SHERIDAN COUNTY NEWSLETTER

Oct 1: Career Portfolio DUE

Oct 1: Project Record Sheets DUE

Oct 1: Diamond Clover DUE

Oct 3-9: National 4-H Week

Oct 4: Shooting Sports Practice

Oct 10: 4-H Quilts of Valor - Gordon Legion 3:00 pm

Oct 11: Columbus Day - Office Closed

Oct 15: Sew Fun - Extension Office 1:00-4:00 pm

Oct 18: Shooting Sports Practice

Oct 19: Clover Buds - Rushville Elementary 3:30-5:30 pm

Oct 20: Animals Inside & Out Field Day

Oct 20: Clover Buds - Gordon Elementary 3:30-5:30 pm

Oct 24: Open House - Extension Office 4:00-5:00 pm

Oct 24: Achievement Banquet 5:30-7:00 pm

Oct 25: Sew Fun - Extension Office 1:00-4:00 pm

- Premium money will be able to be picked up at the Achievement Banquet.

- 4-H enrollment opens November 10th.

On October 10th a Quilts of Valor Ceremony will take place at the Gordon Legion, 3:00 pm. Both David Browder DMV, and Steve Summers will be presented with a quilt that our 4-Hers have helped sew. Please join them in this special ceremony!

Beginner sewers will be learning the fundamentals and skills needed to create and design beautiful projects. Limited space is available. Sign up by calling Marie Nelson at 308-327-2312.

October 15 & 25 will be at the Extension Office in Rushville from 1:00-4:00 pm. Sewing machines are available, but the youth can bring their own.

With the start of the new 4-H year, Clover Bud workshops will be beginning. Clover Kids is the officially recognized program in Nebraska for children under age 8. The program is designed to provide 5 to 7 year-olds a variety of educational and recreational experiences in a non-competitive environment. Clover Kids provide an excellent opportunity for youth to achieve his/her highest potential because early life experiences affect future development. The primary goal is to promote the child’s stages of development – intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally.

· Develop Self Esteem

· Decision Making Skills (making positive choices)

· Comprehension Skills (learning how to learn; positive attitudes toward learning)

· Mastering Physical Skills (enjoying constructive and creative play)

· Social-Interaction Skills (getting along with others)

· Diversity Skills (acceptance of others; exploring family and community relationships)

Children possessing these life skills are less likely to have problems with drug use, school failure, delinquency, and depression as they move into their teenage years and then into adulthood.

The Rushville Clover Bud workshop will be on October 19th at the Rushville Elementary starting at 3:30 pm. The Gordon Clover Bud meeting will be held on October 20th at the Gordon Elementary at 4 pm. Clover Bud members are youth between the ages of 5 and 7 as of January 1st, 2022. Upon participating in these workshops, youth will have Clover Bud projects to display at the 2022 Sheridan County Fair. To register your child for these FREE events please contact the Nebraska Extension Sheridan County office at (308) 327-2312.

The 2021 Sheridan County 4-H Achievement Banquet will be Sunday, October 24, 5:30 pm at the Extension Office at 800 Loofborrow Street in Rushville. There will also be an open house starting at 4pm, and the public will be invited to attend the Achievement Banquet.

Youth are encouraged to wear a 4-H t-shirt and nice jeans. It is a potluck, the families with the last name starting with A-K need to bring a side dish and families with last name starting with L to Z need to bring a dessert. Youth will be able to pick up their premium checks at the banquet, give awards from county fair, award Achievement Application awards, as well as recognize 4-H volunteers. We will be voting on the new 4-H Council members at this time as well.

The committee suggested to have youth members from the Junior Leader Club and 4-H Youth Council members to be voted on to be selected at the Achievement Banquet. If these youth are selected as the Ultimate Teen, they will receive a scholarship.

Youth members are also included on the 4-H Council. This is a vital role necessary to give our youth "voice" on decisions that affect their educational experience. 2-4 youth members ages 11-18 can serve on the council.

Any adult or youth interested in having your name added to the ballot for the Sheridan County 4-H Council is encouraged to call the office (308-327-2312). The annual election will be held at the Achievement Banquet in October.

Will be starting in Rushville and Gordon for youth ages 9 to 14. The Rushville group will meet on Mondays after school. They can contact Melissa at mmracek2@unl.edu for more information!

The first week in October is always set aside for National 4-H Week. From October 3-9, plan to celebrate National 4-H Week!

Ideas could include wearing 4-H attire to school, decorating a store window, putting up flyers to promote 4-H, taking baked goods to a neighbor or sponsor, visiting the nursing home or sharing time with someone, sending a thank you, stepping up to help a person in need and more. There are many things you can do to show your leadership skills and promote the value of 4-H.

4-H Online Enrollment for the 2021-2022 4-H year will not be open until mid-November. There is an upgrade called, 4-H Online 2.0, that will be happening for this year. Most other states use this version of 4-H Online. We have received reports that the 2.0 version is supposed to be more "user-friendly." I guess we will find out!

