Join 4-H
Volunteers
Hall of Fame
Staff
Kids Page
Calendar
Events
4-H Projects
School Programs
Recognition
Scholarships
Collegiate 4-H
Oregon Outreach
School-Aged Care
Newsletter
Printed Materials
Evaluation
Judges
4-H Foundation
4-H Center
Related Links
Staff Use Only
Oregon 4-H Newsletter
For April 2006
Greeting from the State Leader
We in 4-H often lament the fact people don't know much about us. I can't
recall the number of times I have heard 4-H characterized as "one
of America's best kept secrets."
But a recently released marketing study conducted by the Polling Company
suggests that limited knowledge of 4-H may not necessarily be a bad thing.
According to the study, people are aware of 4-H. In fact, eighty-three percent of adults surveyed have heard of 4-H. Among those, however, knowledge of 4-H varied widely. Those who claimed to have knowledge about 4-H, generally offered up an outdated or inaccurate image of the program. Those holding these views tended to be older, white, upper-income respondents. So what's the good news?
Well, I would argue that folks who recognize the 4-H emblem but have no knowledge of 4-H are a blank canvas. We don't have to undo a negative or inaccurate image. Consequently, there is no need to fear labeling our outreach efforts as 4-H. With new audiences, we build an image from scratch.
Also in our favor is the finding that virtually no one had a negative image of 4-H. In this study, 4-H ranked second among youth organizations in perceived overall quality. We are not in a damage control situation.
But we still need to get the word out about our programs. National 4-H
Council has aggressive plans for using the results of the Polling Company
study to increase nationwide awareness of 4-H. We, too, must utilize every
avenue available to us to tell the 4-H story. Some secrets are meant to
be shared.
~ Roger Rennekamp
back to the index
Calendar
(click "Calendar" to go to State 4-H Calendar)
back to the index
4-H Afterschool
Operation Military Kids
Operation Purple 4-H Camp will be held July 16-22, 2006 at the 4-H Center
in Salem, Oregon. We will be able to accommodate 100 campers in grades
3 through 8 this year. There is no cost to the family, however transportation
to camp is not provided. Please guide your military families to the website:
www.operationpurple.org
for more information and camper applications. Registration deadline is
May 15, 2006. Openings are still available for trained 4-H camp counselors
to apply. They will receive a $100.00 stipend upon completion of the camp.
Questions may be directed to: Joan Engeldinger - joan.engeldinger@oregonstate.edu
or 503-260-4053. For more information
click here
~ Joan Engeldinger
Grant possibilities click
here to more information
back to the index
Ag in the Classroom
April 2006 Calendar Picture
Dannica T. " Grade 6, Amity Middle School, Amity " Teacher: Mrs. Willius
You will find daily agricultural facts with student artwork on our website at http://AITC.oregonstate.edu. The following are a few April 2006 Calendar Facts:
- April is National Soft Pretzel Month
- April is National Soyfoods Month
- April is National Lawn and Garden Month
- April is National Pecan Month
- Soybean oil is the most widely used vegetable oil.
- The pecan was first cultivated by American Indians.
- Tulips ere developed in Turkey.
- The sunflower is native to the North American continent.
- April 22 is Earth Day.
- Civil War soldiers used soybeans to brew coffee.
Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom Essay Contest
Student winners were announced during National Agriculture Week. Visit
the Capital Press website for more information: http://www.capitalpress.info.
Oregon Ag Fest - April 29 and 30, 2006
Oregon Ag Fest was created to help better educate the public about the
importance of agriculture. Ag Fest demonstrates how important agricultures
economic impact and practices are: showing kids such things as where the
food they eat comes from, how sheep are raised for the wool to make clothing,
to the importance of our forests for ecology and human survival. Visit
the AITC website for a link to Ag Fest and for lesson ideas to supplement
a visit to Ag Fest.
http://AITC.oregonstate.edu
New "Grown in Oregon" Posters 
The poster is 24 x 36 inches with lessons and information on the back.
2,500 posters were printed and are available at no charge to teachers.
A
$5 shipping and handling fee will be applied to each mailing. Megan Tanaka,
a high school student from Union, created the artwork.
