Enrollment packets for the new 4-H season are finally complete! That must mean that spring is right around the corner. There are three "new" activities we want to bring to your attention. They will be detailed later in the newsletter.

1. New Fund Raiser for 4-H Committee : All clubs are asked to participate in the Spring Bulb Sale to benefit the Huron County 4-H program. Sale runs from now until April 1. Flyers and instructions are included in the enrollment packets.

2. Team Building Training: Our 4-H program has received four team building kits and activity guides for use by 4-H clubs. An advisor must attend the training on March 10 or June 23 to be eligible to borrow a kit.

3. Fair Update for Advisors: The fair update for advisors will be held during the Officer’s Conference on May 5 at Norwalk Middle School, instead of at the Advisor’s Conference on April 22. This change is designed to shorten the Advisor’s Conference, without sacrificing important updates.

The 4-H motto is "To Make the Best Better". Let’s all work together to make 2003 the best year yet in Huron County 4-H!

Bonnie Malone    Kris Simpson
4-H Agent        4-H Program Assistant


 

C alendar Of Activities

March

1 ~ State Horse Clinic, Columbus

2 - 8 ~ Ohio 4-H Week

3 ~ 4-H Leader’s Recognition Banquet, 6:30 p.m. at the North Fairfield American Legion

4 ~ Camp Counselor Training, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

6 ~ Senior Fair Board, 7:30 p.m. at fairgrounds

8 ~ Ohio Volunteer Conference, Columbus

8 ~ Collegiate 4-H Plowboy Prom, Columbus

9 ~ Horseman’s Tack Swap and Auction, Western Reserve Middle/High School

10 ~ Team Building Training, 6:30 p.m.

13 ~ New Cloverbud Advisor Training, 6:30 p.m.

15 ~ Ohio Beef Expo Judging Contest, Columbus

17 ~ District Horse Update, 7-9 p.m., Richland Co.

17 ~ Sale Committee, 7:00 p.m. at fairgrounds

18 ~ CARTEENS Program, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

20 ~ Beef Committee, 7:30 p.m.

21 ~ Shooting Sports Training Registration deadline

22 ~ Camp Sew Fun, Part 1

24 ~ Camp Counselor Training, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

25 ~ CARTEENS Program, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

26 ~ Rabbit Clinic, 6:30 p.m., basement

26 ~ Horse Council, 7:30 p.m., upstairs

29 ~ Camp Sew Fun, Part 2

29 ~ PetPALS Leader Training in Medina County

April

1 ~ "A" Grade Banquet Reservations Due

1 ~ 4-H Committee Spring Bulb Order Deadline

3 ~ Senior Fair Board, 7:30 p.m. at fairgrounds

5 ~ State Dairy Judging Contest, Columbus

5 ~ Ohio 4-H Clothing Conference, Columbus

7 ~ Cattle Quality Assurance, 7:00-8:00 p.m.

8 ~ Bulb Order Summaries Due

8 ~ 4-H Committee Summarize Bulb Orders, 5:30

8 ~ Swine Quality Assurance, 7:00-8:00 p.m.

9 ~ Kiwanis "A" Grade Banquet, 6:00 p.m. at Norwalk Middle School

10 ~ Camp Counselor Training, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

12 ~ Buckeye Animal Sciences Experience, Columbus

14 ~ Goat Clinic, 7:00 p.m.

15 ~ HONOR CLUB ENROLLMENTS DUE

15 ~ CARTEENS Program, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

16 ~ Floriculture Clinic, 7:30 p.m., North Fairfield United Methodist Church

21 ~ Sheep Quality Assurance, 7:00-8:00 p.m.

22 ~ Frozen Food Orders Due

22 ~ Advisor Conference, 6:30 p.m.

24 ~ 4-H Committee Summarize Food Orders, 5:30

24 ~ Junior Fair Board, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

26 ~ Family Fun Fair

28 ~ New Advisor Training, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

29 ~ Camp Counselor Training, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

30 ~ Poultry Quality Assurance, 7:00-8:00 p.m.

30 ~ Chicken Meat Pen Clinic, 8:00 p.m.

May (1 - 15 Dates)

1 ~ FINAL ENROLLMENT DEADLINE

1 ~ Club Program Deadline for Honor Club points

1 ~ Senior Fair Board, 7:30 p.m.

3 ~ Photography Clinic, Edison Woods, 8-10 a.m.

