Montgomery County 4-H Chief Sheet

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1 PHONE Conroe: Houston: X Cleveland: FAX: ON THE WEB County Extension Service County 4-H District State M. Michelle Mihalek County Extension Agent 4-H & Youth Development Caroline M. Cruz County Extension Agent Urban Youth Development AUGUST 2014 Montgomery County 4-H Chief Sheet Thank you once again for volunteering with 4-H and moving into a new 4-H year with us! Here are a few reminders regarding enrollment to be familiar with before the new year starts. 4-H starts out each new 4-H year with zero-enrollment. This means that all members are required to re-enroll each year. Enrollment should open on or around August 15th. It is important to reenroll as soon as enrollment opens so that you will continue to receive s and newsletters. Returning 4-H families will NOT create a new profile. Instead, please log on to your existing profile with your address and password. If you do not remember this information, please contact the 4-H office. Duplicate profiles will be deleted. All adult volunteers are required to be screened through 4-H Youth Protection Standards and have an active profile. New for this year, instead of paying $10 every 3 years and having to wait several weeks to get the results of the screenings, adult volunteers will pay $5 every year via 4-H Connect. When it is time for the screening to take place, Youth Protection Standards will submit it at no extra cost. This will save a lot of time and coordination at the county level. One item to start thinking about is the annual 4-H Pecan Sale Fundraiser. Remember, this is the major source of income for the county program. These funds go directly back to you in the form of educational programs, registration fees, equipment and curriculum, so the more you sell, the more you have! Extension Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 12:00pm 1:00pm - 5:00pm Eligibility Forms (No Pass No Play) are the member s responsibility to complete for any competitive event where 4-H membership is a requirement, regardless of the day of competition. Even if you are not missing school, you still need to turn in an eligibility form. Each club needs to designate a club pecan leader, whether it is the club manager or another adult volunteer. Please determine who your pecan leader will be and contact April Fagan at amfagan@ag.tamu.edu or with that person s name and contact information. Their contact information will be sent to clients on our Pre-Order List, who will contact them to place a pre-order. Club pecan leaders should start receiving their Pecan Sale forms and information in late August or early September. It is important to get the forms distributed as quickly as possible so that members have plenty of time to sell. Our other fundraiser, the Jingle Bell Classic Heifer Show is held on December 20th. This event supplements the Pecan Sale since costs have increased. We will need help with sponsorship, setup, registration and cleanup.

2 Page 2 Vet Science Project The 4-H Veterinary Science Project is a 5 year curriculum based project with a set number of lessons and activities, that gives youth interested in veterinary medicine a chance to work in the field and see if they would like to pursue it as a career. After a member has completed the program, they may apply to take a test to become a Certified Veterinary Assistant. 4-H members may begin the project at any age, but have to be 16 years old in order to apply to take the test. Conroe Vet Science Group - Lara Pena leads the Conroe Vet Science Project. They are meeting the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm at the County Extension Office. This program is in an accelerated format, to be completed in 2 years instead of 5. The work is a little more intense, but manageable. For details, Lara at larapena@ymail.com. Magnolia Vet Science Group - Edna Griswold leads the Magnolia Vet Science Project. They meet the 3rd Thursday of the month at 6:30pm at the 1st Baptist Church of Magnolia. For more information on that project, contact Edna at ednacgriswold@yahoo.com. Dog Project In the dog project, participants learn about dog care and training. Beginners work on obedience and showmanship/conformation, while advanced members work on agility and drill or rally. Not all members take their dogs to shows, but they train and practice like they are going to. Dogs may be purebred or mixed and age is not a factor. All dogs must be up-to-date on vaccinations. A list of required vaccinations is available. After approval of shot records, new dogs / handlers will take a beginner s obedience class and be evaluated before being integrated into the main group. To get on the beginner s class interest list, please call the 4-H Office at Beekeeping Project The Beekeeping project will meet the first Thursday of every month at 7:00pm at the County Extension Office. For more information on the Beekeeping project, contact Lara Pena at larapena@ymail.com. State Fair / Heart O Texas Entry Night - Thursday, August 14th at the Extension Office from 4:00pm - 7:00pm. If you would like to show at either of these shows, you need to come to the Extension Office on this date. Exhibitor and parent must be present. Bring cash or checkbook to pay for entry fees. All exhibitors must bring their social security number and Quality Counts Verification number. Beef heifer exhibitors need to bring registration papers. Major Show Entries - If you would like to show at Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston or Star of Texas, you must complete entries at the Major Show Entry days specified. You may choose between Sunday, November 2nd from 3pm - 5pm or Monday, November 3rd from 5pm - 7pm the County Extension Office. Exhibitors and their parent must be present, along with social security numbers, Quality Counts number, payment by cash or check for entry fees, and registration papers for breeding animals. Market animals must be validated, so take note of the validation procedures: ordering tags and attending validation night. Quality Counts Verification: Quality Counts is an online training and test that members must complete before entering to show at any of the major shows or the county fair. There are two versions, one

