Presenting Robeson County in the Best Light

Tuesday morning of 4-H Congress started very early for those in Raleigh and at home. Thanks to Joyce Peay, organizational leader of the Voices in Praise 4-H Club and Penny McCartney our 4-H Secretary we were able to get a load of people to Raleigh for competition on the state level. Making the 6 am trip were; Jamal Bennett, Michicko Hill, Jaylyn McNair, Jeshaiah Moore, Camry Ocean, and Tyron Powell. Not to mention the cheering section that came with them. Congress delegates who were competing that day included; Shawndora McNair and Shabreya Vample.

We all met at Athens Drive High School for the big event. Everyone fanned out and piled into rooms to cheer on our Robeson County competitors. Jaylyn McNair, his father and Aunt were at McKimmon Center with the other outdoor cooking competitors. Jaylyn was competing in beef cookery, making his famous burgers. Back at the High School Shawndora McNair was the first one to compete in Health and Fitness with her presentation on Asthma. Then it was up to our Public Speakers Camry Ocean and Michko Hill were back to back in tough competition. Then Shabreya Vample competed in careers and entrepreneurship before we took a break for lunch. Up after lunch were Jamal Bennett in dairy foods, Tyron Alford in Health and Fitness and Jeshaiah Moore in careers and entrepreneurship. The rest of the 4-H Congress Delegation split up to cheer everyone on and make sure no one went up against the stiff competition alone. When the smoke settled from the toughest of competition Jamal Bennett won bronze, Jeshaiah Moore won gold, and Jaylyn McNair medaled with gold as well.

After all the excitement of the morning and early afternoon it was time to head back to the dorms to socialize, nap and get ready for the evening events. When we met again we headed to dinner at Applebee's where we stuffed ourselves and hoped that the overabundance of food would not keep us from staying awake for the evening festivities.

Back at the Power of YOUth Assembly at the McKimmon Center Penni Conner, 4-H Alumni, spoke about the accomplishments of our 4-H youth. We highlighted our Hungry to Help Campaign and Sarah Osborne, the 4-H State Secretary/Treasurer delivered her touching farewell speech. the candidates that we would vote on were then introduced and speeches as well as skits ensued.

After all of that we headed into another room at the McKimmon Center to check out the officer candidate booths. We had two candidates from the South Central District. Luke Hill, from Bladen County was running for Vice President. Allen Monk, from Bladen County and our very own Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club ran for Secretary Treasurer. Then we had a literal ball, at the Blue Jean Ball. The Blue Jean Ball was a fundraiser for local food banks. Each person who wanted to wear jeans paid a dollar for the privilege. The dollar went in a jar for your district. The money would then be donated to a food bank in the district. More than $400 was raised statewide for local food banks.

After leaving the ball it was time for the county huddle. We met in Marilyn Merritt's room and cast our 19 electoral votes for state officers. There was much heated debate about who to vote for and who should get what number of votes. After signing off on the ballots everyone turned in to get ready for our hands to service project in the morning.

Our First Day is Like a New Revolution

Our first day at State 4-H Congress started with lights, music and incredible accolades. We left Robeson County early in the morning to head to Raleigh. After going through a rather painless check in process for our delegation of 10 we headed to cook out for lunch. Then the fun began as we came back to Bragaw Residence Hall on the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Campus to find our rooms and unload the van and trailer. After getting it all unloaded (trust me that took us awhile) we headed to park the trailer for the week and then back to McKimmon for the start of Congress.

In the meantime Penny McCartney left Robeson County with Frankie Farbotko, the coach of our first ever 4-H Poultry Judging Team, and the members of the team. The team is made up of the winners from the 4-H Poultry Judging Competition at the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair in 2010. Team members included Katy Patterson, Dustin Nance, Rosie Diaz, and Jackie Cuneo. Two are from Lumberton High School and two from St. Paul's High School. The team traveled up for the 1:30 pm competition. Around 4:45 pm we found out that our first ever senior team placed third in the state!

