2003 4-H Discovery Days will be here before we know it!

Check-in: Registration for 4-H Discovery Days will be held from 9:00 - 10:45 a.m., Wednesday, June 4 in the lobby of the Derby Dining Center. Delegates should remain with the vehicles while the Delegate Coordinator picks up name tags, and meal cards. A daily schedule will be in each delegate’s packet in their dorm room.

The accounting system for food service requires that all persons eating meals during 4-H Discovery Days have a magnetic plastic meal card. Delegates will receive their meal cards at registration.

The 4-H Discovery Days begins with a barbeque from 11:30 - 12:40 p.m. at Weber Arena. You must register before going to lunch. Following the barbeque lunch, Jeff Goodwin, Idaho Extension 4-H Specialist, will give a presentation on "Ethics and Youth Development Programs".

All delegates will be housed in Haymaker Hall. The 4-H Discovery Days Office will be in the main lobby of Haymaker Hall. (785) 395-3710

Parking: All vehicles parked anywhere on campus during 4-H Discovery Days must have a parking permit. Those who ordered and paid for hang tags by April 15 will find them in their packets at registration. If you did not pre-order or pay for a permit, you may purchase the permit at the Information Booth near the K-State Union.

Floor Counselors: Many thanks to the agents who accepted the oportunity to serve as floor counselors. You will receive detailed job descriptions soon from Pam Van Horn. Your orientation will take place during the Wednesday lunch period at Weber Arena.

Staff Assistance: All of us working with 4-H Discovery Days appreciate the cooperation of county, district and area staff working with this program. While we try to give you your preference for hosting classes, we cannot always do this. Field trips sometimes take priority over other classes.

Adult Assistance: We truly appreciate the number of agents and volunteers who support 4-H Discovery Days by teaching classes, serving as delegate coordinators, or attending and hosting classes. If you or one of your county volunteers were assigned to host a class or chaperone an evening activity, we rely on you to keep that commitment. If a conflict has arisen, please find someone else to take your place and let the Discovery Days office in Haymaker Hall know who the substitute is.

Often, Extension staff schedule other meetings during Discovery Days. While we understand the need to save time and money, we also want to remind you that your first obligation is the health and safety of your youth delegates. If you will be leaving campus, or attending a function not connected to Discovery Days, please let the staff at the Discovery Days office in Haymaker Hall know where you can be reached during an emergency.

Julie Green Memorial Scholarship Established - The Kansas Association of 4-H Volunteers has established the Julie Green Memorial Scholarship Fund, in memory of Julie Green, President of the Kansas Association of 4-H Volunteers, Chairman of the Cherokee County Extension Council, and long-time Cherokee County 4-H Volunteer.  Julie died May 4, 2003, a victim of the tornado that destroyed the family home and farmstead southeast of Columbus.

Julie served as Co-Chair for the 1999 North Central Regional Volunteer Forum when it was hosted by Kansas 4-H Volunteers. She also served as the state delegation coordinator for the North Central Regional 4-H Volunteer Forums for four years and a member of the task force which created the Kansas Association of 4-H Volunteers.

To honor and recognize Julie's commitment to, belief in, and passion for continuing education for adult volunteers, this scholarship fund will provide financial support for adult volunteers to continue their education in youth development at state and/or regional volunteer forums.

The Association established the scholarship fund with a $1,000 gift and has extended an invitation to 4-H members, parents, leaders,4-H clubs, extension staff, 4-H councils, donors, and friends of 4-H to be a partner in establishing a $10,000 scholarship fund. Interest generated from the scholarship fund will determine the level and number of scholarships which will be awarded on an annual basis.

FEATURE ARTICLE: Competition: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

PRACTICE WISDOM: Designing Competitive Programs that enhance Youth Development

RESEARCH BRIEF: Children and Cooperation: Moving Beyond Competition

Junior Master Gardener Teacher/Leader Training - A Junior Master Gardener Teacher/Leader training will be held Monday, June 23, 2003, from 9:00am to 4:00pm, at the Thomas County Extension Office meeting room, located at 350 S. Range, Colby, Kansas.

The all day training will include information on the Junior Master Gardener program, the JMG curriculum, and how to effectively work with youth. The workshop will also feature hands-on activities. This program is open to all interested extension agents, Master Gardeners, 4-H leaders, and volunteers, and is recommended for anyone working with a Junior Master Gardener group.

