schools
  • More enrolled volunteers/more parent engagement
  • Animal science – roster of specialists
  • Back to basics – how to run meetings
  • Club meetings – support, ideas, how-to, organization
  • Volunteer connections – share ideas
  • 4-H presence/visibility in the state

Emily shared a club resource for officers.  It is available to be shared with clubs and youth.  Too big to email.  Emily would be happy to print off copies.

Emily asked if anyone wanted to share resources.  Some leaders are very new and not sure what works yet.  Donna says that often starting small is good.  They are going to have a rock painting activity, there are lots of small things that kids can learn from a basic thing.  Having more involved parents is helpful.  Do we want to continue touching on volunteer voices in the future?  Yes, that would be welcome.  Emily will do that again in Feburary; she’ll report out on 4-H Congress in January. 

Staff Reports:

  • Emily will be in Atlanta for National Congress from November 28 to December 2. She will be able to answer emails, but they might be delayed.
  • Final call on free older resources in office (will be allowing others to grab them in December)

 Deadlines:

  • December 14: 2026 National Conference & Congress Applications Due (this got extended); Conference will be held in Apr. 2026, Congress will be held in Nov. 2026.  Applications for 2027 will be due in October.
    December 31: ZSuite Reenrollment
  • December 31: Insurance $
  • December 31: Club Audits
  • February 14: Sock Fundraiser

 Current/Upcoming Events

  • November 28 – December 14: Tractor Supply Paper Clover Promotion – need to let the TSC and Wendy know that we plan to go; leaders will report to Wendy who attended.
  • December 17: Bangor Library Snowball Launchers 

Club Audits – Due December 31.  Must be turned into the 4-H Office by Jan. 1.  Emily has one so far.  EIN’s

Camperships – None.

Commodity/Event Grants – None.

Fundraising

  • Sock fundraiser – Sock fundraiser is live.   Share the Facebook info, please.  Emily has hung some flyers and would print more for folks.  Info will be posted at the TSC display. 
  • Bottle drive – discuss again this spring.
  • Fedco fundraiser – Corinna wonders if we want to do it again?  Discussion, all are in favor, we’ll try it again. 

 BSF:

2026 Dates: July 30-Aug 8.  Any commodity changes need to be in by mid-December.  Changes for existing shows, exhibits, and commodities will be based on a review of last year’s book.  Requests to add commodities or shows should be submitted to the BSF livestock rep., Emily can provide that information. 

Next Meeting: January 15, 2025 – 6:00 pm

Secretary’s Report
Treasurer’s Report
Staff Reports
Camperships
Commodity Grants
Fundraising
Bangor State Fair

Lucia makes a motion to adjourn at 6:40pm, seconded by Scott.  All in favor.  See everyone in January!

Contact:  Wendy Robertson, Administrative Specialist, by email at wendy.robertson@maine.edu or by phone at 942.7396 or contact Emily Pigeon, Community Education Assistant, email emily.pigeon@maine.edu

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