3 ~ Camp Work Day, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

5 ~ Officer’s Conference & Advisor Fair Update, 7:00 - 8:15 p.m., Norwalk Middle School

7 ~ Frozen Food Delivery, 3:00-5:00 p.m.

7 ~ Rabbit Clinic, 6:30 p.m.

7 ~ Rabbit Skillathon Planning, 7:30 p.m.

8 ~ New Cloverbud Advisor Training, 6:30 p.m.

8 ~ Self-Determined Plan Clinic, 6:30 p.m.

10 ~ Easter Seals Balloon Day

10 ~ Creative Arts Clinic, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

12 ~ Creative Arts Clinic, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

12 ~ Goat Quality Assurance, 7:00-8:00 p.m.

14 ~ Camp Counselor Training at Camp, 6:30 p.m.

15 ~ Self-Determined Forms Due

15 ~ State Camp Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

15 ~ Junior Fair Board, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

15 ~ Senior Fair Board, 7:30 p.m.

Enrollment packets for the 2003 4-H year were ready for pick-up on February 13. Many packets still remain in the "hallway of bags".

The following clubs have been named Honor Clubs for 2002. Congratulations! Top Honor Clubs will be announced at the Kiwanis "A" Grade Banquet on April 9.

The following senior 4-H members have applied for the Christopher T. Norman Memorial Scholarship and for State 4-H Scholarships. Their applications have been sent on for review. Good luck to Jackie Eschen, Kenton Garwood, Leah Moehlman and Patrick Nolan.

The 2003 Huron County 4-H Leader’s Recognition Banquet will be held at the North Fairfield American Legion on Monday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m. The speaker will be Charlie Fliger, a 4-H advisor and humorist from Ashland County. Helen Manhart and Tom Nuhfer will be honored for 50 years as 4-H advisors. The menu is salad bar, Swiss steak, mashed potatoes & gravy, broccoli & cauliflower with cheese sauce, rolls and pie. Reservations were due February 21. Call the office to check availability if not registered.

Camp Sew Fun will be held on two consecutive Saturdays. It will be on March 22 and 29 from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The camp is designed for beginning clothing project members, regardless of age. This will be an excellent, hands-on workshop. Please make sure your clothing project, or perspective clothing project, members don’t miss out. This is early in the year, so it is important that advisors spread the word.

Pre-registration is required by March 14. Registration and Information forms were included in the Enrollment Packet. Additional forms are available from the Extension Office.

A new 30 minute video is available for free loan from the Extension Office. It is titled, "Paws, Claws, Feather & Friends". It is an excellent video aimed at youth ages 4-12 years old who are thinking about owning a pet for the first time. The goal of the video is to help youth understand the responsibilities associated with owning different types of pets. A simple Leader’s Guide is included.

The new PetPALS program prepares youth and their pets to do nursing home visits. The program is leader directed and may only be conducted by certified Master PetPALS Volunteers. There are three volunteer trainings currently scheduled: March 29 from 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. at the Medina County Fairgrounds, also on April 5 and September 6 at The Ohio State University in Columbus from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Please contact the Extension Office if interested in registering. $15.00 registration for April 6 in Columbus is due by March 15. $10.00 registration for March 29 in Medina is due by March 21. We have had several inquiries and two registrations for Medina County already!

Family Fun Fair is sponsored by Huron County Early Childhood Collaborative. There are community service opportunities for clubs. See the cherry colored sheet in the Enrollment Packet for information.

The Huron County 4-H Committee provides guidance, direction and recognition for the county 4-H program. They sponsor the 4-H Fun Dance, 4-H Leader’s Recognition Banquet, membership pins, advisor pins, scholarship trips for members and Honor Club Awards.

They dropped the 4-H Apple Sale last year, due to quality concerns. Now they are in a situation where their expenses surpass their income. They are asking every club to participate in this fund raising effort to raise money for the county 4-H program. Participating in this effort will count as community service.

Here are the sale details: Runs February 13 - April 1

An informational sheet, Club Summary Sheet, and color flyer/order forms were included in the club Enrollment Packet. One form per family was included. Additional forms are available.

The Extension Office received a call from someone who has a Certificate of Achievement for Catherine O’Donnell from 1926. She was a member of the Wakeman Clothing Club. If anyone has any leads to finding her, please call the Extension Office.

1. 4-H Club Constitution: Does your club have a constitution and by-laws? Have they been  reviewed by club members in the last couple years to see whether changes need to be made?

