SEPTEMBER 2016 1 Montgomery County 4 H CHIEF SHEET As of right now, only about 10 percent of our members have re enrolled in 4 H. Please encourage your members to enroll right away so they do not miss any important dates or information. Club managers, please ensure that you re enroll as well as all Project Leaders/Adult Volunteers working with your club. We are no longer having to collect the $1 supplemental insurance fee from our 4 H members. This coverage is being provided by Texas 4 H, Inc. Please continue to encourage your members to pay the optional $5 newsletter donation, which helps to cover printing and distribution costs. To keep our 4 H families up to date in the timeliest, most reliable way possible, we are always exploring new options for getting news out. Currently two physical newsletters are being produced: the Chief Sheet, which is provided to club managers monthly and the 4 H Focus, which is produced bi monthly for members. Digital copies of the physical newsletters are also posted to the 4 H website. The 4 H Update is sent via email to members each Friday with lots of information for upcoming events. For digital news, we are sharing important information online as it becomes available to keep you in the know! Facebook: @4HMontgomeryCounty Twitter: @MontgomeryCo4H Instagram: @Montcotx4H Website: http://agrilife.org/montgomery4h/ Annual 4-H Pecan Sale Fundraiser Pecan order forms and information letters are included in this Manager s packet. 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 preorders and $11.50 per pound for all other orders. Pre orders are due to the 4 H Office by October 20th. Clubs receive $.50 per pound of pre orders sold by the deadline and $.25 for orders sold between October 20th and distribution day. Please make an appointment with Alicia in the 4 H Office to turn in your club s pre orders. This is to help ensure MCFA Junior Committee Are you a high school student and interested in joining a Montgomery County Fair Committee? If so, the MCJC is the committee for you. The Junior Committee will participate in a community service project and go on field trips before the Fair. During the fair, you will work with other committees to put on a successful Fair. In order to join MCJC, you must be in the 9th 12 th grade, be willing to join the Fair Association and have your application turned in to the Fair Office by September 22, 2016. Each member is required to attend a mandatory Junior Committee Orientation. Junior Committee applications can be found on www.mcfa.org. PHONE: 936-539-7823 FAX: 936-538-8199 ON THE WEB County Extension Service montgomery.agrilife.org County 4-H agrilife.org/ montgomery4h District d94-h.tamu.edu State texas4-h.tamu.edu Office Hours 8:00am - 12:00pm 1:00pm - 5:00pm M. Michelle Mihalek County Extension Agent 4-H Youth Development Caroline M. Cruz County Extension Agent Urban Youth Development Eligibility Forms (No Pass, No Play) are the member s responsibility to complete for any competitive 4 H 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 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.
Special Interest Projects MONTGOMERY COUNTY FAIR NON LIVESTOCK WORKSHOP: Thursday, November 10th at 6:00pm at the Fair Office. All members, parents, and leaders are welcome to come and learn more about the nonlivestock contests. Major Show Contests : If you want to participate in any non livestock contests at Fort Worth, San Antonio, San Angelo, Rodeo Austin or Houston entries must be completed November 6th from 3pm 5pm or November 7th from 5pm 7pm at the Extension Office. This includes those who wish to enter shooting sports contests, science projects, Consumer Decision Making, Food Challenge, Judging Contests, public speaking, or any other contest held at the major shows. 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. To learn more about the program, visit http:// aevm.tamu.edu/4 h veterinary science/curriculum/ A vet science project group meets monthly in Magnolia. Beginning in August they will be meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm at the Wildwood Methodist Church 8911 FM 1488, Magnolia, TX 77354. This project group is set to take only 2.5 years to complete the required curriculum. For more details, contact Carolyn Wilkins at tcbaw4@sbcglobal.net or 936 537 9110. A new vet science project group will be starting on October 18th at 6:30pm. This group will meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at EMC Rodeo Arena Pavilion 21675 B McCleskey Rd. in New Caney. This project group is set to take only 2.5 years to complete the required curriculum. For details, contact Natasha Rose at natasharose26@gmail.com or 281 961 1082. 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. A Beginner s Obedience class series is available for new dogs / handlers prior to integration into the main group.. The class begins with an orientation on October 2nd. To sign up for the Beginner Class Orientation, visit http://agrilife.org/montgomery4h/event sign up/dog project beginner class orientation 10216/ District 9 4 H Council The District 9 4 H Council Meeting and Training on September 17, 2016 at Lone Star Convention Center, 9055 Airport Road, Conroe, TX 77803 will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a General Session and conclude by 3:00 p.m. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. Workshop sessions led by Council Officers will focus on Leadership Styles, Communication, Teamwork, Creativity, and Putting Together a Productive Meeting. The registration fee for this District 4 H Council Meeting and Training is $10/person and includes snacks, refreshments and lunch. The registration fee will be collected upon arrival at the door. District 9 4 H Leader Boot Camp September 17th at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center Topics include project and club experiences, youth x ray, and reaching and leading youth. Register on 4 H Connect by September 11th for $20.00, Late registration costs $30. The flyer is included in this month s manager s packet. Record Books Record keeping is a skill people need for their entire lives. Job, scholarship, and college applications all ask about knowledge, skills, extracurricular activities, and leadership/community service. We will be having a Record Keeping Training on September 27 at the County Extension Office at 6:30pm. This training will help members learn what kind of information to keep up with throughout the year. Members will also learn how to set goals for the year. To RSVP for the training, visit http://agrilife.org/montgomery4h/eventsign up/record keeping training 9272016/ or call the office at 936 539 7823. 2
