Oakland County 4-H Connections (September 2017)

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4 – H Connections

September 2017

Happy New Year

The 2017-2018 4-H Program Year Starts September 1st

NEW FOR 2017-2018  

Beginning Sept. 1, 2017, the Michigan 4-H participation fee will be $20 per youth or $60 per family per year.

  • Families with three or more children in 4-H will not pay over $60 in annual participation fees.
  • Michigan 4-H does not collect participation fees for parents or volunteers.

For the cost of $20, Michigan 4-H’ers have access to a number of opportunities and benefits that include:

  • A full year of youth development programs at the county level. Youth can participate in as many clubs and project areas as they choose for the same low cost.
  • Access to state and national 4-H programs and events including 4-H Day at the Breslin, 4-H Exploration Days4-H Capitol ExperienceNational 4-H CongressCitizenship Washington Focus, State 4-H animal shows/expos, Kettunen Center workshops and more.
  • Discounted registration rates for many local camps and statewide programs, including 4-H Animal and Veterinary Science Camp, 4-H Great Lakes Natural Resource Camp, 4-H Renewable Energy Camp and other pre-college programs.
  • Access to various 4-H scholarships and award opportunities throughout the state, including six $10,000 scholarships given annually to 4-H alums attending MSU.
  • Supplemental accident insurance coverage provided by American Income Life for all 4-H youth and volunteers enrolled in 4HOnline.

Enroll today!

Individuals: Reenrollment should be easy if you use this guide. To get started login to https://mi.4honline.com

Clubs: Club Leaders should start setting up times to meet with their program coordinator to go over club paperwork. Appointments can be made for September 24th or October 30th (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM)  with JasonDeb and Mary.

Oakland County 4-H

Staff List

 Jason Scott
4-H Program Coordinator
jscott@anr.msu.edu
248-858-0892
 
Deb Morgan
4-H Program Coordinator
morga194@anr.msu.edu
248-347-3860 (279)
 
Mary Blumka
4-H Program Coordinator
blumkama@anr.msu.edu
248-858-0890
 
Kelly Morris
4-H Administrative Assistant
kemorris@anr.msu.edu
248-858-0889
 
Diane Wisnewski
4-H Educator
wisnews3@anr.msu.edu
248-858-0529


In this issue


MSU Extension

Oakland County 4-H
1200 N. Telegraph Road
North Office Bldg. 26E
Pontiac, Michigan 48341
Phone 248-858-0889
Fax 248-858-1477

www.OakGov.com/msu/4H.


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Oakland County 4-H News & Events


National 4-H Week October 1-7, 2017

National 4-H Week

Many activities take place during National 4-H Week including the 4-H Window Display Contest, 4-H National Youth Science Day, TSC Paper Clover Campaign and Tollgate Pumpkinfest


National 4-H Week Window Display Contest

Window Display

Did you know that the National 4-H Week Window Display Contest has been going on since at least the 1950’s? This is an excellent way to promote Oakland County 4-H and your 4-H club plus earn a little cash as well as pride.

Increased prize amount for 2017

1st place Ribbon & $150

2nd place Ribbon & $100

3rd place Ribbon & $50

Some hints and tips

  • Critically evaluate your store window, is it in a high traffic area? 
  • Does it have curb appeal? If not maybe it’s time to scout around for a new location.
  • Judging is based on the following areas on a 4 point scale and on the required components

 


Pumpkinfest at Tollgate Education Center (Oct 7-8)

Pumpkinfest

Saturday, October 7:
(11 a.m. - 5 p.m.)

Sunday, October 8:
(11 a.m. - 5 p.m.)

Want to showcase your 4-H Club at the Pumpkinfest this year? Come on out and show off to the public what you have to offer. If your 4-H Club would like to be apart of this event please contact 4-H Program Coordinator Jason Scott

Come take a wagon ride to the pumpkin patch to pick your perfect pumpkin. Food, music, farm animals, educational exhibits, and children’s activities all make for a fun fall outing for all ages.  

Check out the music line-up of FREE concerts! Novi and Walled Lake Public Libraries lead story times throughout the weekend. In addition to a children's straw maze and pumpkin bowling, inflatables and target practice booths are fun destinations around the farm. The MSU Bug House and the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum will lead several hands-on activities plus a cow eye dissection workshop each day. Nijii Ami, local living history group, returns to the farm with a historic reenactment of earlier Michigan residents cooking fall harvest foods.

