Upcoming 4-H Events in August

It is hard to believe that August is nearly here. Last week 40 4-H members from Pinellas attended Camp Ocala and next week 6 teens will attend 4-H Congress in Gainesville. Then we will be ready to end the 2009-2010 4-H year and begin the2010-2011 year. Here is what is coming up:

• August 20 - Achievement Banquet, also known as Awards and Recognition Dinner. At this event, county judged projects and club scrapbooks are on display. Those 4-H members who have completed projects receive their year pins and certificates. Other awards and recognition are presented as well. The veiwing of the projects begins at 6:00 p.m. This dinner is pot luck and takes place in the Magnolia Room.
• August 26 - Ochs Garden Orientation starts at 6:30 in the Magnolia Room. Participants must have pre-registered with Jean Rogalsky at jrogalsk@pinellascounty.org.
• August 28 - 4-H County Congress is the kick-off to the new year. 4-H members can register, view and select project books, elect officers, and learn what they need to know to have a great 4-H year.

Make sure these dates are on your calendar now!

4-H Adult Volunteer Recognition

The previous blog spoke of the fantastic group of 4-H volunteers in Pinellas County. On June 11, several of these volunteers were singled out for special recognition at the 4-H Volunteer Leader Donor Dinner.
The first group of awards are called the Spirit Awards. Following the tradition of 4-H camp, five individuals are recognized based on their ability to exemplify the core 4-H values through Head, Heart, Hands, Health, and Spirit. This year's winners are:

• Head - Donna Benedict is the Leader of the All Things Equine 4-H Club. After taking over the club, she has consistently used her head by thinking out the processes of leading a club and knowing the importance of asking questions.
• Heart - Sue Cherrie is one of the volunteers at the 4-H Ochs Garden Club. She works with all her heart and opens her heart to all the children in the garden club.
• Hands - Chrissy Willett is the Leader of the Average Joe's 4-H Club, but she is known as the most helpful person at any event or meeting. No matter what needs to be done, Chrissy is ready to lend a hand. Or two.
• Health - Mary Urquhart has led the Seminole Riders 4-H Club for thirty-six years, but has also led the 4-H horse program for many years. Mary (Snakey) has set the standard for how a horse club should be run and the result is a very healthy equine program in Pinellas County.
• Spirit - Teryl Plaisance is an Activity Leader for Crazy4Canines. She has shown all the above qualities and is the clue that holds the club together. Teryl was nominated by the club's Leader, Liz Piquet.

The next award is Rookie of the Year. Denise Wright started the Neighs and Nickers 4-H Club last August and has turned it into an active and productive club. The 4-H'ers completed projects and participated in county, area, and state events. In addition, the club participated in community service projects.

This year's Volunteer of the Year is Lisa McBride, Leader of 4-H2O. Lisa's influence reaches beyond her club. She has been instrumental in the organization and execution of the first County Congress which benefited the majority of the 4-H clubs in the county. In addition, Lisa serves as a mentor for new leaders and has served as Camp Nurse at Camp Ocala.

The Leader of the Year is Liz Piquet, Leader of Crazy4Canines. Liz was also involved in the formation of the County Congress. Her club is very active in all county 4-H events from Demonstration Day to 4-H Day at the Capitol. In addition to the usual 4-H events, the club is deeply involved in the 4-H State Dog Project from creating county dog shows to attending Dog Conference. As the leader of a large 4-H club, Liz has the ability to recognize and utilize the talents of her adult volunteers and parents resulting in positive experiences for all.

While the volunteer above were singled out for special recognition, all 4-H volunteers bring their special talents, perspectives, and contributions to the program. The 4-H program could not continue without them.

Honoring 4-H Volunteers

4-H volunteers are a special group of people. Pinellas County is lucky to count over 100 dedicated 4-H volunteers. These volunteers serve as 4-H Leaders, Foundation or Advisory Council members, event judges, and office assistants. Some are new volunteers who have just signed up this year and others have volunteered for many years. We have one 4-H leader who has served for thirty-six years!
This Friday, on June 11 at 6:30, Pinellas County 4-H will honor 4-H volunteers at the annual dinner. Volunteer leaders receive their year pins and everyone attending is recognized for their contributions to the program. Those volunteers who have gone above and beyond may receive recognition through the "Head, Heart, Hands, Health and Spirit Awards". These awards follow the camp tradition of awarding the top campers who exemplify the core 4-H values. In addition, the 4-H Rookie, Volunteer and Leader of the Year are also announced.
Going above and beyond is quite a feat because 4-H volunteers are quite a dedicated group. In a survey done of 4-H Leaders the response to the question:
"What would cause you to stop volunteering for 4-H?", the number one response was "death"!
The second most frequent response was "physical impairment".
Another study found that the motivation of 4-H volunteers is that they believe in the value of the 4-H program and want to be a part of it.
It is no wonder that 4-H volunteers are the reason that the 4-H Program is what it is today and has made such an impact in our communities.

