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Staff News & Notes - Week of April 12, 2010
Hi,
On Friday of last week I had an email from a parent of a youth who was interested in applying for the recently announced ODA Bee Keeping Start-Up Grants. The main concern was that the grants would not be made until sometime in May, and 4-H enrollments were due in their county on April 15. They did not want to outlay their own funds for this project, nor did they want to penalize their 4-H club in their county’s banner club program by dropping a project.
I think this is a perfect example of how the close relationship between county 4-H programming county fairs sometimes is confusing. Although I did not have the rules and guidelines for the county in question, it is my guess that the April 15 “deadline” was actually a junior fair rule, rather than a 4-H requirement. That is, most junior fairs want to insure that youth/ parents do not become engaged with a 4-H project a week or two before the junior fair competition, so they make rules that state that youth have to be enrolled with projects at least a few months before exhibition, and in the case of some livestock projects, junior fair rules are made to have livestock purchased and housed by other “deadlines” well in advance of the fair.
So my response to this parent was that 4-H membership and a 4-H project do not require junior fair exhibition. I argue that youth can join 4-H at any time, and complete 4-H projects and not be bound by exhibition rules. Any project could fit this model. Granted, participating in a Junior Fair is a goal and highlight of most 4-H member’s year, but it is not necessary to have the experiential learning of a 4-H project.
As a matter of fact, if we think about the history of 4-H and junior fairs, 4-H clubs grew in membership from the first decade of the last century to at least the third or fourth decade before most junior fairs were established in Ohio in the 30s, 40s & 50s. The junior fair exhibition was an expansion of the 4-H project experience.
There may be some local 4-H clubs that implement an exhibition requirement for project completion, and maybe even some county 4-H programs that do the same. We do allow that type of latitude so that programming can fit the needs and desires of the individual county. I would encourage those counties to repeal those types of rules/ requirements. They are barriers to some youth becoming engaged in our youth development programming.
Now, in the real 4-H world at the county level, I know that we have to identify a time to “count noses” for our reporting purposes, so 4-H enrollment deadlines will continue. I also know that the overwhelming majority of youth involved in traditional 4-H clubs do not fit the scenario described above. One of the constant duties of 4-H Professionals is to explain the relationship between 4-H and junior fair. It is a close relationship, often indistinguishable by most of our clientele.
Have fun,
Thanks,
Tom
Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Connections
The Spring 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 spring is all about Cloverbud Basics. Watch for our Summer Issue when we focus on Going Green with Cloverbud Activities.
In this issue you will find:
Do I Have your Attention? Attention Span and Children by Scott Scheer
Developmental Characteristics and Abilities of 4-H Cloverbud Children by Scott Scheer
4-H Cloverbuds and Horses by Janice Hanna
Campus Connections by Scott Scheer
Coconut Covered Bananas
Click it!, Print it!, Do it! -- 4-H Welcome Mats by Bruce Zimmer & Cheryl Goodrich
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.
Sea Camp Registration
Ohio 4-H Sea Camp invites teens age 13-18 (as of January 1, 2010) from across Ohio to “get your feet wet” as you learn about one of Ohio’s most important resources: Lake Erie!
The 2010 Ohio 4-H Sea Camp
July 11-15, 2010
Kelley's Island 4-H Camp
Lake Erie
Information and Registration is available at: http://woostercenter.osu.edu/current-events/ohio-4-h-sea-camp
The $425 camp registration fee must accompany your application, health form, and waivers to reserve your spot. The registration fee covers all lodging, meals, supplies, charter boat trip and ferry boat fare. Applications accepted first-come, first-served and should be received by June 4th. Those applicants selected to attend Sea Camp will receive additional information by June 18, 2010
4-H and Public Schools
Thinking about starting or improving your county’s school enrichment programming? A newly formatted version of Dr. Bob Horton’s article 4-H and Public Schools: Effective School Enrichment Programs is posted online on the resources page under the Resources for Staff tab CLICK HERE Look under School Enrichment.
Orders for 4-H Project Books
As of Tuesday, April 13, all county orders for 4-H publications will be processed and shipped. Although it is true that orders of over 300 items are sometimes set aside in favor of filling smaller orders, Media Distribution’s goal is to fill all orders within two weeks. Generally speaking, you should receive your orders, regardless of size, in a few weeks. It is possible that large orders of over 300 units take four to six weeks. If you experience an unexpectedly long delay or have any other questions about your order, please contact Cindy McCain in Media Distribution at mccain.55@cfaes.osu.edu or 614.292.1607.