This special event is a fundraiser for educational programming at the farm. Entry, educational exhibits, children’s Strawland and music are free of charge. Tickets sold for cash or credit are required for pumpkins, food, and select children’s activities. Parking is $5.

Please bring your friends and family and join us for a fun, fall destination at Pumpkinfest 2017! 


Oakland County 4-H Achievement Awards

Oakland County Medal

The 2016-2017 4-H Oakland County Awards are now completely online. The following awards are to presented at the Oakland County 4-H Annual Achievement Awards presented in January 2018. Click the links below to apply today. 

Spark Award

This award is an introduction to the County 4-H Achievement Awards Program. The Spark awardees will receive a medal and certificate.

Selection of Spark awardees is made by either the club leader or by vote of the club members. Consider such qualities as willingness to help others, the ability to learn and share skills and the growth of the person as a result of their previous 4-H experiences.

Each 4-H Club may nominate two awardees.

Eligibility is not dependent upon age or length of enrollment.

Those members who are ineligible for this SPARK AWARD are: those youth being recognized for COUNTY MEDALS, MICHIGAN 4-H KEY CLUB AWARD, NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPENTS or OTHER SPECIAL HONOREES.

4-H County Medal (Oakland County)

The County Medal program is designed to provide 4-H members with recognition for their project achievements. County Medals are given to signify a job well done, encourage youth to strive for more, and to reward youth for successfully overcoming obstacles along the way. Effort, willingness to learn, and personal growth experiences are considered desirable qualities for projects.

  • County Medals are awarded in every 4-H project area.
  • Each project area/award medal may be received only once.
  • Receiving a County Award Medal is a great addition for your 4-H experience, your academic portfolio, college application and resume.
  • You must be at least 10 years old and have completed at least 2 years in 4-H.
  • The deadline to apply for a 4-H County Medal Award is October 29, 2017

American Youth Foundation's National Leadership Award

This is an award that the recipient must be nominated for by a 4-H Leader or Teacher.

Oakland County 4-H members who exhibit personal integrity, balanced living, and leadership ability will receive the “I Dare You Leadership Award”. We are particularly interested in recognizing “emerging” leaders, youth with motivation and potential, whose talents are less apparent to themselves than those they work with. The goal is to challenge these young people to recognize and develop their leadership abilities. 

As with all the other awards, a member is only awarded this honor once. 

Michigan 4-H Key Club Award

The 4-H Key Club Award is intended to be the top county 4-H honor, and selections are made at the county level.

A 4-H member is eligible who has:

  • Reached 15 years of age by January 1, 2017
  • Completed at least three calendar years of project work as of August  31, 2017.
  • Completed 4-H projects in at least two project areas
  • Participate in three 4-H events other than club events in your award area
  • Been recommended by your local leader

    4-H Eco-Challenge 2017

    Space Balloon

    A view above Michigan taken July 28th, 2017 from an altitude of 86,450 feet. 

    During the 4-H Eco-Challenge we studied weather, the atmosphere, GPS and how it works, temperature vs. heat, and learned how to use simulation software to guess where our balloon experiment might land.

    We also took a few breaks to learn about trust and communication by being blindfolded in the maze and use a handheld GPS to locate homemade geocaches (aka Jolly Ranchers).  Then we took all that we learned and put it into a box weighing 2.5 pounds on Friday, tied it to a balloon and let it go with hopes that everything would work.

    4-H Eco-Challenge participants were part of an experiment that launched a payload, they created and designed from scratch to a height of 92,324 feet or 17.5 miles off of the surface of the earth in 3 days. 

    To see footage of the launch Click Here.

     Here are some facts about our launch

    • The payload is unofficially named (SAM), because of the Samsung 360 gear camera strapped to the top of the payload. I say unofficially, because I am unsure if we ever had consensus on the name.
    • When SAM and the balloon reached a peak altitude of 92,324 feet the temperature was -49 F.
    • When SAM was at a height of only 59,219 feet the temperature was much colder -84°F.
    • SAM traveled a total of 44.6 Miles in straight line measurement from East Lansing to Green Oak Township.
    • Actual distance travelled was 73 miles with all of the twists and turns in the atmosphere.
    • Just after the burst, the balloon fell from 92,234 feet to 82,960 feet, a total of 9,274 in 30 seconds or 309 (ft/2) feet per second or 210 (mph) miles per hour.
    • At or near where you are standing right now the air pressure pushing on your body is about 14.2 (psi) pounds per square inch. When the balloon burst the air pressure was only about 0.2 (psi) pounds per square inch which means there was 99.8% less pressure pushing on the balloon.
    • The total time of the flight was 2 hours
    • It took 1 hour and 18 minutes for SAM to reach the burst altitude. Ascending at an average speed 19.5 (ft/2) feet per second or 13.3 (mph) miles per hour.
    • It took only 42 minutes for SAM to descend. Meaning it was speeding back toward earth at an average speed of 36 (ft/2) feet per second or 24.5 (mph) miles per hour.
    • Just before SAM hit the trees, the speed of decent had slowed to 20 (ft/2) feet per second or 13.5 (mph) miles per hour
    • For every 3000 feet in elevation the ultra violet radiation that is present increased by about 13% which means the seeds that we sent up in our experiment were exposed to 390% more ultra violet radiation than they would be here in Michigan.

