4-H C ounty onnections

January/February 2009

Fashion Revue pg. 3 Communications Day pg. 3 Fishing Derby pg. 4 4-H Club Reports Pg. 5 New State Policies Pg. 8 Ideas for Parents back page

Inside this Issue

University of California - Cooperative Extension Agriculture & Natural Resources

Merced County 4-H Youth Development Program

Serving Merced County Since 1917 University of California. United States Department of Agriculture and Merced County Cooperating

LCORT 2009

Snelling 4-H Float

Horse Bowl Champions 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR MEMBERS! FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS

4-H County Connections is the newsletter of the Merced County 4-H Team & UC Cooperative Extension.

4-H Management Team

Educational Development Home Ec. Louise Farley Large Animals Small Animals Leadership Plant/Other Social Science Louise King Science/Tech Richard Mahacek

Promotional Development Board Advocacy Carole Dietz Delivery Russ Hill Evaluation Promotion Tiffany Rotondaro

Resource Development Board Accounting Auditing Fundraising Marlene Murphy Incentives Linda Borba

All-Stars Der Vue Laurel Hanson Rachel Wilson

Staff:

Richard L. Mahacek 4-H YD Advisor

Russell Hill 4-H Program Representative

Mai Thao 4-H HUD Program

Mia E. Torrez 4-H Secretary

Deadline for articles submitted is the 25th of the month.

Submissions may be mailed to: UC Cooperative Extension Attention 4-H Office 2145 Wardrobe Ave. Merced, CA 95340 Phone - 209-385-7418 Fax - 209-722-8856

Email: mercedfourh@ucdavis.edu

Website: http://merced4h.ucdavis.edu

Jozie  Toscano Alexis  Ponce Kyle  Forte Emily  Baptista Jason  Edwards Jeremiah  Coleman Caleb  Johnson Hannia  Ramirez Maddison Porter Cyrus  Fonseca Victoria  Echevarria Maggie  Homen Cebrina  Chavez Alexis  Barba Brent  Aue Isaiah  Gray Katelyn  Hertan Sadie  Montague Wyatt  Pimentel 

                  

IMPORTANT DATES

Paige  Huerta Juline  Gamel Carley  Stone Luana  Xiong Tony  Lopes Breck  Smith Amy  Dutra Brittney  Fielder Drew  Silva Shania  Rolfe Marilyn  Perez Nalee  Xiong Clayton  Sardella Payton  Kelley Kourtni  Pombo Jessica  Nunes Shelby  Needham Bailey  Latronica Noah  Zalinski Sydney  Benton                   

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FEBRUARY 11—Leaders Night Out at Playhouse Merced 12—UCCE Office Closed, Holiday 16–-UCCE Office Closed, Holiday 18—Camp Planning Meeting, 6 PM 25—New Leader Orientation 1-3 PM 25—New Leader Orientation 7-9 PM

MARCH

2—Management Team Meeting 7—Communications Day 27—UCCE Office Closed, Holiday

Lisa  Souza Allison  Cruz Lindsay  Blaylock Jasmine  Bohannon Jordyn  Cooper Riley  Fielder Jessica  Moniz Stormy  Aue Celeste  Lozano Cierra  Terra Kate  Wallace Michelle  Castro Morgan  Lemas Kyle  Silva Bryan  Gavette Lacey  Pometta Micaela  Santos Miranda  Cordeiro Paul  Johnson Melissa  Silveira                   

Taylor  Drumonde Katelyn  Craft Nicole  Zalinski Bryce  Bridgford Cory  Griffith Courtney  Creighton Kristina  Ramos Vanessa  Lopez Max  Bell Samantha Bennett Jose  Munoz Tara  Bettencourt Anthony  Arevalo‐Jean Chloe  Emerson Savannah West Megan  Koehn Devin  Lower Paige  Brigham Carson  Hayes 

The University of California prohibits discrimination or harassment of any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy (including childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a covered veteran (covered veterans are special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, Vietnam era veterans, or any other veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized) in any of its programs or activities. University Policy is intended to be consistent with the provi-sions of applicable State and Federal Laws. Inquiries regarding the University's nondiscrimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action/Staff Personnel Services Director, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 300 Lakeside Drive, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612-3550, (510) 987-0096.