Pinellas Shines at 4-H District IX Events

4-H members can participate at the club, county, district, state, and national levels. Recently there were two district level events – District IX Events and District Congress. Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Polk, Sarasota, and Pinellas all belong to 4-H District IX.

• District IX Events has two basic parts. The first is the competition of the blue ribbon demonstration and talent winners from all six district counties. The second is the District Council meeting and election of District Council Officers.
• On May 8, thirty-two Pinellas County 4-H’ers competed at Riverview High School in Hillsborough County. Of these thirty-two, twenty-five received blue ribbons and 18 received the medal for highest point in the category. Senior Pinellas winners receive a scholarship to attend and compete at 4-H State Congress in Gainesville. Intermediate Pinellas winners receive a scholarship to attend 4-H Camp Ocala.
• Competing at Congress will be: Beverly and Teressa Strautmann, Rebecca Morris, and Evan Julian.
• Receiving camp scholarships are: Lydia Kutz, Abby Vines, Emily Plaisance, Kristen Venable, Kaymie Van Benthuysen, Emily Vines, Jack Polmann, Nicole Sieling, Tanner Dickson, Kyle Walker, and Sarah Head .
• The District IX Council voted in their 2010/2011 officers. From Pinellas County, Emily Vines is the new Parliamentarian and J.D. Willett is the Historian.
• District IX Congress is a day of workshops and fun for 4-H Junior and Intermediates. Members of the Average Joe’s and 4-H2O 4-H clubs from Pinellas attended. Melissa Sharp of the Teen Council taught a workshop on 4-H S.E.T. Participants learned about scientific inquiry, created a wind turbine, learned about hexagons in nature and made a candle of beekeeping foundation. Drama, the aquifer, water conservation, and interactive games filled the schedule of a very engaging day.
• District IX Congress is organized and taught by the District IX Council under the guidance of the District Council Advisor who is usually the 4-H Agent of the District Council President.
  
  These two District level events take place every year. The locations of these events change each year as the responsibilities rotate throughout the district. Check the Pinellas 4-H calendar regularly for upcoming events.
  
  
  

Updates on Area E and 4-H 2O

Most 4-H clubs elect officers. In addition to the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, there is the very important office of Reporter. The role of the Reporter is to write a story to be published in a newsletter or web site. Here are two submission. The first is a story of the Area E experience and the second is a club update for the 4-H 2O 4-H club.



Area E by Kaymie Van Benthuysen

You are in your last class of the day, waiting to see who has won. They announce 6th place, then 5th place, then 4th place, and finally they get to 1st place. The announcer pauses, it seems like minutes are passing by. “In first place” , the announcer pauses again.
“In first place” they say again and pause. And then the announcer says your number!!!!!! All you hear are your friends and family going wild in the crowd. You walk out of the arena with a proud smile on your face, sigh, pat your horse, and say “We’re done”.
But are you really?
After you are done showing your horse, there are post show steps to take. One of the more exciting things you can do is to tally up all of your points, to see if you have made it to the 4-H State Horse Show. This year, a rider needed four points to make it to State. Of the thirty-three riders from Pinellas, twelve qualified for the 4-H State Horse Show. They are Jade Baranich, Amanda Benedict, Casey Comier, Caitlin Denison, Jessica Freed, Charly Miller, Sara Poppleton, Olivia Sipos, Lauren Tribiano, Kaymie Van Benthuysen, Alexandra Vulgamore, and Morgan Wright.
When you get home, it is time to unload all of your tack, extra feed, pitch-forks, buckets, and all of the other equipment you brought along. You may also have to return a few borrowed items.
After all of those steps are done, if you are one of the proud riders that made it to State, it is now time to start practicing for that!!!!
“It is a lot of hard work, but it is all worth it. There is nothing like watching your child succeed!” says Shannon Conner, a mom of one of the qualifying riders.



