We-R-4-H News – July 2011 A monthly newsletter for 4-H Members, Leaders, Parents, Alumni, and Supporters in Santa Barbara County

New Santa Barbara County 4-H Program Structure On Wednesday evening, June 29th, the Santa Barbara County 4-

H Club Council unanimously approved a 4-H program restructuring plan that was prepared and presented by the Santa Barbara County 4-H Futures Task Force. The newly adopted 4-H program structure has replaced the SB County 4-H Club Council

with two unique bodies, the Management Board and the Program Development Board.

Please familiarize yourself with new structure and the volunteer positions available in both of the Boards - further details,

including the Power Point presentation, Applications, and job descriptions can be found at this link - (http://www.sb4h.org/).

We are excited about this transition, and believe that it will enable the Santa Barbara County 4-H Youth Development Program (YDP) to capitalize on people's passions and strengths, increase the quality of our program, and enable us to have a positive impact in the lives of more people.

Sew Perfect!!! Each year the State Fashion Revue (SFR) Committee chooses a Community Service activity. The project culminates with items brought to the State Fashion Revue event. They are then dispersed to appropriate institutions throughout the state in the name of 4-H. Last year we collected over 1,000 hand-made hats, which were distributed to hospice centers, hospitals and children’s homes to be used by those patients who had lost their hair. This year the choice of children’s hospital gowns was the result of a 4-H member who wanted to help a young friend who was going through several medical procedures and long hospital stays. Wouldn’t it be great to have fun and colorful gowns to wear while in the hospital? Clever 4-Hers from throughout the state made 107 hospital gowns in assorted fabrics and sizes. We are so grateful for your generous support. Thank you “sew” much! We took on a second service project for SFR 2011. Members were encouraged to make a quilt top or a complete quilt to give to wounded warriors as they were transported to a hospital stateside for recovery. It was a special size, 45” x 81” to fit on gurneys and stretchers. We received 11 complete quits, enough squares to complete 4 quilt tops, and an astonishing 31 quilt tops. Glenn County tops the donor list with 20 quilt tops with batting and backing fabric for many quilts. They held a quilt day in May and had their own ingenious quilting bee. San Benito sent four tops and many others sent beautiful creations. Where else will you find people who take large pieces of fabric, cut them into small pieces, and put them together to make a large piece, but one with creative designs, colorful interaction, and clever assembly? The 4-H community is so wonderful and giving.

In our attempt to complete as many quilts as possible this summer we are seeking people and/or groups who would be willing to assemble the three layers of the quilts and tie or quilt them together. Machine stitching is welcome. Please contact Mary Engebreth

maryengebreth@comcast.net if you can help with this finishing task.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY 4-H FALL CLOVER FEST

Coming on Saturday, October 8, 2011 at Flag is Up Farm in Solvang!

A Local Celebration of National 4-H Week, October 2nd – 8th, 2011 Hosted by the Santa Barbara County 4-H Club Council and the Four Leaf Clover

Foundation Fall Clover Fest is a fundraising event for the Santa Barbara County 4-H Club Council, individual local 4-H Clubs and 4-H Project Groups. The event is open to the public to

help promote the 4-H Youth Development Program. It is a fun day with lots of activities for all ages. Please mark your calendars and plan to get involved in helping with Fall Clover Fest. Invite 4-H alumni, friends, neighbors, and potential new 4-H families.

4-H Clubs and 4-H Project Groups are beginning to plan the game booths they will

operate at the event to raise funds for their programs and activities. River Valley 4-H Club already signed up for three game booths, Gold Fish Toss, Wheel of Fortune, and Pumpkin Decorating. Cuyama Valley 4-H Club’s Beef Project Group signed up for a

Dart Board with Balloons booth and a Sucker Ring Toss. What kind of a booth will your club or project like to create?

The Santa Barbara County 4-H Club Council is actively seeking volunteers to coordinate

and help with the Fall Clover Fest BBQ, silent auction, and game booths. Please contact Sherry Mills at the 4-H Office to sign up to help the 4-H Council and the Four

Leaf Clover Foundation with this event, smmills@ucdavis.edu or 805-893-3409.

You’re Invited to Join 4-H in Answering the President’s

Challenge! As part of 4-H's involvement with the First Lady's Let's Move! campaign, 4-H National

Headquarters has started a group to take the President's Challenge together-and you're invited to join us! The President's Challenge is for one million Americans to complete the Presidential

Active Lifestyle Award (PALA). 4-H youth are answering this call by achieving 100,000 awards by September 2011.

The Presidential Active Lifestyle Award recognizes individuals who log their recommended

physical activity for six consecutive weeks, five days a week (minimum 60 minutes for youth, 30 minutes for adults). 4-H is making this goal a top priority. National 4-H Council and Kraft are

offering incentives for 4-H counties to get the most youth in their county to achieve the award. Signing up for the 4-H group is simple. All you have to do is register. It's quick, and there's no

cost to participate!