District Horse Shows: Junior (age 10 thru 13) youth who wish to participate at the District and/or State horse show must have successfully met the requirements of all three sections of Achievement Level I (except Showmanship and Halter participants) prior to the entry deadlines.

Senior (age 14 thru 18) youth who wish to participate in the District and/or State horse show must complete all three sections of Achievement Level I & II (except Showmanship and Halter participants) prior to the entry deadlines.  Domsch

The entry deadlines -
North Central - June 2
Northwest - June 9
Southeast - June 13
Southwest - June 13
South Central - June 14
East Central - June 15
Northeast - June 15

Changes for the 2003-04 4-H Enrollment Card---Since the Family and Consumer Science Action Team has adopted the Arts and Crafts project areas we have reorganized the Enrollment Card to reflect this change. Beginning this fall Performing Arts will be the Theatre Arts(CCS) plus blanks for writing in vocal and instrumental music and other options. Visual Arts and Crafts will be the Palette of Fun units without age indicators even though it is written for younger audiences. Heritage Arts will include: Crochet, Knitting, Needle Arts, Patchwork and Quilting, Rug Making, Spinning, Weaving, Ethnic Arts and Macrame. Materials purchased from Colorado will support these areas.

Kansas State Fair Youth Premium Books: Plans are for the 2003 Kansas State Fair Premium books to be ready for distribution during 4-H Discovery Days. Agents are asked to pick up their books at the State 4-H Office. If you are not attending 4-H Discovery Days, make arrangements with someone from another county to pick them up for you.

As a cost cutting measure, the book has been combined into one 8 1/2 x 11 book. You will receive copies for office staff, but there will not be extra copies for 4-H leaders and 4-H families. The book is designed so that sections can be copied as needed. It will also be available on the Kansas State Fair website and KSFAIR website.  http://www.kansasstatefair.com

Kansas Youth Leadership Forum: Local extension offices have just been mailed information on instructor/facilitator recruitment for the 4th Annual Kansas Youth Leadership Forum, to be held November 21 - 23 at Rock Springs 4-H Center.

This conference, designed for youth ages 14 - 18, will include speakers, track sessions, service learning, consulting groups and the election of the 2004 Kansas State 4-H Youth Leadership Council.

We're recruiting proposals for track session presenters and consulting group facilitators. The Kansas State 4-H Youth Council members hope that you (or one of your volunteers) will be interested in sharing your expertise or talent with one or more of these opportunities.

Joe Klinkon, NE Jr.High/Arma High School Teacher and a 20 year Entomology Researcher, will guide the tour and will be the speaker for an hour session on insect identification, pinning, reference material, etc.

West Nile Virus (WNV)Testing: Experts at Kansas State University are again asking Kansans for help. The entomologists need to hear about newly dead birds among the species known to be at risk from the disease.

In rare cases, the mosquito-carried virus can lead to serious disease for infected humans. It kills about 30 percent of unvaccinated, infected horses, said Ludek Zurek, medical-veterinary entomologist for K-State Research and Extension. But each year's first WNV victims are likely to be susceptible birds, including bluejays, crows, ravens or raptors (birds of prey).

The entomologists again started trapping Kansas mosquitoes for study in March, Zurek said. The surveillance team will continue monitoring the situation through fall, attempting to learn more about mosquito diversity, the insects' distribution across the state, the actual High Plains mosquito "season," and mosquitoes' role as a disease vector.

"The reports on birds are valuable in helping us get an idea about the distribution and severity of each year's West Nile outbreak. To help Kansans participate, the team is maintaining a toll-free hotline into K-State's Department of Entomology labs at
866-452-7810 and a Manhattan telephone number at 785-532-2569.

"If your bird meets our criteria for testing but you don't live near your county's Extension office, your local health or sanitation department will take care of the shipping," the entomologist said.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is funding the nation's efforts to track WNV working through agencies such as the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The community of Hudson Kansas (Stafford Co.) Will be hosting the 2003 4-H/FFA Wheat Show. Exciting workshops, tours and five exhibit divisions are available.

Send your 3-pound bin run sample from your own project field or one from a neighbors "adopted" field to Tim Herman, 002 C Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS. 66506. Samples should be received before July 25^th to enter Division I or II. Division III is a mechanically cleaned or hand picked quart jar sample. Division IV is a one pound loaf of bread or Division V is four standard size cookies. There is something for everyone! This is a "family event".