If you are in shooting sports you will be covered until November then you will need to enroll again for the 2021-2022 4-H Year.

If you have questions please reach out. The age range will remain the same. Youth 5-7 as of Jan. 1, 2022 will be considered clover kids and youth ages 8-18 as of Jan. 1, 2022 will be considered 4-H youth.

Ever wonder what it’s like to live and work in space? Well, here’s your chance to find out straight from the astronauts aboard the International Space Station right now! All Nebraska youth are invited to submit questions they’d like to ask the astronauts. Approximately 9-12 young people will be selected to video record their questions. Their questions will then be answered by the astronauts during an upcoming in-flight education downlink experience. More information on that will be coming soon. For now, submit your question at go.unl.edu/nebraskanautsquestion.

The Nebraska 4-H Gives Back program is an opportunity for a Nebraska 4-H member or a team of 4-H’ers to make a meaningful contribution to their community. This award recognizes the impact that 4-H youth make in their communities and celebrates the spirit of service-learning, a pillar of the 4-H experience.

Nebraska 4-H Gives Back projects are advised by local committees and reviewed and recognized at the state level. Participants of the Nebraska 4-H Gives Back program receive an award and are showcased statewide.

To achieve the Nebraska 4-H Gives Back honor, a 4-H member or team must complete a major service-learning project that benefits his/her community. Each 4-H member or team are responsible for the creation, coordination, and implementation of the project. The project must be of lasting value and large enough in size and/or scope to be worthy of Nebraska 4-H Gives Back recognition. 4-H members should plan on investing over 100 hours of service, and understand that it may take up to 24 months to complete this project. The project includes an initial proposal and final report that are both approved and reviewed in a two-step process. Proposals are developed and approved first by the local committee, and then by a State 4-H Program Administrator prior to the start of the project. Upon completion of the service-learning project, a final report is created to be reviewed and approved by the local committee, and then by a State 4-H Program Administrator.

Recipients will receive individual certificates of recognition once their project is completed, as well as, a $100 award to be received by the team or individual recipient. This can be used to celebrate their accomplishments or fund a future 4-H project. Recipients and their projects will also be showcased by Nebraska 4-H online. Some counties may choose to recognize recipients at county award nights. The proposal form is attached below.

Shooting Sports practice for BB Gun and Air Rifle will start on October 4th. They practice from 3:30 to 7 depending on when the youth show up. During October through December, practice is held the first and third Mondays of the month. In January they will start practicing every month and start attending the Panhandle Best Shoots. Youth need to be registered for 4-H to participate. Parents need to sign waivers the first meeting. Please contact Bruce Salisbury or Donna and Kevin Jech for more information.

Bring the whole family out to the Nebraska State 4-H Camp for a one-of-a-kind Halloween Bash on October 23rd! Save $5 by purchasing your tickets in advance at 4h.unl.edu/school-year-camps

Explore UAS best practices, FAA certification how-to, and career opportunities in a workshop-style setting, beginners welcome.

Please let me know if you youth age 13+ is interested in participating if it was to be brought to Sheridan County. Call the office at 308-327-2312

The program is open to youth that are ages 12 to 18, as of December 31st, 2021. Youth must be an enrolled 4-H member and resident of the states of CO, WY, KS or NE. To apply for the program they will go to https://nationalwestern.com/catch-a-calf-program/ and complete the online application. There is also a mandatory form that they will need to print off and complete. The application must be submitted by December 1st.

Youth sign-up to catch at a rodeo performance during the Stock Show. Youth that are successful will then receive their steer in May. The purchase price of the steer is covered by a sponsor. Youth will write monthly letters to their sponsors. They will also complete a monthly progress form that then goes in their final record book. They will return to the Stock Show the following January to exhibit their steer, along with completing an interview and turning in their record book. The overall grand and reserve grand champion of the program are allotted a spot in the Junior Livestock Auction. Other youth will receive market value for their steer, along with a portion of what the two steers in the sale make.

Enter the Make It With Wool Contest! The object of the contest is to promote the beauty and versatility of wool fabrics and yarns; to encourage personal creations in sewing, knitting, crocheting, spinning and weaving of wool fabrics and yarns; and to recognize creative skills.

The 2021 State Make It With Wool Contest will be November 20 at the Adams County Extension Office in Hastings beginning at 9:00 a.m. Everyone is invited to the public Fashion Show at 1:00 p.m.

The divisions determined by age as of January 1, 2021 (national rule), are as follows: Preteen – age 12 and under, Junior – age 13 to 16, Senior – age 17 to 24, Adult – age 25 and over, and Made For Others.

For more information: NEBRASKA MAKE IT WITH WOOL COMPETITION | Nebraska Extension (unl.edu)

University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.

The 4-H Youth Development program abides with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Copyright ©2021

Email: mnelson82@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/educational-programs/northern-panhandle-4-h/
Location: 105 Loofborrow Street, PO Box 329 Rushville, NE 69360
Phone: 308-327-2312
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNLSheridanCounty
Twitter: @SheridanCounty