Rockwall County 4-H Events and Activities

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

September/October Newsletter


Important dates at a glance!
September 19 – Steer Validation for Rockwall Youth Fair – 6pm
September 24 – 4-H Kick Off for new and prospective members
                           County Council & PAL meeting immediately following
September 15 – Deadline to order swine tags to exhibit at winter major stock shows - $12
October 1 – Deadline to order chickens for Major Stock Shows and Rockwall Youth Fair
October 7-13 – National 4-H Week
October 13 – One Day 4-H
October 17 – Market Lamb & Goat Validation for Rockwall Youth Fair 5-6 pm



New Year, New Opportunities—Get Involved
 
 


As you will see in this newsletter, there is a lot to be excited about this fall.  The opportunities as a 4-H member  and leader are unlimited!   
Decide now on the activities in which you desire to shine. Set your goals and make plans to make this the best year ever!  
      
Remember, you must enroll or re-enroll and pay on 4-H Connect.   Instructions are attached! To be certified you have to attend the regular monthly meeting. 
As you register, be sure to include your project interests.  If you are unable to attend your club’s meeting in September, plan to attend the October meeting.  
       
It is very important that you re-enroll with your club by October in order to continue receiving this newsletter and other important 4-H information.   
After October 31, the cost to enroll increases from $20 to $25 per member.  Cost for Adult leader/ Volunteer Screening is $10 per person and must be paid in the office. 


Welcome to 4-H Kick-Off! 
Do you love 4-H and know someone you think would love it also???  Then invite them to the annual Kick Off Event will be held on September 24, at the new Extension Office – 915 Whitmore, Rockwall, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm.  This activity is aimed at new and potential members. 
Each club is to have a promotion table showing what your club offers in regards to projects and activities.  Club officers or appointed representatives should be present to help answer questions about your club.    We will have door prizes and serve refreshments.   


County Council & PAL
Following the Kick Off, at 7:30 pm, we will move directly into our first County Council and Parent/Adult Leader meeting of the new year.
All parent leaders, club presidents and council delegates will want to be on hand to help plan the rest of the fall county activities. 



The State Fair of Texas is right around the corner! 
Good luck Alyssa Adams, Joshua & Olivia Born, Allen Bornemann, Bobbie Carr, Carson Glasscock, Tanner Howey,
Sam Kazlow, Makenzie Laughery, Cade, Cody & Kirsten Miller, Ethan Spearman and Ashlyn Stembridge
as they represent Rockwall County 4-H in various Livestock Contests.   
Some of these kids will be exhibiting on Rockwall Fair Day so while you are at the Fair be sure and check out the livestock events!   

The East Texas State Fair is also coming up!  Good luck to Hailey Crumpley, Carson Glasscock, Kirsten Miller, Anna Schieberle, and Ashlyn Stembridge
as you represent Rockwall County 4-H in Tyler!  




One Day 4-H is one day for all 4-H members, parents, leaders, and volunteers to step out into their county and say “thank you” by giving back for the more than 103 years of support to 4-H in Texas. 
This day of community service is whatever each 4-H members, club, or county 4-H program wants it to be.  Details coming soon for a county-wide program in Rockwall!







TEXAS 4-H RABBIT EXTRAVAGANZA
Coryell County Activities Complex
Gatesville, Texas
Saturday, November 10, 2012
No Rabbits Required!  There are opportunities to include 4-H'ers that don't have rabbit project animals! 
Youth can participate in arts, photography or other aspects of the Extravaganza including exhibiting rabbits!  Please call the office for complete details and
catalogue of the different opportunities.  Information can also be found on the state 4-H website: http://texas4-h.tamu.edu   


Consumer Decision Making
This competitive event enables 4-H’ers to practice decision making based on information about a situation and some possible market place options available.  This contest is an opportunity to practice marketplace skills and compare decisions with a panel of judges.  Participants can compete as an individual or as a part of a team. 

The Consumer Decision Making contest will be held on December 8 in Commerce.  Entries must be on 4-H Connect by November 27. 
Margeret Romero and Arlene Huff have agreed to be Project Leaders for this year.  If you are interested please let us know. 
Meetings will begin soon!

The information packets, study guides and contest guides for the 2012 Consumer Decision Making Contests are available on-line @

The Consumer Decision Making contest will be held on December 8 in Commerce.  Entries must be on 4-H Connect by November 27. 



