Aroostook County 4H Program

Upcoming Events!!!

October 29th & 30th - VOLT training @ PI Extension Office - 6:30-9pm

November 1st - Maine 4-H Volunteer Forum & Animal Science Committee Meeting

November 9th - Achievement Celebration Luncheon - (see inside for details)

November 16 - Officer’s Council Meeting

December 1st - Aroostook County Re-enrollments due in Houlton Office

December 4th– Leader’s Association Meeting

December 31st - State Deadline for Re-Enrollments

January 2nd - Animal Approval forms for Market Steers (Windsor & Fryeburg) due at your County Extension Office.

COUNTY & CLUB NEWS…

The Caribou Clovers put together a display to promote 4-H during National 4-H Week and placed it at the Caribou Public Library from Oct. 5th-11th.

Also during that week, on October 8th, it was National Youth Science Day and this year we had a nationwide science experiment to take part in. The experiment was called Hydrogels and after trying it first during our Leader’s Meeting, Tom and Jeff took the experiment back to their club to try!

The AV Dairy 4-H Club recently took a field trip to Goughan’s Berry Farm to navigate the corn maze and enjoy ice cream afterward. Everyone had a very enjoyable time!

The Mane Eventers 4-H Club in Fort Fairfield attended the Chris Lombard Equestrian Clinic on October 11th in Glenburn at the Serendipity Stables. By all accounts they had a very enjoyable time and learned a lot. We received the following email concerning this event.

“I just wanted to drop a note and say I HAD THE MOST WONDERFUL DAY WITH THE MANE EVENTERS!!! I offered to drive some of the kids to the clinic in Glenburn and donated the gas to do so.

I want to say I had a wonderful time. The girls were so fabulous. Polite, helped each other, took exceptional care of their horses, paid attention and asked fabulous questions of the clinician. He was very complimentary to them and they were so good in their lessons.

I just think often times the kids don’t get credit enough for how great a group they are and how much they look after each other. No one disagreed (even siblings), they were all polite to the other people, especially the facility owner. Upon leaving they all thanked her very much and told her how nice it was for them to be able to attend. They all thanked Chris Lombard, the clinician and had pictures taken with him.

All in all, the girls learned a lot, had fun and I would go again in a heartbeat to help support such a great group of devoted riders. There were all there for one purpose - to learn, and they behaved in the most appropriate way. It was an honor to be there to help them.” ~Kim Cheney~

REMINDER! REMINDER! REMINDER!

…Your Club could win a prize!!!

The deadline for the State of Maine for re-enrollments is December 31st, however, we would really like to see as many clubs as possible get their re-enrollments back to us by December 1st or earlier.

Those clubs that get their completed re-enrollments in by Dec. 1st will be entered into a drawing for a special prize with the drawing to take place on December 4th during a Leader’s Meeting.

By completed re-enrollments we are referring to those members from the 07-08 year that wish to continue. Laurie will be checking with leaders if there are names missing to be sure the club’s records are complete in order for them to be eligible.

TIME TO CELEBRATE!

SAVE THE DATE!

4-H members, families and friends ! Come celebrate another great year of 4-H!

Fun, food, and prizes!

November 9 at 1 pm

Monticello Fish and Game Club

Just off route 1 in Monticello

Potluck Brunch/Lunch

Drinks and place settings provided! Also, remember to bring cans and non-perishables for our service project!

Directions to the Monticello Fish and Game Club…

From the North, take Route 1 south to Monticello— just before you cross the bridge into town, turn right, take the dirt road down the hill, along the river about 1 mile and you will come to the club!

From the south—take Route 1 north to Monticello, cross the river bridge, turn left at the end of the bridge– and proceed as above.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

~WHAT EACH CLUB SHOULD BRING TO ACHIEVEMENT CELEBRATION~

We thought it would be easy for everyone if we suggested a category to each club for our Luncheon/Brunch event!

Don’t let the title limit your imagination!

AJEPS-Warm dishes or sandwiches

AVDairy—Warm dishes or sandwiches

AV Baby Beef—sweet breads, donuts or pastries

Caribou Clovers - Veggie Trays

Crafty Critters—desserts

Easton Trotters and Fantastic Friends–chips, crackers

Haybalers– cheese, olives, pickles, or other finger type foods

Hip Hoppers—main dish items

Mane Eventers—desserts

Wild Mustangs—Fruit platters or dishes

We will provide place settings and beverages.

