Robeson County 4-H

Who's the Fairest of them All?

2011-09-30T23:45:00.006-04:00

Today marks the opening of the 66th annual Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair. It also marks the unveiling of all the hard work our 4-H members and volunteers have done with the club fair booths. Over the last few years there has been increased competition in this wonderful fundraising opportunity for our clubs. This year there were 13 booths in the 4-H area that answered the question...."4-H is...?". For each of our clubs 4-H is a little something different, which is hard for some people to understand. You see the concept of cows and cooking still are strong images when people see the clover. However I think our clubs did their best to illustrate the different attributes of 4-H.
This year the clubs that set up booths included: Bladen Ambassadors, Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club, Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club, Horsin' Around 4-H Horse Club, Inspirational Youth Leaders, Spiritual Generations, St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club, Super Clovers, United We Stand, Voices in Praise 4-H club, and Young Leaders. Over the past few years the fair booths have gotten very competitive. While it is a good spirited competition we must admit that that the creativity and quality of the booths has really increased as well. "I would say several of these booths are state fair quality booths," said Cathy Graham the Robeson County Extension Director. That is one of the things that made it hard for our judge this year. He spent more time trying to determine a winner in the 4-H booths than the other two areas combined. He narrowed it down to three, then two. Then he judged all the booths and came back to put on the ribbon for the best overall booth. When it was said and done the Dirty Rascals Junior Master gardener 4-H Club took second place for their thriller, spiller filler booth while the Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club took first and best overall for their fired up on safety booth.
St. Paul's and the Lumber River Federation FFA booths also took first and second in the FFA division. Congratulations to all of our booth winners at the fair!

Booths aren't the only place to see 4-H members at the fair. You can see some of their handiwork as part of the crafts, crops and art exhibits. Starting Saturday you will be able to see their hard work at the fair for those who raised animals. 4-H Animal check in starts at 8 am in the livestock building. Our first 4-H show of the season will begin at 2 pm.

Growing Communities

2011-09-28T23:13:00.003-04:00

Robeson County Farmers have the opportunity to make a difference for Robeson County 4-H youth and Volunteers. Once again this year Monsanto is rewarding farmers and supporting agricultural education through their Growing Communities program. Eligible farmers have the chance to win $2,500 dollars that will go to a local nonprofit of their choice. Entrants must be 21 years or older and actively engaged in farming a minimum of 250 acres of corn, soybeans and/or cotton, or 40 acres of open field vegetables, or at least 10 acres of vegetables grown in protected culture. Entrants must reside in eligible counties where a minimum of 30,000 acres of corn and/or soybeans and/or cotton and/or vegetables are planted each year (Robeson County is an eligible county). Farmers who were eligible and/or participated in the program in 2010 may also make an application for 2011 if they meet the eligibility requirements.

To register all a farmer has to do is go to Monsanto's Grow Communities web site and register. If you know an eligible farmer please ask them to register and choose Robeson County 4-H as their benefactor. Farmers have until November 30th to register.

Focusing In on the Fair

2011-09-17T23:44:00.000-04:00

The Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club met to finalize their fair booth plans. As part of their meeting they painted objects that would go in the booth, planned the spacing and what supplies might be needed for the youth to bring to finish off their booth. The plans for this club's booth are also top secret. So top secret as a matter of fact that we could not take photos of the plans for the blog post.

Also as part of this meeting the club members were required to give a speech on shooting sports. Each member did a impromptu speech which ranged on topics from safety to rifle mechanics, and even the benefits of different shooting positions. After receiving feedback from their club leaders Larry Russ and Peggy Monk the group finished up the details of their fair booth props and then adjourned.

The next club meeting will be held on October 28th at the Robeson County Fair Grounds starting at 4:30 to set up their fair booth.

Thrilling, Filling, and Spilling into the Fair

2011-09-13T23:28:00.000-04:00

The Dirty Rascal Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club met this evening and went over their top secret fair booth plans. Now no one privileged to the plans is allowed to say too much but I can say they talked about thrilling planters, information that will fill your life, and plants that will spill over to make a statement. We were also told that fiber optics and woodworking projects will be included. Club leaders Ms. Messy Missy and Mrs. Tanya also worked with the youth on their special containers for planting.

After all the plans and container review there was time to be crafty. Mrs. Tanya had special 4-H crafts that she handed out to everyone. Each person got a chance to make a 4-H Christmas Ornament and a beaded 4-H key chain. The craft art kits are from oriental trading and were a lot of fun to make. Our older youth help the younger ones with any of the details that involved fine motor skills.

The club's next meeting will take place at the Robeson County Fairgrounds as they get ready to do their booth. That meeting will take place September 28th starting at 4:30 pm.

Special Election Called

2011-09-12T23:44:00.005-04:00

As you may remember in August we held elections for County Council Officers and Volunteer Leader Officers. However a motion was made to table the meeting for County Council Officer elections to a later date. Today is that later date and boy, did our youth get the job done.

Christian McRae, was President-Elect and help run the elections for this year. Korina Pittman and T'Asia Shelby had already submitted their nomination forms for Secretary and Reporter so we needed to come up with a Parliamentarian and President-Elect for the coming year since Christian will become President. Nominations were opened from the floor and Dillon McCartney was nominated for Parliamentarian and Shabreya Vample and Justin Moore were nominated to run for President-Elect.

The ballots went out to each club with members present and Christian with a guiding volunteer hand counted the votes. When it was all over with Christian McRae will be the incoming President, Shabreya Vample will be President-Elect, Korina Pittman will be Secretary-Treasurer, T'Asia Shelby will be reporter and Dillon McCartney will be the new Parliamentarian. Our new officers will be inducted as part of the 4-H Youth Achievement event on December 2nd.

They will have orientation held on October 24 at the 4-H office at 6:30 pm.

It's a Wonder Our Teens had Fun

2011-08-25T13:17:00.002-04:00

Volunteer service. That is one of the things we try to stress as part of our 4-H program. It is important for our youth to give back to their community and realize they are serving as a role model for younger youth who will one day follow in their footsteps. This summer we had four teen volunteers that we recognized; Chris Bullard, Megan Hurst, Korina Pittman and Santiago Acuna-Robinson. All four youth spent days and weeks of their summer working with other youth and volunteering (granted in a couple of cases they might have been voluntold) for various projects. Of course, they do not expect payment or reward for their efforts so that makes it especially nice when we can offer them something to say thank you for their help.
The teen volunteer retreat location was a secret. It was top secret as the teens tried to bribe their 4-H Agent with Diet Coke, hugs, undying grattitude and other spendiferous things to learn the final destination. However they would not learn the secret destination until we walked through the front doors of the most wonderful place we have gone yet.

We loaded our van up and pulled out just before ten. After a leasurly drive to Mrytle Beach we hunted for a destination lunch spot. Joe's crabshack seemed like the perfect location to scan the tourist attractions and check out all sorts of fun places. Little did our teen volunteers know that our table overlooked our destination spot and they worked to figure out where we were going. Things such as ice skating, zip lines, and sky diving were all mentioned. After a few photos and an filling lunch (but not too filling becuase as we told them, they were going to be active after lunch) we loaded back up and headed towards the main attraction.
Aggie and Shea Ann pulled a few more bluffs on the teens before heading into one of Mrtyle Beach's newest attractions, Wonder Works. Wonder works is a hands on science fun palace, or as they term it an amusement park for the mind. It includes activities such as an indoor ropes coourse, laser tag, and an adreline package. What our youth didn't know was this was not only a retreat for them to learn and have fun but we were using them to determine if this would be a good spot for our Bio-tech day camp. At the end of the day I can tell you they gave it a resounding two thumbs up and asked if they could come back.
Some of the things we experienced were super natural. We started in a hurricane wind tunnel where our youth donned safety glasses before experiencing hurricane force winds and had to hang on or they would have been tossed against a wall. From there they experienced the 360 bicycles. These extreme machines would rotate them up and over if they peddled hard enough. Santiago and Korina's efforts got them around not just one time but two. There were examples of levers and pullies attached to seats. As you sat in them you were expected to pull yourself up. It sounds and looks easier than it is, especially if you don't have the right set up on the pullies. There were grip machines, virtual air hockey, video walls, jumping meters, pitching machines, and so much more. All of that was just on the first floor.

Our youth were so excited about laser tag that they skiped over the next floor and went straight to the top level. There they played laser tag and braved the indoor ropes course that ran along the rather high ceiling in a rather large room. They were attached to steal beams and could chose which way to go and what obstacles to face. Unfortunatley that is all the time we had as we had to drive home to meet waiting parents. Needless to say our teens were exhausted but had a wonderful time, learned something and knew that their volunteer efforts were appreciated. We hope that they will continue to volunteer with 4-H and give back to their community in the future.

Careers Slide In

2011-08-12T22:55:00.012-04:00

This is one of the days that has mixed blessings. Our cloverbuds are completing their week of Summer Fun and we will miss them but at the same time we are excited that they have learned so much and are a little better prepared to start back to school.

Today started with our typical coloring but then after learning about the schedule changes we settled in to work with Mrs. Tameka and Professor Popcorn. We reviewed the different food groups and what foods belong in which group. After playing a game with hula hoops it was time to jump into the kitchen and make our morning snack. Today they were particularly yummy as we made our own fruit kabobs. We could use kiwi, pineapple, grapes, and strawberries to create our edible works of art. After a few photos it was time to dig in and start enjoying all the naturally sweet goodness. We have really enjoyed the treats we learned to make with both Mrs. Tameka and Mrs. Janice.

After that it was time for a little science project. Miss Shea Ann wanted to show us what a temperature reaction can do. For an example we took all the broken crayons and peeled the paper off them them and placed them in muffin tins. Miss Shea Ann put them in the oven and they melted down. When they cooled we had each created our own crayon that we could take home with us. In some cases the colors blended and in others the colors didn't so when we use them the colors will be truly unique.

Chris and Megan, our wonderful teen leaders lead an Arts and Crafts activity for us. We each got to make finger puppets. Some of us made dogs, pigs, elephants, lions and more. It was a lot of fun gluing all the pieces together and learning how to follow instructions.

When we got done doing that (and washing our hands) there was a big surprise waiting for us. Mr. Larry, who is a Sergeant with the Robeson County Sheriff's office, and a 4-H Volunteer brought his patrol car for us to see. We climbed through it, played with the radios and buttons, tried on his hat and his bullet proof vest (it was really heavy). We found out that if you are in the back seat and close the door that you can't open it from inside. We asked him all sorts of questions about his job and what he does and we even asked him to join us for our special pizza lunch. Guess what? He did! Before he left he gave Miss Shea Ann official Sheriff office pencils that change colors when they get hot for each of us to take home. It was really neat and fun.

After our special lunch and a little play time for being so good Miss Shea Ann had a really special surprise. We got to see a slide show of all of us during the week. After the slide show she had one more surprise, we got to make our own ice cream sundaes (with a little help from Mrs. Penny). It was so good and we could pick anything we wanted to go on top. Then we went back in to the carpet and took group photos and asked to watch the slide show again. It was really neat to see ourselves on the big screen.

We had a blast during Cloverbud Day camp, we are just sad to see it end.

Growing in Science through Plant People

2011-08-11T09:54:00.008-04:00

Day four of Cloverbud Day Camp was all about growing healthy. We started the day in the usual way coloring up a storm. Then we reviewed our schedule, who would be visiting, and what we would be doing before we voted on the games we would play. Then we got down to serious fun as we played Mother May I and the alarm game.

After our morning snack, which is always yummy and gives us a chance to chit chat, we got down to serious business with Mrs. Janice and Miss Shea Ann. With Mrs. Janice we got to use a sticky wall and put up all the things we learned about while cooking with her. We also got to make some more really yummy cookies that we will take home with us.

Miss Shea Ann had another science experiment for us that we will get to take home and try. We made our very own plant person. All plants needs sun, water, and food which they get from soil to grow. We recycled knee high pantyhose and placed grass seed in the toe and then added just enough soil to make a small, medium, or gigantic head. With the help of small hair bands we made noses, ears or other features. We added google eyes and with a sharpie we got a mouth and other features like eyelashes, eyebrows or even freckles. When we get home the tail will float in a jar of water and the head will be balanced on top where it can get light and within a week we should see 4-H green hair growing. It was all sorts of fun giving our plant people personality and we are looking forward to cutting their hair or styling it as it gets longer.

After we all had a chance to work with Mrs. Janice and Miss Shea Ann it was time for lunch with Mrs. Penny. One of the 4-H volunteers brought us a special treat for lunch, watermelon. We enjoyed digging our teeth into the juicy melon which is fun to eat and good for us.

After lunch Mrs. Jane joined us we we got to play with foam art. We made nameplates, and door hangers that we decorated ourselves. Chris and Megan helped us pick out the letters for our names so that we could put our names on them. It was really lots of fun playing with the squishy art stuff and lots of glue.

After we got done working with Mrs. Jane it was time to spend time with Mrs. Tameka and Professor popcorn. We got to do a little movement exercise today and then it was time to make our afternoon snack. Today we made the most beautiful yogurt parfaits. They had vanilla yogurt, strawberries, and granola crunchies. They were really pretty and simple enough that we can go home and make them for dessert with our families.

We have had fun all week and Miss Shea Ann said there is a big surprise in store for us tomorrow. We can't wait to see what it is.

Cooking up a Healthy Storm

2011-08-10T09:53:00.009-04:00

We are very very busy in Cloverbud Day Camp. Day three had us cooking up all sorts of treats and scientific concoctions. To better understand our day you need to realize we have a complex schedule that starts at 8: 30 am and continues until 3 pm. It is almost like being in school but a whole lot more fun.

We began our day with our favorite thing...coloring. Each morning we make a color art piece to take home with us. Then we sit down on the carpet and go over our schedule for the day. Then it is game time. It gives us a chance to work on team work, sportsmanship and play one of our favorite games, the alarm game. We can't share the rules with you but we can tell you it is a whole bunch of fun.

After our morning exercising, we work up an appetite for our morning snack. After enjoying that it was time to kick back with Mrs. Janice and Miss. Shea Ann. Mrs. Janice had really cool worksheets for to do to review our measurements, we also got to smell our pyramid cookies cooking. Miss Shea Ann had a similar theme because we got to use cookie cutters for this exercise. She showed us how to make our own paper pulp out of used paper and water in a blender. then we took the mush and made shapes out of it with the cookie cutters. Then we added seeds to make them grow cards. What happens is when the cards dry we can give them as gifts to people and let them plant them. The paper will act as a biodegradable mulch and help the seeds germinate and grow. It is really fun to do.

After all of the cookie fun we had lunch with Mrs. Penny. After lunch Mrs. Tanya came and we had story time with her. She read us great stories then we did dot art with her and it was colorful fun. After we worked with Mrs. Tanya it was time for Mrs. Tamekia and Professor Popcorn. After reviewing different types of food in different types of food groups it was time to start cooking. We made our own individual pizzas with really neat ingredients. We put our own sauce and cheese on them and then a variety of veggie toppings. They put them in the oven and we had a neat treat to eat before we went home today.

We had all sorts of fun today and can't wait to see what is in store for us on Thursday! No doubt it will be more Cloverbud fun!

Getting Crafty About Planning

2011-08-09T23:59:00.006-04:00

Just because we have summer programs going on doesn't mean club work has stopped. Oh contraire my friend. Tonight the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club met to start planning their fair booth. Now we are not allowed to give away details about fair booths but I can honestly say it was thrilling, and will probably spill over to fill an everyday 4-H role.

In other business, the club also officially welcomed co-leader Tanya Underwood to the club. She brought all the youth a special gift of gigantic 4-H stickers to celebrate their hard work brainstorming fair booth ideas. She also had a homework assignment for each of them to go along with the fair booth theme.

Many of the club members met the youngest honorary member of the club Sammie. Sammie was born to 4-H volunteers Missy and Jeff Wright in June and she really seemed to enjoy her first official club meeting. Mrs. Tanya also seemed to enjoy rocking her as everyone had verbal social interaction. Without further business, club President, Dillon McCartney adjourned the meeting.

The next club meeting date is September 13, at 5:30 pm at the 4-H office.

Blowing Up and Slimming Down

2011-08-09T23:22:00.006-04:00

Our second day of cloverbud day camp was, to say the least exciting. We found out how to blow things up and slim ourselves down in a tasty and fun ways. Of course our morning started with one of our favorite morning activities, coloring. Then we played games, working on our reflexes and team working abilities until it was time for morning snack. After a little munchie we headed back to work and split up into two teams, one stayed in the kitchen with Mrs. Janice and the rest of us went in to work with Miss Shea Ann.

Working with Mrs. Janice we learned about measuring. Did you know there are different measuring cups for dry ingredients and liquid ingredients? We learned where a quarter of a cup is and how to add things so we can cook at home and help our parents. We also measured all the ingredients for a special cookie that we will get to eat later.

Miss Shea Ann did a little science experiment with us. We learned about chemical reactions and what can happen. She took a balloon filled with baking soda just like we use to make cookies. Then she had some vinegar in a soda bottle. What was cool was that when she put the balloon on top of the soda bottle and dumped the baking soda into it a chemical reaction happened which created a gas, specifically carbon dioxide which blew the balloon up without anyone taking a breath. It was really cool. After we did a science experiment we learned about an ancient art and craft, origami. Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding. We all got the chance to make our own cat, dog and cup that we took home with us. It was a lot of fun.

After we all got a chance to work with Mrs. Janice and Miss. Shea Ann it was time to head to the bathroom and wash our hands to get ready for lunch. Mrs. Penny is an awesome cook and everyday we have great lunches that we all seem to like.

After lunch we got a chance to have story time and rest while our bellies were full. After story time we had our afternoon time with Mrs. Tameka and Professor Popcorn. We learned about our food groups and got to try popcorn with all sorts of seasonings, whatever we wanted to try. It was really good and we found out popcorn is a whole grain snack that is good for us. It was lots of fun and we can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Getting Colorfully Adjusted

2011-08-08T23:21:00.008-04:00

This is one of our very favorite weeks of Summer Fun, Cloverbud Day Camp! Cloverbud Day Camp is for youth between the ages of 5 and 8 years old. The camp starts at 8:30 am and runs until 3 each afternoon. Our Day Campers are getting into the swing of school on this schedule and getting the chance to make new friends and do a lot of hands on learning while they are with us.
Monday's are a little unusual as we are setting our schedule for the week, meeting each other, setting the rules and learning where everything is. Don't worry by Friday they will be old pros at this.
We started our day with coloring sheets to give everyone a chance to wake up and be creative. Then we hit the carpet to make our rules. Things like have fun, be respectful, and keep your hands and feet to yourself made the list. The day campers also made the consequences for breaking the rules.
After getting all of the ground rules out of the way it was time to meet Tamika McLean, Expanded Foods and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Program Assistant. She introduced our youth to Professor Popcorn who likes to teach youth about foods, nutrition, and exercise. Today they also did the Glo-germ experiment. The youth put a special lotion on their hands and under a black light the germs on their hands would glow. Then they would go into the bathroom and practice proper hand washing that Mrs. Tamika taught them. After wards it was time to go to the kitchen to make a special treat.

After we got done preparing our treats we headed back into the auditorium and made very special 4-H bracelets with Miss Shea Ann. Our bracelets taught us all about 4-H, the pledge, logo and motto. We also learned the the colors for 4-H are green and white. After that it was time for lunch. Mrs. Penny made us a wonderful lunch and we had a good time eating and making new friends. After lunch we worked with Mrs. Janice and learned how to use a measuring cup and spoons. Miss Shea Ann did science experiments with us and we learned how to make different colors. We learned about colors that can't be made by adding two colors together, those are primary colors. The we actually made colors with primary colors. For example we mixed red and blue and made a pretty purple. We mixed blue and yellow to make 4-H green, and then when we mixed yellow and red it made orange. It was a lot of fun making the water turn colors then we practiced the same thing with crayons on a special worksheet Miss Shea Ann made.