~ Tami Kerr, Program Director
(541) 737-8629
~ Cathy McClaughry, Education
Assistant (541) 737-1318
back to the index
Animal Science
State Dairy Judging Contest
The official state dairy judging contest competition is coming up soon. Click here for the registration form. Please return the form to me, either by email or by fax. The contest details are:
Date: Monday, May 1, 2006
Registration time: 1:00 pm
Contest start time: 2:00 pm
Location: Oregon State University Dairy Center
4490 Harrison St.
Corvallis, OR 97331
Cost: $5.00 per participant (make checks payable to the 4-H Foundation)
The contest will be conducted by the OSU judging club and is expected to be concluded between 5:00 and 5:30 pm. Classes will be placing classes of live animals and oral reasons classes. The selection of the team to represent Oregon at Madison, WI will be based on the high individual scores.
You may enter an unlimited number of individuals on the registration form. Awards will be provided for the top 10 individuals, Champion and Reserve Champion Individual, and Champion and Reserve Champion Teams. If you are unable to enter a team, you may combine a team with another county, providing each county agent indicates that on the registration form.
If you have any questions, please call me at 541/737-6201 or email me at victoria.avery@oregonstate.edu.
~ Vicki Avery
Camp
Oregon 4-H Totally Technology Middle School Camp
Please let your 4-H members know about the new 4-H Totally Technology Middle School (entering grades 6-8) Camp to be presented at the 4-H Center this summer, July 10-15, 2006. The cost will be $190.00 per camper. We will also shortly be seeking 4-H Senior Youth to serve as camp counselors.
Information and registration forms will be available on the State 4-H Office web site beginning April 1, or by calling 503.371.7920. Registration will take place through the State 4-H Office. Erin Taylor, 4-H Technology Extension Agent in Jackson County, is the Camp Director.
There are only 75 camper spaces available for this exciting new program, so early registration is encouraged. During camp, each camper will participate in four Tech Topics, and will rank their choice of Tech Topics on the registration form. Classes will be filled in a first come first served basis. Tech Topics currently confirmed include Pod Casting, Video Production, CSI Cascara Lodge, GPS/GIS, Radical Robots, Electrical Engineering, Medical Technology, and Aviation, Rockets & Orbital Science. The Tech Topic Instructors are professionals in the field who are volunteering their time to teach at 4-H Camp.
~Virginia Bourdeau
General
Calling All Photos!
It's that time of year again, to begin the annual revision of the Clover. Got any great shots of recent clinics, county contests, or livestock weigh-ins? We're looking for photos of 4-H activities in action. Photos may be submitted by both youth and adults (volunteers, leaders and staff). Human subjects in the photos must have a signed liability release form (on file in county offices is acceptable); this liability release is usually signed when a 4-H member enrolls in the 4-H program.
Photos for the Clover should be electronically mailed to helen.pease@oregonstate.edu,
or send via US mail to Helen Pease, 105 Ballard Hall, OSU, Corvallis,
97331.
~ Helen Pease
Older Youth
2006 Summer Conference-Be a part of it!!!
June 22-25, 2006 Oregon State University Campus!
The Oregon Youth Council invites 4-H'ers in the 7-12 grades from all counties to participate in the 2006 4-H Summer Conference! Once again we will be based in the beautiful and unique Weatherford Hall. The four-day conference will include Ambassador Training, National Congress Interviews, and a host of new and interesting classes, as well as some favorites from last year. Here is a quick look at some of the class highlights so far: Lego Robotics, Digital Photography, Podcasting, GPS, Oceanography, Entrepreneurship, Dog Agility, Animal Judging, Dance classes (swing, cha-cha, square, line, hip-hop, tap, etc), Public Speaking, Wall Climbing, Fair Court, Challenge Course, Scuba, Watercolor Painting, Ultimate Frisbee, Color (personality activity), Forestry, Fundraising, and much, much more!
Class descriptions and registration forms will be posted on the State
4-H Website this year. Participants will register through their county
Extension Office as in past years, but all the registration information
and forms will be on the website. Look for it in early April!
~ Lester Oehler
Oregon Outreach
Intercultural Communication
This month's intercultural communication tip is taken from the March
edition of the Extension National Diversity Center http://www.ediversitycenter.net/
Should We Be Color Blind?
By color blind, we are not referring to people who literally can't distinguish
certain colors, but rather to people who say they do not see skin color
when interacting with others whose skin is a very different color than
their own.
Embedded in this attitude are two beliefs: one is that everyone is treated
equally and the second is that skin color doesn't matter.
From an intercultural communication perspective, all people want to be
respected for who they are. If you are black and I am white, whether we
openly acknowledge this difference, we both know and see that difference.