Livestock Projects Major Show Entry Night November 6th from 3pm 5pm or November 7th from 5pm 7pm at the Extension Office. If you would like to show at any of the major shows, such as Houston, San Antonio, Rodeo Austin, or Ft. Worth, you will need to attend one of these days to complete your entries. Please 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 and must have validated their heifers. This entry night includes those who wish to enter shooting sports contests, science projects, Consumer Decision Making, Food Challenge, Judging Contests, public speaking, or any other contest held at the major shows. See the insert in this packet of a list of judging contests members can enter. 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 31, 2016, you will need to take the Senior version of the test. The test can be found at http://agrilife.org/qualitycounts/ MONTGOMERY COUNTY FAIR: The Montgomery County Fair (MCF) will be held March 31 April 9. If you plan to exhibit livestock or non livestock items at the fair, be sure to read the rules at www.mcfa.org. To show at the fair, members must attend at least 50% of regular monthly club meetings, from September through February. Entries will be completed online. General Exception Forms are due at each tag in. BEEF MCF Steer Tag In Tuesday, September 13 from 4pm 7pm at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Must bring pictures of the exhibitor with the animal. Exhibitor should be present; parent/guardian must be present. MCF Replacement Heifer Tag In Tuesday, October 11 from 4pm 7pm at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Must bring pictures of the exhibitor with the animal. Exhibitor should be present; parent/guardian must be present. Heifer validation If you will be showing a heifer at the major shows (not the fair) you must order a UIN kit and have the heifer validated. Please note the following important dates: Order your UIN for $12/head from the 4 H Office by September 15 th. Call the 4 H office at 936 539 7823 to make an appointment with Michelle to upload your heifer s registration papers. These appointments will take place September 26th 30th during regular office hours. These must be the original papers and in the exhibitor s name. Heifer validation will be held on October 20th at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds from 4pm 7pm. 3 Major Show Calf Scramble Applications are due to the 4 H Office by September 13 th. Get your application on the Forms & Downloads page of the Montgomery County 4 H website or here: http://agrilifecdn.tamu.edu/ montgomery4h/files/2016/07/major Show Calf Scramble Application 2016 2017.pdf HORSE MCF Colt Tag In Tuesday, October 18 from 4pm 7pm at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Must bring pictures of the exhibitor with the animal. Exhibitor should be present; parent/guardian must be present. The Montgomery County 4 H Horse Judging Contest will be held on Saturday, October 29th. 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. Negative Coggins is required. Upcoming Shows & Clinics: October 30, 2016 at Lone Star Arena Judged events 1:30PM; Stock horse pleasure clinic 12:30PM November 13, 2016 at Texas Christian Horse Camp English Equitation clinic 12:30PM; Speed events 1:30PM February 5, 2017 at Willis Ag Arena Showmanship Clinic 12:30PM; Judged events 1:30PM March 5, 2017 at Magnolia Arena Stake Race Clinic 12:30PM; Speed events 1:30PM
LAMB & GOAT MCF Lamb and Goat Tag In Tuesday, December 6 from 4pm 7pm at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Must bring pictures of the exhibitor with the animal. Exhibitor should be present; parent/guardian must be present. If you would like to show a lamb or goat at any of the major shows, such as Houston, Ft. Worth, San Antonio, or Rodeo Austin, you must first order tags and have the animal(s) validated. Please note, that the following will be validated: market lambs, market goats, registered sheep, wether dams, registered boer goats, and wether does. Late tag orders are due to the 4 H Office by October 5th. Tags cost $20 per animal. Validation takes place on Tuesday, October 25th at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds POULTRY Broiler orders for MCF, Houston, San Antonio and Rodeo Austin (Star of Texas) will be due September 22nd. Order forms can be obtained here: http://agrilife.org/montgomery4h/forms downloads/ Major Show & MCF turkeys will be picked up around the first week of November. MCF Turkey intent to show forms are due to the fair office by Thursday, November 17th. MCF Chicks Delivered Thursday, February 23 from 1pm 3pm at the MCF Horseshoe Club. RABBIT MCF Rabbit intent to show forms are due to the Fair Office by Thursday, November 17th. MCF Rabbit Tag In Thursday, March 9 from 5pm 7pm at the Horseshoe Club at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Exhibitor should be present; parent/guardian must be present. SWINE MCF Market Barrow Tag In Tuesday, January 3 from 2pm 7pm at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Must bring pictures of the exhibitor with the animal, as well as ear notch and tag in cards. Exhibitor should be present; parent/guardian must be present. If you would like to show swine at any of the major shows, such as Houston, Ft. Worth, San Antonio, or Rodeo Austin, you must first order tags and have the animal(s) validated. Major Show swine tag orders are due to the Extension Office by September 15th. Tags cost $12 each. Validation will take place Tuesday, November 29th. Livestock Coalition The Livestock Coalition will meet on September 29th at 6:30pm at the Extension Office. This coalition will help with determining and planning livestock trainings throughout the county. Interested parents and Project Leaders are encouraged to volunteer. County Council County Council meetings are held the 4th Monday of the month at 7:00pm at the Extension Office, unless stated otherwise. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend. The next County Council meeting will be held on Monday, September 26th. It will be a great year, and Montgomery County 4 H ers will make the best better! Louisiana School Supply Drive Clubs and members who are participating in the Louisiana School Supply Drive can drop off items at the Extension Office beginning October 3rd through October 13th at 12pm. To help clubs avoid shipping charges, Matt Schiel has graciously volunteered to deliver our collected supplies to the LSU site. Let this be a challenge to fill that truck! 4
5 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 One Day 4 H will be Saturday, October 8th. 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 104 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. NATIONAL YOUTH SCIENCE DAY Do you love science and fun science activities? 4 H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) is the world s largest youth led science experiment. On October 5, 2016, millions of young people will take part in this year's NYSD experiment, Motion Commotion, to learn about physics, speed and safety! 4 H provides everything you need to make your 4 H NYSD event a success. It's easy to make learning science fun! Register your 4 H NYSD event Download the experiment guides Buy science kits Be sure to tag your photos & videos with #4HNYSD and you could be featured on 4 H social media! COMMISSIONERS COURT APPRECIATION OCTOBER 2 8, 2016 The purpose of this event is to show our Commissioners and County Judge how much we appreciate their support of 4 H in Texas, and to showcase the highlights of the 4 H program in Montgomery County. We will attend Commissioners Court on Tuesday, September 27th and present them with a specially prepared basket, filled with items donated by you. We will also read the National 4 H Week Proclamation. 4 H will present 5 baskets, one for each Commissioner, and the County Judge. Every club should contribute 5 identical small gift items for the baskets. Ideas include mugs, candles, treats baked by the club s food and nutrition project members, or other small gifts. We will also need a few members on hand to help present the baskets. Please bring your club s contributions to the 4 H Office by Friday, September 23rd. Clubs who are baking goods, can bring their items on that Monday, the 26th. If you would like to help present the baskets, please call to sign up by September 23rd.
4-H Scoop Do you know any new 4 H members? There is lots to learn in a short amount of time, so we broke the subjects into bite size pieces to hopefully address the most critical items when new members need them the most. Presentation will be informal, open structure with a short explanation of the topics listed and then open to their questions. This is a judgement free zone where everyone in the room will be in the same situation and their question may help someone else better understand. If you have a subject you would like to be included, I ll be glad to add it where it best fits. Part 1 September 20, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. Register by 9/15/16 Part 2 October 27, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. Register by 10/25/16 If there are less than 10 registered the class will be canceled. The meetings will be held at the County Extension Office, 9020 Airport Road in Conroe. We will start at 6:30 p.m. and end by 8:00 p.m. We realize this may be a little bit of a drive for some of you, but it is the best option we have at this time to serve the whole county. It has the advantage of giving new members the opportunity to meet people with similar interests and a different perspective. Please let new members know of this opportunity and encourage them to participate. You can register for these events by visiting the event sign up page on the 4 H website (http://agrilife.org/montgomery4h/event sign up/) or calling the office at 936 539 7823. Important Dates 6 SEPTEMBER September 5 Labor Day Office Closed September 13 Calf Scramble Applications Due September 13 MCF Steer Tag In September 15 Major Show Swine Tag Orders Due September 15 Major Show Heifer Tags Due September 17 District 9 4 H Leader Boot Camp September 17 District 4 H Council Meeting September 17 Shooting Sports Safety Training September 20 4 H Scoop Part 1 September 22 Club Manager Training September 22 Major Show / MCF Chick Orders Due to 4 H Office September 26 County Council Meeting September 27 Commissioners Court Appreciation September 27 Record Keeping Training September 27 Robotics Kick off Meeting & Mixer OCTOBER October 2 Dog Project Introduction Meeting October 5 Late Lamb/Goat tag orders Due October 5 National Youth Science Day October 8 One Day 4 H October 10 MCF Fair Queen Applications Due October 11 MCF Replacement Heifer Tag in October 18 MCF Colt Tag In October 20 Pecan Pre Orders Due October 20 Major Show Heifer Validation October 22 Dist. Council Meeting/Dance October 24 County Council Meeting October 25 Major Show Lamb/Goat Validation October 27 4 H Scoop Part II October 29 Mont. Co. 4 H Horse Judging Contest October 29 Goat Clinic September 29 Livestock Coalition Meeting