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Statewide 4-H Challenge Manager Hired
--Pat BoyEs
I am very pleased to report to our statewide 4-H system that Scott VanDerWey of Seattle has accepted our Statewide 4-H Challenge Manager position. I anticipate that Scott will be assuming his new duties on May 1, 2007. Scott is a 17 year veteran of the 4-H Challenge program in Washington State and is currently a Special Education Teacher/Counselor with the Seattle School District. This position, which has been vacant since Sam Tower 's retirement, will oversee the adventure based 4-H programs through out Washington State. His office location will be in Puyallup.
Support Materials for County Staff Working with Volunteers—Updated!
--Jan Hiller
Are you in need of helpful ideas for working with volunteers? Go to http://4h.wsu.edu/volntr/volunsupprt.pdf. To locate the same updated document from the Washington State 4-H Homepage, click on Staff, then Resources & Forms, Volunteer Leader Training and finally Staff Resources (way at the bottom).
2007 Dairy Events/Opportunities
--Nancy Mordhorst
The calendar of events and specific information about opportunities, scholarships and shows for 4-H'ers in Dairy projects has been updated on the 4-H Website at http://4-h.wsu.edu/projects/dairy.htm. A packet of this information is also being mailed directly to each 4-H family with members or leaders enrolled in Dairy projects. Please pass this information on in your newsletters. Any questions regarding these opportunities can be directed to Gary Fredricks at garyf@wsu.edu; or at 360-397-6060, Ext. 7714.
Cougar Youth Weekend
--Pat BoyEs
WSU Dairy Club Announcing—Our 10th Annual Cougar Youth Weekend, April 20th – 22nd, 2007 (Friday-Sunday); a weekend for youth 9-18 years of age with an interest in all aspects of the Dairy Industry and/or Fitting and Showing dairy cattle.
Showmanship instruction will be emphasized, with workshops offered for fitting, showing and handling of dairy heifers. Each individual will be given the opportunity to work with a heifer, have hands-on practice during the workshops, and on the last day, demonstrate what he or she has learned during the showmanship contest. Youth can also enroll in the Dairy Cattle Judging workshop, which will concentrate on visual appraisal and oral reasons.
Instruction courses in nutrition, reproduction, breeding and udder health of dairy cows will also be offered. This is a wonderful opportunity for youth to expand their dairy knowledge in a comfortable learning environment.
For more information on Cougar Youth Weekend, contact Megan Warner, Dairy Club Secretary at Megse47@hotmail.com, dairyclub@hotmail.com, P.O. Box 481 Pullman, WA 99163 or 425-760-6506 cell phone. The registration form can be found at http://4-h.wsu.edu/projects/dairy.htm.
4-H Portable Challenge Training
--Phil Linden
WSU Colville Reservation and Ferry County Extension will be hosting a 4-H Portable Challenge Training March 27, 28 and 29 from 9am – 5pm at the Omak Longhouse in Omak, WA. The cost to participate in this event is $125 or Volunteer Payback.
To register for or for more information contact Phil Linden, 4-H Challenge Program Coordinator, at (509) 634-2303.
Do Your Wethers Have What It Takes To Win The Breeder's Cup?
--Susan Kerr
Bring your best to the 2007 April Fools Market Goat Sale and find out! The sale is April 1 at Skamania fairgrounds in Stevenson, Washington.
The 2006 Breeder's Cup Champion and runners-up will be announced at the 2007 sale. Bring your best wethers to this sale and let us know how they do at their county fairs next summer. We will record points for championship, reserve championship and rate-of-gain wins for up to five market goats per breeder (must be sold at the April Fools sale).
Contact Elise at elise@whitehousegoats.com to enter wethers into the 2007 sale or to get more information. You can see the online sale catalog at http://cascadebga.org/AF07catalog.html. Even if you don't have photos of the wethers yet, please email their birth date and scrapies id to get your farm information into the catalog as soon as possible. You are allowed to replace sale animals with others at a later time if you need to do so. Market goat space is limited, reserve yours now.
The 4-H and FFA kids need your goat!
Attention 4-H Clothing and Photography Project Members
--Pat BoyEs
On May 5 at the Terrace Heights Grange come and exhibit your clothing and/or photography projects. Set-up will be on Friday, May 4, 2007 at 6:00pm and then displayed on Saturday, May 5th, 2007. Tear-down will be between 2:00 and 3:00pm on Saturday, May 5th.
For more information contact Barb Schut of Country Bunch 4-H Club at 509-453-4257. The Yakima County Extension website at http://pan.co.yakima.wa.us/wsuext/4-H/ and the Yakima County Extension Office have entry forms for this event.