    Track
    The track of the weather balloon as it traveled accross Michigan.

    Club Leadership Workshop

    Leadership

    TARGET AUDIENCE:

    Youth and adults are encouraged to attend this event. These workshops will be especially helpful to club officers, but are also great for general club members to prepare to take leadership roles in the future!

    Registration available soon at:

    https://events.anr.msu.edu/LeadershipSkills/

     10:00 am – Noon - Parliamentary Procedures and Officer Roles Workshop

    This workshop will help 4-H members and Leaders take control of their meetings to make them effective, efficient, and accessible to all members. This workshop will outline and explain typical club officer roles and teach the basics of using Parliamentary Procedure to keep meetings moving while ensuring everyone has a say. This workshop is hands-on, fun, and suitable to current club officers and any club members interested in taking an active role in club decisions.

    Noon – 1pm Lunch

    1pm - 3pm Club Bylaw writing workshop

    4-H Clubs can accomplish the most when everyone is on the same page. Club Bylaws create a level playing ground for club members and leaders. Hear the benefits of having Bylaws in your club, learn which policies are crucial and of which you should steer clear, and how to implement them. Bring your current bylaws as the second portion of this workshop is for you to get help writing or improving your club’s bylaws.  

     

    WHEN: Saturday, November 4, 2017

    COST: $6 each or $10 for both. Cost includes lunch from Mr. Pita

    WHERE: Executive Office Building, 2100 N. Telegraph Rd, Waterford, MI 48328

    Presented by Darren Bagley, Extension Educator. For questions, contact the Oakland 4-H Office at 248.858.0889 or 4hoakland@anr.msu.edu.

     

    Statewide 4-H News & Events

    Michigan 4-H Small Animals Workshop

    Small Animal

    Michigan 4-H Small Animals Workshop

     Sept. 23-24, 2017

    Kettunen Center

    14901 4H Drive

    Tustin, MI 49688


    To register Click Here


    When:

    Arrival/Check-in: Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, 10-11 a.m.
    Adjourn: Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017, noon

    Cost:

    $88.00 - Registered 4-H members and volunteers and MSU Extension staff who bring youth and/or volunteers
    $138.00 - Non-registered 4-H members and volunteers and MSU Extension staff who do not bring youth and/or volunteers

    Persons canceling without a replacement after Sept. 1, 2017, will be charged a $40.00 cancellation fee. Persons who do not show up at the workshop, do not have a replacement, or do not cancel with Katie Ockert at ockertka@anr.msu.edu on or before Sept. 8, 2017, will be charged the full registration rate.

    All registrations must be prepaid with a credit card. If a credit card payment is not an available option for you, please contact Katie Ockert at 517-432-5270 or ockertka@anr.msu.edu for assistance.

    Registration Deadline:

    Sept. 13, 2017

    Who:

    4-H adult leaders and members (11 years of age as of Jan. 1, 2017 and older) interested in rabbits, cavies and/or poultry projects who are willing to share the information and experiences gained at the conference with others in their counties. Staff is welcome. We encourage individuals to car pool. Contact your county office for names of other persons attending the workshop. 

    Objectives:

    • Gain fun, hands-on 4-H rabbits, cavies and/or poultry science experience.
    • Learn new ideas for  projects and other fun activities.
    • Explore science based information in goat management.
    • Enhance youth and volunteers knowledge and skill in the rabbits, cavies and/or poultry project areas. 
    • Share ideas with others from around the state in the rabbits, cavies and/or poultry project area.

    Note that all youth must have a Michigan 4-H Youth Authorization and Acknowledgement Form on file in 4HOnline or in their local county office. Please note the new enrollment year starts Sept. 1, 2017.  The Michigan 4-H Volunteer Authorization and Acknowledgement Form is highly encouraged for adults attending this event.

    Download Event Flyer