District IX 4-H Congress May 16

District IX 4-H Congress will be held at the Manatee County Extension Office on May 16th. District Congress is a fun, educational opportunity for Junior and Intermediate 4-Hers ages 8-13. 4-Hers participate in workshops and activities designed to develop leadership skills and learn about opportunities available in 4-H. At District Congress 2009, will have a Florida 4-H 100th Birthday Party! This year's workshops will reflect on the 100th anniversary of Florida 4-H as we celebrate a, "Century of Youth Success!" Classes offered this year are:

• Leather Crafts


• Orienteering


• Bullying Prevention


• The Power of Wind


• Healthy Cooking


• Community Service


• Sewing


• Hydroponics


• Decorated Wood Crafts

To see a description of the classes and download the registration form, go to: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/4-H/pdf/2009DCInfoReg.pdf

The registration fee is $5.00 and is due with the registration form to the Sarasota County 4-H Office by May 7st. If you have questions, please contact Sean Russell District IX 4-H Council President : (941)-504-3245 or sdscience@verizon.net

4-H Operation Military Kids Summer Camps 2009: Building Life Skills through Outdoor Adventure

Canoeing, Kayaking, Swimming, Archery, Sports, Arts, Crafts, Camp Fires, Dancing and a Military Fun Day with Soldiers, Equipment and Displays!! If you think you might enjoy these activities, then do we have a camp for you!! Join us as Florida 4H, Operation: Military Kids and the Florida National Guard join forces to offer military children of all branches and components a low-cost and exciting summer camp opportunity for 2009. Cost for each 5-day residential camp is $50 for the Active, Guard, and Reserve components and $170 for retiree and non-military youth. The Senior Camp is $220 for retiree and non-military youth.

Operation: Military Kids Summer Camps ‘09 - “Building Life Skills through Outdoor Adventure” will be held on three separate occasions for children 8 to 12 years old beginning at Camp Ocala located on beautiful Lake Sellers in the Ocala National Forest in Altoona, Florida June 22-26, 2009.

The second camping experience will be at Camp Timpoochee located just minutes from the “Emerald Coast” beaches in Destin, Florida July 13-17, 2009.

And finally, we close out the OMK Summer Camps ’09 experience by returning to Camp Ocala July 27-31, 2009.

All cabins at Camp Ocala and Camp Timpoochee are air-conditioned.

Before we close the summer with our younger kids, we are also offering a Senior Camp for teens 13-18 from July 20th through the 24th. This will be held at Camp Cherry Lake located on scenic Cherry Lake just 14 miles north of Madison, Florida. This camp is a place to grow, learn about nature and make new friends. Rustic cabins, an open-air pavilion, a dining hall and an auditorium are all nestled among beautiful live oaks on gently sloping banks. What a great place to enjoy all these exciting activities while networking to forge bonds that can last a lifetime!

These weeks have been set aside to honor military kids and are full of learning, fun activities and much, much more. It’s guaranteed to provide them with an exciting Outdoor Adventure they’ll never forget!

ALL forms and money must be received by MAY 15th

Campers must be 8 years of age by June 1, 2009. Senior Campers must be 13 years of age by September 1, 2008.

Download your camp brochure at the Florida OMK website.

Lots of fun activities and YOU can have it all!! Don’t wait, sign-up today!!

For more information or assistance:
Cliff Lewis, OMK State Coordinator
Phone: 863-519-8677
email: sgmlewis@ufl.edu

4-H Cloverleaf is Now Online Only!

