Table of Contents

 

Clover Corner News

Focus on Youth

News for OCES staff working with youth.

4-H is a community of young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills.

oklahoma4h.okstate.edu

September/October, 2006


Dear Extension Educators,

Hats off to all of you for your hard work at recent county fairs!   We know that our county Extension professionals play a major role in most counties in assuring that the fair happens.  In case no one else has said “thanks,” please allow me to do so!

As a new feature to the Focus on Youth we will be featuring programs that are being conducted by County Extension Educators.  These may be new programs, new twists to old activities, or just tried and true best practices.  You can submit your programs via your District 4-H Program Specialist, or your program may be picked from monthly narratives and other reports.  This feature is a way to highlight good programs and recognize staff for outstanding work!  This month’s feature comes from Hughes County and is a good example of using local resources and partnerships to help youth learn more about a major industry in Oklahoma.  If you have a good idea or have a co-worker whose program needs to be featured, please let us know!

Sincerely,

Charles Cox
Interim Assistant Director, 4-H Youth Development

Programs of Innovation and Distinction

Hughes County Cowboy Camp and Ranch Tour

The Hughes County Extension staff and the Hughes County Cattlemen’s Association (HCCA) conducted the third annual Cowboy Camp for county youth earlier this summer.  This year’s two-day camp was held at Leon and Vicki Adams’ Ranch in Stuart, Oklahoma.

Eighteen youth were involved in the hands-on experience.  The campers started their day early Friday morning working cattle under the supervision of HCCA Educational Director David Wingo.  During this time they learned how to properly castrate, implant, vaccinate, check age, pregnancy check and sort cattle.  They also learned what characteristics are important to look for when purchasing a bull.  This session was also overseen by veterinarian Nancy Adcock.

The youth then loaded onto a flatbed trailer stocked with hay bales for seats and took a ranch tour.  Leon Adams discussed with the youth all of the changes he had made to his ranch through the years.  While learning about range management and conservation the youth saw scenic views during the tour were nothing less than breathtaking.

During the evening there was some free time.  The youth were offered a number of exciting activities to participate in, which they all did.  These included basketball, roping, archery, and fishing.  After a wonderful dinner, cowboy entertainment was provided by Bo Posey and Curt Krigbaum.  Sleeping arrangements were unique with some sleeping in tents and bunkhouses while others chose to sleep in a covered wagon or a tee pee.  Some chose the traditional cowboy way, unrolling their bedrolls under the stars.

The following day started early with an enormous and delicious breakfast made by the gracious hostess, Vicki Adams.  After that, the youth were rearing to go.  The next order of business was a weight guessing game where the youth where asked to determine the individual weight of the owner’s two Brahman bulls.  The two winners of this game were both awarded $20 for their efforts.  A horsemanship show, put on by Leon and Vicki and their family, was next in the schedule. 

After the exciting horsemanship show, Traci Naile from Oklahoma AgrAbility and Hughes County Extension Educator Aubie Keesee set up an obstacle course.  This was to show the youth how difficult it was for some people with disabilities to get around, especially to work on a farm or ranch.  The youth competed in a roping session where they were given a pair of glasses that distorts the vision and the depth perception of the person wearing them.  The youth agreed the most difficult task was the wheelchair.  They were asked to go a relatively short distance in a wheelchair without the assistance of their feet.  This probably wouldn’t be a challenge on concrete, but on the gravel and uneven terrain the youth had a difficult time maneuvering the wheelchair.  At the end of the course, they could empathize with the people who courageously face these types of obstacles, each and every day of their lives.

This was the third year for this event.  Aubie said that the real credit for starting the program goes to Mike Carter who is now a 4-H Educator in Pittsburg County.  The first Cowboy Camp was designed by Mike and members of the Hughes County Cattlemen’s Association when Mike was in Hughes County.

