WATONWAN COUNTY 4-H NEWSLETTER

4-H ONLINE https://.mn.4honline.com

Enrollment, event registration, project changes, and family information

WEBSITE

http://www.extension.umn.edu/watonwan

CONTACT US Watonwan County Extension

108 8th St South St. James, MN 56081

507-375-1275

SUE CRAIG 4-H Program Coordinator

craig037@umn.edu

MICHELLE KNUDSON County Support Staff mknudson@umn.edu

4-H Tree - 1999

IN THIS ISSUE Country Christmas ....................................................................................... 1

2020 County Fair Dates ............................................................................... 1

4-H Help Wanted ......................................................................................... 2

Community Service Opportunities ............................................................... 3

4-H Reminders ............................................................................................. 3

Upcoming Meetings & Trainings .................................................................. 3

Workshops ................................................................................................... 4

Calendar of Events ...................................................................................... 6

December & January Calendar................................................................. 7-8

Nelson Wide Awake Flyer ............................................................................ 9

Country Christmas Open to 4-H and the Public

Nelson Wide Awake will be hosting their County Christmas get-together

on Sunday, December 1st from 3 pm to 6 pm at the Godahl Store.

This is a great day for the family to visit Santa, create Christmas crafts

and enjoy Holiday snacks. There will be a bake sale with lefsa, pies,

donuts and more!

Bring non-perishable items to donate to the local food shelf.

See attached flyer.

Sunday, December 1

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Nelson & Albin Store “Old Godahl Store”- 26027 Godahl Dr. Godahl, MN

2020 County Fair Dates Mark your Calendars for the 2020 Watonwan County Fair 4-H dates below!

July 8, 2020: Presentation Day

July 9, 2020: Fair Set-up

July 14, 2020: General Judging

July 16-19 2020: Watonwan County Fair

Happy Holidays! Sue and Michelle wish all our members and their families a very merry,

joyful, and happy holidays! We hope you enjoy your time with family and

friends and the new year brings you joy and happiness.

DECEMBER 2019 WATONWAN COUNTY

WATONWAN COUNTY 4-H NEWSLETTER

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4-H HELP WANTED

Cloverbud Assistants 4-H Youth Grades 6-12

We are in need of 4-H youth from grades 6 to 12

to help with our Cloverbud meetings held the

first Saturday of each month from 10 am to 12

pm. You can volunteer for one, few, or all the

dates.

Jobs include helping youth in grades K-2 with

their projects, playing games with them, and

assisting when needed. Most of all you want to

show that 4-H is fun with a learning experience.

Contact Sue 507-375-1275 or craig037@umn.edu

if you can volunteer a couple hours a month.

Saturday, December 7th 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 4th 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 1st NO MEETING

Saturday, March 7th 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 4th 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 2nd 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Community Youth Representatives 4-H Youth Grades 7-12

Help is needed to attend Watonwan county

elementary school open houses and conferences

to promote 4-H.

Jobs include promoting 4-H, answering any

questions received as best you can. Offering

brochures, flyers, and registration forms to

those with interest.

Livestock Youth Representatives 4-H Youth Grades 7-12

Goat, Sheep and Swine are in search of youth

leaders to serve as youth representatives on the

livestock committee to represent goat, sheep,

and swine members.

Contact Sue if you are interested in becoming a

representative.

Apply Now to be a 2020 4-H Camp Counselor SW MN 4-H Camp Counselor applications are

now open for youth in grades 9 and older.

Serving as a camp counselor is a key leadership

role for many 4-H youths.

Camp counselors learn important leadership

skills like teamwork, commitment and

cooperation. Camp counselors support younger

youth in their learning and guide them in have a

positive and fun experience. Counselors work

with staff to create and lead camp activities.

CAMP INFORMATION Encampment 1: June 22-24

Encampment 2: June 24-26

Location: Shetek Lutheran Ministries on Lake Shetek in Murray County

Age of Campers: Grades 3-6

APPLICATION DEADLINE February 17, 2020 4-H Camp Counselor applications will be

reviewed by Extension staff. You will be notified

by March 1 if you have been selected as a Camp

Counselor

CAMP COUNSELOR TRAINING

It is expected you will attend this training.

Returning counselors will share experiences and

assist with training new counselors. Snow Date

is Sunday, March 29, 2020.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Snow Date: Sunday, March 29, 2020

1:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Slayton 4-H Building

CAMP PLANNING MEETING Wednesday, June 3, 2020

1:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Shetek Lutheran Ministries, Lake Shetek

APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE

https://umn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6KjSjo

7QCXpos61

QUESTIONS

Call Karen Beranek at 507-337-2818 or email

kberanek@umn.edu.

WATONWAN COUNTY 4-H NEWSLETTER

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Youth Leader & Ambassador Ideas to Promote 4-H Grades 7 - 12

If you are in 7th grade or older, we need your help

to maintain and grow our county 4-H program.

You are the voice of 4-H.

Younger members and younger possible

members look at you as a good example of 4-H.

Please give a little back to 4-H by writing letters

to your local newspaper editor about what 4-H

has done for you.

