4-H Record Book Rally Dates. Registrations are now open for the following Record Book Rally dates!

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1 Washington County 7303 Sharpsburg Pike Boonsboro, Maryland TEL FAX H News & Views 4-H Record Book Rally Dates Registrations are now open for the following Record Book Rally dates! Saturday, December 14 th 12:30-4:00 PM- Cancelled/rescheduled Saturday, January 4 th 12:30-4:00 PM Saturday, January 11 th 12:30-4:00 PM These sessions will provide participant s access to electronic copies of the Record Book forms via use of laptop computers or in paper form, as well as, the ability to ask questions and receive direct assistance with their individual forms from the 4-H Team and expert volunteers. Learn the importance of the Record Book to the 4-H Program, work with your 4-H peers and have fun doing it! Each session is open to 12 registered participants. Please contact Amy Simmons at simmons@umd.edu or to register. You will be allowed to register for only one session at a time. Record Book Thought of the Month: NOW- Ask friends and family members if they have pictures of you at the fair. Print and include them in your Record Book. It allows you a way to personalize your Record Book, but also shows pride in your work and gives the judges a way to see what you have done! FOR THE FUTURE- When doing a demonstration or showing at the fair, ask a friend or family member to take pictures of you to use in your Record Book for that year! **Note to Seniors- Remember to answer the Senior Essay regardless if you are completing a Project Record Book or Portfolio Senior Essay: Write an essay to explain to an elected official your experience in 4-H and why they should continue to fund the 4-H program. Portfolio Essay Question: please check the State 4-H website Local Governments U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.

2 Page 2 It s Back! H Recognition Night Saturday, April 12 th from 7:00-? Agricultural Education Center- Multi Purpose Building Purpose: To recognize 4-H member achievement, award and scholarship winners and celebrate the youth and families in the Washington County 4-H Youth Development Program. Theme: To Be Announced Program: Dinner and social time, formal award ceremony followed by a dance and celebration activities. Club Involvement: To Be Announced Kids Crafts and Activities at The Rural Heritage Museum Holiday Open House Saturday, December 7, 2013 from 1-4 pm The 4-H Program will be providing kid activities at this event including crafts and games. We are looking for youth and adults to assist in presenting our activities and the Rural Heritage Museum would love to have you help with any of theirs. To learn more about these opportunities or this event, please contact Jamie Kenton at jkenton@umd.edu or Toys for Tots Drop off a new, unwrapped toy for a child in need by December 15 th, In collaboration with the National Guard Youth and Child Services in Western Maryland, the University of Maryland Extension office is hosting two Toys for Tots drop off bins for you, your family and/or your club to drop off new, unwrapped presents for the upcoming holiday season. There is one in the back to allow for drop off during meetings and there is one in the front lobby, where you could even drop them off on the weekend during the Rural Heritage Museum's open hours from 1:00-4:00 pm.

3 Page 3 Chill out at 4-H Winter Camp Who: Campers ages 8-11 & teen leaders ages What: Archery, Health Rocks, Nature Activities, Leadership Activities, Arts and Crafts, Team Building Where: Patuxent River 4-H Center When: January 17-20, 2014 Why: To beat the cabin fever blues and have fun too! How: Registration forms available from the 4-H Office, cost is $125 if registration is received by December 25 or $150 if received after December 25. For more information or to get a registration form contact a member of the 4-H Team at Do your Christmas shopping 4-H Style Visit the Foundation Store and find some awesome 4-H presents for your club leader, your 4-H er or for yourself! Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Thank you to all who donated decorations for the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, including: Huyetts, Dairy Goat, Chewsville, Red Ribbon, Rabbit/Cavy/Poultry, Sheep and Lamb and Sunlight Club Be sure to visit the Reindeer in the Rafters-a Beary Merry Charlie Brown Christmas at the Springfield Barn in Williamsport, MD starting Saturday & Sunday, December 7 & 8, 14 & 15, 2013 from 3 8p.m. each evening. The event is also open during the day on Tuesday, December 10, from 11a.m. 5p.m.

4 Page Maryland 4-H Gala Sunday, January 19, 2014 The Annual Gala event is a time for the State 4-H Program to recognize the accomplishments of many youth and adults in the 4-H Program. Each year Diamond Clover Level 5 and 6 youth are honored, as are members of State Judging and Competition Teams, State Volunteer Award Winners and Youth Leaders. The event is held at the Carriage House at the Laurel Race Track and is a fun event to attend! Last year, a number of 4-H Clubs created and donated gift baskets for the Silent Auction held at the Gala. The Gala Committee is again requesting gift baskets for the event. Any club wishing to create and donate a gift basket for the Gala can drop off their donation at the University of Maryland Extension Office and it will be delivered to the event. The 4-H Team appreciates your support of the program and this event and hopes that anyone in our family that is invited to the event for their achievements will accept the opportunity to attend. Invitations for recipients should be sent out in December with additional information. University of Maryland Volunteers You may have noticed that the 4-H Team included a volunteer application in your child s re-enrollment packet. We would encourage all parents and other family members to become a volunteer for the 4-H Program. The process is easy. Simply complete and return the application, we send out reference letters and conduct a simple background check. You will go through a short on-line training followed by an interview and then all of the time you help out at your child s 4-H Club meetings or other 4-H Events will help our 4-H Program grow and enrich our 4-H Family! University of Maryland Volunteers have the opportunity to attend a variety of trainings, are eligible for scholarship money for specific conferences and awards on both the county and state level. Time commitment can fit your schedule, and your expertise most likely aligns with any number of 4-H projects and/or clubs. For additional information or forms, please contact Amy Simmons at simmons@umd.edu or

