February 2016 Shawnee County 4-H Dates to Remember: A Word From Your Agent... Feb. 4 Sports Fishing Project Meeting Feb. 12-14 Ks. Garden Show Feb. 13 Club Days Feb. 19-20 Ambassador Training Feb. 21 Beef Weigh- In at Gleason s Farm Feb. 27 Sn. Co. Dog Show Visit us on the Web: www.shawnee.ksu.edu Candis Meerpohl 4-H Youth Development Agent candism@ksu.edu 785-232-0062 ext.120 I hope this issue of Chatterbox is finding you all enjoying our beautiful weather. It may be temporary, so play outside while you can! The office is in full Club Days mode and we are so excited about our event Feb. 13 th. I hope you all are practicing your talks and musical solos; we can t wait to hear them! The schedule will be out soon, we will post it on our website and mail one hard copy per family that registered. We will post the online version on Feb. 1 st. If you look at the schedule and see there is a conflict, because you are in a group event one place and an individual event at the same time, don t panic. The day of Club Days just check in with your room monitor BEFORE you are to perform to let them know you will have to work in to that room later. There are a few cancellations that day and the rooms can slip you into one of those spots. If you do not check in before you are to perform we will not keep the room going after its time to be done to work you in. We let our judges know how long their room goes and some of them cannot stay later. Rooms will start at 8:30am, so please do not come to the school before 8. We know a lot of you like to be early but we do not start paying for the building until 8, so please be considerate of that. Lastly, if we have severe weather use your best judgement on if you should come. We don t usually cancel club days because it cannot be rescheduled. But it is up to every family to decide if it is safe enough for them to make the trip. Regional Club Days will be March 19 th at Wheatridge Middle School in Gardner, Ks. Hope to see you all on the 13 th at Shawnee Heights Middle School! Candis Brooke Gray 4-H Program Assistant begray@ksu.edu 785-232-0062 ext.112 Kim Seeley 4-H Office Professional kjseeley@ksu.edu 785-232-0062 ext.111 Volunteers Needed! From Farm to You: April 19th from 8am-4pm at Domer Arena. We have 900+ Shawnee County second graders that day come learn about the importance of agriculture. We are in need of older 4-H'ers ( 8th graders and above) to act as group leaders throughout the day. You will guide the youth and their teachers from station to station. Please email Kim Seeley at kjseeley@ksu.edu and let her know if you want to be apart of this program. Half-day shifts are available. 1
Mark Your Calendar! Club Days, February 13th Beef and Bucket Calf Weigh-In, February 21st, 2-3pm at the Gleason s farm Shawnee County Dog Show, February 27th, Ag Hall Regional Days, March 19 th at Wheatridge Middle School in Gardner, Ks OZ-Some Summer camp are June 4th thru the 7th. Shawnee County Photo Judging, July 10th, 1-4pm Shawnee County Fashion Revue, July 15th Shawnee County Horse Show, July 16th-17th Shawnee County Fair, July 21st-24th 2016 Project Meeting Expo Have you had trouble finding a project meeting? On February 20 th from 9:30-11:30am we are going to be offering five project meetings at the same time! All meetings will be at the Extension Office. There will be something for everyone. The meetings will only be an hour long so you can try two if you would like! Please use the following link to sign up for the meeting or meetings you would like to attend. Click Here to Register for the Project Expo! In early February the project leaders will e-mail you a supply list if there is one. We invite you to come and sample some different 4-H projects! Leaders will have additional meeting dates at the Expo to share with you. Hope to see you there! Project meetings to choose from: Home Environment; Foods and Nutrition; Electricity; Knitting and Poultry. 2
Market Beef and Bucket Calf Weigh-In Market Beef and Bucket Calf weigh-in is Sunday February 21, 2016 from 2-3pm at Steve and Mary Gleason s Farm 13600 SW 33 rd St. Topeka, KS 66614. This is the only market beef weigh-in to be eligible for the county fair and state shows. There will be another bucket calf weigh-in on May 1, 2016 for those calves that have not been born yet. 4-H tags are $1.50 a tag and EID tags for those animals that might be showing at state shows is $3.00 a tag. Please try and bring exact change. If you have questions or concerns call Brooke Gray at 785-232-0062 ext. 112. County and State Event Flyers Shawnee County 4-H will be posting event flyers that we are emailed on the Shawnee County website at www.shawnee.ksu.edu. Once you get to the homepage click on the 4-H tab which is on the left hand side and then click on event flyers. There you will find an updated list of events going on in Shawnee and surrounding counties. Please check this page on a regular basis for event flyers. Livestock and Horse Judging Clinic The Shawnee County Livestock and Horse Judging Clinic/Contest will be held on March 19, 2016 at the Kansas Expo Centre. Registration is from 12-12:45 p.m. and the contest will begin at 1:00 p.m. You can find this event flyer at www.shawnee.ksu.edu. Click on 4-H and then on event flyers. Bread Kits Thank you to all the families that helped assemble bread kits in December. 250 bread kits were assembled giving over 700 youth in Shawnee County the opportunity to make their own loaf of wheat bread! 3
