4-H Flash Newsletter

December 2007

Volume 2, Issue 11

Calendar

December 24– Christmas Eve-Office Closed
December 25- Christmas Day - Office Closed
December 31- Re-enrollment Forms due in office - No Exceptions
January 1– New Years Day—Office Closed
January 21– Martin Luther King Jr. Day—Office Closed

For a complete listing of what’s happening in 4-H  check out the 4-H Calendar  Page at: http://www.maine4h.umaine.edu/calendarpage.htm.

Cloverfest Celebration

 Several members and volunteers gathered on Friday, November 30th at the Columbia Falls Community Hall to attend the annual Cloverfest Celebration.  Project record and special awards were given out.  Those who earned fair premiums received them.  The evening was completed by an ice cream party.  More Cloverfest photos can be seen on the website at http://www.umext.maine.edu/Washington/washington4HCloverfest2007Pics.htm.

Re-Enrollment

If any leader or any independent member has not received their packet or if you have any questions, please contact the Extension Office as soon as possible. Leaders please be sure to complete ALL paperwork and return it to the Extension Office by December 31st.  There will be no exceptions.

Club Reports

 We would like to hear what your club is doing!  Please submit articles and photos to twood@umext.maine.edu or by mailing them to 34 Center Street, Machias, ME 04654.  We’ll put them in the 4-H Flash Newsletter.  Thank you!

Maine State 4-H News

1. 4-H EDGE Weekend 2008

It’s Back! 4-H EDGE WEEKEND 2008: Connecting Kids to Campus

May 17 and 18, 2008

An on-campus experience for 4-H youth ages 11-15.

“College Life at the EDGE of your future!”

For youth participants: Hands-on workshops with UMaine departments, meals in The Marketplace and University Commons, over night in a residence hall, experience on-campus recreation and activity opportunities, find out what excites YOU about the college experience.

For parents and older teens: FREE workshops on college life, financial aid, and becoming “college-ready.”

Save the dates! Registration forms will be mailed out in January.

2. Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center Gift Certificates

Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center, a program of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension has gift certificates available for 2008 programs.  This holiday season, instead of giving the special child in your life one more device that will collect dust in a couple months, why not give him or her the gift of nature, adventure and discovery?

Gift certificates can be purchased in any amount and can be used toward any of Tanglewood’s exciting outdoor programs at their Blueberry Cove Camp in Tenants Harbor and Camp Tanglewood in Lincolnville. Affordable program offerings for 2008 include family camps and a variety of youth day and residential, discovery, and leadership camps for ages 5-18 years old.

To order visit www.tanglewood4h.org or call (207) 789-5868. Also, Tanglewood will be releasing their 2008 program catalog in December and will be available online or by calling the office.

3. 2008 Brain Power Engineers Week Expo

Saturday, March 1, 2008

University of Maine Orono

For more information go to www.EngineeringME.com

Cost: $2.00 per person donation suggested

4. Infovets Educational Materials

Give that animal lover something special for the holidays! Order a CD for your favorite person who wants to learn more about the animals they love. For $27.95 each (includes shipping & handling), you can obtain a CD to gain knowledge about your cat, dog, horse, goat, sheep, beef or dairy. If you prefer the book style, you can purchase the manuals for all the groups mentioned. The manuals cost $80.95 each (includes shipping and handling). Mail your requests along with a check made out to York County Shepherds to: UMCE – Donna Flint

21 Bradeen Street, Suite 302

Springvale, ME 04083

For more information contact Donna at 1-800-287-1535 or 324-2814.

5. Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)

Start making plans now to visit our Nation’s Capitol during the week of July 5 to 12, 2008. Citizenship Washington Focus is a leadership program conducted by the National 4-H Council for high school youth ages 15 to 19.

Delegations of 4-Hers from across the country spend six days touring the city and attending leadership skill-building workshops. This summer, the Maine delegation will leave on July 5 and return on July 12, 2008. You will stay at the National 4-H Conference Center just outside Washington, DC. Visiting the most popular sites in Washington will be a part of the trip.

Contact your county 4-H office to find out how to apply for this trip. Each county will have their own selection process.

6. Market Beef

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 3, 2008. The forms are available at your county office and on- line at http://www.umext.maine.edu/4h/forms/beef/2008beefintent.doc.

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 15, 2008.

7. National 4-H Conference

Seven delegates from Maine will attend the National 4-H Conference March 23 to 28, 2008. They are Kellene O’Hara from Aroostook County, Natalie Marceau from Waldo County, Michaela Davis and Ashley Martin from Cumberland County, Marjory Hardy from Franklin County, and Cassandra Webster and Hattie Gushee-Kimball from Oxford County.  This five day youth conference is held at the National 4-H Conference Center just outside of Washington, DC where 4-H delegations from every state meet to share ideas and form 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 19, and would like to attend the National 4-H Conference in 2009, you can apply this spring. More details will be in your county newsletter.

8. 4-H Earth Connections Sustainable Living Team

The 4-H leadership structure includes an active team focused on environmental education – the Earth Connections Sustainable Living Team. Our team brings together 4-H members and staff to discuss and make decisions on supporting environmental education in the 4-H program across the state.

