Keeping Track

A ginormous thank you to all our volunteers who took the time to come out and judge project records for Bladen, Cumberland, and Hoke Counties  We did two sessions of project record book judging on consecutive Wednesdays.  We had a total of 10 volunteers who came and helped us get all the books together.  It was a learning lesson for those that had not done this before and a great chance to see new activities and different projects.
  Again thank you to all who made this happen for us.

Growing a Sweet Valentine

  It was all sweet and sticky smiles at the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club meeting this month.  What more would you expect when Messy Missy comes by to lead the February meeting?  Youth got a chance to grow a really sweet flower by making it themselves.  Using her newly found Pinterest reference, Missy came up with three really neat projects for club members to do while celebrating Valentine's Day.
  First the youth got the chance to glue hearts together that would make the petals for their dum dum sucker flowers.  The dum dum suckers were actually the centers and the club members made two of these lovely flowers to give as gifts on Valentine's Day.  Not to mention there might have been a sucker or two that made it into people's mouths.
  After making their own flowers, the youth needed to make a pot to put them in right?  Actually they ended up planting the seeds of a sweet Valentine's Day by making this special card.  Using construction paper each member created their own flower pot form cutting it out and decorating it.  Then they attached a packet of seeds and put a Valentine's Day sentiment in the card meant for the special person they will give it to.
  After all that hard work it was really time to make a mess.  The club members took different colors of crayon and shaved them (becuase crayons are so very hairy), onto wax paper.  After getting lots of color we folded the wax paper and ironed it all to melt it.  After a few seconds it was not only melty but the wax paper fused together.  Then our youth were able to cut out a heart and make it look like a stained glass creation.  After adding a quick hole with a hole punch and a piece of string for a hanger, it was ready to hang in any window and melt the heart of the person it was made for.
    Club members had a good time and are looking forward to their next club meeting on March 12.  If you would like more information about this club please contact a member of the 4-H Staff at (910) 671-3276.

Volunteers Celebrate Exellence

There is a phrase that happens when you travel with 4-H Volunteers that says, "What goes on in (insert name of place they are going), stays in (again insert the name of the place they are going)."  Not that this is a wild bunch, but they do know how to have fun while learning and for most of our youth that can be an embarrassing thing to see an adult having so much fun.  That is of course the case each year we travel to Raleigh to attend the State 4-H Volunteer Leaders' Conference.  This year we might have had a smaller delegation, but we still had a lot of fun.  Attendees this year included Katherine, Kenneth and Laura Bethea, Peggy Monk, Veronica Powell, Larry Russ and our 4-H Agent, Shea Ann DeJarnette represented Robeson County.
  Workshops ranged from 4-H Beginnings to horticulture workshops, Leadership learning to Etiquette.  It was a full day of learning and bringing back opportunities.  All of that mixed in with district meetings and elections, state meetings and elections as well as fund raising opportunities for the North Carolina 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association.
  In district news the members agreed to adjust their districts to that of the Extension Districts which means Robeson County is now part of the Southeast District.  During the Southeast meeting both Veronica Powell and Peggy Monk were elected to officer positions.  Veronica will serve as the District Secretary and Peggy will serve as the District Reporter.  Congratulations to both of them and thank you for stepping forward.
  Another great thing about this conference are the awards.  Three new endowments were signed that will benefit the work of volunteers around the state.  Also Peggy Monk received her emerald ACE Master Volunteer certification.  Our own 4-H Agent, Shea Ann DeJarnette was part of a team that received the Extension Staff Award from the Volunteer Leaders Association.  Angela Shaver, 4-H Agent for Cumberland County, Cathy Brown from Hoke County, and Linda Gore from Moore County were part of the team that received the award for the Four County Volunteer Revolution Leadership training.
  Also thanks to help from Robeson County Volunteers we had an incredible grilling basket for the basket raffle as well as a bench made by our own Larry Russ which was auctioned off to the highest bidder.  The highest bidder happened to be 4-H Volunteer Specialist Harriett Edwards and her husband Jeff who are pictured here enjoying their new bench.  Larry was also kind enough to make a second bench which was part of our grilling basket raffle.
  It was a great weekend for all in attendance.  If you would like more information on training opportunities such as this please contact the 4-H staff at (910) 671-3276.

