UP 4-H Leadermete 2012

UP 4-H Leadermete Conference
April 13 & 14, 2012

Marquette, MI

What is the 4-H Revolution of Responsibility?  It’s a movement for positive change in every community in America.  4-H youth are a living, breathing, culture-changing revolution for doing the right thing, breaking through obstacles and pushing our country forward by making a measurable difference right where they live.  When youth and adult leaders come together in Marquette for the 2012 UP 4-H Leadermete, we will have an opportunity to engage in learning that will make help to make a difference in all of OUR communities across the Upper Peninsula!  

The UP 4-H Leadermete Conference will be held April 13 & 14 at the Holiday Inn in Marquette, MI.  The conference is open to all youth and adult volunteers interested in developing new knowledge and skills for leading youth in informal educational experiences.

Conference sessions focus on life skills, science concepts, leadership abilities, citizenship practices, and/or entrepreneurship opportunities that you can use to facilitate projects with youth.  Learn from a number of statewide teams, staff and volunteers on how important these goals are to 4-H youth.

Download the conference brochure to see the conference schedule and learn what sessions will be offered this year.  A registration form is included in the brochure.  Registrations must be submitted to your county MSU Extension office by March 9, 2012.

All participants (youth and adults) must also submit a media release/medical treatment authorization form.

Youth participants must also submit an overnight housing/swimming permission form.

Make and Take - Community Service Blast 

On Friday April 13, each UP County will offer conference participants an opportunity to contribute to a community service project that will benefit an organization or group.  Teams of youth and adults from each county are needed to identify a need in their community, plan a short project that others can help with, and provide supplies for conference attendees to complete the project.

The Community Service Blast will take place from 8-9:30 pm.  Your county/group will be provided with a table to set up your project on.  Conference attendees will rotate between stations, so the activity that you plan should be something that participants can complete in 10-30 minutes.  After Leadermete, your group will be able to take your completed project back to your community and donate it to the organization or group that you have identified to help.

Download the Community Service Blast Flyer and Planning Form and start working on a project for your county today!

Michigan 4-H has resources available to help your group plan your project.  The Michigan 4-H “Planning Your Community Service Project” document provides background information on community service, ideas for projects, and the steps that groups can use to plan and conduct a service project.  It is available online at http://expeng.anr.msu.edu/sites/4h/resources/PlanYourCommServProj.pdf

The Michigan 4-H Citizenship, Leadership and Service website has additional resources that your group may want to use as you plan your project: http://4h.msue.msu.edu/4h/citizenship_leadership_service

Once you have identified the project that your group would like to do at Leadermete, please email, fax, or mail your completed planning form (by March 1, 2012) to:

Brian Wibby
Marquette County MSU Extension
184 US Highway 41 East
Negaunee, MI 49866
Phone: 906-475-5731
Fax: 906-475-4940
email: wibby@msu.edu

Download Forms:

Conference Brochure/Registration Form

Overnight Housing/Swimming Permission Form

Media Release/Medical Treatment Authorization Form

Make and Take Community Service Blast Flyer and Planning Form

UP Leadermete

Call for Workshop Proposals

Life Skills Definitions

Target Life Skills resource

UP State Fair - Livestock Committee Youth Advisory Position

The U.P. State Fair Livestock Committee Youth Advisory Position is still available and the deadline has been extended.

The Upper Peninsula State Fair Authority recently approved creation of a youth livestock representative position to the Livestock Advisory Committee. We invite all youth who may be interested in serving on the Livestock Advisory Committee to submit a letter of interest by fax to Delta County Chamber of Commerce (906) 786-8830 by Friday April 15^th!!!

YOUTH LIVESTOCK REPRESENTATIVE

Responsibilities:

Be familiar with rules and regulations as listed in the Upper Peninsula State Fair Exhibitor’s Guide to Classes and Awards.

Represent all junior livestock exhibitors and voice the concerns of those they represent.