3 Page 3 for Juniors and one for Seniors, so you may have to re-take yours. If you turned 14 before August 31st, 2014, you will need to take the Senior version of the test. The test can be found at agrilife.org/qualitycounts/ Montgomery County Fair: If you think you may participate at the Montgomery County Fair (MCF), please get familiar with the rules at All general exception forms are due at each tag-in. BEEF NEW - BREEDING BEEF HEIFER VALIDATION - NEW - BREEDING BEEF HEIFER VALIDATION - NOV. 10TH Starting this year, all heifers to be shown at the major shows must be validated. This consists of bringing the heifer and ORIGINAL registration papers to the location (either the Extension Office or Montgomery County Fairgrounds, still TBD on November 10th), where the papers can be copied or scanned and DNA samples can be taken. Registration papers must be in the exhibitor s name by November 1st, As soon as you get your registration papers, check that brands and tattoos match the heifer. If there is a problem, get it resolved as soon as possible. Validation will take place the first week or two of November. NOTE: THERE WILL BE A $12 VALIDATION FEE, WHICH IS DUE TO THE EXTENSION OFFICE BY SEPTEMBER 1ST,FOR EVERY HEIFER YOU MAY SHOW. Validate every heifer that you think you might show, including those you may use as substitutes. We are still receiving details on this new process and are trying to formulate a process based on the information that we receive. It is important that you watch future newsletters and s for more information. Montgomery County Fair Steer Tag In - Tuesday, September 9th at the Montgomery County fairgrounds from 4pm - 7pm. Bring pictures! Replacement Heifer Tag-In - Tuesday, October 7th from 4pm - 7pm at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Bring Pictures! HORSE Montgomery County Fair Colt Tag-In - Tuesday, October 14th from 4pm - 7pm at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Bring Pictures! LAMB/GOAT Major Show Lamb & Goat Tag Orders & Validation - If you would like to show a lamb, breeding sheep or goat at the Major Shows, including San Antonio, Fort Worth, Houston, or Star of Texas, you must order tags and have the animal validated. Tags cost $12 for lambs and goats and orders are due to the 4-H Office by Wednesday, August 20th. Validation will be held on Tuesday, October 28th from 4:00pm - 7:00pm at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Montgomery County Fair Lamb & Goat Tag-In - Tuesday, December 2nd at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Bring Pictures! POULTRY Turkeys - Turkeys arrive around the first week of November. Intent-To-Show forms are due to the Montgomery County Fair by November 20th.

4 Page 4 Broilers - Montgomery County Fair and Major Show broiler orders are due by Tuesday, September 30th. Montgomery County Fair chickens will be distributed Thursday, February 26th from 1pm - 3pm at the Horseshoe Club at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. RABBITS Montgomery County Fair Market Rabbit Tag-In - Thursday, March 12 from 5pm - 8pm at the Horseshoe Club, Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Russ Upton has volunteered to hold rabbit project meetings throughout the year. Meetings are held at 7:00pm at the Extension Office. These meetings are open to any 4-H er who is interested in the rabbit project. September 23 October 28 February 24 March 24 November 18 January 27 April 10 - Meat pen picking for Fair SWINE Major Show Swine Tag Orders & Validation - If you would like to show a pig at any of the major shows, including San Antonio, Ft. Worth, Houston, or Star of Texas, you must first order a tag and have the animal validated. Tag orders are due to the Extension Office by Thursday, September 18. Tags cost $12 each. Validation will be held on Monday, November 24th. Montgomery County Fair Market Barrow Tag-In - Tuesday, January 6 from 2pm - 7pm at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Bring pictures, ear notch card and tag-in card. Alliance Funds Grants Congratulations to Best Friends 4-H and Montgomery County 4-H Shooting Sports club for being awarded $2,000 each in Alliance Fund Grants for The past few years, Stripes and Tractor Supply Company have been conducting 4-H Paper Clover Campaigns to raise funds for the 4-H Program. A portion of these funds remain in Montgomery County to support 4-H programming. The Montgomery County 4-H Finance Committee determined the best use of these funds would be at the club level. They developed a grant program in which 4-H members, project leaders and clubs can apply for funds to use for educational purposes. Candidates complete an application submitted for review by the Finance Committee and report back to the committee on the results of their project. Although Stripes will no longer be conducting their campaign, Tractor Supply Company continues to do their Paper Clover Campaign twice a year. Nation wide they have found that stores that have 4-H'ers participating in-store during the promotion by setting up a project display, hosting a bake sale, or helping bag customer purchases raise an average of 49 percent more than stores that do not! October 8-19, 2014 is the next one. If you are interested in helping raise funds by spending time in one of the three Tractor Supply Company stores in Montgomery County, please call and let us know.

