4-H Tip Sheet
September 2004

Items of Interest:

Kansas State Fair Update
2004
Jim Adams

Dates for the 2004 Kansas State Fair are September 10 - 19.  Entry day is Friday, September 10.  Remember that admission will be charged beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 10.

State Fair Entry Cards:  The first printing of the 2004 Kansas State Fair entry cards was done on the week beginning August 9th. After the cards have been perforated, they will be sent to the appropriate counties or districts UNLESS you have arranged with the State 4-H Office to pick them up in 201 Umberger. The cards will be sent by first class postage. Look for additional mailings in the weeks ahead. Please note - that if you had less than 10 entries by the printing date, the cards will be sent with the next mailing. Any questions may be directed to Cheryl Thomas at the State 4-H Office, 785-532-5800, or e-mail her at cthomas@oznet.ksu.edu Thomas

Bringing/Entering Exhibits at the State Fair:  The 4-H Exhibit Building will be open to receive large electric, home environment or woodworking exhibits from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday, September 9.  There is only a small crew working with building set-up  on Thursday, and it is difficult to check in other exhibits.  There is no security on duty Thursday night, but overnight security will be present Friday, September 10 through Saturday, September 18.

We will accept all other entries in the 4-H Building, from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 10th.

Exhibit Release:  Exhibits will be released beginning at 6:00 p.m., Sunday, September 19 or 8:00 - 10:00 a.m., Monday September 20.  Please contact Beth Hinshaw if planning for Monday pickup!

Volunteer Tickets: Committee assignments and admission tickets for 4-H volunteers will be sent to Extension Offices by August 27.  We cannot guarantee admission tickets for people who volunteer after August 16.

4-H/FFA Beef, Sheep and Swine Show Managers are recruiting volunteers and issuing tickets for those shows.

Parking:  Orders for parking hang tags were due in the Kansas State Fair Office by August 15.

Participant Tickets:  Orders for youth tickets were also due in the Kansas State Fair Office by August 15.

KSF Horse classes cancellations and combinations. We are pleased to announce that only Class 3048 Tie Down Roping 14-18 yrs will be cancelled at the 2004 State 4-H Finals Horse Show. Please let your 4-Hers know this. However, due to low registrations, some classes will be combined:

Participants registered in Class 3048 Tie Down Roping, 14-18 yrs, will automatically be transferred to Class 3050 Breakaway Roping 14-18 yrs. Individuals not desiring to make the change must contact the State 4-H Department for a full refund on or before September 3, 2004.

The following KSF Horse Show Classes will be combined under 3030 - Combined Pony and Non Stock Western Pleasure

Class 3030 Pony Western Pleasure

Class 3031 Western Pleasure Non-Stock 10-13 yrs.

Class 3032 Western Pleasure Non-Stock 14-18 yrs.

Please let the 4-H'ers in your counties know about these changes. – Gary Gerhard ggerhard@oznet.ksu.edu, Anna Muir amuir@oznet.ksu.edu

Help Needed at State Fair - The State 4-H staff could use your assistance in the 4-H building during the week days of the State Fair to answer questions about the displays and how to join 4-H.  We feel this public relations outreach is important and should continue if possible.  We would appreciate your help at the booth in the 4-H    Exhibit Building.  Assistance is needed Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Give Justin Wiebers a call (785-532-5800) or email jwiebers@ksu.edu if you would be available one of these days.  Adams                                                              

Detailed information will be available on the web.   Adams

New Kansas 4-H Participation Form - The new Kansas 4-H Participation Form has been developed in an effort to simplify and reduce paperwork while improving our ability to serve 4-H members and volunteers. This single form will be used for both youth and adult participants in all 4-H activities and is intended to replace all the various health and release forms previously required.  It is available on the forms section of the State 4-H web site and is being printed!

If your office has ordered or plans to order printed health forms, those orders will be filled with the new Kansas 4-H Participation Form.  Adams/Wiebers

2005 4-H Japanese Inbound Exchange -  It is time to begin our planning to host Japanese students for one month during the summer of 2005. The period is approximately between July 20 and August 20. Currently, Kansas 4-H families are hosting 36 Japanese students and three adult chaperones who will return home on August 19. Participating as a host brother/sister can be a fun and growing experience for 4-H'ers and their families.

To assist us with the preliminary planning, Mary Kay Munson and I need to know which counties/districts may be interested in participating in the program in 2005. Each county/district must provide a volunteer 4-H Japanese Exchange Coordinator and will be required to host 6 students. Training and orientation is provided.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS ONLY A PRELIMINARY INTEREST SURVEY!

Counties/districts may opt in or out in the months ahead if your plans or situations require. We would encourage you to respond affirmatively even if at this time you have some interest but cannot make a final decision.

In 2004, seven counties are participating in the Summer Inbound Exchange:

Atchison
Clay
Cloud
Harvey
Osage
Saline
Scott

Please e-mail your responses and/or questions to me ggerhard@oznet.ksu.edu and Mary Kay munsonm@mail.aces.uiuc.edu on or before August 31, 2004. Gerhard

4-H Master Volunteer Program -  To kick off the new 4-H year with a fantastic experience, consider recruiting a key volunteer to serve as a 4-H Master Volunteer for a specifically identified activity or program. Now's the time to work with your PDC to identify a program, event or activity that could benefit from the leadership of a 4-H Master Volunteer.

The training to become a 4-H Master Volunteer consists of two components: a four-hour training (August 28 in Emporia and October 16 in Scott City) and a sixteen-hour training (November 19-20 at Rock Springs 4-H Center).

