DUTCHESS COUNTY 4-H PROGRAM
February 2019...New Events & Information
The DC 4-H'ers IMPORTANT NEWS Guide
This e-News contains lots of useful information for YOU!
Please be sure to read the newsletter
and contact the 4-H Office with any questions
about upcoming events or paperwork!
HELP US HELP YOU
LESS TIME SPENT IN THE OFFICE CHASING PAPERWORK IS MORE TIME WE CAN SPEND RUNNING PROGRAMS AND FINDING FUNDING!!!
4-H Staff need the help of
YOUTH
PARENTS
LEADERS
to get all meeting minutes, advisory minutes, and independent member reports in by the 10th of the following month
Need another copy of the form? Find it here!

WE ALSO NEED GOOD PHOTOS, NOTIFICATION OF CHANGES TO MEMBERSHIP ETC AND GOOD ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS

2019 Public Presentation Events
-Remember-
NO Presentation, NO 4-H Fair Participation or Tickets
Youth Public Presentations Registration
Sign up today - time is running out!


There are 3 opportunities left for currently enrolled 4-H members to complete a public presentation but spots are filling up fast!
Thursday February 14th and Saturday March 9th will be public presentation events and (new this year!) a Spring Food Fest will be held on Saturday April 13th . The Spring Food Fest Rules, Evaluation Guidelines, and Entry Form are available online here and are due on April 8th! All events will be at CCEDC. For more information about any of these events, please visit the 4-H Public Presentations page or contact Meghan .
PUBLIC PRESENTATION EVALUATORS
NEEDED:
3 Evaluators for Public Presentations
on March 9th from 9am to 2:30pm at FHC
Please email Meghan if interested!
Permission to Fundraise
As clubs and advisories start to make plans for spring, don't forget to fill out and submit a PERMISSION TO FUNDRAISE Form to the 4-H Office before the planned fundraiser!

4-H Clubs CANNOT fundraise without permission from the 4-H Office! Need another copy of the form? Find it here
Dutchess County Fair: Review of Entries Process, Update and Discussion
Saturday February 9th at FHC staring 9am prompt
This session is for Leaders, Co-Leaders and Project Leaders only
Liz from the Dutchess County Agricultural Society (DCAS) will be coming to speak about the entry system. This will be followed by a general discussion about the fair with 4-H staff. Topics will include 'Hour of Service'.
Join us at the HFC at to start preparing for the 2019 DCF!
2019 DCF Life Size 4-H Scrapbook
$100 prize
generously sponsored
by the Ritter Family!

Will be judged on creativity and the best display of
"4-H in My Life".
Design and build a
LIFE SIZE SCRAPBOOK
that represents your years in 4-H.

Items that can be included are pictures, certificates, awards, projects, stories about your 4-H experiences, newspaper articles, and any other items that may help the general public view what you have accomplished in your 4-H career.
We also encourage you to include information about how 4-H has affected your everyday life whether it be personally, educationally, or
career related.

Each exhibitor will be given at least an 8x8 area with wall space to FILL as they wish! Fabric and lights may be used as backdrops or decorations. Exhibitors are encouraged to build interactive items within their space to allow the public to connect with their 4-H experiences.
2019 4-H Fairbook Cover Competition
Dutchess County Teen Ambassadors - Join Us!
Next Meeting: Thursday 7th February, 5:00pm at FHC
Teens - be part of this youth leadership group. Learn lots and have fun while promoting your 4-H program and supporting the community.
Leaders - please encourage the teens in your club to sign up. 
Contact Faith for more information
Tractor Safety Course
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for the 2019 Tractor Safety Course. The course will begin on February 28th and run through March.
Go to the 4-H MEMBER RESOURCES page for an application form.
Contact Meghan with questions.
Dutchess County 4-H is hosting a National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program (NSTMOP) course
in partnership with Reardon Briggs!
Youth ages 14 and up will receive a training certificate; allowing them to hold jobs on farms and legally allow them to use farm equipment. Youth ages 8-13 are welcome to participate in the classroom portion of the training (with help from a parent where needed) however they are ineligible for certification.
Youth Model Horse Show
Saturday, March 2 nd at FHC
Doors open at 8am for set up
Show starts promptly at 9am

Entry fee (for unlimited classes):
$15 due February 28th ($20 day of show entries)
4-H membership is not required to show! 