County Achievement Event!



Multi-County 4-H Club Officer Training
This fun and educational event was held August 18 at the new Rockwall County Courthouse.  Club 4-H Officers from 4 counties: Rockwall, Kaufman, Dallas and Cooke.  4-Hers spent the morning learning from Dr. Chis Boleman, State 4-H Program Director.  He challenged the group to lead their 4-H programs and not just be present.  During the afternoon sessions, participants reviewed some Parliamentary Procedure to make meetings more effective.  The group then split in to officer groups learning specific job responsibilities.   The last part of the day, the group worked to remove specific weeds from the courthouse landscape.  The activity, while a community service one, also put hands on experience to the many distractions young people can have daily with scheduling challenges and decisions in priorities of life.  Many people stopped to thank the youth for helping clean up the grounds. Pictures of the event will be posted on the 4-H blog.  http://rockwallco4h.blogspot.com/ 


Texas 4-H Shooting Games
Rockwall County 4-H was represented July 15-21 in San Antonio at the State Shooting Games by Brian Callaghan, Brock Green and Don Malone.
Highlights of their placings included:  
 Brian Callaghan:  4th Hunter Decision Making; 6th – Hunting Live Fire

Brock Green :  3rd in Hunting-Wildlife Identification; 3rd in Running Target; 4th – Hunting Live Fire 

Don Malone:  4th in Centerfire Pistol; 3rd in Hunter Decision Making; 2nd in Hunting Wildlife Identification




Texas 4-H Horse Show
Rockwall County 4-H was represented July 23-27 in Abilene at the State Horse Show by Shelby and Trevor Rowe.
They competed in several events including speed events and Team Penning. 
Congratulations to Shelby for placing 8th in Poles winning a coveted Texas 4-H Horse Show Top Ten Buckle!     



4-H Age
Divisions
The age you are on August 31, 2011 is your age for this
4-H year.   
Juniors - 8 Years old and in the 3rd grade thru age 10. 
Intermediates -
-ages 11-13
Seniors -
ages 14-18.
Be aware of your 4-H age.  If you plan on entering a contest as a group, make sure everyone is in the same age division.
 


See the attached August edition of the Texas 4-H Standard newsletter for Events and opportunities across the state! 
 



 

 
Rockwall County 4-H Clubs & Information

Busy Bee’s 4-H Club  
 1st meeting will be held September 10.
3rd Monday of every month beginning in October.
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
1st meeting will be held September 12.
2nd Thursday of every month beginning in October
5:30 or 6:30
Barn  -  9061 CR 2584, Royce City, Texas

Rockin’ Riders 4-H
Horse Club   
1st meeting will be held September 9 4:30 pm at Lofland Park. 
(The Rockin’ Riders are collecting food for Helping Hands at this meeting,
Donations from other families are appreciated.)    
Future meeting times & locations TBA

Rockwall Clovers 4-H Club
2nd Monday of every month
7:00 p.m. Chisholm Baptist Church, Fellowship Hall

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.

Visit us!
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service - Rockwall County
915 Whitmore Ste. B
Rockwall, TX 75087

Call us!
972-204-7660

Email us!

 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. 




 









Rockwall County 4-H shows its support of the Kiwanis Tri-Rock. 
Pictured are Rockwall County 4-H members slightly wet after a rain shower came through and cooled things down at the normally 100+ degree TriRock Triathlon. 
Kiwanis enlists our 4-H kids to help man water stations and help with removal of ankle time trackers because we consistly come prepared to work hard and still have fun with the contestants and other workers!  Next triathlon is in May, stay tuned for details and come join the fun!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Rockwall County 4-H livestock Project Introduction Meeting

Rockwall County 4-H July August Newsletter

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!

July 22-28 Texas 4-H Horse Show

August 11 Animal Project Introduction Meeting (info. sheet attached!)