Encourage your friends to join 4-H with a

personal invitation about how fun and rewarding

4-H is.

Bill and Kim Crowley are interested in hearing

your ideas about how to grow the Youth

Leader/Ambassador program. They want you to

not only promote 4-H but to have fun together

and make friends from all over the county.

Contact Bill or Kim with your ideas!

kimcrowley@hotmail.com

COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Sewing Velcro on Vests Watonwan Emergency Management has hunting

style vests to use for events or disaster that can

be worn to identify staff or volunteers.

They also purchased signage to identify the vests

for different positions.

What is needed is to have Velcro strips stitched

on the vests to attach signage/name plates. Julie

from Emergency management has the Velcro

strips.

Straight stitch sewing will be on top and bottom

of the Velcro to the vest. There are 50 vests and

she would like them completed by the end of May

2020 Please contact the office if your club would

like to do some or all the vests for a club project.

4-H REMINDERS

4-H Club Event Guidelines 1. Inform the office of any meetings and events

you are planning.

2. All 4-H club gatherings outside of your

community club meetings need to be

approved and notices sent out through the

Extension office.

3. Community Club Events; remember

members CANNOT participate in any club

activities outside of regular meetings until

they are re-enrolled for the current 4-H year

of 2019-2020.

4. Event Planning; if you are planning an event

outside of your regular club meeting check if

you should be requesting additional

insurance.

5. Please be aware of the 4-H Risk Management

Policy when planning events.

6. If a business or event needs a contract or

agreement signed, you need to send this to

the 4-H Leader to give to the office 2 to 3

weeks in advance for a University of

Minnesota authorized signature.

MEETINGS & TRAININGS

Nifty Thrifty Club Meeting Agenda: Sharing tree and Club meeting

Saturday, December 7

2:00 p.m.

Tweens Holiday Fun Grades 3-6

Members in Grades 3-6 will be making holiday

treats, playing games and enjoy a snack. Invite a

friend to join you in 4-H!

RSVP is required to attend this event. Call 507-

375-1275.

We do need parent help in this project meeting.

If you can help please contact Sue

craig037@umn.edu or call 507-375-1275.

Registration deadline - December 2

Friday, December 6

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

St. James High School FAC Room

Cloverbud Holiday Baking Grades K-2

Invite a friend to join 4-H Cloverbuds to come

with you to bake Holiday treats to take home!

WATONWAN COUNTY 4-H NEWSLETTER

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Make, decorate, and take home your goodies for

the holidays or give as a gift!

Games, baking, learning, and snack provided.

Saturday, December 7

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

St. James Extension Office

Upcoming themes for the months ahead. Come

exploring with us! You may join us for one, some,

or all meetings.

January 4, 2020 ‘Amazing Color Science’

February 1, 2020 NO MEETING

March 7, 2020 ‘Pets’

April 4, 2020 ‘Geology’

May 2, 2020 ‘Entomology’

General Livestock Meeting Animal science PDC kickoff webinar. Join this

project development committee (PDC) kickoff

webinar to help your animal science committees

off to a great start. Members of the state animal

science team will cover the basics of a PDC

including purpose, policies, rules, finances, and

ideas for educational experiences.

Tuesday, December 10

6:30 p.m.

St. James Extension Office

Mark your calendars for upcoming meetings

Sunday, January 19

SPRING ANIMAL SCIENCE PDC WEBINAR

This webinar will include all the animal science

project updates that your committees will need

for a successful project year and county fair.

Tuesday, April 7

Federation Meeting Please have your club represented at the meeting.

Monday, January 27

7:30 p.m.

Watonwan County Resource Center Meeting Room

Clubs reporting:

a. Nelson Wide Awake

b. Nifty Thrifty

c. Riverdale Rockets

d. Rosendale Skippers

WORKSHOPS

Citizen Washington Focus (CWF) This experience is open to youth who are at least

15, and not older than 19 years of age and

complete with their first year of high school at

the time of travel. Participants must be enrolled

in Minnesota 4-H.

Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) offers high

school teens the opportunity to learn about the

legislative branch of our government while

exploring the historic sites of Washington, DC.

Youth participate in workshops, hear from

keynote speakers, and tour memorials,

museums, and historic sites throughout the city.

Through these activities, teens learn about

citizenship involvement and build important

skills like decision-making, public speaking,

debate, team-building, and consensus-building.

Youth also participate in activities that lead to

new and continued friendships with other teens

from Minnesota and across the US! Participants

will be supported in applying what they’ve

learned to make positive impacts in their homes,

clubs, and communities.

Space is limited, so register today! All

registrations are due December 10, 2019. If a trip

does not get the minimum number of

participants, it will be canceled. If a trip fills with

the maximum participants allotted, participants

will be placed on a waiting list in the order their

registration was received.

Registration fee covers:

CWF conference registration

Air travel to/from the Minneapolis/St. Paul & Washington airports

Baggage fee of one suitcase weighing 50 pounds or less

Ground transportation to/from DC area sites and the National 4-H Conference center

Housing

Meals at the National 4-H Conference Center

Entrance fees to arranged site seeing destinations

Conference polo shirt

MN 4-H CWF t-shirt

Extra day of site seeing and hotel stay

WATONWAN COUNTY 4-H NEWSLETTER

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IMPORTANT DATES AND INFORMATION Register through your 4-H account at

https://mn.4honline.com.

