4-H Update

Volume 13, Number 20

Reminders:

• August 28 – Sept. 7:  Colorado State Fair, Pueblo
• September 7:  University Holiday, office closed
• October 1: ES237 enrollment data due, campus
• October 3:  Colorado 4-H Gala, Denver
• October 3-10: National 4-H Week
• October 16-18: Leaders Forum, Burlington

State Fair Reminders

1. Entry deadline for all online 4-H exhibits for State Fair is midnight, Aug. 17!!!!
2. Superintendents and teens clerks must be at State Fair no later than 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19.  Camp Tobin will be open for those of you wanting to stay Tuesday, Aug. 18.
3. Exhibit check-in is from 12:00 Noon to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
4. Remember that the Fashion Revue contest fee goes to the Colorado 4-H Foundation all the other contest fees go to Camp Tobin.

New at the Colorado State Fair this year will be:

4-H Activities at the Natural Resource Building.  In this building there will be:

-  Archery 3D Range
-  Air Rifle Target Practice
-  4-H Fun with Science
-  Power of Wind Exhibit
-  Lightning Photography Exhibit

The 4-H truck will also be in the building and raffle tickets will be sold during this time.  The Natural Resource Building will be open from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. everyday during state fair.  So if you would like to help with this effort by either selling raffle tickets or helping with the science experiments,  please let us know by contacting either Jeff Goodwin at Jeff.goodwin@colostate.edu, Ellen Butler at Ellen.Butler@colostate.edu or me at Connie.Cecil@colostate.edu. If you have any questions about anything, please let me know.  Thanks! – Connie Cecil

Wanted: Freshmen 4-H’ers Attending CSU!

Agents, please encourage your 4-H’ers who are attending CSU as freshmen to apply to be a 4-H Scholar. The Scholars promote the positive experiences they had in 4-H and spend up to 20 hours a month representing 4-H at key activities, speaking at public events, and meeting with stakeholders and donors. For their efforts, each Scholar receives training, public relations support materials, reimbursement for expenses, and a $1,500 annual stipend toward college expenses. The person selected is eligible to continue to serve as a Scholar throughout their college career – advancing with each grade level – as long as their grades and activity commitments are met. The freshmen applicants must be willing to make a four-year commitment.

To apply, interested persons enrolled at Colorado State University must submit the following to Gary Small, 106 University Square, Fort Collins, CO 80523-4050 by Oct. 1, 2009.

•    Complete résumé that includes 4-H experiences, years in projects, leadership and speaking experiences and skills, community service activities, work-related experiences, awards and special recognitions.
•    A (draft) letter of thanks to the Colorado Farm Bureau thanking them for their contribution and funding support for the 4-H Scholars Program.
•    A short paragraph (100 words or less) explaining why they wish to become involved in the 4-H Scholars Program; a personal statement of desire for the Scholar position.
•    Individuals applying will make a 10-minute presentation before the selection committee on “the scope of 4-H today and what 4-H has meant to them.”
Please direct questions to Gary Small at 970.491.1537 or Gary.small@colostate.edu. – Gary Small

Raise Funds With the 2010 4-H Wall Calendar

4-H clubs and members now have the opportunity to sell 2010 wall calendars to help support their local 4-H. Many other groups like swimming clubs and mustang clubs have successfully raised funds through this creative initiative. The 12×12 calendar has several colorful images that highlight the many sides and faces of 4-H. 4-H members and clubs may purchase the calendars at 50 percent off the suggested retail price of $13.99 and can receive an extra discount if orders are placed by Aug. 15. The calendars are ready to ship immediately by Time Factory Publishing, the officially licensed source of the 2010 4-H Wall Calendar.

CALL or email NOW to get your club involved in this great fundraising opportunity, contact Shawn Dickensheets at sdickensheets@tfpublishing.com or 317.290.1333 extension 24. - Ellen Butler

Attention!  GIS Educators and Students

The ESRI Southwest User Group Conference (SWUG) will be held in Pueblo CO, Oct. 19-23, 2009.    There will be ESRI pre-conference training, ESRI workshops, user presentations and sessions, and social activities that will take advantage of the pleasant Fall evenings in Pueblo.  www.swug2009.org

This is a wonderful opportunity for GIS professionals, educators, researchers, and students to participate in an outstanding ESRI conference at a very affordable local price, the best registration prices expire Aug. 15.  Abstracts are being accepted until Aug. 15 at www.swug2009.org .  In addition there will be both a map and web contest in conjunction with this annual conference.   Please encourage educators and students with outstanding applications to do a presentation and submit their maps for the contests. – Ellen Butler

Fall Forum!

It’s time to start thinking about the annual Fall Forum! It’s an event for 4-H Leaders and parents to receive training in a wide variety of topics. Learn about new projects and see old friends and take advantage of a great training opportunity. Each year it travels to a new 4-H district so that it rotates around the state. This year it will be held in Burlington, Oct. 16 -18, with a variety of special activities including a visit to the historic Kit Carson Carousel! Click here to download the promotional brochure http://www.colorado4h.org/Blog/docs/2009/2009-LeaderForum.pdf. Additional information will be released at State Fair time.  The registration deadline is Oct. 1! – Ellen Butler

Citizenship Washington Focus – 50 Years of Citizenship

This year Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) reached 50 years of encouraging citizenship and leadership to 4-H’ers. Each week of this seven-session conference features delegations of diverse 4-H youth from across the United States. Youth attend events such as Nightview – a tour of the famous Washington D.C. monuments and memorials at night, Capitol Hill Day – a meet and greet with their district congressperson, and Cultural Heritage Night – a little slice of the cultural life found here in Washington. All events are lead by college-aged Program Assistants (PA’s) trained in facilitating and leading which make CWF such a beloved and exciting conference.Delegates also participate in workshops and committees. They learn the process of writing a bill, which later would be debated and voted on in the congressional session put on by one of the committee groups. Other committees focus on communications and public relations, healthy living, youth in governance, and event planning. These activities encourage teamwork and problem solving while supporting the theme of citizenship and leadership.

One big change to the program this year is rather than having keynote speakers from outside organizations talk to the delegates about citizenship, the PA’s delivered these speeches, proving to be highly successful. Molly Young, Director of Youth Opportunities, said “the PA’s were in the same position as the delegates just a few years prior. So their stories and advice about citizenship and leadership seem to be very real to the delegates.” Every Monday of the weekly schedule, two of the PA’s would give their speech focusing on the importance of citizenship and how it has influenced their lives. “Our Program Assistants are some of the most articulate and interesting young adults I have ever met,” said Young.

CWF began on May 21, and finished after seven weeks on July 18. To find out more about the program and become a part of this great experience, click on http://www.citizenshipwashingtonfocus.org/ -Ellen Butler