Winnie the Pooh said it best: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

THANK YOU to everyone who has made my time as the Box Butte County 4-H Assistant so wonderful! I have made great friendships with all of you, 4-H families, staff, stakeholders and of course the youth! You all made me feel so welcomed and I have learned so much from all of you.

As this chapter of my life now closes and I start a new one, please know that I will never forget any of you and I do hope to stay in touch! I know the 4-H program is in good hands because Box Butte has such a great circle of volunteers and people willing to pitch in and lend a helping hand where ever it is needed! Remember, I am just a phone call, text or email away! My email will stay the same and most of you have my cell phone number (3082792486).

Best wishes to all as we start a new school year!

Sincerely,

Ashley Fenning

The Nebraska State Fair is thrilled to host the 2nd annual 4-H Day at the Nebraska State Fair. 4-H Day will be Sunday, August 25th. To celebrate our 4-H members statewide they are offering a discounted admission that day that is only for bonafide 4-H members. This is only intended for 4-H members, family members including parents will need to purchase regular admission tickets. This is not just for state fair exhibitors, but for any 4-H member.

To order discounted tickets, please click here: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/91179366/4h-day-at-nebraska-state-fair-good-on-aug-25-only-lincoln-nebraska-state-fairlivestock

• 4-H members (13+) $5.75 (includes credit card fee)
• 4-H members (6-12) $3.75 (includes credit card fee)

Special thanks to the Nebraska State Fair for this opportunity!

More details at: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/91179366/4h-day-at-nebraska-state-fair-good-on-aug-25-only-lincoln-nebraska-state-fairlivestock

Orders can be placed using the following link and password. Please remember the opportunity to order these discounted tickets is for static exhibitors and their families only. The misuse of this resource may eliminate this opportunity in the future, so please encourage your families not to share this link. Note – We can track who ordered tickets and match it with their 4-H participation. Discount tickets will not be available through the county offices.

Static Exhibitor Discount Ticket Link:
4-H Static $5 Exhibitor Tickets | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska State Fair- Livestock (etix.com)
Password:
20244H
Note – All livestock exhibitors and in-person event exhibitors (contests, fashion show, presentations, and robotics showcase) will still be able to order discounted tickets when they enter in ShoWorks for State Fair. This process has not changed for those exhibitors coming to the fair.

Note – The Nebraska State Fair also has ticket options available to the general public. You can share the following link with any 4-H families and stakeholders who are planning to go to the fair: https://www.statefair.org/buy-tickets for additional details.

All advance ticket options are available now until 11:59PM on August 22nd CT.

The August 4-H Council Meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 27th starting at 6:00 PM. THIS MEETING IS NOT OPEN. If you would like to visit with the council about something from fair, you will need to fill out a care to share form and you will be called in on an individual basis to discuss your care to share form.

The 4-H Council will hold one of their Open meetings on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 starting at 6:00 PM at the Box Butte County Extension Office.

The Office will send out a remind and email once Livestock Checks, Cookie Jar/Auction Cake Checks are in and when awards are in.

The current 4-H fiscal year will end on September 30, 2024 and the new 4-H Enrollment for the 2024-2025 4-H year will open later in October.

Please make sure to keep this on your radar and get enrolled in 4-H for the new year starting in October! Deadline for 4-H Enrollment will be June 1, 2025

The first week in October is always set aside for National 4-H Week. From October 6-12, 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.

It is Achievement Application time! Keeping records/writing achievement applications is a great way to hold onto your memories about each incredible year you have in 4-H. In a couple of years, you can look through these journals and remember what fun you had. Keeping records is also a great way to develop your skills in communication, organize your time, document events and actions, evaluate your own efforts, set goals, etc. Your Achievement Applications can also be turned in when you go to turn in 4-H Scholarships.

• Box Butte County County will only accept the newer application, not the "green portfolio".
• Each application will be judged individually for award pins.
• All ages are only allowed to apply for 3 program areas.
• Box Butte County will also have a required application form in the front of each achievement application to help us identify clearly which area you are applying for, for awards.

To complete the Achievement Applications:

• Designation of Awards and Program Area of Submission
• About Me page
• My Experience pages - Limit responses to a maximum of four pages (two pages, double sided), single-space, 12 point font.

