Waldo County 4-H Newsletter – February 2020

January 31, 2020 Waldo County 4-H Newsletter

4-H on the Move

A Monthly Newsletter for Waldo County 4-H Members and Volunteers

Download the PDF: Waldo 4-H Newsletter 2020-02

Table of Contents

  • Upcoming Dates
  • County News
    • 4-H Leaders’ Assoc.
    • Public Speaking Opportunity
    • Waldo County 4-H Fundraiser
    • Animal Approval and Lease Forms
    • County Club News
  • State News
    • 4-H Unconference
    • 4-H Dairy Team Dates
    • Post-Secondary Scholarships
    • National 4-H Trips
    • 2020 4H@UMaine
    • National 4-H Dairy Conference
    • 4-H Science Saturdays
    • Maine 4-H Project Records Survey
    • 4-H Statewide Teen Dance Committee
    • Camp Scholarships
    • Tanglewood February Vacation Camp

Upcoming Dates

2/6: 4-H Leaders’ Association Monthly Meeting
2/6: 4-H Page Day (Part of UMaine Day at the Legislature)
2/8: Eastern Maine 4-H Unconference
2/11: Tanglewood February Vacation Camp registrations due
2/15: Maine 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Tryouts
2/17: Cooperative Extension Office Closed
2/19: 4-H Citizenship Washington Focus Applicant Interviews
2/29: Penobscot County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament
3/1: Maine 4-H Foundation Post-Secondary Scholarship Applications Due
3/14: Southern Maine 4-H Unconference
3/20: National 4-H Congress and Conference Applications due
4/4: Rural Living Day (4-H raffle)
5/2: Maine 4-H Dairy Judging Team Tryouts

County News

4-H Leaders’ Association

The Waldo County 4-H Leaders’ Association is a group of 4-H volunteers who work to promote 4-H by working with the Waldo County 4-H staff to disseminate content, support county projects, and provide consideration for problems, projects, and policies related to county 4-H work. All enrolled 4-H volunteers are part of the 4-H Leaders’ Association and are welcome to attend the monthly meetings. The Waldo County 4-H Leaders’ Association meets on the first Thursday of each month at the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office at 10:00 am.

Public Speaking Opportunity

Waldo County 4-H members have been invited to participate in the Penobscot County Public Speaking Tournament on February 29 at 10:00 am at the Penobscot County Cooperative Extension office. Participants will compete against other 4-H members to qualify for a chance to compete at the Maine State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament in April. For more information on public speaking 4-H projects visit extension.umaine.edu/4h/public-speaking or call 207.342.5971.

Waldo County 4-H Leaders’ Association Fundraiser

The Waldo County 4-H Leaders’ Association is hosting a basket raffle to raise money for Waldo County 4-H programming and national 4-H trip scholarships. We are asking that each club participate in the fundraiser by selling raffle tickets.  Tickets will be available shortly and each club will have tickets available to sell. Ticket sales will start in March and end at Rural Living Day on April 4th, 2020. Winners will not need to be present at Rural Living Day, but anyone who is interested in attending Rural Living Day can find more information at extension.umaine.edu/waldo/event/rural-living-day-2020. Please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu if you would like to help with ticket sales at Rural Living Day.

Animal Approval and Lease Forms

Any 4-H member who plans on showing at 4-H livestock shows in 2020 will need to complete an animal approval form and lease form. Animal approval and lease forms are due at your local county extension office by June 30th unless you are attending Eastern States Exposition. Please see the dates below for Eastern States approval form deadlines.

  • ESE 4-H Horse Team: approval and lease forms due 4/1/2020
  • ESE 4-H Dairy Team: approval and lease forms due 5/1/2020
  • ESE 4-H Working Steer Team: approval and lease forms due 5/1/2020

County Club News

Born to Ride 4-H horse club

We ended the year on a good note with lots of fun and many great accomplishments. Starting 2020 season off to a great start getting our schedule done for the year. And off we go!!!!

4-H Born to Ride member with event ribbons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Laura Bissell

State News

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 at: extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteers/unconference.

