The
CL VER CONNECTION
Dear 4-H Families,
All youth who plan to be involved in 4-H this year and exhibit at the Fair, must have their completed enrollment form into the Polk County OSU Extension 4-H Office by 5 pm, Wednesday, April 1st. Please make every effort to enroll before the deadline day. Double check to make sure youth and parents’ signatures are on the enrollment form front and back.
Club Financial Reports must be turned in before your club can re-enroll.
Generous Donors have given money for 2008 Fair premiums. Those that exhibited at the Polk County Fair this past year should come to the Extension Office for premium money. Please pick up your money by March 31.
“Volunteers are unpaid not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.” - Unknown
Judi Peters
Judi Peters
Polk County 4-H
OSU Extension Service
P.O. Box 640, Dallas, OR 97338
(503) 623-8395
4-H New Leader Training
Call for the next new leader training:
The steps to becoming a 4-H Leader are:
1. Fill out an application
2. Have three good references turned in
3. Fill out a background check
4. Attend a training
Call the Extension Office today to get started on filling out the forms.
Enrollment/ReEnrollment Deadline for Leaders & Members is Wednesday, April 1st. All enrollment forms and fees, and all info on the form, including all signatures, must be completed and in the Extension Office by 5:00 p.m. Youth turning in enrollments after the deadline will not be allowed to participate in 4-H at County and State Fair. Projects added after April 1st are not eligible for 4-H competition at County and State Fair.
Auction spring weigh-in dates
Any 4-H or FFA members with a market animal project who would like to participate in the Youth Livestock Auction at County Fair must weigh-in their project animal at the Polk County Fairgrounds on the following day:
Swine, Sheep and Goats – Saturday, May 2
Chicken and Rabbits – Saturday, May 2 (register, not weigh in)
Oregon Ag Fest 2009
April 25-26, 2009
Sat., 8:30 am - 5 pm Sun., 10 am - 5 pm
Ages 12 and Under FREE
Adults $7.50 Parking: Free
Oregon State Fairgrounds, Salem
Title Sponsor - Oregon Women for Ag
(503) 581-4325 or (800) 874-7012
Each April, Ag Fest is presented as a two-day, hands-on, activity-filled festival. It's held at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem. Our goal is to provide an educational experience for the whole family that is really fun. This is a great family outing. There are many hands-on exhibits for young people. http://www.oragfest.com/
2009 Polk County Fair Theme is: “Honoring our Pioneer Heritage”
Calendar Contest
Ag in the Classroom
Enter your student's artwork now! Students in grades K-6 are eligible to enter original artwork about Oregon Agriculture for our calendar contest. The theme of the calendar is Oregon Agriculture and it will highlight the tremendous diversity of agriculture throughout Oregon. We encourage students to use a lot of creativity and color in their original artwork. Artwork must be submitted by May 15, 2009. Judging will be completed over the summer and the calendar will be printed in the fall of 2009. Each month will feature one student’s artwork and will have daily agricultural facts. Every student who submits artwork will receive a personalized certificate. Thirteen Students will receive a $50 savings bond and their artwork will be in the 2009-2010 calendar. Honorable mention artwork will also be selected. For more information, call
(541) 737-8629. Calendars will be distributed to teachers on our mailing list. Find more information on the AITC website, http://AITC.oregonstate.edu.
4-H Horse Leaders and Members!
The Oregon 4-H program is ready to begin a statewide study of 4-H horse leaders and members. Horse leaders and members over age 13 from our county will be randomly selected and invited to participate in the study. This is one of the first research projects in the country to look at the impact of participation in horse 4-H on youth. Mary Arnold, 4-H youth development specialist at OSU, will be leading the study and she is very excited about getting underway. The results of this study will be groundbreaking in 4-H!
BUT!!! The study can’t happen without your help. Selected leaders and parents of 4-H members will be receiving invitations to participate in the mail.
Look for the invitation in early March and follow the instructions to participate. Parents will need to sign permission forms for youth to participate, and the surveys will be completed on-line.
The survey is quite detailed, which will help us gain in-depth understanding of the 4-H horse program. But that also means it will take some time to complete, so please plan on 30 minutes to complete the survey. Thanks in advance for your participation! If you have any questions, please contact Judi Peters at the Polk County Extension Office. Or, feel free to contact Dr. Arnold directly at (541) 737-1315.
