June 4-H 4-U
Table of Contents
- Important Dates to Remember
- County 4-H News
- Club News
- State 4-H News
- Penobscot County 4-H Leaders Association
Important Dates to Remember
- June 4: Bangor Public Library Wildlife 4 pm – 5 pm
- June 5: Fryeburg Market Lamb Intent Forms Due
- June 6: Hancock County June Jamboree Registration Due
- June 6: Good Vibes Social Club 4-H Day 10 am – 2 pm
- June 11 – 14: Springfield Fair
- June 16: June Leaders’ Association Meeting
- June 18 – 21: Pittston Fair
County 4-H News
Fun With 4-H
Emily, Penobscot County 4-H Community Education Assistant, is offering monthly teen programs at the Bangor Public Library in the Teen Room, on the first Thursday of each month. This session will be on June 4 from 4 to 5 pm. Youth will learn about Maine wildlife through pelts, skulls, rubber tracks, and scat. All are welcome to join the fun and explore simple chemistry in action. The next session will be on July 2; the activity is to be
Good Vibes Social Club Field Day
Good Vibes Social Club, (983 Hampden Rd, Carmel) is hosting a field day Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Emily and Meg, Maine 4-H Science Professional, will be offering youth activities at the event as well as Shoes N’ Shears will be bringing their animals! Whether you come for the activities, the animals, or the yard sale all are welcome to join.
Penobscot County Cooperative Extension is Relocating
All of you should have received an email from Emily with more information about the move. If you did not or if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to Emily or Wendy for more information.
Club News
Penobscot Valley Homeschool Adventurers
This month, our club jumped into fair season by dividing into work groups to build our 4-H Club display. Youth collaborated on different pieces of the project, and their teamwork paid off—the display was fully finished by the end of the meeting. With their hard work complete, members rounded out the evening with games and time to relax and have fun together.
State 4-H News
Register Now for the 2026 4-H Summer Learning Series
Registration is now open for this year’s 4-H Summer Learning Series, our largest offering of virtual programming, and will open to the general public on June 5, 2026. Workshops will cover a range of topics – favorites like Adulting 101 and Dissect and Detect, as well as loads of new areas: Intro to Game Lab, Mission to Mars, and all sorts of other topics. Workshops will run from July 6 to August 7, 2026. Find out more on the 4-H Summer Learning website.
Sea Dogs Ticket Raffle for 4-H
The Maine 4-H Foundation has purchased a group of Sea Dogs tickets for Cooper Flagg Bobble Head night on Wed, Aug 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM. They will be given away in pairs through a raffle. If you are a 4-H member, or young person involved with our camp and learning centers, or online 4-H virtual learning, and want to put your name in for the drawing, please email Julie Hart at julie@themagiclantern.org. Please provide your name and contact information in the email.
Please submit your name by June 15th. We will hold the drawing on June 17th, and then tickets will be mailed to the winners.
The Alfond Grant
Hey there! Do you have a child or grandchild born in Maine on or after January 1, 2013? Guess what? They’ve got something special called a $500 Alfond Grant waiting for them! (The Grant was also available on a more limited basis from 2008 to 2012).
The Alfond Grant is a jumpstart for a child’s education after high school. By the time they graduate high school, their Alfond Grant could be worth up to $2,000!
The great part is that the Alfond Grant can be used for all sorts of education, such as college, trade school, or even certificates. And it can be used in Maine as well as outside the state.
Curious to know more? Check out www.MyAlfondGrant.org to get all the details. This grant is just the beginning of exciting possibilities for your child’s future education!
Animal Science Challenge
The Maine 4-H Foundation is offering a challenge to 4-H animal science committees and programs. The Foundation will match up to $3,000 per committee to support animal science programs and educational programs. A 1 to 1 match will be made for current and past donors, and 1:2 matches for new donors. Questions can be asked by contacting Susan Jennings at 207.615.7300, or email maine4hfoundation@gmail.com.
Hancock County June Jamboree
June Jamboree is back for another exciting weekend, and you’re invited! The 2026 June Jamboree will be held on June 12-13 at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds in Hancock County. 4-Hers can plan to camp with us on the fairgrounds on the 12th, and wake ready to participate in fun-filled workshops and activities on the 13th! 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 13 – be sure to stop by to explore! Registration will open to enrolled 4-H members on May 11th. June Jamboree Workshops are first-come, first-served, so don’t delay! The public may begin registering on May 18th. Registration closes June 6th, so don’t forget to sign up!
Fryeburg Market Lamb Intent Forms Due June 5, 2026
Intent forms for Fryeburg Fair market lambs are now available online. Market Lambs must be owned and in possession of 4-H’er by June 1, 2026, and must be a castrated male. In order to be eligible for participation, 4-H members must meet the following requirements: Send Intent to Sell Form, original bill of sale/value of lamb statement, and pictures of your animal (front and side view) to your county office by June 5th.
Animal approval forms for lambs must include the scrapie tag number and list “Fryeburg Sale” as the show class.
Additional requirements as well as the fillable online form can be found online on our Fryeburg Fair information page. For more information please contact Sadee Mehuren at 207.342.5971; sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or the State 4-H Office at 207.581.3877.
4-H Working Steer Tryout Information
The show season is fast approaching! Working steer ESE intent forms (due May 1st), volunteer interest forms, team member guidelines, and apprentice guidelines are all available one at the Animal Science Resource website. The dates for team tryouts are listed below.
ESE Working Steer Tryouts:
- June 14, 2026 at Windsor Fairgrounds
- July 11, 2026, Ossipee Valley Fair
- August 13, 2026, Skowhegan Fair
If you have any questions, please contact Hillary Arsenault, ESE coordinator, at maineworkingsteer@gmail.com; 207.592.3320 or Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu; 207.342.5971
New 4-H Rabbit and Poultry Opportunity!