While they were finishing up competition at NCSU's Poultry Unit the delegation made up of Nakeriah Baxley, Christopher Bullard, Alexus Jones, Shawndora McNair, Aljaqan Nixon, Korina Pittman, Keirra Richardson, Ashley and Kristen Sealey, and Shabreya Vample were at the McKimmon Center learning all about the New Revolution of Responsibility and learning the ground rules for the week. In the meantime adult volunteer Marilyn Merriett finished up judging Application, Resume, Interview (ARIE) and joined 4-H Agent Shea Ann DeJarnette in the adult meeting. There they received a message from Marshall Stewart, rules about the week and learned that Congress would have a different look to it this year. After the big meetings we broke out into district meetings and then disbanded to head to the dorms. While everyone worked at unpacking, County Council President Aljaquan Nixon changed and went back to the McKimmon Center to be our county flag bearer for the evening events.

After dinner in the NCSU dinning hall, with fresh milk and ice cream from the NCSU dairy unit we all headed back to the McKimmon Center for official opening assembly. LeAnthony Boone, the State 4-H Council President presided over the evening's events which began with the parade of Counties. That is where Aljaqan came in with our official Robeson County 4-H Flag. After the pledges and singing the National Anthem Dr. Joe Zublena, Assistant Vie Chancellor for Extension, Engagement, and Economic Development and Associate Dean & Director, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, NCSU, brought greetings and gave us a brief message suggesting that we do not let our challenges define us, but let our challenges be defined by us. Then 4-H Alumi Carol Ann Tucker brought us a message of how 4-H is helping mold us and how it changed her life for the better. LeAnthony Boone then brought forward his challenge of leadership success and challenged all of our 4-H members to strive to be the best.

Then it was time for the biggest part of the night, the North Carolina 4-H Honor Club Tapping Ceremony. Members of the honor club circulate through the audience and find those who are being inducted into the club that night. It is a candlelight ceremony steeped in tradition. The inductees do not know they are being inducted and it is a tremendous honor to be a part of this group. Inductees are chosen based on an application that includes grades, 4-H work, outside activities, and character references. This year our very own Yazmine Washington was tapped to be inducted into the 4-H Honor Club. Her sister Kewanda Merriett who is a Robeson County 4-H Alumni and Honor Club member drove to Raleigh for the ceremony and to specifically tap her. Yazmine was not only surprised, but honored by the festivities of the night. Yazmine was whisked away, along with family members to a reception for the inductees.

After all of the fun of the opening ceremony our group loaded back up on the van and headed back to the dorm. It is an early curfew of 11:00 tonight since we have to leave just before 8 am to get to Athens Drive High School for presentations in the morning. What a day we have had and we still have some in front of us. Follow us on Twitter to get all the breaking news as it happens.

4-H Where We Have Been, Where We Are Going

As many of you know we just finished celebrating our 4-H Centennial. With 100 years behind us it is important to reflect were we have been so we know where we are going. Many people think 4-H is about cows and cooking and sure enough when we began it was all about agriculture, boys corn clubs and girls canning clubs. To learn more about how 4-H began and where are roots started click here to watch a brief video about the history of 4-H.

As I mentioned 4-H began in North Carolina more than 100 years ago. We have a strong 4-H past and present to learn more about the power of 4-H in North Carolina click here to watch a brief video about 4-H in North Carolina.

With all this talk about centennial celebrations you might be wondering when Robeson County celebrates their centennial. As it so happens Robeson County had one of the first organized 4-H programs in the state of North Carolina. Just three years after the program started, Robeson County started an organized youth program in 1913. In other words, in two more years, we will have a centennial to celebrate our strong roots. Start planning now for the big event.

Keeping Cool with Summer Fun

Extension has partnered with the Robesonian to publish a news article each week. This week I had the opportunity to write about something timely. What could be more timely than our Summer Camp opportunities and what they mean to youth? Below is the article that was printed in Wednesday's Robesonian. You may click here to go to the online version of the story or read below.
" Have you ever felt like you are stepping into an oven when you walk outside? With days that reach into the triple digits, I find myself reflecting on my youth when I thought things were cooler. However, after a recent discussion with friends, I have found things probably weren’t cooler; I was having so much fun outside I really didn’t feel the heat. That leads me to think about how I spent my summers as a child.
My main activity that I looked forward to from year to year was summer camp. Now many of you who know me may not believe this, but my parents sent me to overnight camp with the nuns, for a month at a time. It was the most fun I could imagine. There I learned about arts and crafts (something we never did at home), became an archery instructor, learned to swim, and actually became a life guard. As a matter of fact, as I reflect on my time at camp, I can’t help smiling thinking of the fun I had as a camper and the hard work I put in to work my way up to Head Counselor for three years. At camp, I learned skills such as swimming, building a campfire, and cooking outside, but that was the small part. The big lesson was gaining self-esteem and confidence, learning to make decisions, and taking on responsibility. It was the place that taught me work can be fun and can be fulfilling and everyday is an education.
You can imagine my pleasure when I found out as part of my position with 4-H that I have the opportunity to introduce almost 80 youth a year to the fun of overnight summer camp. We don’t go for a month, just a week to Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center in Reidsville, N.C. There in the foothills it is a little cooler and the planned water activities in the pool and lake help keep things cool as well. Our youth have the opportunity to do traditional camp activities such as horseback riding, canoeing, swimming, and archery. They also have the opportunity to do some newer things such as rock wall climbing, ropes courses, and GIS navigation. There is so much fun packed into each day our youth are exhausted when their heads hit the bunk and they sleep well in their cabins before getting up early the next morning to do it all again. The funniest part of all is on Sunday before they leave and find out there are no cell phones, video games, or T.V.; you would think the world ended. On Friday, when we return they are crying and wondering how they will live without their new friends and their new fun activities and not a single one of them complains about the heat.
If you would like to help your child make cool memories and forget the heat this summer, there is still time. We leave July 24 and will return July 29 for our week long overnight 4-H camp. The cost for the week, which includes transportation, all meals, a store card, T-shirt, and accommodations, is just $300. We still have a few slots left. If overnight camp is not quite your thing, we also offer several week long day camp programs.
For more information about our camps, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, Extension 4-H agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276 or by E-mail at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu. You can find a copy of our Summer Fun Programs online at http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu. If you just want to enjoy the fun of summer camp, you can enjoy it with us through our blog at www.robeson4-H.blogspot.com."

Up to Bat for Team 4-H

The following message was sent by National 4-H and we wanted to share it with you. Please be advised to play you must be 18 years old or over. "Want the chance to win tickets to the 2011 Major League Baseball World Series and help 4-H win $25,000? You have a chance to do both just by visiting the State Farm Go To Bat website!

For the second year in a row, State Farm has selected National 4-H Council as one of the organizations to be a part of their Go To Bat program with Major League Baseball (MLB). The promotion started July 11th and will continue through the rest of the regular MLB season (September 28). Follow the instructions on the Go To Bat site which include playing a virtual home run derby and for every home run you hit, it counts as a point (entry) for you and 4-H. The charity (team) with the best collective batting average wins a weekly prize of $18,000 for the charity. Additionally, if your team wins, you are entered into a weekly drawing to win a trip for two to the 2011 MLB World Series. The charity with the highest cumulative score at the conclusion of the 10-week program will receive a grand prize of $25,000.

To sign up and play for 4-H:

• Go to the State Farm Go To Bat website
• Choose the” Health and Human Services” category and pick "National 4-H Council" as your charity
• Play the Go To Bat online game and earn points by hitting home runs
• Return to the site to play up to 3 times each day

We know this program works, Council's own Aggie Stephenson was one of last year's lucky winners! Aggie received a trip to the World Series and National 4-H Council received $20,600 because she was playing for our team. Once you have signed up to play, be sure to check out the video on the “About the Program” tab that features Aggie going to bat for 4-H!"

Three Forks. One Mouth and No Cell Phone?????

Sitting down in any formal setting can be nerve wracking and when you are trying to make a good impression but not sure what utensil to eat with what do you do? Pick up your cell phone and call a friend for help? Send a text message or a quick plea for advice to Facebook friends? Having a quick shot of self confidence can help you land that perfect job, or college placement. That is exactly what Christy Strickland, Family Consumer Science (FCS) Extension Agent and Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent with the Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service tried to do for almost 40 youth and adults taking part in the Upward Bound Program (UBP) at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) tonight.
Youth learned the basics of handshakes and introductions, on-line and cell phone manners, the art of the conversation, and how to set a table. With each lesson came time for hands on practice and critique. The most important lesson to learn from the night was that etiquette is not about drinking hot tea and keeping a pinkie finger in the air while you do it. Etiquette is about following a certain standard to make sure everyone feels comfortable and has a good time. After the hands on practice we got a chance to put our new found talents to work. Veronica Powell, the Upward Bound Coordinator (and 4-H volunteer) had a spread of snack and dessert foods ready for the youth to put on plates as well as beverages. In turn they had to figure out how to balance the plates, cups, eat and be able to shake hands and carry on a conversation without sitting down. It is something you don't think about until you end up trying to balance it all. Before we left one of the students presented the workshop leaders with UBP t-shirts that they will proudly wear (especially since they are 4-H green). We are looking forward to working with Upward Bound students again in the future.

Robeson County 4-H Jumps High at State 4-H Horse Show

Robeson County made the trip to the big horse show this year for the first time in more than a decade. Boy oh boy did our members make a show! The State 4-H Horse Show takes place in Raleigh at the Horse complex. On Wednesday Megan Butler, of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club, took the trip and competed in several events. This is the first state show for Megan and for the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club. She had more than 23 competitors in her division. Megan competed in Junior Barrel Race, Junior Texas Barrels, Flag Race, Pole Bending, Stake Race. All of these are speed competitions. In the flag competition Megan placed 10th which is a wonderful accomplishment.
On Sunday Chasity McClay, who is also a member of the St. Paul's 4-H pony club competed in Dressage on Sunday morning. In Chasity's first time in the ring at the state show she competed in USDF Intro A and B. Both categories are part of dressage. Dressage is a competitive path and destination training category that is seen in amateur competitions and now in the Olympics. Chasity placed first in Intro A and sixth in Intro B. Incredible accomplishments in a division that had almost 25 competitors.
Although Megan and Chasity were the only Robeson County 4-H members competing on Horse back at the show they were not our only competitive entries. We had eight entries in the State 4-H Horse Expressive Arts Contest. First time cloverbuds, Alicia Monroe and Paiton Twigg, both of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club, competed in the Photo contest in the cloverbud division. The cloverbud division is for 5- 8 year olds and is not a competitive division. Each contest receives score sheets with comments to help them improve and very nice medals for their work. Alicia's photo was of a horse rearing back with an interesting light perspective. Paiton shot a photo of Horses cantering in a pen. They look like they are having a little fun and she captured a moment forever that is not normally seen.
Competition was stiff in the junior division. Robeson County had five competitors in the photo contest. For Dakota Strickland of the Horsin' Around 4-H Club and Christian Tice of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club this was their first time in real competition having turned nine this year. Megan Butler is a return competitor to the photo competition and was one of our two competing on horseback this year. Megan is a member of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony club and submitted a photo this year that plays with light and invokes a mood of a young horse walking in a field. Brianna Cryer, of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony Club, submitted a wonderful photo this year. Her photo tells a story of a young foal feeding. It is a rare moment that we often only see in photos. Chasity McClay of the St. Paul's 4-H Pony club also submitted a photo for this year's contest. Her photo of a horse rolling in the dirt captures a moment in time. In her photo the horse almost looks like he is taking a nap. Dakota had several photos to choose from and chose one that has four horses grazing on hay under a shelter. The horses are on a farm and seem very happy to have that hay to munch on. Christian turned in a close up that looks like a fantastic portrait of a horse's head for the photo contest.
In the Senior division we had one 4-H member who submitted two entries. Megan Hurst with the Horsin' Around 4-H Horse Club submitted entries in both the photo and painting categories. Megan's photo entry was one of a horse looking fashionable, with a hat on it's head. Her water color of a horses head allowed her to place 7th in that competition bringing home a purple ribbon.
Congratulations to all of our participants and especially to Megan and Chasity, their parents and Libby Burney for all of their hard work getting ready for this competition and traveling back and forth to Raleigh for the State 4-H Horse Show.