Sara Ingram and Aubie Keesee, Hughes County OSU Extension

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people in middle level and high school grades for outstanding volunteer service to their communities. Created in 1995 by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the awards constitute the United States' largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteering. Over the past 11 years, the program has honored more than 70,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level.  This year’s application deadline is October 31,2006.  Each county 4-H program can select one middle level Local Honoree for every 1,000 in grades 5-8 and one high school Local Honoree for every 1,000 youth in grades 9-12.  Once the county 4-H Local Honoree is selected they must then be submitted by application my November 7 for state level judging.  The top 4-H Honoree form Oklahoma will then receive a silver medallion, a $1,000 award and a trip to Washington DC.  At the national level the top ten youth volunteers will be selected and each will win an additional $5,000 an gold medallion, crystal trophy and a $5,000 grant for the charitable nonprofit organization of their choice.  Additional information about this program is available at: www.prudential.com/spirit

4-H Day @ the OSU Soccer Game, September 24, 1 pm

This not an official 4-H event but is an opportunity provided for 4-H youth and families by the OSU Athletic Dept.
* All 4-H members wearing 4-H T-shirts will get $1 admission.
* Special autograph session with the Cowgirls Soccer team after the game.

Leah Culwell - Southern Region Volunteer of the Year

Oklahoma’s own Leah Culwell of Bokoshe, will be recognized at the Southern Region Leaders Forum October 5-8 with a 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer Recognition Award.

Leah has been the leader of the Bokoshe 4-H Club, the largest club in LeFlore County, since 1995. Her innovative approaches to engaging Bokoshe youth and increasing diversity within her 4-H club, along with her dedication, commitment and ability to empower and inspire her members, are hallmarks of her service.  Her 4-H club has twice received the county’s Club of the Year Award.  In the 2004-2005 school year alone, twelve 4-H members received Presidential Service Awards.

Leah expects her 4-H members to work hard, and she literally "goes the extra mile,” driving them to county meetings, competitions and other events.  She also exemplifies and encourages a spirit of giving in all that she and her 4-Hers do.  Last year, the Ronald McDonald House commended the Bokoshe 4-H Club for raising $3,000.  This year, Leah and her 4-H Club organized the town’s July 4th and Christmas parades.  Leah is currently serving her second term as the Bokoshe County Leaders' Council President and has been a member of the county’s 4-H Program Advisory Committee.  Her honors include the 2005 Oklahoma and Bokoshe County Volunteer of the Year Awards and Knights of the Guild Outstanding Leadership Award.

4-H Volunteers USA Web Site Upgraded

Looking for a program to engage your 4-H members? Need a 4-H officer installation ceremony? Check out the newly upgraded 4-H Volunteers USA web site at www.4hvolunteersusa.org/.

Sponsored by ACH Foods and UPS and hosted by National 4-H Council, "4-H Volunteers USA" offers a wide variety of resources, including links to even more information provided at National 4-H Headquarters, CSREES, USDA; state land-grant universities and other organizations. Click on "Tools and Resources" to find information about youth development, 4-H-specific resources and volunteer management. There is also a section of resources that have been translated into Spanish.

The "4-H Volunteers USA" home page includes timely information about regional and national 4-H events. Want to know about the upcoming Regional 4-H Volunteer Leader Forums? Go to the "Calendar of Events" page. You will find links to the 4-H Web sites of all 50 states and a collection of resources for 4-H promotion that may help you with National 4-H Week and other 4-H promotional opportunities.

Future features will include online 4-H volunteer training and online 4-H volunteer forums hosted by a nationally recognized 4-H volunteer specialists.

State Officer Speakers Bureau

Each of the state officers has prepared a workshop and keynote address for presentation at the local and county level.  A listing and description of their presentations can be viewed on the Oklahoma web-site at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/leadership/officers/index.htm.  The team is eager to interact with the 4-H members in our state.  Please do not hesitate to invite them to your county awards program, teen leader meeting, local club or day camp.  The team is here to serve YOUth!

Karla Knoepfli

Each One Reach One

“Each One, Reach One” is simple. If every current 4-H member recruits and enrolls one new member in his/her local club, Oklahoma's 4-H enrollment doubles.

The program was started by State 4-H President Natalie James in 1988.  One goal of the 2006-07 State 4-H Officer team is to revive the “Each One, Reach One” project.  We want to not only increase enrollment, but also to increase the retention and participation of new 4-H members.

To participate in “Each One, Reach One,” an enrolled 4-H member recruits one “new” member into his/her local club and mentors that person during the first year of enrollment.  Mentoring means you help the individual and his/her family to understand 4-H and encourage attendance and participation at club meetings, activities and 4-H events.  During the first year of enrollment you will also provide the new member with the leadership and guidance necessary to plan and carry out project work in one 4-H project area.

