Horse News

The December 2021 edition of the NC 4-H Horse Program Newsletter is now available. This issue features the results of all our national fall contests and the 2022 schedule of events for district and state program activities.

A couple of important upcoming deadlines and events:

• January 2 is the deadline for counties to submit Horsebowl questions if they wish to enter district contests.
• January 15 is the Youth Training Clinic, featuring sessions on Horse Judging, Hippology, and Horse Bowl.

Please share this information with horse club leaders, parents, and youth in your county. We did send this via Active Campaign and on Facebook, but it never hurts to share again since we constantly have new members joining the program.

 

4-H Top 4 for the week of December 13, 2021

 Wow!  This is our next to last top 4 for this year.  We can hardly believe it.  We do have somethings coming up we want to make you aware of....including our office schedule for the holidays.  So please read carefully.

-Thanks to all who came out this past Friday night for our sit-in movie 4-H Appreciation Night.  We hate that we couldn't have it outside due to Mother Nature but we are working on something fun next year, weather permitting.  If you didn't get to come out Friday night your certificate and gift are at the office.  If you would like to come by today thru Thursday to pick up these items we will have them ready.  If you can't make it that's fine we will mail certificates.  Please know thanks to the increase in postage we can not mail gifts.  Our staff will be attending a staff development opportunity on Friday so we will ask that you pick up prior to Friday.

-Our office will be closed Monday December 20-Monday December 27.  We will be back in on Tuesday-Thursday and closed on New Year's Eve for the New Year Holiday.  So if you are interested in purchasing overnight camp or a 4-H Cookbook for a Christmas gift you will need to plan accordingly. 

-4-H Adult Volunteers the deadline to register and pay for NC 4-H Leaders Conference, which will take place in Durham, is January 6.  You can register and pay online through our app, under programs.  To learn more about the event click this link to read more about the event on our blog.  There is also a link to registration from that blog post.  This is a great way for our adult volunteers to network with other volunteers from around the state and to get all your training for the year in at one time.  This year because of the schedule you can just drive up early Saturday morning if you want and drive back when the conference is over at 5 pm.

--January 18 is the deadline to turn in 4-H Project Records, Portfolios, Honor Club Applications, and Scholarship forms.  That is a lot right?  

        Project Records/Portfolios:  Project Records for work done in 2021 should be dropped off at our office prior to 5 pm that day.  For youth who took part in animal science, just update your books and drop them off at our office.  Just for turning in a project record or portfolio (which is for 13 year olds and up-showing three consecutive years of work in a project area) you will get a cash award and if you place first or second in your age division in that category, you will move forward to District Competition.  To find the forms you need to complete these just click this link.  Make sure to download the appropriate form for your 4-H Age on January 1, 2021.  

    Honor Club-4-H Honor club is for 4-H members who are 4-H age 16 and have been in 4-H for at least three years.  You have an opportunity to list the things you have done in 4-H and apply to be part of the strongest and longest serving alumni 4-H programs in the Nation.  Less than 1% of those who apply get in.  Being a part of honor club means you are part of a 4-H service organization for life (IF selected Robeson County 4-H will pay your one time, lifetime dues amount).  It is a great networking opportunity and a great way to stay connected to 4-H when you age out of the program.  You can find the application here to download and fill out.  You will need to scroll about halfway down the page to find it.

   Scholarships-For college seniors who want a little bit of financial assistance you should apply for one or more of the college scholarships.  All it takes is one form and you can apply for as many of the 67 scholarships that are available, that you qualify for.  Please read the descriptions of scholarships carefully before checking off which scholarships you want to apply for.  Some are school specific, some two year vs. four year, some are specific to your district, county etc.  The state has now posted the scholarship application and guidelines.  You can find them here, just scroll down to scholarships.  If you have questions or need help please contact Shea Ann or Wendy at (910) 671-3276 or sadejarn@ncsu.edu, wrmaynor@ncsu.edu.  To download the application please click this link. 

We hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday.  Thank you for making 2021 a wonderful year.

Wendy, Christy, Dominique, and Shea Ann

4-H Appreciation Night-Letting Our Lights Shine

 4-H Appreciation was scheduled as a drive in movie event.  Well that was the plan at least, until about 5:30 when we realized Mother Nature had other plans.  Quick thinking, and the help of busy hands at our Extension office allowed us to turn our drive-in into a sit down theater style evening.  As we came in for our family style, socially distanced seating, we watched on an indoor big screen what we would have seen outside.  