If you answered "no" to either question, it is probably time to do some constitution work. To help you write or review your constitution, there is a fact sheet titled, "Designing a 4-H Club Constitution" available from the Extension Office. The Secretary’s 4-H Record Book has a sample club constitution.

The constitution should remain fairly constant. The by-laws contain specific club rules and may change more often. Club rules might include the maximum number of members a club will accept, that a member must complete their projects one year to be eligible to join the next, etc. We recommend that clubs review and vote to adopt their constitution and by-laws at the beginning of each year. We also suggest giving each member a copy and passing around an extra copy for everyone to sign.

2. Affirmative Action Reminder: It is illegal to use Federal funds to conduct any program which does not actively pursue compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI. The Extension Service, which includes 4-H, is partially supported by Federal funds. We do not discriminate in 4-H!

The policy of Ohio State University Extension is that "All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status."

3. 4-H Membership Across County Lines: Youth are expected to join 4-H in the county in which they reside. If there are special circumstances, a parent may write a letter explaining those circumstances and request permission to join 4-H in another county. The 4-H Agents in both counties discuss the request and decide whether or not to grant the request. That decision is then communicated to the parent and advisor.

4. Huron County 4-H Health History Forms: Health History forms are included in the Enrollment Packet. Each member and advisor should turn in a completed form. The forms stay with the club and should be on hand at all club functions.

5. Club Treasury Guidelines: If your club has money in its treasury, it should be stored in a safe place (and that doesn’t mean in a shoe box under the treasurer’s bed). It is a good idea to open a bank account for the treasury, keeping these things in mind:

              A. Don’t raise money just for the sake of raising money. Your club should have a                             purpose for raising money, such as a trip or club T-shirts. All the money                             (receipts and expenses) should go through the treasurer. Try to establish                             a budget for the year to help you decide how much money needs to be                             raised.

              B. Your treasury should have a minimum carry over from year to year. Those who                             raise the money should spend it.

              C. The treasurer should keep accurate records and a report should be given at                             each meeting. The report should indicate beginning balance, specific                             expenses, specific income, and an ending balance. This report needs to                             be recorded in the secretary’s minutes.

              D. NO money should be spent from the club treasury or no fund raiser started                             without a motion, second and passing vote recorded in the secretary’s                             minutes.

              E. The treasury should be audited annually by a committee from your club. The                             two reports in the back of the treasurer’s book should be completed and                             signed each year.

              F. To open a bank account, your club will need an "Employer Identification                              Number" (EIN). Do not use a personal Social Security number on a 4-H                             club account! Forms to apply for an EIN are available from the Extension                             Office.

              G. When opening an account, check for monthly charges. Most 4-H clubs cannot                             afford to pay a monthly fee. Shop around and find a financial institution                             that waives fees for 4-H clubs.

The Ohio Volunteer Conference will be held Saturday, March 8 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds. Kris Simpson is a member of the planning committee. Bonnie Malone and Deb Angell are both teaching.

Advisors attending include: Gary Bauer, Robyn Bauer, Kendra Clagett, Jan Daniels, Denise Deppen, Walter Horn, Barb Kramer, Linda Linder, Helen Manhart, Mona Manhart, Hazel Myers, Amy Palm, Kevin Palm, Liz Scheid, Carol Shade and Kris Simpson.

Helen Manhart will receive a silver tray for 50 years as a 4-H advisor. Carol Shade will receive a certificate for advising 35 years and Jan Daniels will be honored for 15 years. Walter Horn will be recognized as a member of the Ohio 4-H Hall of Fame.

The 4-H Committee will have a table set up to offer our Huron County 4-H Cookbooks for sale.

The Collegiate 4-H Club at The Ohio State University is sponsoring their annual Plowboy Prom on Saturday, March 8 at the Ohio Union West Ballroom from 7:00-11:30 p.m. The cost is $6.00 per person.

Clubs which have not donated toward the Ohio 4-H Center are encouraged to make a donation this year. Huron County 4-H is hoping to raise enough money to have a patio bench at the Center honoring Huron County 4-H. A flyer is in the Enrollment Packet.

Our county goal was set at a $100.00 donation per club. The following clubs have met or exceeded the goal: Busy Needles, Clover Patch Kids, Ridgefield Country Kids, Flashes, Huron County Junior Dairy, Northside, Norwich Fun Bunch, Richmond Mother’s Helpers, Richmond Workers, Ripley Nifty Needlers & Cookers, and Wakeman Wizards.

