A FANTASTIC DAY

If you missed helping out today at the 4-H Family Fun Day, sorry for you! What a day! It was awesome to see all the kids have so much fun with their parents. Everyone left with a painted pumpkin, a painted face, a sweet treat or two, a tatoo, an ice cream coupon, a beat in their heart from jumping so much, a smile on their face, and most of all a memory of celebrating 4-H.

I can personally say being the "fish in the pond" was one of the funnest things I have ever done. Placing a frisbee and a coupon on those kids "hooks" and listening to their excitement was worth sitting in 40 degree weather and even getting a little wet now and then. Those kids loved "fishing" for prizes and were thrilled with such a small item.

We could not have had such a successful day without the support of so many. Special thanks goes to Steve Sparkman of Hardeman County, Jeff Wilson of Frito Lay, Sonic Drive In, Dairy Queen, Dan Powers, and McDonald's. These businesses and individuals provided all the prizes and pumpkins. Our agents, Lonnie and Andrea, did a phenominal job getting all this together and it would not have happened without them. Ask Lonnie how many hot dogs he cooked and Andrea how many pumpkins she painted! They worked hard! Be sure to tell them thank you for all the do. Also, our 4-H needs to be thankful for all the adult leaders that worked so hard today to help the kiddos in their fun. Thanks goes to Carmen Lewis, Jeff Watson, Christy Hayes, Bobby Hayes, Daniel DeLaCruz, Arthur Thorn, Kim Jenschke, Melissa Vannoy, Kyle Vannoy, and Saundra Christy.

I hope all the 4-Hers present worked as hard as I did and felt as awesome as I did (when I finally warmed up) thinking of all those kids having a blast. There is no better feeling than helping someone else!

Family Fun Day

On Saturday, October 10, the Childress 4-H clubs will host a Family Fun Day at the Rotary Bowl at Fair Park. Activities start at 11:00 a.m. and end at 2:00 p.m. The public is invited so be sure to let all your friends know. It is all FREE and lunch is included. There will a cake walk, a pumpkin walk, face painting, pumpkin painting, "fishing" for prizes, jumping castle, train rides, and other activities. It is going to be a fun day so please come help out and show Childress how proud you are to be a member of Texas 4-H!

Pictures Wanted!

The 4-H banquet will be Tuesday, August 18 at the Main Event. A slide show of this year's events is planned to be presented during dinner. Please e-mail any pictures you may have from this past year's activities to gjenschke@hotmail.com.

Please hurry so this slide show can be a great success!

Record Book State Finalists

Childress County had an awesome showing at the District Record Book judging:
Junior:
Aric Vannoy-Recreation 1st
Arlo Willis-Goat 2nd
Trent Willis-Swine Participant
Intermediate:
Alex Vannoy-Civic Education 4th
Will Statham-Photography 1st
Derrick Siebman-Beef 2nd
Senior:
Camden Siebman-Beef 2nd
Shane Statham-Photography 1st
Brice McDonald-Shooting Sports 1st
Garrett Jenschke-Swine 1st

Congratulations to all that participated. Record books are not easy and take a tremendous amount of time and effort. Your work has paid off!

Three Senior books made it to the State contest. Results should be known somewhere around August 15. Wish each one of the competitors good luck!

Summer 4-H

The 4-H clubs will sponsor a one day camp for students going into 2nd - 5th grades. A group of Break Dancers are coming to work with the campers and teach them to break dance!!! We will meet at the Elementary gym Tuesday, July 14 at 8:45 for registration. At noon hot dogs will be served and then spend until 2 p.m. playing games. What a day!!!

We will need senior 4-Hers to help out, so please call the office to volunteer. This will be great leadership and community service!!

RECORD BOOKS DUE

Record books are due in the Extension office by 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 2. If you are in need of help, please contact the office immediately. All Junior and Intermediate books will automatically go on to the District competition for placing. Senior books will be judged at the County level to qualify for District.

Congratulations!

Give a shout out to Brice McDonald! He was elected at the Public Relations Officer for the District 3 4-H Council. This week Brice and Marci Thorn attended Leadership Lab at the Texas 4-H Center at Lake Brownwood. There were games, canoeing, socials and officer elections. Brice was required to lead a group of around 100 4-Hers in an activity as well as provide a speech on why he wanted to be a district officer. He then participated in an interview and supplied a 4-H resume to be scored.

We want to thank Brice for his dedication to the 4-H and his willingness to serve as an officer. He will do a great job representing Childress in our district!

Summer Fund Raiser

This year the 4-H clubs will host the concession stand of the Old Settler's Rodeo, July 17 & 18. Everyone needs to help with this effort by volunteering to work a shift. The shifts only last 2 1/2 hours each so you will still have time to watch the rodeo. Adults are needed to prepare and serve the food. 4-Hers will be responsible for taking orders and getting drinks, candy, and popcorn. Shawna Jameson has graciously agreed to head-up the concession stand so you can call her with any questions.

