Macomb County 4-H Family Newsletter

December 2017

Macomb County 4-H News

Macomb County 4-H Awards Event - December 9th

The 2017 County Awards Event is at 1 p.m. on December 9, 2017 at the VerKuilen Building, 21885 Dunham Road, Clinton Township. Come on out and celebrate our 4-H'ers, volunteers and supporters! Light refreshments will be served. Please R.S.V.P. to [email protected]. See the event flyer for more information.

Reserve the 4-H Children's Art Exchange Kit

In cooperation with the People's Republic of China, the Michigan 4-H China Project makes a Children's Art Exchange Kit available free to schools, 4-H clubs and other youth groups. The program gives youth in grades K-6 the opportunity to exchange "visual letters" with youth in Shandong Province, China. Artwork submitted by Michigan youth participants could be selected to go to China, be part of a traveling statewide exhibit, or be part of an online exhibit. In Macomb County, reserve the kit online at http://bit.ly/2w8CIRy . For more information about the kit and the 4-H Children's Art Exchange, visit http://msue.anr.msu.edu/program/info/china_project or contact 4-H Program Coordinator Elizabeth Duran at 586-469-6090 or [email protected].

Goat, poultry quiz bowl teams forming

Macomb County will be forming quiz bowl teams to compete in the 2018 State 4-H Goat Expo and the Michigan State 4-H Poultry Show. There will be two separate teams representing Macomb County, one at the Goat Expo and one at the Poultry Show. We are looking for interested youth who are dedicated to in-depth learning on these animals. Team members will be sent study guides and will meet either monthly or bi-monthly to display their knowledge and practice the quiz bowl format. Goat and Avian ownership is not required, only an interest in learning about these animals is needed.

A big thanks goes out to 4-H volunteer Sheila Hribar for stepping up to lead these teams at the state competitions. Please contact Seth Martin, 4-H Program Coordiantor, at 586-783-8163 if you're interested so that staff can determine if our county has enough youth to form these teams.

Bee Project Workshop - January 16th

A Bee Project Workshop will be held at MSU Extension in

Clinton Township from 6:30-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.

The workshop will give volunteers, 4-H members and non-members the ins and outs of facilitating a bee project. Guest speaker Jacqui Rabine, a 4-H volunteer and 4-H staff member,

will share her personal experience in having a 4-H bee project. Please R.S.V.P. for this FREE workshop to [email protected]

or 586-469-6090.

County Offices Closed

Macomb County offices, including MSU Extension, will be closed on December 22, 25 and 29, 2017 and Jan. 1, 2018. Happy Holidays!

Macomb County 4-H Staff

Ed Scott

District 11 Coordinator

Oakland & Macomb Counties

Diane Wisnewski

4-H Extension Supervising

& Staff Development Educator

Elizabeth Duran

4-H Program Coordinator

Kathy Jamieson
4-H Educator

Seth Martin

4-H Program Coordinator

Kea Norrell-Aitch

4-H Educator

Roberta Busquaert

Computer Maintenance Clerk

Email:

[email protected]

Web Site:

http://msue.macombgov.org/

Locations:

MSU Extension

VerKuilen Building

21885 Dunham Road, Ste. 12

Clinton Township, MI 48036

Phone: (586) 469-6431

MSU Extension

Max Thompson

Family Resource Center

11370 Hupp

Warren, MI 48089

Phone: (586) 469-7614

Join Our List

Macomb County 4-H Youth Council Meeting Dates

January 11, 2018 (Wolcott)
March 8, 2018 (Wolcott)
May 10, 2018 (MSUE)
July 12, 2018 (Wolcott)
September 13, 2018 (MSUE)

National results for Macomb and St. Clair 4-H Horse Judging members

All of our Congress and Louisville contestants had a great time and did a great job!

Erin Carbary, Madilyn Morris, Sharon Torello, and Jaelyn Sutphin, all from St. Clair County 4-H, represented Michigan 4-H at the

All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio on October 18th. They each judged

12 classes and gave four sets of reasons. (Reasons are a verbal defense of why they placed certain classes the way they did.) They placed 17th in performance of the 34 youth teams competing.

From left to right: Sara Scott, Breanna Ngow, Shauna McIntosh, and Audrey Beaudin at the Eastern National 4-H Roundup in Louisville, Kentucky.

From left to right: Madilyn Morris, Sharon Torello, Jaelyn Sutphin, and Erin Carbary at the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio.

Individually, Madilyn Morris made it into the top 50 in performance judging. The Coliseum photo on the right shows Madilyn Morris, Sharon Torello, Jaelyn Sutphin, and Erin Carbary, from left to right, before the contest. All are St. Clair County 4-H members.

