Photogaphy Project Kickoff

We are having a Photography Project Kickoff on Thursday, December 29th, 2 - 5 p.m. at the Historic Courthouse, Downtown Rockwall.  Sessions will be held in the District Courtroom on the third floor.  You will want to bring:

• digital camera or cell phone w/camera. 
• USB cord for downloading pictures onto computer
•  bottled water for your use 

During this time we will be both inside and outside so dress appropriately.  There should also be one adult with each family represented to help the 4-Hers as they go about with assigned tasks.  It promises to be a very fun afternoon.  See you there. 

Oh What Fun it is to . . . Christmas Party

December the 3rd was a very busy day.  There was very nice weather for the Rockwall Christmas Parade; there was great success at the District Consumer Decision Making Competition; and then there was the . . . Christmas Party!!  If you missed it, you missed a very fun time.  The party was held and the Wood Creek Amenities Center, in Fate.  74 people came out and  while the weather outside was frightful, inside it was quite delightful.  It provided a super stage for fun and social interaction.  We started the night by dividing clubs up for a butter shake off relay.  Each club was given a cup of heavy whipping cream and had to shake it until it became butter while passing it to each club member present.  Talk about fun!  It was quite humorous to see the excitement as 4-Hers learned that making butter is not all clean fun, sometimes you get dirty.  The parents also joined in the challenge pitting the dads against the moms.  They too took on the task.  It basically took 7 to 10 minutes providing a great ice breaker for everyone to get involved. We had fresh butter too.

Next we moved to the Architecture Design Competition, having each club design a Christmas structure with the donation food items brought.  The winning team was a combination of the Lucky Shamrocks and Gold Buckle clubs.  The runner up was designed and constructed by the Rockin'  Riders club.  Congratultions to each.

Then we had a team building activity of Self Control.  4-Hers held noodles together like a zipper. Then one person would walk through the zipper while it opened in front of them and closed again behind them.  This activity took a lot of self control for the people in the zipper line.  More over it took a lot of trust and faith from the person walking through it that they could successfully get to the other end without being hit by a noodle. I am happy to say that was successful and everyone had a chance to go through the zipper.  How fun!

There was also a time just to visit and learn about what is going on in the county 4-H program.  There were a lot of stories shared and everyone had a blast.  If anyone has pics from the party, please send them my way.

District Consumer Decision Making Results

The District Competition was held on December the 3rd while the Rockwall Christmas Parade was in full swing.  The competition was held and Texas A&M - Commerce.  Rockwall County was well represented and we have much to rejoice about.  Highlights from the event include:

Jordan Huff - 1st place High Point Individual Junior Division
Ryan Ullom - 2nd place High Point Individual Junior Division

1st Place Intermediate Team: Team members included: Bradley Simpson, Trevor Rowe, Emily Ullom, and Reese Simpson.
Bradley Simpson - 2nd High Point Individual Intermediate Division
Trevor Rowe - 5th High Point Individual Intermediate Division

Also we had two more individuals competing including, Naomi Romero - intermediate and Bobbie Carr - senior.

Congratulations to everyone for stepping out and competing on the district level.  I had the opportunity to listen to reasons and I was very impressed with Rockwall County's reasons giving abilities.

Congratulations again to all the participants, parents, and coaches.  Thank you Mrs. Simpson for heading up the group.  Thank you Dr. Romero for coaching reasons.

Save the Date - Countywide Photography Kick Off Workshop

In an effort to build interest in the Photography Project, we will be having a KickOff Workshop on the afternoon of Thursday, December 29th.  The location and time are being set.  Right now I just wanted you to mark your calendars.  We realize that some of you may be out of town with other family obligations.  However, for those of you who are at home, this may be just what you are looking for to get out of the house and into new things.   The workshop will probably be 2 - 21/2 hours.  This will allow up time to actually take and look at pictures.

So Save the Date.  More Information to follow! 

Family Fall Festival

Wow if you missed the Family Fall Festival, you missed a great time!  The festival is hosted by Lake Pointe Church and focuses on family fun.  Rockwall County Extension had an Educational Booth this year with a mix of fun and learning.  4-H families and Master Gardeners worked the booth.  We had Chia type plant heads that families put together and took home to watch grow.  We also offered fish printing.  This allowed the youngsters the chance to explore their creativity with color (on fish) and then make a print from it.  We even had informatinon about water conservation, a very Hot Topic. 

It was a lot of fun and yes very cool.  Some might say even cold.  Thanks to everyone who helped make this a fun experience.  We reached over 500 families through the activity.  6500 were recorded as coming through the gate.

 

 

Catching Up on Fall Activities

Wow what a super Fall it has already been.  We are in the midst of an awesome year.  To catch you up on some of the activities that have been going on I want to show you a couple of pics.  First is a group of 4-Her's who participated in the East Texas State Fair in  September.  Corine Moody, Ashlyn Stembridge, Kylee Adams, and Anna Schieberle had a great time having fun and competing with their wether goats.  It was a long day, but it did not matter if they were telling others about their projects,  spending time with friends,  or waiting for the big moment,  they had a great time.  

It also provided the families an opportunity to share what they had learned as well as observeg different skills sets by other young people.  It was a great learning experience as the girls showcased their skills and knowledge.

Congratulations to everyone for a great job!

 

GOLD BUCKLE 4-H CLUB begins the Adventure!

Gold Buckle 4-H Club held it's first official meeting on Monday, October 24, 2011 at Community Baptist Church in Royse City.  Turnout was larger than expected as future members and their families came to learn more about the 4-H Program from County Extension Agent, Todd Williams.  

Gold Buckle is a new Community 4-H Club based in Royse City which will offer a wide variety of 4-H projects.  Club meetings are held the second Monday of every month with individual project meetings to be determined by their leaders.  Please join us in this fun, new adventure on Monday, November 14 at 7:00 PM.

www.GoldBuckle4H.com