November Means Elections

Twas the night before voting and all through the county there were creatures stirring, practicing their voting. Well, in all honesty they weren't really practicing, they were actually officially voting. Not the the country's highest office but for our county 4-H program's highest honors, the officers of the county council and leaders association. Five clubs were on hand to cast their ballots and make sure they were signed by the proper youth and adults for each club.
When the votes were tallied the county council officers elected are: Cierra Buckman, President; Aljaquwan Nixon, President-Elect; Yazmin Washington, Secretary; Kristen Sealey, Treasurer; Jaboya Mouzon, Reporter; Laquawnda Banks, Sergeant-at-Arms.
The Leaders' Association officers include: Renee Blue, President; Hazel Sumner, President-Elect; Sandra Cox, Secretary; Melissa Hoggard, treasurer; Kenneth Bethea, Reporter; Past President/Advisor is Jane Hurst. Marilyn Merritt, the South Central District Leaders' Association president is also serving as the district advisor to the association.
The officers were inducted into their offices during a traditional candlelight ceremony. their first official act of office will come on January 12 when they go through an orientation and learn about the responsibilities of office and about parliamentary procedure.
If you would like to know more about the county council or leaders' association and how you can become an officer contact Aggie Rogers, 4-H Program Associate, at (910) 671-3276 or Aggie_Rogers@ncsu.edu.

Fall Back into Fall Day

They drove to Robeson County in car loads and vans full to enjoy, learn, and work. What is it all about? The South Central District 4-H Annual Volunteer Fall Day. More than 50 people from 10 counties arrived Saturday morning to see old friends, attend workshops, and conduct business. After a brief welcome from district president Jim Hancock, the group broke down to attend two of four workshops for the day.

Bobby Rogers, a Robeson County 4-H volunteer created a woodworking project for the group. The shelves, which could be used as a spice rack or whatever the imagination can muster, were put together by each individual to take home. As part of the lesson they learned about different types of hammers, different sized nails, and how woodworking can be a great stress reliever.

Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent in Robeson County offered some great ways to recycle and create money saving projects that will be especially handy during the holidays. Taking old magazines and catalogs, she cut strips and showed the crowd how to make bows for holidays packages, as well as jewelry beads, and even an eye glasses case. Many of the volunteers said they plan to take the projects back to teach other volunteers, youth in the clubs, and even church members how to do.

Mom, also known as Eleanore Getz, a Cumberland County Volunteer, told a packed room about the ACE Master Volunteer Program and how to get involved. The course which offers various levels of training and volunteer work is a state program that allows volunteers to create a portfolio and earn different levels of volunteer achievement.

As part of the ACE program Shea Ann DeJarnette, the Robeson County 4-H Extension Agent, offered a workshop on Jim Collins book "From Good to Great." The workshop explains the theories and principles in the book and allows volunteers to apply them to their 4-H volunteer work. The course can also be as part of the training used by volunteers who are trying to achieve their emerald level in the ACE program.

After the workshops, the group went into their business meeting to approve by-law changes due to redistricting and elect new officers for the upcoming year. Incoming officers include: Past President, Jim Hancock from Cumberland County; President, Marilyn Merritt from Robeson County; President-elect, Karen Cole from Moore County; Vice President, Hannah Dunlap from Anson County; Secretary, Jo Ann Lowder from Cabarrus County; Treasurer, William Byrd from Scotland County; Reporter, Aggie Rogers from Robeson County; Parliamentarian, Walter Brown from Scotland County. Mable Murray from Cumberland County and Alisha Brown from Scotland County are being nominated to run for the state reporter position.

Lunch which was prepared by the Robeson County staff and volunteers was served during a break in the business meeting. After the business meeting, just after 2 the meeting was adjourned and Fall Day was over, so that everyone could go home and set their clocks back awaiting the next meeting, which will be held as part of State 4-H Volunteer Leaders Conference in 2009.

4-H Members Making the Grade for College

They are making history and planning their futures all at the same time. These 4-H members are part of our first Robeson County 4-H intensive college prep program that began on October 31st. 12 youth were selected through a nomination process from club leaders, volunteers, parents and 4-H staff. To be part of the program they had to be in the ninth through eleventh grades, be an active 4-H member, and have the commitment they will need to be a part of the program. Letters and contracts were sent to each possibly participant and when all was said and done nine dedicated members decided to take part in the program that will help them be prepared and competitive for college. Our first workshops took place on a teachers workday. the youth arrived at the 4-H office and worked on exercises to help them follow directions filled out surveys, and we had a conversation to help shape future programs. April Mowery, with CFNC (the College Foundation of North Carolina), stopped by and walked them through the resources their organization offers, and how they can start using it to be better prepared for their futures. Janice Fields, our Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent worked with them on how to make healthy eating decisions when away from home and they even got a chance to do some dorm cooking (cooking from a microwave) they each prepared a dish for everyone to share at lunch and all I can tell you is it looked good and smelled even better. After lunch they had a chance to work with Christy Strickland, another Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent with our Robeson County Extension Office. Christy worked with the youth on note taking techniques, time management and organizational issues. She also gave them an opportunity to be creative as they turned simple cookie sheets into colorful and inventive memo boards that they can use now and in college. Each of the youth enjoyed the program and seem to be getting excited about the possibilities that this program will offer them. Stay tuned for their future classes, lessons, and 4-H student life as part of this program.

4-H Makes Big News

If you read the Robesonian or Red Springs Citizen you might have noticed a few more mentions of 4-H lately. Everett Davis, the Robeson County Extension Director has a weekly column that has featured our 4-H program three out of the last four weeks. One of the columns is below (4-H a Good Investment) and I had the fortune of being the guest columnist that week and able to share those 4-H thoughts with everyone. Since then, Everett has shared his thoughts on the 4-H Animal Science program and our recent Vermiculture experiments. If you have the opportunity please click the link for each of these stories and take the time to read them. They are informative and interesting and I hope will give you a broader view of 4-H in Robeson County.

