District Friendsgiving

 

  

Welcome to this first time event organized by the Southeast District Officers.   This first time event will be held in Wayne County! Join us at N.C. Cooperative Extension - Wayne County Center on November 15, 2025 at 9:00 AM (Eastern Time) for a day of fun, food, and friendship. This is open to our 14-18 year old 4-H members. Let's celebrate the spirit of Thanksgiving together with exciting activities and delicious treats. There is a $35 charge per person to cover lunch and supplies needed. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow 4-H members and create lasting memories. You can register under programs on the app or by clicking this Eventbrite link.

Running for District Office

 

Are you between the ages of 14-18 and have been in 4-H for at least three years?  Then you meet the qualifications for being a district officer.  All 4-H members who meet the above criteria have the opportunity to run for office.  You will compete against youth from 17 other counties in the SE District.  If elected you will serve for a year and have the opportunity to organize and present workshops at events such as Winter Fling, Teen Retreat, and even 4-H Congress.  

Before you run we encourage you to read over the officer responsibilities for each position and determine which one you are best suited for.  Also go through the checklist with your 4-H Agent and at home with your families to make sure they are able to support you if you are elected in this role.  You can find that documentation here:  District Officer Responsibilities and Checklist

If you decide to run you will need to fill out a nomination form and return it electronically to Ms Shea Ann (sadejarn@ncsu.edu) prior to March 14 (in other words by the close of business on March 13).  She will upload it to a special district folder and make the agent advisors aware that the nomination form is there.  To read more about the process please click this link.

If you have any questions about this opportunity or would like to talk more about it please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette at (910) 671-3276 or sadejarn@ncsu.edu

Winter Fling

   

Winter Fling is officially available for registration.  The event will be a one day event held in Jacksonville, NC.  It is open to Robeson County 4-H members ages 14-18.  Robeson County 4-H will pay the cost of this event, using United Way Funds, as long as you register prior to January 16 using this online form.  If you register and do not attend you will be responsible for refunding the program for your $15 registration fee.

The link to register is:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfznr1S01GHg1efGe1xcCBXoMHBkBG4Ols2FJWfwqrlzbDx_g/viewform?usp=sharing

For more information about this event please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Extension Agent at (910) 671-3276.

SE 4-H District Teen Retreat

 

SE 4-H District Teen Retreat is an overnight event for youth between the ages of 14-18.  This leadership event will be held at the Trinity Center in Salter Path, NC.  Youth will take part in District Officer Elections, workshops, and more. The cost of the event is $95 per person. Thanks to our United Way funds we are able to offer this event to youth for $55 dollars per person. The registration cost includes four meals, snacks, a t-shirt, lodging, transportation, and supplies.

Youth will leave the Robeson County Center on May 18th at 8 am to arrive in Pine Knolls at around 11 am. Youth will need to bring bedding (sheets and blanket, pillow, or sleeping bag), a change of clothes, and toiletries/towels.

We will return after lunch on Sunday around 5 pm.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, NC State University will honor requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Please direct accommodation requests to: Shea Ann DeJarnette at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu or 910-671-3276. Requests can be served more effectively if notice is provided at least 10 business days before the event.

To register please click on this link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/se-district-4-h-teen-retreat-tickets-873500221677

SE District 4-H Fall Day

   

Adult Volunteers one of you favorite days of the year is here!  District Fall Day will be held November 4 in Wayne County.  Of course we will provide transportation for our volunteers who register and if you register and attend we will pay your registration fee for supplies.  Lunch is included in the event.  Please see the information below about the schedule and workshops.

  This event is for 4-H Adult Volunteers in the SE District. Fall Day is an event for volunteer training, to conduct business on behalf of your district association, and to network.  The workshop topics revolve around the 4-H's.

-Head... Learning about the Mindful Curriculum

-Heart...Learning how to use people's primary language

-Hands...Learning how to hand knit a blanket for donation

-Health...Learning about favorite food contests and how you can implement them

The agenda for the day is:

9:30-10:00 AM- Registration

10:00 AM-11:30 AM-Workshops

11:30 AM-1:00 PM Lunch and Business Meeting

There is a $12 charge for supplies. However if Robeson County Volunteers register and attend we will pay the $12 charge for you.

Lunch will be provided as part of the event.