At the end of the day we ate our snack and gathered all of our things together. Tomorrow will be a new day with new adventures, and we can't wait to come back.

Taking a Shot in the Dark

2011-08-06T23:14:00.003-04:00

The following is a report submitted by the Dirty Dozen 4-H Club concerning their meeting today.
"Our meeting started out overcast and a little warm and ended up overcast and HOT. The first part of the meeting was spent discussing our upcoming fair display. Dillon and Christopher, the 2 members that showed up, came up with some really good ideas. Allen was unable to attend the meeting but sent his parents in his place. Mrs. Peggy took notes and kept us inline as to our seal and project record books. (Which we need to follow up on).
Mr. George and Mr. Jake weren't left out of the action. When the shooting started they were right in there keeping up with the kids. They even helped put bullet holes in cans hanging from twine that will be used for an upcoming project that the rest of you will learn about at our next meeting.
I think they all did very well shooting the cans, (Mr. Jake even shot the string holding 1 of the cans), and paper targets considering they did it from the standing position at distances from 15 yards to 25 yards. (25 yards was Mr. George's idea).
Our next club meeting will be held Saturday, Sept. 3rd., at the 4-H office.

See you there,
--Mr. Larry"

Wrapping it all Together

2011-08-05T23:18:00.008-04:00

The last day of Biotech the Threequeal day camp was a little nontraditional. We did something that other people do for us and that was to give a presentation. Each County chose a different day to highlight, made a poster and got up to talk about what they learned. The rules were simple everyone had to help with the presentation and everyone had to speak.
On Monday one group talked about food science. They talked about how bread is made and that root bear and bread both use yeast in different ways. They were able to talk about chemical reactions and temperature reactions. They also said the peach jam was really good. Overall the comments were that the foods rocked and so does 4-H which keeps a smile on their face.
The group that talked about our trip to Pope Air Field just didn't quite know where to start. There were so many things to talk about. The technology of airplanes and equipment. The survival gear (they seemed to especially love the parachutes) and tower trainer made big impressions also. The entire military life and lifestyle as well as codes and ethics also impressed our youth.
Wednesday at the life sciences museum our youth must have had a blast. Their poster showed everything from butterflies and insects to animals and games. They even represented the musical steel instruments on the playground and lessons in magnetism that they took part in at the museum.
The presentation about the trip to ECU was very logical and straight forward. Our youth were able to recall not only the purpose of the Da Vinci robot but the history and the future implications of the robot. The day campers recalled the benefits to operating with the robot versus a human (humans hands are not as steady, incision in the patient is smaller and ribs don't have to be spread, recovery time is shorter, etc.). They even recanted details of the heart surgery they watched.
After the presentations we had a catered lunch and then went bowling to practice centrifugal force at its finest. Looking in from the outside it might look like we had a lot of fun field trips this week. In part we did. However our youth demonstrated that they learned something. Our evaluation shows that 100% of our youth were able to determine a career that they might want to explore, or one they know they don't want to explore thanks to this day camp. They were introduced to ideas, professions, technologies, sciences, and people who can help them in the future. Who knows, maybe one of these youth will create the next medical robot that won't require an incision for surgery. Maybe one of them will be flying a cargo plane full of relief supplies to a foreign county, or maybe they will be the next great science teacher making science, technology, engineering and mathematics fun for new generations. Imagine what they could be and hopefully they are encouraged to purse the possibilities now.

Medical Robotics

2011-08-04T23:18:00.006-04:00

Did you ever want to be a doctor when you grew up? Well our day campers in Biotech III the threequeal found out not only what it takes to be a doctor, but a glimpse of medicine in the future. Day four found us travelling to Greenville, North Carolina to East Carolina University. There we visited the medical school and medical center to see something, that it is probably safe to say none of us had seen before.
Our youth went to a classroom and about ten at a time had the chance to go place their hands on a state of the art two million dollar piece of equipment. The Da Vinci robot allows doctors to do heart surgery through a small slit, repairing segments of the heart. The overall experience means less time for the patient in the hospital, reduced chance of infection, and since the rib cage does not have to be cracked it means an easier recovery time for the patients with less medication. Our youth had the chance to practice "surgery" by using the robot on a model where they moved rubber bands within a realistic representation of a human chest. Some had difficulty maneuvering the robotic hands to pick up rubber bands and move them to different sections of the heart. Others not only were able to move but grab and place objects with one or both of the robotic arms. You might think this would be easy with all the practice our youth have on video games but this was very different. The Da Vinci works with the person at a remote station using two fingers (thumb and index) to control the motion and the pinching at the other end to grab objects. The controls are quite sensitive and our youth are used to making bigger gestures to get the job done on video games then are required for this medical technology. One youth after finishing his turn on the controls said he had never thought of medicine as something he could do, but that this was a path he might like to pursue.
While our youth were taking turns with the Da Vinci, the rest were watching a video of an actual heart surgery. they got to see how the Da Vinci works, that there is a camera that reflects what is in the chest cavity on a screen so the surgeon can see what he or she is doing with the robot serving as their arms, hands, and fingers. There were lots of questions and our youth were very inquisitive concerning the procedure and how things were done (including why it look like they were using a fishing hook to sew things together). Our host was most congenial as he explained the role of the robot and the Doctors and nurses. We talked about technology in medicine, how that could change the face of surgery and how we treat diseases in the future.
After a wonderful lunch we piled into our vehicles and headed to Wilson, North Carolina where we visited the Imagination Station. There are youth had a hands on science adventure with everything from state history, to reptiles, and even dental health. They had the opportunity to find out how fast they are compared to animals, make their body disappear, pump fluids just like our heart pumps blood and much more. It was bitter sweet as we loaded up and headed home but tomorrow we will get to do something they really love, talk. Then it will be a hands on lesson in centrifugal force, and chances are it will bowl them over.

Building a Knowledge of Life Sciences

2011-08-03T23:17:00.009-04:00

Day number three of Bio-tech the threequeal found us travelling to Durham, NC. There we visited the North Carolina Museum of Life and Sciences. This hands on museum is fun for everyone involved. On the way to our big adventure we stopped at the small farm that has pigs, cows, sheep, and more. We visited with the animals and learned their likes and dislikes. Then we ran around the corner to the butterfly pavilion. There we saw unique plants and insects. Of course there were butterflies everywhere. Red, orange, blue and yellow winged creatures as well as plants for them to hide in, feed off of, and just educate our young. Outside of the butterflies we had the chance to see creatures such as hissing cockroaches, tarantulas and ants. The hands on exhibits allowed for x-ray views, microscopic learning, and lots of noise.

Since we had a few minutes before lunch we headed to the experiential playground to work up our appetites. There we climbed in, up, and around a train caboose. Played hanging steel drums, climbed forts, and just had a good time running and playing like we never had before.

After a hike to the picnic pavilion (which I must admit, the campers were right, it did look like an inverse version of the death star in Star Wars) we enjoyed a lunch of hamburgers or chicken tenders. Bladen county caught up to us at this point and due to the extreme heat of the day we decided it would be best to stay indoors and enjoy the air conditioned part of the museum.

After we trekked back we let everyone explore. There was a room with living reptiles and night creatures. An entire space center, hands on experiments, lessons in momentum, and even the crash test dummies showing what happens when you don't wear a seat belt. We had an afternoon of science, technology, communication and plain old fashioned fun. It didn't seem to take long to get to that time where we had to pack up and head home. We recounted all the fun of the day and talked about tomorrow. All I can say is I hope everyone feels well for tomorrow's trip.

Military Technology

2011-08-02T23:16:00.011-04:00

Tuesday was a world wind of activity as we took off for Cumberland County with a brief touchdown at the Extension office. We went from there to what was known as Pope Air Force Base which is now part of Fort Bragg and known as Pope Air Field. The Air Force and planes are still there it is just not a separate base any more. As we got through security check points we stopped at the air park and met with Lisa Moore who is with Public Affairs and Major Deanna Franks who is an airman with the 440th Airlift Wing. We learned about all the different planes at the air park their purpose, many of which is to transport equipment and supplies. Did you know that they can drop a piece of heavy machinery, like a bulldozer, from mid air and it will land safely (with the help of technology and a parachute) so it can be used by soldiers on the ground? We learned about the different technology and sciences that are involved in the planes that the Air Force uses and we learned how much Major Franks enjoys her job as well. When she was done showing us around our youth had a chance to climb under the planes, play with the wheels, read about the history behind each of these aviation marvels.

From the air park we travelled to the 440th OG-Aircrew Flight Equipment center and met with Staff Sergent Mandy Smith and Airmen First Class Marco Pascua. They were kind enough to show us all the survival equipment airmen use. As a matter of fact they demonstrated most of it and wore it for us. Did you know that their survival gear alone adds more than 50 pounds to someone flying? Can you imagine hours in a cockpit wearing an extra 50 pounds? That does not even include a helmet or a helmet with night vision goggles that are so heavy they have to add a weight to the back of the helmet so the pilot can keep their head up. While we learned what all the equipment that the carry is for we got the chance to see some really top notch technology that could help save their lives. We also got the opportunity to try on the survival vest, parachute, helmet and test out the night vision goggles. Talk about flying high!

After trying on all that equipment we had worked up an appetite. So we headed to a playground overlooking a set of runways where we enjoyed a picnic lunch from Subway and watched planes take off an land. It was just a hop skip and a jump from our location to our next exciting stop. We walked through the doors of a building that houses the 342nd Combat School. There we met Master Sergeant Marcus Millard. He gave us a tour through time showing us different uniforms and technology as it was changed through the years. We saw doors from vehicles with bullet holes and radio equipment that has definitely gotten smaller over the years. The highlight of the trip was out back of the building. There we a gigantic tower where the soldiers train. The brave ones, under the strict supervision of the Master Sergeant climbed to the top of the tower and had quite a view. Just in case you are wondering they did not repel down, they climbed down the way they went up. After making it down from the tower we checked out the swimming pool obstacle course and the weight room where they train and strengthen.
After saying goodbye and thank you to Master Sergeant Millard we hit the road again for one last stop. This stop was off post at the Airborne Special Operations Museum. There our youth got the chance to see a move on aerospace, ride a simulator which made them feel like they were riding a variety of military vehicle, and see interactive displays about various military operations. Our day campers saw how technology has progressed and how everyone has a part in that design and development. They also got a chance to see how important technology is to our everyday lives and comfort at home and in the field.
After an exhausting day we headed back to our respective counties. We processed all of the days events and fun and then thought about what is ahead for tomorrow. Without giving it away all I can say is it science doesn't just fly...sometimes science comes in the form of 4 legs.

Moving Up and Waiting

2011-08-01T23:19:00.006-04:00

The last 4-H County Council and Volunteer Leaders Association meeting of the year is traditionally a time for elections. However the heat and fun of the summer may have gotten in the way of competition between our youth for County Council positions. When it came time to vote, President-Elect Christian McRae was forced to make a motion to table the elections until a time when more youth who who meet the criteria for the positions were physically there. The motion was seconded and the elections will be held at the next meeting.
The volunteer leaders did have enough members present to go ahead and elect officers. Kenneth Bethea who has been the President will now be Past President and advisor for the group. Jane Hurst will move up to President from President-elect. President-elect is Veronica Powell. Secretary-treasurer will be Lillian McNeil and Libby Burney will carry on in her role as reporter. Vanessa Moore will take on the role of Parliamentarian.
We want to thank those who step forward in these leadership roles to help guide our 4-H program. A special election for the county council officer positions will be held September 14th at 6 pm. The elections will take place at the 4-H office. Nominations will taken from the floor for President-Elect and Sergeant at Arms.

The Science of Food

2011-08-01T23:16:00.008-04:00

Did you know cooking involves science? If you think about it, it really does. We apply heat and cold to make things solidify or liquefy. We add different ingredients to create chemical reactions to make something different. What we make, if not done right, can generate bacteria or mold. Yeast is a live organism that we manipulate and kill for a variety of foods. All of that is just scratching the surface of food science, but we scratched it hard during our first day of Biotech Day Camp.
This is the third year for Biotech Day camp and it was bigger and better than ever. In the past three counties participated, but this year we brought our total number of campers up to 40 with the addition of a new county. Bladen, Cumberland, Hoke and Robeson County 4-H programs met in Robeson County on the first day and took over the Robeson County Cooperative Extension office. The group worked with teen volunteers to complete icebreakers while the adults (volunteers and staff) set up to teach some pretty incredible stuff. The youth were broken into four groups and rotated so they got a chance to do each of the activities during the day.
Sandra Cain, the Family and Consumer Science Agent in Bladen County and Peggy Monk, a 4-H Volunteer, took over the kitchen to teach our youth about canning. The youth worked together to make fresh peach jam and got to take home a jar that they made themselves. Although you might think this is easy and not exactly scientific, you might be wrong. If the temperature is not right things can go very wrong. Bacterias can be generated, yeast can form, and not only could you ruin your jam but you could create something that could make you sick if ingested. Instead our youth learned the right way to make the jam, make sure their jars were sterile, and that they were preserved correctly for future enjoyment.
Janice Fields, the Family and Consumer Science Agent in Robeson County worked with the youth to make whole grain bread. Our youth learned about the properties and importance of yeast, and that it is a live organism that causes the bread to rise and it dies during the heated baking process. They learned how to make whole grain flour and the importance of whole grains in our diet. Probably the most fun was actually kneading and making bread during the day and getting to try the fruits of their efforts.
Angela Shaver, the 4-H Extension Agent from Cumberland County worked with the youth on making ice cream in a bag. Although this sounds like snack time it was much more than that. Working in pairs each group made different kinds of ice cream. Some made it with whole milk, others skim milk, there was half and half as well as whipping cream. Soy milk and goats milk were also used in the process. The youth started by forming hypothesise on which ice cream would be the best and then had to follow a recipe, and measure their ingredients into a bag. That bag was then placed into another bag with ice and they had to shake it up until it was the consistency of ice cream. The science behind this experiment was tasty. First our youth learned the need for proper measurements or things would not turn out very well. They learned about the effects of salt on ice, melting and freezing points. Next it was taste test time and everyone had a taste of each ice cream and learned how the different milks interacted with the ingredients to create different tasting ice cream. Whipping cream by far came out the favorite as youth learned the fat content effects the taste and the more fat in ice cream the smoother and creamer it tastes.
The other activity involved proprieties of all the activities and was lead by our own Robeson County 4-H Agent, Shea Ann DeJarnette. The youth worked together in teams to make their own root beer and then bottled it and took home a liter bottle for themselves. To successfully complete this project there were several steps. They had to successfully measure the ingredients into a one gallon jug. Start a chemical reaction between the yeast and the sugar to create carbonation. Then they had to determine the right time to stop carbonation by refrigerating the bottle. If they stopped carbonation too early their root beer would be flat. If they stopped it too late it would taste bitter and have an alcohol smell to it.
After completing all the activities for the day it was time to head back to the respective counties and prepare for the next day which would allow them to be strong and proud. That is the only clue you get as to tomorrow science adventure.

One Last Adventure on the Way Home

2011-07-29T23:49:00.011-04:00

Our last day at camp is always bittersweet. As one camper said to me this morning, "I have mixed feelings. I miss my family and will be glad to see them but I have so many friends here and I have so much fun, I don't want to go. I wish there was a way to have it all." Knowing we can't have it all our campers got up this morning, packed up, cleaned the cabins and headed to breakfast. After bacon egg and cheese English muffins and hash browns everyone headed to the Rec Hall for a fashion show, awards, and the slide show. The fashion show is a compilation of items that are in the lost and found. If it is yours you hope you claim it before Damien puts it on to model it.
Then it was time for each group; Head, Heart, Hands, Health, Earth, Sun, Adventurers, and Trekkers, to take the stage. Each set of counselors gave an award to each camper and L.I.T that fit their specific personality or skills. Awards included the "Mouth of the South", "Yes, I'll Try It", "Super Team Canoeer" and let's not forget, "Super Camper". After the awards it was time for the slide show. It gave us a chance to reflect on all the fun we had during the week and a chance to see ourselves with our friends. Then it was time to dismiss by counties, say thank you to those who took care of us, and load up on the buses to head home.
Usually when Damien dramatically rolls us out of camp we have a quiet ride home. However this year there was one more adventure before we could get there. One of our buses threw a fan belt and had to pull over in Greensboro. After assessing the situation and finding a really big parking lot our drivers and 4-H Agent determined that we should wait for the mechanic to show up. While we took order for lunch, the mechanic showed up in record time and took just a few seconds to replace the fan belt to get us back on the road. Then we went and got our campers drinks and chicken nuggets and fries before pulling out around 2 p.m. After a brief stop in Rockingham to drop off our Richmond County campers we made it home around 4:45 pm. Perhaps a few hours later than we planned but safe and sound which was our goal for the day.
We need to say thank you to many people for our camp adventures. First and foremost to the United Way, who thanks to their financial support of Robeson County 4-H allows us to offer this experience that would cost more than $400 for much less. I also want to thank Indian Education for partnering with us to send more than 20 campers to camp this year, and our other anonymous supporters who graciously donated almost $1,000 in camp scholarships. We must also thank the camp staff for taking excellent care of our youth and to the bus company for their professionalism and goal of getting us to and from safely. Most importantly we want to thank our parents and volunteers for allowing your children to experience this life changing event and help them develop life skills.
With all the stories parents are hearing they have probably heard what I have, "I can't wait to go back again next year!" If your child wants to go back next year please feel free to call us so we can send you that information as soon as we know. Our date is usually assigned in October so you can start planning ahead and maybe even make it a Christmas present. Just a thought as we lay our heads down and rest from all the fun of Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center in 2011.

Camping to its fullest!

2011-07-28T23:57:00.010-04:00

Our last full day of camp started with new adventures. We awoke to our usual schedule of chores, breakfast and flag raising before hitting the trail. Some of us hit the rock wall while older campers headed up to the ropes course. Of course there was archery, swimming, and horses built into the schedule because that seems to be every one's favorite. Of course we went canoeing and even got to pick our most favorite of activities to do during the day.
By camp store the Trekkers had returned. Our $15 in the camp store went to food, stuffed animals, water bottles, and other sundries. We spent it all on the last day and cleaned some shelves for them.
Of course the real talk of the day was the evening activity. Girls and boys were talking about who should ask who, and who did ask who, and who said yes, and who said no to invitations to the dance. It was all the talk at camp. Of course our personal D. J. Damien cranked the dance tunes for those in the Rec. Hall.
If dancing wasn't your thing, that's alright too. There were games outside to play as well as sidewalk chalk so you could express your creative side. The L.I.T's were also outside slicing and dicing ice to make snow cones for all the campers. At times the lines were so long for this cold treat the counselors came out to motivate the L.I.T.'s to work faster, harder, and more efficiently, although that was not always the impact.
After the dance and games it was time for our final campfire. Complete with traditional campfire songs and skits everyone had a good time around the fire. When that was over we had a special surprise a fireworks show. Some of our campers had never seen fireworks and were surprised by how loud they were. Others just ohhh and ahhed at the pretty colors and how high in the sky they got.
After campfire it was time to head back to the cabins, grab showers, and start collecting our stuff to pack up. This has been a whirlwind five days, but it has helped us become more confidant in ourselves and our capabilities.
Friday is another big day as we have an awards ceremony in the morning and a slide show right after. Then it will be time to load up the buses to head home. Miss Shea Ann said she will tweet after we leave camp (when she gets a cell signal again) to let all the parents know we are headed home.

Applause, Please!

