4-H Happenings

The University is inviting 4-Hers to experience college life on campus. "EDGE" offers fun and learning. We get to visit the college on May 19th and 20th. We’ll stay over night in the residence halls, and eat meals at the Memorial Union. We can't wait to experience what the University is like. We hope lots of 4-Hers will join us. We had the pleasure of meeting with the president of the University of Maine to do a photo shoot for the 4-H youth and for the program "EDGE". Mr. Kennedy was very glad to have us there. He is a former 4-Her and seemed very interested in what is going on in 4-H today. It was an honor to meet with him. Submitted by Joyce Hanson, Horse Tails 4-H Leader

March 9	Deadline to register for Style Revue - Note correction in date
March 14	7:00 pm - Leaders’ Meeting - Extension Office
April 10	Maine 4-H Days at the Legislature
April 20	Projects for Style Revue due in the Extension Office
April 26	4:00 - 6:00 pm - Dress Rehearsal for Style Revue
April 27	7:00 pm - Style Revue - Father Kenny Center at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Ellsworth
April 27	Deadline for Leaders’ Association Scholarship
April 28	9:00 am - 3:00 pm VOLT training at Extension Office
May 1	Goat Intent Forms for Eastern State are Due
May 18, 19 & 20	Northeast Livestock Expo 2007
May 19-20	EDGE Weekend at the University of Maine
June 21-23	Statewide Teen Leadership Conference in Bangor, ME
June 30-July 7	CWF
July 6-9	Maine 4-H Days at the Windsor Fairgrounds
August 1	Deadline to submit photos for 4-H Photo Contest

NORMA’S NOTES - Joyce and I have been so busy putting the Special Edition together. It gives me such a good chance to be reminded of the many parts of the 4-H Life Skills Wheel. It also impresses Joyce to see all the things you do in 4-H. Our county activities show so much “Cooperation,” “Social Skills,” “Accepting Differences,” and “Communication” for example. The fairs show excellent examples of “Keeping Records”, “Critical Thinking.” “Decision Making,” “Personal Safety,” “Self-discipline” and many others. At the Club visits I really get to see first hand the “Contributions to Group Effort,” “Teamwork” and the “Concern for Others.” I am amazed at the many “Community Service” projects. In a nut shell, I am happy and proud of the 4-H Program. Thanks for your participation.

CLUB CHAT: Snapdragons and Hollyhocks 4-H Club - Members of the Snapdragons and Hollyhocks club has changed their focus lately. The club has been involved with several community service projects this past year. These projects include a Beach Clean-up for Maine Coastal Clean-up Week, collection of dog food and cat food for the new SPCA, and making hand-made quilts for the Linus Project.
Sue Baez was in contact with the director of the SPCA to see what 4-H could do for them as a fund raiser. The need for dog food, cat food and cat litter came to mind and seemed like a doable project. We then contacted the manager at Hannaford’s grocery store to ask for some space at the front of the store. They were very accommodating and provided us with a large wooden bin for the donations. Club members worked hard on making some very neat posters for the display. By sending out e-mails, newsletter requests, and word-of-mouth, many donations were received. The club collected over 100 pounds of items at the bin in front of Hannaford’s. We spoke to the staff at the SPCA this week, and more donations in the name of 4-H are still coming in! They were very pleased with the outcome of donations and said the foods would come to good use for pet’s in need throughout Hancock County. Snapdragons and Hollyhocks 4-H club would like to thank those who made donations to the SPCA! Submitted by Sue Baez, Leader

4-H Photo Contest - information has been mailed to all 4-Hers. If you did not receive yours and are interested in entering, please call the office. Deadline to submit photos to the office is August 1st.

VOLT Training - There will be a VOLT (Volunteer Ongoing Leader Training) on Saturday, April 28, 2007, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm here at the Extension office. Please encourage anyone interested in 4-H to call the office for an application. This will give a volunteer the opportunity to start a club, assist a club, chaperone, or just gain more knowledge of 4-H.

And you become a member of a national community of caring people who are helping young people to reach their goals in life.

Special 4-H Keepsake Edition - will be mailed this week. Watch the mail for your copy! We are creating CD’s at a cost of $3 each. If you are interested in purchasing one, please contact Joyce at the Extension office.