The clubs normally do two large fund raisers throughout the year: the concession stand and the annual Mexican Stack-Up dinner. The money raised from these fund raisers goes to the 4-hers to help pay for awards, district and state contest entry fees, leadership programs, 4-H promotions, equipment, and other items needed throughout the year. Everything the 4-H clubs do during the year takes money, so just remember that you need to do your part to help make the year a success!

State 4-H Roundup

Each year 4-Hers from all over Texas meet at College Station and participate in State 4-H Roundup. Contests, socials, and spirit rallies are just a few of the activities planned for the week. Hosted on the A & M campus, 4-Hers get the opportunity to tour the campus and see what makes it such a great university.

This year Childress 4-H has seven Seniors attending June 7 - June 10. Garrett Jenschke-Livestock Judging; Brice McDonald, Shane Statham, Marci Thorn, Mychelle Lewis, Trudy Mills, and Rebecca - Consumer Decision Making. Wish all these 4-Hers good luck!

Officer Applications

If you are interested in a club office you need to complete an officer application and turn it into the office NO LATER than:

Elementary - May 18

Jr. High - May 11

High School - May 13

Those turning in an application will get first spots on the ballots!

County Awards

Those completing record books are eligible for county awards to be awarding at the annual banquet. You will have to complete a record book, fill out an application and participate in an interview. Award categories:

Rookie of the Year - 1st year 4-H Member
Bronze Star Award - 4th & 5th Grade
Silver Star Award - 6th - 8th Grade
Gold Star - 16 - 19 years of age
I Dare You Award - 14-19 years of age
4-H Senior Achievement Award - 14-19 years of age plus other criteria

RECORD BOOKS!!!!!!!

Record books are here again! You will need to turn in your category to the office no later than Monday, June 15. All books will be due by 5:00 p.m. on July 6. District judging will take place July 9 in Vernon. Forms are available at http://texas4-h.tamu.edu.recbk.

If you NEED HELP and there is enough interest a workshop can be scheduled BUT YOU MUST CONTACT THE OFFICE no later than May 8 to let them know.

District Photography Results

Seven Junior & Intermediate 4-Hers participated in the District 4-H photography contest. Those attending and their awards are as follows:

Haley Jones - People Color - Red Award
Special Effects - Blue Award

Aric Vannoy - Architectural Elements - Red Award

Arlo Willis - Animals Color - Blue
Animals B & W - Blue/ Best of Show
Theme Color - Blue/Best of Show

Trent Willis - Natural Landscape Color - Blue
Plant/Flor - Blue

Derick Siebman - Special Effects - Red

Will Statham - Animals B & W - Blue
Architectural Elements B & W - Blue
People B & W - Blue
Plant Flora Color - Blue
Natural Landscape Color - Red
Natural Landscape B & W - Blue
Still Life Color - Red
Still Life B & W - Blue
Theme Color - Blue/Best of Show
Theme B & W - Blue/Best of Show

Alex Vannoy - Animals Color - blue
People Color - Blue
Architectural Elements Color - Blue

Congratulations!

Congratulations goes out to the Senior Consumer Decision Making Team. The team of Brice Mc Donald, Mychelle Lewis, Shane Statham & Marcy thorn will compete at State Roundup at A & M. They will be leaving June 9 to compete on the 10th. If you see them, wish them luck!

Also congratulations goes to Baily Lambert on placing 4th in her Vocal Share the Fun at District Roundup in Vernon on April 16. Great job Bailey!

We are so proud to have such talent in our County and want to say thanks for representing Childress in such an outstanding way!

Shooting Sports

The shooting sports club will meet every Saturday @ 2:00 p.m. District contest is Saturday, May 16 in Iowa Park. You may contact Stan Chapman, Arthur Thorn or Danny Willis is you have any questions.

Calling ALL Adults!

There will an adult leader meetingThursday, April 30. Several business items are on the agenda for discussion, so please be at the Commissioners Courtroom at 6:00 p.m. Pass the word!

Summer at the Texas 4-H Center

Did you know that the Texas 4-H Center offers camps for the summer? Camps are open to all 4-H youth ages 9 - 18. Camps include:

Prime Time: Ages 9 - 13
Two sessions - 3 night/4 day each
Activities: archery, canoeing, environmental educatin, swimming, challenge course, riflery, crafts, games, dances
Dates: July 19 - 22 or July 22 - 25

SpecTra: Ages 14 and older
One session - 4 night/5 day camp
Activities: all those listed for Prime Time, 4-H project enhancement, and career exploration
Dates: July 27 - 31

County Camp: Ages 9 - 18
Four Sessions - 2 night/3 day or 3 night/4 day
Activities: same as Prime Time
Adult Chaperones from the county must attend
Youth 14 and older participate in extended kayak, rifle and archery programs
Dates: July 1 -3, July 6 - 8, July 8 - 10, July 13 - 16

Registration for all camps at the 4-H Center are available on-line at http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/4hconnect/

District Trap Shoot - Saturday, May 16 @ Iowa Park

District Officer Nominations

If you wish to run for a District office, applications must be submitted to the District Office by April 25. You must be a District delegate of at least 14 years of age to apply. Those interested may pick up applications at the local office.