Please plan to complete the survey as soon as possible, and THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP!!!!!
Host Families Sought for Inbound Japanese Exchange Program (JEP).
Polk County will be hosting Japanese youth, ages 12-16, this summer. Host families give JEP participants a chance to experience American culture through personal involvement in the home and community of the host family. Family living is the heart of the learning experience.
Non 4-H Families are welcome to participate as host families.
Wild West Camp
July 14-18
Tuesday – Saturday
New dates!!! Save these dates now!!
Look for the brochure in the next 4-H Newsletter. 4-H Camp provides opportunities for growth, independence, competence, confidence, knowledge, developing important life skills, making friends, and most of all, a whole lot of fun! Partial scholarships may be available for youth in need. There will be additional activities such as canoeing, fishing, pond study, and swimming in the pool!
Summer Science Camp
at OSU August 4-15
Oregon State University is taking applications for 48 Oregon middle school students to attend the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp this summer at OSU. All selected campers will be funded by scholarship.
Application deadline is Wednesday, April 15. The application involves application information, a student essay, and recommendations from Science and Math teachers. Information is available on line at http://oregon.4h.oregonstate.edu/summer-science-camp. You can request a printed copy from Camp Coordinator Andy Hoffmann by calling 541-737-4081 or email .
The two-week residential camp, which is Aug. 4-15 on campus, offers students entering grades six, seven and eight innovative ways to enhance their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Leadership and citizenship are main themes, and students are encouraged to stay in school.
The full cost of the camp’s education program, field trips, food and lodging is covered by a grant from the ExxonMobil Foundation and The Bernard Harris Foundation.
4-H Operation Purple camps for children in military families
Are you a military family or a friend of one? High rates of deployment have left many children feeling stressed and alone. 4-H is here to help with camping opportunities especially for these youth. The camps will be offered in June and July at the 4-H Center. Each week will target a different age group from ages 8 to 17. For more information, read about last year’s camp and watch the 4-H state website this month for details.
Oregon 4-H Master Shooting Sports Leader Training
Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center
April 17-19, 2009
4-H Summer Conference at OSU
The 4-H Summer Conference will be held
June 24-27, 2009 for members 7-12th grade.
Summer Conference is an opportunity for over 200 4-H members to travel to Corvallis, explore campus life, make new friends, and have a lot of fun. While there, participants attend classes on a wide variety of subjects. Cost is only $200 and includes lodging in an OSU dorm, meals, and activities. Scholarships are available to Polk 4-H members. Requests are due by May 22.
Look for more information soon or check the State 4-H website. http://oregon.4h.oregonstate.edu/index_s.html
Horse State Fair
The 2009 handbook for Horse State Fair is on the state 4-H website. The schedule of events is quite different this year, so please be sure to take a look. ~ Roberta Lundeberg
**Leaders who do not have an active club should consider being Resource Leaders to keep your membership current. You need to re-enroll each year.**
CLUB NEWS
Your club can share its activities with other clubs by submitting a brief write-up and photos via email to
Things to Remember
· Club Financial Reports must be turned in by Friday, March 20th. Clubs that do not have their Financial Reports for the 2007-2008 year turned in will not be Enrolled/Re-Enrolled for the current 4-H Year.
· Cloverbud (formerly Adventure) Pre-4-H’ers in Grades K – 3, are not allowed to pick specific project areas to enroll in. They are to work with a variety of subjects as outlined in the Cloverbud curriculum and are not to handle any animals larger than Rabbits.
· 4-H’ers who exhibited at the 2008 Polk County Fair need to pick up their premium money at the Polk County Extension Office by Tuesday, March 31st.
· If your club is planning a fund raiser in the future, you must contact the Extension Office ahead of time so we know what, when and where you are planning your event.
· If your email address, mailing address, or any phone numbers change, please let us know right away so we can keep our enrollment info current.
4-H Member & Leader Cards
4-H Members and Leaders can obtain 4-H cards from the Polk OSU Extension Office upon request. Membership cards can be used with some businesses to obtain a discount for 4-H project supplies.