Third Annual Northwest Lamboree
--Susan Kerr
If you are interested in sheep, be sure to mark May 19-20 on your calendar and plan to attend the Third Annual Northwest Lamboree at the Klickitat County Fairgrounds in Goldendale, WA.
Beginning and advanced showmen and producers alike will all gain new knowledge and skills from this popular event. Breeders, judges, producers, showmen and Extension educators from throughout the Northwest will lead practical, hands-on workshops for participants. Topics will include selection, judging, fitting, showing, nutrition, health, quality assurance and fiber arts. A wide variety of fun and engaging optional activities will be available once again as well.
Registration is due by May 14 and is $25 per person or $20 per person for a family of three or more. Registration includes four excellent meals and an educational packet. For a registration form or more information, contact WSU-Klickitat County Extension at 509-773-5817 or klickitat@wsu.edu. The registration form is also available for downloading from www.klickitat.wsu.edu/4h.html.
RV camping is available on site for $16 per day and dry camping is free. To make camping arrangements, contact Anita at 509-773-3900 or 800-583-8074 or AnitaC@co.klickitat.wa.us.
WSU Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office. Persons with a disability requiring special accommodation while participating in Washington State University-Klickitat County Extension programs may call 509-773-5817 in advance of the program. If accommodation is not requested in advance, we cannot guarantee the availability of accommodation on-site.
PNW Horse Committees Application Form
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Roberta Lundeberg
The PNW Horse Curriculum Team is dividing into four separate committees, and we are looking for members for all of them. The application packet contains the application form, a recommendation form and descriptions of each committee. Please share this with your horse leader advisories and anyone else interested in the 4-H Horse Program. Applications are due in the Washington State 4-H Office, Attn: Jerry Newman, 601 Johnson Tower, PO Box 644852, Pullman, WA 99164-4852 by June 1.
Contact Roberta Lundeberg at 541-737-9295 or Roberta.Lundeberg@oregonstate.edu with questions.
What is “Blogging”
--Joy Faerber
Simply put, blogs (short for Web logs) are online journals. Just as in any journal, the blog owner (or blogger) can speak out on any subject he or she pleases in words or drawings. But unlike traditional journals, entries can also include lists of favorite music and books, maps, videos, links to Web sites, search tools, quizzes and so on. Each blog entry usually contains a title, a profile of the author, a date stamp, photos and the poster's comments. Another key difference is anyone can visit a blog and comment on what the blogger is saying.
A blog is a great way to express yourself and broadcast your opinions. Unfortunately, public blogs are also used by criminals as a way to collect information that can be used to steal your identity, rob your home, harass or physically harm you, your children or your friends.
Find out how to keep blogging risks to a minimum (and the fun to a maximum) in the tips below.
Eight safety tips for blogging
- Think carefully about how public your blog is. The more personal or identifiable the information you share, the fewer people you should share it with. If you want your blog to be public, only disclose what you want the general public to know. Otherwise, keep your blog private. Also, periodically review who has access to your site and make changes if necessary. We all know that friends change over time. For example, you drift apart or experience a rift that breaks a friendship. How will your information be treated then?
- Keep identifying details to yourself and close friends. A good rule of thumb: if you wouldn't share the info on your blog with a strange guy on a dark street, don't post it for the public.
- Don't use your real name on your site (or anyone else's either). Your friends already know the details and its no one else's business. Create a nickname or screen name that doesn't attract the wrong kind of attention or help someone find you.
- Don't give information that puts you on the map. Don't mention such details as your address, school, where you work, even the town name if it's small.
- Don't reveal any information that gives away your age such as your birth date or year of graduation.
- Be smart about the photos you post. What does the picture show about you? Does it attract the wrong kind of attention or help someone find you?
- What's in the background? Does the photo show your house number, a street sign, a license plate, a clear landmark?
- Did you caption your photos with full names or other identifying details?
- What's on your shirt? The name of your school, sports team, or club? Your name?
- Who's in the picture? If it shows friends or family members, you may be putting them at risk, too.
- Be careful about sharing your feelings in your blog. You probably express feelings in your blog through other ways than just writing. The poems you select, the music you list, the pictures you post-all these tell a lot about who you are and how you feel. A snapshot, too, can reveal how you feel about yourself-proud of your body, lacking self-confidence, sad, trying to look sexy or cool? All of this is great information to a predator who's on the hunt and who would be delighted to make you feel important or special.
- Check out what your friends write about you. In their blogs, they may be announcing that they'll miss you because your family is going on vacation-and you may come back to a burglarized house. Or maybe they're giving out your address or real name so someone can find you. Check the comments they leave on your blog, too, to make sure they don't give away personal details.
- Be very cautious about meeting in person someone you only know through blogging. Everything they've told you about themselves and their motivation for meeting you may be completely true - or none of it could be. They may feel like a close friend, but they are still a stranger.