4-H Earth Connections began in Maine in the mid-1980’s out of a deep and growing concern among ordinary people about the environment and our ability to adopt sustainable living practices. Rather than using the conventional youth environmental education model of teaching about nature, 4-H Earth Connections teaches that humans are part of nature; part of the interconnected web of all life.

The overarching goal of 4-H Earth Connections is to educate and mobilize youth, adults and families so that they recognize themselves as part of an interconnected world and become committed to sustainable living. If you’d like to learn more about Earth Connections & Sustainable Living, check out the Maine 4-H Earth Connections web site: http:// www.umaine.edu/umext/earthconnections/ 

 We are recruiting new members, seeking funding to support teams, creating new resources, preparing marketing materials and curriculum for counties to use, and supporting statewide efforts. In 2008 our Team will be offering the first annual UMaine Extension Earth Connections/Sustainable Living Conference (stay tuned for more information in future newsletters!)

The ECSL Team generally meets at Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center, in part to avail us of the great staff resources there. The team is open to meeting elsewhere around the state and by phone and video conference if there is interest to do so. We are seeking volunteers to join us in our work, so please help us get the word out.

The Earth Connections Sustainable Living Team welcomes all to join our efforts. To find out more about the ECSL Team please contact Jon Prichard at 1-800-287-1535 or 324-2814.

4-H Happenings

An informational source for 4-H leaders in Hancock and Washington Counties

4-H Demonstrations

One of the greatest fears identified by many people is that of speaking in front of others! 4-H members can develop their communications skills through demonstrations.

Each 4-H member is encouraged to present a project talk or demonstration at his or her club meeting during the year. Here are a few tips to help guide members through the process.

Plan- Choose a topic that you have learned about in your 4-H project work and that you can do well. Be sure you can show or tell others about the topic in the given time frame (3-5 minutes). Pick a topic that you think others will be interested in learning about. Select a catchy title for your talk or demonstration. Limit your presentation to one idea and learn all the facts you can about the topic. There are three parts to every good public presentation – introduction, body and summary.

Introduction-In planning the introduction you will want to think about how you will greet your audience and tell what you are going to present and why. You may also want to tell the audience how you became interested in the topic.

Body- In planning the body of your talk or demonstration, list the steps to be shown in order and decide what you are going to do for each step. List supplies needed for presentation and decide what you are going to say for each step.

Summary- In planning the summary, you will need to think about how you will show the results of your presentation. You will want to plan to restate or briefly repeat main points; give sources of information; give your audience a chance to ask questions; and finally give out samples or materials (optional).

Prepare- In preparing for your talk or demonstration, don't memorize your presentation. Instead use small note cards. Be sure to follow the poster guidelines and have your materials labeled and organized. (for more tips and guidelines on preparation, go to http://www.maine4h.umaine.edu/demonstration.pdf )

Practice- Plan for a three to five minute presentation. Use a timer to keep track of how long you talk and how fast you talk. Practice in front of a mirror first and then practice for family or friends. Often when you get nervous, you will talk faster than if you are speaking in front of the mirror. Be sure you have enough material to fill up your time allotment.

Present- During your presentation, speak clearly with a loud voice. Pause for a few minutes for effect. Speak with excitement and enthusiasm. Keep good eye contact with the audience. Smile and have good posture. Show you are glad to be present.

Adapted from University of Illinois Extension

Cooking with the Kids

Cinnamon Non-Edible Christmas Ornaments

 These make great gifts for grandparents, aunts & uncles, and even mom & dad!

You will need:

1/2 cup ground cinnamon

1/3 cup applesauce

1 Tbsp Tacky Glue

1.   Mix in a bowl and stir until well blended. Work mixture with hands 3-4 minutes to form a ball. If it’s too dry, add a dab of applesauce. If it’s too wet, add more cinnamon.

2.  Knead ball on cinnamon-sprinkled surface until it holds together well.

3.  Roll this out and use your favorite cookie cutters for the shapes. Use a straw to cut a hole to string ribbon through.

4.  These must be air dried for 24-48 hours, turning several times (very carefully) or they can also be baked in a slow (low heat) oven until hard.

Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD)  Phone Numbers 1-800-287-8957.

If you are a person with a disability and will need any accommodations to participate in any programs, please call the Hancock County Office at 1-800-287-1479 or Washington County Extension Office at 1-800-287-1542 to discuss your needs.  Please contact us at least 20 days prior to the event to assure the fullest possible attention to your needs.

University of Maine Nondiscrimination Statement

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and in pursuing its own goals for diversity, the University of Maine system shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or citizenship status, age, disability or veterans status in employment, education, and all other areas of the University.  The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.  Questions and complaints about discrimination in any area of the University should be directed to the Director of Equal Employment Opportunities, 101 North Stevens, (207)581-1226.

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Last Modified: 02/22/08
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Send comments, suggestions or inquiries to twood@umext.maine.edu   

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and in pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability, or veterans' status in employment, education, and all other areas of the University. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Questions and complaints about discrimination in any area of the University should be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens, (207) 581-1226.

Information in this web site is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned in this web site. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.