Love and Limits to Strengthen Families

What a night to kick off a program with seven incredible families. Strengthening Families is a curriculum from Iowa State University that helps promote family communication and addresses issues such as substance abuse, behavior problems, and develops positive social skills for families. The program is shown to reduce and delay substance abuse in youth and give families the tools they need to be stronger and withstand outside negative influences.
The program which is being delivered in Robeson County as a cooperative effort between the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) and 4-H Youth Development departments is targeted at families with youth between the ages of 10-14.
During our first meeting the parents worked with Christy Strickland and Janice Fields, Family Consumer Sciences Extension Agents on using love and limits. In another room Shea Ann DeJarnette and Aggie Rogers with 4-H, worked with the youth on having goals and dreams. After the first session apart, everyone came together to work as a team. They played games, like spin the bottle, stating something they liked when the bottle was pointed their way, to the human knot, showing it took team work from everyone to make things happen. After games the parents and youth checked out the treasure maps the youth made, which initiated a family conversation about goals and dreams for the youth and parents. By the end of the night, everyone was hugging and excited about our next family learning adventure next week.
The Strengthening Families program is a seven week commitment. The families involved volunteered to be part of the program which is funded by United Way. If you would like to know more about this program, please contact Christy Strickland, Extension Agent for Family Consumer Sciences, at (910) 671-3276 or Christy_Stricklkand@ncsu.edu.

I Move that We Welcome Our New Officers...

It is traditionally our first county event of the year, 4-H County Council and Leaders' Association officer orientation. This is the first chance for our officers elected in November to come together and learn about their job responsibilities, what is expected of them, and what will be coming up in the new 4-H year.
This year we also had a little parliamentary procedure training as part of our event. We started with gavel protocol that will be used at our meetings. One tap of the gavel means the meeting is adjourned or to sit down. Two taps of the gavel means the meeting is called to order. Three taps means everyone stands in unison on the third tap. Many taps means order, when things get a little off the topic. As our Presidents practiced everyone got a chance to get up and or sit down and have a little fun.
The officer made trail mix using proper parliamentary procedure. One officer would make a motion to add an ingredient, a second would be made there would be discussion and a vote. Although some ingredients were tame (the pretzels, Cheerios, and m&ms) others got a little heated in the debate. For example when one officer suggested adding a half a can of coke and there was a second, another officer pointed out that the coke might be "nasty", since they had to eat the trail mix. That was one of the ingredients that didn't make it in. When they got done they had learned a little bit, had a lot of fun, and made a really good trail mix.
You will get a chance to see the officers in action and get a chance to use parliamentary procedure at our next 4-H County Council and Volunteer Leaders' Association Meeting, February 2, 2009 at the 4-H office. the meeting will start promptly at 6:30 with an ice breaker at 6:15. We are looking forward to seeing all of our members and volunteers at the meeting.

Welcome to Our Newest Specialty Club!

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon as Libby Burney welcomed five youth and parents into her home for the first meeting of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club. The parents and youth got the overwhelming introduction to 4-H as Mrs Burney, her daughter Holly, and 4-H staff members tried to explain what 4-H is all about.

After explaining the projects and opportunities these youth will have as part of the club the youth got a chance to meet the miniature horse, pony, and new baby that they will be working with and learning how to care for. They also had a homemade horseshoe cake to dive into after the meeting.
Mrs Burney was previously a 4-H volunteer in Florida and has been part of 4-H since the 1960's. Her daughter Holly was part of the club the Mrs Burney lead in Florida and has graduated to being a co-leader for this club. Keeping it all in the family will be Christopher, Holly's son who is a cloverbud and will be a member of this club.
The St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club will meet every Saturday from 2-5 p.m. For more information about this club or to become a member or volunteer please contact the 4-H Staff at (910) 671-3276.

Happy 100th Birthday North Carolina 4-H!