Provide youth voice and input concerning policies and procedures developed by the committee and superintendents to determine if they are in the best interests of Upper Peninsula State Fair youth livestock exhibitors.

Make best effort to stay informed and attend all scheduled Upper Peninsula State Fair Livestock Advisory Committee Meetings.

Submit ideas to the Upper Peninsula State Fair Livestock Advisory Committee for new programs and activities.

Serve a two-year term as a voting member on the Livestock Advisory Committee.

Serve as an ambassador of the Upper Peninsula State Fair.

Qualifications:

Minimum age of 16.

Have experience in livestock exhibition and be a current junior livestock exhibitor.

Possess the ability to work with adults and other youth in a variety of situations.

Possess the ability to work and communicate effectively.

Have a willingness to become familiar with and work within the philosophy of the Upper Peninsula State Fair.

UP State Fair - Pre-Entry for Lambs, Hogs and Goats

Junior market lamb, hog and market goat show rules summary and entry forms for making preliminary entries in the Upper Peninsula State Fair are now available to download for 4-H members and club leaders.  The Preliminary Entry Blank must be completed in its entirety.  Late or incomplete entry blanks will not be accepted, absolutely no exceptions will be made.  The rules are a summary only.  Official show rules are published in the annual Exhibitor’s Guide to Classes & Awards.

The fair will again assign an ear tag number after the pre-entry deadline.  The ear-tagging procedure helps maintain control over entries and prevents tagging at the fair. 

Please do not hesitate to contact the Upper Peninsula State Fair at 906/786-4011 with questions regarding the Junior Market Lamb Show, Junior Market Hog Show and Junior Market Goat Show.

2011 UP State Fair Pre-Entry Rules:

Hog Pre-entry Rules

Goat Pre-entry Rules

Lamb Pre-entry Rules

2011 UP State Fair Pre-Entry Forms:

Hog Pre-entry Form

Goat Pre-entry Form

Lamb Pre-entry Form

Tri County 4-H Camp July 11-13 Alberta

Open to youth 7-13 years old. Registration Due June 10, 2011

Science Team

4-H Great Lakes and Natural Resources Camp is July 31-August 6 at Camp Chickagami in Presque Isle. This camp is designed for Michigan teens ages 13 to 15 years old and has received national recognition for program excellence. The camp is nestled between the shores of Lake Huron and the inland Lake Esau. Both 4-H and non-4-H youth are encouraged to attend.

This Michigan State University pre-college program provides hands-on experiences with Michigan’s natural resources, builds leadership skills and encourages career exploration. “Campers gain a greater understanding of Michigan’s natural resources and learn to take care of them. They also enjoy activities such as charter boat fishing, kayaking and sailing,” said Judy Ratkos, program leader for 4-H Youth Development with Michigan State University Extension.

Other hands-on learning campers get to enjoy include using GPS and GIS technology to explore and map unique wetland habitats, snorkeling, fossil hunting, shooting sports, outdoor survival and photography.  “They’ll have a lot of fun, learn in the outdoors, enjoy evenings around a campfire, and develop everlasting friendships with other teens from across the state,” Ratkos said.

The fee to attend is $335; youth not enrolled in 4-H pay an additional $10 4-H participation fee. (Local scholarship support may be available.) Teens interested in attending 4-H Great Lakes and Natural Resources Camp, whether 4-H members or not, should contact their county MSU Extension office at 1-888-MSUE-4MI. The registration deadline is May 16, 2011. If space is still available after May 16, registrations will be accepted but will have an added $25 late fee.

To learn more about camp, check out the information and slideshow on-line at

http://web1.msue.msu.edu/msue/4h/glnrc.html.

Exploration Days 2011

Registration Books and forms are now available at your County MSU Extension office or may be downloaded here:  

4-H Exploration Days Registration Book (includes forms)

Registration Forms (only)

Registration opens March 22. Get your forms in early for a better chance to get your first choice of classes.

