4-H Email List Addresses:
4h-professionals@ag.osu.eduohioblueribbon@ag.osu.edu
Subscribe to the Ohio 4-H email lists:
 |
4-H Professionals |
|
Ohio Blue Ribbon |
Subscribe to the OSU Extension Email List.
|
All Extension |
Staff News & Notes - Week of July 26, 2010
Hi,
It is obvious to most that during the 4-H camping and 4-H fair season that 4-H Professionals are engaged in the management of a variety of activities and events. Those of us who have been down that path know that there have been months of planning, committee meetings, news releases, phone calls, letters, and other communications before these activities and events can happen. “Busy” only begins to describe our work.
I always thought that it would be great if there was a day of “fair” or “camp”, and then at least a week in-between to prepare for the next day of “fair” or “camp, but that is just not the way it is. The challenges that we face are often the overlapping or back-to-back happenings that would be impossible for most normal people.
But Extension folk are not what I would call “normal”. You may be having visions of abnormality right now, because I know most people would not attempt to undertake the schedule and responsibility assumed by Extension Professionals. There has been more than one person over the years who have shared with me that they would not want my job. However, my description here favors the side of “extraordinary” when I think about all the things that our 4-H County Educators, 4-H Program Coordinators, and 4-H Program Assistants do.
Not so obvious to most outsiders is that one thing constantly on the minds of our Extension Professionals is looking toward improvements for the future. These improvements may be related to event scheduling, logistics, communication, and/or rules and guidelines. Since 4-H is such a volunteer driven organization, we are always looking for that younger teen who we can shepherd toward a leadership role in a year or two, or that adult who has talents and skills that could be morphed into a productive middle management volunteer or committee chair.
This may be the one of the best things about fairs and camps. At these venues we have the most opportunity to be engaged with hundreds of people face-to-face. Our clientele are most willing to share what may have not worked so well with what we have managed, and even a few of those people even give plausible alternatives. If we mix these suggestions with our desire for constant improvement, the result is robust 4-H programming.
I always carried a 3x5 index card and pencil to make sure that I captured those plausible suggestions or remembered those teens and volunteers who showed potential for the future. (I forget a lot if I do not write something down.) But no matter how you choose to identify and capture the possible ways your programming can be improved, I know that it is happening now more than any other time of the year.
Thanks for what you do,
Tom
4-H 365...Year Round Adventure
Tune in to watch 4-H 365... Year Round Adventure on Thursday, July 29, 7 PM, WHIO-Channel 7, CBS affiliate in Dayton, Ohio. The show will feature Clark County 4-H members engaged in hands-on experiential fun and the volunteers guiding those learning opportunities.
The program is the result of a continued partnership between OSU Extension, Clark County 4-H Program and the Clark County Fair and is being sponsored by Meijer, Clark State Community College, OSU Extension and the Clark County Fair. Discover first-hand how 4-H is connecting with today's young people for positive youth development.
Check out the video on the 4-H home page www.ohio4h.org
Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Connections
The Summer 2010 issue of Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Connections is now posted on the web at http://cloverbudconnections.osu.edu/
You can follow the link and print a copy for your use and distribution to volunteers. Our issue this summer is all about Going Green with Cloverbud Activities Watch for our Fall Issue when we focus on Cloverbud Recognition.
In this issue you will find:
· Caring for Our Environment: Ways to Involve Children by Kristi Lekies
· 4-H Cloverbuds and the Environment by Scott Scheer
· Making Recycled Paper
· Coffee Filter Flowers with a Recycled Vase
· Reduce, Reuse, or Recycle
· Campus Connections by Scott Scheer
· Trail Mix
· Click it!, Print it!, Do it! -- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle by Rebecca Miller
Spread the news about this resource to your volunteers or friends. You can also link your county or 4-H site to the newsletter link.
Area Health & Safety Speaking Contest Winners
CLICK here for a list of area winners who will be competing at the Ohio State Fair on July 28, 2010.
4-H Dog Information
Companion Animal Day Judging is Friday, July 30, in the Youth Center at the Ohio State Fairgrounds. The Ohio State Fair Companion Animal Judging Day Exhibitor's Letter and Judging Schedule are posted at: http://4hansci.osu.edu/companion/companionResources.php and http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~prec/4h/sm_animal/. Packets were mailed to exhibitors last Friday.
The Ohio State Fair Dog Show Exhibitor's Letter, Agility Exhibitor's Letter, and Preparation Checklist are posted at: http://4hansci.osu.edu/companion/companionResources.php and http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~prec/4h/dog/. The Dog Show Packet (for youth showing August 2-5) was mailed from the Ohio State Fair Entry Department last week. The Agility Exhibitor’s packet (for youth showing July 31) was mailed to those participants from the Animal Sciences Department on July 22.
All exhibitors’ letters are posted online and were not mailed to the participants. Exhibitors need to check either website (the same information is posted on both websites) for registration schedules and other pertinent information. If you have any questions, contact Lucinda Miller at miller.78@osu.edu. Questions pertaining to agility entries should be directed to Julie Strawser-Moose at the OSU South Centers at 740.289.2071, ext. 223 or strawser.35@cfaes.osu.edu.
Grab Bag Sale at Curriculum Materials Service
Curriculum Materials Service is having a warehouse clearance sale with options: (1) Order a $75 grab bag containing at least 30 items from the areas of life and agricultural sciences, business and management, exploratory agriculture, technology application, leadership, and teaching and learning; or (2) spend $50 to create your own grab bag during an on-site visit to the Columbus warehouse! Click here to learn more, including dates and times. All sales are final. Questions? Please send CMS an email at cms@osu.edu.
Special Opportunity for Youth
The National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) is accepting applications from youth ages16 - 21 to serve on the NOYS Coalition Distracted Driving Prevention Leadership Team. NOYS will select 20 youth from the applications. These youth will be sponsored to travel to participate in the U.S. Department of Transportation Distracted Driving Summit and serve on the Teen Leadership Team that will develop and implement a youth-led community distracted driving prevention program. Applications are due by Friday, August 6, 2010. Check out their website at http://www.noys.org/ . Send questions or request more information at info@NOYS.org.
4-H National Youth Science Day
Are you starting to plan your 4-H National Youth Science Day event on October 6, 2010? Check out all the new planning materials at https://www.4-h.org/NYSD/index.php
Watch the Experiment How-To Video sponsored by Toyota, this year's animated video guide demonstrates how to lead and participate in the 2010 National Science Experiment, 4-H2O.
4-H National Youth Science Day Promotional Materials Now Available
Start planning your National Youth Science Day event with this downloadable toolkit. The kit includes everything you'll need from posters, fliers and ads to event planning timelines and promotional tools for social media! Learn more...
Hosting a 4-H National Youth Science Day event? Tell us about it!
We want to know the details of your community's 4-H National Youth Science Day event. Promote your efforts locally and nationally by including your event on the National Youth Science Day interactive map! Send the details of your event, including date, location, time, etc., to 4hnysd@4-H.org.
Don't Forget to Pre-Order Your Experiment Kit!
Pre-orders for the 4-H2O experiment kit are now available and will begin shipping during the first week of August. To receive your kit in time for 4-H National Youth Science Day on Wednesday, October 6, 2010, make sure to place your order by September 20, 2010.
