Anne Arundel County 4-H Happenings

Anne Arundel County Fair is September 13 - 17, 2023

• Your '4-H member/volunteer card' is required to enter the fair as a 4-H member/volunteer.
• The Anne Arundel County 4-H Fair Book is published and on our 'Events' webpage:
• A complete '4-H Schedule of Events' can be found on page 4.
• Please support the AAC 4-H Foundation by bidding on Auctioned Baskets (indoor exhibit area) and baking (or buying) a cake for the Cake Auction (page 65). Funds collected from these events, directly fund AAC 4-H Foundation events and scholarships (please see the foundation link on our webpage)
• The popular Ice Cream Social (page 64) sponsored by our AAC 4-H Foundation will be held Friday 9/15 at 7pm. Free Ice Cream for all 4-Her's competing at the fair!
• Skillathons and Judging. You know more than you think - most youth are surprised at their results. Ribbons and premiums for 1st - 6th place. Winners announced during the Sunday 4-H Awards Presentation. There is no need to sign up, just visit the white tent near the lower animal barns during contest hours (Poultry contest will be in poultry barn). Give yourself plenty of time to do as many as you can!!
• 5-7pm Friday: Dairy Judging and Skillathon, Outdoor Skillathon, Poultry Skillathon, Rabbit Skillathon
• 12-2pm Saturday: Consumer Judging, Horticulture Judging, Horse Judging, Horse Skillathon, Livestock Judging, Livestock Skillathon
• Archery Competition is 10am-Noon Saturday. Enjoy archery at camp or in your club? Show off your talent in the large ring down behind the animal barn areas.
• Do a Demostration! Great practice for Public Speaking Contest in the Spring (and you can do the same presentation using our feedback) Sign-up anytime for openings: 6-7pm Friday, 10a-Noon Saturday.
• AAC 4-H Judging and Contest Awards Presentation (page 66) will be held Sunday 9/17 at 3pm under the white tent near animal barns.
• Don't forget to wear your FREE 4-H Fair shirt. Additional t-shirts can be purchased for $10 - bring checks payable to "Anne Arundel County 4-H Foundation" when you pick up your shirts at the fair. (Shirt located at the 4-H Food Booth)
• Indoor Entries must be picked up Monday, September 18, 2pm-7pm. If you are not able to fit this in your schedule, please make arrangements with another 4-H family to take your items (our cars will be packed with all those indoor decorations).

See you at the fair!

Regards,

Gretchen & Joy

4-H Robotics Club

Members: Gavin, Juliana, Caleb, Seth, Kolton, Jordyn, Anna, Flora

A small group of Friendship Outdoor Skills 4-H members formed a robotics team called the Bay Brigade. Within the group, they have been building, coding and testing robots made of Lego, and building a robot from scratch without instructions. They also completed a service project. After much hard work, they attended the Maryland State Fair and came in Second in the Senior Division! Congratulations to the entire team!

Below are comments sent into our office about their experience:

My experience with the 4-H robotics competition was outstanding. I thought my team

was amazing. We had a diverse group of personalities; some of us were clever with technology,

and others were great at public speaking. At the competition, one of the teams was very helpful,

and they gave us tips that would make our code more efficient. With our superb teamwork, we

won second place at the senior level, which was surprising because our team was comprised

mostly of juniors. We had two seniors, and that made our team a senior team. The best part of

all was that we were the first team for Anne Arundel County, and we placed very well. I had an

amazing time at the 4-H robotics competition.

Seth H.

My favorite part about the 4-H Robotics program was the sportsmanlike help we received from Frederick RoboLego3. We had to change a lot about our robot and did not have the correct resources but Frederick RoboLego3 helped us. They gave us coding and design tips and they also let us use their board.

Flora W, 11

My favorite part about the 4-H Robotics competition was the Service Project. I enjoyed preparing the video that was put on our website. It was fun creating the presentation board and practicing our skit. But the best part was being able to present the whole project to the judges.

Anna W, 9

My favorite parts were designing the t-shirts and learning how to code. We all shared ideas and worked together as a team.

Julianna C

Their Service project: Oyster restoration is a water systems project they chose to learn more about. To learn more about their oyster restoration project check out their display at the County Fair or click here.

Be a part of the first civic engagement-focused 4-H club in AAC; learn how laws are created, the importance of advocacy and service to communities, and discover the power of YOUR voice!