To register please go to:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/se-district-4-h-volunteer-fall-day-robeson-county-registration-tickets-744601482077?aff=oddtdtcreator

4-H District Activity Day

 4-H members made it happen!  District Activity Day (DAD) is an early morning and a time filled with nerves...that is until everyone is done presenting and then it feels like fun!

  This year we sent our People in Charge (PIC's) Mack Johnson and Taylor Chavis off a half hour before we hit the road.  The PIC's are in charge of getting judges for specific categories.  This year Taylor handled Arts & Communication while Mack took care of Fisheries and Wildlife.  Several of our staff and Master Gardeners were gracious enough to serve as judges in these categories.  We want to take a moment and say thank you to this group, who without their help DAD would not happen,

    Our delegation hit the road at 7:30 am and arrived at Lenoir Community College Just after 9:30 am.  We got our packet and did our best to et everyone to their respective rooms for competition.  A special thank you to all the adults who came with our youth that day to make sure they had a support system with them as they competed on the district level.  

  After lunch it was time for the awards ceremony. 

Jade Brown-Public Speaking-Silver

Amare Jones-Public Speaking-Gold

D.J. Jones-Public Speaking-Silver

Malachi Jones-Public Speaking-Bronze

Kennedi Lyons-Arts & Communications- Silver

Ian Malloy-Fishing and Wildlife-participation

Walt Malloy-Entertains -participation

Jahari Roberson-Arts & Communication- Silver

Congratulations to all our youth who took part.  Especially the fact that for 7 of our youth this was their first time attending.  We could not be more proud.  Stay tuned because our silver and gold winners will move forward to state.

To see our photos from the event please click this link.

SE District 4-H Teen Retreat

 

Hot off the press here is the information for our District Teen Retreat.  This is open to our 4-H members (active in the 4-H Online system) ages 13-18 (4-H Age).   The event will take place March 17-18 at the Trinity Center, in Salter Path, NC.  You will get to explore the beautiful coast line, take part in workshops, conduct business, and just have some fun with friends from around the district.

 The cost of the event is $95 and includes lodging, workshops, meals, and a T-shirt.  Thanks to our United Way Funds we are offering this opportunity at $50 per person and we will be providing transportation meals to and from the event.  Please note you will need to provide your own bed linens, towels, etc.  Deadline to register and pay is February 28th.

To register and pay:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/se-district-4-h-teen-retreat-robeson-county-tickets-547766463237

For questions please contact our 4-H staff at (910) 671-3276

SE District 4-H Winter Fling

Can you survive the SE District 4-H Winter Fling?  Well our Robeson County 4-H delegation came home with a new set of skills thanks to the Survivor Edition of SED Winter Fling.  This was the first district event for most of our Delegation, except for our state officer, Kennedi Lyons, who did her best to ease everyone into the fun of the event.  This year's fling, which is for our 4-H teens, took place in Duplin County.

The morning started off easily playing games and giving everyone a chance to get to know each other.  We had a group trivia challenge,  and some team building exercises.  Fun thinks like the human knot, Rock Paper Scissors (on steroids), Board games, Corn Hole and more.

After a lunch of pizza, salad, and cookies for dessert it was time to get down to business.  Our first set of workshops included, para cord keychains, Wild Life Education, and Games.  In the Para Cord workshop our youth made key chains with compasses.  Our youth had a ton of fun learning how to make these.  Our wildlife group got a first hand experience with hypothermia.  After sticking their hands in ice water for 30 seconds they had to try to retrieve coins from a cooler of ice water.  It sounds a lot easier than it is.  One group was learning new games from board games to card games and good sportsmanship as part of the games.  they were having a lot of fun.

 

After a quick break it was time for round two of workshops.  The choices this time were First Aid, Games, and Plant Identification.  Our youth in first aid went through a triage situation and had to figure out how to handle situations they were given on a card.  Let's just say there was a lot of out of the box thinking on how to splint broken appendages and cuts.  Our Plant Identification group learned about breaking plants down into different groups based on the type of leaf and how to identify them.  Our folks playing games learned new card games, playing word banana and other fun things while gaining decision making skills, critical thinking, and goods sportsmanship skills.  Let's just say there were a lot of smiles all around.

Around three we we had a quick snack break and then it was time for the business meeting.  After a brief announcement about Teen Retreat on March 17-18 we shut things down, said our goodbyes, and headed home.  It seems that everyone had a really great time!