Camp Counselor Club
The Polk 4-H Camp Counselor Club meets once a month. The April 19 meeting will be at the Marion County Extension Office at 3:00pm. 4-H members in 8th-12th grade from Polk, Marion, Clackamas, Clatsop and Yamhill Counties are encouraged to attend.
Polk County Ambassadors
Next meeting is April 20, 7:00 PEO. All teens 8th grade -12th grade are encouraged to attend.
Pre-Fair Horse Show
Polk County Fairgrounds
Saturday, July 11th
**** Leaders and Members: We need your email address to send current information to you and your club. ****
Toxophilite 4-H Archery Club
Meetings will be in building “C” at fairgrounds @
7:00 p.m
March: Mon. 2nd and Wed. 18th
April: Wed. 8th and Tues. 21st
Polk County 4-H Rifle Club
Meetings will be in building “C” at fairgrounds @ 7:00 p.m.
March: Tue. 10th and Mon. 30th
April: Mon. 13th and Wed. 29th
4-H Archery Mail-In
Tournament for January
Bare Bow
Grade 5 placings:
8. Kyle Miller
19. Justin Mikkelsen
Grade 7 placings:
1. Kalon Schmidt
Grade 8 placings
6. Drew Dyer
Grade 9 placings
1. Emma Miller
Grades 10-12 placings
1. Kelby Schmidt
12. Emily Crowe
Freestyle
Grades 4-6
23. Corbin Kirkman
38. Samuel Metzler
Release
Grades 7-9
13. Julie Nibler
24. Tiffani Kazunas
33. Nathan Thompson
Grades 10-12
10. Joanna Nibler
Oregon Fryer Commission and
OSU Extension - 12th Annual
Youth Pen of Fryers Contest
The contest will take place on Saturday, May 30, 2009 at the Polk County Fairgrounds, Rickreall, OR. There is a registration fee of $10.00 for each contestant. Deadline to register: April 11, 2009. Broiler Chicks will be available on Saturday, April 18, 2009, in Dryden Hall, on the OSU Campus in Corvallis. Call the Extension Office for more info: 503-623-8395
Small Animal Committee
Saturday, April 18, 4-6pm at the Polk County Fairgrounds.
All small animal leaders are encouraged to come to a planning meeting to see if there is interest in forming a small animal committee and what types of issues the committee would like to address.
Polk 4-H Leaders Association
Quarterly Meeting
Thursday – May 21, 7:00-8:30pm
Polk County Fairgrounds
All 4-H leaders are invited to attend.
####Lost and Found####
The Extension Office is missing the Large
“4-H in Action” Banner and the Green and White Pennant. If you have these, or know where they are, please contact the Extension Office.
Achievers 4-H Club helped put on the Rickreall Roundup
National 4-H Center
If you are planning a trip to Washington DC, consider staying at the National 4-H Center. The National 4-H Center is open to 4-H members, leaders and their families. Rates are reasonable. http://www.4hcenter.org/
4-H and tax time
A number of 4-H activities can lead to tax deductions and a few may require you to pay taxes. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you fill out your tax return this year. Remember to consult your tax advisor or www.irs.gov for details.
$ Most donations made to 4-H are deductible. You must have a receipt showing what you donated. You may need additional documentation to prove the value.
$ Money that you spent while volunteering, including photocopies and travel, may be deducted. The value of your time cannot be deducted.
$ If 4-H members earned money from their 4-H project, they may need to file a tax return. Market animals sold at the auction can be reported on Schedule F.
Know Your Government 2009
Peter Courtney spoke to the 4-H Delegation.
Opportunities For 4-H Members
- April 4 – Pig Sale and Education Program, Polk Co. Fairgrounds.
- April 4 – F.O.W.L. Washington County Fairgrounds. Call 503-267-3537
- April 5 – Somebunny’s Lane Co. Small Animal Show
- April 11 – Hog and Lamb Sale. Benton Co. Fairgounds
- April – Spring Odyssey 4-H Rabbit and Cavy Show 503-842-3433
- May – Clatsop County 4-H Rabbit & Cavy Show. Call 503-298-9210
- May – Clackamas County event. Youth Rabbit & Cavy Show and a Youth Poultry Show. Call 503-655 8631
- May 16 – Paws in the Rain, Tillamook Co.
4-H Dog Fun Match. 503-842-3433