2011-07-27T23:59:00.009-04:00

For those of you at home who are keeping track Wednesday marks day four away from home. It also means we need to hurry up and do all the activities we need to do before it is time to go home on Friday. So you will understand why our day is so jammed packed with fun. Let's start with our two oldest groups the Adventurers and Trekkers. The Adventurers had spent Tuesday night at the outpost sleeping in tents. They cooked meals over a campfire and had the opportunity to learn how to use gps technology during the day as well as doing crafts. This group came back in time for the talent show because they had participants in the show. Our Trekkers left after breakfast to do some canoeing and then make their way to Pilot Mountain tomorrow where they will do some climbing.
Back at camp our younger campers were doing more traditional things. For example there was some creek stomping going on as campers learned about bugs and fossils today. They also got to play all sorts of games like kickball. Some of the slightly older campers took to the canoes, horses, archery field and made ice cream. While we also understand that there was some hiking to the beaver dam going on and serious crafting.
The real highlight of the day besides the presentation of the golden faucet and silver toilet seat award (which happen to be the first and second place awards for the cleanest cabins) was the evening's talent show. I guess you could say camp counselors hosted and D.J. ed the event. We had more than a dozen camper acts and some other entertainment provided by, or at the counselors expense. Our youth sang, danced, tumbled, played instruments, told jokes and had a wonderful time in general. The highlight of the night was the unknown act by the Leaders In Training (L.I.T.). By unknown I mean they knew they were getting up on stage but had no idea what they had to do. As they were pulled up there the evil plan was made clear to them. They had to perform pieces of seven different popular dances such as the chicken dance, the wobble, and the cha-cha slide. Needless to say the entertainment value of this act went up drastically as they tried to figure out what to do. By the end of the night everyone was up and dancing around, and they were significantly worn out, ensuring a restful sleep tonight.
We have one more full day of activities which we plan to enjoy to the fullest. Please stay tuned.

High Flyin' or Slip Slidin? You Decide.

2011-07-26T23:59:00.016-04:00

By Tuesday we had the schedule figured out, the camp figured out, the system in place and everyone relaxed and just started having a really good time. After waking up, doing chores (yes each cabin assigns chores and our campers do them bright and early in the morning), and eating breakfast the fun seriously began.
For our younger youth the traditional activities like archery, swimming, canoeing, and crafts took place before lunch. Not mention a really wicked game of kickball. For our older youth there were horses and for the adventurers there was team courses and ground inititives (also known as the high ropes) as they prepared for their camp out. Of course the Trekkers were in the lake practicing canoe skills which they will need on their trip coming up later in the week.

After a lunch of meatball subs, salad, and mozzarella cheese sticks we headed back out. Our younger youth checked out the horses and finished their rotation on the other traditional activities while the Trekkers hit the high ropes. For those of you who may be wondering the high ropes course is a series of high wire exercises that allow youth to problem solve, build self esteem and challenge themselves. For example, on this pole climb a youth climbs the pole to the very top and has to figure out how to balance on a pole that is shaking, but also how to pull themselves up without holding onto anything. Once standing up straight they have to communicate their wishes to their beley team on the ground. For example Christian decides to jump out to the swing and has to let the team on the ground know that so they can hold proper tension on the rope. He decides to grab the swing and let go and it is up to them to catch him using the rope on his harness. Although many of us can not even imagine doing this, our older campers are challenging themselves this week and trying all the rope challenges. They aren't the only ones.

One of every one's favorite challenges is the zip line. Our youth must climb a tree to a platform, maneuver the platform to get hooked to the zip line then fly down the line. Although this challenges has admitly made teenage boys scream like little girls, it is one of the favorite challenges of all our youth. I guess I should add it is also a favorite activity of adults. Our very own Libby Burney donned a harness and helmet, climbed a ladder and tree, then had a mid-air conversation with her knee before making it to the platform. Then she flew down the line, remembered to say, "Whee!" at the end, before announcing to the world that she had great fun.

Other groups were hiking to the beaver dam and the adventurers packed up to head out to the outpost. The Adventurers enjoyed a hobo campfire dinner, played games and slept in tents.
Back at the camp our youth who had water sports last night enjoyed s'mores at the camp fire, sang campfire songs and had a night of traditional camp fun. While the other youth (those in the Sun and Earth groups) had their chance at water sports. In the lake the campers received a challenge to, as a team, sink a canoe without getting in it. They had to submerge the canoe for at least ten seconds. Needless to say that was not a hard task for our campers. However when it came time to empty the water out of the canoe and they could not put it on the bank of the lake the challenge became a little more interesting. Finally after much to do, and figuring out how to communicate they got the canoe on the dock and turned it over to empty it, proving that they can work as a team and natural leadership abilities took charge during this fun challenge.
After the lake our youth headed up the hill to the pool. There you could find beach balls flying, youth sliding in and out of the water, and could see everyone was having a splashing good time. After an hour in the pool it was time for a snack and juice break and then back to the cabins for a shower and bed. Needless to say we had some very tired campers who should sleep well during the night.
Stay tuned for more adventures on Wednesday as our Adventurers share their fun in the woods and our Trekkers head off site for their camp out and challenges.

Camp Keeps Us Rollin'

2011-07-25T23:59:00.008-04:00

Who knew that so much fun and excitement could be packed into one day? We started very early at 7:30 am with our first breakfast. There are actually so many campers that we take shifts when we eat. After the first breakfast everyone comes together for flag raising at 8:15 and then second breakfast is at 8:20 am. When you are not eating you are in the cabins cleaning, hoping that your cabin will be so clean that the cabin inspectors will grace you with the golden faucet award or the silver toilet seat (for second runner up). After cabin clean up it is time to hit the trail as we start our activities.

Morning activities were based on age and group. For example the Head group worked on crafts for the first hour of the day while Heart and Hands went to the pool. Some were canoeing, horseback riding, or learning how to shoot arrows with a bow also known as archery. During the day they switched activities so everyone will get a chance to do everything. Lunch time was welcome as our hungry campers chowed down on salad and pizza in the air conditioning.

By about 2:00 a storms system, that sounded worse than it was moved through the area. That allowed us to move up camp store and let campers buy drinks and snacks. After enjoying that they hung out in the rec hall, talking dancing and having a good time while the storm passed by us with a few sprinkles and a much needed temperature drop.
After dinner there was a brief rest period before heading out for the evening activity, water sports. The groups were split in half and while part of them went to the pool the rest went to the lake. Halfway through the evening the groups switched so those in the pool could enjoy the lake and vice versa. The Earth and Sun Groups which are made up of older youth prepared for a camp out, sitting around a campfire but due to the earlier storm it was decided that they would sleep inside their cabins tonight.
After an evening snack it was time to head back to our home away from home our lovely A frame cabins. Showers were taken, cards played and talking occurred on all levels. Then it was time to hit the hay, as my grandfather would say. Sheer exhaustion kicked in as heads hit pillows to dream about what a fun day.

Our First Night Home Away From Home

2011-07-24T23:46:00.010-04:00

It is that time of year again. The time when youth get excited to leave mom and dad, and let's face it mom and dad get a little camp sick. That's right today is the first day of our 4-H week long overnight camping adventure at Betsy Jeff Penn (BJP) 4-H Educational Center in Reidsville, NC.

The day started early for our families and volunteers. 8:30 am we opened the doors for registration and the they came flooding in. We got everyone registered, paperwork finished, medicines collected and then sat down for camp talk. While parents waited they viewed a PowerPoint presentation that we made to introduce families to the camp experience. Then we introduced the staff that helped check them in and the wonderful volunteers and Leaders in Training (L.I.T.s) that were going with us. After a few brief questions and letting all our youth know there were no T.V.s or video games for the next week (which did cause some commotion), we boarded the buses and headed west.

Our first stop was the Richmond County Cooperative Extension office to pick up a few more campers. Next stop was lunch in Asheboro at Golden Corral. Everyone had a chance to eat what they wanted and we even got several compliments on how well behaved they were. After filling our stomachs we climbed aboard the buses and headed the last hour to camp.

When we arrived we unloaded our things. We checked in with the summer camp staff and got our cabin assignments. The girls are in cabins 1-4 based on age. The boys are in cabins 5-8, also determined by age. The younger youth are in the Head, Heart, Hands and Health groups and as they get older move into the Sun and Earth groups with our oldest campers moving into the Adventurer and Trekker groups. This will be important during the week as we talk about what each group is doing.

After playing some team working games with our new found cabin mates it was time for dinner. Fortunately a storm was moving through which dropped a little rain but dropped the temperature even more drastically. However it did ruin our cookout, so the staff turned it into a cook in. Campers could have hot dogs with all the trimmings, baked beans, potato chips, watermelon and some very fine cookies (their choice of chocolate chip or sugar). Instead of eating outside on the ball field we ate in the recreation hall. No one seemed to mind as they were all still with their new found friends.

After dinner it was time for introductions. The camp staff introduced themselves and gave us insight into their personalities by telling us what animal would be their spiritual guide and why and an interesting fact about themselves. This also included our L.I.T.s, Chris, Cory, and Santiago. After that it was time for a little heritage dance, sort of like a square dance which our youth had a ball doing. Of course the first night of camp has to conclude with a campfire.

We did have a special celebration tonight. James Hunt who is in the Earth group celebrated a birthday today. As is tradition at BJP we had a special treat for him to share with his cabin mates and counselors. A small cup of ice cream can go a long way on a hot night and our youth seemed to enjoy this cool break. After all that fun, excitement, and shear exhaustion all of the campers made it back to their cabins, showered and laid their heads on their pillows ready to dream about what was coming tomorrow.

Presenting Robeson County in the Best Light

2011-07-19T23:59:00.009-04:00

Tuesday morning of 4-H Congress started very early for those in Raleigh and at home. Thanks to Joyce Peay, organizational leader of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club and Penny McCartney our 4-H Secretary we were able to get a load of people to Raleigh for competition on the state level. Making the 6 am trip were; Jamal Bennett, Michicko Hill, Jaylyn McNair, Jeshaiah Moore, Camry Ocean, and Tyron Powell. Not to mention the cheering section that came with them. Congress delegates who were competing that day included; Shawndora McNair and Shabreya Vample.

We all met at Athens Drive High School for the big event. Everyone fanned out and piled into rooms to cheer on our Robeson County competitors. Jaylyn McNair, his father and Aunt were at McKimmon Center with the other outdoor cooking competitors. Jaylyn was competing in beef cookery, making his famous burgers. Back at the High School Shawndora McNair was the first one to compete in Health and Fitness with her presentation on Asthma. Then it was up to our Public Speakers Camry Ocean and Michko Hill were back to back in tough competition. Then Shabreya Vample competed in careers and entrepreneurship before we took a break for lunch. Up after lunch were Jamal Bennett in dairy foods, Tyron Alford in Health and Fitness and Jeshaiah Moore in careers and entrepreneurship. The rest of the 4-H Congress Delegation split up to cheer everyone on and make sure no one went up against the stiff competition alone. When the smoke settled from the toughest of competition Jamal Bennett won bronze, Jeshaiah Moore won gold, and Jaylyn McNair medaled with gold as well.

After all the excitement of the morning and early afternoon it was time to head back to the dorms to socialize, nap and get ready for the evening events. When we met again we headed to dinner at Applebee's where we stuffed ourselves and hoped that the overabundance of food would not keep us from staying awake for the evening festivities.

Back at the Power of YOUth Assembly at the McKimmon Center Penni Conner, 4-H Alumni, spoke about the accomplishments of our 4-H youth. We highlighted our Hungry to Help Campaign and Sarah Osborne, the 4-H State Secretary/Treasurer delivered her touching farewell speech. the candidates that we would vote on were then introduced and speeches as well as skits ensued.

After all of that we headed into another room at the McKimmon Center to check out the officer candidate booths. We had two candidates from the South Central District. Luke Hill, from Bladen County was running for Vice President. Allen Monk, from Bladen County and our very own Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club ran for Secretary Treasurer. Then we had a literal ball, at the Blue Jean Ball. The Blue Jean Ball was a fundraiser for local food banks. Each person who wanted to wear jeans paid a dollar for the privilege. The dollar went in a jar for your district. The money would then be donated to a food bank in the district. More than $400 was raised statewide for local food banks.

After leaving the ball it was time for the county huddle. We met in Marilyn Merritt's room and cast our 19 electoral votes for state officers. There was much heated debate about who to vote for and who should get what number of votes. After signing off on the ballots everyone turned in to get ready for our hands to service project in the morning.

Our First Day is Like a New Revolution

2011-07-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

Our first day at State 4-H Congress started with lights, music and incredible accolades. We left Robeson County early in the morning to head to Raleigh. After going through a rather painless check in process for our delegation of 10 we headed to cook out for lunch. Then the fun began as we came back to Bragaw Residence Hall on the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Campus to find our rooms and unload the van and trailer. After getting it all unloaded (trust me that took us awhile) we headed to park the trailer for the week and then back to McKimmon for the start of Congress.

In the meantime Penny McCartney left Robeson County with Frankie Farbotko, the coach of our first ever 4-H Poultry Judging Team, and the members of the team. The team is made up of the winners from the 4-H Poultry Judging Competition at the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair in 2010. Team members included Katy Patterson, Dustin Nance, Rosie Diaz, and Jackie Cuneo. Two are from Lumberton High School and two from St. Paul's High School. The team traveled up for the 1:30 pm competition. Around 4:45 pm we found out that our first ever senior team placed third in the state!

While they were finishing up competition at NCSU's Poultry Unit the delegation made up of Nakeriah Baxley, Christopher Bullard, Alexus Jones, Shawndora McNair, Aljaqan Nixon, Korina Pittman, Keirra Richardson, Ashley and Kristen Sealey, and Shabreya Vample were at the McKimmon Center learning all about the New Revolution of Responsibility and learning the ground rules for the week. In the meantime adult volunteer Marilyn Merriett finished up judging Application, Resume, Interview (ARIE) and joined 4-H Agent Shea Ann DeJarnette in the adult meeting. There they received a message from Marshall Stewart, rules about the week and learned that Congress would have a different look to it this year. After the big meetings we broke out into district meetings and then disbanded to head to the dorms. While everyone worked at unpacking, County Council President Aljaquan Nixon changed and went back to the McKimmon Center to be our county flag bearer for the evening events.

After dinner in the NCSU dinning hall, with fresh milk and ice cream from the NCSU dairy unit we all headed back to the McKimmon Center for official opening assembly. LeAnthony Boone, the State 4-H Council President presided over the evening's events which began with the parade of Counties. That is where Aljaqan came in with our official Robeson County 4-H Flag. After the pledges and singing the National Anthem Dr. Joe Zublena, Assistant Vie Chancellor for Extension, Engagement, and Economic Development and Associate Dean & Director, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, NCSU, brought greetings and gave us a brief message suggesting that we do not let our challenges define us, but let our challenges be defined by us. Then 4-H Alumi Carol Ann Tucker brought us a message of how 4-H is helping mold us and how it changed her life for the better. LeAnthony Boone then brought forward his challenge of leadership success and challenged all of our 4-H members to strive to be the best.

Then it was time for the biggest part of the night, the North Carolina 4-H Honor Club Tapping Ceremony. Members of the honor club circulate through the audience and find those who are being inducted into the club that night. It is a candlelight ceremony steeped in tradition. The inductees do not know they are being inducted and it is a tremendous honor to be a part of this group. Inductees are chosen based on an application that includes grades, 4-H work, outside activities, and character references. This year our very own Yazmine Washington was tapped to be inducted into the 4-H Honor Club. Her sister Kewanda Merriett who is a Robeson County 4-H Alumni and Honor Club member drove to Raleigh for the ceremony and to specifically tap her. Yazmine was not only surprised, but honored by the festivities of the night. Yazmine was whisked away, along with family members to a reception for the inductees.

After all of the fun of the opening ceremony our group loaded back up on the van and headed back to the dorm. It is an early curfew of 11:00 tonight since we have to leave just before 8 am to get to Athens Drive High School for presentations in the morning. What a day we have had and we still have some in front of us. Follow us on Twitter to get all the breaking news as it happens.

4-H Where We Have Been, Where We Are Going

2011-07-15T15:01:00.007-04:00

As many of you know we just finished celebrating our 4-H Centennial. With 100 years behind us it is important to reflect were we have been so we know where we are going. Many people think 4-H is about cows and cooking and sure enough when we began it was all about agriculture, boys corn clubs and girls canning clubs. To learn more about how 4-H began and where are roots started click here to watch a brief video about the history of 4-H.

As I mentioned 4-H began in North Carolina more than 100 years ago. We have a strong 4-H past and present to learn more about the power of 4-H in North Carolina click here to watch a brief video about 4-H in North Carolina.

With all this talk about centennial celebrations you might be wondering when Robeson County celebrates their centennial. As it so happens Robeson County had one of the first organized 4-H programs in the state of North Carolina. Just three years after the program started, Robeson County started an organized youth program in 1913. In other words, in two more years, we will have a centennial to celebrate our strong roots. Start planning now for the big event.

Keeping Cool with Summer Fun

2011-07-14T03:30:00.006-04:00

Extension has partnered with the Robesonian to publish a news article each week. This week I had the opportunity to write about something timely. What could be more timely than our Summer Camp opportunities and what they mean to youth? Below is the article that was printed in Wednesday's Robesonian. You may click here to go to the online version of the story or read below.
" Have you ever felt like you are stepping into an oven when you walk outside? With days that reach into the triple digits, I find myself reflecting on my youth when I thought things were cooler. However, after a recent discussion with friends, I have found things probably weren’t cooler; I was having so much fun outside I really didn’t feel the heat. That leads me to think about how I spent my summers as a child.
My main activity that I looked forward to from year to year was summer camp. Now many of you who know me may not believe this, but my parents sent me to overnight camp with the nuns, for a month at a time. It was the most fun I could imagine. There I learned about arts and crafts (something we never did at home), became an archery instructor, learned to swim, and actually became a life guard. As a matter of fact, as I reflect on my time at camp, I can’t help smiling thinking of the fun I had as a camper and the hard work I put in to work my way up to Head Counselor for three years. At camp, I learned skills such as swimming, building a campfire, and cooking outside, but that was the small part. The big lesson was gaining self-esteem and confidence, learning to make decisions, and taking on responsibility. It was the place that taught me work can be fun and can be fulfilling and everyday is an education.
You can imagine my pleasure when I found out as part of my position with 4-H that I have the opportunity to introduce almost 80 youth a year to the fun of overnight summer camp. We don’t go for a month, just a week to Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center in Reidsville, N.C. There in the foothills it is a little cooler and the planned water activities in the pool and lake help keep things cool as well. Our youth have the opportunity to do traditional camp activities such as horseback riding, canoeing, swimming, and archery. They also have the opportunity to do some newer things such as rock wall climbing, ropes courses, and GIS navigation. There is so much fun packed into each day our youth are exhausted when their heads hit the bunk and they sleep well in their cabins before getting up early the next morning to do it all again. The funniest part of all is on Sunday before they leave and find out there are no cell phones, video games, or T.V.; you would think the world ended. On Friday, when we return they are crying and wondering how they will live without their new friends and their new fun activities and not a single one of them complains about the heat.
If you would like to help your child make cool memories and forget the heat this summer, there is still time. We leave July 24and will return July 29for our week long overnight 4-H camp. The cost for the week, which includes transportation, all meals, a store card, T-shirt, and accommodations, is just $300. We still have a few slots left. If overnight camp is not quite your thing, we also offer several week long day camp programs.
For more information about our camps, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, Extension 4-H agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276 or by E-mail at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu. You can find a copy of our Summer Fun Programs online at http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu. If you just want to enjoy the fun of summer camp, you can enjoy it with us through our blog at www.robeson4-H.blogspot.com."