Audrey Beaudin from Macomb County 4-H represented Michigan 4-H at the Eastern National 4-H Round-up in Louisville, Kentucky, along with St. Clair County 4-H members Shauna McIntosh, Breanna Ngow, and Sara Scott. They each judged nine classes encompassing a variety of breeds and disciplines and gave four sets of reasons. The Michigan team finished 10th in halter judging, 12th in performance judging, and 11th overall. Breanna Ngow made it into the top 25 individually, placing 15th in halter judging and 24th overall. From left to right in the photo with the green background above are Sara Scott, Breanna Ngow, and Shauna McIntosh of St. Clair County 4-H, and Audrey Beaudin of Macomb County 4-H.

While national judging contests are over for the time being, the new learning season is underway. Meetings are the first Monday of each month from October through April, at 6:30 pm, at the Goodells County Park Community Building and are open to all Macomb and St. Clair County 4-H members. A state-wide competition will be held at Michigan State University in March, and will determine which teams will have the honor of representing Michigan at national contests next fall. Anyone interested, or who would simply like to know more can contact me at [email protected] or (586) 855-3215.

Thanks for all your help and support!!

Submitted by Lucy Brown, 4-H Volunteer

Horse Judging, Hippology and Horse Bowl project meetings - 4-H'ers welcome

Macomb County 4-Hers are welcome to attend project meetings for Horse Judging, Hippology, and Horse Bowl at Goodells County Park at 6:30 p.m.on December 4th, January 2nd, February 5th, March 5th, and April 2nd. Contact 4-H volunteer Lucy Brown for more information: [email protected].

Macomb County 4-H Horse Program Banquet held Nov. 12th

The 2017 Macomb County Horse Program Recognition and Awards Banquet was held on Nov. 12th at Zuccaro's Banquets and Catering. The elegant setting was a perfect way to honor the countless hours of training, hard work, practice, determination and accomplishments of all of the 4-H'ers in this program.

All Macomb County 4-H clubs working with horse projects were present for the festivities, which included family and friends. The ceremony was kicked off by Macomb County MSU Extension's 4-H Program Coordinator, Seth Martin, and the emcee, Mike DeFour, President of the Macomb County

4-H Horse Program Committee. During the dinner hour, there was a video slide show presentation of the photographs taken from the 2017 horse show season highlighting the exhibitors.

Recognition for participation through Top Performer was presented to 4-H members in the Mini, Draft and Light Horse projects.

Awards also included the 2017 Jane Sylvester Sportsmanship Award which was presented to Audrey Beaudin (Ray's Riding Rascals), and

the 2017 Bill Collins Outstanding Horsemanship Award, which was awarded to Gavin Jobe (Ray's Riding Rascals). The 2017 Overall Outstanding Performer award went to Kellyn Clink (Alarro Boots & Spurs), and the 2017 Gymkhana Award went to Morgan Binkowski (Alarro Boots & Spurs).

This year's banquet experience was the result of the hard work of 4-H Horse Program Banquet Committee volunteers Michelle Porter (Ray's Riding Rascals), Donna Hollingsworth (Ray's Riding Rascals), Crystal Pollock (Midnite Riders), and Kathy DeFour (Just For Fun).

The banquet they planned and organized was a great way to end the 2017 season.

Pictures provided by Marquel Martin

National Background Check for 4-H volunteers

MSU Extension updates volunteer files periodically. New to the process is a national background check, performed by backgroundcheck.com. Each volunteer will be asked to complete a national background check online at https://business2.backgroundchecks.com/invitation/welcome/pVPz every three years as long as he or she remains a volunteer. The link is secure, and there is no charge to volunteers for these background checks. Volunteers will receive a reminder with instructions from MSU Extension when it is time to do this. During the 2017-18 4-H program year, volunteers with January-April birthdays will be asked to complete an online background check. If you have questions regarding this process or about re-enrolling, contact Seth Martin at (586) 783-8163.

Become a 4-H volunteer

Volunteers play a very important part in making the 4-H programs in Macomb County fun and rewarding for youth, and new volunteers are always welcome! Adults who want to become 4-H volunteers need to complete the 4-H volunteer selection process (VSP). VSP consists of an application, background and reference checks, an interview, and completion of online training modules. Start the process today by submitting the application to [email protected]! See http://bit.ly/2xyjHVC for more information about VSP.

Armada Fair Youth Livestock Sale Participation Forms due in January

4-H'ers who are interested in participating in the 2018 Armada Fair Youth Livestock Sale will need to download and fill out the Armada Fair Youth Livestock Sale Participation Form, online at http://armadafair.org/4hffalivestocksale/. Forms are due to the Armada Fair Office by Friday, January 12, 2018. Forms can be dropped off or mailed to the Armada Fair Office, 74280 Fair St., Armada, MI 48005. Armada Fair Office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information, visit http://armadafair.org or contact the Armada Fair Office at 586-784-5488.