4-H members now have an exciting new opportunity to showcase their skills at The Big E’s first 4-H Rabbit & Poultry Show! Open to youth ages 12 and above, this event is a great way to learn new skills, compete in regional 4-H shows, and connect with others who share an interest in rabbits and poultry.
Participants can look forward to a variety of engaging activities, including breed shows, showmanship competitions, agility contests, and more. Whether you’re experienced or just getting started, this event offers something for everyone. Interested in participating or learning more? Be sure to complete the Maine 4-H Poultry and Rabbit Team Interest Form.
For more information please contact Sadee Mehuren at 207.342.5971 or sadee.mehuren@maine.edu.
June 2026 4-H Volunteer Corner: Your corner for connection, tips, and tricks!
Developmental Relationships
What are Developmental Relationships? These are positive connections between youth and caring adults that provide a foundation for growth, fostering trust, warmth, and mutual respect. The caring, consistent connections that you engage in with 4-H members help youth grow. By building a relationship of trust, such relationships can give young people the encouragement and guidance they need to succeed. In essence, developmental relationships are the nurturing connection that helps youth in 4-H programs navigate their experiences and develop into well-rounded, purposeful individuals.
When we observe a developmental relationship we see:
- active engagement and trust,
- balanced power dynamics and
- intentional connection.
Developmental relationships sound like:
- words of encouragement,
- praise for effort and achievements, and
- expressions that the person feels known, valued, and enjoyed.
4-H Volunteer Summit
Saturday, November 7, 2026
We hope this is where you will plan to be! We have an amazing line up for the day with engaging workshops, a Discovery Zone, a 4-H Pop Up Shop and more! Save the date, check out the 4-H Volunteer Summit webpage and look for registration to open soon!
Resource Spotlight
Does your 4-H club have officers and run a short business meeting? If so, check out this Parliamentary Procedure resource from the University of Illinois Extension. Super simple to understand, it will provide guidance on how to run a business meeting that is orderly and efficient. The rules are designed to ensure that everyone has a chance to participate, be heard and help the group reach decisions. If you are looking for some activities to help teach parliamentary procedure to young people, try this Parliamentary Procedure Activities Resource from Michigan State University. Let us know if you try one out- we’d love to hear how it went!
National Index Survey 2026- Help us reach our goal of 141!
Penobscot County 4-H Leaders’ Association
Penobscot County 4-H Leaders’ Association Meeting Minutes – May 21, 2026
Attendance: Emily Pigeon (staff), Lucia Brown (Sec./Treas.), Scott Leeman (Pres.), Donna Gangitano, Rebecca Briggs, Landon B., Hadleigh B., Corinna Caron (VP)
The meeting was called to order at 6:03.
Secretary’s Report: Corinna motions to accept the minutes as written, Scott seconds. All in favor.
Corinna and Abby were unable to find the campership check from 2025. Lucia will re-issue it. They thought they had cashed it, but they realized that was a different check.
Staff Report:
Call for help! This could be volunteers, trusted teens, or youth with a parent
- June 6th Good Vibes Social Club
- Paris Farmers Union in Newport June 20th, fundraising/tabling/demonstration event
- July 8-10th 1-5 pm (we pick day and time that works best for us) Edythe Dyer Library in Hampden
New Club and Leader – Aquatic Science 4-H Club w/ Daniel Weaver. June 15 is their first meeting.
Cleanup day – Help Emily clear out materials before the move. The Penobscot County Office will be moving to a building on campus at UMaine. The building is much smaller.
Deadlines:
- 5/22 Summer Learning Registration Opens
deadline varies per workshop, earliest closure is 6/18 - 6/6 Hancock County June Jamboree Registration Due
Current/Upcoming Events:
- 5/26 Bangor Public Library Seed Starting 3 pm – 4 pm
- 5/30 Pollen Palooza at Rogers Farm 10 am – 1 pm
- 5/30 Adoptive Foster Family Event @ Fort Knox 11 am – 2 pm (Emily and Kaylee will be attending)
- 6/4 Bangor Public Library Maine Wildlife 4 pm – 5 pm
- 6/6 Good Vibes Social Club 4-H Day 10 am – 2 pm
- 6/11-14 Springfield Fair
- 6/18 June’s Leaders Meeting
- 6/18-21 Pittston Fair
Scholarships – none
Camperships: Ben T – PVHA – his projects are STEM related. He would like to attend Hirundo, Discover Your Inner Naturalist. This camp is about connecting with nature and making an impact. The camp cost is $185. They are requesting the full cost of the camp. Lucia makes a motion to approve the campership request. Scott seconds. No discussion. All in favor.
Commodity/Event Grants – None.
Fundraising: Gift cards that we can raffle off? Emily received a gift card from TSC. Not sure what to do with that; we also have a gift card from Lupo’s Gym.
BSF:
June 1 deadline – need to submit to the fair for the exhibitors that intend to be on display for the week.
Emily is drafting a list of youth activities that Cooperative Extension will be hosting in the ballroom.
Next Meeting: June 18, 2026 – 6:00 pm
Secretary’s Report
Treasurer’s Report
Staff Reports
Scholarships
Camperships
Commodity Grants
Fundraising
Bangor State Fair
Lucia made a motion to adjourn at 6:29 pm, seconded by Scott. All in favor.
Contact: Wendy Robertson, Administrative Specialist, by email at wendy.robertson@maine.edu or by phone at 942.7396 or contact Emily Bishop, Community Education Assistant, email emily.pigeon@maine.edu
University of Maine Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity institution and provider committed to nondiscrimination.
For more information, visit extension.umaine.edu/nondiscrimination.