Aroostook County 4H Program

Upcoming Events!!!

February 14-16 - Winter Survival Weekend - information inside!

February 15 - Horse Fun Day @ Hall-Dale High School in Augusta - see inside for more details.

February 16 - Girls in Engineering @ Orono -

February 22—OC Meeting PI Office—Rides Leave from USDA Bldg. at 12:50

March 1—Skiing and Tubing At Big Rock!

March 6 - Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation Scholarship applications due in the Houlton office. (info inside)

COUNTY & CLUB NEWS

The A.V. Dairy 4-H Club of Mapleton got together a few days before Christmas to prepare a gift basket of food items and all the fixings for a traditional holiday meal.

The A.V Dairy 4-H Club of Mapleton used their creative art talents as they decorated holiday cards for the Residents of the Maine Veterans Home in Caribou.

The Easton Trotters 4-H club enjoyed making tie-dye T-shirts before Christmas. Members of this group include Tristan Tompkins, Syndee Waters, Kaitee Tompkins, Phoenix Mills, Seth Hawksley and Nate Hawksley.

The Easton Trotters spent part of an afternoon recently helping the newly established Easton Friends Helping Friends Food Pantry. While assisting the new food pantry loading boxes, the group got a lesson from Pastor Vaughn Martin about how the organization receives donations, plans what items will go into the boxes, the importance of having a balanced diet, as well as how families and individuals can apply for assistance. The Easton Food Pantry is a partnership with the parent Friends Helping Friends food pantry in Fort Fairfield and was started by the five churches in Easton. The Easton Branch of the food pantry can be reached at PO Box 262, Easton, ME 04740.

FAIR THEME! FAIR THEME!!!

Can you believe it? It’s time to put your thinking caps on and come up with some ideas for a theme for this year’s fairs and submit them to the Leader’s Association.

Got an idea? Or 2 or 3?

Send your ideas via email to Laurie at lbartlett@umext.maine.edu by February 25th.

We would like to be able to choose our Theme at the next Leader’s meeting, which is February 26th and we will let everyone know the results in the March Newsletter!

Crank up those brain cells!

I’m waiting to hear from you!!!

From the Hip Hoppers…

“Our goal for the year has been Community service. We have been to the Houlton animal shelter where we cleaned, fed, swept, mopped and helped with meds and laundry for over three hours. We also gave a donation of $50.00 from the club and over 125 lbs. of cat litter, bleach and laundry soap. We have been to our adopted nursing home and made cards and gave candy canes at Christmastime. We will be going back for Valentine’s day to give 30 residents cards that we are making and sugar cookies along with a carnation. The club members are looking forward to going to help with Project Linus and give them the nine blankets that we made last year.”

SENIORS PLEASE TAKE NOTE!!!

It is Scholarship Season!!! As 4-H members you are eligible for the Post Secondary Scholarships offered by the Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation!

Application forms can be downloaded at www.umaine.edu/4hfoundation/funding.htm.

Ten $1,000.00 scholarships are given out each year and you could receive one of them! Just ask Kaitlin Russell - she received one last year!

Applications must be in the Houlton Office no later than March 6, 2009!

Aroostook County Girls …

Have you ever wondered what an Engineer actually does?

(and we’re not talking train engineers!)

Here is your chance to meet with professors and college students in the Engineering Department at UMaine in Orono and to learn more by participating in hands on projects (learning the 4-H way!)

This day long workshop will run from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. and is free. There will be transportation from Houlton and Presque Isle - contact Christy for more information at 532-6548 or 1-800-287-1469.

Aroostook County Day is February 16th! This is limited to 12 participants, if you are age 14-19 you have already received a card about this.

SIGN UP DEADLINE FEBRUARY 9

Call now to reserve your spot!!!

County-Wide Ski and Tubing Day at Big Rock in Mars Hill

Sunday March 1 Noon to 4

Watch for details about cost soon !

SAVE THE DATE !

Clubs make plans to bring your members and their families—the more the merrier!

The OC Needs YOU Around the Table!

The Officer’s Council has some very dedicated members, but we need everyone to help with the projects and activities we want to do! We have a fundraiser planned for area humane societies and we need your ideas for upcoming events and activities.

We have changed the time of the meeting until 2 pm—to give Houlton members more time to get to the carpooling site.

The next meeting is February 22 at 2 pm at the Presque Isle Office. To get a ride from Houlton, meet at the USDA Building on the North Road at 12:50.

In addition to planning projects, we will be doing some teambuilding and leadership activities, working on club officer training and planning a work session for 4-H Résumés and Stories for Congress and Conference applications! Each club may send as many of their club leaders (elected or otherwise) as they want but all clubs should try to send at least one person!

AGRI-BUSINESS TRADE FAIR!!!

Aroostook County 4-H has been invited to participate in the Agri-Business Trade Fair - March 27-29 at the Forum. The Maine Potato Board has offered to pay the table fee. We’ll have a 10’ x 10’ booth for displays, posters, etc. We will be putting together a general 4-H display describing some of the programs we offer. We are asking that individual clubs sign up for a 2 or 4 hour time slot during this three day period and they are encouraged to bring a display about their club with them.

