MONTGOMERY COUNTY 4-H FOCUS

Transcription

1 MONTGOMERY COUNTY 4-H FOCUS February - March 2012 PHONE Conroe: Houston: X Cleveland: FAX: Or ON THE WEB County Extension Service County 4-H District State M. Michelle Mihalek County Extension Agent 4-H & Youth Development 4-H Pecan Sale Thank you for participating in the 4-H Pecan Sale. The results are in for the top sellers in the county. Congratulations to the following members: 1st Place Timothy Roland Morning Star 4-H 300 pounds $150 Prize 2nd Place Coltin Walton Trail s End 4-H 266 pounds $100 Prize 3rd Place Kayla Coffman New Caney 4-H 159 pounds $75 Prize 4th Place Brandon Buckalew Champion 4-H 142 pounds $50 Prize 5th Place Elizabeth Wishert Shining Star 4-H 132 pounds $25 Prize 6th Place Marcus Ellis Best Friends 4-H 119 pounds $25 Prize 7th Place Todd Wellmann Montgomery Co. 4-H Horsemanship County Council County Council meetings are held the 4th Monday of every month, unless otherwise noted. Each month, a lesson from the Leaders 4 Life curriculum is presented to train attending 4-H ers on parliamentary procedure and leadership in a fun and easy-to-understand manner. These activities and lessons can be taken back to each individual club by the club delegate(s). 102 pounds $25 Prize 8th Place Morgan Sanders Montgomery-Dobbin 4-H 99 pounds $25 Prize The February County Council meeting will be held on February 27th and the March County Council meeting will be held on March 26th. Caroline M. Cruz County Extension Agent Urban Youth Development Eligibility Forms are the member s responsibility to complete for any competitive event regardless of the day of competition. Even if you are not missing school, you still need to turn in an eligibility form. Educational programs of Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin.

2 Page 2 MONTGOMERY COUNTY 4-H FOCUS 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. The Conroe Vet Science Project meets at the County Extension office the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm. The Magnolia Vet Science Project meets at the First Baptist Church on 1488 the 3rd Thursday of the month at 6:30pm. Contact Edna Griswold at about the Magnolia Vet Science Project. Photography Project In the District 4-H Photography Contest, members can submit one entry per division/class for a total of 4 entries per person. Divisions/ Classes include: People, Animals - Wildlife, Animals - Domestic, Marine/Aquatic, Elements of Design. These entries are submitted completely digitally. Enter on 4-H Connect by April 1, The actual photos are submitted via Shutterfly. Entries are $5.00 per photo. For rules and guidelines, visit eventsandcontests/district-9-4-hconference/photography/. The State Photography Contest rules and guidelines are now available at h.tamu.edu/library/files/ youth_photography_guidelines.pd f. This contest is for 4-H members ages 14 and older as of August 31st. (You do not have to qualify through the District contest to be able to enter for the State contest.) Categories include Animals - Domestic, Animals - Wildlife, Catch-All, Details & Macro, Digital Darkroom, Dominant Color, Elements of Design, Food, Marine/Aquatic, Nature & Landscape, Night Photography, People, Plant/Flora, Storyboard and Theme. This year s theme is Trains. However, a county may only have 1 entry per class, so there may be a judging process for entries submitted to the county office before the photos can advance to state. If you would like to submit a photo for this contest, first submit it to the Montgomery County 4-H Office by ing it to April at amfagan@ag.tamu.edu by no later than Tuesday, March 20th. Dog Project The Dog project is a great way to get exercise outdoors, while training your dog and gaining a variety of skills. 4-H members new to the project will participate in a six week course before integrating into the main group, ensuring focused beginner training for incoming students. Pre-registration into the dog project group is required by calling Amy Keliehor at New dogs will be able to join practices after the County 4-H Dog Show, to be held on February 4th. Shot requirements are DHLPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvo, Parainfluenza), Bordatella (kennel cough), and Rabies. A nonreturnable copy of the shot records and rabies certificate must be provided prior to participation for the safety of all dogs and participants involved. If you give your own shots, an affidavit, available at the 4-H office, must be signed, and receipts with empty bottles, and the rabies certificate must be submitted, prior to participation. Agility will take place on Tuesdays (except for the third Tuesday of the month) at 7:00pm with Darcie Myers. Obedience, Rally and Showmanship practices are held at the Extension Office at 6:30pm on the following days: February 16 (New dogs / members welcome if they re preregistered with Amy) March 15 March 29 No practices in April May 17 May 31 June 7 June 14 June 21 June 28 July 5