Up to Bat for Team 4-H

2011-07-13T07:54:00.005-04:00

The following message was sent by National 4-H and we wanted to share it with you. Please be advised to play you must be 18 years old or over. "Want the chance to win tickets to the 2011 Major League Baseball World Series and help 4-H win $25,000? You have a chance to do both just by visiting the State Farm Go To Bat website!

For the second year in a row, State Farm has selected National 4-H Council as one of the organizations to be a part of their Go To Bat program with Major League Baseball (MLB). The promotion started July 11th and will continue through the rest of the regular MLB season (September 28). Follow the instructions on the Go To Bat site which include playing a virtual home run derby and for every home run you hit, it counts as a point (entry) for you and 4-H. The charity (team) with the best collective batting average wins a weekly prize of $18,000 for the charity. Additionally, if your team wins, you are entered into a weekly drawing to win a trip for two to the 2011 MLB World Series. The charity with the highest cumulative score at the conclusion of the 10-week program will receive a grand prize of $25,000.

To sign up and play for 4-H:

Go to the State Farm Go To Bat website
Choose the” Health and Human Services” category and pick "National 4-H Council" as your charity
Play the Go To Bat online game and earn points by hitting home runs
Return to the site to play up to 3 times each day

We know this program works, Council's own Aggie Stephenson was one of last year's lucky winners! Aggie received a trip to the World Series and National 4-H Council received $20,600 because she was playing for our team. Once you have signed up to play, be sure to check out the video on the “About the Program” tab that features Aggie going to bat for 4-H!"

Three Forks. One Mouth and No Cell Phone?????

2011-07-12T23:19:00.006-04:00

Sitting down in any formal setting can be nerve wracking and when you are trying to make a good impression but not sure what utensil to eat with what do you do? Pick up your cell phone and call a friend for help? Send a text message or a quick plea for advice to Facebook friends? Having a quick shot of self confidence can help you land that perfect job, or college placement. That is exactly what Christy Strickland, Family Consumer Science (FCS) Extension Agent and Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent with the Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service tried to do for almost 40 youth and adults taking part in the Upward Bound Program (UBP) at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) tonight.
Youth learned the basics of handshakes and introductions, on-line and cell phone manners, the art of the conversation, and how to set a table. With each lesson came time for hands on practice and critique. The most important lesson to learn from the night was that etiquette is not about drinking hot tea and keeping a pinkie finger in the air while you do it. Etiquette is about following a certain standard to make sure everyone feels comfortable and has a good time. After the hands on practice we got a chance to put our new found talents to work. Veronica Powell, the Upward Bound Coordinator (and 4-H volunteer) had a spread of snack and dessert foods ready for the youth to put on plates as well as beverages. In turn they had to figure out how to balance the plates, cups, eat and be able to shake hands and carry on a conversation without sitting down. It is something you don't think about until you end up trying to balance it all. Before we left one of the students presented the workshop leaders with UBP t-shirts that they will proudly wear (especially since they are 4-H green). We are looking forward to working with Upward Bound students again in the future.

Robeson County 4-H Jumps High at State 4-H Horse Show

2011-07-11T09:12:00.011-04:00

Robeson County made the trip to the big horse show this year for the first time in more than a decade. Boy oh boy did our members make a show! The State 4-H Horse Show takes place in Raleigh at the Horse complex. On Wednesday Megan Butler, of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club, took the trip and competed in several events. This is the first state show for Megan and for the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club. She had more than 23 competitors in her division. Megan competed in Junior Barrel Race, Junior Texas Barrels, Flag Race, Pole Bending, Stake Race. All of these are speed competitions. In the flag competition Megan placed 10th which is a wonderful accomplishment.
On Sunday Chasity McClay, who is also a member of the St. Paul's 4-H pony club competed in Dressage on Sunday morning. In Chasity's first time in the ring at the state show she competed in USDF Intro A and B. Both categories are part of dressage. Dressage is a competitive path and destination training category that is seen in amateur competitions and now in the Olympics. Chasity placed first in Intro A and sixth in Intro B. Incredible accomplishments in a division that had almost 25 competitors.
Although Megan and Chasity were the only Robeson County 4-H members competing on Horse back at the show they were not our only competitive entries. We had eight entries in the State 4-H Horse Expressive Arts Contest. First time cloverbuds, Alicia Monroe and Paiton Twigg, both of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club, competed in the Photo contest in the cloverbud division. The cloverbud division is for 5- 8 year olds and is not a competitive division. Each contest receives score sheets with comments to help them improve and very nice medals for their work. Alicia's photo was of a horse rearing back with an interesting light perspective. Paiton shot a photo of Horses cantering in a pen. They look like they are having a little fun and she captured a moment forever that is not normally seen.
Competition was stiff in the junior division. Robeson County had five competitors in the photo contest. For Dakota Strickland of the Horsin' Around 4-H Club and Christian Tice of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club this was their first time in real competition having turned nine this year. Megan Butler is a return competitor to the photo competition and was one of our two competing on horseback this year. Megan is a member of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony club and submitted a photo this year that plays with light and invokes a mood of a young horse walking in a field. Brianna Cryer, of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club, submitted a wonderful photo this year. Her photo tells a story of a young foal feeding. It is a rare moment that we often only see in photos. Chasity McClay of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony club also submitted a photo for this year's contest. Her photo of a horse rolling in the dirt captures a moment in time. In her photo the horse almost looks like he is taking a nap. Dakota had several photos to choose from and chose one that has four horses grazing on hay under a shelter. The horses are on a farm and seem very happy to have that hay to munch on. Christian turned in a close up that looks like a fantastic portrait of a horse's head for the photo contest.
In the Senior division we had one 4-H member who submitted two entries. Megan Hurst with the Horsin' Around 4-H Horse Club submitted entries in both the photo and painting categories. Megan's photo entry was one of a horse looking fashionable, with a hat on it's head. Her water color of a horses head allowed her to place 7th in that competition bringing home a purple ribbon.
Congratulations to all of our participants and especially to Megan and Chasity, their parents and Libby Burney for all of their hard work getting ready for this competition and traveling back and forth to Raleigh for the State 4-H Horse Show.

Hitting the Target

2011-07-09T14:25:00.001-04:00

The following report was submitted by the Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club concerning their July monthly meeting.

"Our recent club meeting was hot and humid yet very productive. In between trips to the tent for shade and a cold drink of water Dillon and Jedidiah got plenty of range time to practice breath control, sight alignment and sight picture. The hard work started
to pay off as Dillon's shot group began to tighten up and Jedidiah posted his first ever bulls eye.

Mark August 6th on your calendar as the date for our next meeting. This meeting is mandatory for all club members as we will be discussing our booth for the upcoming fair, working on project records and planning our community service project.

See you at the range."

Report Submitted by Larry Russ, Organizational Leader for the Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club.

We Have Some Drama Amongst Us!

2011-07-07T16:11:00.003-04:00

Did you see the Robesonian yesterday? One of our 4-H members was prominently shown in an article about a local play getting ready to happen at our library branches around the county. Megan Hurst who is a member of the Horsin' Around 4-H Club and Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club has a staring role in the production. Please feel free to click this link to read all about it. Her club leaders say they expect it will be a fantastic fantasy production that will be enjoyed by youth of all ages. If you would like to see the play check with your local library branch for show times next week. In the meantime let's wish Megan and all her co-stars luck by saying, "break a leg!"

Crocidile Tears!

2011-07-01T22:10:00.009-04:00

You would think on the last day of 4-H animal science day camp we were asking our youth to shed crocodile tears. Nothing could be further from the truth, however they were shedding crocodile sweat as they got up close and personal with these reptiles at Alligator Adventures in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The trip to our southern neighbor let us learn the difference between crocs and alligators, visit the largest croc in the US, and see rare snakes, birds and other wildlife. The star of the show, or the tour I should say, may have been the albino alligators. Once our day campers figured out that they were real they were amazed by their coloring and size. Of course it did not take long to see something swimming with the gators in their pool. The park is home to not only cute turtles, but Galapagos Tortoises and other larger shelled creatures. Being a wildlife park we also got to see lemurs, possums and a tiger. Our youth also travelled into the bat cave to see these winged creatures fly and hang upside down. It took a minute for them to realize that the bats could not get to them, as they swooped around in their cave. Probably the two most talked about things were the live feeding of the reptiles (did you know that alligators can jump?) and the educational show that took place right before we left. Everyone had a chance to touch an Alligator and thought it was really neat.

After a quick trip down the street for lunch at Golden Corral we headed back towards the border with a brief stop at the ever famous South of the Border to see Reptile Lagoon. The attraction, which opened in April in the old indoor golf building offers visitors a chance to see crocs and alligators of different nationalities up close and personal. Our youth also got to see more snakes and turtles and tortoises as they moved around in their man made habitats.

With a full day of travelling and educational fun behind us we headed back to the 4-H office to fill out post-tests (did you know a cow only has one stomach?...it has four chambers in it but only one stomach) and evaluations. Our youth hugged traded digits and made plans to talk again soon as we rounded out a week of animal science fun.

Ah the Life of a Buffalo?

2011-06-30T22:27:00.007-04:00

We admit day 4 of 4-H Animal Science Day Camp was a little less than traditional, but it was tasty and a bit of fun. We started the day at Double C A Farms in Saddletree. The owner, Ronnie Hammonds showed our youth how animals can be big business. We started by visiting his poultry houses. We saw how they work and learned about how many chickens they can hold. Then we moved across the road to the field to walk with the buffalo. No this is not a Kevin Costner movie, we actually walked in a field with buffalo and dodged any surprises they might leave behind. We not only learned about respecting such large animals, but how they live and their nutritional value. With a brief acronym we learned that red meat has Zinc, Iron and Protein (ZIP) which is good for our bodies. From there we headed straight to the barn where we indulged in fresh watermelon from the field and traced back how our food ends up in the grocery store. In an effort to be green we recycled our watermelon rinds by feeding them to a very nice horse that let all our youth climb up on its back and take photos. The horse, after having quite the feast and fun with all of us...then promptly went back to his pen where he rolled and rolled scratching his back and entertaining our youth.
From Mr. Hammonds farm in Saddletree we headed up to Lumber Bridge to visit 7 Branch Farms. While there we visited with Buddy Blackmon who is a national roping champion. He told us of his different competitions and even demonstrated his roping abilities. We met his famous horse and learned about the different opportunities and events this farm offers our community. One of the things that caught our youth's attention was a brand new youth summer camp opportunity where youth work with horses, go on trail rides, and in general have a horsey good time.

From Lumber Bridge it was a quick trip to Fayetteville for lunch and then down 401 to Raeford to visit Five Points Pet Resort. There we received a tour of a facility that offers a happy vacation stay for our small animal pets. Not just cats and dogs, they also take care of birds, gerbils, ferrets and in one case even geese. They taught us how taking care of an animal is 80% clean up and 20% care and play. We got to see the cat condos, grooming area, dog suites and even the Pawsendtial Suite. We learned things that are good for our animals and things that we probably should not do. We also learned about another business opportunity where you can care for animals but don't have to be a vet. It was a fun time with some of our furry friends.

Tomorrow is our last day and it might get a little scaly, as we visit with some of our friends who prefer hot weather and dry conditions. Read more tomorrow if you are wondering if any big tears will be shed (yes, another bad pun clue).

Lions, Tigers and Cows?

2011-06-29T22:53:00.000-04:00

It was a rip roaring day for the campers who took part in the 4-H Animal Science Day Camp. Day three was filled with lots of information and sweet surprises. We started the day with a trip to a little known but wonderful place in Chatham County. Carolina Tiger Rescue (CTR), formally known as Carnivore Preservation Trust, is a rescue center for various wild animals that have been raised in domestic captivity. They also house animals that no longer have a home in zoos due to funding. Here the animals have room to roam, are kept from danger, and taken care of with feedings designed for their personal health needs.
On our tour we learned about each animal, their story of where they came from and how they got here, and even though they are cute it is not a good idea to get close. Some of the animals were allowed to have treats as we visited such as a chicken leg, piece of banana or in one case a jar of baby food. Each treat was given to the animal by specially trained volunteers who work with CTR.
Tigers and lions are just two types of animals that live here. Our youth also got to meet a bob cat whose previous owner declawed him. Three caracals also made an appearance on our tour. Three cervals especially Elvis made a big impression on our youth. An ocelot and two binturongs also made appearances for us despite the heat of the day. Of course hanging out with the Kinkajou was probably the most fun. He is adorable and devious all at once and smart as he showed off swinging from his tail for our day campers.
Some of our day campers brought items or funds to donate to CTR to help take care of these special guests. They are always in need of simple things such as paper towels, old phone books, plastic storage containers and more. If you would like to know more about helping the animals at CTR just click this link to view the organization's wish list.
After lunch at the S&T Soda Shoppe in downtown Pittsboro (an ice cream of course), we headed to Siler City. There with the help of North Carolina Cooperative Extension Chatham County Center, County Extension Director Sam Groce we toured Carolina Stockyards. There were learned how the stockyards work and how cattle sales take place. We also learned that cattle are not the only things sold at the stockyard. Goats, rams and other livestock also go up for auction at this facility which is considered the largest one in the state with more than 200,000 head of cattle going up for sale each year.

Today we learned about large animals, and businesses that animal lovers can be involved in. Tomorrow we will continue the fun by visiting some local business with different animals and a new way for our youth to rope the animal business world if they want to in the future.

A Little Horsin' Around Might Have Smelled a Little Fishy Today

2011-06-28T21:53:00.008-04:00

Yeehaw we had fun today!!!! Our Second Day of 4-H Animal Science Day Camp started with a meeting with a real life cowboy. More on that later. Actually we loaded up in our trusty vehicles and headed back to Raleigh. There we met with the wonderful folks at N. C. State University's Equine Unit. It is a place where research is done, horses are taken care of and new things to help horses and humans is learned day to day.
Our tour was lead by the manager of the unit and students. Our youth learned about some of the activities that go on at the Equine unit and what students learn and do there. We got the opportunity to meet vet med students as they examined a pregnant horse and then they got to meet a mare and her Phillie up close. As they learned about approaching horses, and where to and not to stand they couldn't help but be excited about petting the horses. The students answered all of their questions and were wonderful about holding on the horses as the day campers feel in love with these majestic creatures. After talking about various professions that involve horses our youth were lucky enough to meet an NCSU Mounted Police officer as he haltered his horse, Cowboy, and took him to the horse barn to meet the farrier. The youth also talked with the farrier and learned about the challenges of fun of shoeing horses.
After a wonderful, but hot tour we headed to the State Farmer's Market. There we enjoyed the most wonderful lunch. While our youth enjoyed the food our adults were tickled pink to accept the many compliments on how well behaved our youth were. We also enjoyed the best service ever as they made the entire experience wonderful for our youth and adults. We definitely suggest checking out the State Farmer's Market Restaurant if you are in Raleigh.

After lunch we headed to check out something fishy. We headed down the road to NCSU's Aquaculture center. There we learned about brine, fresh water, salt water, cold water fish, and fish that do well in warmer temps. We also got to see hybrid striped bass that were being raised at the farm. Of course the biggest thing we saw was a big bag of fish poop. No joke, they pump the fish waste into this bag and then the clean water leaks out of the bag, through the rocks and into the pond. When the bag gets full the open it up and a backhoe loads up and uses the waste on nearby pastures as a natural fertilizer. It was really cool.

Stay tuned as we check out some exotic animals tomorrow and expand the possibilities of learning and future careers.

So You Want to be a Vet?

2011-06-27T22:18:00.007-04:00

If you love animals and want to know more about them and careers that involved them than this week of Robeson County 4-H Summer Fun is just what you are looking for. Animal Science Day Camp started today with a trip to Raleigh. Our 17 youth along with a teen volunteer and Michelle Shooter, Extension Livestock Agent and Miss Shea Ann our 4-H Agent loaded up and headed north. We began the day at the North Carolina Natural Science Museum. There we saw animals from the beginning of time to present day. We also got to see frogs being fed, baby turtles and lots of stuff that lit up, made noise and in general was just sort of cool. The special exhibit on the oceans involved an art form that was studied in Arts and Crafts day camp, Batik. It was really neat.

After a brief lunch in the courtyard of the museum we headed to North Carolina State University for a little education on what it takes to become a veterinarian. We had a tour of the Vet Med School and saw some really cool things.

When you walk into the main part of the school we saw some really neat skeletons. Everything from a whale to a gorilla and even a tiger. As we were learning about the different animal structures we found out that a giraffe (yes there was one of those too) has seven vertebrae in its neck just like humans. We learned what and how different whales eat their food. We also saw a horse going for an x-ray. Did you know a dairy cow produces 100 pounds of milk a day? For those of you who are wondering that is 11 gallons. Did you wonder who helps injured turtles? Yes, they have a turtle clinic at the Vet Med school. Now if you are wondering interesting factoids are not all we learned. We also found out what we need to do to get accepted into Vet Med School. It takes a lot of work and really good grades to begin with. Then after you have majored in some kind of science in college, and have volunteered with a vet, not to mention other things like 4-H animal science projects you can apply to the school. More than 700 apply each year and only 80 are chosen. Now that is tough competition.

This was our first day of our new adventure. Stay tuned as we saddle up for a new learning opportunity tomorrow.

Bringing Home Precious Medals

2011-06-23T22:04:00.008-04:00

District Activity Day is a tradition for 4-H and Robeson County and this year was no different. For those of you who are not familiar with District Activity Day let me give you a little history. In April our 4-H members competed in County Activity Day which is a public speaking and demonstration speaking competition. For the youth who placed first or second in their age division and category they have the option of moving forward to District Activity Day (DAD). Each year DAD is held in each of the six districts. This year the South Central District (which is made up of 15 counties) was held in Wadesboro which is in Anson County. Those who win here may have the opportunity to move up to state competition.

It was an early morning as our five public speakers, seven presenters, and two entertains participants as well as parents, siblings, friends and clubs leaders climbed aboard the 4-H bus and 15 passenger van. We left the parking lot at the office and about two hours later arrived at the middle school in Wadesboro. There we were met with a smile and kind words from Mr. Larry (no not our Mr. Larry but another one). He helped us pull up, get everyone unloaded and sent our drivers to their parking spaces.

After checking in and getting everyone their meal tickets it was time to head to our respective rooms. First ones that we got word back on were our two Entertains participants, Maurice Rogers of the Young Leaders 4-H Club and Megan Hurst of the Horsin' Around 4-H Club and Dirty Rascals 4-H Junior Master Gardener Club. Both performed for the judges early in the day. Next up, public speaking. Usually they started with the youngest competitors however today was a little different. Out of no where we heard that Alexus Jones with the Inspirational Youth Leaders 4-H Club and Zaire Baker with the Voices in Praise 4-H Club had finished their speeches. Then Jamal Bennet of Spiritual Generations had finished his presentation in Dairy Foods.

In the meantime we had just started with the Junior Division in the rooms hosting Healthy Lifestyles and Careers and Entrepreneurial Activities. This room had the bulk of our presenters, five, competing. Tyron Alford of Young Leaders and Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club gave her presentation on Volleyball. Not to be shown up shortly thereafter by her brother Tyson who gave his speech on Basketball. As they were presenting our Public Speakers were knocking out the judges with their words. Elijah Leach of Voices in Praise 4-H Club, Michicko Hill of Inspirational Youth Leaders 4-H Club, and Camry Ocean of Voices in Praise 4-H Club all gave their speeches and headed to lunch before Shawndora McNair of Inspirational Youth Leaders 4-H Club gave her presentation on Asthma. Kim McNair spent the down time running between her daughter Shawndora's presentation and her son Jayln's outdoor cookery presentation. It wasn't long before she announced he was done and the burgers he cooked were all gone.

We were still plugging away in the Career and Entrepreneurship category. Jeshaiah Moore of the Young Leaders 4-h Club knocked the judges out with her presentation on designing and painting nails. Shabreya Vample of Young Leaders 4-H Club was our last presenter and drew a wonderful portrait of her future career in fashion design.