5 Page 5 County Leadership Team Training - August 23rd Lone Star Convention Center 8:00am 2:00pm County 4-H Leadership Team Training is an annual training opportunity that is essential for 4-H Club officers, their parents, managers, assistant managers, and project leaders, but everybody is welcome and encouraged to attend. This is a great way for officers to learn the responsibilities of the p o s i t i o n s they ve been elected to, and for adult leaders to gain knowledge and resources they need to support youth members and projects. Leadership Team Training kicks off the first County Council meeting of the year, along with project-specific workshops. County Council Officers are working hard to plan and organize workshops that will be most useful and interesting to 4-H members and leaders. Please sign up by August 13th so that we can adequately plan for lunch and supplies. Call or April Fagan at amfagan@ag.tamu.edu. NATIONAL 4-H WEEK ACTIVITIES October 5-11, 2014 LUNCH PROVIDED! National 4-H Week is our time to SHINE! This is the time when 4-H ers across the nation work extra hard to showcase what they have gained from their membership in 4-H. Two events that take place during National 4-H Week are: National Youth Science Day AND One Day 4-H. 4- H ers are encouraged to celebrate by taking part in the above activities, or by doing something individually. Wear a 4-H t-shirt to school. Pass out brochures. Talk to your friends about 4-H. If clubs or members plan to have a 4-H booth at a school fair or other community event, please contact the 4-H Office so we may provide you with 4-H flyers or other promotional items. One Day 4-H will be Saturday, October 11th. One Day 4-H is one day for all of the members, parents, leaders, and volunteers to step out into their communities and say thank you by giving back to them for over 103 years of support of 4-H in Texas. This day of community service is whatever each 4-H member, club, or county program decides to make it. Montgomery County will be working on a county-wide community service project, but clubs and individuals are welcome to do their own project. Commissioner s Court Appreciation Day will be held on Monday, September 29th. The purpose of this event is to show our commissioners and county judge how much we appreciate their support and to showcase the highlights of the county 4-H program. We will attend Commissioner s Court to present them each with a specially prepared gift basket, filled with items donated by you. We will also read the National 4-H Week Proclamation. 4-H will present 5 gift baskets, one to each of the 4 County Commissioners and County Judge. Every club should contribute 5 identical small items for the basket. Ideal items include coffee mugs, candles, small gift items, or individually wrapped treats made by club Food and Nutrition project members. We also like to have a few 4-H members on hand to help present the baskets.

6 Page 6 Please call the 4-H Office by September 24th to let us know what your club s contribution will be or to sign up to present baskets. All gift items are due to the 4-H Office by Friday, September 26th so that we may prepare the baskets. Manager & Committee Meetings Club Manager Meeting: There will be a club manager meeting on September 25th at 6:30pm. This meeting is focused on the needs of the 4-H members, families and clubs. The goal is to identify educational programs, information and support to grow and improve Montgomery County 4-H. If you have suggestions of trainings or materials to improve our 4-H members experience, please mmmihalek@ag.tamu.edu or share with your manager to bring to this meeting. Livestock Committee Meeting: As a parent, project leader, or 4-H member, if you would like to identify needs and organize trainings related to our livestock projects, please come and participate in this meeting. The meeting will be held on August 26th at 6:oopm at the County Extension Office. We will be planning some clinics and workshops to cover the topics you feel are most needed. Call the 4-H Office at to reserve your spot at the table. Program Development Committee Meeting: 4-H members, parents or project leaders: Bring your ideas of how to increase and retain 4-H membership in Montgomery County. We will review the new member handbook and brainstorm ideas for promotion and training. This meeting will be held on August 26th at 7:00pm. Please call by August 22nd to save your seat at the table. County Council County Council meetings are held the 4th Monday of the month at 7:00pm from September through May, unless otherwise noted. The first County Council meeting of the year will be at the Leadership Team Training on August 23rd. Everybody is welcome and club delegates are strongly encouraged to attend. County Awards Banquet The Montgomery County 4-H Awards Banquet, celebrating 4-H Stars Are Big & Bright will be held on Tuesday, August 12th. Members who completed a record book, and those who are receiving other county awards will be recognized. Congratulations to two of our members, Savannah Martin and Sarah Fulghum, whose books have advanced to the State 4-H Record Book Contest. Monthly Club Reports Each month, clubs should turn in a report summarizing participation and project activities. That report can be found Data gathered from these reports help with funding of the 4-H program and help keep the county office informed on how the club is doing.

7 Page 7 DATES TO REMEMBER AUGUST August 7 - Intro to Beekeeping August 12 - Record Book Awards Banquet August 14 - Junior Master Gardener Training August 14 - State Fair Entry Night August 20 - Major Show Lamb and Goat Tag Orders Due August 23 - Leadership Team Training August 26 - Livestock Committee Meeting August 26 - Program Development Committee Meeting SEPTEMBER September 1 - Heifer Validation Fees Due September 4 - Beekeeping Meeting September 9 - MCF Steer Tag In September 17 - Vet Science - Conroe September 18 - Major Show Swine Tag Orders Due September 18 - Vet Science - Magnolia September 22 - County Council September 23 - Rabbit Project September 25 - Club Manager Meeting September 30 - MCF & Major Show Broiler Orders Due Pictured here are the District 9 4-H ers who went to Texas 4-H Congress at the State Capitol. Savannah Martin and Timothy Roland represented Montgomery County. Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating If you have special needs for any of the programs offered at the County or District level, please give us a week s notice. We will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your needs.