#BeTheChange

The club focuses on civic engagement and service learning initiatives. We seek to develop empowered, well-informed young people who are actively engaged in their communities. Youth members will learn strategies to assess community needs across a broad spectrum, strengthen decision-making and advocacy skills, as well as actively support community projects that seek to make Anne Arundel an even better place for all! This is a service-centered activity club. Members must be 12 -18 years old. Interested? Visit: https://forms.gle/w85RYc7Qa8uhNsrN8

The Southern Maryland Invitational Livestock Expo (SMILE) was held this June at St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds. Several of Kinder Farm Park 4-Hers attended and were able to show their animals and have a lot of fun. The expo featured livestock showmanship and fun games. One member, Misa C, showed her four sheep Glimmer, Posie, Ace, and Spade and earned: Reserve overall champion, 2nd place showman, 1st place and 2nd place crossbred breeding ewe, 1st place middleweight class 1 crossbred market lamb, and 3rd place crossbred heavyweight market lamb! Way to go, Misa! Her favorite part of the show was doing the obstacle course and showing her lambs.

Write up submitted by James M, KFP

*** Share your club experiences, 4-H'er accomplishments, & any events with us so we can include them in the newsletter! ***

The Maryland 4-H State Council is the premiere leadership opportunity. It is comprised of active 4-H members from around the state interested in developing high level leadership skills and representing their local 4-H program. State Council members have the opportunity to learn from each other, volunteers, and faculty/staff outside of their club and local 4-H Program. The State Council is led by a youth officer team and faculty/staff advisors.

Applications to join the 2024 Maryland 4-H State Council will be accepted from September 15 - November 15, 2023. All 4-H members aged 13-18 are eligible to apply through the 4-H Online Event registration. They will need to submit a 4-H resume and cover letter, additional info. here.

Check out the 2023 State Council Who’s Who. Reach out to a fellow 4-H'er to ask about their experience.

The Maryland 4-H Program is proud to offer senior 4-H members the opportunity to participate in Leadership Trips at the National Level (please see our webpage for a brief description). All enrolled and dues-paying club members ages 14-18 (as of January 1st, the year the trip takes place) are eligible to submit an application and portfolio packet for any of the following national leadership trips.

• National 4-H Conference (April): application deadline is November 1st
• National Leadership Trips: applications will be accepted starting November 15 - January 15
  • Camp Miniwanca National Leadership Conference (June)
  • Virginia 4-H Congress (June)
  • West Virginia Older Member’s Conference (June)
  • National 4-H Congress (November)

Trip information and the Senior 4-H Portfolio Process (process used to select delegates for these national trips) is available on the State 4-H webpage under National Leadership Trips.

Save the date, more information is forthcoming...

Volunteers and 4-H members ages 13-18 are invited to join us for a 4-H packed weekend November 4-5 at the Maryland 4-H Volunteer and Teen Forum in Ocean City at the Holiday Inn on 65th Street.

Forum Highlights:

• Volunteer and teen workshops on Saturday focused on Thriving, Connections, STEM, and Service
• Youth classes on Saturday for parents who wish to bring their kids (space is limited)
• Volunteer and teen connections and energizers on Saturday and Sunday
• Fun activities for all on Saturday night

Find out more in the registration packet. (link to Packet pdf or Google link- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qY8e8bREJxnGMx_veMbLmsfMNUWlaMAF/view?usp=sharing)

Register through 4-H Online https://v2.4honline.com by October 1st, 2023.

Use the Event Registration Guide to help complete your registration(s).

Diamond Clover Awards are designed to encourage 4-H members ages 10 to 18 to engage in a variety of projects and activities to acquire the skills necessary to lead successful lives as competent, caring, and contributing members of society. For all Diamond Clover Forms and additional information click here.

Things to Keep in Mind:

• The Diamond Clover Award is designed for younger youth to begin at Level 1 and progress through six levels, one level per year. Youth who are older when joining 4-H, may begin at a higher level (2-4) if mutually agreeable to the participant and the club/group leader with the permission of the 4-H Educator. It is recommended that 4-H members complete one year of 4-H before starting the DC program.
• Youth meeting the requirements of levels 1-4 will be recognized at the Club/County/City level.
• Youth accomplishing levels 5 and 6 will be recognized at an appropriate state event.

Diamond Clover Level 6 Service Project Plan:

Project Plan approval is not automatic, one must apply for Diamond Clover Level 6 Service Project approval using the appropriate plan/report form due to the state by September 30th. DO NOT START PROJECT UNTIL APPROVAL IS RECEIVED FROM STATE 4-H OFFICE. Diamond Clover Level Six Recognition is not automatic. Submission of all completed materials is due by September 30th to the State 4-H Office the year the project is complete. If guidelines are not followed, the project will not be recognized. All dates must be clearly adhered to for recognition.

All new Diamond Clover, Level 6 proposals are due to the UME - AAC 4-H office for 4-H Educator (Gretchen) to review by Sept. 15. After proposal approval, download all documents, fill in all information, then upload them to the Portal below by September 30th.

