Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating
Todd K. Williams
CEA-Agriculture/Natural Resources
Adult & Youth
Important dates at a glance!
January 1 – Ownership date for those planning to join breeding animals at Rockwall Youth Fair
January 8 – 1st Foods & Nutrition project meeting, 4:30-7:00 pm, Rockwall High School
February 6 – County Council & PAL – 6:30
February 6 – Record Book Training – 7:00
February 15 – Rockwall Youth Fair entry deadline
February 22 – Rabbit Validation – 6:00
February 25 – District Food Challenge, Food Show & Leaders for Life Contests
February 28 – Educational Presentations meeting – 6:30
4-H Consumer Decision Making
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 to Mrs. Simpson for heading up the group and Dr. Romero for coaching reasons.
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 to Mrs. Simpson for heading up the group and Dr. Romero for coaching reasons.
4-H Christmas Party & Parade
December 3rd kicked off with The Annual Kiwanis Christmas Parade. Rockwall County 4-H’ers from all clubs represented us and had a great time!
That evening, the county-wide 4-H Christmas party was held and the Wood Creek Amenities Center, in Fate. 74 people from all clubs came out and while the weather outside was frightful, inside it was quite delightful! It provided a super stage for fun and social interaction. Butter was made and games were played along with yummy treats and lots of fellowship. For a full account visit the blog http://rockwallco4h.blogspot.com/
4-H Food & Nutrition project meetings & contest prep
The first 2 Foods & Nutrition project meetings to prepare for the District Foods Contests will be held Tuesday, January 10 from 4:30-6:30 and Thursday, Jan. 26th from 4:30-6:00.
These meetings will be led by Chef Cody Hayes, Culinary Arts teacher at Rockwall High School. RSVP os required by Friday for Tuesday’s learning event.
2 meetings will also be held in February - TBA. The competition will be held at Texas A&M Commerce on Saturday, February 25. Teams are being filled now for Food Challenge. http://d44-h.tamu.edu/district-events/food-challenge/
There are also opportunities to compete individually in the District Food Show.
Texas 4-H Dog Certification
We are excited about the dog project activities that are coming up this year. One of the biggest is the Texas 4-H Dog Show in July. It will be held July 13-15, 2012 in Conroe, Texas. The 2012 Rulebook is in the final stages and we hope to have it posted by the first part of December.
However the first step is to Certify the active dog projects. Attached, you will find a fillable PDF of the Texas 4-H Dog Project Certification form.
The Texas 4-H Dog Project Certification form must be completed and submitted to the Texas AgriLife Extension County Office by January 10, 2012 to be eligible for the Texas 4-H Dog Show. Even if a member has not yet decided to participate in the Texas 4-H Dog Show, it is recommended to complete the form(s) so the opportunity is still available in April/May when registration for the Dog Show is due.
The first page is the Certification Form designed to be completed one per family. If the dog is registered, a copy of the registration form should be attached to this page. If the dog is not registered, the second page will need to be completed with photographs of the dog. One Non Registered/Non-Purebred form must be completed per dog. These forms will be maintained in the county. At the time of Texas 4-H Dog Show Registration, County Extension Agents will refer to these forms to verify certification and approve registration.
This form is also available at: http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/projects/dogshow/index_youth_dogshow.php
District IV Lock In – January 20-21, 2012
This fun event is for all Agents, Adult leaders, all 4-H members age 11 (as of September 1) and up.
Location. Amazing Jakes (831 North Central Expressway, Plano, TX)
Registration. Each participating member is required to register on 4‐H Connect and pay the district $42
registration fee. Registration will close midnight on January 13. Each member must also turn in a signed “Camp & Enrichment Program Waiver,
Indemnification, and Medical Treatment Authorization Form” at check‐in.
Participation. Participants must be active 4‐H members enrolled in a Texas 4‐H and Youth Development
county program in District IV. Chaperones are needed!
Schedule.
7:00 to 8 p.m. Drop off and check‐in
8:00 Pizza Buffet
9:00 Business Meeting
9:30 Workshop Sessions
11:00 Unlimited fun and games
7:00 a.m. Checkout / Depart
Rockwall County 4-H Council & PAL
Rockwall County 4-H Council will meet February 6 at 6:30pm at the District Courtroom of the Historic Rockwall County Courthouse.
This will be a 30 minute meeting because the Record Book training (see below) will begin promptly at 7pm.
If you are the President or Council Delegate for your club, it is important you are present.
Coinciding with County Council, a Parent & Leader (PAL) meeting will be held. All adults are encouraged to attend!
Record Book Training
You asked for it and here it is! The record book training will be held February 6, at 7pm in the District Courtroom of the Historic Rockwall County Courthouse. Immediately following a short County Council & PAL meeting, the Record Book training will begin. Derrick Bruton, District IV 4-H Specialist and co-creator of the new online 4-H Record Book keeping system will be on hand to explain all the new ins and outs of the system and give you a hands-on look at it!
What to bring: pens/pencil, note taking paper, and laptop – if you want to get online with us – we will not guarantee online access to you and will not be addressing personal technical difficulties. If you have never used your laptop for wireless access, it may or may not work as it may not have a wireless card.
Educational Presentations Meeting
Todd Williams will be hosting a learning opportunity February 28, 2012 from 6:30-7:30. Those interested in competing in the District 4 Educational Presentations contest that will be held April 28 at Texas A&M – Commerce are invited. Are you having a great time with your project but would like to do more with it? Create a talk about it to educate others! This meeting will cover “What is an Educational Presentation?”, how do I select a topic?, how to get started?, and much more. RSVP is required and location is dependent on the number of people interested. At least one adult must attend per family.
