4-H Friday News Blast for 3.15.19!

Heartfelt thoughts and prayers to those affected by floods!

4-H’ers & Volunteers:

If you have not already done so, please re-enroll for the 2019 4-H year! Go to: https://ne.4HOnline.com to enroll or re-enroll. You must use Google Chrome or Firefox as your browser. Be sure to enroll in every project you plan to take. NOTE: This year, 4HOnline does NOT carry projects over from one year to the next. Be sure to add any project in which you want to participate. You must be enrolled by March 15th. Questions? Call the Extension Office 402-267-2205.

VOLUNTEERS: When enrolling or re-enrolling in 4-H, please be sure to choose a Volunteer Project at the very bottom of the drop down list. It should say “Volunteer” in front of it.

Enrollment Options:

Families/Youth have the option to enroll in 4-H in more than one county. Families do not need to enroll in 4-H in the county in which they reside only in the county/counties they plan to participate in. Youth CANNOT enroll in the same project in two different counties. (EX: A family could take the Archery project in one county and Market Beef project in another county. A family cannot take the Market Beef project in both counties.)

Families/Youth also have the option to enroll in more than one 4-H club. Enrollment in a club indicates your desire to participate in the club. The Online Software and the Office require you to choose a Primary Club. Each year you will need to delete clubs you no longer want to be a part of.

Brand New 4-Hers:

Brand new 1st year kids can enroll in 4-H anytime, but have to be enrolled by June 15th to exhibit at the County Fair.

Add/Drop Projects:

4-Hers have up until June 15th to add or drop projects for 2019. After June 15th, they will not be able to enter exhibits into the county fair.

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Scholarships from our 4-H Council for Cass County Summer Workshops, 4-H Summer Camp, and Travel Scholarships

Could your family use some help to afford camp, a summer workshop, or transportation to camp at Halsey? Cass County has camp, workshop, and travel scholarships that are funded by our 4-H Council, and the deadline to apply is March 15, 2019. Applications can be found by clicking here. To make it easy, this is a fillable form.

Deadline ... Today, March 15th!

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4-H Council Meeting

The next 4-H Council meeting will be held Monday, March 18th at 7:00 pm in the large meeting room of the Cass County Extension Office. Click here for the agenda.

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Sent on Behalf of Nebraska Wheat Growers Association ...

March is Bake & Take month, a time when wheat organizations encourage others to bake a wheat goods and share it with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and shut-ins.

In honor of the month, the Nebraska Wheat Board (NWB) is again sponsoring recipe cards for any 4-H groups or other organizations that wish to participate. This year’s recipes are sweet and salty Oreos and fruit pizza.

A copy of the recipe cards can be found here. You can print copies as you wish or request free postcard versions from the NWB office.

More information can be found on their website at: wheat.board@nebraska.gov.

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Cass County 4-H Summer Intership

Send a cover letter and resume to the Cass County Extension Office. The deadline is April 1, 2019.
Click here for details about the job.

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Cass County 4-H Public Speaking and PSA Contests

The Nebraska 4-H Public Speaking and PSA (Public Servce Announcement) Contests helps youth learn and practice skills that are beneficial for a lifetime in their personal and professional lives. Developing self-confidence and effective public speaking skills are two goals of the public speaking contest.

A chart outlining the Cass County Age Divisions, Time Guidelines, Specials Guidelines and Awards will help give your direction when planning your speech or PSA.

Local Cass County Speech Contest entry form - Registrations are due by April 8th! The County Contest is April 15th.
2019 Speech Outline (to be submitted with entry form) - it can be electronically submitted, or brought/sent to the Cass County Extension Office.
60 Second PSA Outline (to be submitted with entry form)
Speech Contest Scoresheet

4-H members in all project areas are encouraged to give speeches to their 4-H clubs and to participate in county, regional, and state contests. Participants prepare and deliver an original speech about 4-H and/or tape a 60 second radio Public Service Announcement (PSA) using the theme: "Inspire Kids To Do."

Go to the State Website http://4h.unl.edu/publicspeakingcontest for:

Guidelines for writing great speeches,
How to prepare a 4-H Radio Public Service Announcement,
Specific rules, or
Score sheets for the contests

The top three winners in each age division in both Speech and PSA categories of the Cass County Speech Contest advance to the Southeast Regional Competition in Lincoln. At the Regional Contest, Senior division speech and PSA winners will compete for the opportunity to advance to the State Speech Contest at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island, NE.

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YQCA Training Sessions: Face-2-Face Training or On-line Training

For YQCA information, visit our website at: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/cass/yqca-youth-for-the-quality-care-of-animals/

4-H members, age 8 and up, who take livestock projects which produce food products (Pigs, Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Market Rabbits, and Poultry) need to receive certification in these areas each year. Deadline to complete this certification is June 15th.

Go to www.yqca.org and sign up for a face-to-face training (Brett Kreifels will be teaching again this year) or do the training on-line. Dates are listed on the YQCA link. For the face-to-face training, juniors will begin at 6:00 pm and Intermediates & Seniors will begins at 7:30 pm.

Our Heartfelt thoughts to those affected by area flooding!

Listen to local news

Tune in to your local news outlets, including television, radio, and social media, for updates on conditions. Follow instructions and warnings. With flooding of this magnitude, the situation is rapidly changing.

Travel safely

Travel in many areas across the state has been impacted. Nebraska 511 (website and app) features information on road conditions, including closures and detours.

• Do not go around barricades. They are in place for a reason.

• Do not compromise your safety trying to get the best look or photo of a washed out road. It is not worth it.

• Turn around, don’t drown! Do not drive or walk through flood waters.

Your health and well-being matter

Your health and well-being is important, and dealing with crises is tough. Disaster recovery can take a long time. Ask for help if you need it. Consider support or information on mental and behavioral health.

• Nebraska Behavioral Health Regions contact information

• Staying connected during tough times

SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithU to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

The Nebraska Rural Response Hotline is a vital resource for individuals and families who are feeling overwhelmed with stress, depression, or other mental health related issues. When a farmer, rancher, or rural resident calls the Hotline, they are connected to an experienced staff person who is equipped to assist callers, providing confidential information and assistance. No-cost counseling vouchers are also available for individuals in crisis who wish to seek further support through a mental health professional. Call the Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.