Deadlines:

Kansas 4-H Program Rally
Make sure you have the next Kansas 4-H Program Rally on your calendar.  Please hold December 11-12, 2008, with a Strengthening Clubs 1 or Strengthening Clubs 2 pre-conference, both being offered on December 10.  The Rally will be held at the Rock Springs 4-H Center.   Hinshaw/Mack/Buchele/Waldren/Van Horn
 

This one-day conference sponsored by K-State Research and Extension 4-H highlights hands-on curricula that adapt easily for out-of-school settings. Kansas 4-H youth development professionals will share favorite hands-on educational activities and resource ideas that are sure to keep youth excited and centered.

The breakout session include: Environmental Education; Health Rocks; Walk Kansas for Kids; Kids-A-Cookin’; Science Engineering and Technology; Math Tessellations; Junior Master Gardener; Leadership Initiatives; Programming for 5 and 6 year olds; and "how to" make learning activity kits.

Registration form is available on  Kansas4-H.org.  The cost is $10 which includes lunch and activity materials. Further questions may be directed to Pam Van Horn, pvanhorn@ksu.edu or Beth Drescher, drescher@ksu.edu.
Van Horn
 

Blue Ribbon Training for New Users
Tuesday, July 15 at 10:00am we will host a training session via Adobe Connect for new users of the Blue Ribbon Youth Enrollment System.  This session will cover basic enrollment; tracking projects, activities, and awards; printing labels and other reports.  Please sign up using the on-line registration system no later than 10:00am on Monday, July 14 so a follow up message can be sent to all registered participants.
Wiebers
 

Van Horn
 

At the core of the Declaration is the profound assertion that each of us has an inalienable right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Unfortunately, too many Americans believe they are entitled not simply to pursue happiness, but to be happy. This breeds an "I deserve it" mentality and "whatever it takes" strategies to help them get or keep the things they think will make them happy.

But alongside our inalienable rights to pursue happiness are inalienable responsibilities to be good and decent people. There’s nothing wrong with wanting and going after money, possessions, power, or status, provided we do so honorably. The deeper question is whether the pursuit of happiness is an adequate life goal.

Helen Keller said, "True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."

The men who signed the Declaration of Independence weren’t simply pursuing happiness. Instead, they pledged their "lives, fortunes, and sacred honor" to establish a government based on moral principles. This took character. And character is what life is really about.

According to philosopher George Santayana, "Character is the basis of happiness, and happiness is the reward of character."

Michael Josephson, July 4, 2007.
GERHARD
 

Patterns available are:
* Baby Pig
* Calf
* Horse
* Lamb and Kid
* Rabbit
Adams
 

Adams

KSFAIR Entry System Training for New Users
While there will be relatively few changes to the KSFAIR Entry System this year, we have scheduled an Adobe Connect training session for Tuesday, July 1 at 10:00am.  This session is expected to last 1 hour or less and will be targeted for Agents and Office professionals who have never used the system before.   Please sign up using the on-line registration system no later than 10:00am on Monday, June 30 so a follow up message can be sent to all registered participants.
Wiebers
 

Leroy, "The statement that 89% of Agents involved volunteers because they had to not because they wanted to." Edwards, 2003, Expanded quote from Rod, {"More than 98% of respondents indicated that volunteers can help Extension accomplish its mission, 91.8% indicated that they are encouraged to involve volunteers in their local programs, yet 89% agree with the statement, "I involve volunteers in 4-H because I have to, not necessarily because I want to."}

Emily, "Healthy volunteer programs mirror the demographics of the community."
Abbie, "People who donate their time to an organization are more likely to donate monetarily to that organization."
Buchele
 

No. A registered volunteer who moves to a new location and wishes to be a volunteer for the new Extension Unit must complete the VIP process for the new unit and be appointed by the new Unit Board. The key is they will be volunteering for a new Extension Unit which requires completion of the VIP process for that new unit. The new unit may, at its discretion, accept the previous unit’s orientation (not require the volunteer to take the orientation over).
Buchele
 

The full program and registration booklet for the '08 North Central Regional Volunteer Forum is on line now. The mail web site is: http://www.ohio4h.org/ncrvf/ The booklet is at: http://www.ohio4h.org/ncrvf/documents/RegistrationBooklet_000.pdf
Buchele
 

