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Staff News & Notes - Week of 02.04.09
Hi,
A colleague at the recently completed Ohio 4-H Professionals’ Update reminded me about one of my beliefs that I used to share when I was a county 4-H Professional. I always felt that the “best day of the year” was the day after the county fair. I truly believed that, and I actually counted down the last fifteen to twenty days before then. For anyone who has been involved with a county fair in our profession, I really do not have to explain why I believed that. After several days of working in a row, under tight time lines and with challenging people, that day after the fair was about 358 days before the start of the next county fair.
For the last eight and a half years, I have not had the elation the “day after the fair” brought to me. In my role as Leader, Program Development and Evaluation, I sometimes spent days on a project, but I never had that emotional high as when I was in the county when I completed an evaluation project.
Since I chose to immerse myself as much as I did into the planning and execution of this year’s 4-H Professionals’ Update, I thought I might begin feeling that today was the “best day of the year”. You know what, I did. It is the best day of the year (at least so far), but not for the same reasons.
I feel things went fairly well as far as programming and my goals for the event, but I really feel good about the people. There were those County 4-H Educators who stepped up to make our time a little lighter – Jeff Dick, Connie Goble, and Ed Werner. David Crawford did a better job of explaining the 4-H Internal Advisory Committee than I ever could have done. I especially like the working relationship that I am developing with Vicki Schwartz and Lisa Jinks, who always complete quality work. I do not think that Allen Auck receives enough thanks for all the work that he does with the 4-H Center, in addition to the other state-wide assignment that he has.
I always hate to start listing names to thank, because I am afraid that I will miss someone. EVERYONE who attended the workshops and sessions the last two days are truly 4-H “Professionals”. You all need to be thanked, especially for the ways that you conducted yourselves in what is a very trying time for Extension and 4-H in Ohio.
I will do the very best that I can do for you and Ohio 4-H. I will let you know what I know, when I know it, relative to the current re-structuring process, or any other important issue that affects us. But please continue doing your part – share your ideas, provide your continued constructive criticism, and continue to be the best 4-H Professional that you can be.
Thanks again,
Tom
2009 Ohio State Fair 4-H Guidebook
The 2009 Ohio State Fair 4-H Guidebook is now available on-line at: www.ohio4h.org/statefair. There is also a “summary of changes” document posted on the web site as well. Please feel free to contact Allen Auck auck.1@cfaes.osu.edu if you have questions or contact the Assistant Superintendent in charge of the event for specific questions.
Starter Flock Giveaway
The Ohio Columbia Association is sponsoring a starter flock giveaway to any eligible youth in the State of Ohio. A youth must be 4-H or FFA age and must not already have Columbia Sheep. Deadline for entries is April 1, 2009. For complete rules you can contact Mike Copeland at copeland13@embarqmail.com or 14694 St. Rt. 274, Lewistown, OH 43333.
2009 Youth Conservationist Program
“Why I would like to help preserve a heritage breed of sheep?”
Youth interested in applying for the 2009 Youth Conservationist Program CLICK HERE for application details.
Ohio 4-H Teen Conference Registration
The registration website for the 2009 Ohio 4-H Teen Conference is now accepting registrations. The information is: www.ohio4h.org/register
username: volconf
password: ovc04
OVC Silent Auction
4-H Volunteer Conference is coming March 14. With that comes the silent auction that helps offset some of the costs of the conference like; chair rental, table rental, room rental, etc.
County 4-H programs or individuals can donate an item of $5.00 in value or higher, but not over $30.00. These are the items that do the best. Items can be crafts, homemade candy, 4-H items, County or region specific Ohio Proud items.
Also continuing this year is the ditty bags with toiletry items for our veterans in the various veteran home locations. This is a project that can be done all year long.
Ditty bags or toiletry items can be dropped off at the front registration desk or at the Silent Auction room again located upstairs at the top of the escalators across from the vendors' room.
CLICK HERE for more information or contact Jill Stechschulte at stechschulte.23@cfaes.osu.edu
Collegiate 4-H Plowboy Prom
Ohio State Collegiate 4-H Club presents: "Good Time" Plowboy Prom
Date: Saturday, February 14th, 2009 - Time: 7:00-11:30 pm
Location: Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
"Cowboy Casual" attire - All ages welcome
Admission: $6
Square dancing, cake walks, ice cream social, and prizes
Detailed flyer available CLICK HERE
Another Opportunity For Your Input
CSREES issued a Federal Register notice soliciting external, written stakeholder input on the establishment of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This open solicitation for input closes February 6th. Please share this notice with stakeholders to ensure they are aware of, and take advantage of, this opportunity. AN IMPORTANT DIMENSION OF THIS INPUT IS HOW 4-H “FITS” INTO THE NEW NIFA STRUCTURE. Direct comments from 4-H Stakeholders are needed. We have already provided input from Ohio 4-H at the state level, for which we solicited comments from local 4-H Professionals through a Zoomerang survey. However, direct input may help emphasize the importance of 4-H.