August 14 Club Manager Training

August 16 Annual Rockwall County 4-H Awards Event

August 18 Club Officer Training

August 20 East Texas State Fair & State Fair of Texas livestock entries due in the    Extension Office
 Lamb and Goat tag orders for 2013 Winter Major Stock Shows due in the Extension Office

August 27 Rockwall & Royse City ISD 1st day of School

                                                                                                                                                                 


2012 Re-enrollment Time!

We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! It is hard to believe that the new 4-H year is right around the corner.
When your 4-H clubs resume meeting in September, everyone must re-enroll on 4-H Connect for the new 4-H year.
If you have any problems with registering a new member, re-registering for the new year or passwords, please contact Shelly at the Extension Office.
As you register, be sure to fill out the vital information such as your address, phone number, age, grade, signature, project interest(s) and the date.
Cost is $20 per member. After October 31, the cost will increase from $20 to $25/ per child and all non-renewals will be dropped from our mailing list.

You must attend a 4-H meeting for your online registration to be certified by this office. Clubs attendance policies will still be in effect. It is important for you to attend every meeting if possible so you do not miss out on important information or club activities! It is also important for at least one parent to attend the meetings too.


County Achievement Event is Thursday August 16!

This is our opportunity to recognize 4-H’ers and leaders for their participation and accomplishments at District and State activities during the 2010-2011 4-H year. The annual event will be held on August 16, 2012 and will begin at 6:30 p.m. The location will be the Rockwall County Library. Because of the library’s closure time, we will not have refreshments this year. Invitation is attached!

If you completed a record book or participated in a district or state contest, please RSVP by August 10, 2012 to receive a certificate or honor at the ceremony.


4-H Club Manager Training

The annual Club Manager training is scheduled for August 14, 2012 from 6:30-8:00 pm. This will be held at the new County Extension Office.

This is mandatory if you plan to have a club for 2012-2013. Each club must have at least 1 manager present and preferably all managers will attend!

We will cover updates on the revised enrollment forms, club and project meeting reports.

Youth Protection, Standards for Volunteers, club budgets, financial reports & club charters will also be addressed.

This fast paced meeting should last no longer than an hour and a half.

Club Managers please RSVP by calling Shelly @ 972-204-7660.


Multi-County 4-H Club Officer Training

This year we will once again be holding a multi county training. We will draw participation from Rockwall, Kaufman, Dallas, and Cooke counties.

If you have been elected an officer in your 4-H club for the upcoming year, you will not want to miss the Club Officer Training on Saturday, August 18!

It will be held at Liberty Hall inside the new Rockwall County Courthouse.

This leadership development opportunity will last all day and include training in the morning and group dynamics activities in the afternoon.

Officers from all clubs are encouraged to attend. This training promises to be educational and fun!

Registration will begin at 8:30 am. Stay tuned for more details!


Texas 4-H Roundup

Congratulations Mean Cuisine Food Challenge team! Busy Bee members Patrick Garcia, Jonathan Orue, and Morgan Reynolds with their coach Chef Cody Hayes, coach traveled to Lubbock to represent Rockwall County at Texas 4-H Roundup on the campus of Texas Tech University on June 14. Mean Cuisine competed against teams from the 12 districts across our great state and placed 5th!

They qualified for this honor by winning 1st place at the District Food Challenge, which was held February 25, at Texas A&M – Commerce.

Rockwall County was also represented by Rockwall Clovers member Haley Sachse.

As a part of her Clothing & Textiles project, Haley created a quilt that competed and was displayed at

Texas 4-H Roundup as a part of the Quilt Challenge.

Quilt Challenge is an invitational contest which means members of all ages are eligible to participate.


Texas 4-H Roundup began in 1946 and was held this year at Texas Tech University in Lubbock for the first time ever. Historically it has been held at Texas A&M but will now alternate each year. It includes 40 different contests that members can exhibit the lifeskills they have learned through 4-H, such as, decision making, public speaking, public performing, organization and working with others. Most of these contests are senior only contests for which youth must qualify at District Roundup to advance to State. However, some contests such as Quilt Challenge have emerged in the last few years to increase our youth’s opportunities to participate in State Roundup. For more information visit: http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/roundup



District 4 4-H Horse Show

The District 4‐H Horse Show was held June 19th and 20th, at the Hopkins County Civic Center, in Sulphur Springs, TX.

4-H members Sarah Boronkay, Kelly Hurley, Shelby Rowe, Trevor Rowe and Ryan Tilley represented Rockwall County competing in several categories.