Embedded in that difference is a historical power differential. Within
that history, each of us has learned messages, often negative, about the
other. These messages become filters through which we communicate with
the other. To be effective, we have to be aware of our own filters and
how they effect how I make meaning in relation to the other. I need to
be aware of who I am as a person with a skin color. And I need to see
the other's skin color as an important part of who that person is. From
that place of openness and mutual respect, we enter into a dialogue.
~ Beverly Hobbs
OSU Latino Conference
We are making an especial request to all of you working with the Latino community to help us in recruiting Latino students to attend a conference that is taking place at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Students will learn about difference career opportunities, financial aid, admissions, and student support programs. And the most important thing, HAVE FUN! Every thing is free.
Let me know how I can help you to bring your students.
If you are interested, let me know and I will send you the conference registration forms.
Please help us spread the word to students and organizations working with minority students.
~ Mario A. Magaña
Privacy
Social Security Number Policy for Youth and Judges
Through the history of 4-H youth events and fair judging it has been necessary to ask for social security numbers on applications and registration forms. This has been done so the information will be available when money is taken out of a 4-H Foundation account for National Congress, scholarships or county fair accounts for paying judges.
As identify theft has become more and more prevalent, we feel that it is important to be more concerned with the storage, use and frequency in asking for social security numbers in connection with the 4-H business that we do throughout the year.
We have had judges voice their concern to the State Office about seeing their judge's information sheet in a notebook at county fair wide open and visible/available to people working in the building. Even though the social security number is needed to be paid for judging, we as 4-H staff need to use more care in where it is stored and who sees it.
Therefore we are asking that anyone with social security numbers for use at fairs, for scholarships or National Congress be very careful to store them in a secure place, only make them available to people who need to see them and never have them visible to the public at fairs or in the Extension office. This information needs to be shredded after use and not just recycled with the general papers in the office.
If you use a state or county generated form that asks for social security numbers, question the need for that particular project and keep it on the form only if needed for further processing.
These are a few of the examples of times you need to have social security
numbers;
If the 4-H Foundation will be paying money for an award, scholarship or
National Congress
If paying a judge for judging at county fair or any 4-H event
Please store and use this information in a secure place where others will not have access to it. If you have questions please contact Mona.
~ Mona Easley
Recognition
Oregon 4-H Hall of Fame - Class of 2006
The information is now available on the 4-H website concerning nominations
for the class of 2006 Oregon 4-H Hall of Fame. Up to 10 nominees will
be selected this year, and inducted into the Hall of Fame during the opening
ceremony of Summer Conference at Oregon State University, on June 22.
Nominees who were not selected last year will be given consideration again
this year. All new nominations for this year need to be submitted by May
15, 2006.
Nomination forms are available at http://oregon.4h.oregonstate.edu/programs/recognition/HOFnomination.pdf
~ Helen Pease
Scholarship Winners
On behalf of the State 4-H Recognition Committee, I am pleased to announce the 2006 State 4-H Scholarship winners. Letters were sent to all the applicants last week. We had 12 - 16 applicants for almost all the scholarships, and the competition was very tight. Every 4-H member is to be commended for his or her 4-H work and academic achievement!
Travis Bussey Stolk- Martha MacGregor 4-H Scholarship $3,000 Polk
Sarah Silberstein- Martha MacGregor 4-H Scholarship $1,500 Polk
Kaci Sintek- Oregon 4-H Foundation Memorial Scholarship $1,000 Clackamas
Kari Boettcher- Kate Thiess Memorial 4-H Scholarship $1,000 Umatilla
Wilson Bruning- James A. Rutledge 4-H Scholarship $1,000 Grant
Janell Rice- Klein Family Scholarship $1,000 Benton
Jace Jones- Klein Family Scholarship $1,000 Morrow
Emily Woods- Ted and Betty Dietz 4-H Scholarship $500 Tillamook
JoLynn Neske- Ken Minnick Memorial 4-H Scholarship $500 Baker
Leslie Ten Eyck- Adella Wood Memorial 4-H Scholarship $500 Clackamas
Jamie Carmony- A. Lois Redman 4-H Scholarship $500 Clackamas
Alyssa Kershaw- Duane P. Johnson 4-H Scholarship $500 Tillamook
Kelsey Ferguson- O.M. Plummer 4-H Scholarship $523 Washington
Madeline Smith- Cenex Harvest States 4-H Scholarship $250 Wallowa
Scholarship Alternates:
Should a scholarship winner decline his or her non OSU scholarship, alternates
will be selected from the following list. The committee has established
an alternate selection order for the pool of both OSU and non- OSU scholarships.
