Clay County 4-H Growing News

We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year thanks for making the last year a great 4-H year!

-Raven and Lauren

4-H and the Fair Board are participating in the parade of lights again this year. We invite any 4-Hers to join us downtown Thursday December 7st at 6pm and help hand out 4-H stickers and help promote 4-H! You can also see our Lucky Trailblazers 4-H club and their horses as well as our Dog Club with their doggies downtown! Our booth spot will be on Prospect Street by CorTrust Bank

Need a gift for a person that is hard to buy for..

Teacher, babysitter, coworker, friend

Our Clay County Flyers 4-H club members are selling

Casey Pizza Cards!

When you order a large specialty pizza- receive a free medium single pizza!

Cost 20.00 per card contact a Flyers club member or club leaders - Brad and Patty Waage

The new 4-H year (2023-2024) began October 1.

Previous 4-Hers—Members can start re-enrolling in 4-HOnline 2.0 any-time! Members need to re-enroll every year. Returning members– please do not set up a new profile! Call the office if you need help! Please use an email you regularly check as this is the email both the state and county office will send information. Re-Enroll by January 1st to stay on our email list. All members must be enrolled before doing any dog, shooting sports, or horse practices!

Club leaders & Volunteers– don’t forget to re-enroll, too! You do not have to complete a new volunteer application but do need to pay the $10 fee by December 31 2022. Checks payable to Clay County 4-H Leaders Association . You will not be approved until the office has received dues.

There are several projects remaining in the office from the SD State Fair & County Fair.

Also, If you have a award, trophy or unclaimed item from the Clay County Recognition Event, these can be picked up as well. If you have questions or want to pick these up, call 605-677-7111 or email clay.county@sdstate.edu

Save the date—June 15-22 will be South Dakota 4-H’s slot for the CWF trip to Washington D.C. Youth must be age of 15-18 at the time of the trip. See the attached applications must be completed by December 22, 2023— more information about this years trip will be shared as soon as we have it. Contact the office if you are interested and have any questions!

On behalf of the Western Legacy Foundation, I would like to share that our scholarship applications are open for 2023 graduating seniors. We are passionate about providing $50,000 in educational funds for the youth of our future! Scholarship applications are due December 18th 2023. Click here for a link to the website https://westernlegacyfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/WLF-Scholarship-Application.pdf

Each year, South Dakota 4-H members have the opportunity to compete at National

competitions and attend National leadership opportunities. We are continuously looking for

talented individuals to coach teams and accompany youth on these experiences. Anyone

interested in these opportunities should visit https://extension.sdstate.edu/4-h-coach-and-

chaperone-application and complete the application. The office is currently collecting

applications for individuals interested in coaching or chaperoning 4-H members competing in

2024. We are also looking for folks to chaperone experiences such as Citizenship Washington

Focus, summer camps, Performing Arts, and SkillsX (formerly Teen Leadership Conference).

Get in the spirit of giving! More information coming soon: At the 2023 Teen Leadership Conference, the Statewide Community Service project is collecting items for Personal Care Kits. If you collect items to donate, please keep track of how many and let the office know so that we can report to the State 4-H Office our impact!

If you want to help,
here are some items we would love for you to donate:
Unopened packages of the following:
- band-aids
- combs and travel size hair brushes
- deodorants
- feminine hygiene products
- hand sanitizers
- lotion
- razors
- shampoo and conditioner
- small hand towels
- soap
- tissues
- toothbrushes
- toothpaste
- wipes / 'wet ones'

As you are gearing up to plan for this next 4-H year – you may want to consider applying for a Mini Grant!

Mini grant applications are due December 31st. They must be received via email or postmarked by 12/31/23. Late applications will not be considered.

http://southdakota4hleaders.com/doc/App-MiniGrant2024.pdf or

http://southdakota4hleaders.com/doc/App-MiniGrant2024.doc

The grant amount available per county is $400. Counties may choose to do projects together – 2 counties can apply for $800 for a combined project – 3 counties can apply for $1200 for a combined project. The max amount available for a single project is $1200.

Note: If you received a grant in this past 4-H year, you are required to submit a report on the project before you are eligible to apply for this year’s grant opportunity.

So what is a Mini Grant? Each year, the State 4-H Leaders of SD award Mini-Grants across the state to county or 4-H club projects. The purpose of the 4-H Grants Program is to address youth needs at the local level. The State 4-H Leaders of SD recognize that the greatest impact of 4-H occurs at the local level, usually between youth and 4-H volunteers.

Criteria for awarding funds include:

* Potential for youth involvement in the planning and implementation of the project.
* Potential impact on addressing youth issues at a local level through either a traditional or nontraditional setting.
* Potential for increasing life skill outcomes for youth.

* Potential for reaching expanded youth audiences e.g. at-risk low income, single parent families, other cultures, disabled, etc.
* Potential for transitioning new youth audiences into more “traditional” or ongoing 4-H programs.

Grants funds can be used to purchase educational materials and supplies, expenses/honorariums for speakers, travel and training.

Let me know if you have any questions!

We are excited to be hosting our 4th annual South Dakota 4-H Capitol Day on

January 17, 2024 at the South Dakota Capitol Building! This event is in collaboration with the

SDSU and Brookings day at the Capitol. We encourage all 4-H supporters to attend this FREE

event to learn about our state legislative process, while getting to network with your elected

officials. Registration is live until January 1, 2024 at: https://sdstate.questionpro.com/20244-

HCapitolDay. Registration allows for individual or group entries. After registration closes,

registrants will receive an email with information assuring a positive experience. This event is

hosted by the SD 4-H Civic Education Committee, which consists of Jenae Hansen-Gross

(jenae.hansengross@sdstate.edu), Ron Frederick (ronald.frederick@sdstate.edu) and Hilary

Risner (hilary.risner@sdstate.edu). Feel free to contact us with any questions!