Team Penning Champions - Sarah Boronkay, Kelly Hurley & Ryan Tilley

Other placings included:

Sarah Boronakay - 5th place Halter registered Mares 5 & Over

Kelly Hurley - 3rd Place Halter Grade Geldings 5 & over

Shelby Rowe - 1st place poles, 3rd place barrels, 8th place stakes

Ryan Tilley - Western Division Jr Champion, 6th place Halter Registered Geldings 5 & Over

Rockwall County was also represented by Trevor Rowe.

Congratulations and Good Luck at State Horse Show!!


Shooting Sports Project News
Congratulations Don Malone!
Don recently traveled to Grand Island, Nebraska as a member of the Texas State Hunting and Wildlife team where they took home the National Championship! He is pictured here with the 2nd place hunting team in the nation. Don also brought home the following honors:
4th place team ribbon for Hunter Skills, 7th place individual ribbon for Hunting Overall, 2nd place Hunting Overall Medal, 2nd for Wildlife Identification Team, and Don placed 6th in the individual category.

Good Luck to Brian Callaghan, Brock Green & Don Malone at The State Shooting Sports Games July 15-21, 2012 in San Antonio!


State Dog Show

Congratulations Haley Gribben, Sam Kazlow, Sarah Stinson & Ryan Tilley on your success at the Texas 4-H Dog Show!

The Texas 4-H Dog Show has been a great success for 40 years! This year 4 Rockwall County 4-H members compete against

Placings included:
Haley Gribbin – 4th place Showmanship
Sam Kazlow – 1st place Storyboard
2 – 1st place ribbons Photography
7th place Rally
9th place Costume
Sarah Stinson- 2 – 1st place ribbons Photography
1st place Costume
2nd place Agility
Ryan Tilley - 3rd place Costume
9th place Obedience
4-H’ers from all over the state, ranging in age from 8 to 18. All breeds, including mixed, are welcome to compete after they have met the minimum requirements. Dog and 4-H member teams can compete in five different classes, such as: obedience or rally, conformation, showmanship, drill team, and/or costume.




Record Book Info.
Kylee Adams, Tanner Howey, Jordan Huff, Grace Marcantel, Katie Marcantel, Will Morris, Kate Pierce and Ethan Spearman completed 4-H records for the 2011-2012 4-H year. Extensive work was put into these books and it really showed! We will be recognizing these young people at the upcoming Achievement Event because of their efforts.

 The following members advanced to the District 4 Record Book Judging and received the following:

Ethan Spearman-2nd Place Junior Beef; Kylee Adams-2nd Place Intermediate Rabbit; Tanner Howey-6th Place Intermediate Beef; Will Morris-3rd Place Senior Citizenship and Civc Education.


It has been a busy summer for Rockwall County 4-H members!

4-H members from across the county are competing/participating in many activities throughout the summer.

Below is a glimpse at some of the events and reports from those individuals.

Sarah Kazlow represented Rockwall County by attending District 4 Ultra Camp June 27-29 on the campus of Texas A&M Commerce.

Sarah reported the following upon return:

“While at camp, I participated in a High Ropes Course, went on a Scavenger Hunt, attended a financial planning seminar and meetings. During our final meeting, elections were held for our D4 officers, which are very important since they then represent our district in State level 4H meetings. Both nights of camp (after a long day of fun) a dance/mixer was held for all of the "campers" so that we could get to know each other better. I have made friends with kids from several other counties by attending D4 events & I look forward to seeing them in the future. I wish that more kids from Rockwall County 4H would attend D4 sponsored events so that they could experience just how amazing our district is. I can not wait to go back to camp next summer, even if my mattress was a little lumpy! Ultra Leadership Camp Rocks!!!!”

Brooke Peters attended the 1st ever Horizons Camp at the Texas 4-H Center in Brownwood.

Brooke took part in the Culinary Arts. She loved it and was inspired to open her own business making dog treats (Brookie's Cookies).

This four day, three night camp focused around project enhancement, career exploration, and personal/professional development. Participants chose their focus area where they received approximately 16 hours of instruction and introduction to careers in the field. Evening activities were geared towards professional development and workforce preparation, and of course, camp recreation and games!! Project focused workshops on: Natural Resources, Robotics, Culinary Arts, Creative Leadership, Clothing & Textiles, and Dog Project. Former 4-H member Katie Callaghan was an instructor in the Dog Obedience group.