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4-H Shooting Sports Workshop Rifle Discipline Bakersfield, CA Saturday, February 28, 2009 , 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1, 2009 , 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. A 4-H shooting sports workshop for the rifle discipline will be held at Five Dogs Shooting Range, 20238 Woody Road in Bakersfield. Participants must attend both days of training to receive certification. Upon successful completion of the course, the participant will be certified as rifle trainer and can lead a rifle project at the club level or serve as county trainer to certify other leaders. There is no cost for the course. To register for the course and receive more information contact John Borba at: jaborba@ucdavis.edu For information about the facility and a map, please visit the range website at: http://www.5dogsrange.com

Merced County 4-H Communications Day 2009 Saturday, March 7, 2009, 8:00 AM Ballico, Elementary School

You can download the registration forms online at http://merced4h.ucdavis.edu OR register online at http://ucanr.org/commday .

4-H Shooting Sports Workshop Rifle Discipline Modesto, CA Sunday, February 8, 2009, 7 am to 5 pm Stanislaus 4-H Office. (3800 Cornucopia Way, Suite A, Modesto) The training is being condensed into a one day event so we can get leaders wishing to become shooting sports leaders trained as easily as possible. If you or other leaders in your club are interested, please plan to at-tend. You may call the 4-H office at 209-525-6801 if you have futher questions. This is the only rifle training scheduled in our area for this year. Trainings in other California locations may be found at the State 4-H web-site: http://www.ca4h.org/projresource/shootingsports/ All Project Leaders in the Shooting Sports Program must be certified by the California 4-H Shooting Sports Committee in each discipline they teach. No person may be certified as a Project Leader until all of the requirements are met.

It’s time to sharpen up your shooting skills and start preparing for the 25th Annual State 4-H Shooting Sports Match, sponsored by the Siskiyou County 4-H Council. Divisions include: Junior: ages 9-10; Intermediate: ages 11-13; Advanced: ages 14-19 and Leader/Parent for parents and leaders. All entrants must be currently enrolled in the 4-H program. Entries must be postmarked by March 6, 2009. More information is available at: http://www.ca4h.org/projresource/shootingsports/

Information for the 2009 series of 4-H Presentation Days is now online! Find the 4-H Presentation Manual, Facts and Impromptu Topics, and Judge’s Orientation documents online at: http://www.ca4h.org/leadership/spd

New Leader Orientation

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 1-3 pm OR 7-9 pm Merced, County 4-H Classroom 2145 Wardrobe Ave Merced, CA RSVP 385-7418

Leaders’ Appreciation Night

at Playhouse Merced

Volunteers and other friends of 4-H please don’t forget to RSVP your spot for our annual Leader Appreciation Night as we watch Our Town on Wednesday, February 11, 2009. Doors open at 6:30 PM, awards at 7 PM and show starts at 7:30 PM. Call Mia at 209-385-7418 NOW!

Merced County Fashion Revue 2009 Jammies, Friends, 'n Nighttime Fun

April 4, 2009 8:30 AM Registration

Peterson Elementary School, Merced Register here: http://ucanr.org/fashion

Location: 848 E. Donna Dr., Merced. There will also be a cookie and cupcake division. Lunch will be a salad potluck. Please bring your choice of a salad to share with others. We will provide drinks, napkins, plates and utensils.

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2009 Merced County 4-H Fishing Derby

May 9, 2009 at Kelsey Bass Ranch in Snelling

Please complete all questions and submit no later than May 4, 2009. If you are not currently enrolled in 4-H, we encourage you to attend, however, you will need to complete a 4-H enrollment form and pay the $12 insurance fee on the day or prior to

the event. Call the 4-H office if you have questions, (209) 385-7418.http://ucanr.org/fishingderby

State 4-H Scholarships High school seniors & college students who were in 4-H during high school are eligible to apply for a 2009 California State-wide 4-H Scholarship for Higher Education. Scholarships are available in many categories and may help fund educational expenses. Applications are due/postmarked by April 30, 2009. Information and applications are available at http://www.ca4h.org/4hresource/ir/scholarship/

County 4-H Scholarships

This is a reminder to all High School 4-H seniors and those who are currently enrolled in college that Scholarship applications and two letters of recommendations are due April 15, 2009. They will need a postmark or will need to be dropped off at the 4-H Office no later than 5 pm that day. Forms for this application are on the 4-H Website at: http://merced4h.ucdavis.edu.

The Apron Challenge for 2009 State Fashion Revue is drawing interest from throughout the state. Has your county scheduled its qualifying event or procedures to select members for State Fashion Revue? Entry due date is May 11. State 4-H Fashion Revue is part of State Field Day at UC Davis on May 31, 2009. The committee is still accepting teens and adults who are interested in assisting with the event. For complete information, see http://www.ca4h.org/projresource/fashion/index.asp. To volunteer for the committee or with questions, please contact Kylie Deal, Youth Chairperson at dmtigers06@yahoo.com or Sue Moore, staff liaison, at samoore@ucdavis.edu or 209-533-6990.