The names are not presented in the order that alternates will be selected.
Jennifer Mosier, Lane
Katie Ouzounian, Tillamook
~ Helen Pease
Babe Coe Finalists
The following application will be forwarded to the Babe Coe 4-H Scholarship
Committee. The winner will be selected later this spring.
Emma Winkelman, Grant
~ Helen Pease
Congress Finalists
I am delighted to announce 27 finalists for National 4-H Congress 2006 were selected by the State 4-H Recognition Committee this past week. All finalists are required to participate in an interview with the State 4-H Recognition Committee at the OSU Summer Conference in June. Interviews will be held on Saturday, June 24. Finalists are also required to attend the recognition banquet which will be held on Sunday, June 25, 2006. All finalists must register for the summer conference through his or her county extension office, and are encouraged to attend all 4 days of the conference.
Congratulations to this great group of 4-H members!
Stephanie Barker, Washington
Jessica Black, Clackamas
Mathias Brause, Clatsop
Wilson Bruning, Grant
Nikkita Cornford, Union
Amie Graves, Union
Katie Hadfield, Washington
Kelsey Hanson, Umatilla
Rebecca Hartwig, Benton
Lena McClelland, Union
Kelli Jo McKee, Union
Rebekah Miller, Clatsop
Jennifer Mosier, Lane
Jennifer Preciado, Josephine
Rico Ramos, Lane
Cody Richfield, Washington
Sarah Silberstein, Polk
Jana Soli, Clackamas
Thomas Stratton, Union
Cassy Sturgill, Lane
Leslie Ten Eyck, Clackamas
Morgan Von Poppenheim, Columbia
Chandra Wafford, Clackamas
Tim Wetzel, Tillamook
Katee Withee, Harney
Emily Woods, Tillamook
Riley Wortman, Wallowa
~ Helen Pease
back to the index
Shooting Sports
Out of state training
I have had several leaders attend out-of-state 4-H shooting sports trainings. So, I have some advice. First, a copy of their certificate needs to be sent to Virginia to be kept on file, plus a copy for the county office. Also, the leader is not getting the Oregon 4-H Shooting Sports State Plan or any of the other Oregon specific publications. All can be downloaded off the state 4-H website.
~Jessica Fisher
State Fair
Plans for 4-H State Fair 2006
The plans are currently being made by chairs of project areas for the State Fair 4-H Exhibit Building. If you have volunteer leaders or older youth who want to get in on the experience, please contact Mona and they will be contacted.
Many of our chairs for the Exhibit Building will be returning and they are the key people in the continued success of the State Fair Exhibit Building displays and contests. At this time we still need a chair or co-chair for the Educational Display area, helpers for the Sewing/Clothing area, co-chairs for the Food Prep Contest and Mini Meal Contest. We are able to reimburse chairs and co-chairs for mileage, some meals and partial lodging expenses or stay free in the 4-H/FFA Dorm. They will need to be available to help on August 22, for receiving exhibits, August 23 for judging exhibits and August 24-25 for displaying exhibits.
Teens who want to be involved can apply to be a Teen Staff member and work in their area of choice or get in on a variety of areas and assist the State Fair Staff when needed. We need their help all days of the fair, so the schedule can be tailored to their activities and availability. We need them especially on the above days, as that is when the most activity takes place in the building.
Teen in the past have found this to be a very good way of having a state level leadership experience for their records and for applying for jobs and scholarships in the future. They also enjoy meeting and working with the other older 4-H youth from around the state. It becomes a great tradition from year to year.
For more information please contact Mona.
~ Mona Easley
Volunteer Development
National Volunteer Week
April 23-29, 2006
Celebrating National Volunteer Week - April 23-29, 2006
- Positive Promotions has a website that features a lot of "stuff" to help celebrate National Volunteer Week: www.positivepromotions.com
- Great Events also has "stuff" related to honoring volunteers: www.GreatEventsPublishing.com
- You can find lots of ideas for honoring volunteers on the following website: http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/events/volweek.html This website has been developed by the 4-H volunteer specialists in the north central Extension region.
If you have something special planned to honor your volunteers, please let me know.
~ Lillian Larwood
2007 Western Region 4-H Leaders Forum
The Western Region 4-H Leaders Forum is an annual event hosted by one of the thirteen western states. Arizona is the host for WRLF 2007, which will take place January 11-15, 2007 in Phoenix. The program features workshops, tours, special events and an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with other 4-H leaders from the west.