Goat Intent Form - 4-H members 12 years old and up intending to go to Eastern States must have forms signed by the 4-H Educator by May 1st. New Forms will be available shortly.

Northeast Livestock Expo 2007
Will be held May 18, 19 and 20, 2007. Check out the web site http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/livestockexpo/
At the Youth Show each child will have the opportunity to participate in a multi specie skill-a-thon and scavenger hunt. And there are many other opportunities that will be happening at the expo. That website is http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/livestockexpo/youth/index.html So take some time and visit the web site and read for yourself.

Reminder to Seniors - Don’t forget that the Hancock County 4-H Leaders’ Association scholarship application must be postmarked or received at the Extension Office on or before April 27, 2007.

No Leaders’ Minutes - Due to the snowstorm on February 14, the Leaders’ Meeting was canceled.

Style Review 2007– will be held on Friday, April 27 at the Father Kenny Center at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Ellsworth. You may enter in one or more categories of sewing, knitting, crocheting, and miscellaneous. Packets have been mailed out to 4-H members enrolled in Clothing and Textiles projects. If you are interested in participating but did not receive paperwork please call the office. Entry forms must be received in the Extension Office by Friday, March 9.

The Maine 4-H International Exchange Program has Japanese exchange delegates coming to Maine this summer that have a desire to learn about life in America and build on English skills. They bring their own spending money and insurance. You do not need to be involved with 4-H to host. You just need a willingness to share your lives and your friendship with a young person from Japan. Experience another culture, without traveling, in your own home. These young people look forward to doing family chores, learning new games, shopping, trying new foods and sharing their own Japanese culture with their host family. Youth participants range in age from 12 to 18 years old. There are month-long and academic year-long exchanges. The month-long program is open to families with same gender children close in age to the Japanese students. The Year-long students are available to families that are able to connect them to other youth of similar age. Host families and students are matched based on similar interests. The Japanese youth are happy to share a room with their host sister or brother. This program stresses the experience of everyday American life. Participants often comment that being a part of the family is the best part of their homestay. This is a real exchange; there is an opportunity for host siblings to travel to Japan for a month. If you are able to host or recruit host families, it will be a great help to our program. Contact your local Cooperative Extension Office or call Jill Coffren, state coordinator, directly at 207-645-3248 or email jcoffren@umext.maine.edu for application or more info. Application deadline is April 1,2007. Host family applications include a background check and are visited by a representative in their home before approval. The Maine 4-H International Exchange Program is a youth development program of The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service. Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development is granted full listing with the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel for 2006-07.

The new 4-H leadership structure is very exciting for the Youth in Governance Team. Our team brings together 4-H members, volunteers and staff to discuss and make decisions on supporting teen leadership, service learning and “Youth Voices” in the 4-H program across the state.

The team is working to provide training and meaningful opportunities for youth to take “ownership” in community change and become vested in life long service. We are recruiting new members, seeking funding to support teams, creating new resources, purchasing curriculum guides for counties to use, and supporting statewide efforts.

The Youth in Governance Team meets by phone conference calls, the UNET video system, and occasionally in person. We certainly welcome all to join our efforts. To find our more about the YIG Team please contact Barbara Baker at 1-800-287-1485 or Susan Jennings at 1-800-287-1482 or 207-743-6329.

So why are Media Literacy and Internet Safety so important? The Maine 4-H Science Engineering and Technology (SET) Program Leadership Team would like to share with you why both of these topics are important and how we can help you learn more about both of them. Media Literacy is the ability to access, define, evaluate and create the media that is around us. You might say it is a very important life skill to learn. In today’s society we are surrounded with many forms of media and some of those include the television, radio, internet, magazines, newspapers, satellite radio, blogs, and the list goes on and on. It is important that we ask questions to try and understand the media that is so much a part of our lives. Some of the questions we need to ask ourselves to help us understand the media that surrounds us are:

c. How might different people understand this message differently from me?
d. What lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in or omitted from this message?

With the growing popularity of the internet it is not only important to become more media literate we must also learn about internet safety issues. To help us learn more about internet safety we discovered a helpful website that we would like to pass on to all of you. NetSmartz.org is a website designed for parents, educators, law enforcement and youth and it is all about internet safety and includes resources and activities to use with all age groups. We learned about this site through the Maine State Police as it is the site they recommend and it also endorsed by the Maine Department of Education as a credible resource.

