The Clover Connection

March and April 2016 WHAT S INSIDE? Club Connection Bladen County Bits Volunteer Vittles Calendar 4-Hers Achieve MORE! The last Thursday in February we celebrated 2015 accomplishments with more than 50 of our 4-H friends and families at the annual 4-H Achievement Program. This year s theme was Building Brighter Futures. A covered dish dinner prefaced the ceremony with meat dishes provided by Smithfield Hog Production and the rest of the delicious meal and desserts were provided by our many guests! Every 4-Her present received a certificate based on their level of participation in the ACHIEVE awards; the second annual Larry Utterback memorial gift was made to 4-H Youth Livestock and Educational Programs; top individual and club awards were presented; state achievements announced; and the county council officers were installed. It was a VERY exciting and eventful night! Photos below tell the story with smiles! NC Cooperative Extension Bladen County Center 450 Smith Circle Drive Post Office Box 249 Elizabethtown, NC 28337 Phone: 910-862-4591 Fax: 910-862-6939 Email: Stacie Kinlaw Email: Johnice Autry Email: Elizabeth Blanks Email: Sharon Parrish Web: Bladen County Cooperative Extension Above: 4-H Project Book Winners and recognition for participation Right: The Green Team 4-H Club celebrates Outstanding Club award Below: The Down East Club shows off their individual ACHIEVE awards

Club Connection Club Meeting Dates Super Clover Club meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at Wesley s Chapel Church, unless otherwise noted. March 14th, 3:30 pm April 11th, 3:30 Green Team Club meetings will be held on the first Monday of each month at Purdie United Methodist Church, unless otherwise noted. The next scheduled meetings will be: March 7th, 6:00 pm April 4th, 6:00pm Down East Club meetings will be held on the fourth Sunday of each month at Tabernacle Church, unless otherwise noted. The next scheduled meetings will be: March 20th, 2:00 pm April 24th, 2:00 pm Page 2 Classy Kids meetings are in East Arcadia. The next scheduled meetings are TBA Bladen Bullfrogs meets at Friendship Baptist Church in Ammon on the 3 rd Thursday of the month. Meetings will be on following dates: March 17th, at 6:30 pm April 21st, at 6:30 pm 4H Club Troup 4031 Meetings TBA 4-H County Council News The next County Council meeting scheduled for the 2016 year is below: Officers arrive at 5:30 to discuss the agenda and official meeting begins at 6 pm for all other Council members and guests. March 24, 2016 A leader and representative from each club is expected to attend; all other 4-H volunteers, club members, and members-at-large are invited to become a part of this group. Please consider joining us!!! 2016 meeting dates are tentatively scheduled for: May 26, 2016; September 22, 2016; and December 1, 2016. 4-H Camp at BJP We have at least one slot still available to go to 4-H Camp at Betsy Jeff Penn this year! Our Bladen County campers attend with a multi-county group and will depart from the Robeson County Extension Office on the morning of July 10, 2016 and return the afternoon of July 15, 2016. Cost for this one week of adventurous camp activities is $400 (a savings of $20 if you register through Bladen County 4-H agent). Information about this 4-H camp experience can be found online at http://www.bjpenn4h.org/l. To reserve your spot today, contact Stacie Kinlaw and make arrangements to pay a $50 deposit ASAP. A payment arrangement will be set up so that the camp fees are paid in full by the date of departure. This event/activity is operating under the 4-H Code of Conduct & Disciplinary Procedure. The NC 4-H Code of Conduct & Disciplinary Procedure (http://www.nc4h.org/publications/forms/4-h_codeofconduct.pdf) is a condition of participation in 4-H events and activities. Persons with disabilities and persons with limited English proficiency may request accommodations to participate by contacting Sandra Cain, County Extension Director, at 910-862-4591 or email Stacie_Kinlaw@ncsu.edu or fax 910-862-6939 or in person at the County Extension Office at