Registration closes December 10.

June 21-27, 2020

Fee $2000-$2400 (final cost determined in January

• January 10: $500 deposit due

• March 1: at least $800 payment due

• May 1: remainder of trip balance due

WHAT TO EXPECT

During the trip an itinerary will be given and the

schedule is very full and there is little free time.

Day 1: Participants meet at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport to travel to Washington, DC

Day 2: Participants tour DC area landmarks and conference kick-off in the evening.

Day 3: Workshops, field trip to Mount Vernon, night tour of monuments in Washington.

Day 4: Workshops, field trip to Arlington National Cemetery.

Day 5: Field trip to Capitol Hill to visit congressional offices, tours of landmarks in Washington.

Day 6: Workshops, field trip to National Cathedral or National Zoo, cultural heritage evening.

Day 7: Workshops, talent show, dance

Day 8: Return travel to Minnesota

After you return participants will be expected to

conduct at least one activity to apply their

learning.

For more information go to

https://extension.umn.edu/4-h-

events/citizenship-washington-focus

Building Leadership & Understanding (BLU) Workshop Grades 6-12

The Building Leadership & Understanding (BLU)

workshops engage youth in learning about

leadership topics while making new friends from

across the region. BLUs are planned and

facilitated by other youth - the Minnesota 4-H

State Ambassadors.

Youth participants engage in a variety of

activities throughout the event, including small

and large group discussions, team-building

activities, personal awareness experiences, and

informational sessions. Each BLU has a planned

social activity as well - more details sent to

registered participants approximately two weeks

prior to the event.

This year's BLU focuses on un-masking your

inner leader. We will be discussing what makes a

leader, strengths, leadership styles including

followership and introvert/extrovert

leadership.

Cost includes a long sleeve event shirt and

meals. Watonwan County 4-H Federation will pay

½ of the registration cost after the member turns

in a Bring it Back report.

SOUTHWEST Registration deadline January 10

February 8th 9:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Southwest MN State University-1501 State St. Marshall, MN

1-day event $60

SOUTHEAST Registration deadline February 3

February 22nd 12:00 p.m. to February 23rd 12:15 p.m.

Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center-28097 Goodview Dr. Lanesboro, MN

2-day event $95

CENTRAL Registration deadline February 7

February 29th 9:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

University of MN, St. Paul, MN

1-day event $60

NORTHWEST Registration deadline January 10

February 8th 1:30 p.m. to February 9th 11:30 a.m.

Castaway Club-51709 County Highway 31, Detroit Lakes, MN

2-day event $95

NORTHEAST Registration deadline February 3

February 22nd 1:30 p.m. to February 23rd 11:30 a.m.

Long Lake Conservation Center-28952 438th Lane, Palisade, MN

2-day event $95.

For further information go to

https://extension.umn.edu/4-h-events/building-

leadership-understanding-blu

WATONWAN COUNTY 4-H NEWSLETTER

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS DECEMBER

December 1 3:00-6:00 pm Nelson Wide Awake ‘Country Christmas’

December 2 9 am - 5 pm Tween Holiday Fun Registration Deadline

December 6 6:30-8:30 pm Tween Holiday Fun

December 7 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Cloverbud Holiday Baking

December 7 2:00 pm Nifty Thrifty Club Meeting

December 10 CWF Registration Closes

December 10 6:30 pm General Livestock Meeting

December 24 9 am - 12 pm Office Closed at 12 p.m. (Christmas Eve)

December 25 All Day Office Closed (Christmas)

JANUARY January 1 All Day Office Closed (New Year’s Day)

January 4 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Cloverbuds Meeting

January 10 BLU SW & NW Registration Closes

January 19 General Livestock Meeting

January 20 All Day Office Closed (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

January 27 7:30 pm Federation Meeting

January 28 Sue begins her retirement!

WATONWAN COUNTY 4-H NEWSLETTER

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December

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Nelson Wide Awake Country Christmas

3-6 pm

Tween Club Holiday Fun Registration

Deadline

Tween Holiday Fun 6:30 pm

Cloverbud Holiday Baking 10 am

Nifty Thrifty Club

Meeting 2 pm

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

General Livestock Meeting 6:30 pm

CWF Registration

Closes

St. James Winter Carnival Parade

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

OFFICE CLOSED 12 P.M.

OFFICE CLOSED

29 30 31

WATONWAN COUNTY 4-H NEWSLETTER

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January 2020 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 3 4 OFFICE CLOSED

Cloverbud Meeting 10 am - 12 pm

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

CWF 1st deposit due

BLU SW & NW Registration Deadline

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 General Livestock Meeting 6:30 pm

OFFICE CLOSED

26 27 28 29 30 31 Federation Meeting

7:30 pm

Sue Begins Retirement

Michelle already misses Sue

WATONWAN COUNTY 4-H NEWSLETTER

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