   We started with our awards program, talking about all our youth had accomplished this year, virtually and in person.  It is amazing the resilience of our youth and 4-H families.   As we recognized our competitive program winners we also recognized our youth who registered to attend this event.  Of course we have two big awards we give each appreciation night.  The first is the "I Dare You Award" which is the highest award we give to a youth.  Our Interim County Extension Director, Mac Malloy announced the award via video and then presented it in person.  This year for showing strength, determination, and poise we recognized Brooke Canady with this award.

    After cheering for our youth we moved on to our 4-H Volunteers.  Many people don't realize all it takes to be a 4-H Volunteer, not to mention the time and planning it involves.  We recognized our volunteers from their first year all the way up to 38 years of service.  For those celebrating five and ten year marks they received special gifts along with their certificates.  At the end of the evening Dr. Eddie Locklear announced the winner of this award via video and presented it in person.   This is the first year that the award was given posthumously to Charles Russ.  Mr. Russ's wife and son accepted on his behalf.  

   If you would like to view the slide show from that night you can access it here.  If you would like to see the video presentation from that evening you can view it here.  Photos from that night can be found here.

  After the presentations we all sat down and watched the original Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and enjoyed a moment to safely relax with each other again.   Our members, volunteers, and clubs took a moment to take photos at our photo wall to remember this night by.  We hope this night inspired our youth to celebrate their successes and challenge themselves to try new things in 2022.  We can't wait to see all they will do. 

JMG News

 

BIWEEKLY UPDATE | DECEMBER 2021 JMG NLT GIVE BACK DIY SUGAR SCRUB JUMP INTO SPRING GARDENING WITH US! REGISTER FOR JMG NLT 2022 TODAY. Join us for a hands-on, fun-filled 3 days of JMG training in College Station, TX on February 21st-23rd, 2022! You will learn about JMG curricula, community partnerships, program implementation, and more. Register SOON for the best pricing and room availability! LEARN MORE REGISTER NOW! 'TIS THE SEASON FOR YEAR-END GIVING JMG grew from a idea and passion for teaching kids to lead and serve through gardening. As we have grown over the past 21 years, we see that there is an even larger need and reach that is possible for our program. As you consider how to be generous in this season, we humbly ask that you would consider supporting JMG's sustainment fund to reach the next generation of students. LEARN MORE DIY SUGAR SCRUB Looking for a gift idea that allows you to create in the midst of a busy holiday season? With just a few ingredients, try out this sugar scrub recipe! This gift will delight friends and family with not only the results, but also the rest and relaxation that comes with it. Check out the instructions below to get started! MAKE SUGAR SCRUB VISIT OUR WEBSITE Junior Master Gardener Program | juniormastergardener@gmail.com CONNECT WITH US:  ‌  ‌  ‌

Money for College

 

The NC Community College System just established the NC Longleaf Commitment Grant.  This grant will allow 2020 and 2021 high school graduates to attend one of the state’s community colleges.  Eligible students are guaranteed to receive $700 to $2,800 per year for tuition and fees for a total of two years.  Attached are three posters that may be shared with your 4-H youth, posted in Extension Offices, or shared with public school teachers for posting.  This program is set to conclude the spring semester of 2023.  More information about the grant can be found here.

4-H Top 4 for the week of December 6, 2021

   

Good morning everyone!  Hope you had a great weekend.  Our Extension office held our 8th Annual Very Local Holiday Festival at the Robeson County Farmers Market this weekend.  As part of that 4-H (with the help of our Master Gardener Volunteers/4-H Volunteers) gave out 100 S'mores kits advertising our Overnight Summer Camp.   In other words....if you would like to give the gift of a week of overnight camp to a child this Christmas, now is the best time to do it.  

    Speaking of Christmas Presents, our 4-H Cookbooks are available at our office.  They are $10 each.  The money from the cookbooks goes toward the Robert Wilkes 4-H Endowment.  When it is fully endowed it will offer scholarships for Robeson County 4-H entrepreneurial and leadership programs.     

  The year is winding down fast so let's get on with our top 4!

-The deadline to register for 4-H Appreciation Night is today! Just click on the link or you can register from the app, under programs.  Our 4-H Appreciation night this year will be set up as a drive in movie!  When you find your parking spot, send a representative in the lobby and we will have a bag for your car.  In the bag will be awards, and necessities for the movies such as popcorn, popcorn cups, drinks, etc.  We will also have photo opportunities and we heard there just might be snow.....you will have to be here to see it!  After 4-H Appreciation on the big screen we will be showing two classic movies, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman.  So come in your comfy clothes and plan to enjoy the night.  For more information, check out our blog post.