SE District 4-H Volunteer Fall Day

Hey folks, the District Volunteers are excited to announce 4-H Fall Day for this year on Saturday, November 5.  This is a time for adult volunteers to get together, learn, fellowship, and network.  This will be a hybrid event held in Robeson County.  It is free and lunch will be served for those attending the in person event.  We will meet from 10 am until 2 pm.  The workshops will be fun and hands-on, including one on leadership.  During the business meeting we will elect new officers and discuss our role for the NC 4-H Volunteer Leaders Conference in February.  An agenda will be sent out to all participants prior to the event.  For those who register to take part virtually we will send a link to you as well.

The link to register is below.  We are asking everyone planning on taking part to register so we can make sure we have enough food for lunch and get zoom links to those taking part virtually.  Registration can be found below or on the app under programs.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/se-district-4-h-volunteer-fall-day-tickets-446242402037

We hope you will join us for this fun event just meant for our 4-H volunteers.  This day will be all about you!

SE 4-H District Winter Fling

   We went to new depths to celebrate our first in person district teen event this year.  Winter Fling took place at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City, NC.  About 50 youth and 20 adults from 10 counties in our district traveled to Pender County for the big day.  

  Our officers joined forces with our SE 4-H District Volunteer Leaders Association Officers to start our day off with Ice Breakers.  After a few series of some interesting stories we created as a team we jumped into our business meeting.  Called to order by our District President, Kaylee Lackey from Sampson County we had introductions, roll call for our 10 counties present, and talked about our upcoming teen retreat.  

  After the meeting we took part in outside team building exercises so we could get a breath of fresh air.  then we came back inside to enjoy some leadership workshops put together by Kaylee Lackey and her Mother Kim Lackey who is our current State 4-H Volunteer Leaders' Association President-Elect.  

  After our first workshop we enjoyed box lunches from Jersey Mikes and got a chance to be outside and enjoy a beautiful North Carolina Day.  We also were introduced to carton water which had a neat challenge with it.  I you post a photo of the water with the hash tag "better planet" the company would plant two trees in a National Forest.  What an awesome way to complete a community service project.  As we finished up the Sea turtle center offered a lot of opportunities for our youth.  Corn Hole boards, photo opportunities, and just scenic area our teens had a chance to get to know each other face to face and make friendships that have been hard to make for the last two years.

  When we came back in, we split into three groups; the green sea turtles, leatherback turtles, and loggerhead turtles.  These three species actually lay their eggs on North Carolina beaches and are most tied to our state.  Each group went to a different area of the center to start learning about a variety of things.

One group started in the main hall and learned different types of sea turtles, nesting habits and habitats.  Our youth learned about the dangers that face the sea turtles with one of those being humans and our ecological habits.  Trash, released balloons, and plastic straws sometimes mimic food for these grand creatures and cause issues and can be fatal.  By switching to metal, reusable straws,   not releasing balloons, and making sure trash goes into appropriate receptacles (and doing our best to recycle) makes a huge difference.

Another group started in the turtle x-ray room and then over to an exam room where they learned about measuring turtles, and overall health and wellness of these incredible creatures.  They also learned what happens when one is checked in the process these volunteers go through to nurse these large creature back to health.

The 4-H members also helped out by preparing fish and veggies to feed the turtles.  With all the food they prepared the staff and volunteers told them it would probably last for just over a day to feed all the patients.  Winter is a busy time for the facility because of cold stunned turtles.  The facility also has turtles that will take long term rehab and some that can not go back into the wild but can be adopted by educational facilities (such as a zoo or aquarium).

When our 4-H Members left Saturday they said they had a good time, had learned a great deal, were glad to see each other, and left with metal straws to start a change for the environment for sea turtles.  To see more of our adventures check out our photos.  To review the unapproved minutes please feel free to click this link.  Way to Go SE District!

SE District 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association Fall Day

 

The District 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association officers are thrilled to invite you to Fall Day.  Fall day is an annual district volunteer meeting where adult volunteers can get training, network, conduct business on behalf of the association, and run for office.  

  This year Fall Day will take place in Lenoir County on Saturday November 20 from 10 am - 2 pm.  Our agenda is as follows:

10-10:30 Registration

10:30-12:00 Workshops 

    -Homesteading (backyard poultry/food preservation/water glassing)

    -Getting to know your association and what it takes to lead

    -Making Goat Milk Soap

12:00 Lunch

12:30 Business meeting and Officer Elections

  This will be a face to face meeting.  However we will have a virtual option for the business meeting and elections.  

