Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Armchair quarterback is a favorite pastime while reading the paper or watching the news for many of us. How often have you read a headline or a story and come up with a suitable form of justice or prevention for a societal problem? For example, I had a supervisor who used to ask me why 4-H had not been a part of the life of any teen accused of a crime on the front page of the paper. Hypothetically, there are lists of answers I can give, but there is no way to know if any would actually be appropriate for that person’s situation.

The reason 4-H and other nonformal youth development organizations exist is because we know, through research and evaluation, our programs make a difference in the lives of youth. We know not every child will have the chance to be a part of these programs due to time, cost, and support. So we offer a variety of programs, including a short program with big life-changing impacts known as camp.

Week-long overnight 4-H camp takes place July 13-19 at Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center in Reidsville, N.C. For many youth who attend from Robeson County, this may be their first time out of the county and away from home. At camp, they do fun things, like rock wall climbing, archery, and canoeing, but the activities are a small part of what they learn. Being away from home, this is the first time they are responsible for themselves. They have to make their beds, get dressed, and follow directions without parents there to watch them. Granted, they are in a safe and nurturing environment where failure is not an option, but they don’t know that. When they get home, they demonstrate responsibility, respect, decision-making skills, and teamwork. Skills they need to develop to be successful adults in this ever-changing global society. Skills they gain while at camp. Skills that enhance their lives.

Sounds like a magical program? Wonder why hundreds of youth don’t sign up for this opportunity every year when it can give them a head start on life? Even with the reduced cost from our United Way funding, the cost for a week of camp (includes meals, transportation, lodging, etc.) is $400. Let’s be honest – that is a lot of money. So I would like to challenge anyone who has been an armchair quarterback to stand up and take the ball. Consider giving a full or partial scholarship for a child whose family can’t afford to attend camp this year. Put your money where your mouth is, make a difference in the life of a youth, and keep them out of reach of the headlines.

For more information, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, Extension 4-H Agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by E-mail at shea_ann_dejarnette@ncsu.edu, or visit our website at http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu/. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.

It's Time to Think SUMMER FUN!!!!!

Finally, my heat is off and the air conditioning is on at my house. That is a sure sign that spring is here and summer is not far away. Another sure sign is that the 4-H Summer Fun Brochure is out and sign-up has begun! Needless to say, as the Extension 4-H Agent in this county, I am slightly biased and very excited about the offerings we have this summer. Parents, that being said, even if our program is not the one for your child, I would like to encourage you to sign them up for some type of experiential learning opportunity this summer.

Why sign them up for something other then chores, T.V., and video games? The reasons are enormous. Being a couch potato is physically and mentally not healthy for them. The longer they sit inactive, the more likely they are to eat more because they are bored. Eating more can result in weight gain that could lead to serious health conditions. It is also the time risky behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, and making poor decisions, begin. Also, when their brain is not challenged during their summer months, it makes that transition back to school even more difficult. When they are in a structured summer program, they will have the chance to interact with other youth, have hands-on learning opportunities, and be active.

For example, let’s take a look at one of our 4-H Day Camps, Biotech. This is the sixth year for this camp, and it involves everything science. A lot of youth will tell you they hate science. As a child when my parents talked about atoms and molecules, I would give them a dirty look like they had said very bad words. However, during this camp, we go somewhere different each day to learn about energies, bio fuels, animal sciences, and more. At the end of the camp, 100 percent of the youth demonstrate an increase in knowledge and state there is some aspect of science they really like. During the camp, they have hands-on experiences, like crabbing or building robots, that give them insight into the types of careers they may or may not want to further pursue. Careers are growing faster in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.) fields than anywhere else. Why not give your child the chance to be exposed to these careers, get out and make new friends, and be active while they learn?

There are lots of great summer options in our area. Organizations like the Robeson County Partnership for Children, the Public Schools of Robeson County, and Indian Education share as many youth opportunities with the public as possible, from a variety of organizations. If you are interested in learning more about the 4-H Summer Fun Program, you can download our brochure from our website at http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu or come by our office to pick one up. Registration is currently open to 4-H members and will open to the public on May 1. No matter what you and your children do this summer, I hope you stay cool and have a lot of fun!

For more information, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, Extension 4-H Agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by E-mail at shea_ann_dejarnette@ncsu.edu, or visit our website at http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu/. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.