In the coming months the SET Program Team will be planning some Media Literacy and Internet Safety trainings. The trainings will be made available through video conferencing and are designed to be “train the trainer” workshops that you will be able to share with others. So please stay tuned for more information about these upcoming trainings and check out the (NetSmartz.org) website.

For 32 years Maine 4-H has offered a unique outdoor learning adventure program for Maine youth. From the minute you set foot on Vaughn Island 'til the moment you leave, you're part of an exciting learning adventure! Our unique program offers three and four day tenting experiences where youth discover -- through their own natural curiosity and imagination -- the sights, sounds, smell and feel of Maine's rocky coast.

Designed with the whole child in mind, Vaughn Island 4-H Camp brings lasting memories. Living, working and playing together, campers make new friends and develop a sense of trust and responsibility for the whole group. An emphasis is placed on no-trace camping skills, cooperation, discovery of the island's plant and animal life, coastal heritage, and marine ecology.

Vaughn Island 4-H Camp is affiliated with Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center. New in 2007: Use of global positioning system (GPS) technology in outdoor experiences.

The program is suitable for 9-14 year olds, program fees range from $140-$180, and scholarships are available. The program occurs in Kennebunkport. Visit http://www.umaine.edu/umext/york/ or call 324-2814 to request registration materials.

April 10th, Maine 4-H Day at the Legislature is quickly approaching. Once again we have reserved 23 spots for pages. Last year one of the most asked question to me by legislators, was do you have any 4-H members from my district. In an attempt to diversity the group we will first try to have all 23 pages from a different part of the state. I don't expect that we will get enough youth to fill all 23 slots this way. I will take the rest of the applications and try to evenly disperse the group. Our goal is to have 23 4-H youth participants who are represented by 23 different state senators and representatives.

Please send me a list of 4-H member who are interested in serving as pages on April 10th. I will need their name, mailing address, phone number and if at all possible their Email address. I would appreciate this information by March 30, 2007.

Please note to the participants that the sessions are scheduled to start at 10 a.m. so we will be expecting Pages to arrive by 8:30 a.m. Remember last year both legislative bodies stayed in session until 4 a.m. in the morning and did not start again until 11 a.m.

     Hold the dates!
When? June 21-23                  What?- Statewide Teen Leadership Conference
Where? - Bangor, ME             Who? - Calling all Teens!
Why? - Learn leadership basics and experience a totally teen-unique conference!
How? - Registration due May 18 - Registration procedures to be announced in next newsletter

All cattle, sheep, horses, and dogs brought to Maine 4-H Days must be vaccinated for rabies if the animal is 3 months of age or older on or before June 1, 2007. The vaccination must have been administered on or before June 1, 2007 and be current for that species. All 4-H members bringing animals to Maine 4-H Days must show Veterinarian Certification that their animals have received a rabies vaccination. Certification must be in writing, must be signed by the veterinarian, and must clearly identify the animal or animals in question. Exhibitors showing animals without an approved rabies vaccine (goats for example) are strongly encouraged to have their animals vaccinated.

Rabies cases in Maine more than doubled in 2006 over the previous year (127 cases in 2006 vs. 61 in 2005). The disease has demonstrated its unpredictability over the years so it’s impossible to foresee what may happen during 2007. If you have animals other than cattle, sheep, horses, and dogs, it is a good idea to discuss your need for rabies vaccine with you local veterinarian who understands the risk of rabies in your area.

It is time to apply for the National 4-H Trips, Conference and Congress. To apply all you have to do is submit your 4-H Story and your Resume. Guidelines for writing your 4-H story can be found at www.maine4h.umaine.edu and click on Members. Scroll down to see National 4-H Trips application. You may also pick up an application at your local County Extensions office. Next year Congress will be held in November in Atlanta and Nat’l 4-H Conference will be held in Washington DC in March.

There will be a new program introduced this year at the New England Livestock Expo at Windsor Fairgrounds on May 18, 19, & 20 sponsored by the Maine Beef Producers Association. Calves for Kids is a program that donates beef heifers to children in the State of Maine who will raise them and donate back the first heifer calf from their animal. When they receive the heifer they will take ownership, raise, and show it in at least one fair this season. They will then be asked to breed the heifer and the first heifer calf will then be donated back to the program. This is a great way to get Maine youth to have a hands-on experience in agriculture.

