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Staff News & Notes - Week of 12.21.09
Hi,
A few years back, when I was a 4-H “Agent”, I had a conversation with one of my former 4-H Advisors. He was not one of my volunteers, but rather the Advisor of the Green Township 4-H Club, in which I had been a 4-H member for ten years. (I am one of those people who were an Extension Professional in the county in which I grew up. There are good and bad things about that, but I will leave that for another time.)
Anyway, this fellow stated, “I do not know how you do it.” At first I did not know quite what he meant. All of us can think about the myriad of both little and large irritations that sometimes consume and challenge us doing this 4-H Youth Development work. Then he further clarified his statement by stating that, “I could not make my living by going to meetings!”
He was right – we in 4-H essentially do make our living through meetings. I never figured the percentage of my time that I spent preparing for meetings, attending meetings, and following-up after meetings. However, one year in preparing for my 4-H report at our annual County Extension Advisory Committee year-end meeting, I did go back through my calendar and count the number of night and weekend meetings that I had during that year. For the fifty-two weeks, it averaged a little over three night meetings per week, and a little over two weekend meetings per month. That did not include the meetings in which I participated during business hours.
So, I think I can consider myself a “meeting” expert. I have identified a few meeting tips that I found have worked for me, in both time management and sanity. I could give a more detailed explanation for each of these, but for now, I will just include a list of these meeting tips:
- Start on time
- End on time
- Allow a meeting to last no longer than 90 minutes
- Prepare a written agenda; Distribute that agenda before the meeting if possible
- Include as a final agenda item, “Other items as presented”
- Visit with the chairman before the meeting to make sure s/he is informed of each agenda topic
- Make sure the people attending the meeting know if they are advisory, policy-making, or action oriented
- If during the meeting you find that you need information from someone not present at the meeting, call that person during the meeting ( I suppose you could “text” them too)
- If you want or need to have a short meeting, have stand-up meeting – no chairs
- If it is a meeting involving conflict or controversy, have as comfortable chairs as possible, and lay down ground rules at the beginning
- Summarized meeting notes as soon after the meeting as possible, or you will forget some important details
- Cancel a regular or scheduled meeting if the agenda items are limited, or can be addressed through other means
As you enter the new year of meetings, meetings, and more meetings, consider if some of these tips will work for you.
Thanks,
Tom
2010 State 4-H Year Calendar
The link to the 2010 State 4-H Calendar is available on the front page of our website or at : http://www.ohio4h.org/calendar
The format of the calendar will allow 4-H Professionals, members, volunteers and families to view the state-wide 4-H activity calendar in real time with additions, changes and cancellations posted by the state office.
Check out the different views; daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. There is a printer friendly version that can be downloaded, copied and pasted as needed.
Scroll over events for full titles.
Click on each event for any additional information that may be posted such as registration or contact information.
CLICK HERE for a PDF of the calendar.
If you have a statewide event to add to the calendar throughout the year contact: Lisa Jinks jinks.2@cfaes.osu.edu
Mark your calendars!
Ohio 4-H Statewide Special Needs Camp
June 11-13, 2010 at Canter's Cave 4-H Camp
Contact Connie Goble, goble.6@cfaes.osu.edu for more information
2010 State Junior Fair Conference on January 5th
CLICK HERE for the newsletter/program schedule for the convention including the Junior Fair Schedule of Sessions.
2010 HOLR in the Holler - CANCELLED
Due to low registration numbers, HOLR in the holler scheduled for December 27-28, 2009, at Camp Ohio has been cancelled.
Year-End Gift Processing
December has just arrived and the deadlines for gifts to be counted in the December 2009 gift totals are just around the corner. This year's deadlines are:
Previous Month Gift-in-Kind: Friday December 11, 2009
All other gifts: Wed January 6, 2010 by 1:00 PM
Please remember to include the postmarked envelope (with a December date) if you drop something off after January 1st.
Please remember that it is University policy that all checks must be deposited when $200 has been accumulated or weekly, whichever comes first.
If you have any questions, please contact the 4-H Foundation office at 614-292-6943 or George.274@osu.edu.
Financial Support for Professional Presentations
As reported at last week’s Annual Conference Business Office Update, the $300 support from Extension Administration for travel to make presentations at out-of-state meetings has been reinstated.
CLICK HERE for the form and instructions.
“I Got My Start In 4-H” Signs
Green on white corrugated “I Got My Start In 4-H” yard signs were printed for use at this year’s Farm Science Review with support from the Ohio 4-H Foundation. The FSR team thought about producing the signs for counties to use, but soon realized that because they’re so inexpensive and readily available, it is cheaper if they are produced locally. We made 500 8"x10" signs on corrugated board, which is commonly used for real estate signs, for about $1 apiece, including the little metal stand. If you are interested in producing the signs for your community, you can use this artwork:
CLICK HERE for sign PDF format
CLICK HERE for sign in EPS format
The 2010 4-H Foundation Grants Have Been Awarded
Please visit our website at http://www.ohio4h.org/foundation/grants/recipients.html to view the recipients of the 2010 4-H Foundation grants. If you have any questions, please contact the Foundation office at 614-292-6943.
NOTE: You will receive a letter indicating stipulations on your funding in the next few weeks. If your result is PENDING, clarification is requested by the committee. Erin Wingfield or Tom Archer will be in touch with additional information.
State MXC Counselors Workshop
Making eXtreme Counselors!
February 27-28, 2010 at Camp Ohio (Utica).
