March
2016
4-H Focal Point

4-H: Join the Revolution of Responsibility
In Focus:

Judy Day Scholarship 
Judy Taylor was a dedicated 4-H Volunteer Leader and was very involved in the Tompkins County 4-H Youth Fair, Public Presentations and Environmental Science Programs. Judy was a teacher a Belle Sherman and was extremely passionate about 4-H and youth development. Judy's daughters grew up in the 4-H Program. $750 scholarship.
Applications Due by June 1st, 2016. 

2016 Advancement in Agricultural Studies Scholarship.   
This scholarship is open to area high school seniors who are interested in pursuing agricultural studies.  If you know of a high school student who would make a good applicant, please pass this scholarship information along to them.
2016 Scholarship Announcement 
2016 SAGES Agricultural Scholarship Application

NYS 4-H STEM Camp 
4-H STEM camp has six tracks to choose from. Each camper chooses one track to learn about for the weekend. You may choose from Rocketry, Sustainable Energy, Robotics, Geocaching, or Outdoor Adventure. Class sizes are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
For more information visit: Their Website 

The Owen Kelly Memorial Campership
This campership pays the complete cost of camp for one child each week during the summer.
Who: Eligible boys and girls ages 8-16 in need regardless of where they are from.
Requirements:
1.  Complete the application available on the website (Link Below)
2.  Write a short essay on why you want to attend 4-H Camp Shankitunk and require financial assistance to do so
3. Submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher, clergy, 4-H Leader, or friend of the family on how camp will help the applicant grow as a leader, learn skills, and make friends at camp when they may not otherwise have the opportunity.
More Information 

March Dog Madness!  
Saturday, March 19
The deadline to register is March 11. Hotel Rooms will be held until March 1 at Ramada Inn, Triphammer Rd. For more information and to register, click here! 

Dairy Discovery!
Fri/Sat March 25-26: The deadline to register is March 18. Hotel Rooms will be held until until Feb 25 at Ramada Inn, Triphammer Rd. For more information and to register, click here! 

The Leon Chandler Chapter of Trout Unlimited    
Camper Sponsorship Program - 2016
New York State DEC Environmental Education Summer Camps

For the 13th year, the Leon Chandler Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be sponsoring a few young people (ages 11-17) to attend one of the DEC's Summer Environmental Education Camps.In addition to paying for the cost of the camp ($350), up to $100 will be available per camper to assist with the purchase of required camp supplies and transportation costs.
For more information on the DEC summer camp programs and locations visit:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/29.html 
For details or more information please directly contact: Rick Grossman at 607-844-8222x 4247 or 607-279-9002, RDG@TC3.edu 
  
 
What are you doing at Fair?

Brandon (15) "I plan on showing my leased cow, Marley. I also plan on showing my Mini Rex rabbit, April. I'm also planning on working games, the chili cook off and finally the night fire."

Emily (16) "At this years fair I plan on exhibiting 2 heifers and a dairy cow in the the Dairy Show on Friday, participating in the creative table setting contest, showing my dog in the dog show on Saturday and exhibiting some hand made clothing items."

Shanna (Volunteer) " Seeing how the kids have grown over the past year as well as catching up with old friends and making new ones."

2016 Fair Schedule
July 25: Set up Day
July 26: Evaluation Day
July 27: Exhibit Set up and 4-H Family Dish-to-pass
July 28 - 30 4-H Youth Fair
(detailed schedule coming soon)
At A Glance:

March:
1 Enrollment deadline for returning members (Jan. 1 -March 1 enrollment fee is $20); no re-enrollments accepted after March 1
5 Pre County Public Presentations Day 
12 Regional Hippology and Dairy/Horse Quiz Bowl
19 March Dog Madness
19 County Public Presentations Day
22 4-H Youth Fair Board
25-26 Dairy Discovery
All month: Gear up for the Duck Race!
 
Club Info and Kudos
 
"Hot Club Management Tip":
            The club meeting is "4-H" to the young 4-H'er. Belonging to a club and attending meetings appeal to the 8- to 11-year-old. It's important to plan meetings that are fun, exciting, educational and make all members feel like they are a part of the club.
            A "good" 4-H meeting:
* is a social experience.
* is an opportunity to develop leadership skills.
* makes 4-H'ers feel good about themselves.
* helps 4-H'ers discover new ideas.
 
It's DUCK RACE time!
Brochures ready and we've delivered many to clubs! Each club member is expected to sell chances on 5 ducks. All paperwork and money will be due in the 4-H office on Friday, April 15. Volunteers who bring their documentation to the office that day will earn a 10 minute chair massage!! (time to be determined) Watch for further information on duck sales and the chair massage in the Focal Point, and letter to be mailed to Organizational Leaders.

4-H Acres Use Reminders:
           As you're planning locations for your meetings, don't forget that 4-H Acres is available for your use without charge. You can check the availability of the facility at http://rooms.ccetompkins.org/day.php?area=10&room=84 . Then contact either Athena or Brenda to make your reservation. Don't forget to sign in an out on the log just inside the door, make sure you turn out all lights, sweep floors and wipe down tables/counters, unplug any appliance you may have used, turn off the stove, and remember to turn the heat back to 55! Many programs use this facility, and we all need to do our part in keeping it in order. Thanks for doing your part.
 
4-H Youth Fair Updates
- Mark your calendars now for the 45th Anniversary of the 4-H Youth Fair - July 25th - 30th. The next Fair Board meeting will be Tuesday, March 22, 7 - 8:30 p.m., 4-H ACRES. 
 