When it was all said and done what they all wanted to know was if there was precious medal waiting for them. Maurice Rogers and Megan Hurst both got blue ribbons for their performances. Tyson Alford was given a bronze medal for his basketball presentation. Shabreya Vample, Tyron Alford, Shawndora McNair, Eljah Leach, Michicko Hill and Zaire Baker all brought home silver. While Camry Ocean, Jamal Bennet, Jeshaiha Moore, and Jaylyn McNair brought home gold. All gold winners in the 9 to 10 age division are eligible to move forward to State competition. All first and second place winners in the 11-13 and 14-18 age divisions are eligible to move on to State competition in July.

Just as a quick side note we need to give a special thanks to the parents and volunteers who worked with our youth to make sure that they were prepared for this competition. Also a special mention and thanks to Mac Malloy our new Robeson County Crops Agent. He served as a person in charge of a room at DAD and this was his very first time doing this. We were very proud of the job he did and appreciate the judges for their hard work as well. Also one last special thanks to the Anson County Cooperative Extension Staff who made it a smooth and wonderful day. Thank you for your hard work and help.

Certified Fun

2011-06-21T21:59:00.006-04:00

One of the staples of 4-H Summer Fun for the last two years has been our Babysitting Day Camp. Two years ago we offered the first certification opportunity then last year we offered a recertification for these youth of their CPR. The Red Cross partners with us to offer the course for our youth and this year was no different.

Five of our six youth returned to get recertified in CPR. All of them worked hard all morning and part of the afternoon working on their adult, child and infant lessons as well as the hemlich maneauver. After the all passed their recertification tests it was time for lunch and then a little fun.

We headed over to Lumberton Bowling Alley to celebrate and boy did they celebrate. Three games of bowling turned into quite the compeittiion. The first two games it was the babysitters against the trainers. The last game we split up into even teams of babysitters and trainers and had a close game. With sheer exhaustion setting in we headed back to the office just in time for their parents to pick them up (and in some cases practice their driving skills). We hope to offer our full babysitting course again next year. If you are interested please call our 4-H office at (910) 671-3276 to let us know.

Celebrating Local Food

2011-06-18T21:57:00.003-04:00

Did you know that because we as a nation do not eat the right foods that our children will have shorter life spans then we do? All it takes is a little effort to find food that is good for you, and is grown locally. On Saturday we celebrated the opening of the Downtown Farmer's Market in Lumberton. As part of the celebration the entire Robeson County Extension Staff pulled out all the stops and had a dozy of a local foods celebration.

Prep work started long before the event with veggies being donated by local farmers. Our resident healthy cooking guru, Janice Fields, Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Agent created some really great concoctions that would be thrown on the grill the next day. Variety was the name of the game and the offerings ranged from traditions grilled veggies to pizza and waters.

On the morning of the big event everyone arrived around 7 am. Our resident griller, Larry Russ took his cooker to the event and grilled a variety of things from green tomatoes, zucchini, squash, corn and even pizza. He even loaned us a burner so we could use a pressure cooker for corn. One of the things that we created that day was garlic bread with garlic that had been grown locally. Janice and Christy kept the tent going with free samples and even an offering of cucumber, lemon and mint water which was very cold and refreshing. Janice also made a zucchini carrot bread that was made with local honey.

More than 100 people came out and enjoyed the samples and prizes that Kerrie Roach, the Horticulture Extension Agent offered as part of the event. It was a hot day not only temperature wise but food wise as we were smoking it up and promoting healthy local vegetables. The Downtown Farmer's Market is open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings beginning at 7 am. If you are looking for some healthy and local alternatives, check it out.

Sewing it Up

2011-06-17T21:55:00.007-04:00

It is hard to believe that the last day of our first full week of 4-H Summer Fun is behind us. What fun we have had and Day five of 4-H Arts and Crafts Day Camp was no different. It was known as fabric day. In other words everything we did involved some type of fabric.

We started with the ancient art of Batik. It involves taking a fabric and coating with with wax to make a design then dying it. After it dries you protect that color with more wax and then dye it in a darker color. The wax will crack as it dries and allow for unique characteristics in the dye patterns. We used pillow cases and a combination of bees wax and paraffin wax. The bees wax has properties that allow the wax to better adhere to the material. As the youth finished their designs we used dyes to color their pillow cases. We let that dry over the course of the morning and then painted the pillow cases after lunch and dyed them again. Two days later the wax was ironed out of the pillow cases and will be sent home for washing and use.

As this process went on we had a lot of time on our hands to wait. So we needed to do a few other things to make sure our hands were not idle.

As we waited for our pillow cases to dry we worked on Fleece blankets. Each person got to pick a piece of fleece and tie the ties on the ends. Of course this meant when they were done they wanted to test them out so everyone hit the floor and covered up and thought about taking a nap. Mind you there was way to much giggling, talking, and movement for actual naps to have taken place but they thought about it.

After lunch we batiked again and then settled back in to pop our balloons. You may remember the craft we started on Wednesday, while we took a few minutes to finish them today. Then it was time for a new type of Tye-dye, Sharpie Tye-dye. We used cotton bandannas and used Sharpie pens to created circles. Then a few drops of alcohol are added and the color spreads but does not come out. The effect is neat, and different every time.

After dying the world we switched to fabric markers for our last two activities. We each got a couple of squares of fabric on which we designed our name on one and our favorite activity of the week on the other. Miss Shea Ann will then put the squares together and display them at the office to show all the work we did as part of Arts and Crafts Day Camp. After that we rounded things out with bags. Canvas bags I should say that all the the items we made can fit in. Of course we had to add our own creative touches to the bags. There were basketballs, flags, stars, squiggles, and other designs add to our bags that we can use day to day and be green.

It has been a long and fun week. We want to thank everyone who took time to be part of this 4-H adventure. Especially Barbara McCormick who worked with us as part of her college internship. Her help this week and company was greatly appreciates. Thanks to another wonderful 4-H volunteer it looks like an Arts and Crafts club may start in September. Stay tuned for date and time of this newest and creative club.

Hot as Lava

2011-06-16T21:55:00.007-04:00

It was an early morning as we hit the road at 8:00 am for a new Arts and Crafts adventure. Our goal was to be in Wilmington before it got too hot because for this trip every degree counts. Our first stop was at the Burchetta Glass Blowing Studio for a demonstration on glass blowing. Our youth had the opportunity to see John Burchetta and his staff hand make glass sea shells for the local chamber of commerce. It is a process that we learned can take several days. It started the day we arrived with glass that was as hot as lava which is why it glowed bright white, red and orange. We learned how they color the glass with pure color that they have shipped in from places such as Germany. We watched as they shaped the glass and quickly moved it from oven to oven to keep it the right temperature to work with it. It is very hot in the studio with several ovens and a machine that holds gallons of molten glass. The artists actually look like they are sunburned from being so close to the heat sources and wear a protective garment on the arm that gets close to the glass blobs to protect from burns. When they get done with the objects they go into an oven overnight so that it can cool slowly, otherwise it would crack. We also worked on not touching anything because you never know what might be hot, or sharp in a place like this.

One of the other things we learned about was how they repair items, and make items such as stemware, and glass serving platters. Since these items are all unique and not made in molds sometimes they have to sand down the bottom of pieces so they will sit flat. The studio is filled with tools that we have seen in other settings but you would not imagine how they are used in glass blowing. We also got to see a "happy accident" as they worked on replacing a glass hummingbird feeder. That was one of the most exciting parts of the tour for our youth.

Then it was time for lunch and a tour of the Cameron Art Museum. We had a very special tour and then had the opportunity to go on our own treasure hunt. The museum had four exhibits. One of our favorite was the room filled with North Carolina Artists. The room was filled with different colors, paintings, photos, sculptures, just about anything you can imagine. Each one of our youth sketched their favorite piece in the room. Then we went to a room that had an exhibit from a local art teacher with a carnival background. We learned a great deal about art and carnivals and got a glimpse into a lifestyle that our youth are not familiar with. Then we viewed an exhibit of sculptures made from papermache from an artist in the bayou. Then the final exhibit highlighted a water color artist which reminded them of the activities they did on Monday. After the treasure hunt our youth got stickers and free family passes to go back and visit again, with their families.

Only one day left for our 4-H Day Camp...how do you think we will sew it all up?

Tough As Nails

2011-06-15T21:54:00.006-04:00

It was a hard pounding day that involved muscles, brains, and an electric current. Day 3 of 4-H Summer Fun Arts and Crafts Day Camp involved noise, natural materials and a whole lot of fun and creativity.

We started the day with long time 4-H volunteer and woodworking extraordinaire Bobby Rogers. He came with a woodworking project that literally lit up a room. Each youth worked with Rogers to design and nail together a wood lamp that they can decorate for their rooms. As part of the project they learned about wood design, carpentry skills and of course used a hammer and nails. They also learned about some basic wiring skills as well as gained some knowledge about electricity.

After the lamps were constructed and lunch was over it was time to get even more creative with our construction projects. Our youth used wood letters, numbers and shapes to personalize the lamps. Then they each received their own lamp shade and had the opportunity to use paint pens, bows, glitter, and other misc. objects to create their own design to polish these lamps up as their own.

Not wanting to abandon our wood working roots of the day we then turned to wood burning. Each youth received a poplar disk that they could draw designs on. Then they learned about using a wood burning tool and each took a turn burning an image into their own wood disc.

Learning about creating images we moved from wood to glass as each youth taped off a mirror and used glass etching acid to permanently impose the image on the mirror. It was like magic as they caked on the pasty substance and waited for it to frost over the mirror. As it was rinsed and the tape came off their design was neat to see their creations.

Although that seems like a lot there was at time for at least one more project before we left. A little fun with water balloons (filled with air), yarn, glue, and glitter we made ornaments fit for a king, or queen. It will take a couple of days to dry then we can pop the balloons. So this item should be ready to go home on Friday.

Tomorrow is another day on the road and we are excited about the fun in store. Stay tuned for all the hot and colorful news tomorrow (that's a hint...guess you will have to read tomorrow to see if you guess what it is!).

Buzzing About Our Fun

2011-06-14T21:53:00.005-04:00

Did you hear the buzz? If not read on while we tell you about the honey of a day we had. Yes, the puns are bad but our day was really sweet. Day 2 of 4-H Arts and Crafts Day Camp was one spent on the road with some great stops.

We started at Robeson Community College with Ed Hunt from the BioAg Network. He gave our day campers an up close look at bees. Hunt keeps hives at the college and was able to load a frame of bees from his hive into a box for our youth to see up close and personally. They learned about the life span of bees and the need for different types of bees. One of the items the youth used to craft with on Monday was bees wax which they saw the bees making in the frame. They will also use bees wax later in the week. Hunt also taught the youth about the medicinal purpose of the bees and then gave them a tour of the campus. They saw different learning areas such as a science lab, greenhouse, and kitchen for cooking and catering lessons. The youth said they learned a great deal and are looking out for all the natural elements that can be used in making Arts and Crafts.

After lunch we headed up to Fayetteville. Just Clayin' Around is a shop that has pottery which you can paint and they will fire for you. Our group chose plates and mugs. After a brief and wonderful lesson we set out to paint. Each time we painted something we had to let it dry and paint over it three more times so the color will come out bright and strong when it is fired. One of the most difficult parts is not knowing exactly how the piece will look as you paint it. After painting the owners have to let the piece dry overnight and then they glaze it and fire it in a kiln which can get up to 2500 degrees Fahrenheit. Now that is hot. In about a week we will be able to pick up our pieces and see how we did.

Tomorrow we will be back at the 4-H office with various volunteers and fun. Stay tuned as we put it all together tomorrow.

It's All About Crafting

2011-06-13T21:52:00.007-04:00

One thing you can say about our 4-H members is that they are colorful. That has never been as true as it is today for the members who are taking part in our first ever Arts and Crafts Day Camp which is part of our 4-H Summer Fun Program. The five day camp is targeting crafts that will stay with our youth for the rest of their lives. Our first day, in case you have not figured it out, centered on color.

Our first activity involved making our own name tags with a twist. We used Shrinky Dinks. For those of you not familiar with Shrinky Dinks, they are thin pieces of plastic that you can draw on with color pencils or permanent markers. Then the sheets are placed in the oven and you can watch them shrink down and get thicker and very hard. Our youth did a great job expressing themselves in plastic (and watching it shrink and shrivel).

After that it was time to paint. Jane Hurst came in to give some neat watercolor tips. Our youth practiced with water color pencils first learning how the colors blend. Then they played with something really neat, glow in the dark paint. Then they tried their hands with water colors. Part of the fun was using rock salt, table salt, wax and other items to create textures and patterns in their designs.

After a fantastic lunch we hit the colors of yarn. Jane stayed and helped us learn to crochet. Then we moved to knitting with our knitting looms. We began with baby caps and will go from there. Then we moved on to latch hook before the afternoon ended. All of the supplies from this afternoon and designs from the morning went home with each of our youth. Everyone said they had one thing that was their favorite, each had a different favorite activity of the day.

Tomorrow is a day of field trips and learning about nature and crafts. Stay tuned it will be fun.

It's All Business

2011-06-11T21:51:00.002-04:00

At our last club meeting Lucas, the one member to show
up, learned the importance of breath control, sight alignment and sight
picture. After a little practice he posted a very impressive 10 out of 10. What
was so impressive about it? The target was only 2" x 2 3/4" in size.
Looks like Lucas has set the standard the rest of you have to achieve. Just
goes to show what you can accomplish with just a little practice.

Our next club
meeting will be held Saturday, July 9th at the range. See you there.

Submitted by Dirty Dozen 4-H Club Leader Larry Russ

Delivering Caring

2011-06-10T23:24:00.004-04:00

This morning it felt a little like Christmas. You know that feeling when you see the look on a person's face as they open a gift that they really enjoy, especially one made with love. That is what Friday morning felt like as we visited Southeastern Regional Medical Center to drop off the rest of the knit-in items from the United Way Day of Caring.

A large group made up of knit-in participants, Day of Caring organizers, and others met in the lobby of the hospital. Beth Ivey, the Director of Volunteer Services, met us and carried us up to our location on the Maternity ward. There we presented caps, blankets, and pillows. She told us the items are particularly needed at this time, as they have had a large number of births (14 one day and 11 the next) lately.

Those at the drop off included; Margaret Crites, Shea Ann DeJarnette, Jessica Drake, Jane and Megan Hurst, Rod Jenkins, Sandra Oliver and Tanya Underwood. Beth Ivey said the items will last for quite awhile and will be given to those who are in need.

The group is already planning for a second event next year. Would you like to be a part of it? Just e-mail me at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu to join our e-mail list with updates about the event.

Minding our Manners for Our Future

2011-06-03T21:51:00.007-04:00

When people say the word etiquette images of tea parties, fine china and pinkies raised in the air come to mind. However in 2011 when 4-H teaches etiquette we aren't talking about your great grandma's etiquette. We are working on things that will help our youth now and in the future. Day 2 of 4-H Summer Fun Etiquette Day Camp is no different. We worked with youth in a variety of areas and even gave them the chance to practice their new found skills.
The evening started with an ice breaker on the top 10 rudest dining behaviors. Things like chewing with your mouth open, flatulence, and cell phones at the table made that list. After having a little fun with that we broke into groups again and hit the rotating workshops. Tonight the 15 minute workshops involved everything that has to do with eating. Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Science Agent worked with the youth on place settings. Knowing where cups, forks, plates, and other miscellaneous tale setting go can be tricky. Mande Swisher, Tourism Extension Agent, worked with the youth on handling the tricky nature of a round table setting. Sometimes people grab the wrong plate, napkin or fork. Knowing which is yours can be an art form and is as easy as making a b and a d to determine what belongs to who. Aggie Rogers, 4-H Program Associate, reviewed all forms of etiquette when they played the etiquette board game. When is too late to call someone? How do you handle a rude caller? They covered it all and had fun playing the board game. Kerrie Roach, Horticulture Extension Agent, played rude behavior charades with the group. Each one drew a rude behavior and acted it out while pretending to be at a dinner. The group had to guess what the rude behavior was. Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Extension Agent, worked with the youth on how to use utensils. Should you line up your peas on a knife and roll them into your mouth? Learning what utensil to use when, and how to hold them and use them is important because it sends a message about you.
After the workshops the youth had a chance to practice. They were assigned two to a table and had to set their tables and host adults at their table. For the most part this was their first time meeting the adults who came in to have dinner with them. It was the youth's job to introduce themselves and make sure the conversation continued during dinner while minding their manners at the table. After a wonderful dinner the adults reported that they were quite impressed with our youth and their manners. Especially those who spontaneously offered their hand and introduced themselves. They were also quite impressed with the level of conversation and how well behaved the entire group was. Our youth reported that they feel more comfortable introducing themselves to an adult and carrying on a conversation with them. They also said they just might go home and start setting the table for mom and dad.
We would like to thank our volunteers who came in to help with this program, our youth and especially our parents who felt that this would be a good opportunity for their child.

Putting our Best Handshake Forward

2011-06-02T20:18:00.003-04:00

Have you ever been in a social situation and found yourself a tad uncomfortable? Have you been at a dinner party and you are not sure which fork goes with which course? Well we want to make sure our 4-Her's are prepared for whatever might be ahead and feel more comfortable in any situation. That is why we offer 4-H Etiquette Day Camp at the beginning of our Summer Fun program. Etiquette Day camp is split up four hours over two days.

Today marked day one of Etiquette Day Camp. About 15 youth signed up to take part in the adventure. We started the evening with icebreakers and then split up into three groups. The groups rotated between four workshops. Mande Swisher, Tourism Extension Agent, taught the youth about cell phone and online etiquette. They learned when to use a cell phone when not to use it. They also learned about being careful about what they post online. Christy Strickland, Family Consumer Science Extension Agent, worked with the youth on the art of conversation. They talked about safe subjects to discuss, asking questions, and how to feel more comfortable having a real conversation with an adult. Aggie Rogers, 4-H Program Associate, talked with the youth about the proper ways to dress. She talked with them about how to dress for different functions such as a formal dinner party or a causal party such as the one they will be hosting the next night. Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Extension Agent, worked with the youth on introductions and name tags. Proper handshakes, making that first impression, knowing that your name tag goes on your right side of your shirt not on the bottom of your shirt are all very important things to know as they go out into the world.

At the end of the workshops the group had a mixer. They learned about going through the line and not speaking ill of food they did not recognize. As they learned in the workshop, you do not have to like it, you do not have to eat it, but you can not talk about it. The youth worked their way through punch and appetizers while learning how to balance their plates and cups while shaking hands and carrying on a conversation. They also learned that it was not the time to be on their cell phone or answer the phone.

As they left for the evening they said they were ready for workshops, adventures, and dinner the next night.

Stiching Up the Details

2011-05-31T18:37:00.002-04:00

You may remember the post a few weeks ago about the Knit-In that 4-H helped organize as part of the United Way Day of Caring. Today we made the first of two donations of the items that were made and donated that day. Sherita Jenkins, a social worker with the Gibson Cancer Center accepted the adult blankets and caps from Margaret Crites. Crites is the Director of the Robeson County Rape Crisis Center and one of three organizers of the Knit-In. You may remember Jenkins husband, Assistant County Manager Rod Jenkins, took part in the event. He learned how to knit that day and even completed a pink baby cap. Sherita Jenkins said the items will go to patients who need them and they will provide great comfort during a difficult time in their lives. Showing that the United Way Day of Caring is making a difference in people's lives right here in our community.

The rest of the items, newborn and youth items, will be donated to Southeastern Regional Medical Center next week. Stay tuned for more news on that donation.

They Keep Hatching!

