[Image: Image File ]4-H Leader Update is the monthly newsletter for organizational leaders and parent volunteers involved in the 4-H program in Lafayette Parish. This is the newsletter for the school year 2009-2010 being published from September to May. Each monthly issue contains information about upcoming events, activities and competitions available to 4-H members.
September 2009
Welcome Back
We hope you all had a safe and happy summer and are all geared up for a brand new school year. We're delighted with the fact that a 4-H Club will be in your school and that you have volunteered to serve as a 4-H Leader! We are looking forward to a very productive year and hope you are, too. Please feel free to call us at any time if questions arise. Our number at the 4-H office is 291-7090.
What's in Store
Enrollment Meetings
As a 4-H Leader, we are counting on you to make announcements to students and to arrange a place for our 4-H meeting at your school each month. As always, we will present an overview of 4-H to potential 4-H'ers at our September meetings. We invite all interested youth to attend and find out what 4-H has to offer them. See the attached “sample” parent permission slip for students to attend this first meeting.
Enrollment Fees/Dues
At the meeting, each child should be given a card to take home to their parents. Parish dues are $6 per member. Please, let us know if there are any members wanting to join who may not be able to pay. Dues cover insurance for members at 4-H events as well as the state assessment. You may choose to set your dues at a higher amount, and keep some in your club treasury for club expenses.
Deadlines
September 16 is the proposed deadline for students to get their enrollment cards and dues to you. Our first call for completed Enrollment Cards is from September 21-23. Don’t send us dues until October, however. Dues and any other enrollment cards that come in after September 16 are to be turned in between October 15-16. This will eliminate you having to write two checks.
Once a child turns in a completed card to you, you may wish to make a copy of the enrollment cards. This would be your record of your enrollment. We should encourage all students to enroll by September 16. This would enable them to:
1. Run for an office
2. Get their project books in October
In the event a child is absent from school the day of the meeting and misses September 16, the Final Call for Enrollment Cards is October 13. We do have an open enrollment allowing members to join at any time throughout the year, but encourage members to sign up at the beginning of the year. Of course, if during the year students transfer schools, please work with them to get them enrolled, even if it is after the initial enrollment deadline. This procedure is a combination of what we have done in the past. It should work.
Dates to Remember
September 2009
1 First Day of Club Meetings
7 Labor Day Holiday, 4-H Office Closed
10 State Fair Broiler Chick Pick-up
10TBA Cattle Hoof Trimming Clinic, Blackham Coliseum
12 State Shooting Sports, Level 1 Volunteer Training
16 Enrollment Cards Due to Leaders, Parishwide
16 Junior Leader Meeting & Reception, 4-H Office
17 Rabbit Clinic I (Selecting New Rabbits, Facilities)
21 Livestock Educational Committee Meeting, 4-H Office
21 1st Year Livestock Exhibitors' Meeting, 4-H Office
21-23 First Call - 4-H Enrollment Cards Due to 4-H Office
(21 LPSS Teacher In-service – K-5 students not in school)
23-26 SugarCane Festival, New Iberia
25-27 Rocketry Camp at Grant Walker Educational Center
October 2009
1 First Day of Club Meetings
1-4 4-H Volunteer Leader Forum, Rock Eagle, GA
4-10 National 4-H Week
7 Junior Leader Officer Meeting, 4-H Office
7 National 4-H Science Day
8 Possession Date for Rabbits
8 Rabbit Entries Due, 4-H Office
8 Rabbit Clinic II, 4-H Office
9-10 Cattle Festival, Abbeville
13 Last Day to turn in Enrollment Cards to Leader
14 4-H Officer Training
14 4-H Parent/Volunteer “Get on Board Orientation Meeting”, Lafayette Middle School
15-16 Due Date for 4-H Dues, 4-H Office
15-16 Final Call - Deadline for 4-H Enrollment Cards, 4-H Office
15-16 National 4-H Week Applications Due, 4-H Office
16 (tentative) Candy Sales Begin and Delivery Begins
16 Rice Festival Cookery Contest, Crowley, LA
21 Junior Leader Meeting, 4-H Office
21- Nov. 1 Louisiana State Fair, Shreveport
24 Make a Difference Day
24-30 National Meat Judging Contest, Manhattan, Kansas
4-H’ers on State Boards
At this summer’s State 4– H University held at LSU, Lafayette 4-H was well represented. Elected as State Parliamentarian was Jonathan Thibeaux. Also, serving on the Executive Committee is National Conference Delegate, Desire’ Taylor of Carencro High. Katie Domas from Academy of Sacred Heart is serving on the State 4-H Food and Fitness board and Amanda Barry from Teurlings Catholic is serving on the State 4-H Fashion Board. Congratulations to ALL!!!