5 Page Market Animal and Commercial Tag In and Weigh In Dates NEW FOR 2014 Market and Commercial Animal Tag In. 4-H members MUST submit re-enrollment or new member paperwork along with Livestock Registration Forms prior to tag in dates. December 14, am-12pm Beef Steers, Commercial Beef Heifers, and 2 nd Year Dairy Steers *Paperwork due December 11, 2013 in order to tag and weigh Beef Steers, Commercial Heifers and 2 nd Year Dairy Steers. March 29, am- 10:30 am 1 st Year Dairy Steers *Paperwork due March 26, 2014 in order to tag and weigh 1 st Year Dairy Steers. May 9, :30pm- 7:30 pm Market Lambs and Goats, Commercial Sheep and Goats *Paperwork due May 7, 2014 in order to tag and weigh Market Lambs and Goats, Commercial Sheep and Goats. June 7, :30 am 12pm Market Swine *Paperwork due June 4, 2014 in order to tag and weigh Market Swine. Livestock Skillathon Got Livestock? Or maybe just interested in learning? Livestock Skillathon is a program where you will learn about producing sheep, goats, swine and cattle. There will be learning sessions starting in the new year where you will learn about equipment, feeds, breeds, meat cuts and much more! You do not have to raise livestock or carry a livestock project to come and learn! There is a Maryland State Skillathon contest held in March where you may choose to compete. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Shannon Uzelac at suzelac@umd.edu or call (301) Pre-Registration is required. We will need at least five 4-H members in order for the learning sessions to be taught. Save the Date Washington County 4-H/FFA Spring Swine Show will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2014 at Four States Livestock Auction. The Washington County 4-H/FFA Spring Swine Show is an event open to the community. The show will be held at 9 a.m. with the sale following at 1 p.m. Come out and support your fellow 4-H/FFA members as they show and sell their project pigs. If you are planning on showing market swine at the Spring Show you will need to be enrolled in 4-H for 2014 by December 4, You must include the swine project on your enrollment form. Swine will be tagged on December 7, Times will be arranged with each exhibitor by Swine Superintendents.

6 Page 6 Livestock Club News The Livestock Club is an active club that has between members at any one time. This year members helped with Micah s Backpack in February and visited Whitestone Farm, a large farm raising registered Angus beef cattle in Aldie, Virginia, in April. In December, our members will again send Christmas cards to every one of our wonderful veterans at the VA Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV. Besides showing at the Washington County Ag Expo & Fair and the Maryland State Fair, some members also exhibited their beef cattle at other regional and national shows at Howard County, MD, Harrisburg, PA, Harrisonburg, VA, Murfreesboro, TN, Des Moines, IA, Springfield, MO, Kansas City, MO, Louisville, KY, and Denver, CO. We look forward to another busy year in ~Submitted by: Valerie Mason, Livestock Club, Secretary 4-H Public Speaking Contest On Saturday, March 29 th from 7:00-9:00 at the Extension Office, all 4-H members will have the opportunity to demonstrate their speaking skills at the H Public Speaking Contest. Contestants will have the opportunity to participate in four different speech categories: Radio Spot (a 30 second 4-H Promo), Extemporaneous (a speech written the night of the contest from three topic choices), Prepared (a speech prepared prior to the contest on a topic of your choosing) and Interpretative (a memorized and dramatically presented written work such as a poem). Additional information regarding length of each speech and important presentation tips is available on our website or by contacting the Extension Office at (301) Registration is required for this event. Registration forms will be available on our website at in January and at the University of Maryland Extension Office. Registration deadline is Friday, March 21 st. A Preparatory Session will be scheduled at the University of Maryland Extension Office for all registered contestants prior to the event. Topics to be covered include: An overview of the Public Speaking contest The importance of Public Speaking General Tips for Public Speaking Breakout sessions for each speech categories

7 Page 7 4-H Spring Fashion Revue What: An all day, all ages event offering workshops on a variety of topics including fashion design, construction and presentation practice rounded out with a Fashion Show. When: March 8 th, 2014 from 9:00-4:00 Where: The Barn at the View at Pennsylvania Avenue, Hagerstown, MD Reserve your spot today by calling Youth Volunteerism There are always opportunities for youth to assist the 4-H Program by providing outreach, school enrichment, camping or club programming while promoting their club and their passion for 4-H. Many of these opportunities allow youth to develop leadership skills while assisting other youth in educational activities. Whether you want to earn Student Service Learning hours or share your passion for 4-H, check out the Youth Volunteerism flyer on our website Copies are also available in our office. Contact a member of the 4-H Team at (301) for more information. School Enrichment Programming The 4-H Program is proud to offer a variety of School Enrichment Programming to all schools and students in Washington County including Junk Drawer Robotics, Power of the Wind, AGsplorations: The Science of Maryland Agriculture, Embryology and much more. There are activities for all ages and each program comes with the use of Curriculum Resources, a kit and at least one lesson taught by a member of the 4-H Team. Information about these programs are available on our website: extension.umd.edu/washington-county under the 4-H Youth Development tab or by calling and requesting documents.