Join us for one or both of these awesome dates! Registration begins at 8:30 and door prizes will be drawn by 3:00:

  • Ellsworth (Ellsworth High School 24 Lejok St. Ellsworth, ME), Saturday February 8, 2020 (snow date February 29, 2020 – location TBD)
  • Lewiston (USM Lewiston Auburn Campus – 51 Westminster St. Lewiston, ME) Saturday, March 14, 2020

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. More information on the Eastern States Exposition 4-H dairy team and how to get involved in a 4-H dairy project can be found at extension.umaine.edu/4h/animal-science-resources/dairy. 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 31st 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 1st (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)
  • Animal Approval and Lease Form Due Date (for ESE participants): 5/1/2020, in your local County Extension Office
  • 4-H Dairy Judging Team Tryouts: 5/2/2020, time and location TBD
  • 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 (including 4-H Grilled Cheese Contest and 4-H Dairy Fitting Contest): 7/18/2020 – 7/19/2020 at the Windsor Fairgrounds

Post-Secondary Education Scholarships

The Maine 4-H Foundation provides a number of scholarships for graduating seniors. The applications are found on line and are due in the county office by March 1 and to the Maine 4-H Foundation by March 8th. Please see the rubric and application requirements on line at extension.umaine.edu/4hfoundation/funding.

National 4-H Trips (Conference and Congress)

National 4-H Trip Applications are due March 20th, 2020 (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: extension.umaine.edu/4h/national-trips.

For specific questions, please contact Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator at: heidi.thuotte@maine.edu.

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.

National 4-H Dairy Conference

The 66th National 4-H Dairy Conference will be held September 27 to September 30, 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. It will be held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo and attendees will have the chance to visit Expo as part of the conference agenda. Additionally, the conference will offer opportunities to learn more about careers in agriculture, seminars on dairy topics, and a wealth of chances to interact with dairy 4-H members from across the country.

More info about the conference can be found here (check back for updates as they happen): national4hdairyconference.org/2018/11/07/join-us-in-2019.

The Maine 4-H Animal Science Dairy Committee would love to try and send/support a team of motivated kiddos who are involved with the Dairy Goat, or Dairy Cattle Project Areas for this very unique and meaningful opportunity.

The National 4-H Dairy Conference requires that 4H team members: Have spent at least 3 years in those project areas, and be at least 15 years old but not yet older than 18 (4-H age).

We are also looking for potential VOLT Chaperones who might like to help organize and facilitate this trip. If we have an idea of how many kids are interested we can plan our fundraising efforts accordingly. Interested parties can contact Tara marble at tara.marble@maine.edu, or 207-778-4650 at the Franklin County Office.

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 here: umaine.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9pN1is3NtSzne4J.

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 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. You will be entered in for a drawing of a Hannaford Gift Card. The survey is available here: umaine.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_78SczkYK7t5bMIl.

4-H Statewide Teen Dance Seeks Planning Committee Members

There is a small group of 4-H members who would like to plan a statewide formal 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 Winter event. FMI please contact Maddie Gray at maddicus83@gmail.com.

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 first come, first serve. extension.umaine.edu/4h/camps

Tanglewood 4-H Learning Center February Vacation Camp

February 18-21, 2020 8:30 am – 3:30 pm

Each day of February Vacation Camp will begin with a scenic mile-long hike to Big Pine Lodge. Activities include animal tracking, snowshoeing, building snow shelters, and exploring the ecology of the winter season through games and hands-on lessons. Each day concludes with hot chocolate and stories in a warm cabin.

Plenty of new adventures are waiting for us this winter, so remember to come prepared!

Please register online and complete all required forms prior to Tuesday, February 11, 2020. Once completed, the online forms are valid for the rest of our programs this year – April Vacation, Summer Camp, etc.

Contact Patti at 207.789.5868 or email patricia.chapman@maine.edu with any questions or if you need paper registration materials.

Dates: Tuesday, February 18 – Friday, February 21, 2020
Grades: K-6
Cost: $155 per child
Schedule: 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
What to bring: bag lunch & a snack, clothes for winter exploration & play (extra socks & mittens) – see FAQ sheet on website for more details!
Tanglewood provides: snowshoes (no prior experience necessary), warm & cozy lodge, adventure & learning.

For more information and to register: extension.umaine.edu/tanglewood/event/February-vacation-camp.