2011-05-31T17:25:00.004-04:00

Talk about a science experiment in action. This morning when I came in the office we had three chicks, who had just hatched in the incubator. Usually all of our eggs hatch at one time. However this time we had some extra eggs and went ahead and put them in the refrigerator. After a week we had just about six left so we put those in the incubator with the others. We weren't sure if they would hatch, or if the hatch rate would be as high but we thought we should at least try. During the course of the day five of the six have hatched. We are going to give the last egg until the end of the week. If you would like to come out to the 4-H office (O. P. Owens Agricultural Center) and see the cuties, please feel free to stop by. They love visitors, especially those who talk with them.
Also, just an update, we are starting to hear from our schools. Green Grove Elementary had 13 out of 16 eggs hatch that is an 81% hatch rate. Mary Savage said he students loved the chicks and even got on the specially modified chick floor and watched them as they walked around. She said she is ready to do it next year!

Breaking News!

2011-05-24T18:44:00.002-04:00

The chicks are here! The chicks are here! That's right it is just over 20 days since we put our eggs in the incubator and the chicks are here! We have been getting calls from the various schools with incubators and the chicks are hatching everywhere.
We actually had our first chick hatch yesterday and it was joined by two more the next morning and before the end of the day we had a total of nine. We still have several more trying to peck their way out so we can't wait to see what happens.
If you come in to the lobby of our building you will be able to hear our chicks as well as some music. Our first hatch was so loud that we started playing music for it to help it calm down and find its indoor voice. Believe it or not it worked. The chick loved the music and all of them have been relatively quiet, sleeping and breathing to whatever tune they are listening to. They will be in our office through Friday when they go to their new home and then we expect a few more to arrive in another week, since we did put a few eggs in a week later. We will let you know how that works out.

Moove On Over We Have Some New Showmen In Town

2011-05-15T09:44:00.011-04:00

When people hear 4-H they often think of our animal science program. Although it is a small program in our county, compared to the other things we offer, it is still very popular. A few years back, to make sure our youth had the knowledge they needed to be competitive and still have fun we started a mandatory animal science workshop. Last year we combined it with our animal give out as well.
About 60 people attended this year's workshop. Families came from as far away as Richmond and Bladen Counties as well as our own. Youth lead the majority of workshops with adults on standby to help out. The workshops included; project records, poultry, rabbits, heifers and steers, as well as goats.
We started the day with project records. Shea Ann DeJarnette, the Robeson County 4-H Agent taught that workshop. She gave everyone the forms they needed and went through them by age to help them understand what they would need to put in their project records to have an award winning record book.
Benjamin Herndon taught the youth about poultry. He told them about feeding and watering, how to handle them. He gave them lessons on the difference between hens and roosters as well as broilers and laying hens. Although the laying hen chicks were there for give out, Benjamin also brought older chickens so the youth could touch them and learn how to handle them when they get bigger.
Anthony Bullard was one of our most popular presenters because he brought the cutest and smallest animals out, the rabbits. He taught the youth how to pick up their rabbits, about food, treats and a few other neat tips such as placing a piece of wood in the pen for them. One of the other great tips he has is freezing a two liter bottle of water and placing it in the pen on hot days so the rabbits can stretch out on it and stay cool.
Santiago Acuna Robinson taught our youth about caring for goats. He gave them details not only on feed but also taught them about worms and mites. Things that our youth need to look for. After lunch Santiago, Tiffanee Conrad Acuna, the Livestock Agent from Richmond County and Michelle Stumbo, the 4-H Agent from Robeson County worked with our two youth who will be showing goats. They learned how to clip their goats, sand the horns, work on the hooves and even got in the ring and practice showmanship. As one parent said, "I thought all we had to do was let it loose in a field, I had no idea how much is involved in raising a goat." The youth went home with their goats freshly groomed and ready for their new homes.
Michelle Stumbo taught the youth the tricks of the trade when it comes to raising cattle. Thanks Tony Bullard we had one that she could also give hands on showing lessons. Although the majority of youth at the workshop are not showing cattle they were interested in finding out what it takes and several are trying to figure out how they will talk their parents into letting them show next year now that they have a taste of it.
After all of the lessons we had a freshly cooked lunch by our 4-H volunteer and grill master Larry Russ. Then it was time to give out animals and let people go home. Benjamin helped herd chicks so everyone got 15 to take home. We had a lottery for the bunnies so everyone got theirs to take home. The two showing goats already had their goats named and had started bonding with them before leaving the building.
Overall it was a fun day and our youth and parents appeared to have learned a great deal. We will be giving out turkeys to those signed up on June 8th and will give out broilers in August. To see how our youth do please come to the Robeson Regional Fair, September 30-October 9 as they compete in animal shows to see how they did.

Sewing Up the Day of Caring

2011-05-13T21:51:00.006-04:00

As many of you are aware Robeson County 4-H receives the entire bulk of its programming funds from the United Way of Robeson County. We are very fortunate to have this funding so we can provide our youth opportunities they would not otherwise have. As part of our partnership with United Way we take part in their annual fundraising campaign, and we take a large roll in the United Way Day of Caring. You may have read about this rather incredible event in The Robesonian. In case you are not familiar with this almost decade long event, the Day of Caring is an organized effort to go out an make a difference in the community and this year it happened in a big way. Robeson County 4-H was a part of this change in a variety of activitiess.
The volunteers and members of the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener Club partnered with members of the Master Gardener Association to beautify an outdoor sitting area at Southeastern Hospice House. The group dug in and dug down to plant flowers and other plants that will brighten the area and hopefully some one's day. The youth also presented a Hospice House representative with a piece of yard art that represents the club logo.
4-H and Robeson County Cooperative Extension Staff also took part in a canned food drive. The food drive was opened to everyone throughout the county. More than 20,500 pounds of food was collected and distributed to the Robeson County Church and Community Center.
If you went to the Day of Caring headquarters at Jerry Johnson Chevrolet in Lumberton you might have seen some familiar 4-H faces. Aggie Rogers, Marilyn Merritt, Nelson Brownlee and Tameka McLean helped make almost two hundred plant people for youth who came by to get fingerprint cards and enjoy story time.
A new activity took place at the 4-H office, Robeson County's 1st annual Knit-In was for knitters, crocheters, sewers and more. A group of volunteers met and created items all day. When they were done more than 112 items which included baby blankets, caps and booties as well as adult lap blankets and caps were donate. Four first time knitters each completed at least one baby cap, while the more experienced crafters did their best to churn out several items that day. The items made will be donated to Gibson Cancer Center and Southeastern Regional Medical Center.
Some of the other events and impacts that the United Way has reported include:

4-H and Southeastern Hospice House - Flowers were planted at Southeastern Hospice House.

Boys & Girls Club - ¾ of the fence around the Boys and Girls Club was painted.

Robeson County’s First Annual Knit In - 112 items were completed; blankets, caps, booties and toy teddy bear.

Wheel Chair Ramps - 4 wheel chair ramps were built throughout the county. Pembroke, Maxton, Rowland, and Lumberton.

Odom Home – Play Ground Repairs - Repairs were made to the play ground, and other small projects to include organizing the food storage area, making boxes for their vegetable garden, replacing some missing aluminum, planting flowers, repairing benches and bikes.

Community Health Checks - 24 individuals received health checked; Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure, and Blood Glucose.

A Time To Visit—Pillows - 30 pillows where delivered to individuals at Sarah’s Assisted Living in Pembroke.

Teacher Cadets to serve in PSRC - Tanglewood Elementary, W.H. Knuckles, Rowland Norment, West Lumberton and Janie Hargrave students received lesson plans and projects prepared by Lumberton High School’s “Teacher Cadet”.

Backpack Meals - 312 backpack meals were prepared. 100 delivered to W.H. Knuckles, and remainder delivered to West Lumberton.

Food Drive 30,000 lb. GOAL (Food Collection will take place from April 1- May 12) - 20,518 pounds of food was collected

Child Identification Cards and Education Outreach - 154 students received, Child ID Cards, participated in a 4-H hands on learning project, and received an age appropriate book.

Hot Dog Lunch at Jerry Johnson’s - 375 hot dog lunches were prepared and served to volunteers, youth, and the community.

Blood Drive - 25 units of blood were collected

We are already making plans for next year's big event if you would like more information on the United Way Day of Caring or would just like to support our local United Way and help them support 17 local agencies please contact them at (910) 739-4249.

A big thank you to all those who volunteered and made a difference in our community. Once again proving that we Live United.

Celebrating Member Success

2011-05-12T16:47:00.003-04:00

We are always so proud of our 4-H members and like to encourage them to be the best, after all our 4-H motto is, "Making the Best Better". So when a volunteer and or parent sends us a note, and especially photos about a 4-H member doing something spectacular the least we can do is put it on the blog and share it with the world! Debra McBride sent us this e-mail and we wanted to share this fantastic success with you.

"Hope all is well. Just wanted to share the news; Jasmine is getting
inducted into the National Junior Beta Club on Thursday, May 12 and she
has also received an invitation from the Superintendent of the Public
Schools of Robeson County requesting her presence at the
Superintendents Student of Excellence Award Ceremony on Thursday, May 19 @ the
University of NC @ Pembroke.

On another note, P.J. (my little kindergartner) will be place in the
Academically Gift Program (AIG) when he starts first grade next school
year. He is currently reading on a level of completing 1st grade.

I’m not bragging; I’m just so proud of my kids and just wanted to share
this news with you. Love ya."

We appreciate your sharing the news and hope others will share the successes of other 4-H members in all that they do. Congratulations to Jasmine and P. J.!

Growing Homework?????

2011-05-11T20:50:00.000-04:00

The members of the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club got a surprise when they came to their monthly club meeting. They got a homework assignment. That's right club homework, but this assignment is going to be a lot of fun. The members were presented with two small green houses to start plants in. One was for a vegetable such as sweet peppers, eggplant, cucumber, or tomatoes. The other was for a flower such as zinnias, sun flowers, and marigolds. The members planted their seeds and took them home. They are took take care of them and give updates to their club leaders over the summer since their next club meeting will not be until August.
The members also received their sun flowers from their fair booth to help mark their own gardens at home. The club is already working on ideas for their fair booth. As they put it they are planting the seeds and letting them grow!

Taking Aim at Leadership

2011-05-09T16:37:00.001-04:00

District Teen Retreat had a little different spin on it this year. You could say they threw it out there and took a shot at something different this year, literally. This year the annual event was held at Millstone 4-H camp in Richmond County, just outside of Ellerbe. Dillon McCartney of the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H club and Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting sports club and T'Asha Shelby of the Young Leaders 4-H club attended this year's event. This was a first time for both and reports say they enjoyed their time.
Teen Retreat actually started on Friday evening with registration and a dance followed by a camp fire. After all, its just not camp without a campfire and s'mores. On Saturday they got down to business with meetings and workshops. The workshops this year included; Hungry 2 Help bracelets made with can tabs. Building a Camfire and Camping workshop. One of the more popular workshops was Skeet Shooting. Then the Operation Military Kids staff taught a workshop on Internet safety which included how not to be a cyber bully. Of course there were the traditional activities like district meeting with county reports. The spirit stick compeitition, and district officer elections.
Special thanks to Michelle Stumbo, 4-H Agent in Richmond County, for loaning her photos of the event to us. If you have any questions about this event ask Dillon and T'Asha, I have a feeling they might be happy to share some of their stories.

Sky is the Limit with 4-H...even the Royal Family knows it.

2011-05-04T21:06:00.004-04:00

It is not everyday that you wake up and prepare to meet the future King of England. Especially when you live in Washington D.C. However, yesterday some lucky 4-H members who are part of an urban gardening program had just that opportunity. Prince Charles included a tour of this particular garden as part of his U. S. Tour that also invovled a meeting with President Obama. Gardening, especially organic gardening and sustainable resources are passions of the Prince's so projects like these are of great intrest to him. Below is the article that was posted on the National 4-H page, in the Power of YOUth newsletter, about the visit.

"4-H’ers in Washington, D.C., recently got a helping hand from royalty at the
Common Good City Farm, a community farm in the District whose fresh produce to
goes to area residents.

Prince Charles of Wales has been a champion of
sustainable agriculture for decades, and a stop by the only urban farm in the
city was added to the agenda for his U.S. trip, which also included visits to
the White House, the Supreme Court and a speech on agriculture at Georgetown
University.

Established in 2007, Common Good City Farm is an education
and nutrition hub for those in the LeDroit Park area of Northwest Washington.
More than 1,000 residents have learned about healthy eating habits through
workshops and program, and more than 3,500 youth and volunteers have come
together to grow and harvest kale, broccoli, carrots and other produce.

In 2010, over 6,000 servings of fruits and vegetables went to low-income
residents, and credit goes to University of the District of Columbia Extension
4-H’ers and agent Chris Coggins for their contribution to the farm’s
success.

Prince Charles received a tour of the farm accompanied by UDC
4-Hers, and concluded his visit by joining the crowd in snacks from the
garden."

To read more about the garden and the visit with the 4-H memebrs you can read the Washinton Post Article, as well as view the video they posted by clicking on this link. We hope that this story along with other national stories of 4-H members doing incredible things will inspire our youth and let them know that

Updating, Planning and Recognizing

2011-05-02T23:32:00.000-04:00

About 50 people came out to get an update on the 4-H County Program from our 4-H County Council Officers and 4-H Volunteer Leader Association officers at our regularly scheduled meeting. As part of the meeting we make sure to conduct a meeting by parliamentary procedure, and read minutes from our last meeting, conduct a club roll call and offer a prize to the club with the highest percentage of members present. Clubs are only allowed to win once per year. This meeting the award went to the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club.

Officers talked about old business and checks were awarded to the members who won at County Activity Day. We also recognized our two County Entertains winners who will go on to represent us at District. Maurice Rogers sang for us and Megan Hurst danced for us.

Officers discussed a cloverbud retreat and have said they will meet again to reset the date. Also Libby Burney and Christopher Bullard talked to the group about the scrapbooking workshop that would take place on Tuesday and Wednesday to get the district scrapbook in shape.

After the meeting everyone enjoyed refreshments brought in by the officers. The next meeting will be our elections. Nomination forms will be posted on the web and the elections will be held at the 4-H office on August 1. If you know someone who meets the criteria and would be a good officer please consider nominating them. For more information stay tuned to the blog.

Dirty Dozen Knock them Down

2011-04-30T23:57:00.006-04:00

The weather was nice and May is busy so the Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club met for a second time today and focused on one thing...their aim. Getting serious on narrowing their sites...the members who attended the meeting found themselves shooting at small targets. By small what I mean is take a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Cut it in half. Cut that half in half. Cut that half in half and that is where they started. From 15 yards the two club members found themselves grouping their shots in a much smaller area to hit the target. Then the paper got cut in half again, forcing them to shoot in a tighter pattern. After all that practice it made the next task seem almost easy and fun.

Club leader Larry Russ set up a board that held clays upright. The boys took turns trying to knock each clay down, one shot per clay. Dillon was up first and to his surprise and delight hit each target, which as he said seemed rather big now that they had been shooting at scraps of paper. Then it was Allen's turn. He took his time, aimed, pulled the trigger 10 times and hit 10 targets. Tied the two felt the need to try again. They set up the clays and Dillon took position with rifle in hand, he aimed and ten trigger pulls later, he had hit each target. Allen took a deep breath before his turn and concentrated. Timing paid off because by the time the magazine was empty, he too had hit each target. The club leader was getting ready to change the format a little to shake things up but Dillon and Allen agreed to call it a draw saying they both won, rather than keep shooting it out. However I do believe they both said next time the other one is in trouble. After such a display of sportsmanship the meeting was adjourned and the group cleaned up the range and helped load equipment before heading home.

Junior Master Gardeners Dig into the "Day of Caring"

2011-04-30T23:16:00.005-04:00

After selling away it was time for the "Dirty Rascals" to live up to their name. The club with parents, and a few Master Gardeners in tow headed down the road (less than a half a mile) and quietly pulled in to the Hospice House. Each year the Dirty Rascals partner with Hospice House to plant a garden area for families and patients to enjoy. This year the Master Gardeners helped placed the plants in the garden area and the youth (sometimes with a little help) dug into the pine straw and made sure the plants had a new place to grow. At the end of the planting the Dirty Rascal JMG club members gave a representative of the Hospice House a piece of garden art, a glow in the dark frog stake. One of the logos for this club include a frog and the club members thought this would be a nice way of leaving their mark, and hopefully a smile on the face, of those who enjoy this lovely garden.

The activity is actually one of the first United Way, Day of Caring activities that take place. The actual 'Day of Caring" will take place on Thursday, May 12. A variety of activities will take place including canned food drives, back pack buddies, and a knit in at O. P. Owens. If you would like more information on the Day of Caring or would like to volunteer for one of the more than a dozen activities that will be going on that day please contact the United Way of Robeson County at (910) 739-4849.

Master Gardener + Junior Master Gardeners=Green

2011-04-30T22:14:00.003-04:00

The last Saturday in April is a tradition for the 4-H Junior Master Gardeners. Not holiday where they kick back and relax but a tradition where they work to better their club and the community. About four years ago the "Dirty Rascals" Junior Master Gardeners 4-H Club joined forces with the Robeson County Master Gardeners Association to offer something that the Master Gardeners were not offering as part of their plant sale, herbs. For years the Master Gardeners have held an annual plant sale where everything is priced at $2. Long time patrons have bought flowers, fruit bushes and even trees (such as Japanese Red Maples) to beautify their spaces, and supported the Master Gardeners in their educational efforts. The one thing they did not offer were herbs and the JMG's stepped forward to fill the void and raise money for their educational activities.

It is not easy as the set up team is on site at 6:30 am and other club members arrive by seven when the sale starts. As part of their sales the Junior Master Gardeners teach patrons about the care of the herbs and how to use them. The youth even give their customers recipes so that as their plants grow they can actually use the fresh herbs to season dishes. This is one of the major fundraisers for the club which helps support their fair booth efforts, which in turn supports their annual club field trip.

The Junior Master Gardeners meet the second Tuesday of each month. If you are interested in learning more about this club or others, please contact the Robeson County 4-H office at (910) 671-3276.

Cutting Up and Pasting Down, Watch Out District Here we Come!

2011-04-29T22:32:00.006-04:00

As you can tell from the blog I am a real shutter bug. Not an actual bug but someone who like to take pictures. Photos are a great way to document history and remember stories. That is one reason Robeson County 4-H has a blog. Another thing we try to do is create a scrapbook each year that goes into district level competition. Last year, thanks to the guidance of volunteer Libby Burney Robeson County 4-H won the district scrapbook award. Which means we are now in the difficult position of defending our title.

However to create the 10 pound book takes lots of photos and lots of work. So Christopher Bullard our 4-H County Council Reporter worked with Libby Burney our 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association reporter to start working on the book. they created two workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and asked 4-H members to come in and put pages together.

We had lots of hands involved in this year's book. Helping during the workshop were, Libby Burney, Christopher Bullard, Tryange Gerald, Caylee Holden, Chasity McClay, Christian McRae, Aljaquan Nixon, Korina Pittman, Ashley Sealey, Kristen Sealey, Shabreya Vample, and Yazmin Washington. For two days they arranged, captioned and pasted photos as a reminder of what we have done. However the book is not done yet and Mrs. Burney took it with her to make sure it gets done.

We have heard that several clubs have turned in pages but of course we are hoping for 100% participation. If you need scrapbooking supplies or would like to help finish the rest of the pages, please contact the 4-H office at (910) 671-3276.

Pasta Leads to Leadership?