Our goal is “Quality not Quantity.”  We want you to make an investment in the individual so the new member becomes as passionate about 4-H as you are!  It is important to understand that participation, cooperation and self-determined goals are just as important as participation in peer competition in the retention of new members during the first year.

Attached is a copy of the participation/report forms.  Please assist the state officer team in promoting and encouraging participation in the "Each One Reach One" project.  It is a win-win project for Oklahoma 4-H!

Hailey Burch, SE District State Vice President, Service Project Coordinator

Pop Tab Collection Program Announced

The State 4-H Officers, Collegiate 4-H and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Oklahoma happily announce the 2006 pop tab campaign, gearing up for our 20th anniversary with the OKC Ronald McDonald House.

The pull tabs from aluminum cans are collected because they are the purest source of recycling available.  Each gallon of pop tabs equates to the cost of one families stay for one week at the Ronald McDonald House.

Start collecting now!  Details on reporting pounds collected and turned into a recycling center will be posted in the 4-H Focus on Youth (http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/focus/) at a later time.  During Roundup the total weight by district will be collectively tallied and points will be awarded toward the District Spirit Award.

We need the county Educators support in communicating this message so we can maximize our potential.  Thank you for your hard work and support of the Oklahoma 4-H Kids Helping Kids Campaign.

Pop Tab Fun Facts

  • The Ronald McDonald House Pop Tab Collection Program was established in 1987 by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Ronald McDonald House community.
  • To date, more than 400 million pop tabs have been collected, generating more than $4 million.
  • The ring-pull can was invented in 1962.
  • The pop tab was invented by Ermal Fraze in Kettering, Ohio.
  • Kettering's Fraze Pavilion, a popular amphitheater in Dayton, Ohio, is named after the pop tab

Mellissa Barth, State 4-H Reporter

Publications Corner

Leader and Office Supplies are shelved to order by Oklahoma counties.  Items shelved are Enrollment Cards (also on 4-H web), 4-HSpanish Enrollment Cards, Volunteer Certification Cards, Cloverbud Enrollment Cards (also on 4-H web, Youth Participation Gummed Card sets, Bookmarks, and Table Tents.

Four-H brochures shelved are ‘Parents are on 4-H Team Brochure’; ‘4-H Member Recruiting Guide’ (inter/adv), ‘4-HMember Recruiting Brochure’ (beg.); ‘Shooting Sports Brochure’ (also 4-H web); Cloverbud Brochure (also 4-H web.  The Oklahoma 4-H Award (cardstock with green ink) is still available on University Mailing shelf. The Volunteer Participationand Leader Certificate is available on 4-H web ‘literature online’; certificates.

Awards and Recognition publications (Information Sheet, County Project Report Form, Key Club and Scholarship

Applications, Kids Helping Kids, and State Fairs are on 4-H website; Events and Activities.

Publications shelved per county request from out-of-state are:  No. 635—Identifying Meat Cuts Handbook (OH) @ $2.30 ea.; No. 92—Poultry Judging Manual (NE) @ $3.00 ea.; Nos. 711-714--Vet Sci Manuals (NE) I, II, III, (.25 ea.) & LdrGuide; Nos. 196-198—Visual Arts 1, II, (.25 ea.) & Ldr Guide (NE).  This material includes leather craft, ceramics, knitting, cross stitching, clay, painting, etc.  No. 696—4-H Shooting Sports Education Proj Handbook (IN) @ $1.25 ea; Nos. 624-627—MN 4-H Coop Ext System Health Sets ($22.00), Units 1, 2, Ldr Guides ($3.25 ea.).

No. 338—Adventures w/Camera 1, 2, ($1.00 ea.) & Ldr Guide (OCES), and Entomology 1 ($1.00 ea.) & Ldr Guide (OCES) are shelved and ordered for beginning/intermediate 4-H members.  Four-H website has good information on Digital Photography plus advanced information on Entomology.

Rocketry, Robotics, and Computer Science continues to grow as a 4-H project.  Information on these projects are available on 4-H website such as:  E-set Science; Nasa.Gov/KidsClub; Ag.Ohio-State.edu; Science & Technology.

Rosalyn Weston