Photography Contests
The first contest for the Photography project is the District IV competition. Entry deadline will be February 28 on 4-H Connect and photos must be in the office by February 22. Cost is $8 per person and 50 cents a photo. The judging will be held on March 20.
It is important to know the rules before you enter your special photos. To avoid disqualification, all photos must meet matting and size guidelines. They also must be labeled with the correct form. District rules are not online yet but you can view last year’s contest rules at:
Rules for the 2012 State 4-H Photography contest, a senior division only event are already available on-line at:
Log-on and get a head start!
Horse O’ Rama – March 9-11, 2012
Horse-O-Rama is the largest annual education equine event in Texas. Implemented by the Tarrant County Extension Horse Committee, horse enthusiasts of all levels come together for three incredible days of fun, education, competition and entertainment. The goal of Horse-O-Rama is to enhance the quality of life by developing life skills through the networking of various breeds, organizations, associations and interest groups. Horse-O-Rama encourages and teaches people to apply educational information using the horse as the foundation http://agrilife.org/urbantarrantag/events/agriculture-in-tarrant-county/
Upcoming District Competitions
The District 4 Food Show and Food Challenge will be held February 25 on the Texas A&M University campus in Commerce. Paperwork associated with Food Show entries are due in the Extension Office by January 31. Cost is $8 per 4-H member. Registration and payment must be completed on 4-H Connect Between January 3 and February 3. Contestants can not enter both the Food Show and Food Challenge.
Disregard the deadlines on the memo’s. You must adhere to the above deadlines.
Food and Nutrition project meetings should kick off after the first of the year. An e-mail will be sent out when more information is available.
The Leaders for Life Contest will also be held on February 25 at Texas A&M Commerce. The Leaders 4 Life Program was created to increase the leadership skills of youth to equip them for future leadership opportunities by providing counties with a toolbox of resources to effectively train youth in leadership, parliamentary procedure and service learning. This program includes a contest in which county teams can compete at the District level on Junior, Intermediate, & Senior teams. Teams include 4-6 youth in one age division.
The contest consists of four components:
· Parliamentary Procedure Contest
· Question and Answer with the Judges
· Quiz Bowl
· Community Service Interpretation Piece
Teams will create a one-page (front and back) interpretation piece highlighting one or more community service projects coordinated and conducted in the county. This document is due in the District Office on February 11. Each participating member is required to register on 4-H Connect and pay the district $8.00 contest registration fee. Registration will open on January 3 and close at midnight February 3, 2012.
Rockwall Youth Fair
Rockwall Youth Fair is scheduled for March 21-24, 2012.
Note: Livestock Entries are due February 15, 2012.
For those who plan to exhibit a pen of market rabbits at the 2012 Rockwall Youth Fair, you must have possession of your rabbits at least 30 days prior to show date. Validation will be February 22, 2012 at 6pm.
For those who plan to exhibit a breeding animal of any specie, you must have ownership on or before January 1.
Know the Rules: When you sign a validation form, you are signing that you have read and understand the rules and regulations of the Rockwall Youth Fair. Visit: http://www.orgsites.com/tx/rockwallyouthfair/ to see a complete set of rules!
Rockwall County 4-H Clubs & Information
Busy Bee’s 4-H Club
3rd Monday of every month
6:30 p.m. Toyota of Rockwall
Lucky Shamrocks 4-H Club
3rd Tuesday of every month at Britt Training Center
Gold Buckle 4-H Club
2nd Monday of every month
Community Baptist Church
Rockin’ Riders 4-H
Horse Club
4th Monday of every month
7:00 p.m. The Fatted Calf
Rockwall Clovers 4-H Club
2nd Monday of every month
7:00 p.m. Joy Lutheran Church
Have you registered on 4-H Connect yet?
Reminder! Registration fee for becoming a member of 4-H increased from $20 to $25 per person on November 1!
Hopefully by now you have attended at least one club meeting, filled out a green form and registered on 4-H Connect. These are the steps you take to become a member of Rockwall County 4-H for the 2011-2012 4-H year. If you are having trouble with any of the above, please call the Extension Office at 972-204-7660 for help!
New rules for event registration: Beginning in the 2011-12 4-H year, a late entry extension will ensue for a two-day time period starting at 12:01 AM immediately following the standard district deadline. This extension will only apply to district-level contests. Example: if the normal deadline is on Friday at midnight, late entry would open at 12:01 AM on Saturday morning and close at midnight on Sunday. For entries placed during this late time period, there will be an added late fee of $20 (in addition to the standard contest fee). No registration extensions will be granted beyond the late registration time period.
Are you subscribing to our blog yet?
Subscribing to the blog is the best way to get 4-H information as it happens!
Rockwall County 4-H Gazette
With the advancement of technology, budget crunches, and information on demand concerns, the "Gazette" has moved to a computer based e-letter format. We will still send it out at the beginning of odd months. It will be posted on the County 4-H News Blog and club managers will still have some hard copies available at the club meetings if needed. This will allow more time for you as a family to have discussions on needed items, and make informed decisions with more lead time. We are excited about this format and trust you will be as well. We will try to be sensitive to those families who still may have dial up. So the pictures may be minimal.
If you are not returning to 4-H and no longer wish receive 4-H correspondence, please reply.