2011-04-28T20:25:00.005-04:00

Members of the Titan's 4-H Community Club met yesterday to be creative while exploring leadership. Club members used dry pasta to decorate shoe boxes to be used as their own "Treasure Box" during their May 4-H club meeting. Aggie Rogers, 4-H Program Associate conducted the workshop and Emmarld Jackson and Debbie Rogers conducted the club meeting.
While making their shoe box treasure chests the members talked about various things they might put in their boxes. This lead to a conversation on other treasures people have that may or may not fit in a box. Things such as character, ethics, values and morals. The conversation carried on through the project which offered some very fun and creative treasure boxes that expressed each person's unique character.
Members attended the meeting included;Sicily Ekwunoh, Darian Ekwunoh, Maurice Rogers, Darius Brown-Rogers, Amaria Rogers, Sky Robinson,Tyshantae Barnes, Taraya Broadway,LeeTrrione Barnes, Natiya Barnes, and Javonte Barnes. The club also hosted two guests, Gabby Worley and Mauraine Clark. We were thrilled to have them take part in our monthly meeting. Along with our youth we had several volunteer leaders take part as well, they included:Bobby Rogers, Emmarld Jackson, Debbie Rogers, Madeline Carol Lewis, Retha Ekwunoh,Karine Harris, and Susan Floyd.

Lights, Camera, Active!

2011-04-21T23:10:00.007-04:00

It was high tech, something new, something that will make a difference in our community and our 4-H members were a part of it. "Lights, Camera, Active!" was a state wide initiative with the Health Department allowing youth to start a conversation with adults about the issues they face getting active. The purpose of the event was to help youth understand the link between their physical environment and their ability to lead healthy lives. The youth had a chance to make video messages with the best being chosen to be part of a documentary and winning gift cards to a retail athletic outlet.

Each organization received a free video camera and tripod for the youth to use to video their message. The videos were then uploaded and a panel picked the best entries from across the state to be part of the documentary. The documentaries premiered in each district and we were lucky enough to have the premiere for our district at our own Carolina Civic Center in downtown Lumberton.

More than 500 youth across the state of North Carolina took part in the event with just over 40 Robeson County youth took part in the video opportunity. They came from Lumberton Senior High School, Red Springs High School, Purnell Swett, and Robeson County 4-H. Two groups from Young Leaders 4-H club highlighted the needs of accessible recreation spaces. While a group of teens from Voices in Praise 4-H club highlighted the inaccessibility of healthy recreation opportunities for youth in rural areas. The producers of the program even asked Lundan Dinnerson, and Zaire Baker to preform as part of the premiere.

The premiere was more than just the documentary unveiling, it also created a conversation between the community and those who have the ability to plan useful recreation spaces for us. Questions were asked about cost, safety, range of hours for public spaces to be open to the public and more. It was a good start for the community to take their health into their own hands. That is just the beginning of this adult and youth partnership.

This was a great opportunity that was open to all of our clubs and is just another example of how our youth are making a difference in our community to make all of our lives better.

Cooking Up and Speaking Up=Blue Ribbon Affair

2011-04-16T23:09:00.007-04:00

In case you missed it, Robeson County 4-H's County Activity Day was a flurry of success. We dodged storms (and later found out tornadoes) to give our 4-H members the opportunity to compete for a chance to go to 4-H District Activity Day. Our 4-H members brought out some of the best speeches and informative as well as tasty presentations ever, making the day a big success.

In Public Speaking we had nine competitors who gave original speeches ranging from diabetes to how to play the piano. In our cloverbud division, which is non competitive and made up of 5 to 8 year olds. Patrick McBryde of the United We Stand 4-H Club spoke on the Seven Wonders of the World. He received a participation ribbon and a five dollar gift card for his hard work. In our 9-10 year old Junior Division D'Myaia Stribling of the Young Leaders 4-H Club took first place and Elizah Leach of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club took second place. In the 11-13 year old Junior Division judges had some difficult decisions to make with four competitors vying to go to District Activity Day. In the end Antenecia Hill of the Young Leaders 4-H Club took home a participation ribbon, Brianna Hayes of the Voices in Praise 4-H club came in third and Michiko Hill of the Inspirational Leaders 4-H club took second, while Camry Ocean of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club took home the blue. In the senior division there was a one point difference between first and second place and judges had to fight back tears as our speakers tugged their heart strings and gave some of the best speeches we have ever heard. When it was said and done, Zaire Baker of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club took home the red ribbon while Alexus Jones of the Inspirational Youth Leaders 4-H club took home first.

The judges in Presentations had tasty and informative decisions to make as well. the difference between a presentation and a speech is that in presentations the youth demonstrate something and have visual aids such as posters or a power point to help illustrate the topic of their presentation. We had 3 cloverbuds who presented in our non competitive division. Kylie Smith of the Spiritual Generations 4-H Club, Paiton Twigg of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club and Nadia Bennett of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club. Each cloverbud received a ribbon and gift card for their bravery and hard work. The 9-10 year old Junior division saw the heaviest competition with four participants. Jamal Bennett of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club took first place in dairy. Christian Tice of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club took first place in fruits with his presentation on how to make a fruit salad. Tyson Alford of the Young Leaders 4-H Club and the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club, took first place in Health and fitness with his speech on basketball, and Jesjiah Moore of the Young Leaders 4-H Club, took first place in the open division by showing us how to design and paint finger nails. In the 11-13 year old Junior Division Jasmine McBryde of the United We stand 4-H club took first place in the fruit category with her presentation on how to make strawberry delight. Tyron Alford of the Young Leaders 4-H Club and the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club took first place in Health and Fitness for her presentation on Volleyball. The Senior division showed that it is worth the risk of standing up a giving it a shot. Megan Hurst of the Horsin' Around 4-H club took home first place in plant sciences with her presentation on how to make a container garden. Shawndora McNair of the Inspirational Youth Leaders 4-H Club took home first place in Health and Fitness with her presentation on Asthma. Shabrya Vample of the Young Leaders 4-H Club took home a blue ribbon in expressive arts for her presentation on drawing. We also had one outdoor cookery competitor. Jaylyn McNair took home a blue ribbon in beef cookery for his incredible burgers.

We would like to thank our judges for taking the time to give positive and critical feedback to our youth. In Public Speaking Mark Moses, Representative Charles Graham and Reverend Jerome Billups took the time to listen to each of our competitors. Charlene Whitted and Joyce Russ enjoyed the results of all of our competitors in presentations. Charles Russ gave great feedback to our outdoor cookery competitor and even tried to get some extra burgers to take home. We must also give special thanks to volunteers who handled the each room for us. Renee Baker kept things together for Public Speaking. Jane Hurst kept things going for Presentations. Larry Russ was our safety and weather reporter for outdoor cookery.

District Activity Day is June 23rd in Anson County. Those who have the opportunity to represent Robeson County and compete for state are: in Public Speaking, 9-10 D'Myaia Stribling and Elizah Leach, in 11-13 Camry Ocean and Michiko Hill, and in the 14-18 age division Alexus Jones and Zaire Baker. In Presentations Jamal Bennett, Christian Tice, Tyson Alford and Jesiah Moore will move forward in our 9-10 age division. Jasmine McBride and Tyron Alford will move forward to represent us in the 11-13 age division. In the Senior Division Megan Hurst, Shawndora McNair and Shabraya Vample all have the opportunity of competing at the next level.

Let's give a big hand to all of our members, parents, judges and volunteers who made this day such a success.

Royal Feeding

2011-04-12T22:12:00.005-04:00

The second Tuesday of each month means it is time for the Dirty Rascals to sprout out and create something new and fun. This month with all the hub bub surrounding the Royal wedding this craft couldn't have been more fitting. You know how the British love their tea and a proper tea time? Well club leaders Missy McLean-Wright and Tanya Underwood took a great spin on the proper event by offering it up to the birds on this side of the pond.

Actually what took place was a quick trip to a local thrift store to purchase tea cups and saucers. After a good cleaning the youth picked which of each they wanted (sometimes it is even more creative when they don't match) and the adults super glued the cups to the saucers. This was not a late April Fool's Day Joke, but a necessary step to make sure our winged friends were not hurt. After securing the two to each other, a rubber cap (usually used for PVC pipe) was super glued to the bottom of the saucer. This is an important step because the cap will fit on the end of an appropriate size of dowel rod. The rods were left natural this day, but could be painted for a little extra flair. The dowel rod actually fits into the ground and will hold the feeder/tiny bird bath up for the birds.

This project is great on so many levels. It is a green project because it allows the youth to recycle something that someone else was getting rid of. It allows birds to have a little haven in your yard, and it is a neat little useful yard art addition to any one's home. Overall the cost was about a $1.50 per feeder.

The Dirty Rascals Junior Master 4-H Club will hold their annual plant sale fundraiser in conjunction with the members of the Robeson County Master Gardener Association on April 30. the plant sale begins at 7 am in the parking lot of North State Optics on Fayetteville Road in Lumberton. That will be followed by their annual community service project at Hospice House. The club will meet again on May 10th at 5:30 pm for more fun activities.

4-H and Smart Start What a Match

2011-04-10T17:43:00.007-04:00

Were you at Biggs Park Mall on Saturday? If you weren't you were one of the few, and missed an incredible event. The Robeson County Partnership for Children puts together Smart Start Day to highlight the agencies in the county that can help families in the county. Smart Start works with families to that have children under the age of five to prepare them for school. Of course Robeson County 4-H works with youth between the ages of 5 and 18 years of age to prepare them to be successful adults in our ever changing global society. So can you imagine two organizations better suited to work together?

Smart Start day is an annual event which brings more than 20 agencies together for families to see the resources available to them. Robeson County 4-H is part of the event, and took the opportunity to do a little science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activity with the youth that attended the event. They also learned about recycling and ecology while we made plant people. Peggy and Allen Monk who were happening by jumped in to help us work with the youth to complete more than 100 plant people. We also had the chance to market our 4-H program and let the world know about all that our youth in this county can do. With more than 400 people attending this event it will be something that we do again and again.

Look Who is Riding into the News

2011-04-08T12:18:00.004-04:00

Two members of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club had no idea they would be on the front page of today's paper when they went for a ride. Granted it isn't like they got in the car for the ride, or even on the back of a horse. Instead they took their club leader, Libby Burney's, pony out for a stretch with a buggy attached. Turby, as he is fondly called, was minding his own business chauffeuring Megan and Brianna up and down the street when someone decided to take a shot of the sight. Next thing you know they are the featured photo of the day in the St. Paul's Review. Way to make 4-H hit the front page.

Summer Time Fun

2011-04-08T07:26:00.004-04:00

It was a full house at the gym that is part of Indian Education last night as parents and youth development specialists for the organization came out to hear about the various summer programs being offered to youth in the county. Indian Education puts the meeting together to share opportunities with parents, and to let them know there is some financial assistance available through their organization.

The University of North Carolina Pembroke (UNCP) offers several summer programs including an upward bound program that gets youth ready for college. The Boys and Girls club of Pembroke offers a variety of programs for youth of all ages. Southeastern Regional Medical Center has a compeititve volunteer program for youth between the ages of 14 and 18. Of course our own 4-H Extension Agent, Shea Ann DeJarnette was there to talk about all the summer opportunities available through 4-H. She even took a slide show from last year's camp for youth to enjoy.

For more information about the opportunities that Indian Education can provide for youth please contact Rita Locklear at (910) 521-2054. For more information about the 4-H Summer programs please contact the 4-H staff at (910) 671-3276.

Dirty Dozen Sits Down and Focuses In

2011-04-03T12:51:00.008-04:00

The Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club met at the range for their April meeting. Although the wind provided a new challenge members had a great time. Below is the report on the club meeting submitted by 4-H Club leader Larry Russ.

"It was a really great club meeting, not to cold, not to hot, plenty of sunshine and ammo. What better way to spend a Saturday than getting in a little target practice at the range.

Allen, Dillon,Jed and Christopher were the only members that were able to attend so they got plenty of trigger time. They worked on sight alignment, sight picture and breath control. Now if they could only put all three together at the same time. Guess that means they will have to practice even more.

Our next club meeting will be held on Saturday, April 30th. at the range, (weather permitting). Hope to see you all there."

Have you Peeped in on this One Yet?

2011-03-30T19:51:00.006-04:00

Spring is here which means we are celebrating in only a way 4-H can celebrate, by joining with 30 second and third grade classrooms for Embryology. Embryology is the study of the embryo, in this case chicken embryos. We train teachers on the hands-on Embryology curriculum and send them back to their classrooms with incubators, thermometers, and eggs. That is when the fun begins.

Three times a day the students help turn the eggs, just like mother hens. Three days before the scheduled hatch (which takes place 21 days after the eggs are placed in the incubator) the students stop turning the eggs and patiently wait. On hatch day students hear peeping, and pecking and suddenly chicks are born.

This is our first round of Embryology in the classroom this year. More than 35 classrooms were involved in the first round including classrooms from; Rowland Normant, Janie C. Hargrave, Flora McDonald, Rex Rennert, Long Branch, Rosenwald, Pembroke Elementary, and East Robeson.

So far reports have hatch rates as high as 85% on average this year. That's a whole lot of chicks that are finding homes with nice families who have established backyard flocks who are prepared to take really good care of our special friends. Our chicks from the 4-H office made their way to their new home on Sunday and their new family was very happy to welcome them.

Our next round of Embryology will take place in May. We have another 17 classrooms registered for second round so stay tuned for some egg breaking news coming to our 4-H blog soon.

Summer is Around the Corner...Let's Get Ready to Go.

2011-03-27T13:49:00.008-04:00

I admit it was a gloomy, rainy, cold Saturday however if you were at Biggs Park Mall you would have had a different outlook. There we were celebrating summer as part of Summer Camp Expo which was sponsored by the Biggs Park Mall and the Robesonian. There you could find all sorts of summer opportunities for kids of all ages and much more.

While we set up and talked about all things fun in summer or in 4-H as we call it summer fun, there was also other stuff going on at the mall. The top three winners from 4-H Entertains made it to center court to preform their show stopping acts. When the Michael Jackson song hit the speakers shoppers came out of the stores to see what was going on. From there it was history as our youth entertained the crowds for the first half hour. After that other local groups took to the stage as we continued to talk about 4-H.

More than 50 people walked away with Summer Fun brochures that you can download right now. Registration is currently open to all 4-H members and will open to the public in April 22. For more information about the series of 4-H camps please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette at (910) 671-3276 or Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension Needs Your Help!

2011-03-25T23:49:00.008-04:00

As you are well aware we are facing a budget crisis in this state. Up until today Extension was looking at a possible 10-15% budget cut statewide which would effect programs, positions, and ultimately the future of Extension as we know it. Today, Joe Zublena, Director of North Carolina Cooperative Extension, has said that the cuts being discussed today are between 25-30%. That means the loss of almost 400 positions across the state and programming cuts across the board. Linked is a letter outlining the cuts and what it could mean for Extension.

We need your help to make some personal phone calls to elected officials. Below are the names and numbers of the people we elected to serve us and ultimately the people who are making decisions about our budget. The Cooperative Extension budget is in the Higher Education Line item, specifically the agriculture section of Higher Education. Please place a call to our lawmakers and ask them not to cut this line item. Let them know how important Extension is to you, your youth, our community. Share with them that we worked together to improve the lives of more than 6,000 youth in our county and Extension touched the lives of over 33,000 people in Robeson County, in 2010 alone. Let them know that Extension includes helping traditional agriculture such as farmers, livestock producers, and poultry producers but also let them know we help families and youth. Extension is the only organization that can adapt to the needs of a county and offer solutions with research-based materials that improve the health/well being of our citizens, protects our food chain, and increases the profitability of our agricultural economy.

Mike McIntyre: Lumberton: (910) 735-0610 (phone) Marie Thompson is the Chief of Staff Washington, D.C.: (202) 225-2731 (Phone) Kaitlin Helms is the Executive Assistant to the Congressman

Charles Graham Lumberton: (910) 739-3969
Raleigh: (919) 715-0875

Garland Pierce Wagram (910) 369-2844
Raleigh: (919) 733-5803

G. L. Pridgen Lumberton: (910) 608-3277
Raleigh: (919) 733-5821

Michael Walters Proctorville: (910) 628-7075
Raleigh: (919) 733-5651

It is important that you call now because the higher education line item is to be discussed this weekend. Please know that your phone call, can make a difference. We appreciate your help and advocacy on behalf of North Carolina Cooperative Extension.

Award Winning Club and Members

2011-03-12T22:30:00.004-05:00

You know that feeling you get when you open the mail, no not an e-mail but actual mail. Not a bill, not junk mail but something hand addressed to you and you know it will be pleasant but you have no clue what is inside? I love that kind of mail. Usually it is special because you rarely see it. In this instance it was a wonderful invitation to the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Clubs award celebration. Each year club leaders Libby and Holly Burney take a moment to celebrate their club members achievements and give them awards and gifts that will last a lifetime.

This year the meeting started with a special meal complete with hot dogs, chips and a homemade cake. After everyone ate the group received their awards. Some got trophies, others medallions (based on their various achievements) and everyone got pins to add to their collections. Then they got a special gift, an encyclopedia of horse equipment. Then, after the group photos, it was time for the real fun....running out the door and getting to the horses.

Each one grabbed a brush and lead the horses toward the ring. They began the ritual of brushing them and of course giving them lots of attention before getting on their safety gear and getting into the ring.

Although everyone was thrilled to go riding this was a very special day for them. The awards and gifts we small thank you and reminders of their hard work and a job well done. It also marks the start of a new year for them as they set goals for the upcoming year and plan on how they might achieve them. Good luck to all the members of this grand 4-H club.

Warming Up

2011-03-10T22:29:00.001-05:00

Eggs-cellent! They have arrived and been laid in the nest. In case you have not cracked under all these puns (or caught on yet) the embryology eggs have arrived. The eggs which were recently laid at the N.C. State Hatchery by many many chickens were carefully packaged up and picked up by our 4-H staff. The fertile eggs were distributed to 30 classrooms and will be turned three times a day until March 24th. Then they will rest until they hatch. We hope that on the week of April 25th we will have little chicks pecking through their shells and peeping their way into our hearts.

Stay tuned to the 4-H blog for updates on our county wide hatch.

Dirty Rascals Take on Presentations

2011-03-09T20:32:00.004-05:00

The Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardeners met for the March monthly meeting at the 4-H office and did a little strategic planning and learning. Under the leadership of Tyson Alford, the club Vice President, the meeting was called to order. The group went over presentations and public speaking guidelines and did a little planning on who was going to do what. Now, as of the time of this e-mail we are not at liberty to say exactly what presentations will be done, or what members might be getting up to represent the club but we can tell you they will be creative, might just get down and dirty with the information, and competitors will feel a little buggy after it is all over with.

The club also wrote letters for members of the military. Each member wrote one card as a thank you to them for their service and another card for their child who is here in the states waiting for them to return. The card campaign is part of the Operation Military Kids Program.

In other business the club checked on their AeroGarden project and found their herbs growing strong. After consensus of the club leaders the herbs were taken for transplantation and will be hardened off. After transplantation the bowls will be returned and replanted to grow vegetables for our Family and Consumer Science Agents for educational opportunities that they offer the community.

It Comes Down to the Vote

2011-03-08T09:46:00.007-05:00

Monday night it was time for an update, sharing of learning, and setting of agendas. In other words it was time for our quarterly 4-H County Council and Volunteer Leaders' Association. The night kicked off with a rousing game of Bingo. As the officers took care of the games and awarding prizes, they got the crowd warmed up for the meeting ahead.

Kenneth Bethea, President of the Volunteer Leaders' Association called the meeting to order and asked James Nixon of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club and Christian Tice of the St. Pauls 4-H Pony Club lead the group of about 50 in the pledges. Aljaquan Nixon, the President of the County Council then recognized new members, new clubs and visitors to the meeting. Korina Pittman, the County Council Secretary, Treasurer conducted roll call. After counting the members Voices in Praise 4-H Club won the roll call award for having the highest percentage of members present at the meeting.