State 4-H Horse Classic The rules and entry forms are now available online for the State 4-H Horse Classic - Educational Contests. The event will be held at Reedley Col-lege, Reedley, CA (25 miles southeast of Fresno)

on March 28 & 29. Entries are due March 1st. Late entries will be accepted until March 15th with a $5.00 late fee. Go to http://ca4h.org/projresource/horse/classic.asp for further information. If you have any

questions, please e-mail Jeanne George at jlgeorge@ucdavis.edu or call 530-527-3101. Hope to see you in March!

Support Merced 4-H, it’s easy

You can financially support Merced County 4-H programs through your everyday purchases! 3% of your purchases (with few exceptions) at any SaveMart, FoodMaxx, Lucky and S-Mart Food stores will go into an account and a check will be sent to us quarterly! This is the S.H.A.R.E.S. program and we have the cards at the 4-H Office. We encourage each family to pick one up while they are at our office or during meetings and events where we can distribute them. The card has no cash value so there is no worry if it is lost. The card is issued in the name of Merced County 4-H and no personal information is needed or stored on the card. This card can be used by anyone. We have marked our cards with a 4-H sticker so that it is easily identified if you are supporting multiple organizations with a SHARES card.

2009 Science and Adventure Camp “4-H Goes Green”, the theme for the 2009 Merced County 4-H Science and Adventure Camp. This year’s logo was designed by Debbie Blevins. Camp fees have gone up and will be $140 per camper, $75/apprentice and $50/staff. Forms to register for camp and further information can be found here: http://groups.ucanr.org/Merced_4-H/Delivery/Camps.htm

Horse Bowl National Local Winner

It is my pleasure to announce that the California 4-H Horse Bowl Team AND the Team Demonstration won their contests at the National 4-H Horse Classic! Rachael McPhail, Santa Barbara County, were also 1st place in the individual Horse Bowl awards and received a $500 scholarship. Kaitlen Lawton and Alicia Couto, Kings County, was the best in team demonstration and each won $500 scholarships. Horse Bowl Team members were Rachel McPhail, Deanna Lestina, Riverside County; Molly Hanson, Merced County; and Allison Cuellar, San Joaquin County. Overall, the California Team placed 3rd. For more information, go to http://ca4h.org/projresource/horse/

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Dos Palos 4-H Club, Calah Zapata Reporter Nearly 1000 people attended Western National Roundup, January 7-11, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. Six hundred youth competed in fifteen national contests; thirty states along with Alberta, Canada were represented this year. The conference, now in its 89th year, is held annually, coinciding with the start of the National Western Stock Show. Dos Palos 4-H member, Molly Hanson, along with the rest of the California Horse Bowl Team won first place this year in the Horse Bowl competition. The California team included 4-Hers Hanson, Rachael McPhail of Santa Barbara, Deanna Lestina of Riverside, and Allison Cuellar of San Joaquin. 4-H and FFA members between the ages of 14 and 19 qualify for the conference either by winning their home state’s contest or being chosen as a state delegate. Workshops offered throughout the week provided a learning experience for the youth, exposing them to topics focusing on self improvement, leadership and community service. Congratulations to Merced County and Dos Palos 4-H member Molly Hanson and her team!

Snelling 4-H Hi, This is Teagan Puckett from Snelling 4H. We had a very wonderful holiday season and hope that you all did too! We invited the Merced River 4H to do some Christmas Caroling with us this year and everyone had a really great time. We are planning on going Ice Skating in a few weeks, we can't wait! I am sure that we will have many FUNNY pictures from that trip. Projects are in full swing and everyone is having a really good time.

New 2009 4-H Record Book Supplements - In-structions: These supplemental instructions and interpretations pertain to the California 4-H Record Book Manual, released February 2008. The State 4-H Incentives and Recognition Advisory Committee, which provides guidance to the California 4-H Record Book Program, will not release a full update to the manual at this time; however, the additions and edits should be noted. http://www.ca4h.org/4hresource/ir/recordbook/2009SupplementalGuidelines.pdf 4-H Life Skills in Science, Engineering and Technology: 4-H members may want to include specific science, engineering and technology (SET) abilities and life skills in their Annual Project Reports and 4-H Story. These SET Abilities focus on learning and doing science, engineering and technology. http://www.ca4h.org/4hresource/ir/recordbook/2009SETLifeSkills.pdf

Gold Clover Awards—Nominate Someone! Eligibility Regular 4-H members

• 4-H volunteers • 4-H groups • 4-H program staff • May apply or be nominated in any

applicable category. Individuals and groups may only win once in a category every three years. 4-H aca-demic staff are not eligible.