Tanner Howey attended 4-H Livestock Judging Camps at both Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University

Many other 4-H members also attended horse events and livestock shows across the state and nation this summer too!

This includes Sarah Boronkay, Carson Glasscock, Tanner Howey, Kelly Hurley, Cale Merritt, Cat Sabella, Shelby Rowe, Heather Rowe, Ethan Spearman, and Ashlyn Stembridge.


STATE FAIR OF TEXAS

The 2012 State Fair of Texas is September 28 – October 21. The State Fair of Texas has many opportunities for young people as well as adults. For a complete listing of the things you can enter or see, visit: www.bigtex.com

Creative Arts Department

Information is available online at http://www.bigtex.com/sft/CreativeArts/CompetitionHandbook.asp. There are hundreds of opportunities for 4-H members and adults including: Art, Canning, Photography, and Needlework & Sewing, Be sure and see the contest displays while you are visiting the fair. Entry forms and fees must be sent by mail and received by the State Fair on or before July 27.

Junior Livestock Show

There are many livestock and horse events to enter or see at the State Fair. Many horse events take place before the fair officially opens, as do some of the junior livestock activities, so plan in advance before you go! .

Livestock Contests

There are several Agriculture based contests that will be held during the Fair in addition to the livestock exhibition contests. These include Livestock Judging, Public Speaking, Quality Counts Photography and more! Visit http://www.bigtex.com/sft/LiveStock/Contests.asp for more info.

Junior Livestock Show and most Contest entries must be received in our County Extension Office by August 20th so they can be processed and sent to the fair by their due date. All of the rules and entry forms for these contests are available at: http://www.bigtex.com.



Winter Major Stock Show Tag Orders

Anyone wishing to exhibit lambs, goats or hogs at 2013 Winter Major Stock Shows must order tags by the date below.

Cost for the major stock show validation tags will be $12. Tags will only be ordered for those that have paid by the deadline. Any orders after that date will be subject to late fees set by the state office. If you have any questions call the office. FYI - Steers for majors have already been validated.
Steers for Rockwall Youth Fair will be validated in September.

Lamb or goat— August 20.

Hog — September 15.


Calf Scramble Updates

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, San Antonio Livestock Show and the Fort Worth Stock Show offer opportunities for youth to receive animal purchase certificates for catching calves in their calf scrambles. San Antonio participants need to be at least 12 years old by January 1, 2013, but not yet 18 nor enrolled beyond the junior year of high school. Fort Worth & Houston participants must be at least 14 years of age. Certificates from Fort Worth can be used for a breeding beef or dairy heifer. A certificate from San Antonio can be used for breeding sheep, goats, beef, swine or dairy. Houston certificates can includes beef heifers or steers. Contact the office by August 31 if you are interested in any of these.


The Rangers are on fire!

Make your plans to attend the 2012 Green Out –

September 15, 2012

Ticket order form is attached.

For more info. visit:


For every ticket purchased by August 31, $3 will be given to the

Texas 4-H Education & Youth Programs fund.

Also, complimentary t-shirts sponsored by Texas Farm Bureau

will be given for each ticket purchased in advance.


We Have Moved!

Please visit us at our new location 915 Whitmore, Ste. B, Rockwall, TX 75087

Entrance is halfway down on the west side. The phone number has remained the same.

We plan to have an open house in September. More information to come.




Rockwall County 4-H Clubs & Information
Note: Most clubs take the summer off!

Please watch for info. from your Club Manager of when and where your 1st meeting of the new year will be.

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

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

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.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Rockin' Riders Spring Challenge

Rockin' Riders Spring Challenge
The Rockin' Riders are having an open show!  Mark you calendars for Saturday, April 28, 9:00 A.M.  Then come out to the Bar S Arena in Royse City to join the action.  The events will be for anyone, youth to adult and any breed of horse, open to all! 

We will have a Jackpot Ranch Sorting, Youth Ranch Sorting, Barrels, Poles, Stakes Race and 3 events just for those youth who do not have a horse - stick horse race (7 and under), goat tail untying, lead-line baseball and goat dressing (8-18 year olds) !  

There will be some great prizes too!  Buckles, trophies, prizes and ribbons!  You don't want to miss out on the fun!! 

Email us for entry forms and rules.  rockinriders@gmail.com