3 February - March 2012 Page 3 Food & Nutrition Project The Montgomery County 4-H Food Show was held on Saturday, January 28th. Please check the Updates section of the newsletter for the results of the Food Show. County County 4-H Food Show Saturday, January 28th County County 4-H Food Challenge Saturday, February 11th District Food Show Registration due on 4-H Connect Monday, April 2nd District Food Show Entry forms / paper work due to Extension Office Monday, April 2nd District Food Challenge Registration due on 4-H Connect Monday, April 2nd District District 4-H Food Challenge & Food Show May Part of District 4-H Roundup - Refer to District website for exact day/time At the December Food Project workshop, members learned about holiday foods and traditions from cultures across the world. German Christmas Kekse (cookies) and Mexican Champurrado (hot chocolate) were a couple of the dishes created. At the January Food Project workshop, members were given several ingredients and a couple of clues to create a dish. This month s dish was Guiltless French Toast. Clothing & Textiles Project The clothing and textiles project is a diverse project that allows the member to focus on clothing construction, the consumer aspect of purchasing clothing, and/or the art of designing clothing and accessories. Competitive events include Fashion Show, Fashion Storyboard, clothing Educational Presentations, natural fiber contest, stage design, narrator contest, and record book judging. County Call in deadline for County 4-H Fashion Show & Storyboard Competition Monday, February 13th County Storyboards due to Extension Office Tuesday, February 21st County Entry forms / paperwork due for County 4-H Fashion Show Tuesday, February 21st County County 4-H Fashion Show Saturday, March 3rd District Registration deadline on 4-H Connect for District 4-H Fashion Show Monday, April 2nd District Entry forms / paperwork due for District 4-H Fashion Show Monday, April 2nd District District 4-H Fashion Show at District 4-H Roundup Saturday, May 5th - Refer to District website for exact day/time

4 Page 4 MONTGOMERY COUNTY 4-H FOCUS Livestock Projects Quality Counts certification is required in order for 4-H and FFA members to enter the Montgomery County Fair or major shows. Directions for completing the training can be found at: montgomery4h/4-h-projects-programs/livestock/. Fair Re-Tag Dates: If your animal loses a tag, please contact the Fair Office at and plan to be in front of the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in the circle drive off of Airport Parkway on one of the following dates at 9:00am: February 25, March 31. BEEF Replacement Heifer Clinic: Wednesday, March 7th at 6:30pm at the Extension Office - Marketing, review and interview sign ups Montgomery County Fair Calf Scramble Applications are available from your club manager, the 4-H Office or on the website at: They are due to the 4-H Office by February 15. HORSE County 4-H Practice Horse Shows & Clinics: To qualify for the County 4-H Horse Show, you must attend at least 2 practice shows and one additional event, either another practice show or a clinic: March 25th Willis Arena (Speed first) May 12 - County 4-H Horse Show Clinic 12:30 (Grooming) In Horse Judging, members gain skills in decision making, observation, team work and critical thinking, while they learn the principles of horse judging and selection. Sharon Wellmann is a national horse judge and coaches the Montgomery County 4-H ers. Practices begin at 6:30 p.m. at the County Extension Office. February 14 - Advanced February 28 - All Remainder is TBD. LAMB AND GOAT Howard County Goat Camp - June 3,4,5 at Howard College in Big Spring. Cost is $85 per person. Add $20 for goat to be provided for you. Entries are due by May 1st. First come, first serve. Housing not provided. For more details, call Cash Berry at Howard County Lamb Camp - June 10, 11, 12 at Howard College in Big Spring. Cost is $85 per person. Add $20 for lamb to be provided for you. Entries are due by May 1st. First come, first serve. Housing not provided. For more details, call Cash Berry at POULTRY Montgomery County Fair Chicks will be delivered on Thursday, March 1 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds Horseshoe Club from 1:00-4:00pm. RABBIT Montgomery County Fair Rabbit Tag In will be held on Thursday, March 22nd from 5:00pm to 8:00pm at the

