January Newsletter

Hello Ford County 4-H!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday season! I sure enjoyed my time at home, but it’s great to get back into the swing of things! It’s never too late to start setting your goals for your 4-H Projects! Let’s start 2013 off right!

One event I would STRONGLY encourage each and every one of you to participate in is County Club Days, which is scheduled for Saturday, February 2^nd at Dodge City Middle School starting at 8:00am.  

4-H is an organization that teaches kids how to speak in front of a group, present one’s self in a positive manner, and work together as a group to communicate effectively.  Club Days is the perfect opportunity to practice those skills!  Do you play an instrument? Are you in dance or cheerleading? Love to sing? Have a project you want to tell everyone about?  Show off your skills at Club Days!

More details about the event are enclosed.  Please talk to your club leader or the Extension Office if you have any questions!

In 4-H Spirit, 

Molly Trausch

Ford County 4-H Youth Development Agent

County Weigh-In Dates 

Mark your calendars! The ownership and weigh-in dates for the 2013 Ford County Fair are:

Beef Weigh-In (includes Market Steers and Heifers, and 2^nd Year Bucket Calves, Commercial Heifers) Registered Heifers must have Registration papers in name of 4-H’er by this date also.

Thursday, February 21, 2013   4-6:30pm

@ Location still to be determined

(Snow Date, February 28^th)

Small Animal Weigh-In (includes all Goats, Sheep, Swine and 1^st year Bucket Calves)  ***Still to be determined

 

4-H Community Club Leader Training

Community Club Leaders will be meeting at 6:00pm (please note earlier time) at the fair building on Monday, January 28^th before 4-H Council. Be sure to attend! Supper will be provided. Please RSVP to Molly and bring your Leaders Notebook if you have one.

4-H Council Meeting

4-H Council will be meeting at 7:00pm at the fair building on Monday, January 28^th.

4-H AMBASSADOR/EXCHANGE MEETING

The next Ambassador/Exchange meeting will be Monday, February 25^th at 7:00pm at the Fair Building. We will be signing up for Flea Market items and work schedules. Be sure to attend! Also, bring ideas for the Exchange with Massachusetts this summer!

Southwest Youth Leadership Forum

Calling all 4-H'ers in grades 7-12! Are you ready for a fun-filled, action packed day? Join us in Cimarron on January 19th for the Southwest Youth Leadership Forum and get ready to change the world! Payment and registration is due to the Ford County Extension Office by January 10th.

State 4-H Ambassador Training

Calling all 4-H Ambassadors in grades 8^th – 12^th! Join the ‘Revolution of Leadership’ at Rock Springs 4-H Center on Friday, February 22^nd – Saturday, February 23^rd. We will be leaving Dodge that Friday afternoon by 2:00pm and will arrive back home Saturday evening by 8:00pm. The cost to attend is only $52 (Originally $102 minus $25 from Ford County 4-H Foundation and minus $25 from Ambassadors) Registration isdue by February 1st.

Facebook Page

If you ‘LIKE’ Ford County 4-H on Facebook, you may not be getting all of the updates we post. Make sure you select either ‘add to interest list’ or ‘get notifications’ under the ‘LIKE’ button to receive all announcements, deadlines, photos and much more!  

4-H COUNTY CLUB DAYS

Now that the holidays have ended, 4-H fun begins. Share what you have learned in your projects, play a piano solo, give an impromptu, perform a dramatic piece, try an instrumental solo or share a dance or cheer at Club Day, or perform as a club with a model meeting or skit on Saturday, February 2 at Dodge City Middle School. Club Days will start around 8:00am. Entry forms are available on our website and are due to the Extension Office by January 25th.

·         Public Presentations:

o    Show & Tell - for 1st or 2nd year junior members

o    Project Talk - for junior members

o    Public Speaking - for senior members

o    Extemporaneous Speaking - for senior members

o    Digital Presentation

o    Demonstration or Illustrated Talk

o    Readings

·         Model Meeting

o    Model Meeting - club and 1 or 2 adults

o    Gavel Games - 4-6 members

·          Dance:

o    Folk Step Dance (including line dances) - group

o    Square Dance - group

o    Other Dance(ex. cheer) - individual or group

·         Dramatics:

o    One Act Play - group

o    Skit - group

o    Novelty - individual or group

o    Music Performance - a solo or group (2 or more) perform a musical piece; sheet music not required for the judges

·         Music:      

o    (sheet music required, ensemble has 2-5 4-H'ers participating) 

o    Vocal Solo or Ensemble 

o    Chorus - 6 or more in group 

o    Instrumental Solo or Ensemble 

o    Band or Orchestra - 6 or more in group

Guidelinesare posted on our website at ford.ksu.edu. We also have information on giving talks and demonstrations available in our office. The top blue winners at County Club Day will have the opportunity to compete at the Regional 4-H Club Day on Saturday, March 2^nd.