• Level Six Service Learning Project Proposal Form (Word Version HERE)

• DIAMOND CLOVER - LEVEL 6 PROPOSALS PORTAL- Submit all proposal documents.

Shooting Sport Contests

As a reminder, the eligibility dates for the state 4-H shooting sports matches are coming up! Below you will find the enrollment requirements and the dates for each contest.

• Archery: Youth contestants must be actively enrolled in Maryland 4-H and a 4-H Shooting Sports project prior to July 1, 2023. The 4-Her’s Shooting Sports Instructor must certify that the contestant is proficient enough in the archery discipline to safely participate in the contest. Archery Contest - Saturday, September 23, 2023
• Shotgun: Event is open to Maryland 4-H Youth 4-H ages 8 to 18 (age as of 01/01/23), who are currently enrolled and actively participating prior to September 1, 2023 in a 4-H Instructed Shotgun Club or 4-H Shotgun Program being conducted by a 4-H Certified Shotgun Instructor. Each participant will require approval at the county and state level. At the county level 4-H Educators will work with Shooting Sports instructors for approval. Instructors must be certain that youth participants understand the shotgun games they will shoot before they come to the state match and that youth can safely participate. State match is not the day to be teaching youth the basics of trap, skeet or sporting clays. Shotgun Contest - Saturday, October 21, 2023

NOTE: All events, County/State/National, are subject to change due to ongoing health crisis.

*** Be sure to share your club's next event with us so we can help you spread the word! ***

Garden Clean-up at the County Fairgrounds

The 4-H Foundation hosted a garden clean-up at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds in Crownsville on Sunday, July 30th in conjunction with County Fair’s scheduled work day.

Thanks to all the 4-H members and volunteers from Kinder Farm Park 4-H Livestock Club, Friendship Outdoor Skills 4-H Club and Anne Arundel Dairy Leasing 4-H Club who came out and weeded the Overstreet and 4-H gardens and helped with general clean-up of the Fairgrounds. The 4-H Foundation provided lunch and drinks for the volunteers.

County-wide 4-H Cookout

The annual county-wide 4-H Cookout was held at Kinder Farm Park on Friday, August 11th. Over 60 people attended and everyone enjoyed a great evening of delicious food, fellowship, and activities.

The 4-H Foundation would like to thank everyone who attended and brought side dishes and activities to share, and to all the volunteers who helped set-up, cook, and clean-up.

A special thanks go to Kinder Farm Park for letting us use the River Birch Pavilion and to the Friends of Kinder Farm Park, who provided the hayrides.

Scholarships

• National 4-H Trip Scholarships - The 4-H Foundation has scholarships available to 4-H members attending National 4-H trips. An application can be found on our AAC 4-H Foundation webpage.

• Maryland 4-H Volunteer and Teen Forum - The 4-H Foundation will be offering scholarships to 4-H members and volunteers attending the upcoming 2023 Maryland 4-H Volunteer and Teen Forum in November. Scholarship applications will be forthcoming.

Maryland Charity Campaign (MCC) - The Anne Arundel County 4-H Foundation, Inc. is an approved charity with the Maryland Charity Campaign (MCC). The MCC is a workplace charitable giving program that offers Maryland state employees the opportunity to contribute to charities using the convenience of payroll deduction. If you are a state employee or retiree, or know someone who is, please consider donating to the Anne Arundel County 4-H Foundation through your local campaign - 52-6082282. The campaign runs from October 2 – December 11, 2023. For further information, check out our AAC 4-H Foundation webpage.

Save the Date

New York City Bus Trip - Friday, December 8th

4-H Foundation Meetings - The Anne Arundel County 4-H Foundation meets the third Wednesday of each month at the County Fair Office at 7 p.m. If you are interested in helping support our county 4-H program, please join us at our next meeting. We would like to encourage a representative from each club to attend to help in planning our future events. For further information, contact the 4-H Foundation at aacounty4hfoundation@gmail.com.

4-H All Stars at the Anne Arundel County Fair

• Camp and Academic Scholarship winners will be announced at the AAC 4-H Judging and Contest Award Presentation, Sunday, 9/17, 3pm. 💵
• The 4-H All Stars Food Booth is used as a fundraiser for both our clubs that staff the booth as well as the All Stars that provide the food and other operational services. While at the fair, please take advantage of the booth location to purchase fresh grilled burgers/hotdogs, chips, snacks and drinks. You'll be helping your fellow 4-Hers with every bite!🍔🥤 (Club Leaders looking for more information, please contact Gina Degreenia onebusymomofthree@comcast.net)

General Volunteer Advisory Committee Information

The Maryland 4-H Volunteers' Association transitioned into the Maryland 4-H Volunteer Advisory Committee in 2022. The purpose of the Maryland 4-H Volunteer Advisory Committee is to support the needs of the Maryland 4-H program throughout the state working directly with the Maryland 4-H Volunteer Specialist as a state committee. For more information, please check out our AAC webpage dedicated to 4-H Volunteers.