5 February - March 2012 Page 5 Montgomery County Fairgrounds Horseshoe Club. Russ Upton has scheduled Rabbit Project meetings for those who would like to learn more about the project. These meetings take place at the County Extension Office at 7:00pm on the dates listed. February 28 - Marketing and Record Keeping March 27 - Breeds, Varieties and Showing April 13 - Market Pen Picking for Montgomery County Fair PROSPECT SHOWS, CLINICS & SALES Tarkington Annual Prospect Show - Saturday, February 4th at Stancil Park in Cleveland. Steers, Heifers, Swine, Lambs and Goats. Entry fees are $25. Cash entries only - no checks or credit cards. For more information, contact Greg Vance at or Tommy Luckey at Friday Night Lights Showmanship Clinic / Dance - Friday, March 2nd at the Barney Wiggins Memorial Arena on Hwy 146 in Livingston. Learn about project selection, feeding, nutrition, grooming and showmanship of beef, swine, goat and lamb projects. The clinic is free, with registration at 6:30 and the clinic at 7:00pm. A dance follows the clinic for a fee of $5 for youth who didn t attend the clinic. For more information, contact the Polk County Extension Office at Practice In The Pines Belt Buckle Bash - Saturday, March 3rd at the Barney Wiggins Memorial Arena in Livingston. Pigs, lambs, goats, steers, heifers and showmanship. Entries are $20 through February 24th and $30 at the gate. For details, contact Livingston FFA at X Texas 4-H Congress 4-H Congress is a three-day mock legislative experience, taking place July 15-18, for 4-H members ages 15 (at the time of the event) to 18. During this time, the members assume the roles of senators, representatives, lobbyists, press corps and special interest groups to gain an understanding of how the legislative process works. Bills that are written and sponsored by 4-H members focus on issues concerning Texas and Texas youth. House or Senate Member: These roles are primarily for 4-H members who have never participated in Texas 4-H Congress. They should be prepared to speak passionately about issues affecting Texas and Texas Youth. Lobbyist: This group is designed for 4-H members who attended the last Texas 4-H Congress. They identify certain bills and then lobby members of the House and Senate to either pass or defeat the bill. Press Corps: The Texas 4-H Congress Press Corps play an important part in the success of the event. Press Corps members can either be first time or returning 4-H members to Congress. Individuals applying for Press Corps should have strong skills in writing, word processing, interviewing, photography and be focused on making deadlines. They are responsible for the publishing of a daily newspaper and helping maintain a web page/electronic communication. Submission of Legislative Bills: For 2012, anyone who wants to submit a bill can do so, regardless if they are attending Congress. Visit to learn about how to submit a bill. The number of delegates that are sent from each county is limited, so there will be an application process before the actual registration takes place. If you would like more information, please contact the 4-H Office by February 15th.

6 Page 6 Volunteer Opportunities MONTGOMERY COUNTY 4-H FOCUS Youth and adult volunteers and/or activity hosts are needed for the following two events. If you would like to help, please be sure and sign up by the dates listed for each event. When you arrive to work, check in at the appropriate Volunteer Check-In booth and fill out any requested volunteer forms. Volunteers coordinate with Caroline Cruz after checking in. Please do not drop off youth under the age of 12 without making prior arrangements. Represent 4-H with pride and proper conduct. Wear a 4-H shirt if you have one. Conroe Kidz Fest Conroe Kidz Fest will be held in downtown Conroe at Heritage Place Park. The event time is 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Montgomery County 4-H will be working in Discovery Village. This is a great opportunity for 4-H Clubs, youth groups, other groups and individuals to volunteer. 4-H sponsored activities include Junior Master Gardener, wildlife, birds, insects and others. If your club would like to set up your own activity, ideas in advance are welcome. If you are interested in volunteering, please call the 4-H Office to sign up by March 22nd. Texas Wildlife and Woodland Expo This year s Wildlife and Woodland Expo will be held on Saturday, March 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Lone Star College - Montgomery. Expo visitors of all ages learn about wildlife, forestry, landscaping, gardening and more. You can learn more about what is available at the expo by visiting 4-H sponsored activities include Junior Master Gardener, wildlife, birds, insects and others. If you or your club would like to volunteer, please contact the 4-H Office to sign up by March 15th. Jingle Bell Classic We would like to thank everybody who helped out with the Jingle Bell Classic heifer show in December. Although some of these volunteers have minimal livestock experience, they came out in cold weather and worked really hard to pull the show off. With lower than usual pecan sales this year, funds from the heifer show will help supplement the 4-H budget. Thank you again to all of our volunteers for giving up your time to help out! Aragon Family Fur & Feathers 4-H Melissa Wickham Fur & Feathers 4-H Lisa Wamsley County-Wide Volunteer Sandy Edwards County-Wide Volunteer Griswold Family Magnolia 4-H Karels-Ripley Family Magnolia 4-H Minter Family Magnolia 4-H Reilly Family Magnolia 4-H Smith-Muniz Family Magnolia 4-H Valerie Stern Magnolia 4-H Suisse Family Magnolia 4-H Douglas Family Montgomery 4-H Shooting Sports Hardwick Family Montgomery 4-H Shooting Sports Jill Alexander Morning Star 4-H Wishert Family Shining Star 4-H The list of volunteers is based on a sign in sheet and our memory. If we have missed anybody, we apologize and thank you for your help! A special thank you goes to Champion 4-H for donating two outstanding Silent Auction baskets, which brought in $260.

