A Little Something for our Animal Lovers

Want to know a little bit more about what is happening in veterinary science at North Carolina State University.  Click on this link to read the latest information from the Vet Med School.

Power of Extension

Twice a year Robeson County Cooperative Extension publishes a newsletter concerning impacts of programming taking place right here in Robeson County.  Please take a moment to click on this link and read all the wonderful things going in not only 4-H but our Extension program here in Robeson County.

County Council Has a Lot to Talk About

       The 4-H County Council and Leaders’ Association Meeting washeld at the O.P. Owens Agriculture Center on February 1, 2016.  Topics covered included 4-H Cookbooks which are currently for sale at $10.00.  These can be purchased at the Ag. Center.   The use of proper Parliamentary Procedures was reviewed through an activity led by Jeshaiah Moore and Amaria Rogers your County Council President and President-Elect.

   Some of the things the Officers brought up at the meeting included: the next election, in order to be eligible to run for a County Council 4-H officer and to have voting privileges, 4-H members must attend a minimum of two County Council and Leadership meetings and must have fifty percent attendance at their 4-H club meetings (at least 4 club meetings). 

   Upcoming events include the County Activity Day on Saturday, March 12^th which will be held at the Cooperative Extension Office.  The deadline to register for presentations or public speaking is March 4^th.  Family game night/membership drive will be held on April 18^th.  4-H members are encouraged to bring friends to this event.  

Respectfully Submitted,

Jill Deems

Reporter, Volunteer Leaders' Association

The first edition of the Southern Equine Consortium Newsletter is available (click on the highlighted words to access it please). This newsletter is the result of collaborative efforts between the southeastern states and will start to be distributed on a periodic basis (perhaps monthy or bi-monthly) as an effort to offer more resources to horse owners in the southeast.  We are sharing this newsletter which was shared with our county 4-H program by NCSU 4-H Horse program.  Hope you enjoy.

Why 4-H?

This article was written by our own Shea Ann DeJarnette to be published in the Robesonian and Robeson Journal on Sunday, January 31, 2016.

  

Alex Evans teaches Kennedi Lyons how to do an electric project.
Both youth are members of the Dirty Rascals 4-H Junior Master
Gardener Club.

          Do you ever feel like you’re being pulled in so many directions that your head is about to spin off like a top?  It seems things have gotten even more hectic thanks to the introduction of technology. That same feeling has trickled into our children’s lives and schedules.  They go to school and, at an early age, we want them involved in extracurricular activities.  The choices range from athletics to video gaming; we often don’t know which way is up.  Whether you want your child to be involved to keep them busy or the fact that it looks good on college applications, the question is which activity is best for your child?

Some things to consider when helping your child choose an extracurricular activity - cost, commitment, time, logistics, and passion.  The best activities are those your child is passionate about.  Colleges are looking for students with passion who have whittled down to one or two organizations but have done great things within those organizations.  The problem is children often don’t know what they are passionate about.  When picking an organization, find out what is expected in terms of time commitment, wallet commitment, and family scheduling.  For example, when I was in band, I was committed to being a part of it.  My mother bought an instrument and made sure I practiced 45 minutes every night.  However, when it came time to have afterschool practice, Saturday games, etc., we were unable to pull off the logistics and my band career ended abruptly.  Remember, these activities, although meant to enhance your child’s life, depend very much on the rest of the family, so choose wisely.

There are lots of great programs out there, and I have to say, I am partial to 4-H.  First, we work with boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 18.  We are committed to an experience for them, one they get to determine.  If they love animals, love to talk, are artistic, want to try something new like an electric project, or climbing a rock wall, we have something for them.  Meetings are meant to fit your schedule.  For example, the majority of our clubs meet once a month.  We also have a place for parents to be volunteers and will offer trainings and certifications.  Being a 4-H member has little to no cost.  The majority of our programs we offer are either free or at reduced rates thanks to funding from United Way of Robeson County.  We do our best to make every opportunity available and affordable to our youth.  The other great thing about 4-H is we allow your child to grow in the program offering them different experiences as they get older.  The learning challenge increases, but so does the fun.  Finally, always wanting to prepare our youth for the next step, 4-H offers an ACT prep course, college scholarships, and even opportunities to be on a college campus. Did you know, 40 percent of 4-H alumni who graduate high school go on to complete a university degree?  In most other programs, only 28 percent of their alums do the same thing.

So if you are looking at extracurricular activities, find what suits your child and your family best.   While you are looking around, think about trying out 4-H.  We are cost and time effective, create passionate leaders, and want to prepare your child to succeed in the future.  Really, what more could you ask for?

            For more information, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, Extension 4-H Youth Development 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.

The Dirty Dozen find a New Year Electrfiying

  Today marked the first meeting of 2016 for the members of the Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club.  Club members and parents completed their annual paperwork as part of their organizational meeting and went over club expectations.  After it was time to elect officers.  After several campaign speeches and voting (which included a run off election) the club officers for this year are:

President:  Lucas Collins
Vice President-Alex Evans
Secretary:  Laci Rozier
Treasurer: Brooke Canady
Treasurer-Elect:  Cameron Graham
Reporter:  Hart O'Breint
Sergeant at Arms:  Christian Graham
  After the business meeting we all sat down to work on an electric project lead by Alex Evans.  Alex is working toward a trip to Electric Congress by teaching electric projects to as many 4-H members as she can.  Many of us had never used a solder iron before and this was our first time with electronic components.  It was all very educational.
Our next meeting will take place in February at O. P. Owens.  We hope that come March we will be back out on the range so we can practice our skills and maybe put a team together.

Welcome to our New 4-H Club!

Robeson County 4-H would like to welcome the newest specialty club to the 4-H Program. We are excited to introduce the Explore NC Together 4-H Club.  The club leaders, Bonnie Canady and Gina Rozier, held their first meeting last night and we would like to thank them for their commitment to the club and the youth of Robeson County.  

During the first club meeting new members got to know each other and talk about all the things they can explore in 4-H.  The youth also learned the 4-H pledge and made the 4-H bracelet to help them remember the key 4-H concepts.  The club will meet the second Tuesday of every month at 6 pm.  Enrollment is open to all youth between the ages 5-18. Although the club is still determining their exact focus, however youth will have the opportunity to explore a variety of areas such as citizenship, leadership, animal science, public speaking and more. 

 If this sounds like something you would like for your child to be a part of or you would like to start a 4-H club, contact Wendy Maynor, Extension 4-H program assistant with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 910-671-3276, by email at Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu, or visit our web site at http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu.