Committment

This article was written by our own Wendy Maynor for publication in the Robesonian and Robeson Journal.

If you think about it, we have many commitments in our lives.  Some are more pleasant than others.  For example, hopefully, marriage is more pleasant than taxes; both are commitments we work hard to follow through on.  Where did we learn to follow through on our commitments?  Probably at an early age, with our parents teaching us to put our toys away or following through on an extra curricular activity we may not have liked.  Many youth learn life skills from informal learning methods like extracurricular activities. These are commitments that are not mandatory but require the responsibility and maturity level to abide by the commitment of joining. Have you noticed that it seems we stretch ourselves so thin that we cannot meet the necessary obligations required?

I was having a conversation with one of our volunteers, and she brought up a good point.  As we grew up, our parents made us follow through; we did not have a choice. Today, children are given many choices.  Do you think they will choose something that isn’t shiny and fun?  Teaching youth to be responsible and stick with a commitment is crucial in their success as youth and as adults. Joining a club, organization, or sports team requires a commitment. Being responsible entails being punctual, polite, respectful, engaging, and, most of all, attending meetings or events you have committed to by joining. The quality of involvement is more important than the number of activities and organizations you are involved in.

Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development shows that 4-H members excel beyond their peers. Members of 4-H are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to be civically active; two times more likely to make healthier choices; and two times more likely to participate in science, engineering, and computer technology programs during free time.

Robeson County 4-H is an excellent program for children to join. Youth have fun while learning in a safe environment. Clubs are run by trained adult volunteers, meet regularly, and provide age-appropriate activities. Youth learn life skills, leadership, responsibility, commitment, independence, and social skills, which leads to higher self-esteem. Participation in 4-H activities teaches youth how to balance academics with other aspects of their lives. Balance is important to becoming well-rounded.

Here is the kicker, club membership is FREE and open to youth ages 5 through 18. There are several community clubs throughout Robeson County as well as specialty clubs, such as Junior Master Gardeners, Shooting Sports, Arts and Crafts, Animal Science, a Horse Club, and our newest specialty club, Explore N.C. Together 4-H Club.  If you are looking for a variety of opportunities for your child within one organization, 4-H may be for you.  To find out, join us for a 4-H Family Game Night and Membership Drive on Monday, April 18, 2016, at 6 p.m. All youth must be accompanied by an adult. You will have the opportunity to meet the 4-H staff, club leaders, volunteers, 4-H members, and learn more about the 4-H program.  Think about committing to 4-H.

For more information, please contact Wendy Maynor, Extension 4-H Program Assistant with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by E-mail at Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu, or visit our website at//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.

From the Dirt Up

  That was the theme for this year's NC 4-H Volunteer Leaders' Conference.  Our Robeson County delegation to advantage of all the opportunities offered.  This year in attendance were Katherine, Kenneth, and Laura Bethea; Emma Hill, Marilyn Merritt, Aggie Rogers, Larry Russ and our own 4-H Agent, Shea Ann DeJarnette.  Volunteers had the opportunity to attend workshops that includes camps, electric projects, horse programs, legos, leather crafting, Health Rocks!, Parliamentary Procedure, Plant propagation and sooooo much more!  In between all the workshops and learning fun were meetings, fellowship, making new friends, shopping, fundraising and so much more packed into two fun filled days.
 

So many people ask, "Why go to a 2 day conference in Raleigh?  What could be so special?"  Well really it's all about the people who are there.  Everyone in attendance is connected to 4-H as a staff member or volunteer.  That means you have the opportunity to meet folks from around the state who share the same passion for youth and youth programming as you do.  This is a group of people who have a great amount of wisdom, problem solving skills, and are so organized that they have their own association.  That means besides the fact that you can meet new and interesting folks in 4-H you can also learn about great programs and activities, take what you learn home, and even strengthen your own leadership skills.
  Since this is the annual business meeting for the NC 4-H Volunteer Leaders' meetings and elections are also conducted on the district and state levels.  This year in the Southeast District our own Aggie Rogers was elected President, Paula Woodall was elected President-Elect, Page Redmon was also elected as Vice President, Gwindy Stewart will be Treasurer, Rose Lee will be secretary.  Kim Lackey will move into the Past President's role and will serve as our state Vice President.
  While everyone is there it seemed like a good time to do a couple of fundraisers for the association as well.  The South Central District hosted a basket Raffle and the Southeast District was in charge of the Country Store and silent auction.  Together both fundraisers raised about $2,500 for the organization.
 At the end of Saturday night a banquet was held.  Volunteers received awards, were recognized for their achievements, and had the opportunity to hear from the state staff.    Dr. A. Richard Bonanno, who began in his new role on Monday as Director of Extension was on hand to give thanks to the volunteers for all that they do.
We met back at the McKimmon Center on Sunday morning for two more workshops on duct tape crafts and t-shirt quilts.  After all the fun it was time to install the officers and finish the closing meeting.  Dr. Mike Yoder, the 4-H Program Leader talked with the volunteers and expressed how much he appreciates their efforts.  When it was all said and done we headed back to Robeson County with new friends, lots of ideas, and a new appreciation for our North Carolina Clover.
 

Folding Up the Loose Ends

  Actually it was the February meeting of the All Around All Stars 4-H Arts and Crafts Club, and they folded everything up into a neat little package.
Their hearts were in their hands, on the tables, and then given to someone else.  Sounds like the plot to a romance novel or romantic comedy movie doesn't it?
  Led by club member Alex Evans the club learned how to make origami hearts, just in time for Valentine's Day.  A few of our staff members were even fortunate enough to receive some of their  hard work, which now adorns our offices.  If you would like to try your hand at making an origami heart just click this link and it will take you to directions for this perfect February craft.
  The next meeting of the All Around All Stars 4-H Arts and Crafts Club will be March 3, beginning at 5:30 pm.  The club meets at the O. P. Owens Agricultural Center in Lumberton.  For more information about this or any Robeson County 4-H Club please contact Wendy Maynor, 4-H Program Assistant at (910) 671-3276 or Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu.

Grow Paper: The Fun Way to Recycle

This article was written by our own Shea Ann DeJarnette for an upcoming edition of Robeson Living Magazine.

When I was a child, I remember cutting strips of newspaper to soak in a chunky flour, water, and glue mixture that I never quite understood.  I would end up making a mess and had no idea what it was I was making.  To top it off, if it made it home intact from the journey on the school bus, my parents always found a “special place” for it that made sure no one ever had to see it again.

Today, we have a ton of options for things we can make.  Back in the day, one of the purposes of utilizing old newspaper in crafts was that it was cheap, available, and repurposed something we were throwing away.  That still holds true today.  Now we can actually have a little fun and make something that will benefit the earth while giving our children an education in environmental sciences they will be interested in.  Sound to good to be true?  Well, hang in there and read on.

I have always known paper was made from trees.  “How” was a little beyond my educational level before I started working with youth.  To teach them about paper making, recycling, plant science, and community service, we have a neat project we do in 4-H called making grow cards.  The idea is simple.  By utilizing paper you are going to recycle (newspaper, printer paper, construction paper), you can make paper pulp and then add flower seeds to make grow cards that can be given as gifts, to someone who might need a smile, and so much more.

First, have your child shred the used paper product into tiny pieces or put it through a paper shredder.  The smaller the paper shreds, the better, because the next step is to put the paper with water in a blender to pulverize it together and make a mushy mess.  This mushy mess is your paper pulp.  You can make it a certain color by the type of paper you use.  Construction paper can add colorful flecks to grey (newspaper) or white (copy/printer paper).  If you use one color of construction paper, you can make some brightly colored cards; just remember, the point of this is to recycle. 

The next step is even more fun.  Place a window screen over a bucket or plastic container.  If you want to make a sheet of paper, pour the pulp onto the screen and press it into the rectangular shape until it is very thin.  What works better, especially for youth, is to place cookie cutters on the screen over the bucket and poor the pulp into the cookie cutters.  Have your child press it into place making sure the pulp touches all the edges of the cookie cutter, so it will have that shape.  Press as much water out as possible before removing the cookie cutter.  Let the pulp dry on the screen for about 30 minutes to one hour before pressing flower seeds (sunflower seeds or some kind of seed that will not immediately sprout from the water) in the grow card.  Let the card dry overnight or longer depending on the amount of water that was in it.  Once dry, the cards can be handed out to friends or family.  You can punch a hole in it and tie it to a present as an added gift.

Once receiving one of these cards, all the person has to do is plant it and water it.  The card is biodegradable, and the paper will act like a mulch to the seed, eventually dissolving back into the dirt.  The seeds will sprout and grow, and the person who received it will be impressed with this environmentally responsible gift that keeps giving.  Personally, I like it much better than my Paper Mache creations, which eventually also got planted (at the landfill), because this one brings joy no matter what it looks like.

            For more information, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, Extension 4-H Youth Development Agent with North Carolina  Cooperative  Extension, Robeson  County  Center, at  910-671-3276  or by  E-mail at shea_ann_dejarnette@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.

Earth Day

This article was written by Mack Johnson, Horticulture Extension Agent, for an upcoming edition of Robeson Living Magazine.

I was taught from early childhood not to waste, to make good use of my resources, and to not just flippantly discard refuse. Not realizing until years later these early principles would influence me in ways that now resemble earth friendly practices.  As a result, I now appreciate events that help raise awareness of the state of this home called earth. I know we are purposed to be good stewards of what we have been entrusted.  

The first Earth Day was the result of ongoing discussion for several years prior to actually declaring an Earth Day. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin is accredited for the first Earth Day held in 1970.  The event was planned on a Wednesday, which happened to be April 22.  They wanted a day where most people would be at work, so it would be more impactful.  The current estimate is that nearly 20 million people participated on this first day, walking out of their offices into the streets. They gathered in parks, streets, and auditoriums to demonstrate a need for our country to address environmental issues. The unique rarity of this event was how the protestors encompassed every facet of America.  This group included democrats, republicans, rich, poor, city residents, and farmers uniting on this one issue.  Most likely, in response to this surprisingly enormous turnout, the Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1970. Earth Day has continued to be observed every year since.  Being born in America, Earth Day is now celebrated in over 257 countries - it is now a worldwide event with an estimated one billion people participating.

Saying all that brings me to the point I would like to share. Tanya Underwood, Special Events Coordinator for the City of Lumberton, and I are planning an Earth Day Celebration, “Bein’ Green in 2016.”  The date for the celebration has been set for Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. The location has been selected but not yet confirmed.  Check the Cooperative Extension website (robeson.ces.ncsu.edu) at a later date for a confirmed location. We plan to focus on earth-friendly activities and offer educational booths or areas hosted by agencies that offer good stewardship practices and ideas. There will be something for all ages, from the young to the young at heart. 

There are endless ways we can each incorporate small changes in our daily lives that will have a positive influence on the world around us.  We can turn the light off when we leave the room. Even better, we can transition to replacing our bulbs with LED (light emitting diode) or CFL (compact fluorescent lights) bulbs that use a fraction of the energy.  What if we take the stairs instead of an elevator?  We can walk or ride a bike on a short trip instead of driving everywhere.  Is it possible to turn the water off while you brush your teeth?  The water we remove from an underground aquifer will be years, if not decades, before it can be recharged into the aquifer. I hope you plan to join us, but if you can’t, please consider taking a green pledge in 2016 to adopt environmentally sustainable practices that will make our world a little “greener.”

For more information, please contact Mack Johnson, Extension Horticultural Agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 910-671-3276 or by E-mail at mack_johnson@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.

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.