Award consists of:

• $500 used at the discretion of the award winner. • Medallion • Lapel pin • Recognition on the State 4-H website • Announced at the 4-H State Leadership Conference

and State 4-H Leaders’ Forum. • 4-H program staff recipients will not receive the

monetary award but will receive all other recognition. Continued==>

Gold clover awards con’t. Process Applications must be postmarked by May 31, 2009, and sent to the California State 4-H Office. All required information must be included. The California State 4-H Office will notify recipients by July 1. Individuals and groups may apply or be nominated in multiple categories. Individuals and groups may win in only one category per year. Individuals are eligible to win as an individual and as part of a group in the same year. The selection committee reserves the option of moving applications to another category if they feel it would be a bet-ter match. http://www.ca4h.org/4hresource/ir/goldenclover/

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4-H Alumni Reception 4-H Alumni are invited to the 4-H Alumni Reception at the 2009 4-H State Leadership Conference. The reception will be held on August 7, 2009 from 7-10pm at UC Merced. To receive a formal invitation or to send an invitation to a 4-H Alumni, contact Morgan Lynch at adaisyforjoy@gmail.com or 707.360.7839. More information is available at http://www.ca4h.org/conference/slc/ is available at http://www.ca4h.org/conference/slc/

New State 4-H Policies - Effective Immediately!

Several new policies for the State 4-H Policy Manual were adopted and presented in January 2008. Below is a brief summary of key areas on these policies. All club leaders will receive a complete copy and all 4-H members and leaders will be required to comply with the complete policy. If you would like a detailed copy of any of these policies, contact the 4-H office or download them from the State 4-H website: www.ca4h.org

Section 310.6—Volunteers on VMOs (Councils), commit-tees, and Taskforces - Members of these entities must be appointed 4-H Volunteers or youth members in good standing.

Section 418.1—Domestic Exchanges - Approval of all exchanges must come from the County Director. Youth participants must be at least 12 years of age. The California 4-H code of conduct is in full force at all times. All adults in the hosting household must undergo an adequate back-ground check or the exchange will not be allowed. All adults (18 & over) in hosting household within California must be fingerprint screened. At least one host youth must be a 4-H member in good standing.

Section 418.2—International Exchanges - In addition to the above domestic exchange policies, approval must also be given by the State 4-H Director and youth must be at least 14 years of age.

Section 704.2—Bank Accounts– All 4-H clubs & units must be chartered to use the 4-H name and logo, to raise & disperse funds in support of 4-H programs, projects and groups. The County Director must approve the establishment of checking or savings accounts. No other accounts are allowed without approval. Guidelines in the Treasurer’s manual and the State 4-H Policy manual must be followed. Failure to follow the policies can result in revoking of the club or unit’s charter. (All banking changes must be in place no later than July 1, 2008.) Section 818—Petting Zoos - Risks involved with petting zoos must be minimized by adhering to the specific guidelines listed in this policy for health and safety. Section 819—Search of Personal Property - The UC is responsible for maintaining a safe environment during the course of all 4-H YDP events. If there is any reason to per-form a search of personal property, the specific guidelines listed in this policy must be followed.

33rd Annual Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Field Day.

The University of California, Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is pleased to announce the 33rd Annual Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Field Day. This year's event will take place on March 6th and 7th, with an estimated 3,000 FFA and 4-H students in attendance. The UC Davis Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Field Day consists of 26 judging events and leadership contests that are all facilitated by current UC Davis undergraduate students. Registration deadline: February 13: Agriscience Fair and Job Interview materials due and February 20: Registration closed. Please register as soon as possible to ensure space for your teams. Ali Zike maybe contacted if you have any questions regarding this year's Field Day at: fieldday@ucdavis.edu, or visit our website for more information at: http://caes.ucdavis.edu/StudInfo/clubs/NewsEvents/Events/fieldday. We look forward to seeing your club on March 6-7th!

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COOPERATIVE EXTENSION UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Merced County 2145 Wardrobe Avenue Merced, CA 95341-6445

For special assistance regarding our programs, please contact our office.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 641

Merced, CA

FEBRAURY 2009