Thank you to the Caribou Clovers who have already signed up for the 2-4pm time slot on the 28th. If your club would like to take part in this, (and it would be greatly appreciated!), please contact Penny Kern at 764-0771 or Laurie at 532-6548 or 1-800-287-1469 or email her at lbartlett@umext.maine.edu

The Aroostook Valley Baby Beef Club would like to announce their new slate of officers for the 08-09 4-H year. Elected at their January 4th meeting from left to right are:

Rachel Donovan, President; Ethan Braley, Vice President; Logan McLaughlin, Secretary.

Clover Country CD’s $15.00

(we have 3 left!)

ANIMAL SCIENCE NEWS…

4-H Horse Members!!!

Study sessions for horse knowledge will start up again in January. Study sessions will be one Tuesday night of each month until May from 6-8pm. Study sessions will be held at eight different high schools around the state: Hampden Academy, Lewiston HS, Sanford HS, Oxford Hills HS, Houlton HS, Nokomis HS in Newport and Hall-Dale HS in Farmingdale.

The dates are: Mar. 17, Apr. 14 and May 19.

Anyone who would like to learn more about horses or might be interested in the Eastern States Equestrian Team, the Communications Team, the Hippology Team, Horse Judging Team or the Horse Quiz Bowl Team. These will be interactive study sessions with other 4-Hers from all over the state.

Updates and cancellations will be on the website at www.umext.maine.edu/4h/resources/horse/study.htm or you can contact Kate Slattery at slatterk@sad44.org or call 836-3217 for more information.

HELP!!

SAVE THE 2009 MARKET HOG PROJECT!

We only have 2 people signed up for the market hog project so far.

We need at least 5 to hold our auction!

Sign up has been extended to Feb 13! Call or email your name in today!

Note: One of the main reasons people have not signed up is that they need a place for their pig to stay. If you have a good place to house a pig and would be willing to assist a 4-H member with their project, please let Christy know ASAP!

ALSO NEEDED-PEOPLE TO RAISE OUR MAINE POTATO BOARD PANTRY PIGS!

HORSE FUN DAY!!!

Sunday, February 15th, from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. will be the 4-H Horse Fun Day get together for all ages at the Hall-Dale High School in Farmingdale near Augusta. This is a chance to meet other 4-Hers interested in horses and attend horse science workshops. There will be Cloverbud activities as well. Learn how to try out for the competitive teams that travel to regional and national competitions. The Hippology Team, Horse Judging, Quiz Bowl, and Communications Teams will have workshops as well as learning how to try out for the Eastern States Team. The study materials can be used by any 4-Her interested in horses even if you are not trying out for a team. There will be an optional Horse Knowledge CD available to buy for $5.00. There will also be apparent/leader forum that will include Cloverbud topics. Bring a lunch. Snow Date is February 22. Check for cancellations on ABC and NBC Channels.

Hall-Dale HS is near Augusta at 97 Maple St., Farmingdale, ME. Directions can be found on the 4-H website. You can also find more information and a pre-registration form on the website which is:

www.umext.maine.edu/4h/resources/horse.htm.

Check in will start at 8:30 if you are not pre-registered. Contact Cathy Thomas at 458-1402 for more information.

ESE Dairy Goat Intent to Participate

NOTE: New Deadline!!!

The Dairy Goat Animal Science Committee wants to invite youth who are between 12 and 18 (4-H age) and in at least their second year of the Dairy Goat 4-H project to tryout to be a part of the Maine ESE Dairy Goat team. Youth who are interested in this opportunity must submit an intent to participate form by March 31, 2009. This form is available at www.umext.maine.edu/4h/resources/goat.htm.

Submitting a form does not guarantee a position on the team and does not commit a youth to participating.

Keep watching the website for tryout information. Questions? Contact Jennifer Mellett at 283-4098 or JenMellett@aol.com

STATE AND NATIONAL NEWS…

Maine 4-H Days!!!

Hold the date for Maine 4-H Days this year. Come to the Windsor Fairgrounds the weekend of June 26, 27 and 28 for a weekend filled with fun learning activities for the whole family. There will be various animal tracks, exciting enrichment tracks and this year we will add a volunteer track for 4-H leaders and parents.

National 4-H Congress and Conference

Applications

Applications are now being accepted for the chance to attend the National 4-H Congress in Atlanta in November 2009 and the National 4-H Conference in March 2010!. Congress is a five day leadership development conference where youth meet other 4-Hers from all over the country, learn new skills, participate in community service and enjoy special events. The National 4-H Conference is held at the National 4-H Conference Center just outside of Washington, DC in March where 4-H delegations from every state meet to share ideas and make recommendations for the future of 4-H. Delegates participate in activities that emphasize civic engagement, youth-adult partnerships, and professional development.

If you are between the ages of 14 and 18 and would like to attend Congress in November 2009 or Conference in March 2010, you can apply now. Deadline for your application is March 13, 2009 and more details can be found at www.umext.maine.edu/4h/events/natltripsletter.htm .