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2009news/01051_stakeholderinput.html
36th Annual Sewing Smorgasbord
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Thornville, Ohio
Cost: $8.00
Contact Cindy at 740-743-1602 or e-mail at shuster.24@osu.edu
CLICK BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS
2009 Table Runner Contest Rules
2009 Horsemen's Association Mid-Winter Clinic - 07 Feb 09
http://horsemens.org.ohio-state.edu/Clinic.htm
Featured clinicians: Stacy Westfall, Allison Applegett, Terry Myers, Dennis Clement, and Deputy Robert Weidig
Featured topics: Reining, English Equitation, Trail, Showmanship (English/Western), Mounted Patrol Horses
Admission: $5 at the door (OSU students free with a valid BuckID)
Silent Auction and Concessions on the grounds
All proceeds support the collegiate Horsemen's Association
2009 March Youth Clinic - Sponsored by the Ohio 4-H Judges Committee - 07 Mar 09
Featured clinicians: Terry Myers, Tony Kennedy, Dan Rhodeback, Todd Allen and Ron Schilling
Featured topics: Reinsmanship, Training the Showmanship Horse, Elements of Horsemanship, Ground Roping, Starting the Over-Fences Horse
Admission: $5 at the door
Silent Auction and Concessions on the grounds
Making eXreme Counselor Workshop Registration
Information for the MXC Workshops can be found on the Ohio 4-H Website. You can follow the links from 4-H youth to teens to MXC in the left hand column or go directly to: http://www.ohio4h.org/youth/teen_leadership/index.html
There is a link to the on-line registration from that page or a direct link to: http://www.ohio4h.org/youth/teen_leadership/mxc.html
Early Bird Registration is $50 (by Feb. 14 for Canter’s Cave or Feb. 27 for Camp Ohio.)
After that, the fee is $60 and the deadlines are February 21 for Canter’s Cave and March 14 for Camp Ohio.
There is the Master Counselor application with requirements for participation spelled out in that document. In addition, the health form and behavior agreement is also posted on line. Early bird registration for Canter's Cave has been extended to February 14.
Counselors can register directly on line or their county office can do it. All monies must be handled through the county office.
If you have questions, please direct them to Niki Nestor McNeely at: mcneely.1@osu.edu or Nadine Fogt at: fogt.64@osu.edu
4-H CARTEENS IRB Approval
OSU Institutional Research Board (IRB) approval is necessary for us to be able to conduct evaluation research with the 4-H CARTEENS program participants. If you have a 4-H CARTEENS program in your county – or if you plant to offer one in the next year – please list the information requested for all OSU personnel who will be involved with distributing, collecting, or assisting in any way with the CARTEENS evaluation surveys.
Send the following information to Kathy Cox, cox.5@cfaes.osu.edu
OSU Personnel Name, University Title, OSU ID Number, email address, phone number and county. Thanks.
Assistance Needed With 4-H Web Site
Andy Merritt and Tom Archer are completing an in-depth review of the Ohio 4-H Web Site to identify needed improvements and create a plan for continual update. One dimension already identified is that a 4-H Professional is needed to monitor the site – someone who knows 4-H programming. The complete responsibilities are yet to be determined, but the duties would include such things as: Making a plan and providing appropriate information on what should be shown on the Home Page to match current 4-H Programming; Supplying/recommending pictures or videos that would make the site more interesting to youth; Noting outdated information; Suggesting improvements for navigation and additional pages; etc. This may take an hour or two a month. If interested, contact Andy, merritt.356@cfaes.osu.edu or Tom, archer.3@cfaes.osu.edu
Another item about the Ohio 4-H Web Site
Under the “4-H for You” link along the top of the front page, there is a link to “Testimonials”, on which, the current testimonials are old. If any county has a picture and brief testimonial from a 4-H Youth or Volunteer, please share with Andy Merritt, merritt.36@cfaes.osu.edu . If we can accumulate enough current testimonials, we could have them attached to this link, and even rotated to the home page, to make the home page less static.
Leadership Conference April 29-30, 2009
4-H Professional Development
From April 28-30 in Columbus there will be a Leadership Conference in association with the County Extension Directors’ Update. This is sponsored by the Gist Leadership Endowment, and the Ohio Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi. In 4-H we have the Gehres Fund, for which part of the earnings are dedicated to Professional Development, and which has not been used very much in the past. For this April Leadership Conference, any 4-H person who registers will have their registration fee effectively reduced by $50. This is just the first of professional development funding opportunities that we will make available to Ohio 4-H Professionals through the Gehres Fund. Contact Tom Archer, archer.3@cfaes.osu.edu for details.