4-H2O Club Report by Lexa Armstrong

This past month, the 4-H20’s members have been busy with many tasks. Some participated in 4-H Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida. At our most recent meetings, we began to plan our end-of-the-year club party.
Amanda Peacock, Michaela Polmann, Jack Polmann, and Emily Vines all went to 4-H Day at the Capitol on April 22nd. They saw the Governor, participated in tours of the Capitol and toured the Museum of Natural History.
Michaela Polmann reflects upon her trip saying:
“We learned about the new and old Capitol building. I found it fascinating! We did a mock legislature and voted on a bill about whether or not to build a canal. I can’t wait until next year!”
Lexa Armstrong and Michaela Polmann each received checks from the Florida State Fair for their entry into this year’s State Fair. Lexa Armstrong received many ribbons for her photography, art work, and sewing project. Michaela Polmann’s chicken was crowned the champion chicken.
We are all looking forward to our end-of-the-year party. Our treasurer, Michael Vieira, calculated the cost of the party so we could plan accordingly. We are going to the Highland Aquatic Park and have various meals and snacks.
The year has flown by, and we never want it to end… we are making great strides!



Pictures of 4-H Day at the Capitol: http://kingdom.ifas.ufl.edu/tylerljones/UFEVENTS/4HDayattheCapitol042210/Gallery/

Spring and Summer 4-H Events

Just when it seems the spring couldn't get any busier, the registration paperwork for the summer events arrive. Here is a summary of what is going on and links to the forms you will need. Just remember that almost all forms have to be returned to the Pinellas County 4-H Office.

• District 9 Events is May 8 in Hillborough County. All the blue ribbon winners from district-wide County Events will compete. In Pinellas, Junior and Intermediate winners receive a scholarship to 4-H Camp Ocala and Senior winners receive a scholarship to 4-H State Congress.
• District Congress is May 22 and a fun day for Junior and Intermediate 4-H members to explore different project areas. Registrations are due to Hillsborough County May 12, but the event takes place in Polk County.
• Horsemanship School takes place during two weeks in June - one week for English and one for Western. Paperwork should be returned by May17. Here is the link: http://animal.ufl.edu/youth/horse/HorsemanshipSchool.shtml.
• 4-H Legislature in Tallahassee is June 21-25. Registration is closed, but information is available at http://florida4h.org/events/leg.shtml.
• Camp Ocala is July 12-16 for ages 8- 18. The packet is now ready and will be available at District Events. The cost is $195, although scholarships are available. Packets can be requested through jrogalsk@pinellascounty.org.
• 4-H State Congress takes on the University of Florida campus July 26-30. This event is open to Senior 4-H members. Registration is now open; the cost is $220 for the week. Information can be at http://florida4h.org/events/congress.shtml.

4-H events are a great way to spend the summer!

4-H Legislature and Scheduled Trainings

Who: All Pinellas County 4-H’ers ages 14-18

When: June 21-25, 2010

Where: Tallahassee, Florida

Why: A “learn by doing” experience in state government. Delegates participate in the Florida 4-H Legislature and actually experience all three branches of Florida’s government: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Florida 4-H laws are considered and passed or vetoed in a model legislative session at the Florida State Capitol. During this five-day event, 4-H’ers will serve as Florida 4-H senators, representatives, lobbyists, reporters, Lt. Governor or Governor. Lobbyists will also have the opportunity to serve as a page and/or experience being a Supreme Court Justice, lawyer or juror. And it is fun!

Cost: $225.00
(partial scholarships are available from the Pinellas County 4-H Foundation)

Trainings

If you plan on coming to Legislature you must attend the mandatory trainings where we will go over the 4-H Legislature process and familiarize ourselves with the issues and bills being discussed this year. Robert Williams from the Average Joe’s 4-H Club has graciously offered to lead the trainings.

Trainings will be held on the following Tuesdays from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at the Pinellas County Extension in the Gardenia Room.

May 18, 2010
June 1, 2010
June 15, 2010

Please turn in all registration forms by April 23rd at the latest. You can bring it to the extension office or email the form to ayuan@pinellascounty.org. Money is NOT due on April 23rd. If you have any questions please feel free to call or send an email.

Andrew Yuan (727) 582-2103 ayuan@pinellascounty.org
Melissa Sharp (727) 582-2514 msharp@pinellascounty.org