The deadline for Workshop Proposals is April 30, 2006. Complete information
is available at:
http://cals.arizona.edu/4-h/wr_forum/proposals.pdf
Questions should be directed to Mona Easley.
~ Lillian Larwood
2007 Oregon 4-H Leaders Forum
Tentative plans are for the 2007 Oregon 4-H Leaders Forum to be held
in Jackson County (Medford) in mid-April. Hosting counties will be Jackson,
Curry, Coos, Douglas and Josephine.
More details will be available soon.
~ Lillian Larwood
Wildlife Stewards
4-H Wildlife Stewards Invite you to our Wildlife Habitat School Gardens
Celebration Tour
Tuesday
May 9th
8:30 am to 2:30 pm
Wildlife Habitat Gardens Celebration Tour is a bus tour of five Portland area schools that have developed and sustained wildlife habitats on school grounds for science learning.
Highlights of the tour include:
- Keys to Success that ensure school habitats are maintained, sustained and used
- Critical role of training and supporting 4-H Wildlife Steward volunteers to ensure project success and sustainability
- Evaluation results from our 5-year National Science Foundation funded study
- Improved student science interest and knowledge through 4-H projects
- Increased parent involvement and community partnerships which results in improved student academic performance across all curriculum areas
- Education resources and tools that are most effective
- Supporting teachers in the classroom with trained 4-H Wildlife Stewards Volunteers
- How to get involved with these projects
- How 4-H Wildlife Stewards Volunteers Make it all happen!
Click Here to download the Tour
brochure. For more information and a registration packet, contact
wildlifestewards@oregonstate.edu
or call 503-916-6075
Upcoming 4-H Wildlife Stewards Training
(Includes 8 hours on-site training and 16 hours on-line training)
Date: May 23, 2006 (on-site training)
May 24- July 15 (16 hours of on-line training)
Location for On-site Training: Jackson County 4-H Extension Office (Canyon
City)
Location for On-Line Training: wildlifestewards.4h.oregonstate.edu/volunteers/emodule/
Cost: $75.00 (includes all program materials, notebooks and lunch)
Time: 8:30 am-5:00 pm (May 23rd)
Course Credits: Two hours of graduate professional education credits from OSU are available for an additional fee
For more information and a registration packet, please contact Megan
Kleibacker at 541-776-7371 or megan.kleibacker@oregonstate.edu
WORLD CITIZENSHIP
Oregon 4-Her's Headed Abroad This Summer
Oregon will have eleven delegates traveling to Japan this summer on the 4-H Japanese Exchange Program:
Hannah Buermann, Harney County
Awbrey Cyrus, Deschutes County
Elizabeth Durand, Jackson County
Timothy Gunn, Clatsop County
Nicholas Rementeria, Harney County
Emily Reynolds, Harney County
Brent Rowan, Baker County
Lacey Schulte, Harney County
Travis Bussey Stolk, Polk County
Kristina Trahern, Deschutes County
Katee Withee, Harney County
Oregon will also have delegates traveling to Finland and Australia on
IFYE-related programs:
Finland
Marian Gunderson Hood River County
Thomas Rudd-Bauer Clackamas County
Australia
Taunie Lewis Wasco County
Jessica Riggin Malheur County
We are wishing each of them a fun and educational experience.
~ Lillian Larwood/Byron Williams
Summer Chaperone Selected
Sue Williams, Crook County 4-H leader, will be traveling to Japan this summer as a chaperone with the summer outbound delegates. Congratulates on your selection Sue!
~ Lillian Larwood
Summer Inbound Program to Host Japanese Youth
Counties hosting on the 4-H Japanese Exchange Program this year are still looking for host families. Check with your county coordinator to see how they are doing in identifying potential host families for youth and adults. Hosting counties this year are: Benton, Clatsop, Coos, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Jackson, and Polk.
~ Lillian Larwood
FLEX Host Families Needed
We are beginning to recruit host families for the four FLEX delegates that will be in Oregon for the 2006-2007 school year. These students are from the NIS countries (former Soviet Union) and are ages 15-18. They usually have very good English skills. This is a scholarship program and the students go through a very selective process. Families do not have to have children the same age to host (nor do they even have to have children). If you know if interested families or would like more information, please let me know.
During this school year 4-H has FLEX students in Harney and Benton (2 students) counties.
~ Lillian Larwood