  Lunch options will be to bring your own, or we will place a group order from a local establishment.  If you choose the group order you can pay at registration.  We anticipate the cost to be around $10.

We will ask that you register in advance using the following link:  https://forms.gle/PePCCXsC75enrqNn6

or on our app (District fall Day is listed under Programs)  If you have any questions please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette at sadejarn@ncsu.edu.

Congratulations to our District Activity Day Winners

 

4-H District Project Record Judging

 

Please see the following email from Shannon McCollum regarding judging project records.  We are excited that Robeson County is one of the in person host sights for this event.  Please note, to volunteer you must be an approved adult 4-H volunteer active in 4-H Online and your will need to register ASAP because space is limited.

To:   Potential 4-H Project Record Judges

From:   Shannon B. McCollum, Ed.D                        

Youth Development Specialist, Extension 4-H Associate

 

Re:   Judges Needed for Record Book Judging - Quick turnaround time

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting 4-H Record Book Judging this year in person.  We will have very strict limitations and will offer 5 locations for judging; however, the key is that we are going to be able to do this in person.  We all know that judges are a vital part of this process and we are writing to request your help.  If you would like to judge please see below for the specifics.  

It will be held in the following locations:

May 15 - Robeson County - Lumberton 

May 15 - BJP 4-H Camp - Reidsville

May 15 - Mitchell County - Bakersville

May 22 - Nash County - Nashville 

May 22 - Millstone 4-H Camp - Ellerbe

Due to the pandemic restrictions that are in place and the university guidelines, we will have to limit the number of judges per location to around 20 and judging will be held on one day only.  Judging will be handled on a first come first serve.  I have to cut it off at around 20 due to our indoor limit restrictions for space and people. Registration will close on May 7th.  

Judging locations and dates are listed above. Each district has roughly 95 books to judge and we should easily be able to do that in one day if we work hard.  We are also asking that if you could pack a bag lunch and bring it, that will help with some of the restrictions we are under.  We will provide snacks and drinks but this will help us stay within our guidelines easily.  If you are able to judge, please select the location that is closest to you that you can drive there and back on the day of judging.  Judges must wear a mask and follow all guidelines by the Governor. We will have masks and hand sanitizers available at each location as well.  

4-H Volunteers who are judging:  In order to judge we need to have all of our judges registered and approved in 4HOnline.  I anticipate most of you are however if you are not, please work with your 4-H Agent to register or go here:  https://v2.4honline.com/#/user/sign-in

If you are already registered then you are all set. Go to the link below to register for judging. Please note that registering in 4HOnline using the above link does NOT register you to judge – see link below for that.

If you are available to help, please mark the dates for judging on your calendar. Your participation in this process will benefit the 4-H'ers as well as yourself.  If you want to help both weekends, please understand that at this time unfortunately we are not able to provide lodging.  If you can judge both weekends, please fill out a separate entry for both weekends. This will help me keep it all organized in one spreadsheet.  Once I have the judges confirmed, I will send an email with specific instructions and the address for the judging location.  

Day of Judging Schedule

8:30 am - 9:00 am - Judges Check-in

9:00 am - 9:30 am - Judging Guidelines

9:30 am - 12:00 Noon - Judging

Noon - 1:00 pm - Lunch - bring your own packed lunch

1:00 pm - 5:00pm - Judging continues

5:00 pm or as close to it as possible - Judging concludes

As you can see we have a very tight schedule but we can make it happen if we all arrive on time and work diligently throughout the day.  Please use the link below to sign up for judging and let me know if you have questions! Thank you so much for considering this opportunity.  I know it’s a short turn around but please register by May 7th.  

Thanks again and let me know if you have questions:  shannon_mccollum@ncsu.edu

Click the link below to register online for judging:

https://go.ncsu.edu/recordjudging

Shannon

SE District Teen Retreat

 

We told you to save the date and now it is here!  the Southeast District Teen Retreat!  This is open to all 14-18 year old 4-H members with an active profile on 4-H Online (https://v2.4honline.com).  It will take place virtually April 20 from 6-8:30 pm.  We will have workshops, vote for our District Officers, and much much more. You can register from the app or go to https://forms.gle/jDcJY9J3xUxqgwiT6 to register.  Registration will close at noon on April 20. 