Social Media The Clover Connection Page 3 BLADEN COUNTY BITS 4-H Entertains Bladen County 4-H is on Facebook! It is a great way to follow county events and activities. If you use this form of social media follow Bladen County 4-H on Facebook today by clicking here. 4-H Teen Retreat This year s 4-H District Teen Retreat will be April 15-16, 2016 in Goldsboro, NC. This opportunity is open to enrolled 4-Hers ages 13-18. The cost will be $63/youth and $85/adult for the overnight stay. The theme for this year s retreat is A 4-H Murder Mystery. Friday s main event: for one evening, 4-H ers will take on character roles from years past and get to become a part of a storyline where everyone is a suspect and the goal is to find out who done it! To make the event even better, come dressed to fit your setting and character role (they will be given following registration). We will elect district officers at this meeting, so this is an important event to have our county delegates participate in the voting process. ALSO currently, no nominations have been made for 4-H Vice President, so if you are interested in running for District Vice President, let Mrs. Stacie know ASAP! How do I register for this exciting district 4-H event? You need to complete the registration form found here and turn money and form into Mrs. Stacie no later than March 31, 2016. If you have additional questions about how to participate in this event or activity please call or email Mrs. Stacie. Remember 4-H Clover Bucks Scholarships can apply to this type of event. If you have some then you can use them! 4-H Entertains is BACK!!! We are bringing talent back back to Bladen anyway. Our 3rd local 4-H talent show in years will be the special program at our upcoming County Council Meeting on Thursday, March 24, 2016. The meeting is at 6 pm and 4-H Entertains should begin around 6:30. A light meal will be available at the 6 pm meeting (and if you want to help furnish something let Mrs. Stacie know). All currently enrolled 4-Hers ages 5-18 are eligible to participate in this event (Winners ages 9 to 18 could move on to District for competition!) In order to participate, please complete the following form and submit to Mrs. Stacie (email entries are eligible) on or before 5 pm on Friday, March 18, 2016. Individual and group acts welcomed. Participants should consider the following items when selecting and presenting a talent act. a. Audience appeal b. Projection c. Appropriate dress or costume d. Poise e. Staging-position and/or movement on stage f. Skills in areas of talent Animal acts, use of fire, acts requiring excessive time to set up and/or special lighting are NOT allowed. Microphones, in-house sound system, and piano are available. Participant is responsible for additional or specialized equipment. You should start preparing your project books NOW for 2016 - use this form to help plan your book

BLADEN COUNTY BITS 4-H Presentations 4-H Presentations A presentation is a method used to communicate an idea by showing and/or telling. It is a way to present information to others, to teach and share what you know or have learned. Giving presentations is an important part of the 4-H experience. Every member is encouraged to give at least one presentation per year either at the club level, county workshops and events, or in the 4-H competitive program. WHY? You will need to speak in front of others all through your life. Speaking skills will help you in job interviews and to give effective presentations to your peers. In the career world, communication skills are critical to success and public speaking is high on the list of necessary skills. Because speaking in front of others can be uncomfortable at first, 4-H provides the opportunity to practice and develop these necessary skills. Giving presentations will teach you skills like: how to organize your thoughts logically; how to find and research information about a topic; how to express yourself clearly and convincingly; how to prepare visuals and use them to support what you say; how to listen to the opinions of others and accept feedback; how to teach others; and how to manage time and stress. Rules and Category information http://www.nc4h.org/nc4h-publications/presentations Links https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtythtckv8c (this is one in kicking and screaming presentation) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrkytsmttsu (2 4-Hers present how to give a presentation) Page 4 Clover Sale at Tractor Supply In April, the Tractor Supply Stores across the nation will have their Spring Clover sale. For one week they will sell Clovers at the register for $1 to go to the work of 4-H. We would like to help our local store kick off this big sale, so we need 4-Hers and their families to sign up for time during the week of April 13 through 24, 2016, that you or your club may be interested in working at the 4-H table and helping to sell those clovers!!! A portion of the proceeds comes back to our COUNTY, so the more we sell the better we are!! *Last year over $450 was deposited into our Bladen County Enhancement Account to use for 4-H Programming in Bladen County as a result of the two semi annual campaigns. Please let Mrs. Stacie know ASAP if you are available for either of these dates to help market and support Bladen County 4-H!!! A Bake Sale will coincide with this event on Saturday, April 23, 2016. 4-H Presentation Dates to Remember Due Dates and Time Frames March 1-18, 2016 - Presentation and Talent Show sign up March 30, 2016 anytime from 10 am to 5 pm - you can schedule an appointment with Mrs. Stacie to practice your presentation April 7 beginning at 3 or 4 pm until all have competed - County Activity Day youth present in front of judges at Elizabethtown office Registration for District Activity Day will also probably be within next 2-3 weeks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsz_bkyloi4 (speech not demonstration or illustrated talk) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82kpmja4ym (Delaware top talks) May 14, 2016 (ALL DAY) - District Activity Day in Lenoir County July 16, 2016 (ALL DAY) State presentation finals in Raleigh, NC To get started in presentations, please sign up by calling the 4-H office or emailing Stacie_kinlaw@ncsu.edu. We need the 4-Hers name, 4-H age (as of 1-1-2016, and possible topic to present see link under Rules and Category information to help choose a topic.