100 Reasons to Celebrate

I love the holiday season. Thanksgiving is the kickoff to great food and family time, followed by a month of planning for Christmas. There is decorating, shopping, and travel plans. It is a concentrated effort to brighten someone elses life through a present, visit, or just a thought. As you are reading this, you are probably sitting back enjoying having rung in the New Year, a day that brings a fresh start and new things to come. There is something magical about this time of year. Part of me wishes we could bottle it and celebrate all year, but the other part of me knows that if we celebrated all year, it would not be nearly as special or magical as celebrating it once a year. Imagine the magic if we celebrated only every 5 years, 10 years, or even 100 years. Now that would be truly magical.

Of course, celebrating a centennial does not happen but maybe once in a person's lifetime. If you have the opportunity to celebrate a centennial, wouldn't you want to make it magical, special, and memorable? Well in 2009, you will have that opportunity. North Carolina 4-H turns 100 this year and are we ever going to celebrate. I know many of you are reading this saying, I was not in 4-H, so I can't really help; or I wanted to be in 4-H but never knew how; or I don't know a thing about 4-H, so this doesn't apply to me. Well not so fast. We want everyone to celebrate our rich 4-H history, our strong 4-H present, and our incredible opportunities in the future. We have a place for you even if you have never been part of 4-H before. We want to include you in this celebration.

To appreciate 4-H and where we are today, there is a brief history lesson that we need to visit. There is written proof that 4-H actually began in North Carolina with a boys' corn club established in Hertford County in 1909. This club became the model for other rural youth clubs to spring up around the state. Boys' corn clubs and, by 1911, girls' tomato clubs became prevalent. By 1914, World War I changed the focus and responsibilities of young people. Suddenly there were sewing and canning clubs cropping up along with clubs dealing with raising livestock. Youth were taking on responsibilities that there fathers had previously handled, and thanks to competitions and guidance from Extension agents, these youth were able to learn and develop their interests into businesses that helped their families survive the tough time ahead. Extension agents found the youth were more open to new ideas and this made them more successful than their parents before them.

By 1929, the first North Carolina 4-H camp was opened. Swannanoa opened in Buncombe County and still exists today. It is one of five 4-H camps - Millstone located in Richmond County, Betsy-Jeff Penn located in Rockingham County, the Eastern Center located in Columbia, and Sertoma located in Westfield. The 4-H camps, then and now,offer youth the opportunity to play, learn, make decisions in a safe and nurturing environment, challenge themselves, and build their self-esteem in ways only being in a new environment can do.

In the early 1900s, the boys and girls had the chance to travel to A&M University for short courses. In 1926, that became State 4-H Club Week, and in 1968, the name changed again to how we now we refer to it, North Carolina 4-H Congress. During this week, youth travel to Raleigh and take part in workshops, develop their leadership skills, and work on community service projects.

One hundred years after we started, we still work with youth, boys and girls, in clubs (but together now); we still do animal science projects; and we still offer camping and Congress activities. Also, 4-H has grown in a 100 ways. We work with schools implementing hands-on research-based curriculum. We offer programs, such as public speaking, presentations, and entertains, that allow youth to gain communication and leadership skills. We offer college scholarships and work at, as our motto says, "Making the Best Better." Our youth have gone on to be teachers, successful business people, and even governor of this great state.

We know that right now and right here 4-H makes a difference in North Carolina and in Robeson County. We know 4-H members are 50 percent less likely to smoke cigarettes, shoplift, or use illegal drugs; they are more likely to hold a leadership position in their school or community; they are more likely to complete a college degree; and they are more likely to hold a conversation with an adult. They are gaining the skills now that they will need to be successful adults in the future.

In 2008, 3,900 youth in Robeson County took part in 4-H thanks to the help of close to 300 volunteers. What does the future hold for our organization? Judging from the past 100 years, it holds tremendous opportunities for our youth. Our centennial slogan is "We Are 4-H." Wouldn't you like to be part of this magical 4-H celebration? For more information about specific centennial celebrations or to be part of the 4-H program, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, Extension agent for 4-H Youth Development, at 910-671-3276.