Getting Crafty for Artastic

  The February All Around All Stars 4-H Arts and Crafts Club was definitely focused.  Not in terms of a specific project, but what their collective projects would be for.  Mrs Jessica and Mrs Tanya brought in a store full of various craft supplies and told club members to make whatever they wanted.  The idea being that whatever they make would be entered into 4-H Artastic.  There were all sorts of mixed media peices created.  Some used torn book pages and yarn or buttons.  Other members used puffy paint and pipe cleaners.  It was definitely a creative Artastic event.
  If you would like to see some of their creations come out to the 4-H Talent Showcase on March 2, at the Carolina Civic Center.  All youth entering in Artastic will have their peices on display in the lobby with other artists.
  The next meeting of the All Around All Stars 4-H Arts and Crafts Club will take place on March 7 at the 4-H office.  If you would like more information about this club please contact the 4-H office at (910) 671-3276.

We Made a Motion to Score and It was Seconded!

  What a tremendous first 4-H County Council and Volunteer Leaders' Association Meeting, tonight.  The theme was sports and it is safe to say the officers knocked it out of the park with this theme.  The County Council officers kicked the evening off before the meeting with BINGO.  Youth and adults could play and win prizes.
  At 6:30 on the dot Volunteer Leader President Veronica Powell called the meeting to order.  More than 50 people were in attendance for this first of a kind meeting.  Club reports were given in an incredibly creative and fun sports manner and even the agenda had a sports theme to it.  After going through updates, and schedules and few new items were introduced.  Officers talked about changing the club attendance award to an award that stretches over all the meetings.  For someone who attends all the meetings their names will be put into a hat and one will be drawn to receive either a free or discounted summer program.  Also the group had the opportunity to have input for theme ideas for future meetings such as Mardi Gras and Game Night.
  After Veronica adjourned the official meeting it was time to get down to some serious parliamentary procedure training that our youth and volunteers could sink their teeth into.  The group made parliamentary procedure trail mix.  From the more than 20 ingredients on the list the youth had to make motions to add, or not add ingredients and how much.  When they were done they had to eat it.  It was a lot of fun and they all enjoyed making their snack for the evening.  Most even took side items to personalize their own sweet creation.
 Come check out the next County Council and Volunteer Leaders Association meeting on April 1, 2013 at the 4-H office starting at 6:30 pm.  There is no telling what will happen next.  

Dirty Dozen Reload

Today was the first meeting of 2013 for the Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports 4-H Club. It was a little cold to be on the range today so the group met at O. P. Owens Agricultural Center. The club had the opportunity to welcome two new members and a returning member bringing membership up to 10.
Club President Dillon McCartney opened up by calling the meeting to order with pledges and welcome new members.  As the club got down to business Club organizational leader, Larry Russ, went over expectations of the club, and did Ann educational lesson on the constitution as well as character education. The group learned that while having fun they would learn discipline, respect, leadership, and how to be the kind of person they strive to become. Co-Leader, Peggy Monk, talked with the youth about some of the 4-H opportunities that are open to them as well as some of the projects they would need to organize and complete for their charter seal.
Dillon started the group off on the nomenclature of the rifle and the group went of common sense rules associated with target sports. Things such as not accepted a loaded firearm from anyone, making sure the open bolt indicator is used after firing the last round from their rifles, and appropriate shooting positions were just some of the topics they went over today.
The next meeting for the club will be March 16. If you are interested in learning more about this club, or becoming a member please contact the 4-H staff at (910) 671-3276.