The Calves for Kids program is looking for farms that are able to donate a heifer to begin the program. The heifer should have been born in 2006. Also, children who are interested in applying for a heifer through Calves for Kids should contact Heidi Howard at Aldemere Farm for an application. You can also check the NELE website at www.northeastlivestockexpo.com. The application and more information will be posted there soon! The children will receive their animal at the Expo in May.

You can contact Heidi at: Heidi Howard, Aldermere Farm, 139 Russell Ave, Rockport Maine 04856
207-975-4415 hhoward712@msn.com

Mark you calendars now for Maine 4-H Days this summer at Windsor Fairgrounds, July 6, 7, 8, & 9. It will be a weekend full of personal enrichment workshops as well as livestock events. Camping is encouraged and entire families are welcome.

11. Citizen Washington Focus - Start making plans now to visit our Nation’s Capitol during the week of the 4^th of July. Citizenship Washington Focus is a leadership program conducted by the National 4-H Council for high school youth ages 15 to 19. Delegations of 4-Hers from across the country spend six days touring the city and attending leadership skill-building workshops. This summer, the Maine delegation will leave on June 30 and return on July 7, 2007. You will stay at the National 4-H Conference Center just outside Washington, DC. Visiting the most popular sites in Washington will be a part of the trip.

Contact your county 4-H office to find out how to apply for this trip. Each county will have their own selection process.

12. Attention Parents and Guardians: 4-H also has an EDGE for YOU!
By now we hope you have read all about the upcoming 4-H EDGE Weekend as a step for our Maine 4-H members considering college in their future. If not, briefly, on May 19 and 20, the EDGE program will bring 11-15 year old 4-H youth to the University of Maine campus to ENGAGE them with some of the great things you can study at the university through hands-on workshops, encourage them to set a DIRECTION as they look forward to future college experiences, and encourage them create GOALS for future success. As parents or guardians, you might be thinking, “That’s great, but who is going to help ME prepare for my child’s college experience?” And we at 4-H have an answer for you! The Saturday May 19 session of the 4-H EDGE weekend has a set of workshops for parents. As the youth go to their first workshop, parents will have an opportunity to attend a session on helping your child lay the groundwork for college admission as they move into and through their high school years. Next, both parents and EDGE youth participants will be treated to a BBQ lunch and then attend a workshop on getting scholarships ready. The workshop will focus on how youth can position themselves to qualify for different kinds of scholarship aid. As the youth go off for their second workshop, parents/guardians will have an introduction to some of the options for financing college.

So, parents or guardians, plan to arrive on campus with your youth on Saturday morning. Your sessions will run until 2:45 on Saturday afternoon. Then you can be free as a bird until 11:15 on Sunday morning when it is time to pick up your 4-H member! We hope you will take the time to participate in these sessions designed to help you feel a little more prepared for the college experience which will be upon you before you know it!

Registrations for the EDGE Weekend will go out in mid-March. Parents, don’t forget to sign yourself up while you register with your 4-H member!

Rainbow Fruit Salad

the 5 color categories (say, strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, kiwifruit, and purple grapes) with a splash of orange juice and a spoonful of your child’s favorite yogurt. Yum!

Even simpler – arrange a rainbow array of bite-size pieces of fruit on a plate, with a “pot of gold” (lemon or orange flavored yogurt) for dipping.

(A fun preschool snack-time offering, perhaps?)

Member of the University of Maine System
Last Modified: 05/25/07
These pages are currently being maintained from the
Hancock County Office, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Send comments, suggestions or inquiries to jfortier@umext.maine.edu

Color (Edible Portion)	2-4 Servings Of Fruit (Examples)
Red	Cherry, Cranberry, Raspberry, Red Grape, Strawberry, Watermelon
Orange	Apricot, Cantaloupe, Mango, Peach, Nectarine, Orange, Pumpkin
Yellow / Light Green	Banana, Golden Apple, Golden Pear, Grapefruit, Lemon, Pineapple
Dark Green Green	Grape, Honeydew Melon, Kiwifruit, Lime
Blue / Purple	Blackberry, Blueberry, Fig, Plum, Prune, Purple Grape, Raisin