Cooperative Leadership Camp

Co-op Leadership Camp 2022 Applications are open!

Cooperative Leadership Camp is on for 2022! Camp is June 20-24, 2022 at Camp Monroe in Laurel Hill, NC. Camp is open to all rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. Students attend for free! We are excited for new Co-op Industry Workshops, more camp activities and of course our Worker/Owner Tee Shirt Cooperative. Day in the Life of a Line Worker (NC Electric Cooperatives, Nash Community College, Four County EMC, Central Electric) Reality of Money (Coastal Credit Union, LGFCU) Food Cooperative's Living Wage Challenge (Weaver Street Market) Green Screen Video Experience (Star Communications) Cooperative Farming with Cow Pots (Cabot Creamery Cooperative) Live Milking Demonstration (Southwest Dairy Farmers) We also have a lot of camp fun including: Lake Side activities: SUP, swimming, Canoeing Pool swimming High Ropes Challenge Hiking trails Archery  Bonfires with S'mores Meeting lifelong friends Bus service will stop across the state to pick up students and bring to and from camp for the Monday-Friday camp fun! Below, you can find all the applications for camp. If you have questions or concerns about camp, please visit our Camp F&Q page for more details on what camp is, how to get involved, the printable application forms and deadlines. We welcome teachers and school staff to attend as adult chaperones and see camp first hand. The selected teachers receive a small stipend and can select one student to attend free of charge. Adults must attend the entire week. All training and materials provided prior to camp. With a new location, more space, and a camp staff that has facilitated camps through the pandemic safely, we are excited to be back in person. Student Application to Attend Adult Volunteers Sponsor Students or Camp Events

4-H top 4 for the week of March 21, 2022

   It is March and things are wonderful because we are seeing your smiling faces again.  In case you missed it we had County Activity Day this weekend and we are proud of each youth who got up there and gave it their best shot.  So proud that we can say 100% of those registered participated this year which is the first time that has happened.  Also, everyone has the opportunity to move forward to District Competition this year.  District Activity Day (DAD) will be held June 24th in Kinston at Lenoir Community College.  For those eligible, please don't forget you need to sign up with Wendy Maynor for a practice session well in advance of DAD to attend.  Ms. Wendy can be reached at wrmaynor@ncsu.edu.

Now on to this week's top 4!

-Young Leaders 4-H Club is cancelling their meeting for tomorrow, Tuesday, March 22.  Please note the clubs next meeting is scheduled for April 26.

-Teen Leader 4-H Club- Is a brand new SPIN Club open to all 4-H members ages 13-18.  What the club does will be up to our teen leaders.  They will go on a Leadership Road Trip and create projects, programs, and activities that they will lead.  With the help of adult partnerships that they create.  Sit back and watch out as our teens move forward with some fun things for themselves, our volunteers, and younger members.  The first club meeting takes place at the Extension office on March 31, at 5:30 pm.  You can register for this club on the app under programs or by clicking this link.

-Volunteer Spring Day is a brand new in person event for our 4-H Adult volunteers.  They will have the opportunity to travel to Raleigh for business, a day of workshops, and well a little fun that you might have missed by the NC State 4-H Volunteer Leaders Conference being cancelled.  Thanks to our United Way Funds we will be paying for half of your registration fee for the day.  Volunteers you won't want to miss it.  To register you can go on the app under programs or by clicking this link.

-Animal Science- It's that time to sign up for animal science.  This is the program where youth get animals to raise and will show them at the fair.  To be eligible for the 4-H animal science project youth must be active in the 4-H Online system.  Youth may complete up to 3 different animal projects.  If you are showing your own animal you must complete an application and email a photo of the animal to 4-H Extension Agent Shea Ann DeJarnette at sadejarn@ncsu.edu. This animal counts as one of your three projects. However you do not need to pay the registration fee for the animal.  Each child participating in the project will receive an Animal Science polo shirt. If you are showing your own animal (applies to goats, rabbits, cattle or lambs) and none provided by 4-H there is just a $15 for the shirt. register you can go to 4-H Animal Science under programs on the app and click register or click on this link.

