Waldo County 4-H Newsletter – December 2019

December 6, 2019 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 2019-12

Table of Contents

  • County News
    • Upcoming Dates
    • Waldo County 4-H Leaders’ Association
    • Re-Enrollments and New Enrollments Due by 12/31
    • Club Informational Meetings
    • Inclement Weather and Extension Office Closures
    • 2019 Waldo County 4-H Recognition Night
  • State News
    • UMaine Day at the Legislature
    • Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)
    • Save the Date for 2020 Maine 4-H Days
    • 4-H Science Saturdays are Returning in 2020!
    • 4-H Statewide Teen Dance Seeks Planning Committee Members
    • Save the Date! 4-H Animal Science Bonanza
    • Winter Becoming an Outdoors Woman Program
    • Beef ESE Intent Forms
    • Public Speaking Projects

County News

Upcoming Dates

12/5: Waldo County 4-H Leaders’ Association Meeting
12/25: Cooperative Extension office is closed
12/31: Re-enrollment packets due at Cooperative Extension office
1/31: 2020 CWF applications due
2/6: 4-H Page Day (part of UMaine Day at the Legislature)

Waldo County 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.

Re-Enrollments and New Enrollments Due by 12/31

ALL enrollment packets are due Monday, December 31st. Renewing members and clubs are expected to re-enroll 10/1-12/31 each year.

New members may enroll at any time. However, both new and re-enrolling members must be enrolled by December 31 to participate in events and activities such as, but not limited to, state-wide market animal auctions, Eastern States Exposition competitions, National 4-H Congress, National  4-H Conference, and to be eligible for 4-H post-secondary scholarships.

Club Informational Meetings

Poster request form: extension.umaine.edu/waldo/4h/forms/

4-H Club Informational Meetings happen annually. All 4-H clubs are required to post flyers in community public places announcing these meetings for families to visit and learn about local    4-H opportunities and club programs. Parents/guardians must attend club information meetings with their children or teens. Holding 4-H Club Informational Meetings helps to ensure that Extension staff and volunteers are meeting Civil Rights obligations through public outreach and making programs accessible to all.

Inclement Weather and Extension Office Closures

UMaine Extension offices gauge office closures in accordance with the nearest University Campus. Office closures happen when inclement weather or non-weather-related issues come up and may require the office to close. The Waldo County Extension typically follows UMaine Frederick Hutchinson Center for inclement weather purposes.

Please note there are times when an office may have to close even though the respective University Campus is in session and or not in session. The best practice is to call your local county Extension office to see if the office is open for business or if a program has been cancelled or rescheduled.

2019 Waldo County 4-H Recognition Night

On Saturday, November 16th Waldo County 4-H held their annual recognition night at the Waldo Community Center. The event included a potluck dinner, awards ceremony, and games hosted by Stephen and Ben from the Game Loft. Thank you to all the 4-H members, leaders, volunteers, family members, and friends who made this 4-H year a success! The following recognition and awards were presented to 4-H members and clubs.

Project Record Awards

White ribbons for project record submissions:

  • Brandon
  • Jayden
  • Julianna

Red ribbons for project record submission:

  • Eric
  • Hannah

Blue ribbons for project record submissions:

  • Emily G.
  • Lily
  • Shoshanna
  • Zoe

Medals for project record submissions:

  • Emily C.
  • Ryan
  • Samantha

Cloverbud participation ribbons for project records:

  • Brooke
  • Elizabeth
  • Isaac
  • Isabella
  • Leah
  • Liza
  • Lucy
  • Tayla
  • Zia

Citizenship Washington Focus Participants

Recognition for representing Waldo County 4-H at Citizenship Washington Focus:

  • Alex
  • Finnigan

Tech Changemakers Participants

Recognition for representing Waldo County 4-H in the national Tech Changemakers program:

  • Brandon
  • Eric
  • Jayden

New Club Charters

The Ride-On Cloverbud 4-H Club received their club charter and a set of club flags.

Blue Ribbon 4-H Clubs

The Little Beavers 4-H Club and Born to Ride 4-H Club received blue ribbons for outstanding club work!

State News

UMaine Day at the Legislature

4-H Page Day in Augusta – February 6, 2020, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

University of Maine Day at the Legislature is a day where Cooperative Extension gets to highlight our awesome programs, including 4-H. Since legislators like to see 4-H members from their districts, 4-H’ers (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. Watch for more information coming soon!

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. 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.

4-H Honorary Pages will be in the capitol from 8:30 am to 3:00pm. A parent or 4-H volunteer must provide transportation and chaperoning.

If you would like to apply to be a 4-H page or have any questions about the process please contact the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office.

Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)

Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) is a 4-H leadership program for high school youth, ages 15-19, from across the country. Take your 4-H experience to another level through Citizenship Washington Focus, a six-day intensive summer citizenship program for youth. CWF delegates learn about the democratic process and their role as citizens while they experience our nation’s capital. Get the inside scoop about how government really works from prominent guest speakers and interact with Maine’s state senators and representatives and/or their staffers.

Program fellows lead bill writing workshops, as well as a national issues forum and mock elections. There are congressional sessions that prepare youth for leadership now and in the future.

Waldo County youth who are interested in attending the Citizenship Washington Focus program this summer can obtain an application by contacting the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office or by visiting: extension.umaine.edu/waldo/4h/forms/

Scholarships are available for Waldo County 4-H members to help cover the cost of attending CWF. To apply for a CWF scholarship check the box that reads “I am applying for a CWF Scholarship and I will be 15 years old by January 1, 2020” on the Waldo County CWF application.

Non-4-H and mature 14-year old youth may attend this event with approval from the county office they represent. Generally, this is a one-time experience, but youth may attend more than once but they will pay the full participation price. The 4-H Foundation does not provide scholarships to non-4-H members.

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.

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 to 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 online survey.

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.

Save the Date! 4-H Animal Science Bonanza

January 11, 2020 at the Walpole Elementary School, 8 Bemis Rd, Walpole, NH. This 4-H program will have beef, sheep, goat, dairy, and horse workshops with guest speakers. For more information contact Andrea, Extension Field Specialist, 603.352.4550 or andrea.sawyer@unh.edu.

Winter Becoming an Outdoors Woman Program

The 2019 Winter Becoming an Outdoors Woman program will be held on February 21-23, 2020 at Bryant Pond 4-H Camp and Learning Center, 17 Conservation Lane, Bryant Pond ME 04219 in Oxford County.

This fun weekend is geared towards women seeking new ways to get outdoors, meet new friends, and challenge themselves. All meals and lodging are provided and space is limited to 36 participants. FMI visit the event webpage or call 207.665.2068.

Beef ESE Intent Forms

The 2020 Maine 4-H Beef ESE Intent to Participate Form is now available online. You can either mail the form to Mari Glatter or bring it to your county office by January 10, 2020.

Aroostook County Extension Office
Attn: Mari Glatter
18 Military St
Houlton, ME 04730

Public Speaking Projects

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 https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/public-speaking/ or call 207.342.5971.