Registrations for the four-hour training sessions are due two weeks prior to the date: August 13 and October 1. Registration materials and brochure were electronically distributed to extension offices in early July. Please visit with your Area 4-H Specialist or Pat McNally if you have questions about this dynamic volunteer development program. McNally

State 4-H Volunteer Forum -  November 20-21.  Registration information has been sent to Extension Offices and is available on the web, announcing the theme, schedule, and activities that will take place at the annual State 4-H Volunteer Forum at Rock Springs. Many of you have identified "volunteer development" as a key issue or need in your 4-H program. Sending a delegation of volunteers to the State 4-H Volunteer Forum may be one way that you can begin to meet the training needs of your volunteers! 

One exciting component at the forum takes place when the Volunteers Forum and the KYLF Participants share an exciting "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership".  McNally

Strong management and attention to detail are the foundation to successful 4-H clubs that meet the needs of members, where members are eager to join, where families are excited about 4-H and where members and adults willingly volunteer to work.

Plan to join us, as we spend time focusing on Strengthening 4-H Clubs. The purpose of this training is to strengthen our capacity to work with adults and youth to develop and support strong, effective 4-H Clubs. Topics will include the latest research on characteristics of successful (strong) 4-H Clubs; creating a positive environment; making club meetings that youth chose to attend and sharing program management tools for club organization and operation.

You’ll go home with new resources and ideas to share with your club leaders. Registration fee is $10 which includes lunch. More details will be sent at a later date, but reserve either December 14 or 15 on your calendar and plan to attend. This training is supported through an Epsilon Sigma Phi Innovation Grant. Mack/Buchele/Hinshaw/Barker

Basic 4-H Operations I Training -  Will be held September 27-28 in Manhattan. We invite you to attend this training where we share critical information for handling 4-H managerial issues that may and often do arise.

You will find the Basic Operations I brochure at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/4h/PDFfiles/BasicOps1.pdf

If you have questions, please contact Diane or Beth. Cost to attend is $20 payable to the Kansas 4-H Foundation. Please contact Diane Mack at: dmack@oznet.ksu.edu by September 7 if you plan to attend. Hope to see you there! Mack/Hinshaw

MARKETING KANSAS 4-H - New Umbrella Message - The National 4-H Council and Leadership Trust has announced a new umbrella message - "4-H is a community of young people, across America, who are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills."

David Henderson has been hired by National 4-H Council to work on marketing 4-H. He says that no key audience really cares to hear about 4-H as an organization, they want to hear about the value and impact of 4-H on youth. To review his power point that he presented at the resent ACE conference go to: www.davidhenderson.com/blog/ Mack

PSSSSSST...... PASS IT ON - As we start another 4-H year, encourage your 4-H families to share the secret of how fun and exciting 4-H can be by asking a friend to join 4-H. 4-H Marketing Action team members wrote the recruitment issue of the Kansas 4-H Journal for current 4-H families to pass on to a new family.

The recruitment issue is filled with exciting articles explaining the benefits of 4-H. Included is a personal letter from one parent to another, written by Shelly Sexton, action team member and 4-H mom from Dickinson County. Inside too are lots of photos of 4-H kids in action.

We encourage you to include an article in your 4-H newsletter reminding families to pass the recruitment issue on and get it into the hands of a prospective 4-H family. With their personal invitation and testimony of the impact 4-H has had on their family, how can others say no. Mack/4-H Marketing Action Team

Registration is due from county/district offices by 5:00pm Friday, October 15.  A $20 late fee will be assessed for each registration received after the deadline up until the final cut off one week later. Wiebers/Hinshaw    

New Web Site:  http://www.Kansas4-H.org - Coming Soon!!!  At least that’s what we’ve heard.  Renovations are being made and will be posted as soon as our new URL is available.  Information will remain on the old site until everything is copied over and forwarding/redirecting pages will help everyone get to the new site.  Thanks for your patience.  Wiebers

After Conference these members have the opportunity and the responsibility to be involved in the 4-H program through the State 4-H Advisory, the State 4-H Youth Council and other aspects of the 4-H Program. Kansas 4-H’ers who have attended National 4-H Congress are not eligible to attend National 4-H Conference. Wiebers/Hinshaw

4-H Update - Is it on your calendar?  We invite you to attend your area 4-H Update. Dates are:

NE Area - December 2
SE Area - December 3
SW Area - December 8
NW Area - December 9

Agenda items will include: Essential Elements of 4-H Youth Development, Update on State Leaders Search Process, Strategic Plan and 5 Year Plan implementation, Growing 4-H and more.

More specific information will be coming. Hinshaw/ Mack/Barker/Buchele 

New 4-H Animals and More - Bamboo, Ramsey, Tucker, Smokey, Whiskers, Wooly and all their friends are here. The new animals and ornaments, flip flops, denim items and hats have arrived. You can pick yours up from the State 4-H office or at the State Fair. Proceeds benefit the State 4-H Youth Council. Hinshaw/Cash

August Edition  - of the Kansas Junior Master Garden Newsletter is now online at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/4h/JMG/Newsletters/current.htm. This month we look at fall gardening activities. Neier

4-H Master Calendar
August - December 2004

All educational programs and materials available without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

The information here is maintained by the State 4-H Office and Staff.  The administrative assistant contact is Kathy Zimmerman at 785-532-5800 or e-mail kzimmerm@oznet.ksu.edu