That's it for today.  Hope you have a great first day of Spring and don't forget this week we celebrate National Ag Day!

See you soon,

Christy, Dominique, Wendy, and Shea Ann

Speaking of County Activity Day...

 

 Today was a big day for many reasons.  First, it was County Activity Day, our first big competition of the year.  It is also our first back to normal, face to face, competition since COVID.  That is extremely significant because the last in person face to face program we had in 2020 was...CAD.  So you can see why having our 4-H CAD was such a big deal this year.

  Although the number of competitors was small this year we had 100% of those registered attend the event and our judges were so very proud of them.  Let's start with our cloverbuds and work our way up.  Our cloverbuds are our 5-7 year olds who take part but are not in competition.  Leading off the day was the Dirty Rascals Jr. Master Gardener 4-H Club member Thomas Underwood.  Thomas gave us the ins and outs of playing Sudoku.  One of our judges said they were very impressed, and they still can't quite manage the game on their own but might illicit Thomas for instruction.

After Thomas we jumped to our  11-13 year juniors.  Competing from the Inspirational Youth Leaders Club was Camri McKinnon.  Camri will be in the open division with her presentation on Inner Beauty vs. Outer Beauty.  Our judges felt like Camri gave a presentation with fabulous examples, arguments, and was mature and wise beyond her years.

  Camri lead us into our senior division where we had three competitors.  Brooke Canady and Maggie Underwood with the Dirty Rascals Jr. Master Gardeners and Jada McKinnon with the Inspirational Youth Leaders.  

  Brooke gave a speech on the importance of art education.  Being a skilled artist the judges could tell that this topic was close to her heart.  

  Maggie gave a presentation on making your own video game.  This is a presentation that she revised from two years ago and made the judges gamers.  They were very excited to learn more about this topic.  

  Jada competed in Turkey Char-grill.  She made some wonderful turkey burgers for the judge and group on hand.  Due to weather we were forced inside for her cooking, but she handled it like a champ.  After cooking she gave a presentation on the importance of turkey in our diets and to North Carolina Agriculture.

  All of our competitors earned a first place in their age divisions and everyone will have a chance to move forward to district.  To see all the photos from this day please click on this link.  Congratulations to everyone and we can't wait to see what you do at District which is June 24 in Lenior County.   

Scholarship Opportunity

     High School Seniors active in te 4-H Horse Program listen up, because this scholarship is for you.

    The Billy S. Murray Sr. 4-H Horse Program Scholarship- Billy S. Murray, Sr. was a professional farrier and a long time 4-H leader and supporter in the Southeast District. Billy led 4-H horse clubs in both New Hanover and Brunswick counties. He was also an active member of several horse organizations in Southeastern NC, including the Carolina Classic Horsemen’s Association, the Seagate Saddle Club, the Brunswick County and Columbus County Horsemen’s Association. He was always willing to lend a hand and help out other horse owners and youth in a time of need. His sudden death came in September of 2005, after volunteering his time to announce an annual horse show in Wayne County. This scholarship was established to carry on Billy’s tradition of supporting youth through 4-H horse activities. 

    PURPOSE: To assist high school seniors and graduates who are continuing their education by pursuing a two or four year college degree, and have been active 4-H members and participants of the Southeast or Northeast District 4-H Horse Program. 

    AWARD: A $500 scholarship to one high school senior or graduate enrolling at a senior or community college. The award will be mailed directly to the college. 

    SELECTION CRITERIA: Recipients will be selected based on the following criteria: 

                30% scholastic achievement 

                35% 4-H horse activities and involvement 

                35% 4-H non-horse activities and involvement 

    APPLICANT RULES: 

1. Applicants must be a high school senior or graduate and a resident of the Southeast or Northeast 4-H District. 

2. Applicants must have been active in 4-H and SE/NE District 4-H horse activities. 

3. The entire application form must be completed. 

4. Grade transcripts must be included with the application material. 

5. Applicants must provide two personal reference contacts, one from their school staff, one a community leader. Letters of reference are not required. Homeschooled youth may provide two community leader references. 