The 2023 Volunteer Training and Connection calendar has been developed to offer Maryland 4-H Volunteers training and connection opportunities. Consider joining one or more of these opportunities to develop your skills and/or share your experiences with others.

Come join volunteer peers from across the state for the next Virtual Volunteer Connections hosted by the Maryland 4-H Volunteer Advisory Committee on Thursday, October 12th from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Topics include National Leadership Trips and Senior 4-H Portfolios. Register at: https://bit.ly/vcOctober12

2023 Maryland 4-H Volunteer Award Nominations

The Maryland 4-H Volunteer Award nomination process opened July 1st for 2023 submissions. Please consider submitting a nomination for a deserving volunteer that has had a positive impact on your life and 4-H experience! There are 12 different award categories. Submit your nomination to the online nomination portal by October 15th. Resources and suggestions to help you with the process are available on the State 4-H webpage.

The University of Maryland Extension and Maryland 4-H Program thank you for your continued service to positive youth development. Your commitment of time, energy and resources benefits so many youth across the state and is essential to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all youth in Maryland.

In 2021, UME initiated a new volunteer background check policy in order to provide for the safety and well-being of University of Maryland Extension (UME) volunteers and constituents (e.g., staff members, program participants, and the community) as well as to protect UME’s assets and reputation as a service provider. The policy requires that volunteers be background checked every 3 years. Calendar year 2024 would be the first recertification period for individuals who completed their background check in 2021. In order to align the background check process with the annual re-enrollment process through 4-H Online, we will begin the volunteer background check renewal process this fall. This should allow for a smooth re-enrollment process and reduce the chance of gaps in protection or appointments.

As a current volunteer you will need to complete the background check process this fall. We will provide notification of the need for renewal according to the following schedule:

● September - volunteers initially screened in January – April of 2021 (sent out already)

● October – volunteers initially screened in May – August of 2021

● November – volunteers initially screened in September – December of 2021

The notification to renew your background check will come from Sterling Volunteers. Their email address is “theadvocates@sterlingvolunteers.com”. The background check should be completed within 30 days of invitation to avoid separation and dismissal and assure your 2024 enrollment is approved by the March 1 target deadline.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but appreciate your support of this process.

See our "AAC 4-H 2023 Calendar' for more details. Updates will be made as they become available. All newsletters are uploaded to our AAC website.

September

9/13 - 17 - Anne Arundel County Fair

• 9/15 - Fair 7pm Ice Cream Social; 5-7pm AACF Judging and Skillathons; 6-7pm Demonstration
• 9/16 - 10am-Noon AACF Archery Competition & Demonstrations; Noon - 2pm Judging and Skillathons; Livestock Auction 7pm
• 9/17 - 2pm 4-H Cake Auction, 3pm 4-H Judging and Contest Awards Presentation; 6:30pm Livestock Released
• 9/18 - 2-7pm AACF Indoor Entry Exhibit Released (pick-up)
  

9/15 - Diamond Clover Level 6 Service Project Plan due

9/15 - 11/15 Maryland State Council application period

9/17 - Maryland State Rifle Contest

9/23 - Maryland State Archery Contest (adv registration required)

October

10/2-12/11 - Maryland Charity Campaign

10/15 - Maryland State Volunteer Award Nominations due

10/21 - Maryland State Shotgun Contest (adv registration required)

November

11/4 - 11/5 - MD 4-H Volunteer and Teen Forum (register by 10/1)

11/30 - Leaders submit Diamond Clover Level 1-4 Completed Forms to County office; Level 5 Proposals due also to County office

December

12/1 - Senior Portfolios for National Trips Applications due to County Extension office; Final applications due 1/15/24 (please note, annual 4-H Online Shutdown begins mid-Dec through mid-Jan, so it is best to have entries in the system before shutdown).

12/8 - New York City Bus Trip sponsored by AAC 4-H Foundation (more info to come)

4-H Inclement Weather Policy: If there is no school, or there is early dismissal in Anne Arundel County due to inclement weather, ALL 4-H events will be canceled.

4-H Health Policy: MD 4-H activities must comply with local directives for indoor or outdoor gatherings, following AACPS advisories.

Have questions, ideas or news to share? Please email Joy Sim, jsim1@umd.edu, to be included in our UME - AAC 4-H monthly newsletter. Programing questions, please email Gretchen Sumbrum, UME - AAC Educator, gsumbrum@umd.edu.

Website: https://extension.umd.edu/locations/anne-arundel-county/4-h-youth-development
Location: 97 Dairy Lane, Gambrills, MD, USA
Phone: 4102223900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AACO4H

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.

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