May 3 WebEx: State Fair Update 2010
Allen Auck and Vicki Schwartz will host a state fair update WebEx, May 3, 1 -3 p.m.. The WebEx will include updates/changes for the 2010 Ohio State Fair as well as provide helpful hints in preparing 4-H members for their state fair experience. Time will be allowed for questions and answers. To participate, notify Vicki, schwartz.4@cfaes.osu.edu by April 26. Connection information will be sent to all interested persons soon thereafter.
Ohio 4-H CARTEENS State Conference
November 6, 2010
Columbus, Ohio
Call for Proposals – CLICK HERE
All sessions will be 50 minutes long. Presenters will need to bring their own equipment and will need to provide their own handouts. An estimated number of participants will be sent to all presenters this fall.
All presenters are expected to pay the registration fee, however the registration fee has not been determined yet. The 2010 Ohio 4-H CARTEENS Conference will be held at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy, 740 East 17th Ave. in Columbus OH 43211. (This address is provided to get driving directions – do not send proposals to this address).
The Ohio 4-H CARTEENS committee would also like ideas from counties. The committee is building resource kits for each county, but need ideas on what items would be most beneficial to counties. Please send any ideas you may have to Michelle Adkins, Adkins.240@osu.edu.
Scrapie Tag Information
The attachments pertaining to ID changes in livestock markets and restrictions associated with blue tagged sheep and goats that were emailed to the 4-H professional’s listserv are now posted at http://4hansci.osu.edu at the educator’s password protected site. Questions pertaining to this information can be answered by calling the USDA APHIS Veterinary Services office toll free at 866.873.2824 (866.USDA.TAG).
Buckeye Bonanza Horse & Tack Sale
The OSU Equine Program invites you to attend the 3rd annual Buckeye Bonanza Horse & Tack Sale on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at the OSU Equine Facility. The tack sale will start at noon and the student demonstration and horse sale will follow at 3:00pm. Even if you are not in the market for a horse, please come out and support the students who have worked very hard to train the horses and produce a first-class horse sale. For more information, visit http://buckeyebonanza.osu.edu.
Funding Opportunities - County Fair Facilities
USDA Rural Development accepts applications on a rolling basis for a broad range of other programs and is still is seeking to fund community facility projects with Recovery Act funding that must be utilized by September 30, 2010. The Community Facilities Program provides loans and grant to assist in the development of essential community facilities – such as county health departments, police and fire stations, schools, libraries, child care centers, and a many other facility projects that counties undertake. The program also funds sidewalk construction and county fair facilities. Counties are encouraged to talk with staff from their state office to find out if their current or planned projects are eligible. Contact information for state USDA Rural Development offices is available at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html.
Family Camp Design Team
One of the priorities that came out of the "No Child Left Inside" think tank at Biosphere2 in January 2009 was to develop a guide for best practices in family camping. In collaboration with the American Camp Association, we are excited to send this letter and application to you with hopes that you or others will be interested in participating on the Family Camp Design Team. Attached is the letter of introduction and the application for participation on this Team.
CLICK HERE for letter and application.
Please review and if you have any questions or need clarification please contact me at suzannedhruv@gmail.com or Kirk A. Astroth at kastroth@cals.arizona.edu
Text your donation to support 4-H in your State
http://n4h.convio.net/site/MessageViewer?dlv_id=5201&em_id=1341.0
The power of social networking has made it clear that millions of dollars can be raised by text message.
Better Business Bureau offers the following tips on giving through text messages:
- Confirm the number directly with the source. While the Better Business Bureau has not yet heard of any scams relying on text message donations, this emerging method for donating is ripe for exploitation by scammers.
- Be aware that text donations are not immediate. Depending on the text message service used by the charity, text donations can take anywhere from 30-90 days to be transferred to the designated charity. If you would like the donation to be received immediately by the charity, you can give online through the charity Web site, by calling the charity directly or by sending a check in the mail.
- Review the fine print. When you give to a charity through text message, you might also be signing yourself up to receive text message updates from the charity in the future. A charity should include the details of its text campaign on its Web site so you can see what you’re signing up for and how you can opt out.
- Research the charity. Giving wisely to a charity isn’t just about making sure that the solicitation isn’t coming from scammers. Wise donors make sure their donations are going to charities that responsibly use the money for its intended purpose. There are many good charities that use donated funds wisely and as intended.