Armada Fair Tagging Dates:

Steer - 1st Sunday in February (2/4/18) from 12-2 p.m.

Swine, Lambs, Goats - 1st Sunday in June (6/3/18) from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

All Poultry & Rabbits - 3rd Sunday in July (7/15/18) from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Sources: http://armadafair.org/4hffalivestocksale/ and http://bit.ly/2iybVbJ

Statewide 4-H News & Events

4-H pledge resources available

Whether you are a new or longstanding club, learning the 4-H pledge is an important step for all
4-H members. Help new members learn the pledge by downloading a free 4-H pledge poster
available at msue.anr.msu.edu/resources/4_h_pledge_posters. The colorful pledge posters can also be used for displays that can help with recruitment of youth and volunteers. If you have any questions regarding the 4-H pledge posters, contact Jodi Schulz at [email protected].

2018 4-H State Award applications process now open!

Michigan 4-H true leaders ages 11 and older have an opportunity to be recognized for the great work they do in 4-H by completing a state award application. A Michigan 4-H State Award is the highest honor bestowed on a Michigan 4-H member and provides an opportunity to receive recognition for their engagement in rich learning experiences that result in outstanding knowledge and life-skill development.

State award applications are divided into four categories: Mark of Excellence essay contest (11-12 years old), junior state award (13-15 years old), senior state award (16-19 years old) and group awards (13-19 years old). The application process and selection is determined by the age of the 4-H member. Final candidates for the junior, senior and group level awards in each project area will be selected to participate in the State Awards program during 4-H Exploration Days in June where final selection and announcement of winners will take place.

The application can be found at http://bit.ly/2xWk3VO and is due Feb. 1, 2018. For more information, contact Betty Jo Krosnicki at [email protected].

Sharpen Your Skills 4-H Workshop - January 20th

The Sharpen Your Skills 4-H Workshop is a career preparation skills workshop for youth ages 11-19, volunteers and parents. Youth applying for awards (i.e. 4-H State Awards), scholarships, or jobs will benefit by attending the workshop and will explore 1) Creating good resumes, 2) Writing tips to improve your application, and 3) Interview preparation and practice. The workshop is from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 at the Suburban Showcase Collection, 46100 Grand River Avenue, Novi. Please R.S.V.P. to Debbie Morgan at 248-347-3860 ext. 279 or [email protected]. Questions? Contact Kathy Jamieson at [email protected] or Laurie Rivetto at [email protected].

Resumes Made Easy Webinar - Jan. 15th

Learn how to build a resume from your classes, activities and skills, even if you have limited paid work experience. High school students, 4-H youth State Award applicants, and young people looking for work will want to attend! Resumes Made Easy is free, and it's online from 1-2:30 p.m. on Jan. 15, 2018. Register at https://events.anr.msu.edu/Resumes2018 by January 12th to receive the webinar link. For more information, contact Kathy Jamieson at 586-469-6093 or [email protected].

Save the date for Challenge U Funfest

Challenge U 4-H Funfest, held at the Kettunen Center, offers participants and chaperones an
opportunity to participate in hands-on sessions that will engage youth in learning about themselves, food and being active. Targeted to youth ages 9 to 13, the Challenge U 4-H Funfest provides an opportunity for younger 4-H youth to become familiar with the Kettunen Center in an overnight camp setting. Look for registration to open in January 2018. For more information about this event, contact Michelle Neff at [email protected] .

SHOP 4-H Online and support Michigan 4-H!

Get ready for the holidays by buying your favorite Michigan 4-H'ers 4-H apparel and essentials at the SHOP 4-H Online Store. Ranging from 4-H apparel to 4-H flashlights, you can find the perfect gift for every 4-H member, volunteer, parent or staff person. As you share the 4-H spirit this holiday season, you'll also be supporting Michigan 4-H! The SHOP 4-H Online Store is giving five percent back to Michigan 4-H when you shop using this link: https://shop4-h.org/?rfsn=871792.16dd0.

4-H Day at the Breslin tickets available

Free tickets are now available at your county Extension office for 4-H Day at the Breslin. Gather with 4-H friends, families, volunteers and staff to cheer on the MSU women's basketball team as they take on the Indiana Hoosiers at 4 p.m. Jan. 20, 2018 at MSU's Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Make sure to come early, doors open at 2:30 p.m., to browse booths set up around the concourse showcasing various

Michigan 4-H programs and events. 4-H alumni and their families are also invited to a special pre-event activity at Spartan Stadium, beginning at 1:30 p.m. To learn more, visit msue.anr.msu.edu/events/4_h_alumni_tip_off_reception.