- If you think there's a problem, report it immediately. No one has the right to threaten or upset you. If anyone (even someone you know) sends you something creepy, says something scary, asks lots of personal questions, or tries to meet you, report the problem. (If you're a minor, talk to an adult you trust.) Every service should make it easy to report abuse function; if your blogging service doesn't, consider switching providers.
- Help your kids to blog safely. Young bloggers, particularly teens, are at high risk if they make their blogs available to the public instead of to a limited group of friends and family. This is a time when teens are reaching out for new identities, friends, and validation and are less concerned about their overall safety making them relatively easy targets for predators. To mitigate these risks:
- Talk frankly about what it takes to stay safer when blogging; the points above are a great place to begin.
- Periodically ask you child or teen to show you what they are saying in their blog, what comments they're getting, and so on.
Here is a couple more to add to the list:
- Talk to your family and friends about the kinds of information you're willing to make public and what you'd rather keep private. Everyone you interact with online needs to respect your safety boundaries, and you need to respect theirs. Posting information about others is not okay—in comments, photos, and so on—unless they agree to share that information. And not only should you ask permission, but you should also make it clear who can see your site. In the case of minors, you might need to get their parents' permission as well.
- Make sure the blogging site you use has clear privacy and security policies, has a simple way to report abuse, and outlines how the site will respond to reports of it. The site should also offer tools to help protect your safety such as a way to control who has permission to see your blog, the ability to block harassing users and to turn on or off comments, and site monitors.
(Adapted from “Look Both Ways – How to Keep Your Family Safe on the Internet” by Linda Criddle Website: http://look-both-ways.com)
Programs of Distinction and 4-H Families Count Awards Breeze Information Session
--Pat BoyEs
Sharon Anderson from National 4-H Council and Suzanne Le Menestrel will be conducting a Breeze webmeeting informational session for participants to learn more about how to submit a Program of Distinction and an application for an Annie E. Casey 4-H Families Count Family Strengthening Award. The information session will be held on March 5, 2007, from 1 – 2:30pm ET. Registration is required as space is limited to 23 participants. To register for the session, please send an email to Bianca Johnson, bjohnson@csrees.usda.gov. For questions about the content of the session, please contact Suzanne Le Menestrel directly at slemenestrel@csrees.usda.gov.
Programs of Distinction Training Powerpoint
--Pat BoyEs
Washington State had the opportunity to join with Idaho and Oregon recently to participate in a tailored Programs of Distinction "How To" presented by Suzanne LeMenestrel of National 4-H Headquarters. Please feel free to use this with your colleagues. You can access all of the Programs of Distinction materials at the following website: http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/about/pod.htm.
Arts and 4-H Research
--Pat BoyEs
Megan Amaral is a University of California , Davis graduate student examining the role of the arts in 4-H for the 4-H Center for Youth Development (CYD). The arts (defined broadly to include crafts, performing arts and creative cultural activities) have been a major part of 4-H as expressive activities and as tools for other purposes, namely agricultural literacy. Megan is collecting information on this history within 4-H as well as research on the role of the arts in youth development. This project will culminate in a report that will be published by the CYD. Specifically, she will be looking for answers to these questions:
- What is the role of the arts in 4-H historically and currently ?
- What should be the role of the arts in 4-H (recommendations) and why (supporting data)?
Please contact Megan if you know of helpful resources, people to contact, or case study-worthy examples of particularly successful or unique 4-H arts activities. If you have expertise in the areas of art and 4-H, please let her know if you would be available for a brief interview by phone or email.
Megan is hoping to collect the bulk of my data by mid-March, but will welcome information after that time as well. Her contact information is below.
Megan A. Amaral
Community Development Graduate Group
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis , CA 95616
(831) 334-4422
maamaral@ucdavis.edu
Maryland Extension Faculty Position Announcements
--Pat BoyEs
Two tenure track 4-H faculty specialist positions have been announced at Maryland Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland, College Park.
1. Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development, Environmental Science & Outdoor Education
2. Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development, Animal Sciences
Just a Reminder!
When you have new Extension staff that will be working in some capacity with 4-H, please let Nancy in the State 4-H Office know. They will be added to mailing lists, added to the 4-H Talk list serve, sent a 4-H Welcome Packet, and be assigned a state 4-H staff person as a point of contact, as appropriate. 4-H News is sent via the 4-H Talk list serve each week. Archived copies of previous weeks “Tuesday 4-H News” are available on the 4-H web site: http://4h.wsu.edu/. Please send submissions by Friday of each week to Tiffany Boswell, State 4-H Office, tiffany_boswell@wsu.edu. Detailed event information and registrations forms can be found on the 4-H web site.