Other clubs which have made donations include Huron Valley Go-Getters, Lyme Clever Clovers, Lyme Producers, Northside Country Kids, Peru Patriots, Sherman Shamrocks, Townsend Bonus Cibus and Townsend Top Notchers.

A state-wide 4-H service project will be held in conjunction with the Ohio Volunteer Conference (OVC). The Extension Office will collect pre-paid phone cards which 4-H clubs, members or volunteers donate. All phone cards must be turned in by March 6 to be tallied and taken to Columbus for the March 8 conference.

The phone cards will be donated to a Columbus hospital to give to families in need who have a loved one in the hospital. For this reason, cards with medium amount of minutes will help more people.

Several 4-H teaching tools and supplements are now available on-line. We will still provide hard copies of the materials for at least this year. Check the website at http://www.ohio4h.org/publications/index.htm.

These are the documents which are currently on the website. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required for viewing and printing these publications. Discovering 4-H Advisor’s Guide, Self-Determined Project Idea Starters, Clue Yourself Into Modeling, Developing Experientially Based 4-H Curriculum Materials, Demonstrations for 4-H Members, Member Enrollment Report, Officer Books, Installation Ceremony, Project Advising, Advisors Guide, Interviewing Tips for Judges, and Tools for Public Speaking (member and advisor).

There are several ways clubs and/or individuals may get involved at camp this year.

Participate in Camp Work Day on May 3, starting at 9:00 a.m. Lunch will be provided.

Come to camp in the spring with buckets to pick up stones in the lawn by the cabins.

After stones are picked up, come with wheel- barrows and shovels to cover bare spots with soil.

Volunteer to be on a list of individuals willing to be called for odd jobs, minor repair work, etc. as needed.

The Community Minded Fair Supporters Committee is planning to continue their silent auction at the fair. They will be seeking items for the auction throughout the summer. Clubs or individuals who have something to donate should call the Extension Office or Denise Deppen.

Friday, June 27 will be 4-H Day at Cedar Point. 4-H members, parents and friends are all invited to take advantage of the special prices. Students (grades k-12) will be admitted for $27.00; Adult price will be $30.00; Jr/Sr (ages 3 & older, under 48"; or age 60 and older) will pay $21.00. Regular gate price in 2003 will be $43.95. Soak City tickets will be discounted by $3.00.

Tickets are available from the 4-H window from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. A representative should purchase tickets for the group. The representative should have a membership card or something representing 4-H membership. Individual tickets may also be purchased.

The 2003 4-H bears will be a green & white tie-dye print. No two bears will be exactly alike. The cost of the bears will be $10.00 each. The Extension Office has ordered 25 bears to sell. Your payment will reserve a bear. You will be notified when they arrive. Checks should be made payable to OSU Extension.

Huron County 4-H will once again support the Huron-Lorain Easter Seals Society by participating in Balloon Day. The Balloon Day will be held on Saturday, May 10.

Interested clubs contact a business to obtain permission to collect donations and set their own hours. Plan now to participate. Call the Extension Office as soon as you secure your location, to avoid duplications.

A packet of several resources to help advisors analyze and improve the quality of their 4-H meetings is available from the Extension Office.

Our Cloverbud program is a non-competitive, activity-based program for youth in grades kindergarten through second. Any club accepting Cloverbuds must have a designated advisor who has been through our training to work with Cloverbuds. Each club with Cloverbuds should have an Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Manual of Activities with both Series I and Series II curriculum.

If your club has the manual, but it only contains the color-coded Series I curriculum, bring in the manual to exchange it for a new notebook with Series II.

A new curriculum piece about apples was included in the Enrollment Packet for any club with Cloverbuds in 2002. Another excellent new piece to use with your Cloverbuds is available from the U.S. Mint, dealing with the bicentennial quarters. Activities based on Ohio’s Bicentennial quarter are available from the Extension Office, or on-line at www.usmint.gov/kids.

If you go to the web side, click on "Free Lesson Plans: 50 State Quarters".

Self-Determined Project Procedures

Members enrolling in a Self-Determined project, #365, have special procedures to follow. They must list on their enrollment sheet what the topic of their project is. They must turn in the green Self-Determined planning sheet stapled in the project booklet by May 15. Members are encouraged to attend the Self-Determined Plan Clinic on May 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room of the County Administration Building. Plans will be reviewed and must be acceptable as a complete 4-H project.

There are several topics listed in the Family Guide to 4-H that have Idea Starter papers available. Idea Starters may be printed on-line (see article on previous page) or picked up at the Extension Office.