Notice on Poultry Exhibition :  The decision has been made to allow poultry exhibits at fairs for the 2016 fair season.  Please be aware that this decision is subject to change if there is a significant highly pathogenic avian influenza event in New York or elsewhere in the country.  We plan to hold the Poultry Show on Wed., July 27 4:00 p.m. All poultry brought to the fair must have a negative Pullorum test; we will hold a Pullorum Clinic on Wed., July 13, between 5:30 - 7 p.m. at 4-H Acres. Please bring all birds you expect to show. We WILL NOT do Pullorum testing at the Fair. Additional information can be found in the Annual Supplement.
 
Little Bunny Foo-Foo's : If you're interested in rabbits and cavies, join us for our next meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 7 - 8 p.m. at the Education Center in Ithaca. Please contact Gail for more information, 564-9078
 
Animal Crackers, May 7, 2016
The annual Animal Crackers program provides New York youth with fun hands-on science-oriented learning experiences on Animal Science topics which feature the unique facilities and staff of Cornell University. This year's program will feature Dairy Cattle and Goats. Animal Crackers takes place right here - at Cornell University and is geared to 4-H members, 9 - 12 years of age, enrolled in animal science projects. Participants will meet Cornell faculty and students, learn about different aspects of animal care, interact and exchange information with professional producers, industry experts, and more! Hands-on workshops are planned for each species group. The is $15.00 per youth to cover basic handout and occasional presenter expenses. There is no registration fee for chaperones.
Participants must bring their own lunch and drinks. Contact Brenda to register.  
 
Travel the World - In Your Own Home!
Host Families Needed for the States' 4-H Exchange Program
The NYS 4-H Office, in conjunction with the States' 4-H International Exchange Programs, will sponsor 12 Japanese youth, ages 12-17 from July through mid-August in 2016.   We are looking for families, like yours, who would be interested in expanding their own horizons in learning about a different culture, while providing a Japanese youth with an immersion in American culture, a chance to improve their English, and an opportunity to build friendships between the two cultures!   Click the image below to learn more about this program and contact Jamila Simon to learn how you can be part of a life-changing experience!
 
STARR 2016 - Register Today!
Do you want to be a STARR? Yes? Then be sure to register TODAY!  
The State Teen Action Representative Retreat (STARR) is a three-day, fun-filled event where
4-H teens participate in a variety of workshops and activities meant to challenge, excite and further develop life skills. The event is planned by teens and adults serving on the youth/adult STARR planning committee. STARR is open to all NYS 4-H teens. Registration is now open and will close on Monday, March 14, 2016 at 11:59 pm.
            Date: April 29 - May 1, 2016
            Location: New York State Fairgrounds- Syracuse, NY.
            Cost: $85.00 per person. Registration fee covers lodging and meals.
 
4-H20 Water Monitoring Activities - join the fun!
            We're looking for more Inlet volunteers to help sample exciting locations like Buttermilk Creek, the Inlet Island area (that's the group that i volunteer with) and potentially other intriguing locations like Newfield and Enfield Creek. It's not bio-monitoring (therefore is a lot less time-consuming) and doesn't (usually) involve little critters, but it's contributing really important information to the CSI public water quality database. If you aren't on one of these teams already and have an interest, please do contact me or someone else up here at the lab. We'd love to have you join us on Thursday.
            We're also looking for help on Saturday, March 26 from 9 am-4 pm as we process one of the samples taken by volunteers in Fall Creek this past summer. We'll be working on the sample at a table at Ithaca Fishing Day in the Boynton Middle School cafeteria and thought that anyone who stops by could help us as we pick, sort and identify organisms to come up with a water quality rating for that site (Freese Rd - near Varna). As we work, those of us with been involved with bio-monitoring for CSI can answer questions that people might have. If you're new to bio-monitoring, it's a great chance to stop by and check it out. It's a fun day and you'll also want to check out the other tables and activities. I'll attach a flier for the event to this message.
            Hopefully you're keeping your hands warm each time you reach into one of our icy February
streams to turn over rocks because you're dying to remember what's crawling underneath. : )
            For more information contact Adrianna Hirtler at adriannalouise@gmail.com.

4-H Club Success Story:
4-H Acres wish list:
  • Wheel barrow
  • Deer resistant shrubs
  • New 4-H Acres sign
  • Painting of fences
  • Picnic tables
  • Sawdust
  • Services to fix bridge to horse barn
  • 10 additional hard plastic folding tables
  • Hard plastic kitchen shelves
  • Storage shed
  • New lighting for pole barn
  • Large dehumidifier
  • Monetary donations

Thank you for considering. Please contact Megan at met38@cornell.edu if you are interested in donating.

 

NYS 4-H Youth Development

Mission
 4-H connects youth to hands-on learning opportunities that help them grow into competent, caring, contributing members of society

Vision
A world in which youth and adults learn, grow, and work together as catalysts for positive change.
Additional Opportunities

Tompkins County NY youth in the Towns of Ithaca , Groton , Dryden, Newfield, Enfield, Danby,
Lansing,  Trumansburg/Ulysses, and  Caroline are able to participate in free and/or low cost after school programming that is available through Rural Youth Services. Check your local listing for ages, places and times.
For more information visit the RYS website, or contact
Shelley Lester, Rural Youth Services Coordinator,  sjl44@ cornell.edu or 272-2292.

Urban Outreach Program
For over 35 years, 4-H Urban Outreach has provided youth development programming to downtown neighborhoods, in which youth increase academic and life skills.
Urban Outreach currently offers programs at Belle Sherman/SIFE, LACS and summer programing.

Primitive Pursuits offers skills and experiences that create life-long connections with nature,
through homeschool and after-school programs, school break days and a full slate of
summer camps. Opportunities exist for youth of all ages and adults.
For more information and/or to register, visit the Primitive Pursuits website
or call 272-2292.