8 Page 8 Save the Date! MARYLAND DAY Saturday, April 26 th, 2014 University of Maryland, College Park Be there! Communication Reminders Newsletter Deadlines- Please send any club information, articles, pictures or club highlights to Amy Simmons at simmons@umd.edu by the following dates for inclusion in the 4-H newsletter. November 15- Winter Issue February 15- Spring Issue May 15- Summer Issue August 15- Fall Issue Facebook page- To become a member, friend Shannon Uzelac on Facebook and she will invite you to join this closed group. You must be a member of the group to post. sharing- if you would like the 4-H Team to send out an containing information to the 4-H Community, please send information to Shannon Uzelac at suzelac@umd.edu by the Wednesday of each week for Shannon to send out by Friday of the same week. Outreach Opportunities The 4-H Program offers a variety of fun, engaging educational activities for youth of all ages. These activities span a variety of areas including engineering, gardening and robotics and more. These are available to be used at your club meeting, with a scouting group, or at an afterschool program. View our Outreach Program flyer at our website at extension.umd.edu/washington-county. Copies are available in our office or can be sent to you by contacting a member of the 4-H Team at

9 Page 9 4-H News & Views Wanted: Teen and Adult Leaders For Summer 2014 Camps The Washington County 4-H Youth Development Program is looking for youth ages 14 and up to serve as teen leaders and adults to serve as adult leaders for the 2014 summer camping program. All leaders will be trained in the different aspects of camping including youth development, program planning, leadership and risk management. Trainings will be scheduled in the spring starting with a Camp Leader Orientation on Sunday, February 2 nd from 1:00-3:00 at the University of Maryland Extension Office. Information regarding proposed camps, dates, expectations and training schedule will be shared, as will first-hand knowledge and experience from past leaders! Please register for this event by contacting Amy Simmons at simmons@umd.edu or If you are interested, but unable to make the orientation, please contact Jamie Kenton at jkenton@umd.edu or We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future. - F.D.R. Come make a difference! Ag Expo and Fair 2014 The planning has begun for the 2014 Ag Expo and Fair. Thank you to all clubs, leaders and Superintendents that provided feedback of the 2013 Ag Expo and Fair. It has helped the 4-H Team develop plans for 2014, but we cannot do it alone. We need your help! You can help by either joining the 4-H Fair Committee which will join forces with the Junior Fair Board in 2014 to help guide and focus the 4-H efforts at the fair. If you are interested in joining this committee, please contact a member of the 4-H team at You can also help by volunteering your time at the fair. In the spring the 4-H Team with the input and collaboration of the 4-H Fair committee and junior fair board will be putting together a list of needs and a schedule to meet those needs. We will be sending information out and hope that you will be able to give at least a little of your time. This would be a great way to support your 4-H er and the 4-H Program while having fun at the fair. Stay tuned for more information! July 19-26, 2014

10 An ESKIMOO! Washington County 4-H Washington County Agricultural Education Center 7303 Sharpsburg Pike Boonsboro, MD Phone: Fax: Sincerely, The 4-H Team Jamie Kenton Shannon Uzelac Amy Simmons Extension Educator Program Assistant Admin. Assistant To Make the Best Better Visit us on the web at: Upcoming Events Dec. 6: RHM Candlelight Tour Dec. 7: RHM Open House Dec. 7: Lambing & Kidding School Dec. 7: Spring Swine Weigh In Dec. 14: Beef Steer, Heifer & 2 yr. Dairy Tag-In Dec. 15: Toys for Tots Drop off Deadline Dec. 23 Jan 1: UME Office Closed Winter Break Jan. 4: Record Book Rally Jan. 11: Record Book Rally Jan : Winter Camp Jan. 19: Maryland 4-H Gala Feb. 2: Teen Leader Orientation Feb. 15: Spring Swine Show March 8: Washington Co. 4-H Fashion Review March 29: Public Speaking Contest April 12: 4-H Recognition night H-H-H-HA Corner What do you call an artic cow? To have your joke published in an upcoming edition of the 4-H Newsletter, please send it to: jkenton@umd.edu, subject line: 4-H Jokes or 4-H Jokes 7303 Sharpsburg Pike Boonsboro, MD Be sure to include your name, age and either your club or city. All entries will be considered and the best entries will be included in an upcoming edition of the 4-H Newsletter. Make us laugh!