Celebrating Extension

As you may have read earlier in this blog, this year Extension is celebrating its centennial.  As part of that celebration we ae happy to share with you that a special exhibit, celebrating Extension has been set up at the Robeason county History Museum.  The exhibit is titled "100 Years of Extension:  Putting Knowledge to Work for You" If you go by to see all the great information, you may even see some familiar faces.

The museum is open 10-12 on Tusday and Thursday and from 2-4 on Sundays.  

This Meeting is Still Looming

Tonight marked the monthly meeting of the All Around All Stars 4-H Arts and Crafts Club and this meeting took some twists and turns.  After their official opening and a brief business meeting it was time to get down to the business of the club and get crafty.
  This month's project involved learning how to weave.  Club members, under the guidance of their club leader Jessica Drake created looms out of paper plates.  After picking some fun colors the members used yarn to create the frame that they would weave.  After securing the frame it was time to learn to thread a really big needle and work with the over and under motion that would let them weave the yarn.  When they had enough for a "head" it was time to stop and make arms by braiding yarn then weaving it through the frame.  Then back to weaving until the body was done.  Sometimes they would stop and change colors to make it more interesting.
  When they were satisfied with the final product all they had to do was cut the frame in the back, making the top hair and the bottom strings braided into legs.  One, two, or a few eyes later they had made a unique and fun bookmark!  All by learning how to weave.  They club members took home their looms and some extra yarn to make more at home and maybe make some as gifts later in the year.
  The next club meeting for the All Around All Stars 4-H Arts and Crafts Club will be April 3, at the County Extension Office.  For more information please contact Wendy Maynor, 4-H Program Assistant at (910) 671-3276 or Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu.

Growing Great Kids

From time to time those of us at the 4-H office get bits and pieces of information that might interest everyone so we like to share them via e-mail or the blog.  Today I was fortunate enough to attend a training on line that involved horticulture resources and thought many of you might be interested.  The training was lead by Liz Driscoll who is our Horticulture/4-H person and she introduced us to a web site that she created that I thought you would find interesting.
  http://www.growforit.org/ is a great site to find resources, learn about upcoming competitions and be able to download curriculum that can be used for all ages in your clubs.  Although we do have a Junior Master Gardener Club these are items that might just be a topic for one meeting for your club to offer a little something different and fun.
  The other thing we talked about was the state 4-H horticulture contest that will be held in Raleigh May 3.  We have had some interest among our older 4-H members and I am told that we can field multiple teams so if you have club members interested in participating please let our office know by April 1 via e-mail or a quick phone call.

Congratulations to One of Our Own!

       

“Mr. Alfred was a true friend of the fair.  You could honestly say this man lived, ate, and slept here at this fair.  Always upholding it, working to making it better, he was an institution.”  That is how Allen Faircloth, President of the Robeson County Fair lead into his announcement of the 2014 Friend of the fair announcement.  For the recipient, she had no idea that this meeting was any different than any other monthly board meeting that she attends in her role as a volunteer.  So as Faircloth explained this prestigious award, and the impact this award winner has had on the members of the fair board who unanimously supported her to receive this honor she looked around the room trying to figure out who this might be.

            “This year’s Alfred C. Smith’s Friend of the Fair Award recipient is Marilyn Merritt.” Merritt’s eye got big and her jaw literally dropped as Faircloth talked about all the activities she helps with and how she always has a positive attitude about the fair.  As the board members stood and applauded, Merritt got up to receive her plaque noting what an honor it was for her to receive this award.  Merritt will keep a plaque noting her accomplishment and her name will be added to another plaque that hangs in the fair office.  That plaque, with a photo of Alfred Smith, notes all the prior winners of this award.  Another honor for Merritt was that she received this award in front of her granddaughter, T’Ashia Shelby who is the chair of the Junior Fair Board.  When asked if she was going to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps, Shelby said with obvious pride, “No that's just my Granny.”

Certified Healthy

  Can you smell it in the air?  It's the smell of the fair.  About a month or so out we always invite youth who are showing large animals (goats, heifers, lambs, and steers) out to the fair grounds to meet with a very important person.  Dr. Bruce Akers is our representative from the state vets office.  He was kind enough to spend a couple of hours at the Robeson County fair grounds to examine these animals and make sure they have health certificates.  This service is offered to our 4-H members showing animals so they can comply with the rules and regulations are various fairs including the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair.  We appreciate Dr. Akers coming out to check our animals and ensure they are healthy.  We also appreciate those who came from other counties to receive their certificates.