7 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Montgomery Co. 4-H Dog Show County 4-H Food Challenge Fashion Call In Deadline 14 MCF Club Summaries Due Horse Judging Practice 15 MCF Scramble Apps Due 16 Vet Science - Magnolia Dog Project Practice President s Day - Office Closed 21 Fashion Entries and Storyboards Due Vet Science - Conroe Fashion Project Workshop Fair Re-Tag County Council 28 Horse Judging Practice Rabbit Project Meeting 29 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 MCF Chicks Delivered 2 3 County 4-H Fashion Show Replacement Heifer Clinic Mont. Co. Extension Scholarship Application Due MCF Market Rabbit Tag In Manager s Meeting TAMU Judging Clinics TX Wildlife Expo 25 County 4-H Horse Practice Show 26 Replacement Heifer Books Due Fair Office 27 County 4-H Roundup Rabbit Project Meeting Conroe KidzFest Fair Re-Tag

8 4-H Has Talent! If you have a special talent or goofy trick, you should participate in the 4-H Has Talent competition. Submissions are uploaded to YouTube and entries are made by April 1st. This is open to intermediate and senior aged 4-H ers as individuals or teams of up to 7 people. Out of those entries, 10 finalists will be selected to perform at Texas 4-H Roundup in Lubbock in June. The top two entries at Roundup will win cash awards. For more details, visit Montgomery County 4-H Food Show Results The County 4-H Food Show was held on Saturday, January 28th at the Horseshoe Club at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Winners of the Display Contest included Junior, Jonathan Decker; Intermediate, Ryan Schulze; and Senior, Sarah Gauteson. Congratulations to all of our participants! Jonathan Decker, Junior Main Dish* Audrey Watt, Junior Fruit & Vegetable* Ariel Murdock, Junior Bread & Cereal* Tracey Murdock, Junior Nutritious Snack* Matthew Schulze, Junior Nutritious Snack Ryan Schulze, Intermediate Main Dish* Sarah Gauteson, Senior Bread & Cereal* * Will be competing in the District 4-H Food Show in May. County 4-H Food Show Participants and Judges. Not Pictured: Matthew Schulze Texas AgriLife Extension - Montgomery County Scholarship Applications are now available. You may pick one up from the 4-H Office, club manager, school counselor, or download one from They are due to the 4-H Office by March 13th.

9 Texas 4-H Roundup 2012 will be held in Lubbock at Texas Tech University. Texas 4-H Roundup is a qualifying and invitational event for youth between the ages of 11 and 18. County and District Roundups are open to all ages of 4-H members from 9 to 18. Texas 4-H Roundup includes approximately 50 different contests that test 4-H members on life skills in such attributes as decision making, public speaking, organization, and working with others. These contests include Fashion Show, Food Show, Share The Fun, various Quiz Bowls, Discover Scientific Method Poster Contest, an assortment of judging contests, and educational presentations. Visit the state 4-H web site often for State Roundup information and a full listing of contests and other opportunities. Here is a sampling of just a few of the contests included in Roundup: Educational presentations are planned by individuals or teams of up to 4 4-H members that teach information related to a project or activity through illustrated talk, method demonstration or speech, using props and visual aides. These may last up to 12 minutes. Share-the-Fun is a performance, similar to a talent show. The categories include Poetry/prose, Vocal, Musical, Solo/Band, Choreographed Routine and Celebrate 4-H for individuals or teams of up to 9 members. Your imagination is the limit. Public Speaking is a 5-7 minute talk suitable as a platform speech or radio broadcast. Props and visual aides are not permitted. Topics are open to anything such as the meaning of the 4-H pledge, Gun Control and Prayer in Schools. Topics should be age appropriate. Beef Bowl, Horse Bowl and Food & Nutrition are quiz bowl contests at the district and state levels, covering information within the subject area. Teams of 4 compete against each other in a two round contest with buzzers. First round is individual questions for each member. Second round is toss up questions and any of the eight contestants can try to be the quickest on the buzzer with the correct answer. Discover Scientific Method, S.E.T. Poster Competition - The Discover Scientific Method Research Poster Contest is an avenue for 4-H members to learn about the scientific method and exhibit their work on the research of a question. The daily 4-H project work can be used to inspire independent discovery on a topic of interest to the member. Invitational Contests - These non-qualifying contests for intermediate and senior aged 4-H ers take place at State 4-H Round Up. Contests include Healthy Lifestyles, Poultry, Vet Science Skillathon and Livestock Judging. County Roundup - Tuesday, March 27 - Call to make appointment by March 22 District Roundup - May 4-5 at the Lone Star Convention Center, Conroe State Roundup - June at Texas Tech University in Lubbock District 4-H Roundup Website: State 4-H Roundup Website: BBQ Cook-Off at District 4-H Roundup..May 4-5 at the Lone Star Convention Center This is a contest for youth teams, adult teams or adult/youth combinations. Categories include brisket, spare ribs, chicken and pinto beans. Judging will be based on aroma, color, texture and taste of entry, along with an interview of the team where questions are asked about food safety and nutritional value of the entries. The entry fee is $20 per entry per age division. For rules and a schedule, please visit If you are interested in this contest, please contact the 4-H Office by March 29th so we may provide you with more information as it comes.