Please bring your own serving utensils.

We have a special Community Service project to go along with our

Achievement Celebration…

There is a group in Houlton called SOAR, (Support Our American Troops) and they are collecting personal items and snacks for their “Make A Soldier’s Christmas” campaign and we thought it would be a great Community Service project for the 4-H Clubs to contribute. We are asking that you bring an item or items with you to the Achievement Celebration and we will see that they make it to one of the drop-off locations in Houlton. Some items suggested are power bars, individual servings of coffee, cocoa mix, trail mix and other healthy snack items. Personal items requested include boot liners, Odor Eaters for boots, chapstick, saline nasal spray, hand sanitizers and disposable razors. Also appreciated are AA batteries, disposable cameras and crossword puzzle books, word finds, etc.

Clover Country CD’s Available for Sale

For anyone interested, we have several Clover Country CD’s at the Houlton Office that are for sale at a cost of $15.00 each. Each of the Artists featured on this CD are former 4-H members!!!

They would make excellent Christmas presents!

If you would like one, stop by the Houlton Office and pick one up!!!

Time to make sure your club is part of the Aroostook County 4-H Officer’s Council

(“The OC”)!!

The Officer’s Council is The County’s Teen Leadership group. All clubs should be represented because this group makes decisions about county wide events, fundraisers, and community service projects. It is really important to have input from all our clubs so that our events will be things that you all enjoy and find both useful and fun.

Each club can decide who they would like to send. It can be one or more of the club’s elected officers or a representative chosen by the club to attend.

The OC has its own officers, a treasury, and holds monthly meetings, usually on the third Sunday afternoon of the month.

The next meeting will be at the Presque Isle Office on Sunday November 16 at 1 pm. Club reps from Southern Aroostook can meet at the Houlton USDA building on the corner of the B Road to get a ride to the meeting-please be there no later than 12 noon. We will be electing officer for the 2009 4-H year at this meeting so a good turn out will be really important.

OC Meeting Minutes October 12, 2008

1. Pledges

2. Build an Agenda

3. Achievement Celebration -Sunday November 9, 2008 at 1 PM -Fish and Game Club Monticello -Lunch, potluck -Different gifts for clover buds than older members -We would like to recognize outgoing LA officers. -We should send out cards to tell people when and where the Achievement Celebration will occur. -We would like to do awards first and then have the food with the slideshow playing at the same time. -The slideshow could be created by the OC. -We spent a great amount of time searching for items for the awards, but found many things. -We want to assign clubs different part of the meals (like one club does desserts while another does appetizers, etc.)

4. Planet Planting -A 4-H club (like the OC) could come and plant around the planet model in Littleton. -Maybe the bulbs can be donated? By Walmart, MPG, Lowes??? -We could ask a local Garden Club for assistance.

5. Officers -We need to pick officers!!!! We'll probably pick at our next meeting. -We would like a representative from every club around the county to be a member of the OC.

6.County Wide Activities -June Jamboree -Fairs -County wide community service (maybe we could help ACAP, humane society, etc.) -We could do a benefit supper where each club does a skit. We could also do another ski-a-thon. -As we do a county wide community service project, we would not only benefit the community, but we also be getting advertising. -Speaking of advertising, we really want to start advertising 4-H in Aroostook by the TV and radio. Public service announcements!! -We should do a congress/conference forms training thing soon and also do portfolios and project records so people know how to fill them out.

7. Regular Meetings -The third Sunday at one o'clock will always be the OC meeting. -We'll keep the meetings in Presque Isle. -Our next meeting will be November 16, 2008

8. Meeting adjourned

Kellene O'Hara OC Secretary

4-H 4(m)E

ENERGY SAVING AS A 4-H PROJECT…..

As cold weather creeps upon us, a good family project might be to take some steps to help the heat stay IN your home this winter. Just in time for this project, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Energy website has just posted some videos on ways to make your home more energy efficient-there are segments on doing an energy audit, sealing up your house, attics, windows, and insulation. Extension Offices also have a Do It Yourself publication to help you learn to install some of the materials you can use to seal up your home. Go to http://www.umext.maine.edu/energy/ and Click on the Do It Yourself: Energy Savings at Home section. Check out the other useful tips on the website as well! Wouldn’t a project like this make a great poster or scrapbook? And how about applying those new skills to help a neighbor who might not be able to do some of the winterization themselves?