Save the Date for the Photo Workshop Once again, the Shawnee County 4-H Photography Project Group is offering a one day workshop to help 4-Hers hone their photography skills. It will take place at the Auburn Community Center on March 12th from 1-4pm. Fair Book Cover Contest! The 2016 Shawnee County Fair theme has been chosen. Of all the ideas entered the Shawnee County Fair Board selected Shawnee County Fair: Sew it, Grow it, Show it. This theme was entered by the Riverside 4-H Club. Now the Fair Board is announcing the annual cover contest for the Fair book. Here are the rules: Must be on 8 1/2 x 11 paper (Must be done in Portrait Orientation NOT Landscape orientation) Design must be in black and white, do not use color Art can be hand drawn or computer generated, but must be original Must include the dates of the County Fair; July 16-17 Horse Show, July 21-24 County Fair Must mention Open Class Must include the theme of the fair (Shawnee County Fair: Sew it, Grow it, Show it). Put your name, phone number and Club on the BACK SIDE of the entry. Entries are due to the Extension Office by February 22nd at 5PM. There will be a $50 cash prize for the cover chosen to be on the front of the Fair Book! Fair Superintendents Needed The following divisions need a superintendent for the 2016 Shawnee County Fair. These fair divisions cannot happen without a superintendent so please let Candis know if you are interested in seeing the division continue. Arts & Crafts (Looking for two unrelated adult superintendents. This is a large division that really needs more than one lead person.) Ceramics We are happy to announce we will have a Talent Show this year because a volunteer has stepped forward to lead the division for 2016. If you would like to know all that is entailed in being a fair superintendent please call the 4-H office. We need to have our volunteers identified by the end of February because of fair books deadlines. Thank You! 4
From our State 4-H Leader I want to express my thanks to K-State Research and Extension and Kansas State University for the opportunity to serve as Assistant Director, State Program Leader and Department Head of the Department of 4-H Youth Development. As I approach my five-year anniversary with K-State Research and Extension, it is my intent to retire from Kansas State University by January 2017. With that plan, I will step back from the administrative role around June 30, 2016. It has been my privilege to be a part of a strong organization and a great university. I would like to thank the 4-H Youth Development staff, and all the courageous and creative Extension professionals for their contributions during my time at KSRE. I would also like to express my thanks to Dr. Daryl Buchholz for his leadership which has helped me be more successful in growing a strong, inclusive, high quality 4-H experience for the youth across Kansas. Sincerely, Barbara Stone Kansas Junior Sheep Producer Day By Lexie Hayes The 2016 Kansas Junior Sheep Producer Day will be March 19, 2016 in Weber Hall on the Kansas State University campus. Presentations and demonstrations will be provided by featured guests, the Teague Family, as well as K-State faculty and staff members. This event will be a fun filled, educational day of activities in which youth, parents, sheep project leaders, and adults can increase their knowledge and experience of sheep production and management. Topics include market and breeding project selection, nutrition and feeding, management, health, meat science, wool judging, grooming, showmanship, and show ring etiquette. This interactive event is designed for all ages and skill levels. All participants will receive a complimentary lunch and t-shirt (early registrations). The early registration deadline is February 24, 2016 and the fee is $15/person. Registrations received after February 24, 2016 cannot be guaranteed a t-shirt and the fee is $20/person. A flyer containing more information and registration details may be found on the KSU Youth Livestock website. Kansas Junior Beef Producer Day By Lexie Hayes The 2016 Kansas Junior Beef Producer Day has been scheduled for March 5, 2016 in Weber Arena on the Kansas State University campus. This event will be a fun filled, educational day of activities in which youth, parents, beef project leaders, and adults can increase their knowledge and experience of beef production and management. Presentations 5
