Montgomery County 4-H Chief Sheet

Transcription

1 PHONE SEPTEMBER 2014 Montgomery County 4-H Chief Sheet 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 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. 4-H starts out each new 4-H year with zero-enrollment. This means that all members are required to re-enroll each year. It is important to re-enroll 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. Extracurricular Status for 4-H Each year, the 4-H Office sends a request to Montgomery County school districts requesting those districts to accept 4-H events where extension agents are present as extracurricular activities. Most school districts do grant this request, so if a member is having trouble with getting extracurricular days for certain events, please have them contact the 4-H Office. We may be able to assist in communication with the school and answer any questions they may have. Please note that this only applies to events where Montgomery County Extension agents are present, and that students still need to be mindful of how many days they are missing. Exploring 4-H This is a new county-wide project group that will start up this Fall investigating a variety of opportunities within the 4-H program. The first session will focus on Junior Master Gardener curriculum which is full of hands on activities learning about plants and what makes them grow. Any 4-H member is welcome to participate. The meetings will be held at the County Extension Office from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 12, 2014, Friday October 10, 2014 and Friday, November 14, The members who participate in these three sessions will select the next topic the group will focus on. Come and explore the wide range of projects offered by the Texas 4-H program.

2 Page 2 Special Interest Projects 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. 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 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/

3 Page 3 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 Montgomery County Fairgrounds 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 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! Major Show Calf Scramble Applications have been included in this manager s packet. Applications are due to the 4-H Office by September 25, HORSE Montgomery County Fair Colt Tag-In - Tuesday, October 14th from 4pm - 7pm at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Bring Pictures! To qualify for the County 4-H Horse Show, you must participate in at least 2 county 4-H practice shows and one other event, either another Montgomery County 4-H Practice Show, or a Montgomery County 4-H Horsemanship Clinic. The first practice horse show and clinic this year are scheduled for October 26th at the Lone Star Arena at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Trail Clinic starts at 12:30pm and speed events start at 1:30pm. Performance will take place after speed. Watch for more shows and clinics in future newsletters. 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. Late tags cost $20 and orders are due to the 4-H Office by Tuesday, October 7th. It is not possible to accept tag orders after this date. 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

4 Page 4 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. 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 January 27 February 24 April 10 - Meat pen picking for Fair November 18 March 24 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. 4-H Pecan Sale We encourage each family to participate in 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! The price for pecans this year is the same as last year, at $11 per pound for pre-orders and $11.50 per pound for all other orders. Pre-orders are due to the 4-H Office by October 15th. Clubs receive $.50 per pound of pre-orders sold by the deadline and $.25 for orders sold between October 15th and distribution day. Please make an appointment with April in the 4-H Office to turn in your club s pre-orders. This is to help ensure that we do not have long waits for our leaders. Thank you for participating in the 4-H Pecan Sale Fundraiser!

5 Page 5 NATIONAL 4-H WEEK ACTIVITIES October 5-11, 2014 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. 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. 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.

6 Page 6 County Council County Council meetings are held the 4th Monday of the month at 7:00pm from September through May, unless otherwise noted. The September County Council meeting will be held on Monday, September 22nd. Everybody is welcome and club delegates are strongly encouraged to attend. Congratulations to Madison Carter on her High Point Speed Event win at the State 4-H Horse Show! Photo courtesy of Jay Hardy Photography. District 9 Junior Leadership Lab Caroline Creek Camp In Huntsville November The objective of Junior Leadership Lab is to prepare intermediate age 4-Hers from the 18 counties in District 9 for leadership roles. These roles might be at the county level or their clubs. The hope is that participants will take information back from lab and share it with members back in their counties. The lab is set up to be enjoyable and fun, but there is work too. The sessions require participant involvement and concentration. Ages 11 to 13 are encouraged to attend. Recreational time is set up with activities that build team work skills and camaraderie in the district. The cost for this event is $70, but the county 4-H budget will pay for 1/2 of the registration fee of Montgomery County 4-H members if they register by October 12th. For more details, visit

7 Page 7 DATES TO REMEMBER SEPTEMBER September 1 - Office Closed - Labor Day September 2- Heifer Validation Fees Due September 4 - Beekeeping Meeting September 5 - Shooting Sports Safety Training September 6 - District 4-H Council Meeting - Incredible Pizza 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 Meeting September 25 - Club Manager Meeting September 25 - Major Show Calf Scramble Applications Due September 30 - MCF & Major Show Broiler Orders Due September 30 - Food and Fashion Project Leader Meeting OCTOBER October 1 - Dog Project Beginner Training October 2 - Beekeeping Meeting October National 4-H Week October 8 - National Youth Science Day October Tractor Supply Paper Clover October 7 - Late major show lamb and goat tag orders due October 7 - MCF Replacement Heifer Tag In October 11 - One Day 4-H October 12 - District 4-H Jr. Leadership Lab & Leader College Registration Due October 14 - MCF Colt Tag In October 15 - Pecan Pre-Orders Due October 15 - Vet Science - Conroe October 16 - Vet Science - Magnolia October 25 - MCF Horse Judging Contest October 25 - Shooting Sports Safety Training October 26-4-H Horse Practice Show October 27 - County Council October 28 - Rabbit Project Meeting October 28 - Major Show Lamb and Goat Validation 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.