HOW ABOUT A WEBSITE ABOUT ENERGY JUST FOR KIDS?

Check out http://www.eere.energy.gov/kids/

This site has a wide variety of things no matter your age. Learn to save energy with Tinkerbell and her Friends. Take an energy quiz. Help your parents select new appliances. And find over 350 activities that could be used by you or done by your club under the “Parents and Teachers section.

And don't’ forget—if you have a great energy saving tip or find a resource you want to share, send it to Laurie or Christy and we’ll put it here next month!

4-H Horse Members!

Study sessions for horse knowledge.

Beginning on October 21st, study sessions began for any interested 4H horse club members. Study sessions will be done by video conference at various high schools throughout the state on the third Tuesday of each month October through May from 6-8pm. The only change will be in the months of February and April when the study sessions will be held on the second Tuesday. The 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. Find one close to you and come join in!

Who should attend? 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 http://www.umext.maine.edu/4h/resources/horse/study.htm or contact Kate Slattery at slatterk@sad44.org or 836-3217.

If you have any questions, please contact Jean Sloat at 532-3567.

MARKET BEEF NEWS!!!

All 4-Hers in the Market Beef project who plan to raise a steer for the Windsor Fair or Fryeburg Fair, need to send in an “Intent to Sell” form to their County Cooperative Extension office by January 2, 2009. The forms are available at your county office or you can get one on-line at http://www.umext.maine.edu/4h/forms/beef/beefintent.htm.

In January, you will be contacted about the time and place to tag your steer. The person tagging your steer will have an approval form for you to fill out and s/he will record your tag numbers. Your approval form for your Market Beef project is due in your county Cooperative Extension office on February 16, 2009.

Maine 4-H ESE Canine Team

The 2008 Maine 4-H ESE Canine Team coaches, Nancy and Greg Conant, would like to congratulate Sara Conant, Amberosity Davis and Marisa Dayken for their outstanding work at this year’s Eastern States Exposition 4-H Dog Program held on September 26-28 in W. Springfield, MA. Overall the team placed third in the Quiz Bowl competition held on Saturday. Sara Conant from Cumberland County received awards for obtaining the third highest Dog Knowledge Test Score of Division II and for Highest Scoring Steward. Amberosity Davis from Hancock County received an award for Reserve Champion Steward. Marisa Dayken and her Miniature Pinscher Harley from Kennebec County won third place in both their showmanship and obedience classes. Congratulations to all! More results of the Eastern States teams will be coming in the future.

Wouldn’t it be great to see some Aroostook County representation on this team!!!

Something to think about!!!

E G D H Q D P M I C W J X Z T R O T L S W V P D E

E I E T C H V J A E S M Q S C L S B T A U E P Q G

M W V U J S E U U I G F W F I Z R H R Q M T Z E B

B J I O S W D W Z X V P L K P S G M D I Q K W S T

P T S S M F E W W Y C Y D I V I B R T B K K E S Y

B S N G R A X M M G O U C X N R G Y E A C N T B E

X K X N R L D H Q G Z A N Y E J L Y F F O S S D G

I H O I K L A N D R Y K L A I I M W E C E Y F J Z

D G J Y T I O Z A E F L D B M Q P Q E L A D E W C

O O I L V N G B J N I F A A K V X N D D M J E H N

S R R F L G T F G H R R F N M O I D I Z I K B D J

X R P S M L S G C O E O E C V P U L N K D W J M E

C M N D Y E M U M T P S C Q S P O Z G Y P K B C L

V J R R L A Y T R U L T E P N H I U T W I M E G X

G J Y I D V H E U K A Y H E O Z W J H W G N U M S

H Y A B Y E E K K H C M Z W G P J S E A B O Y P X

Z G R O O S Q Q W O E O T L E N D K B I B W G L W

C N W V A N Y T G Q R R S P D I A E I V W G S R N

V H E K M U I T D F B N D V O T H I R T Y D A Y S

U N H Q P R S G K S I I Q V A X W O D E M Q P Z X

V Y H Y T G L R A K I N G P V H W A S A T U X W W

C U C Q N P L J P D I G W U J S S E J I N T K E T

I W F L E Y P M U V H S T X W E O N J B B A U P I

S P R H L U U F A R A B U N I S L B E A H L C B R

Y Q L B Y P A D N B O E X X K S C C T E L Y S Y L

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