York County 4-H News, February 2017
4-H Club News
York County Shooters
Hi everyone, here is our tentative schedule for shoots March-June. Dates may change as we add events to the calendar for spring and summer. Have a great day!
- March 5: Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun
- March 19: Archery
- April 9: Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun
- April 23: Archery
- May 7: Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun
- May 21: Archery
- June 4: Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun (subject to change for carnival and jamboree)
- June 18: Possible Fathers Day Fun Shoot, all disciplines
Our summer schedule will be discussed along with any fairs and/or parades we may take part in at an instructor meeting in April.
We are accepting new members, please have them contact Kelly Goss at manemoxie@yahoo.com if they would like to attend a shoot.
Lucky Charms
The Lucky Charms club had a tour and educational seminar at the Center for Wildlife in Cape Neddick. The kids were so impressed with the work that they do that they are planning to sell birdseed “cakes” as a fundraiser for the Center.
Our club also had a great Valentines party! There were games and valentines made by everyone in the group, a wonderful time had by all!
4 Leaf Clover
The 4 Leaf Clover members worked on a sewing project and made tote bags out of animal feed bags. They also had a Valentines Day party at their February meeting. They also have plans for a trip snow tubing!
Wall-E
The Wall-E Club is continuing to work on robotics. They are assembling the Meccano robots and also working on programming for the Lego EV3 robots.
Kidding Around
Kidding Around’s January meeting was held at Nate’s grandparents’ house. We had the place to ourselves as they are gone to Florida for the winter. We voted in a new treasurer, Olivia Z., and a new Vice President, Michael C., and Miranda M. will be Co-Secretary with Tyler H.
Olivia Z. did a presentation on beekeeping (she has her own hive) and it was fantastic. She kept our group of 30 entertained the whole time. She asked questions at the end and had a prize of honey for whoever answered the question correctly. She also made chap stick out of bees wax to give to anyone who wanted one. Who knew there was so much to learn about bees?
Norah D. shared her award-winning record book with the Cloverbuds so they know what they are working toward and Michael C. and Daniel K. shared their award-winning records books with the older 4-H kids.
We also made a Club banner for Acton Fair and other events we participate in.
Nature Kids
In February, club members worked with puppets or all different shapes and sizes!
Welcome to our two new volunteers!
- Melissa Morin: Starting a new cloverbud club in Lebanon
- Nathan Maling: Volunteer with Lucky Charms and York County Shooters
Enrollment Information
4-H reenrollments for 2016-17 were due in the UMaine Extension York County office on December 31. Members needed to be reenrolled by that date to participate in 4-H Shows at the county fairs. New members have until April 1 to get their enrollments into the office. If you have any questions, please call Sally at 207.324.2814.
Ossipee Valley Fair
Start thinking about your exhibits for the Ossipee Valley Fair, July 6-9, 2017. The fair will be here before you know it!
Upcoming Dates
February 21: Volunteer Leaders Meeting, 7:00 PM, UMaine Extension York County office in Springvale
March 1: National 4-H Trip Application deadlines begin
March 1: Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarship Applications due
March 19: Volunteer Leaders Banquet at 4:00 PM
April 1: Enrollments due for new 4-H Members
April 1: Animal Approval forms deadline for ESE Horse
May 19 – 20: 4-H@UMaine
May 15: Betty Syvinski Scholarship application deadline, York County
June 30: Final Deadline for Animal Approval Forms (PDF)
July 6 – 9: Ossipee Valley Fair
July 21 – 23: Maine 4-H Days
State 4-H News
Come to Orono for the 2017 4H@UMaine May 19 – 20!
Planning has started and the wheels are in motion thanks to the efforts of a tremendous team! We are looking forward to another great event this year, and there are some exciting changes in the works! Stay tuned for details. For more information about 4-H@UMaine, contact Greg Kranich at gregory.kranich@maine.edu or 207.949.3878.
Save the Date for 2017 Maine 4-H Days
Maine 4-H Days will take place July 21 – 23 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. If you are interested in helping to plan next year’s event, please contact Jessy Brainerd at 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. This year we are trying to recruit some teens to join in planning. 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 brainerd@maine.edu, or call 207.581.3877.
4-H Volunteer Workshop
There is still time to sign up for the 4-H Volunteer Workshop: Aquaculture in Maine. This workshop is free for 4-H volunteers, and will take place at different sites in Maine. Learn more about it.
Secondary Scholarships for Seniors
The Maine 4-H Foundation offers scholarships every year for graduating seniors. The scholarships are funded by amazing donors, businesses, and longtime supporters of Maine 4-H. The application process has changed slightly this year in connection to the new resume and 4-H Story process. Please review the new guidelines and rubric as you work on your application. The deadline is March 3 to your county office. Questions can be directed to Susan Jennings at 207.615.7300.
Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)
Start making plans now to visit our Nation’s Capital during the week of July 1 – July 8, 2017. CWF is a leadership program conducted by the National 4-H Council for high school youth ages 14 to 18. Delegations of 4-H’ers 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 July 1, and travel home July 8, 2017. 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 29. For more information visit Citizenship Washington Focus. Contact your county 4-H office for details about how to be a part of this experience.
New 4-H Animal Substitution Form
A new form has been added as an option pertaining to Animal Approval and Lease forms. The Maine 4-H Animal Substitution Form is intended to allow 4-H members who only have one animal registered on their Animal Approval Form a chance to substitute another animal for participation in 4-H events and fairs if the original animal has died, or has a serious injury barring it from competition for that year. This form cannot be used to substitute a market animal and can only be used for an Eastern States Exposition animal at the discretion/advisement of that Animal Science Committees’ Staff Liaison and in accordance with that commodity’s guidelines from ESE.
In the event that a Substitution Form needs to be filled out, the member must notify their county office immediately, obtain the required information and signatures on the Animal Substitution Form, fill out a new Animal Approval form and new Lease form (if applicable), and turn all forms into their county office. They may not show with the new animal until 14 days after the forms have been signed, dated, and embossed in the county office in order to allow the member to have time to get to know and work with their new show animal. All forms will be dated from when they were received and shall not be backdated.The Maine 4-H Animal Substitution Form can be found online at Maine 4-H forms. It has clear guidelines on the back so please be sure to look those over before using the form. Questions? Contact your UMaine Extension county office or Sara Conant in the UMaine Extension Cumberland County office at sara.conant@maine.edu or 207.781.6099.
Apply Now for National 4-H 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 National 4-H Congress, or become a part of a team making recommendations to the National 4-H Council at Conference. To learn more about these trips, visit National 4-H Trips.
Any Maine 4-H Youth, age 14 to 18, is eligible to apply. Applicants must be current Maine 4-H members both at the time of application and the time of the actual trip. Application packets must be sent to your UMaine Extension county office and postmarked by March 10, 2017. Interview dates are April 22 or 23, 2017. If you have any questions, please contact Heidi Palmer at 800.287.1471 or thuotte@maine.edu. 2017 National 4-H Congress will take place November 24 – 28, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (The Congress trip orientation will be October 28, 2017.) The 2018 National 4-H Conference will be in Washington, D.C., April 7-12, 2018. (The 2018 Conference orientation will be Feb 10, 2018)
2017 Engineering Expo
Celebrate curiosity, innovation, imagination, technology, and Maine’s future at the 2017 Engineering Expo! Join in the celebration of Engineers Week for students and their families, teachers and friends. On Saturday March 4, 2017 from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM at the University of Southern Maine, Gorham, Costello Field House. Recommended $2.00 donation. For more information visit EngineeringME.
Have you had your “4-H Fix” yet today?
February is all about famous people, like Washington and Lincoln and our U.S. Presidents, with a little bit of love thrown in around the 14th too! Well, the February “4-H Fix” will be all about two famous people who you will just LOVE to meet — two Maine girls, about the same age, but who joined 4-H 100 years apart!
On February 24 return to the 4-H Fix to meet our first state 4-H Champion, Emily Morse, an eleven-year-old from Washington County who helped get our Maine 4-H program rolling “back in the day!”
The February 4-H Fix! What better way is there to spur your love for MAINE 4-H? Have YOU been made famous by being in a 4-H Fix? Find out by reading the 4-H Fix TODAY!
State 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl
Dairy Quiz Bowl Tryouts will be held Sunday, February 19, 2017, at the University of Maine at Augusta, in Room 218 of the Randall Student Technology Center (RSTC).
Quiz Bowl Tryouts are open to all enrolled 4-H dairy project members ages 9 – 18. Attendance at Quiz Bowl Tryouts will fulfill one of the requirements to try out for the Eastern States Dairy Team. For more information, please contact 4-H Dairy Animal Science Committee Coordinator Stephanie Smith at 207.860.0979 or a_mfarm@yahoo.com. Questions can also be addressed to Debra Kantor at 800.287.1495 or debra.kantor@maine.edu, or Judy Smith at 800.287.1478 or judy.smith@maine.edu.
4-H Statewide Public Speaking Tournament
The 4-H Statewide Public Speaking Tournament will be held Saturday, April 8, 2017 (snow date April 9) at Neville Hall, University of Maine, Orono. 4-H Youth ages 9 to 18 who have participated in their county 4-H public speaking tournament and received the required score are invited to participate. For youth in counties that do not hold public speaking tournaments, arrangements may be made through their county’s UMaine Extension office to present their presentation to their county’s 4-H staff in order to be eligible.
For more information, see 4-H Statewide Public Speaking Tournament or contact Barbara Baker at barbara.baker@maine.edu or 207.942.7396.