Visit: https://4h.unl.edu/achievement-application for more information or contact the Extension Office 762-5616

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT AT COUNTY LEVEL IS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2024 BY END OF DAY!

If you have questions or need help with your Achievement Application please contact the office.

The Annual 4-H Achievement Celebration will be held in November this year! If you have any ideas on how to make this event fun for all please share with Katie, Melissa or a 4-H Council Member. We are currently in the planning stages.

• Again this year is we will be asking YOU (youth, volunteers, parents and community members) is to nominate 4-H youth for the Outstanding 4-H Member Award. Formerly this used to be reserved for the most overall complete and involved Senior Level Career Portfolios/Achievement Applications. With these not being completed as often we are turning to you for help to find our most outstanding 4-H member. The outstanding 4-H member must be 4-H age (8-18) and must be a Box Butte County 4-Her.

Other Awards to start considering:

• National Leadership Award: (Formerly I Dare You award): youth that have completed their Junior and/or Senior year high school and show outstanding qualities in servant leadership are eligible to be nominated for this award. Award recipient receives a personalized award certificate, a copy of William H. Danforth’s classic motivational book I Dare You! and $30 cash.
  
• Outstanding Leader Award: any 4-H Club Leader, project leader, superintendent or volunteer who exhibits amazing and outstanding merits, please nominate them for the Outstanding Leader Award by submitting in writing your reasons for your nomination.
• Outstanding 4-H Club (Club of Excellence): Has your club gone the distance and then some? If you think your club has really achieved a lot this past year, nominate them and tell us what all you have done.
• Fodnes Family FCS All-Around Award: Youth that exhibit any Family consumer Science Static Exhibits are eligible to apply for this award.
• All-Around Livestock Award: Youth that exhibit any Livestock projects are eligible to apply for this award.
• All-Around Small Animal Award: Youth that exhibit any Small Animal projects are eligible to apply for this award.

More to come next month!

As the end of the year is quickly approaching please be thinking about running for the BBC 4-H Council. We have one member that has completed their 2, 3-year terms and another member who has completed their 1 3-year term (eligible for re-election).

We will also need applications for up to 4 youth volunteers as these terms are only 1 year terms.

Council members will be voted on at the Achievement Celebration in November.

A Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Certification Workshop is scheduled for mid-August in Falls City. It will be held August 17-18 in Falls City. The early bird deadline to register for the workshop is August 9th.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to become certified as an adult (21 years and older) or apprentice (14-20 years old) leader. Four project areas will be offered at the Falls City Workshop – rifle, pistol, shotgun, and archery.

There is a minimum number of participants needed to offer these disciplines at the workshop. Workshop participants will learn under expert instruction from members of the Nebraska State
4-H Shooting Sports Training Team.

The registration fee is $90 per person for initial certification or those individuals adding an additional discipline except for Apprentice Instructors. The registration fee for Apprentice Instructors (14 to 20 years of age) is $80 for this workshop. The late registration fee is $160 for both levels. This fee includes meals, supplies and program materials. Participants must make their own lodging arrangements. Registration on Saturday runs from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

While participants might need to bring limited, if any, equipment to the in-person discipline training site, there are a series of four National 4-H Shooting Sports online modules which individuals MUST complete prior to the training to become eligible for certification. Information on the modules and how to enroll, 4-H Shooting Sports Online User Guide, can accessed by using the link found on the Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports website under Calendar of 4-H Shooting Sports Events at https://4h.unl.edu/shooting-sports, under the “Falls City Workshop” - this provides step-by-step instructions on how to sign up for and complete the entire series of modules before the workshop. Individuals who have already completed the Online modules are not required to complete them again.
As individuals follow each of the instructions in the Online User Guide, they will be asked to choose a payment method. Participants are responsible for the $20 one-time (per person) registration fee. The entire series of modules will take approximately 3-4 hours, so please plan some time accordingly.
Please share this information with volunteers in your county. For more workshop information and registration link, go to the 4-H Shooting Sports web page. Or contact your local Nebraska Extension Office or Steve Pritchard at (402)395-2158 or (308)536-2691. Registration is available only online at the link provided in the brochure or they can register directly by clicking HERE.

More details at: https://events.unl.edu/NE4H-Shooting-Sports/search/?q=Instructor