6. Selected recipient will be recognized at the East Regional 4-H Qualifying Horse Show, in Williamston, NC. 

7. The completed application must be postmarked or emailed by April 15, 2022 to: 

Eileen A. Coite, SED4HHC Scholarship Coordinator 

Sampson County Cooperative Extension 

55 Agriculture Place Clinton, NC 28328 

eileen_coite@ncsu.edu 

Applications can be dowloaded by clicking this link.

Livesock News

 As the weather is beginning to get warmer we have lots of opportunities involving the Youth Livestock Program.  In the coming weeks we have shows, clinics, and contests.  Please take a minute to browse through the opportunities below and also check out our website with additional events in your area. Additional information about these events and others can be found here.

What: Wilson County Livestock Judging Contest

When: Wednesday, March 30 at 1:00 pm 

Who: Youth ages 9-18, open to any youth State-wide.  If you would like to participate you will just sign up at the event.  

Where: Wilson County Fairgrounds, Wilson NC

What: Johnston County Livestock Judging Contest

When: Tuesday, April 12 5:30 pm

Who: Youth ages 9-18, open to any youth State-wide.  They will also have an adult division.  If you would like to participate you will just sign up at the event.  

Where: Johnston County Livestock Arena, Smithfield NC

What: Show Down in the Foothills

When: Aprill 22-24, April 23 Show Cattle Clinic with Kirk Stierwalt

Who: Open to the World

Where: Caldwell County Fairgrounds, Lenoir NC

What: Jammin' June (Quiz Bowl and Skillathon Contest to help get interest and allow kids another opportunity to prepare for the State Contest)

When: June 8

Who: Open to youth ages 8-18, we will only have two divisions

Where: Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center, Pittsboro NC

What: Advanced Livestock Skillathon Clinic

When: Via Zoom on June 6, 13, 20.  Youth will meet in person at the E Carroll Joyner Beef Education Unit on June 27. 

Who: Youth ages 14-19

Where: Via zoom with the last meeting at the E Carroll Joyner Beef Education Unit 

What: Advanced Livestock Judging Clinic

When: June 13-16

Who: Youth ages 14-19 (We will only select 10 youth to participate on this trip)

Where: We will be traveling to surrounding states to visit farms and learn more about livestock evaluation.

What: State 4-H Livestock Clinics (Skillathon and Livestock Judging clinic designed for beginners looking to learn more about the livestock industry)

When: June 21-22

Who: Youth ages 8-18

Where: E. Carroll Joyner Beef Education Unit

What: State 4-H Livestock Contests

When: July 27-29 (Please note the schedule change)

Who: Youth Ages 8-18

Where: NCSU Campus and E Carroll Joyner Beef Education Unit

Ways to Be Kind

   

    This article was written by our own Shea Ann DeJarnette for the Robesonian and can be found on our Extension website.

    We have talked a lot about being kind to one another. In many respects, that statement referred more to respecting where people were on the spectrum of COVID protocols and not shaming them. But what does it take to truly be kind? I just attended a conference where the atmosphere was different because people expected everything to be just like it was pre-COVID, but it wasn’t. So how do we practice being kinder?

    One of the first bumps this past week was greeting people. Some folks wanted to shake hands or hug like they always had. Halfway through the action of whipping their hand out or bringing up arms to give a hug, they would stop, their eyes would get really big, and they would say, “Oops! I’m supposed to ask first.”  Some people will just take a step back if you try to shake hands or hug to let you know they aren’t ok with it; however, that action leaves you feeling a little foolish. So how do we handle this? I think if you are someone who wants to engage in a physical greeting, getting in the habit of asking how the other person feels about shaking hands or hugging is exceedingly respectful and acceptable. Whether they say it is ok or they would prefer not to, you haven’t put them or yourself in an awkward position. If a physical greeting is not your style, leading off with a brief wave or head nod can go a long way, making everyone feel comfortable.