District Horse Show

The District Horse show will be June 24 -27 in Vernon. Entries are due in the office by May 26, 2009.

OOPS!

Easter egg stuffing will be Monday, March 30 not Tuesday!!!

Easter Egg Hunt

4-H Council Members are reminded to meet at the courthouse Tuesday, March 31 to help prepare for the Easter Egg Hunt. Please be there as soon as possible after school. The more that show up the faster we are done.

The Egg Hunt will be Thursday, April 2 at 5:00 at the Fair Park pavilion. Please be there to assist the children in their "hunt" and to hand out prizes.

Happenin' in Houston

Childress County had an awesome showing at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this past week. Eleven 4-H members attended the show with goats and pigs. Those attending were Jodi Mc Cracken, Matthew Braidfoot, Jade Watson, Lauren Jackson, Andrew Kelly, Garrett Jenschke, Chelsea Campbell, Kace Neskorik, Joshua Kelly, Dillan Davidson, and Kealie Neskorik.

Four 4-Hers had great success with their pigs. Results follow: Matthew Braidfoot - 7th Heavy Weight Duroc; Jade Watson - 9th Light Weight Hamp; Garrett Jenschke - 9th Light Weight Cross; Kealie Neskorik - 9th Middle Weight Yorkshire.

Great job everyone!

Elementary Club Meeting Change

The Elementary meeting has been changed from this Tuesday because of Spring Break.

At the meeting next week we will make Easter eggs from fun-floam! A fun craft you can take home when we are done!

See you then!

Send in that News

Please remember to send me any news you might have about your 4-H activities. I will post it to the blog for others to read. You can use the counter at the bottom to determine how many people have seen your post and count those as contacts for your record book!

REMINDER!

Each 4-Her is asked to bring a bag of individually wrapped hard candy's for the Community Easter Egg Hunt to the Mrach 4-H meetings or bring it by the office. NO CHOCOLATE, PLEASE.

Livestock Judging

If you are interested in Livestock Judging you need to contact the office as soon as possible. Practices will be weekly and mandatory. District is April 22 at Vernon.

Photography Deadline

All photography entries are due at the Extension Office by Friday, March 20 at 5:00 p.m.

Sorry for the late notice but there has been Internet problems at the office and notices from the District Office have not been received.

San Antonio Stock Show Results

Five Childress County 4-Hers headed for San Antonio on February 13. Chelsea Campbell, Garrett Jenschke, Joshua Kelly, Andrew Kelly and Jodi Mc Cracken all did a great job representing our county. Joshua placed 2nd with his York. Andrew and Garrett were pulled in their classes being in the top 15. Everyone made it home safely and had a great time.

STOCK SHOW ABSENCES

VERY, VERY IMPORTANT!

Remember that if you are going to be out for a stock show it is your responsibility to inform the school of the actual dates you will be gone. All absences should be approved by your campus principal and teachers notified before you leave.

You must be passing all subjects to attend a major stock show. Texas 4-H follows UIL rules for eligibility.

HELP!!

We are in desperate need of adult volunteers!

• 4-H Fashion Show - Please call the office as soon as possible if you are able to help in any capacity in this project.
  

• Photography - Lonnie is setting up workshops with Russell Graves and Donna Statham but he truly needs another adult to take on the role of leader.
  

4-Hers Do Great at Fort Worth

Nine Childress County 4-H members made the trip to the Fort Worth Stock Show on Tuesday, February 3. They then spent three days taking care of their pigs and having a good time. On Thursday, Jade Watson and Martin Neskorik showed their pigs. Kenneth Neskorik started Friday morning with success. He placed 3rd with his light weight hamp. The winning continued on to Garrett Jenschke who placed 7th with his middle weight hamp. To wrap up the awards Shelly Watson placed 7th with her heavy weight Cross. Other 4-Hers showing on Friday were Matthew Braidfoot, Thomas Freeman, Aaryn Freeman, and Emily DeLaCruz. Congratulations to all! You represented Childress County EXTREMELY well!

(Look back later for a slide show of the activities at Fort Worth.)

2009 Project Show

Chilress County Project Show

On Saturday, January 17 the Childress County Project Show was held at the county show barn. All 4-Hers exhibiting an animal had a great time and enjoyed "cheering" each other along. It was nice to see us all help each other.

We thank the TEEA club for sponsoring our concession stand. The warm breakfast was awesome!! Did you know that all proceeds are donated to the participants of the stock show? These women give up their time to be sure we have a convenience not offered at most local shows. It's not easy sitting in a cold room with minimal amenities. Thanks ladies, you did a great job!

We also want to thank Amanda Browning. She was our announcer throughout the day. She did this so willingly and was a great benefit to our show. Thanks Amanda!

The community came out in full force to support all exhibitors at our auction. The buyers take money and time to give us all support. Next time you see one of these donors be sure to thank them personally.

I apologize to those whose pictures are not included in the slide show. If you read the 4-H newsletter you will know the e-mail to send them to and I can put them into the show.