If you are interested contact Christy at the Houlton Extension Office: 532-6548 or 1-800-287-1469 or email her at cfitz@umext.maine.edu.

4-H EDGE: Connecting Kids to Campus

May 15-16, 2009 University of Maine

New Time - same Great Conference!

We will be holding our 3rd Annual 4-H EDGE: Connecting Kids to Campus Weekend in May! This year we are going to be doing something new! After consulting with some of the youth and parents who attended last year, we have decided to hold EDGE as a Friday-Saturday event instead of Saturday-Sunday as we have in the past. One of the main reasons we want to do this is to provide time on Friday night for all of our participants to get to know each other by starting out with games and recreational events. We’ve heard from past participants that they finally just get to know everyone when it is time to go home - this way you can start making new friends right from the start.

We plan to have an even bigger selection of exciting and engaging workshops on Saturday, May 16th, along with the ever popular lunchtime panel.

For parents we are investigating on-campus housing for Friday night (don’t worry, kids, they’ll have their own building!) and Saturday parent workshops with both some old favorites and a variety of new offerings.

So if you are between the ages of 11 and 15 and want to check out what college might mean for you by spending time on campus and doing hands-on learning about some of the programs and classes offered at the University of Maine, save the date and watch for registration information in mid-March!

We’re hoping to have 100 kids come to campus this year so you can help us recruit by telling all your friends about what is waiting for them at the University of Maine!

READY SET GO TRAINING: Supporting Military Children and Families

The Military Child Education Coalition’s ™ Living in the New Normal (LINN) ™ training is a two-day professional development program that prepares school guidance professionals, educators and community members to recognize and address the issues facing children dealing with separation from a loved one or experiencing trauma, grief and loss due to the loss or injury of a loved one. It provides concerned adults with information to help support children during these times of uncertainty and gives them the framework to enable them to support families to ensure that their children have the tools to bounce back from life’s storms and stressors. The MCEC’s LINN ™ efforts are predicated on the belief that children’s inherent attributes of courage and resiliency can be strengthened through deliberate encouragement.

Date: March 25, 2009

Time: 8:30am-3:30pm

Location: Ramada Inn Lewiston

Cost; $25.00

Registration: Call 1-800-287-1481 to request a registration form

Deadline: March 17th.

UMAINE DAY at the LEGISLATURE -

4-H Honorary Page Program

UMaine Day at the Legislature, Thursday, March 12th, is quickly approaching. Since legislators like to see 4-H members from their districts, 4-Hers (recommended age 13 and older) are encouraged to serve as Honorary pages. The Maine 4-H program has reserved 25 spots for Honorary Pages.

If you are interested in serving as a page on March 12th, please contact Jane Haskell, Extension Educator in Waldo County at 1-800-287-1426 ext. 1013 or email her at jhaskell@umext.maine.edu.

If you are calling be sure to say “I am interested in serving as a 4-H Page at the Legislature on March 12th”. If calling or emailing, be sure to give all of the following information.

Full name, age, mailing address, county, phone number, email address, name of your school, name of your 4-H club, name of your Maine State Representative, name of your Maine State Senator.

If the slot for your district has already been filled, your name will be added to a waiting list in the order the requests were received.

For more information check on the web at www.wmext.maine.edu/Waldo/4H/Pages

4-H SET (Science, Engineering, and Technology) has just released a brand new curriculum called The Power of the Wind. There is both a youth guide and a facilitator guide. Using it, 4-H members use the engineering design process to learn such things as how to make a better turbine, how to use wind to lift a load, how to generate electricity using the wind, how to decide where to put wind turbines and more! There is a website connected to the curriculum which can be found at www.4-H.org/curriculum/wind. You can take a look at pages from the curriculum and there are lots of games about wind and about other earth saving and energy topics and links to more information about wind power. If you need a good science fair project, this might be just what you need!

Also, in the spring we will be asking for clubs to volunteer to try out the curriculum. We’ll provide the curriculum, a kit of materials and lots of support!

There isn’t a place in the country where this curriculum is more relevant! Wind Power is already in The County and more is coming every day! Here is your chance to learn how it works!

February Vacation Winter Adventure Camp!

WHO: Children ages 6-12

WHAT: 2-day Winter Adventure Camp

Participants will spend 2 days exploring the woods, while learning how to be a wildlife tracker, discovering how animals adapt to survive the winter and how to identify trees in the winter. The 6-8 year old group will also enjoy sledding while the 9-12 year old group will enjoy snowshoeing!

WHEN: Ages 9-12 Ages 6-8

Tues. and Wed., February 17 & 18, 2009 Thurs. and Fri., February 19 & 20, 2009

9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Tanglewood 4-H Camp & Learning Center

1 Tanglewood Road, Lincolnville, Maine

Cost for the 2-day program is $40 per child. Participants should bring a bag lunch.

Registration deadline: 4 p.m. on Monday, February 9, 2009

For more information or to register, contact:

Patti Chapman

(207) 789-5868

proy@umext.maine.edu

For more information on educational programs in your area, contact your county Extension office.