HOW TO JOIN 1) Go to www.presidentschallenge.org/natl4-H/ 1) Fill out the registration form. 3) After registering, start logging your activities. As you log activities you'll be able to track your progress toward winning a President's Challenge Award or Medal. Mandi Bottoms Healthy Living Academic Coordinator 4-H Youth Development Program University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (530) 752-4359 | fax (530) 754-8541

“Healthy Living Monthly Updates” For anyone who knows the 4-H pledge, “health” is a cornerstone of our organization. 4-H Healthy Living encompasses a holistic approach including healthy eating habits, physical fitness, the capacity to recognize and direct emotions, and the ability to develop and maintain positive social interactions and relationships. California 4-H is focusing efforts on increasing healthy living opportunities and strengthening the presence of healthy living themes throughout existing programs, activities and curriculum. For more information, visit www.ca4h.org/projects/healthyliving.

Healthy Living Wordplay

The first activity to be featured in a Healthy Living Club Activity Guide is now available!

Although the complete guide is still in production, 4-H volunteers and

staff can access the introductory lesson online. In this hands-on activity, youth will broaden their definition of healthy living to include physical, emotional, and social wellness. Introduce youth to 4-H Healthy Living by conducting this fun

activity at your club, project meeting, after school program, or camp! Visit www.ca4h.org/Projects/HealthyLiving.

Updates from the CA 4-H Foundation

The Foundation is gearing up for the 2013 California Centennial Celebration and our goal is to have as many Californian�s as possible reconnect, learn about, and engage with 4-H. To accomplish this we are developing a multi-pronged outreach

effort that includes an increased presence at the State Fair. As many of you know, 4-H has an important historical relationship with Fair and the Foundation is working closely with its leadership to identify opportunities for more visibility at this year�s Fair. On Saturday, July 23, we will be hosting a 4-H Alumni Day that will include discount tickets, a Photo Booth project, special giveaways, and as always, lots of 4-H Youth Development 14-H kids participating in livestock activities. The Fair is also presenting an exhibit that chronicles its history, and photographs and memorabilia from the 4-H archives will be prominently displayed.

The Photo Booth project is a two day event that will chronicle the Faces of 4-H. Past, present, and future 4- H'ers will be invited to have their photo taken and tell their 4-H story. The project will be conducted by noted San Francisco photographer Christopher Irion who created a similar project for the UC Berkeley capital campaign. The Berkeley project may be viewed at http://campaign.berkeley.edu. The 4-H Photo Booth Project will take place all day on Saturday July 23 and July 24. We need your support to spread the word! Please invite your clubs and programs to attend the fair on one (or both) of these days and encourage them to stop by the 4-H booth located in the County Building for their Photo Booth experience.

The Faces of 4-H photos will be displayed in multiple venues – online, in print and in large scale murals created by the artist. As our Centennial Celebration nears in 2013, the Faces of 4-H will play an essential role in telling our 4-H story and it is our hope that it will be displayed in large-scale mural form at the Capitol building at a culminating centennial celebration event.

This year’s State Fair runs from July 14 – July 31. Our booth in the County Building will be open for its entire run and will feature a variety of activities celebrating the great things that are taking place in our 4-H programs statewide. California Alumni Day will take place on Saturday, July 23 – be sure to get your discount tickets! And, don�t miss out on the opportunity to have your picture taken at the Photo Booth – we want to join our Faces of 4-H community. Check our website soon for more information about the Photo Booth and a link to the Alumni Day discounts and other fair news. See you at the fair!

Annette Leeland Executive Director California 4-H Foundation July 13-17, 2011 Santa Barbara County Fair, Bright

Lights & Magical Nights Santa Maria Fairpark

August 1st Application Deadline for Management Board and Program Development Board

4-H Office

August 1st Club Treasurer Books, Secretary Books, Historian Books, and Reporters Books Due

4-H Office*

October 8th Fall Clover Fest, A fundraising event for Santa Barbara County 4-H

Flag Is Up Farm in Solvang

*CLUB TREASURER BOOKS, SECRETARY BOOKS, HISTORIAN BOOKS, AND REPORTERS

BOOKS DUE. These books are to be turned in to one of the following people on or before August 1: 2) 4-H Program Representative Sherry Mills at the UCCE 4-H Office in Goleta,

smmills@ucdavis.edu or 805-893-3409

2) Santa Barbara County 4-H Club Council Representative Mary Anne Christensen in Los Alamos, maclosalamos@aol.com or 805-344-4064 1) Santa Barbara County 4-H Club Council Representative Lu-Ann Ames in Santa Maria, lazyajone@comcast.net or 805-938-0466