    How else can we convey simple kindnesses? Verbal cues are a great place to start. If you notice something about a person that is positive, take the time to tell them. You have no idea what a brief comment like “I love your shoes” will do for someone’s demeanor. At this conference, I saw a VFW member go up to a soldier in uniform and thank him for his service to his country. The young man had been sitting alone on his phone when the older gentlemen approached. The solider jumped to his feet and engaged in conversation, standing taller the longer the conversation continued and leaving with a smile on his face. Just witnessing that exchange from across the room made my day, and I shared that with the VFW member (which, I think, may have made his day).

    If all else fails, fall back on the simple rules of etiquette. Remember, when you’re with people, there are rules of politeness to follow. I can’t tell you how many air-escaping-body sounds, talking with food in the mouth, and demands made on waitstaff (without a please or thank you) I witnessed. Truth be told, all the time we were at home allowed us to be comfortable and not practice some of our basic etiquette skills. Now that it is time to be amongst each other, we have forgotten being that comfortable really isn’t always appropriate.

    With all of that being said, Robeson County 4-H is planning a basic etiquette class working with elementary school teachers in the fall; the thought being, if we can start our youth out on the right foot and they practice in the classroom, they are likely to teach their other family members simple etiquette, thereby practicing it in the home. If it is being practiced in the home, perhaps it will be practiced outside the home. If it is practiced outside the home,  it will become more commonplace to be polite, and in that essence, being kinder to each other.

    For more information, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Youth Development agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by email at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu, or visit our website at https://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu/.

SE Qualifying Horse Show

Please see the message below from Eileen Coite, coordinator for this event. 

We have been working hard in recent weeks to finalize the East Qualifying 4-H Horse Show Registration Packet, and also plan a pre-show clinic.  Click this link for a downloadable packet.  As many of you know, all 4-Hers who want to show at the State 4-H Horse Show must qualify by attending one of the four qualifying shows - the North, South, East, or West, and remember that you must declare which of the 4 shows you will attend through your county agent to the state 4-H Horse Program office.  We hope you will be able to attend the East show with us in Williamston, on April 30-May 1, 2022.  The Northeast and Southeast 4-H Districts work together to host this show for you. Registration for the EQHS is due to your county 4-H agent by March 31, 2022.  This year, Washington County 4-H Agent, Beth Jackson, is our lead contact for the show, and you can reach her at 252.793.2163 or beth_jackson@ncsu.edu, however, we urge you to communicate your needs and questions through your county 4-H agent.  

The SE District is also hosting a new clinic this year to prepare for the show, and we are very grateful to 5K Arena for offering their facility and sponsoring the clinic!  We will offer showmanship, western, hunter, and gaming sessions at the clinic, so you won't want to miss this great opportunity on April 15-16, 2022.  Click here for a copy of a clinic flier, and you can register for the clinic HERE.  To avoid the $10 late fee, please register by April 1, 2022.  Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email and an invoice to mail with your registration fees.  The SE District 4-H Horse Advisory Council has also agreed to offer a limited number of scholarships for the clinic.  If any youth would like to attend but have a financial hardship, please contact me. 

As noted in the registration, camper hookups are available at 5K Arena if you want to stay on site with your horse.  Also, a block of 20 rooms has been secured at the Hampton Inn of Lumberton, about 11 miles away. The room rate is $151+13% tax, and reservations need to be made before April 1, 2022 for this rate.  This is a pet friendly hotel.  Another great option is LuMil Vineyard Cabins.  The cabins are only 6 miles away from 5K Arena, very affordable and cosy, with other activities and great scenery!  Rates start at $110-130 per night + tax.  Contact Denise Taylor Bridgers to reserve your cabin at 910-862-5979 and tell her it is for the 4-H Horse Clinic at 5K Arena.  There are a limited number of cabins and 2 homes to choose from, for larger groups. No pets allowed at LuMil. 

Please let me know if you have questions about this information, and please help us share with anyone who may not have received it.  I have copied all 4-H agents in the SE district so you can reach out to them for additional assistance and guidance from your county.  The show and clinic info has also been posted on our SED4HHC Facebook page for easy access.