Registration deadline is February 17th
The team put together a presentation (slightly longer than 4 minutes) promoting the workshop and giving more information on it. Please share it with anyone who might be responsible for counselor training hours and youth who might attend. The training hours may be up to 14 hours, which can be very beneficial for youth who might be challenged in meeting the 24 hour training requirement, along with the professionals who will be training them!
Details are still being finalized regarding sessions, cost (no more than $45), and specific details, but will be sent to you as they are known. If you or someone you know is interested in presenting, please contact one of the committee members (listed below). And feel free to contact us if you have questions, concerns, or comments, too! :-)
View the State Counselor Workshop Presentation:
http://presenter.cfaes.ohio-state.edu/kohler.61/MXC%20Presentation%20w%20Music%20-%20Web%20(800x600)%20-%2020091217%2011.54.47AM.html
CORRECTION to Racing the Clock to Awesome Meals
An observant 4-H professional has discovered an error in the new 485 Racing the Clock to Awesome Meals. The recipe for Pour-a-Pan Pizza on page 33 includes directions for cooking sausage, even though sausage is not on the list of ingredients. In fact, sausage should NOT be part of the recipe. All of the books in inventory at Media Distribution will get a correction label. If your county already has books in inventory, please place one of these correction labels near the recipe on that page. You can access a sheet of labels under Publications on the Staff Resources page CLICK HERE. Thanks to sharp-eyed Ellen Shaw in Fairfield County for catching this early. Questions? Please contact Jane Wright at wright.646@cfaes.osu.edu, 614.292.0909 or Amanda Forquer at forquer.13@cfaes.osu.edu, 614.292.6942. Thanks!
Animal Resource Handbooks Brochure Online
A few 4-H professionals have asked for the brochure about Animal Resource Handbooks to be made available online. Originally intended to promote the animal resource handbooks at national conferences, the brochure lists prices for out-of-state customers, not the prices for Ohio residents who buy through county offices. If you can use it, it is now posted as a PDF under Publications on the Staff Resources page. A limited number of hard copies are still available from the state 4-H office. If you’d like a supply, please contact Amanda Forquer, forquer.13@cfaes.osu.edu, 614.292.6942. Thanks!
Answer Keys to National 4-H Books Online
In many cases the answer keys to activities in National 4-H project books are in the related helper’s guides, which Ohio 4-H does not carry. National 4-H has graciously granted permission for us to post the pages with answer keys online. They are all listed under Publications on the Staff Resources page here. If you or your project helpers need answer keys, you can find them for these series: Cat, Child Development, Career Exploration (Workforce Development), Money Management (Personal Finance), Small Engines, Theater Arts, Veterinary Science, and Woodworking. Questions? Please contact Jane Wright, wright.646@cfaes.osu.edu, 614.292.0909) or Amanda Forquer, forquer.13@cfaes.osu.edu, 614.292.6942. Thanks!
4-H Animal Sciences In-Service CD Contents Posted
The contents of the CD that was distributed at the December 15 4-H Animal Sciences In-Service is posted at the Livestock Resources page, http://4hansci.osu.edu/livestock/livestockResources.php, on the 4-H Animal Sciences website. Contact Lucinda Miller, miller.78@osu.edu, or Paul Kuber, kuber.2@osu.edu, for questions.
Ohio 4-H Dog Judges Seminar Registrations due January 15
A 4-H Dog Judges’ Seminar will be held Saturday, February 6, at the OSU Animal Sciences Building. This seminar is for current 4-H dog judges, non-4-H dog judges, and individuals interested in judging obedience and showmanship at 4-H and junior fair dog shows throughout Ohio. Registrations are due January 15. Please pass this information on to any adults in your counties who might be interested in becoming an Ohio 4-H dog show judge. Refer to the following websites for information and registration forms: http://4hansci.osu.edu/companion/companionEvents.php or http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~prec/4h/dog/index.htm. For more information contact Lucinda Miller, miller.78@osu.edu or Pattie Stover, stove@erinet.com.
2009 4-H National Youth Science DayTM Highlights Video Now Online
On October 7th, youth in every state and territory across the country participated in this year’s 4-H National Youth Science DayTM, discovering how ordinary household products can create alternative energy, and how our nation can use that knowledge to offer energy alternatives to power many of the things we use each day. Take a moment to celebrate this year’s 4-H National Youth Science DayTM by watching the highlights video CLICK HERE CLICK HEREwhich showcases the successes from 2009 including more than 200 million media impressions – over four times the coverage from 2008 – as well as a top tier Associated Press story that showcased the strong connection between 4-H and science education.
Be the 2010 National Science Experiment Designer
A Letter of Intent Application is now available for all land-grant universities to submit ideas for the 2010 National Science Experiment. This year’s applicants are being asked to focus on the theme of water quality as it relates to climate change. The chosen university will receive $20,000 for use in designing the experiment as well as supporting 4-H and Cooperative Extension efforts around science, engineering and technology. The letter of intent is due by January 28, 2010. To download the application or view a full timeline, visit www.4-H.org/NYSD.
Teen Conference Registration
The registration materials are now posted for the 2010 Teen Conference. Saturday, February 20, 2010. Both the registration booklet and registration form are posted for your use in prompting this excellent educational opportunity for our older 4-H youth. Please keep in mind that we will be in Ballrooms 4-5 for Teen Conference this year. The ballrooms are located on the second floor at the north end of the Convention Center.
The on-line registration site is also available at: www.ohio4h.org/register.
Ohio Volunteer Conference Registration
The registration information is now posted for the 2010 Ohio 4-H Volunteer Conference, Saturday, March 13, 2010. You can find the registration booklet and registration form at: www.ohio4h.org/volunteerconference.
On-line registration is also available at: www.ohio4h.org/register.