About 4-H Exploration Days

More than 2,500 students and adult chaperones will be on the Michigan State University campus June 22-24 for the 42^nd annual 4-H Exploration Days.  Participants stay in residence halls and attend sessions in their areas of interest ranging from veterinary medicine to Web design, performing arts, how to start their own business, organic farming and many more. Nearly 200 hands-on classroom and field trip sessions are offered.   Participants from Marquette County must have turned 12 years old before January 1, 2011 in order to participate in the event.

Exploration Days, Michigan’s largest annual 4-H event, is designed to help students learn new ideas and techniques while exploring career options and developing decision-making, independence and teamwork skills. They also meet and interact with people from different backgrounds and areas throughout Michigan. 4-H volunteers and staff are on hand to offer oversight and guidance.

“Exploration Days gives 4-H youth an authentic collegiate experience,” says Judy Ratkos, MSU Extension 4-H Youth Development program leader and coordinator of the event. “They are exposed to things they cannot get at the local level. Information learned in a session may spark their interest in a college major or career.”

When not in sessions, students will have a plethora of recreation and learning choices. This year’s Exploration Days features tours of the MSU Skandalaris Football Center, Breslin Student Events Center, the MSU Dairy Store, the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, the 4-H Children’s Gardens and a planetarium show. The opening night entertainment on June 22 features “4-H’s Got Talent!” with performances by a variety of talented groups and individual 4-H’ers and alumni at the Wharton Center Great Hall. The annual State 4-H Awards Celebration, a formal event celebrating the accomplishments of more than 160 Michigan 4-H members, takes place June 23.

For more information about 4-H Exploration Days, visit http://web1.msue.msu.edu/4h/expodays.html. 

News from the U.P. State Fair

Photo by Martin Cathrae

The Upper Peninsula State Fair Authority recently approved a Market Goat Show and Sale for the 2011 Upper Peninsula State Fair.

After considerable research and under the direction of Tom Klink, Livestock Supervisor, and Jim Decremer, Dairy and Goat Superintendent, showing and selling market goats at the U.P. State Fair will become a reality in 2011.  Tom states that market goats have become a popular livestock project at fairs throughout the country and the U.P. State Fair will now offer this opportunity to exhibitors throughout the Upper Peninsula.

Goats must be at least 50% meat breed, born after December 1, 2010 and can be of either sex.  A minimum fair weight of 75 pounds is required and there is no maximum weight.  Goats with visible signs of fungus, prolapsed or sore mouth will not be allowed to exhibit.  No training spike collars will be allowed or used at the show.  Horns are optional.  The pre-entry deadline will be the same as for lambs and hogs  - June 1, 2011.  Pre-entry rules and forms will be mailed to Upper Peninsula MSU Extension offices in mid April.  The sale order of the top twelve goats will be determined by the judge and sold at the Junior Market Livestock Auction on Saturday, August 20, 2011.  This is a one-year trial program.

Ninety-four pre-entries have been received for this year’s Junior Steer Show and Sale.  Ear tags will be mailed to the 4-H leaders or individual exhibitors in March.  Ninety steers were sold at the 2010 U.P. State Fair Junior Market Sale.

Recent appointments to the U.P. State Fair Livestock Advisory Committee include Jim Kronemeyer, Pickford - Dairy Representative; Mark Veeser, Powers - Beef Representative; Carol Quist, Carney - Sheep Representative and Phillip Talsma, Skandia - Goat Representative.

The Livestock Advisory Committee will accept letters of interest for the newly created position of Youth Livestock Exhibitor Representative until April 15.  Letters should be submitted to the Upper Peninsula State Fair/Delta County Chamber of Commerce, 230 Ludington Street, Escanaba, MI 49829.

For additional information about any of the livestock shows, please contact Sandy Groleau, Exhibitor’s Manager, 906 384-6898 or Tom Klink, Livestock Supervisor, 906 644-7148.