-4-H Adult Volunteers the deadline to register and pay for NC 4-H Leaders Conference, which will take place in Durham, is January 6.  You can register and pay online through our app, under programs.  To learn more about the event click this link to read more about the event on our blog.  There is also a link to registration from that blog post.  This is a great way for our adult volunteers to network with other volunteers from around the state and to get all your training for the year in at one time.  This year because of the schedule you can just drive up early Saturday morning if you want and drive back when the conference is over at 5 pm.

-January 18 is the deadline to turn in 4-H Project Records, Portfolios, Honor Club Applications, and Scholarship forms.  That is a lot right?  

        Project Records/Portfolios:  Project Records for work done in 2021 should be dropped off at our office prior to 5 pm that day.  For youth who took part in animal science, just update your books and drop them off at our office.  Just for turning in a project record or portfolio (which is for 13 year olds and up-showing three consecutive years of work in a project area) you will get a cash award and if you place first or second in your age division in that category, you will move forward to District Competition.  To find the forms you need to complete these just click this link.  Make sure to download the appropriate form for your 4-H Age on January 1, 2021.  

    Honor Club-4-H Honor club is for 4-H members who are 4-H age 16 and have been in 4-H for at least three years.  You have an opportunity to list the things you have done in 4-H and apply to be part of the strongest and longest serving alumni 4-H programs in the Nation.  Less than 1% of those who apply get in.  Being a part of honor club means you are part of a 4-H service organization for life (IF selected Robeson County 4-H will pay your one time, lifetime dues amount).  It is a great networking opportunity and a great way to stay connected to 4-H when you age out of the program.  You can find the application here to download and fill out.  You will need to scroll about halfway down the page to find it.

   Scholarships-For college seniors who want a little bit of financial assistance you should apply for one or more of the college scholarships.  All it takes is one form and you can apply for as many of the 67 scholarships that are available, that you qualify for.  Please read the descriptions of scholarships carefully before checking off which scholarships you want to apply for.  Some are school specific, some two year vs. four year, some are specific to your district, county etc.  Also be prepared to have the following information to include in your packet:   

                a. NC 4-H Scholarship Application Form 

                b. Official High School Transcript 

               c. Scholastic aptitude test scores (SAT or ACT) 

               d. Letter of recommendation (1 academic and 1 4 -H achievement) 

                e. Applicant’s current resume – two-page resume – 4-H’ers choice on style 

                f. Essay (required for NC 4-H Horse Program scholarships) 

                g. Financial need statement (optional, confidential)

        We are still waiting for the State to post this years scholarship application and packet of information.  We will share as soon as it is available.  If you have questions or need help please contact Shea Ann or Wendy at (910) 671-3276 or sadejarn@ncsu.edu, wrmaynor@ncsu.edu.  To download the application please click this link. 

-February 15 we will be holding our annual county record book judging at our office starting at 10 am.  Any volunteers willing to come help out with judging, we would love to have you.  If you haven't done it before this is a good time to learn.  We will have experts on hand to help teach you what to look for.  We will have a sign up available later this month.

That's all for today.  Please know how much we appreciate you and all that you do to make 4-H what it is today.  If you have any questions please let us know.

Wendy, Christy, Dominique, and Shea Ann

4-H Camp for Christmas?

 

 I know, its December 1 and I am already talking about 4-H Camp.  Weird right?  However if you think about what you are getting your child for Christmas this might be the very best thing.  Think about it.  Camp offers our youth a safe and nurturing environment, an opportunity to learn about living independently, and a chance to build their self esteem.

    Through participation in the 4-H camping program youth: 

    -Understand that learning can be fun. 

    -Improve communication skills.

    -Acknowledge their abilities and limitations and develop skills and options for growth. 

    -Learn about various sciences and develop scientific skills. 

    -Gain an understanding and appreciation of different cultures and the value of diversity in a global society. 

    -Learn about the natural environment and improve stewardship skills. 

    -Improve their physical skills and fitness. 

    -Learn a process for solving problems and working cooperatively in groups. 

    -Learn skills to set goals and make decisions individually. 

    -Learn to identify and manage resources. 

    -Experience a variety of life-long recreational activities. 

    -Learn and practice ethical behavior. 

    -Explore spiritual values.

Robeson County 4-H will be camping at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Camp July 24-29, 2022.  We hope you can join us and check out our special pricing for those who reserve their slot early.  If you pay your $100 deposit before Christmas we will even give you a pillowcase to wrap up under the tree for the camper to unwrap.  It will have the camp name and dates on it as well as our 4-H logo.

For more information about what 4-H Camps have to offer please go to: https://nc4h.ces.ncsu.edu/camps-centers/