In order to reduce cost and increase sustainability the 4-H Cloverleaf is now online. That means you will no longer receive your copy every other month in your postal box. If you have completed your annual membership or volunteer enrollment and provided us with your email address you will receive it via email. If you are not sure if 4-H has your current email you can email Shelley at ssarabia@pinellascounty.org and provide her with it. We will also continue to post it on the 4-H website and here on the 4-H blog. On the blog you can subscribe to the blog, which will not only deliver your 4-H Cloverleaf to your inbox, but all of the other posts about activities and events that come up. So here is the April 2009 4-H Cloverleaf!
http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/4-H/cloverleaf/April2009.pdf

4-H Centennial Message

Please watch the following video message from Dr. Marilyn Norman, Associate Dean for Florida Extension, 4-H Youth Development, as she shares with you the plans for the 2009 4-H Centennial and the goals for Florida 4-H for the years to come.
http://webdev.ifas.ufl.edu/icsvideo/ComingsGoings/ComingsGoingsFeb09.html

Celebrate 100 Years of 4-H Making Communities Stronger

A century ago in Florida, boys learned about planting corn and girls discovered how to grow tomatoes in 4-H clubs. Today in Pinellas County, thousands of youth and adults grow and work together for positive change through dozens of projects in 4-H Youth Development. And, while growing vegetables still takes place in some 4-H clubs, learning leadership, citizenship and life skills are the true missions of the program facilitated by Pinellas County Extension.

This year marks the 100-year anniversary of 4-H in Florida, and the Pinellas County chapter is hosting a celebration. Volunteers, alumni, youth and their families are welcome to join in the event. The Pinellas County 4-H Foundation Centennial Celebration and Fundraising Dinner is planned for Friday, March 13, at 6:30 p.m. It will be held at Banquet Masters, 8100 Park Blvd. N., in Pinellas Park.

The donation for the celebration is $50 for each adult and $25 for each youth. The celebration includes dinner, guest speakers and dancing entertainment before and after dinner. Reservations are requested by Monday, March 2. Those who cannot attend the celebration but would still like to donate are welcome to send a contribution to the Pinellas County 4-H Foundation, P.O. Box 66595, St. Pete Beach, FL 33736.

All proceeds from the fundraiser support the 4-H Foundation that fosters new and innovative youth programs. When you donate, you support scholarships to camps and other 4-H events. You also fund operating expenses for clubs and programs for schools, after school and families. Through these programs, youth ages 5 through 18 learn by doing, set goals, solve problems, make new friends, give back to the community and build connections with others.

For more information about the Pinellas County 4-H Foundation Centennial Celebration or to purchase tickets, please email erhan.ozey@pc4hfoundation.org or call (727) 641-8344 or view the following link http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/blog_4H/centennial_invitation.pdf

Please pass this information along to friends, family, and colleagues!

2009 Florida 4-H Volunteer Forum

Registration for this year's Florida 4-H Volunteer Forum is now open. The Forum takes place at 4-H Camp Ocala on the weekend of April 24-26 and costs $85 for the full weekend. This forum is open to adult 4-H volunteers and offers a wonderful opportunity to learn about new programs and new ways to deliver old programs. Just as importantly, 4-H volunteers can network with volunteers from other counties, learn from each other, and make friends in the process.
The volunteer forum is sponsored by the Florida 4-H Volunteer Association. In addition to workshops, there will be the election of association officers and a silent auction. The theme for the weekend will be the Florida 4-H Centennial. Participants are asked to bring scrapbooks and pictures from their county's history.
If you are a 4-H volunteer interested in spending an enjoyable weekend learning with great people in a beautiful natural location, you should download the forms at: http://florida4h.org/events/state_volunteer_forum.shtml
and learn more about this weekend.
Registration forms and payment should be returned to your county 4-H office.

2009 Role Models Today Writing Contest

Here is an opportunity to participate in a writing contest from the University of Florida's College of Journalism! The Role Models Foundation would like to invite high school students to participate in their 2009 Role Models Today Writing Contest. The best entries will receive a $100 cash prize and may be published on http://www.rolemodelstoday.org/. To enter the RMT Writing Contest all students have to do is submit an essay on the theme, “One of the most important issues facing the nation in the news today” by March 16, 2009. For contest rules and for more information, please download the flyer at: http://rolemodels.jou.ufl.edu/rolemodels/writerszone/contest09.pdf