Calling Our 4-H Teens!

Time to save the date for our 14-18 year olds.  District Teen Retreat will be held virtually April 20th from 6-8:30 pm.   More information will be coming soon so get ready for a fun time!

District Officers-New Deadline

4-H Members interested in running for district office now have until March 5, at noon to get your nomination packets into the 4-H office.  

For more information such as requirements to run please see our blog link at:  https://robeson4-h.blogspot.com/2021/01/calling-all-4-h-members-interested-in.html

For access to the packet please see:  https://nc4h.ces.ncsu.edu/youth-3/4-h-teen-programs/state-council/

Calling All 4-H Members interested in Being District Officers

Are you interested in being a SE District Officer?  You have until March 1 to apply.  Please read the instructions below and have your packet to the Robeson County 4-H Staff by March 1. 

Please see the requirements below.  More information can be found at https://nc4h.ces.ncsu.edu/youth-3/4-h-teen-programs/state-council/

Candidate Requirements

• District Officer candidates must be at least fourteen years of age (as of Jan. 1, 2021)
• District Officer Candidates must have been an active member of 4-H for at least 2 years prior to seeking a district office. 
• District Officer Candidates must be currently enrolled and have an "Approved" member profile in 4-HOnline 2.0. 
• District Officer candidates must complete and submit their electronic "District Officer Nomination Packet" to their 4-H agent by the locally determined due date. 
• Due to COVID-19: The required nomination signatures can be obtained via an email (i.e. an email attachment or screenshot of a statement of support will be accepted in lieu of signatures). 

Agent Requirements 

• An agent who supports putting forth a candidate's nomination packet is required to electronically submit their candidate(s) nomination packet to both their District's Agent Advisor and to Mitzi Downing, State 4-H Council Advisor by March 1, 2021. 

SE 4-H District Winter Fling

 Our first district event of the year is in the books and I must say it was virtually incredible.  The event held over zoom included around 50 youth and adults.  This was a chance to see 4-H members from other counties, take part in workshops, and conduct a little business.

  The event began at one pm sharp.  Youth were split into one of two workshops, then had the chance to take part in the second workshop after.  The two workshops were Love Treats lead by Guillermo Estrada and Yoga by Autumn Apple.

  In the Yoga workshop youth had a chance to learning breathing exercises and some simple yoga poses that were then translated into a yoga version of the 4-H pledge.  Using Menti the youth and adults talked about what they are grateful for and how they express gratefulness.  They also had a chance to talk about wellness and set some wellness goals for themselves.

  Treats of Love was an easy cooking workshop to make treats for loved ones.  They started with no bake peanut butter bars.  That involved crushing pretzel sticks for a crust, peanut butter and melted chocolate layered in an 8x8 baking dish and then slipped into the freezer for 30 minutes before cutting.  Simple Walnut Balls start with crushed graham crackers, crushed walnuts, and a half can of condensed milk that are mixed together.  That mixture was placed in the freezer to harden for about 10 minutes.  When it came out it was rolled into balls that were rolled in cinnamon sugar.  He says it tastes just like cookie dough.  The last recipe was a strawberry shortcake.  After cutting the fresh strawberries and mashing them to a consistency you would like, something just short of jam, it was time to get your layer on.  Using cubes of pound cake and pudding layers were made with cake, strawberries and pudding.  Finishing the top with just a little whipped cream.  If you would like a copy of these easy fun recipes please click this link.

At the end our 4-H members were challenged to define their 4-H experience this year with one word.  Can't wait to see what our 4-H members say.  Thank you to our Robeson County delegation for attending: Brooke Canady, Maggie Love, Kennedi Lyons, Jada McKinnon, Maggie Underwood, Ms. Wendy, and Ms Shea Ann.  It was a great meeting and gave us a chance to meet and hangout with other 4-H members from around the SE District. 



 

4-H Teens....Time for District Winter FLING!

 

Winter Fling is open to all our 4-H youth ages 14-18.  The event will take place via zoom January 23 from 1-3:30 pm.  To register please click on this link or go to Programs in our 4-H App.  Registration Deadline is January 20th.  Please call Ms. Shea Ann or Ms. Wendy at (910) 671-3276 if you have any questions.

SE District Winter Fling

For our 4-H members 14 and up....save the date more details to come.....