Projects that fit with a department are judged there. Other projects will be judged as Self-Determined.

"The Power of Youth in a Changing World" is the title of the National 4-H Strategic Plan which was developed from the Conversations for Youth Development in the 21 ^st Century. An abbreviated copy may be signed out from the Extension Office.

An article by Bill Harris, Northeast District Specialist, 4-H Youth Development, titled "Helping Your Troubled Members" is available from the Extension Office. The article includes a problem-solving model.

"Take Ten Minutes: Principles to Consider Before Engaging in Fund Raising", by Barry Silverburg, is available from the Extension Office.

1. Prints of the Ohio Bicentennial Barn in Huron County: Jim Miller, one of the officially licensed artists of the Ohio Bicentennial Commission has offered counties in the East and Northeast Districts a unique fund raising opportunity. He is offering a painting of the county bicentennial barn. The painting is a standard 11x14 matted painting, available in 3 color mats (blue, burgundy and green). The paintings will sell for $27 each. A donation of $7.00 for each painting will be split between the county and state program. Hopefully each club will be given a flyer when they turn in their club enrollments.

2. Metal CloverStake 4-H Yard Marker : A sample metal 4-H yard marker is available for viewing at the Extension Office. The stakes have a 4-H clover, and may be personalized with symbols of different 4-H projects, and even club names. Cost for a 14" stake, clover and 1 activity is $20.00. To add a club name, the cost is $40.00. Contact the Extension Office for more information.

The Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI) in Wooster will be sending all 4-H members who are high school juniors and seniors an invitation to check out their college. Please let your older members know that they will be receiving a special mailing because they are in 4-H.

Please check with your high school members to see if any are considering becoming a veterinarian. They are invited to Pre-Vet Day at The OSU College of Veterinary Medicine on Saturday, April 26. Flyers are available from the Extension Office, or they may contact Kelly Koren at koren.10@osu.edu or (614) 688-4144 for more information.

Saturday, April 12 is the date for the 3 ^rd annual Buckeye Animal Sciences Experience at The Ohio State University (OSU). This program is designed for all youth, age 14 and up, who are interested in majoring in animal sciences at The Ohio State University. Included in the day’s events will be tours of the animal units, the college of veterinary medicine, meat lab, the Waterman dairy farm, and sessions on internships, careers and succeeding as a student at OSU. There is no charge. Registration forms and additional information may be picked up at the Extension Office or found on the website at http://cfaes.osu.edu .

Market steers (beef & dairy beef) must have been purchased by January 1 and tagged on January 18.

Dairy cattle, goats, all other beef cattle, swine, sheep, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, dogs and horses taken as 4-H projects must be under the exhibitor’s care by May 15.

Meat chickens must be under their care by July 1.

The Ohio Beef Expo Judging Contest for Youth will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2003 and is being held in conjunction with the Ohio Beef Expo, March 14-16 at the Ohio Expo Center (State Fairgrounds) in Columbus. Registration for the judging contest is from 8:00-9:00 a.m. The contest ends at 4:30 p.m. with the presentation of awards.

A list of judging contests currently scheduled in Ohio is available from the Extension Office. Most contests are general livestock, but some contests include dairy cattle, poultry, horses, etc.

The 2003 list of Ohio 4-H and FFA Educational Livestock Events and Opportunities is available from the Extension Office. It contains state-wide activities for beef, dairy cattle, goats, poultry, sheep and swine.

The Ohio Dairy Judging Contest will be held on Saturday, April 5 at the Ohio Expositions Center during the Spring Dairy Expo. Pre-registration for the contest is not necessary. However, teams must bring a completed registration form. The registration form is available from the Extension Office.

The following information is available from the Extension Office:

Meat Goat Show and Sale for wethers and does on March 29 at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds.

Club Goat & Elite Boer Doe Sale on April 12 at the Wood County Fairgrounds.

Buckeye Meat Goat Newsletter.

Contact the Extension Office for more information.

Sheep Day Open House on April 12 at Yeo Farms in Lowellville, Ohio.

County sheep producer will have project lambs.

Contact the Extension Office for more information.

1. Muscle Quality and Performance Barrow Show (MQ&P): This is a state fair show. All pigs must be weighed on or between April 21 and May 3.

2. Showpig University on March 8 at the Champaign County Fairgrounds.

3. Ohio Spot Breeders Essay Contest to win a Spot gilt. Essays due by April 15.