For more information, please check out the
2019 NY Agricultural Literacy Week
The 2019 New York
Agricultural Literacy Week
is March 18th to 22nd!
Help us break the record!
Last year in Dutchess we read to kids 2300 in 103 venues
This year we are shooting for 2500 in 120 classrooms and libraries!
Contact Meghan to sign up to read!
This program would not be possible without the generous donations covering the purchase of the books from:
Dutchess County Dairy Committee
and
Dutchess Putnam Westchester Farm Bureau
2019 NYS4-H STEM Camp - June 14 th to 16 th
What is the 4-H STEM Program? 4-H aims to grow the next generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers by giving youth plenty of opportunities to try their hands at real world SCIENCE!

Registration (including forms and fee)
by May 31st

Early Registration
by May 1st for a FREE t-shirt!

For more information,
see the full camp brochure here !
Found some T-shirts!
New Dutchess County T-shirts
for Sale at the 4-H Office!
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE!

11 Regular Small and 1 Youth Large
t-shirts for sale at $5/t-Shirt!
Buy them and add your club name!

Please contact Meghan if you are interested in purchasing a t-shirt!
Fun, Rewarding Community Service Opportunity
The Relatives As Parents Program(RAPP) is looking for 4H group Volunteers to sign up for * one of our monthly meetings as Community Mentors for the Youth RAPP group. The Community Mentors will facilitate simple crafts for the RAPP youth, engage with the youth, and talk about their club activities. RAPP programs are from 5:30pm-7:00pm.
 For more details please contact :
Maureen R Callamari
Family and Consumer Education
mc2524@cornell.edu or (845)677-8223, ext.122
  * A Club can sign up for more than one if they would like to!
Leaders & Parents, have you thought about...
  • Saving money on your heating costs?
  • Accessing clean energy for your home?
  • Speaking with a Community Energy Advisor to learn about programs available to help you heat your home more efficiently?

To learn more about these opportunities, please check out this article about the energy program , visit midhudsonenergychoices.org ,
or call CCEDC at 845-677-8223 - ask for Collin!
For Your Calendar...
FEBRUARY
Saturday 2          DC 4-H Horse Communications at FHC
Sunday 3           4-H Veterinary Science program commences
Saturday 9        Fair Review and Discussion with Liz 9-10:30am, FHC
Saturday 9        General Fair Discussion - all welcome, 10:30am FHC
Thursday 14       Public Presentation Event #2, 5-8pm at FHC 
Saturday 23        District Horse Bowl ( Snow Date: 2/24 )CCE Sullivan
Thursday 28       Tractor Safety Course commences, 6-8pm
MARCH
Friday 1          JoAnn's "Clovers for Kids" begins (Paper Clover)
Saturday 2 Youth Model Horse Show, 8am Setup/9am Show
Saturday 9         Public Presentation Event #3, 9am-2:30pm at FHC 
Week 18-22      Ag Literacy Week - readers needed!
Mar 27-April 7  Tractor Supply Co Paper Clover Fundraiser
APRIL
Saturday 6        District Horse Communications, CCE Sullivan
Saturday 13       Spring Food Festival, 9am-2pm, FHC
Tuesday 23       Sewing Evaluations, time tbd FHC
Thursday 25       Fashion Review, time tbd, FHC
Saturday 27     District Public Presentations, 9am onward, DCC
Tuesday 30 JoAnn's "Clovers for Kids" ends (Paper Clover)
Dutchess County 4-H Social Media
Contact Jane Rodd             Contact Meghan                         Contact Angela
jr825@cornell.edu                   met222@cornell.edu                          acs26@cornell.edu
(845) 677-8223, ext. 105              ext. 108                                    ext. 114