Leader Handbooks Discontinued
The leader handbooks have been discontinued and all pertinent information may be found on our parish website: http://la4h.org/lafayette.
You will also be receiving information about a new online State 4-H Volunteer Training and Development System which provides many additional resources.
Albertsons' Community Partners
Lafayette 4-H participates in the Albertson’s Community Partners program. As part of this program, we receive funds from Albertsons each time a person shops and scans the Community Partners card. We’ll be bringing cards for each of the leaders to the September meeting. If you have any questions or need additional cards for interested parents, please contact the office at 291-7090. Thanks for making this a successful project.
SET Lessons
Our educational programs this year will focus on SET (Science, Engineering, and Technology) and are all correlated to GLE’s. SET is one of the 3 National 4-H Mission Mandates. All lessons will be interactive and are designed to reinforce what is taught in the schools and improve standardized test scores through experiential learning. For more information, contact the 4-H Office.4-H SET: One Million New Scientists. One Million New Ideas.
LSU Football Game
November 14 is 4-H Day with the LSU Tigers! LSU will be playing Louisiana Tech for the homecoming game. 4-H will be recognized during half-time activities, and a 4-H tailgate party is planned at John M. Parker Coliseum with lots of fun activities for everyone! More information and a complete list of events can be found on the State 4-H Web site. Tickets can be purchased through the Extension Office. Call for more details.
A Few Suggestions
Mof you have asked what is the ideal size of a 4-H Club. There is no sure answer, but clubs of 30-40 members usually work best and that is our goal for all clubs. Please try to avoid having a club with fewer than 15 members. However, in order to successfully work with a group of 40 or more 4-H'ers, you must have help. That help comes from parents and other teachers. Contact interested people who can help. The new enrollment card asks for help from parents. Check it closely.
Annual Candy Sale
Our 2009-10 candy sale is quickly approaching. We will be once again selling World’s Finest Candy. This fund raiser provides an opportunity to raise local money as well as help the parish 4-H Foundation. All clubs are encouraged (but not required) to participate. Please, get permission from your principal before committing to this project. We will be placing the order soon and must know how many cases you will attempt to sell. The candy sale begins with delivery in mid-October. Call the 4-H office if you have any questions about this project. We’ll keep all participating club posted on developing plans.Old and New Business
In the next issue of the Leader Update, you will find articles which can be used as old and new business during your meetings. The articles will be set up to allow you to clip them out and give to your members, not the officers, to read during the business part of the meeting. We will begin judging the club meetings in November for the Club-of-the-Month Awards. By taking advantage of the “Old and New Business” articles, your club meetings will be better, more business like, and you’ll probably win Club-of-the-Month more often.
Paint the Town Green
In celebration of National 4-H Week, we would like all Lafayette 4-H Clubs to help us “Paint the Town Green” during the first full week of October (Oct. 4-10). Your club can participate by decorating the interior or exterior of your school. You may prefer to decorate the school lobby/entrance, office, cafeteria, a particular hall, or maybe just a display case or bulletin board. An exterior decoration could be the front of the school entrance, a flower bed, a fence, or corridor. These are just a few ideas of locations to decorate. We are currently seeking sponsorship for possible prizes and 4-H Alumni will serve as judges to select the most spirited clubs. All clubs participating will receive 10 points toward the Achievement Day Trophy. Please, complete the attached entry form so that we can schedule judging of those clubs which will be participating.
Show your club spirit and help us “Paint the Town Green”!
Papa John’s Pizza Night.
Thursday, October 8th, is Louisiana 4-H Pizza Night! Please, duplicate the coupons in the attached file and distribute them to 4-H members. A percentage of the proceeds will go to support the Louisiana & Lafayette 4-H Foundations. More information can be found on our Web site at www.lsuagcenter.com/4HPizzaDay.
Check out the attached file for additional September events or visit our Calendar online at:
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/calendar/default.aspx?parish=Lafayette Parish