We will again be using the Youth Livestock Literacy (YLL) and Youth Horse Literacy (YHL) programs for this 2023-2024 4-H year, the YLL program is a way to enhance and expand the opportunities offered to our 4-H members to complete the YQCA requirement each year. A YLL or a YQCA certificate will be a requirement to show livestock at the county or state fair in 2024 or a YHL certificate for county or state horse shows! YLL certificates are for the follow species: beef, sheep, swine, goat, dairy cattle, dairy goat, rabbit and poultry. There are many events that may qualify; we will share them here in the newsletter and on Facebook or you can always call the office and ask if we know of new opportunities. Below you can review the YLL program information sheets this lists the items that qualify to meet the YLL requirement. Any member is eligible to complete one of the alternative events; however, the YQCA option is recommended for the member’s first 4 years and may be required for some national level shows. To learn about Youth Livestock Literacy opportunities in your county and beyond, contact the Extension Office.

Did you know the FSA Office in Yankton offers loans to youth in Clay County? Youth borrowers can be eligible for up to $5,000. Applicants have to be 10-20 years old. See the fact sheet attached to this newsletter. For any questions you can contact Samantha Hagedorn, Yankton County FSA Loan Officer: 605-665-2662 ext 2.

With the work we are doing to raise money for the kitchen we have come to the conclusion we need a committee whose only focus is fundraising. The Fair Board and 4-H leaders joint meeting decided to again do the Chasing the 4 of Clubs again but we also may need addition fundraising opportunities in the future to meet our dollar goal for the project. We are looking for an volunteers including- any senior age 4-H members, and parents! Please email Raven, Missy, Lauren to get added to the committee list to be invited to the first meeting sometime in December.

The time commitment for this around 2 meeting per year and occasional emails.

With the beginning of the 4-H year, South Dakota 4-H is once again seeking individuals who are interested in serving on our statewide 4-H project committees. Parents, industry leaders,

alumni, and youth are encouraged to consider the opportunity to serve on either an event team or education team for one of our statewide project areas. Members will serve a 2-year term, with the option to serve additional terms.

Interested individuals should complete this interest survey:

https://sdstate.questionpro.com/2023State4HProjectCommittee

Event Team: Members of the event management team are individuals who can be counted on to show up, assist with event planning, and logistics for any statewide event for that particular

project. If requested, these members will also provide feedback and guidance regarding the

project area.

Education Team: Members of the education team serve to promote and educate. They

encourage participation in the project area, assist in sparking interest among 4-H members, and connecting 4-H members with resources. These members are ideal for county judges, running project clinics, and judging workshops

If you have any questions regarding these committees please contact: 4-H Volunteer Development Field Specialist Jenae Hansen-Gross, 4-H Youth-in-action Program Manager Amanda Stade, or 4-H Livestock Program Manager Sami Nordmann

The 2024 SELS will take place January 23-28. There are many opportunities for youth, including live-stock shows, photography contest, livestock judging and skill-a-thon.

Livestock entries are due January 5th!

The Handbook can be found here. Please take note as there have been some changes from last year!

https://siouxempirelivestockshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2024-Exhibitor-Handbook-23.11-Edition.pdf

South Dakota 4-H is excited to announce the release of Career Conversations: Exploring My

Future in the 605 for the 2023-24 School Year. Career Conversations features interviews with

South Dakota professionals. The career reel collection, starring South Dakota industry

professionals and entrepreneurs, exposes job details, challenges, and educational requirements

which will assist in course selection and facilitate college, career, and workforce readiness. The

program is designed for individual youth to explore at their own pace or can be done in the classroom.

December 1 Flyers Practice 4-8pm 4-H Center

December 3 -Flyers Practice 12-4pm 4-H Center

December 5 - Dog Practice 7pm

December 7 - Parade of Lights 5-7pm Downtown Vermillion

December 10- Flyers Try it Day 2 pm 4-H Center

December 11-15 4-H Center booked for ESA Giving Tree

December 22 - Deadline to sign up for Cupcake Challenge & Club Officer Training

December 17 - Ambassadors Meeting 1230pm

December 17 - Jolly JJs Meeting - Kitchen 4pm

December 18 - Lucky Trailblazers Meeting 6pm

December 19 - Dog Practice 7pm

December 20 - Meckling Livestock Meeting 6pm

December 21 - Dog Practice 7pm

December 22-26 Extension Office closed for Christmas

December 26 - Dog practice 7pm

December 28 - Dog practice 7pm

December 28 - Club Officer Training - Extension Office

December 31 - Volunteer Dues due to office

December 31 - State 4-H Leaders Mini Grant Applications Due

January 2 - Cupcake Challenge

January 4 - Pick a Chick orders due

January 4 - Flyers Practice 4-8pm

January 7 - Flyers Practice 1230-5pm

January 13 - Shooting Sports Coaches training - Wessington Springs

January 17 - 4-H Day at the Capitol, Pierre

January 23 - 4-H Leaders Association Meeting - 530pm - Kitchen

Clay County Extension Office

515 High Street

Vermillion SD 57069

Contact us!

Email:

Raven- clay.county@sdstate.edu

Lauren - lauren.Hollenbeck@sdstate.edu
Phone: 607-677-7111