and demonstrations by K-State faculty and staff will cover topics such as nutrition, project management, meat science, reproduction, health, leadership, communication, showmanship, and show ring etiquette. This interactive, hands-on educational event will stimulate your enthusiasm and provide a foundation for management and care of your youth beef project in the coming year. A complimentary lunch and t-shirt (early registrations) will be provided. The early registration deadline is February 10, 2016 and the fee is $15/person. Registrations received after February 10, 2016 cannot be guaranteed a t-shirt and the fee is $20/person. A flyer containing more information and registration details may be found on the KSU Youth Livestock website. Kansas 4-H Communication Fact Sheets Helpful for 4-H Day Presentations By Deryl Waldren Speaking skillfully before an audience is one of the hallmarks that Kansas 4-H members have been successfully doing for over 100 years. Kansas youth through 4-H have learned the skills necessary to get up before an audience and eloquently speak. 4-H has helps youth learn the skills necessary to clearly organize and present thoughts and ideas through project talks, demonstrations, illustrated talks and public speaking presentations. The complete Kansas 4-H communication fact sheet series is listed below. These may be helpful to Kansas 4-H families as they begin to prepare for county 4-H day presentations. They can be downloaded free from the Kansas 4-H web site. Visit: http:// www.kansas4h.org/p.aspx?tabid=551. Kansas 4-H Communication Fact Sheet Series Available: Kansas 4-H Presentation Overview 4-H Project Talks 4-H Demonstrations 4-H Illustrated Talks 4-H Demonstration & Illustrated Talk Planning Form 4-H Public Speaking 4-H Public Speaking Record 4-H Presentation Brainstorming Activity 4-H Effective Presentation Tips 4-H Preparing and Using Visual Aids Kansas 4-H Generic Record Form Presentation Score Sheets Available: 4-H Demonstration & Illustrated Talk Scoresheet 4-H Public Speaking Scoresheet 4-H Project Talk Scoresheet 6
4-H Horse Changes By Pam Van Horn Changes for 2016 in the Horse Program following the 4-H Horse Action Team meeting: -New for 2016, only Achievement Level 1 will be required by 4-H member 9-8 wanting to compete at District and State Fair. Reason - limited number of certified Achievement Level Testers and scheduled trainings being offered. -No Roping events at the Kansas State Fair for 2016 - cost prohibitive -Up-date Horse Show Rule Book available early Spring. Registered Volunteers Should Enroll in 4HOnline By Pam Van Horn Registered 4-H volunteers and individuals in the process of becoming a registered 4-H volunteer should be enrolled in the Kansas 4HOnline system. The State 4-H Office enters Criminal Background Check and Child Abuse and Neglect Registry completion dates in members 4HOnline profiles. Local Extension units are able to utilize the Additional Information page to track each step of the Initial Volunteer Screening. Volunteer Screening reports have been created and exist in the Shared Directory. Please help ensure your registered 4-H volunteers and those going through the process of becoming registered are enrolling in Kansas 4HOnline. 7
Riverside 4-H Club During the month of January, the Riverside 4-H club went to January Jamboree. We had a booth and sold nail string art for $1. We had four designs. Our booth was very popular. After it was over, we helped with the cleanup. It was a fun and creative experience for all who attended. ~Quast, Reporter 4-H Ambassadors The Shawnee County Ambassador are very busy this month with many activities to be held. With 4-H photography presentation consultation, and judging 101 at the Auburn Community Center the Ambassadors will be prepared for this summer s fair. With Ambassadors training coming up quick on February 19-20 registrations are due February first. All new Ambassadors are required to go. Coming in three months on April 19 from 8am to 4pm will be Farm To You at Domer arena. That is it for Ambassadors this month I hope everyone is staying safe in the weather. ~Matt Krainbill, Reporter Your Club Photos and Articles Should Be Here! 8
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February March 1 Bunny Bunch 7:00 p.m., EMR 3 4-H in the Library 4:00-5:00 p.m. 4 Sport Fishing Club Meeting 6:00-7:30, EMR 4 Exchange 7:00 p.m. Shawnee Co. Farm Bureau 9 Extension Council Exec. Board 5:30 p.m., EMR 10 Livestock Committee, 7:30 p.m., CR 11 Events Council Exec., 6:15 p.m., CR Events Council Meeting 7:00 p.m., EMR 12-14 Kansas Garden Show, Kansas Expocentre 13 County 4-H Club Days Shawnee Heights Middle School 14-15 Citizenship in Action 16 Sport Fishing Club Meeting 6:00-7:30, EMR 18 Ambassador Mtg., 7:00 p.m. CR 18 Shooting Sports II, 7:00 p.m. EMR 19 Deadline to submit articles to Chatterbox 19-20 KS 4-H Ambassador Training, Rock Springs 20 Project Meeting Expo, 9:30-11:30 a.m., EMR 21 Beef Weigh-in, 2-3 p.m. Gleason Farm 22 Paw Prints 7:00 p.m., EMR 23 Fair Board, 7:00 p.m., CR 25 Horse Club, 7:00 p.m., EMR 27 Shawnee County Dog Show, Ag Hall 27 4-H Day with Wildcat Women 3:30 p.m. 29 Clothing Cares Meeting 6:30 p.m. Farm Bureau Building 2 4-H in the Library 4:00-5:00 p.m. 3 Sport Fishing Club Meeting 6:00-7:30, EMR 3 Exchange 7:00 p.m. Sn. Co. Farm Bureau 7 Bunny Bunch 7:00 p.m., EMR 8 Extension Council Exec. Board 5:30 p.m., EMR 9 Horse Clinic, Livestock Pavilion 9 Livestock Committee, 7:30 p.m., CR 10 Events Council Exec., 6:15 p.m., CR 12 Photography Workshop, Auburn Community Center 14-15 Job Prep Bootcamp, EMR 15 Sport Fishing Club Meeting 6:00-7:30, EMR 17 Ambassador Mtg., 7:00 p.m. CR 17 Shooting Sports II, 7:00 p.m. EMR 19 Livestock Judging Clinic, Livestock Pavilion 19 Regional Club Days-Gardner KS. 20 Horse Clinic, Livestock Pavilion 22 Fair Board, 7:00 p.m., EMR 24 Horse Club 7:00 p.m., EMR 25 Deadline to submit articles to Chatterbox 28 Clothing Cares 6:30 p.m. Farm Bureau Building 28 Paw Prints, 7:00 p.m., EMR 12