Veronica Powell, our current South Central District Secretary reported on district and state activities and offered clubs the opportunity to take part in a letter writing campaign to soldiers and their families. The Operation Military Kids campaign allows youth to write to a solider serving overseas and then a letter to that soldiers child who is at home waiting for them, This is one of several ways that 4-H members can help support our troops and their families.

Missy McLean-Wright and Katherine Bethea talked about the state 4-H Volunteer Leaders Conference. Missy spoke about the various workshops that the volunteers had to choose from while Katherine focused on one of the workshops she attending. "Are You Ready for the Leadership Challenge" was a workshop taught by Angela Shaver, the Cumberland County 4-H Agent and our own Shea Ann DeJarnette passed on the book The Leadership Challenge. Katherine and Laura Bethea were part of a group that were given the task of creating their own leadership song or jingle. With the help of the other volunteers in attendance, Katherine lead the group in their own rendition of a 4-H Leadership song.

T'asha Shelby then filled everyone in on what happened at Winter Enrichment and Aggie Rogers gave out the project record awards. This year our winners and participants are as follows:

-In the noncompetitive Cloverbud division Jaheim Purdie of the Inspirational Youth Leaders submitted a book on Gardening, Chrsitian Trice and Paiton Twigg of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club submitted animal science books, Elijah Leach of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club submitted a book on communication, Patrick McBride of the United We Stand 4-H Club submitted a book on Healthy Lifestyles, while Darius Brown of the Young Leaders 4-H club also submitted a book on healthy lifestyles, and Tierra Locklear a member at large submitted an animal science project record.

-In the 9-10 year old junior division Brianna Cryer, Chasity McClay, Megan Butler, and Taylor Holden of the St. Pauls 4-H Pony Club each submitted one if not two books on animal science: Jasmine McBride of the United We Stand 4-H Club and Amaria Rogers of Young Leaders each submitted a project record on Community Service; Jasmine McBride submitted a second book on Healthy Lifestyles which competed against Chenilin Hill, of the Inspirational Youth Leaders 4-H club book; and Michicko Hill of the Inspirational Youth Leaders 4-H Club submitted a communication arts book. In the end the judges determined Michicko Hill's communication arts book which placed first, Jasmine McBride's First place and Chenilin Hill's second place Healthy Lifestyles books, Amaria Rogers and Jasmine McBrides first and second place Community Service Books, as well as Brianna Cryer's and Brionna Locklear's first and second place animal science books would go on to district level competition.

-In the 11-12 year old junior age division Maurice Rogers of the Young Leaders 4-H Club placed first with his citizenship book while club mate T'Asha Shelby placed second in the same division. Daniel Bourhenne and Caylee Holden, both of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club placed first and second respectively in the animal science division. Maurice Rogers and Camry Ocean, of the Voices in Praise 4-H club went head to head in the communication arts category and placed first and second respectively. In the final category Jivinity Graham of the United We Stand 4-H Club and Jaylyn McNair of the Inspirational Youth Leaders 4-H Club went head to head in the Healthy Lifestyles category and place first and second respectively. We are very proud to say all of the project records in this division will go forth to district level competition.

-In the 13-15 year old age division we had five competitors completing seven books. Santiago Robinson of the Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports club completed two books one on personal development and one on animal science for which he placed first in both categories. Zarie Baker of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club also completed two books, one on consumer science and the other in Healthy Lifestyles. She placed first in both categories. Alexus Jones of the Inspirational youth leaders placed first in Communication Arts. Shawndora McNair of the Inspirational Youth Leaders 4-h Club received third in Healthy Lifestyles while Azaya Graham of the United We stand 4-H Club took home second place. In this age division Alexus Jones, Azaya Graham, and Zarie Baker were all chosen to go on to district competition.

-In the 16-18 year old division Aljaquan Nixon of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club submitted a project record on Community Service for which he received a blue ribbon. Korina Pittman of titan's 4-H Club also received a blue ribbon for her cumulative record on electricity. A cumulative record is similar to a project record but lists information for at least three years of project completion. Both Korina and Aljaquan's records will be going on to district competition.

Kenneth Bethea then introduced our new County Extension Director, Dr. Cathy Graham. Dr. Graham gave a few words to the group and thanked them for their participation in the learning activities that we offer. Christopher Bullard, the County Council Reporter filled everyone in on the county scrapbook. Christoper and Libby Burney, the volunteer leaders association reporter handed pages out to the clubs so they could create their own pages for the book. Christopher also announced a scrapbooking workshop for April 25th and 26th, at the 4-H office starting at noon each day. He is asking as many youth as possible to come out and help put the pages together.

After all of this excitement it was time for the big topic of the night, Cloverbud Retreat. The County Council Officers would like to host an overnight retreat for the youngest members our 5-8 year olds. The officers called a vote to see if they should offer a lock in overnight event, an event that would last until midnight, or a day time event for the youth. When the votes were tallied it was decided that the Cloverbud retreat will be an overnight lock-in event. When a date and time is set more information will follow.

After the vote we went over upcoming dates that can also be found at the bottom of this blog. Then we closed the meeting with refreshments that were provided by the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club. Our next County Council and Volunteer Leaders Association meeting will take place on May 2nd.

Something New

2011-03-08T00:19:00.000-05:00

Well we have a little announcement to make for all of you who follow the Robeson County 4-H blog. As you know when you click on the links to our photos you find them at photoworks.com. Our organization has had a decade long partnership with this company even before it was photoworks and was known as Seattle Film Works. In the last day or so photoworks has announced it will be closing as of April 4, 2011. They are transferring our photos to a similar service at shutterfly.com.
This will effect you in two ways. For those of you who look at photos or download photos for project records etc., you will now be taken to our Shutterfly account where you will have to create your own free account as you did on photoworks. You will be able to save entire albums to your account or specific photos. You can download them to your computer and print or order prints from shutterfly just as your did photoworks. If you have photos stored at photoworks you can log into your account (up until April 4) and ask them to transfer your photos to your shutterfly account which you can do for free.
The second way this will effect you is through the blog. All posts prior to this one are linked to photoworks. After April 4, we will replace the links in reverse chronological order so the photo links will be through shutterfly. This is not an overnight task, and may take some time but we will work diligently to update all of our posts with new links to the new photo sight.
If you would like to order any of the photo books we have made in the past now is the time. The last post of each year has a link to the books that were made. After April 4, these books will no longer be available. We are working with Shutterfly to build our own share page that you will be able to access all our photos separately without a specific link from the blog and will keep you updated on that process as it happens.
We appreciate your understanding and patience as we go through this process. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu.

Get Cracking

2011-03-07T23:20:00.002-05:00

It was an eggs-celent day for puns and education, embryology education that is. Today we took a couple of hours to work with our first time teachers who are implementing embryology in their second and third grade classrooms. Spring is the time of year when teachers and 4-H work together to plant a seed in the heads of of our youth. This is a science, technology, and agriculture seed that grows into a lesson on life cycles and more for our students.

Thanks to United Way of Robeson County 4-H is able to offer the teachers training on our hands on, research based curriculum and how to implement it in their classrooms. Then we loan them incubators, and get fertile eggs for each classroom in hopes that within the month they will have hatched some cute and noisy little chicks. While the youth are helping turn the eggs they learn how to read a thermometer, candle eggs, and how life cycles work. It is a fun lesson that teachers say stay with the students for their lifetime.

Stay updated on 4-H Embryology through the blog as we place the eggs in the incubators, turn the eggs and have a fabulous hatch. We will keep you up to date with photos and video of our fun event. If you would like to take part you can also come by the 4-H office and check on the chicks in our incubator at the O. P. Owens Agricultural center. We will have a guest book for you to sign in and leave us contact information so that we can contact you as we get closer to the big day.

Entertaining the Rumba Crowds

2011-03-06T18:30:00.009-05:00

It was a cool breezy day outside for the annual Rumba on the Lumber but inside it was sweet day of talent as our 4-H youth took to the stage at the historic Carolina Civic Center. The annual 4-H Talent Showcase allows 4-H members between the ages of 5 and 18 to show off their talents. Walking in audience members could view the incredible artwork as part of Artastic. Artastic is the visual arts competition where youth submit paintings, photography, pottery and other items for competition. Competitors in the Artastic contest included: Maggie Underwood, Layla Locklear, and Rachel Jhala with the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club; Patrick McBryde and Jasmine McBryde with the United We Stand 4-H Club; Paiton Twigg, Christian Tice, Savannah Cartagena, Brianna Cryer and Megan Butler with the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club; Nyeve Dinnerson, Jamyia Stephens, Janyia Stephens, Camry Ocean, MaKala McRae, Brianna Hayes, James Nixon, Aljaquan Nixon, Keorie McMillan, Lundon Dinnerson and Zarie Baker with the Voices in Praise 4-H Club; Sarah Willis and Laura Willis with the Super Clovers 4-H Club; Alex Evans, Allen Monk, Meranda Dennis and Victoria Evans with the Green Acres 4-H Club; Rhanoda Drye, and Tyron Alford with Young Leaders 4H Club; Jenna Howland, Jesse Howland and Jake Howland with the Hot Shots 4-H Club; and members are large, Peter Landry, Mark Landry and Jonathan Landry.

At one o'clock the performing talent, or Entertains portion of our event began. More than 40 youth were registered for this event. Angela Shaver, the Cumberland County 4-H Agent who hosted the event, kicked things off with the Cloverbud division. Cloverbuds are our 5 to 8 year old members. This is a noncompetitive category. Each participant received a ribbon for their hard work on the stage. Performing in this division was: Maggie Underwood with the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H club, dancing to "Cows"; Jonathon Landry played "Cuckoo" on the keyboard; Jack Allen with the Lucky Leaders 4-H club played "Ode to Joy" on the keyboard; Nadia Bennett with the Spiritual Generations 4-H club danced to "Santa Baby"; rounding out the cloverbud division was Nadia Bennett, Kyleigh Smith, Mya Mitchell and Kristen Smith with Spiritual Generations performing a praise dance.

In the Junior 9-10 year old division we had six competitors who made it tough on our judges. Elijah Leach with the Voices in Praise 4-H Club kicked things off with his version of Michael Jackson for the audience; Christian Tice with the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club entertained the audience with his puppet and jokes; Mark Landry played "Theme" on his keyboard; Jeshaiah Moore with the Young Leaders 4-H Club was next in the line up; Layla Allen played "The Arkansas Traveller" on the keyboard; and rounding out this age division was Nyeve Dinnerson of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club singing for our audience. When the judges got done Layla Allen took home the blue ribbon, Mark Landry took home second and Elijah Leach placed third.

As our ages increased so did the competition level. In the Junior 11-13 year old age division we had seven competitors. Rhanoda Drye of the Young Leaders 4-H Club and the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club kicked off this division with a moving song; Chasity McClay of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club came out with her viola and entertained the crowd; Camry Ocean of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club then took the stage over with her dramatic reading of a Mya Angelou poem; Caylee and Taylor Holden of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club did a praise dance; Maurice Rogers of the Young Leaders 4-h Club sang for the audience; Sarah Willis of the Super Clovers 4-H club also sang for the crowd; while T'Asha Shelby of the Young Leaders 4-H club played the flute for us to round out this age category. When the scores were tabulated Maurice Rogers took first place, Camry Ocean second, and Sarah Willis placed third.

In our final age division, the 14-18 year olds or senior division, we had five competitors. This round had performers sharing original songs and talents. Jake Howland of the Hot Shots 4-H Club played the guitar and sang an original song; Megan Hurst of the Horsin' Around 4-H Club and Dirty Rascal Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club preformed a ballet dance; Joshua Moore of the Young Leaders 4-H Club sang for us; while Laura Ashley Willis of the Super Clovers 4-H club sang an original song on heartbreak; Allen Monk of the Green Acres 4-H Club rounded off the age division with a Martial Arts demonstrations. The judges went back and forth but when they were done Laura Ashley Willis placed first, Megan Hurst second, and Allen Monk took home the white ribbon.

We have to give a special thanks to our judges, Cathy James, Rhonda Lovin, and Justin Myer. Also to Angela Shaver, who hosted the show, Aggie Rogers who handled line up and last minute changes, as well as Cathy Brown who handled sign in in the lobby and the "Artastic" competition. Also special thanks to our hosts at the Carolina Civic center who made sure all ran smoothly again this year.

Lining Up Our Sights

2011-03-05T18:15:00.004-05:00

The first meeting of the year for the Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club turned out to be very productive. Not only did we cover range rules and commands, Mrs. Peggy went over project records then led the club in an election process. Congratulations to our newly elected officers; Allen Monk - President, Dillon McCartney - Vice President, Harmony Guyton - Secretary, Lucas Collins - Treasurer and Christopher Bullard - Reporter.

After the election we covered eye dominance, sight alignment and sight picture which we plan on putting to use at our next meeting at the range.

Our next club meeting will be held in April, at the firing range. Club meeting starts promptly at 9 am. In case of bad weather we will meet at the office.

See you at the range.

Submitted by Larry Russ

Planning for the Future

2011-02-28T23:06:00.003-05:00

It was up to our 4-H County Council and Volunteer Leader officers to come together tonight and plan what will happen in our near future. The officers started by planning the meeting that will take place on Monday, March 7, at 6 pm. Then they started working on new projects.

Plans were set in place by Christopher Bullard and Libby Burney to pass out blank scrapbook pages to the clubs to make sure they each have the opportunity to create pages for this year's county scrapbook which will be turned in and judged on the district level at district activity day in June. Last year four clubs created pages and the reporters hope that we have 100% club representation this year. The two have also set two dates for youth to come to the 4-H office and work on the county scrapbook. Those dates will be announced at our meeting Monday night.

Then it was time for the youth to work on their special project. Our County Council Officers want to create a Cloverbud retreat for our youngest 5-8 year old youth. Although plans are still being made we have heard things like overnight, games, snacks, and fun mentioned.

To find out more about these projects and more county events come to the 4-H County Council and Volunteer Leaders meeting on Monday. The meeting will start at 6 pm and officers will conduct a club role call to see who has the highest percentage of members there.

Cold Fusion of Learning

2011-02-12T22:08:00.010-05:00

Every winter our 4-H members look forward to a South Central District tradition, Winter Enrichment. Today was the day our teens had anticipated as we travelled to Sandhills community college to represent Robeson County for district business and take part in educational workshops. What made this year especially great was that we were joined by the Bladen County delegation and an adult volunteer from Columbus County. Dillon McCartney, Santiago Robinson, and T'asha Shelby represented Robeson County. Dillon Dennis, Meranda Dennis, Victoria Evans, Rachel Harbough, Luke Hill, Alan Monk, and Laura Willis represented Bladen County. Alice Cooper from Columbus county was kind enough to travel with our group to this annual event.

15 counties come together at Winter Enrichment for education and to conduct district business. This year more than 60 youth attended the event. The district officers, past and present, lead the four workshops offered to youth. Darren Leffler, District President conducted the electric project. Youth had the opportunity to learn about circuits and soldering as part of the electric project which had youth assembling mood indicators. Courtney Miller taught a workshop on "Health Rocks!" which is a curriculum based on avoiding risky behaviors. Laura Willis taught a leadership workshop in which youth gained insight on the type of leadership skills they have so that they know how to focus their skills. Our District Reporter held a scrapbook workshop to help get the district scrapbook together. Each county brought photos with them to make sure each county has at least one page showing what they have done this year.

After the workshops it was time for the business meeting. T'asha took over the camera to provide up close and personal photos of this exciting meeting. The youth gave county reports updating everyone on what has been going on in their 4-H programs. Those considering running for district office introduced themselves and those planning to run for state office also introduced themselves. the group paused for a moment to wish Cathy Brown, the 4-H Agent from Hoke County, a very happy birthday. After the business meeting everyone joined in pizza and a little socializing before heading home. It was a fun day for all took part in the year's Winter Enrichment.

Project Grading, Hard Work or Fun?

2011-02-10T16:03:00.004-05:00

In case you have not figured it out, Robeson County 4-H loves our dedicated and helpful group of adult volunteers. When we call they jump up and take the challenge for us and we are always in debt to them. Yesterday was not different as six of our volunteers stepped forward to help us judge project records for another county. In January 4-H volunteers from Cumberland County as well as their new County Extension Director came down to Robeson County to judge our records. In return we offered to judge theirs. So a call went out at the end of last week for anyone interested to come and judge.

We were thrilled to have Tanya Underwood, Veronica Powell, Libby Burney, Sonny Sampson, Kenneth Bethea and Marilyn Merritt join us for grading. Kenneth and Marilyn are experienced project record graders. Libby has experience from Florida and it did not take her long to catch on to the North Carolina way of project record grading. Sonny, Veronica and Tanya were first timers and willing to jump in and try it. With experienced members surrounding them we judged all 40 of their project records in six hours. Penny McCartney and Shea Ann DeJarnette had the distinct honor of writing notes to each of the cloverbuds on their wonderful project records and Tanya also helped out with those.

Although the process took a little longer than most of the first timers thought it would, it gave them a good idea of how a project record should look and ideas on how to go about getting their 4-Her's to do one. As Marilyn said, "Pay attention because your kids need to do one now for next year!" We are looking forward to some excellent project records at the end of the year and this is the perfect time for members to get started writing everything down to make it easier when the deadline comes at the end of the year.

We would like to say thank you to the Cumberland County Volunteers for judging our records, and a special thank you to our volunteers for judging theirs. 4-H Volunteers ROCK!

Get Growing

2011-02-09T15:25:00.006-05:00

The Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club meeting yesterday for their first meeting of 2011 (the January meeting was snowed out!). After going through the schedule for the rest of the year the group got started on their big fund raiser of the year, the Master Gardener Plant Sale. Now if you are looking at your calendar thinking this is a little early to prep for a plant sale that doesn't happen until the end of April you might be right. The difference here is that the youth are using the AeroGarden that they purchased with the help of the Master Gardeners to start their herbs for the sale.

The AeroGarden comes with special trays and sponges that allow for seed starting. All three machines are being used to start wonderful herbs that should be just the right size for sale at the end of April. The JMG members planted; Cinnamon Bail, Italian Basil, Cilantro, Italian Parsley, Chives, Thyme, Oregano, Summer Savory, Sweet Marjoram, Dill, Lemon Basil, Rosemary, Catnip and Lavender. If all the seeds sprout this may be the largest variety of plants the youth have ever had for sale. Each plant will be $2 at the sale. The Master Gardeners hold this sale each year as their fundraiser for the various community projects that they take on. The Master gardeners raise the plants that are sold at the plant sale, each of their plants, no matter what size are $2. Along with the plant you can often talk with the Master Gardener who raised and it can give you expert advice on the best planting place, care, and instruction so you can have a green thumb with what they sell you. The Dirty Rascal Junior Master Gardeners keep the proceeds from their sale to help support club activities.

The AeroGardens will be in the kitchen at the Robeson County Cooperative Extension office, while the seedlings get started. The youth will come by and check on the plants between now and their next meeting to make sure they get the water and nutrients they need before they are transplanted for sale. Through this project they will not only learn about hydroponic gardening but also seedlings and how to harden plants, transplant them, and about biodegradable garden products. So not only is this project fun, it is accidentally educational, and a money maker for the club.

Stay tuned for more information about the Master Gardener and Dirty Rascal Junior Master Gardener Sale which will be the last weekend in April.

St. Paul's Pony Club Members Are Sciencerific!

2011-02-09T08:08:00.001-05:00

Two members of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club made headlines this week as they placed in their school science fairs. Christian Tice won second place in the Piney Grove Elementary School science fair, for fourth graders. Let's give him a hand!

Brianna Cryer was in the sixth grade Piney Grove Elementary School science fair. She did an awesome job!

-Photos and report were submitted by St. Pauls 4-H Pony club leader Libby Burney.