2008 Kansas 4-H & FFA State Wheat Show in Great Bend
Don’t miss out on this exciting wheat field day this summer.  It’s the annual Kansas State 4-H and FFA Wheat Show.  Kansas is famous for its golden wheat fields all across Kansas.  Families have been participating with this fun and educational show for decades.  Join us in Great Bend on Friday, August 8^h from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Barton County Community College Technology Building at 245 NE 30 Road.  The wheat show is open to all 4-H and FFA members, family members, 4-H leaders, Extension staff and Vocational Agriculture staff.  There will be eight contests open to youth members with cash prizes awarded.  Classes include:  (1) 3 lb. bin run for crops members; (2) 3 lb. bin run for “adopt a producer”; (All wheat samples are due to K-State on July 18 so testing can be completed).  (3) 1 quart jar sample of cleaned wheat; (4) loaf of yeast bread; (5) four cookies; (6) wheat photography contest; (7) wheat centerpiece contest; and (8) a Cloverbuds division awarding participation ribbons. Participants will pick one of three offered tours:  Stafford County Flour Mill in Hudson, Bread Art with Joyce Esfeld with hands-on fun activities for youth and adults (limited to the first 20 who register), or a tour of the Ellinwood Tunnels from the prohibition-era and Dozier Winery.  There is no registration cost.  Pre-registration is required for an accurate meal count and for tour divisions by August 1^st.  Registration is preferred on the Kansas 4-H web site registration system, www.kansas4-h.org. Click on “Register for 4-H Events, and Kansas State 4-H & FFA Wheat Show.”  For those with no computer connections, contact Berny Unruh for food count by August 1^st at 620-793-1910.  For more information contact Deryl Waldren at 785-462-6281 or e-mail him at:  dwaldren@ksu.edu.  For full details on this year’s wheat show visit:  http://4-h.k-state.edu/Events/WheatShow/Default.htm. 
Waldren
 

Kansas 4-H and FFA Wheat Variety Plot Enrollment
As wheat harvest approaches it is time to remind members to re-enroll or ask new members to enroll for the 2009 Kansas 4-H and FFA Wheat Variety Plot program. The program begins fall of 2008 and goes through September 2009.  The enrollment form is currently available on the Kansas State 4-H Website, under "What's Hot" rather than the Northwest Research Extension site. Members are asked to contact their local Extension Office by July 10 for information with enrollments due to the Northwest Area Extension Office by July 25, 2008. It is very important that we know the number of participants early, so we can have enough seed and metal signs available for Extension Agents and leaders to pick up at the Kansas State Fair.  New participants will receive a large plot sign, and five individual variety signs.  Returning members will receive updated variety signs if the varieties change.  These will be distributed on the first weekend of the 2008 Kansas State Fair. This year's participants who are getting ready to harvest their plots should be planning their county fair display for possible qualifying for the Kansas State Fair entry in the Pride of Kansas Building. Resource information for the wheat variety project includes: 

(1) Wheat Variety Plot Brochure, 4-H 565 Rev., April 2000; (2) Wheat Variety Plot--Youth Participant Handbook, 4-H 566, Aug. 1996; and (3) 4-H Wheat Variety Plot Record, P1099.

For more information, contact Deryl Waldren at 785-462-6281 or e-mail him.
Waldren
 

Kansas 4-H Hosts 4-H’ers from Around the World
4-H and rural youth program from countries on three continents will be arriving soon for stays of a month or longer with Kansas families in 2008. The first to arrive June 22 will be representing Costa Rica’s 4S clubs. Kansas is hosting José Antonio Solózono Pérez, (with the Burch family in Clay Co.) one of five members in the group chaperoned by Yolanda Delgado Cascante (with Sharon Tally in Riley Co. and Lona Hinshaw in Reno Co.). The rest of the Costa Rican 4S members are hosted in other states.

On June 23 Janne Berget representing 4H Norway will arrive for a three month stay for a couple of weeks each with the Jacksons (Rooks Co.), the Drapers (Thomas Co.), the Kallenbachs (Stevens Co.), the Schneiders (Saline) and the Henrys (Nemeha Co.). Also arriving June 23 are two representatives of 4-H in Taiwan who will spend six weeks in Kansas. Since we just learned they would be coming last week, not all their hosts are confirmed. Ming-Hua Lin will be hosted by the Kondziolas (Harvey Co.) and the Schremmers (Phillips Co.). Bo-Han “Cary” Chyuan will be hosted by the Spence family (Reno Co.) and others to be named later.

July 21 sixteen LEX and 21 Labo youth and leaders will arrive from Japan to be hosted by as many families in several counties. July 30 Mayu Sakakibara and Yuta Minezaki representing LEX and Labo respectively in Japan will arrive to spend the school year with the DeWerffs (Barton Co.) and Gatz’ (Harvey Co.).

Following a three-month stay in Montana, Christine Trautvetter, Germany, will begin a three-month stay in Kansas September 19 hosted by the Hensleighs (Jefferson Co.), the Haverkamps (Nemeha Co.), the Schmitz’ (Marshall Co.), the Vornaufs (Harper Co.) and the Ennekings (Nemeha Co.).

All of the international guests are eager to participate in 4-H activities and to meet 4-H’ers and their families. We hope Extension staff will encourage their participation in county events while they are in the area and give those who are ready the opportunity to make presentations and/or interact with the press to provide information about 4-H in other countries to the community at large. Thanks for all the support agents have given to make exchanges possible.
Munson