KANSAS 4-H JOURNAL

The 4-H Journal is a great resource published by the Kansas 4-H Foundation.  4-H Council and local banks sponsor a portion of the cost so that it is only $3.00 per subscription.  We are updating the mailing list, so your club needs to decide who will receive the journal, and how it is being paid for (by club or by individual family).  Please let the Extension Office know what your club decides.

Ford Co. 4-H Foundation Annual Mtg

The annual meeting of the Ford County 4-H Foundation is Wednesday, January 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the Extension Office meeting room. Snow date will be January 23rd. Members will vote on three board members for the 2013 year and elect officers. This is a public meeting and every Ford County resident is invited to attend. Foundation membership is obtained through a $5.00 donation, please send checks to: The Ford County 4-H Foundation, Inc., 100 Gunsmoke, Dodge City, KS 67801

2013 Kansas 4-H Scholarships

Kansas 4-H Scholarship application is due Friday, February 1^st to the Kansas State 4-H Office by 5:00pm. Applications can be found on the Kansas 4-HWebsite. Scholarship selection is based on 4-H merit: 40 percent on 4-H leadership; 30 percent on 4-H citizenship/community service in 4-H; 20 percent on 4-H participation and recognition; and 10 percent on non-4-H participation. Graduating seniors and college students are encouraged to apply. 

Citizenship In Action (CIA)

Citizenship In Action will be February 17-18, 2013. Check-in will be Sunday morning, February 17 and the formal program will conclude after lunch on Monday, February 18. The registration cost of $160 includes lodging, meals and a durable Kansas 4-H nametag.

The Ford County 4-H Foundation provides a $25 scholarship to each Ford County 4-H Participant. The deadline to register and payment due to our office is January 15. Please go to kansas4h.org for more information and to register. This event is open to all youth 13-18 years old as of January 1, 2013. 

Junior Producer Days

Kansas Junior Swine Producer Day is scheduled to be held Saturday, February 16, 2013. The Kansas Junior Meat Goat Producer Day is scheduled to be held on Saturday, March 30, 2013 both at Kansas State University's Weber Arena. K-State faculty and speakers will provide hands-on education over topics such as selecting your youth project, nutrition, show ring skills, and individual topics tailored to age. . For more information and registration forms, please visit www.YouthLivestock.KSU.edu in the near future, as a tentative schedule is still being set. Early registration is due February 1, 2013.

KSU Animal Sciences Leadership Academy

The fifth annual K-State Animal Sciences Leadership Academy will be held June 5-8, 2013 at Kansas State University's Manhattan campus. The goal of the academy is to further develop young leaders within the livestock industry through an engaging summer experience hosted by K-State Animal Sciences and Industry. This four-day event will focus on increasing knowledge of Kansas's diverse livestock industry, as well as building participant's leadership skills. Twenty high school students will be selected to participate based upon educational, community, and agricultural involvement. The event is sponsored by the Livestock and Meat Industry Council. More information and applications will be on the website, www.YouthLivestock.KSU.edu.

4-H VIP (Volunteer Information Profile)

Have you completed the VIP Process? Some of you may have received a postcard in the mail regarding missing items in your VIP process. Please return the necessary forms to the Extension Office and complete your Online Orientation ASAP! 

If you have not turned in your VIP Form, here is what you should do: 

• NEW 4-H Volunteer:
• Fill out a Volunteer Information Profile Application and turn into the Extension Office
• Watch & take the VIP Online Orientation
• Returning 4-H Volunteer:
• Fill out VIP Annual Renewal Form (must fill out a NEW one EVERY YEAR!) and turn into the Extension Office

Who needs to be VIP certified?

• Community Leaders
• Cloverbud Leaders
• Project Leaders (Teen, Adult, County Wide, etc.)
• Camp Counselors
• Any person who will be in contact with 4-H youth for more than 6 hours. 

EXTENSION OFFICE CLOSED

The Extension Office will be closed Monday, January 21^st in observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

THANK YOU!!!!

To all who participated in the first annual Christmas Gift Workshop! We had a great turnout and fun was had by all!!

4-H Youth gluing hats onto their snowmen they made at the Christmas Craft Workshop

Ford County 4-H Ambassador & Exchange Group at their 'Ugly Sweater' Holiday Party

To all of the wonderful 4-H Families for the goodies and wishful thoughts during the holiday season!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Ford County 4-H Livestock Judging Team of Campbell Martin, Braden Draper, Luke Davis and Logan Davis. Campbell, Braden and Luke finished 6^th out of 41 teams and Braden finished 6^th individually out of 123 participants! If you would like to join the Livestock Judging Team, please contact the Ford County Extension Office. 

4-H Newsletter Information

If you have information about a county-wide project meeting or special event your club is hosting that you would like in the newsletter, please email Molly at mtrausch(@)ksu(.)edu  by the 20th of each month so we can include it in the next newsletter.