Livestock Shows a Mooving Experience

The drizzle and grey did not keep the lambs or heifers away from the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair's annual 4-H livestock show Saturday. The morning began early with weigh in for the 4-H lamb show. More than 30 lambs made their way into the show ring to help show why their youth should be seen as the top showmen and then they re-entered to determine the best lambs based on weights.

In the non-compeitive Cloverbud division (ages 5-8) showmanship category, Tate Naylor, Hunter Muse, Mason Hunt, McKenzie Love, and Mary Elizabeth Vorder Bruegge stole the ring and the audience's attention as they worked their lambs around the ring. Each received a special cloverbud trophy for their efforts.
In the 9-10 year old Junior age division Benjamin Herndon placed sixth, Isabelle Love went home in fifth place, Robert Seals took home forth and Ashley Wilson went home with the white third place ribbon. Eugenie Reba Vorder Bruegge and Drayton Hancock took the top showman spots.

In the Junior 11-13 year old age division Bubba McLaughlin took home the blue ribbon, Ruth Helen Vorder Bruegge placed second and Samantha Naylor followed in third place. Rounding out the division was Martha Anne Vorder Bruegge, Megan Baldwin, Steven Boudreaux, and Oliva Forbes.
In the Senior (14-19 years old) age division William Van Gilder took home first place, Heather Goodrich placed second and Jamie Boudreaux took home the white ribbon. Cooper Locke, Danielle Hunt and R. J. Trickett rounded out the division.
When it came to judging the lambs in weight classes Judge Hughes and to take his time to determine the best of the best. In the lightweight division the lambs weighed between 64 and 88 pounds. Of the 11 competitors Jamie Boudreaux placed first, Ashley Wilson with her lamb Walle placed second and Drayton Hancock's Pretty Girl placed third.

In the Middle weight division there were 11 more competitors whose lambs weighed between 90 and 124 pounds. Placing in the top three were Samantha Naylor, Benjamin Herndon with Susan and R. J. Trickett.

In the last weight division, the heavy weight division (125-144 pounds) Bubba McLaughlin took first place, William Van Gilder took second and in third place was Martha Ann Vorder Bruegge with her lamb Leroy.
The grand Champion Competition is determined by bringing all the first place market winners back into the show ring. Bubba McLaughlin walked away with the trophy and bragging rights that his goat is the best of the best. William Van Gilder took his place in the ring but it was Samantha Naylor who took home the Reserve Champion trophy.

After a 20 minute break, and a chance for some of the lambs to load up to go home, it was time for Judge Hughes to break down the 4-H Heifer and Steer Competition. All the competitors this year were in the Senior division, and after 20 minutes in the ring asking questions and observing the showmen with their heifers he placed Matthew Slover in fifth place, Stephanie Carter in forth, Katie Pesta in Third, Sarah Herring in second place and placing top in the showmanship division is Nick Kiker.

In the market show there were three division based on birth date. The first division were the heifers born in 2008, Sarah Herring with Marley placed first and Stephanie Carter with Hot Chocolate placed second. in the 2007 division the competition was a little stiffer. Stephanie Carter and her heifer Cayenne took home the white ribbon while Katie Pest with WPH Miss Time placed second and the blue ribbon went home with Nick Kiker and WPH Miss Dream. In the 2006 division Matthew Slover with Gloria placed third, Stephanie Carter with Mercedes placed second and in first place was Sarah Herring with Margarita.

Just as in the lamb show the first place heifer took over the ring again to determine the Grand Champion. In a unique turn of events Sarah Herring with Marley took Grand Champion and She also took reserve champion with her heifer Margarita.

Congratulations to all of our winners!

Turning the Barn Inside Out

There was hay flying, turkeys rolling, and children laughing through the livestock building at the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair Friday night. More than 30 youth came in to see the animals and stayed to play old fashioned barn games. There were traditional games like sack races and horse shoes, some old games with new twists like pin the tail on the cow, frozen turkey bowling and roping a bulls head, and then the game that topped all games....jumping in the hay stack. A large pile of hay was in the middle of the ring and the kids had a chance to jump in and look for prizes. Everyone had a chance to leave with armloads of prizes which included cups, stickers and educational games. You could say they had an utterly wonderful time!

Feathers Fly at the Fair

Can you tell the difference between a laying hen and broiler? If you had attended the Robeson Regional Fair 4-H Poultry show Thursday night you could have had a lesson in everything from how to carry a chicken to what makes an award winning broiler. Judge Summer Russel took time in the ring with each participant talking to them about their experiences, lifting wings, and checking meat areas to determine winners.
In our laying hen cloverbud division, or five to eight year olds, Raven Daughtery, Eli Daughtery and Jospeh Hardee entered the ring with their hens. Our five to eight year old division is non-competitive, it allows the youth to have a chance to learn how to show an animal and have this count as a great learning experience. Each participant left the ring with a trophy for their hard work.
In the junior laying hen division Benjamin Herndon took first place and Ian Daugherty took home the read ribbon in a competition that Judge Russell said was very close. Jeremy Beavers took first place in the senior division as well.
The broilers took center ring next. Our cloverbuds Eli Daughtery and Raven Daughtery showed our judge all the new things they had learned and practiced their showing skills again. In the junior division Judge Russel said it came down to one broiler having just a little more meat on its hip then the other and Benjamin Herdon took home the blue ribbon while Ian Daughtery took home the red.