BLADEN COUNTY BITS Canned Food Drive WANTED!!! 125 items of canned or nonperishable food brought to the Bladen County 4-H office to donate to Bladen Crisis Assistance and BackPack Pals. TIMELINE NEEDED by MARCH 11!!! This food drive is to commemorate the 125th anniversary of NC A&T State University, one of the land grant universities that comprise NC Cooperative Extension. If you have questions about what is collectible for BackPack pals think of individual easy to fix items that do not require can openers i.e. chef Boyardee, juice boxes, pop tarts, etc. Bladen Crisis Assistance will accept any non-perishable item. 4-H Congress SAVE THE DATE Page 5 4-H State Congress will be held on July 16 through July 19, 2016 in Raleigh, NC. This event is for youth ages 13-18 interested in representing Bladen County 4-H at the state level meeting. Leadership trainings, dances, service projects, etc. are part of this fun-filled teen 4-H event. We will elect state 4-H officers for 2016-2017 and need to bring delegates to get our vote! The cost for this conference is normally between $250 $300 depending upon scholarships. We have arranged business partnerships with Smithfield Hog Production and they are willing to help us provide partial scholarships to our delegates this year to help lower the cost. In order to take advantage of this opportunity to attend Congress at a reduced rate, you must contact Mrs. Stacie Kinlaw prior to March 31, 2016. In addition, you need to either have submitted a project book for 2015; give a presentation at County Activity Day on April 7 and/or District Activity Day on May 14; or competed in a state level livestock or skillathon competition since October 2015 through June 2016. CALL or EMAIL Mrs. Stacie prior to March 31, 2016 to be considered for this scholarship opportunity.

Page 6 BLADEN COUNTY BITS Volunteer Vittles BAKE SALE!!! As your 4-H members arrive at each meeting, do things ever seem a bit awkward as kids wait for the meeting to get started? Or perhaps the environment seems chaotic as kids group up and start talking and goofing around as they wait for their fellow members to arrive? Take a moment and think about the newer members in your club. What are they doing prior to the meeting starting? Are they engaged? Are they included? Are they invited into conversations or activities? Or are they disconnected? Are they feeling insecure and left out of the activities? Pre-meeting activities provides many benefits: 1. It gets kids engaged in fun and/or educational activities the moment they walk in the door. 2. Having the kids engaged in an activity allows the leader to prepare for other items with the meeting. 3. Kids get to learn something while they are working with others. 4. Kids will get to learn more about the other members in their club as they work through activities together. 5. Kids are active right away when they arrive which SHOULD help them sit more calmly during the business meeting. 6. It s a great way for leaders to get youth and parents involved in some club leadership and organization. Parents and youth can be involved with designing activities and helping at the project tables. 7. Some youth may choose to do a working exhibit during this time in order to fulfill their communications for the year. 8. Other kids may quit being late to meetings because they don t want to miss out on the fun! 9. It promotes a sense of belonging and inclusiveness in the club. This inclusiveness then stems to the other essential elements of mastery, engagement, caring adults, safe environments, and self-determination. For more information about activities to help with the start of the meeting please check out t h e f o l l o w i n g w e b p a g e : http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4hfiles/volunte ers/240premeetingactivities.pdf Bring your baked good items to sale at the upcoming 4-H Bake sale during the week of April 19-22, 2016. This year s bake sale will be on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Tractor Supply Store in Elizabethtown from 10 am to 2 pm (or until we sell out!) You can also bring items on the day of the event. Please contact the 4-H office by calling (910)862-4591 or email stacie_kinlaw@ncsu.edu to sign up to work the Bake Sale. You can sign up for one hour time slots between 10 am and 2 pm. Items for the sale need to be wrapped or packaged in individual packaging that can be sold for $1 or $2 each. Please share this flyer with your friends Teens Apply NOW for NC Citizenship Focus Apply for a scholarship to attend NC Citizenship Focus and represent Bladen County 4-H as one of our two county delegates. This conference is held in Raleigh at the Sheraton on June 13-15, 2016. It is for current members of 4-H ages 14-18. We hopefully have secured scholarship funds to help support the $200 fee per youth to attend this annual event. Individuals will be expected to dress professionally. They will have the opportunity to meet and speak with government officials and learn how they can have a voice in the world around them. Apply by APRIL 22 with this application or request an application from the 4-H Office

4-H Job Shadow Day Page 7 In early February in Bladen County, the groundhog is not the only one looking for a shadow. Each year Bladen County Schools Career and Technical Education Department and Bladen County 4-H partner to bring the annual 8th Grade Job Shadow Day to life. This year s event was on February 4, 2016 and around 96 youth qualified to participate in this annual event. To be considered, eighth graders wrote essays about their future career and why they would like to work in that field. Each middle school in Bladen County can recommend up to twenty students based on their submissions. Then, the planning committee contacted businesses and professionals in our community to provide a couple of hours of shadowing on the job experience for the youth. We had students visiting the hospital, retail stores, veterinarian s office, the Department of Transportation, and many others. We even offered a virtual job shadow experience for one of the youth interested in Marine Biology and a gospel recording artist and her sound person were able to set up a mini recording studio in the Extension office for the morning so that two of the eighth graders could actually get experience recording music. The students traveled back to the NC Cooperative Extension office for a luncheon and presentation. This year, Tiina Mundy from Bladen Community College provided information about what not to wear to a job interview and discussed professional dress. Then, Stacie Kinlaw, Bladen County 4-H agent presented information about soft skills to the 8th grade students using information provided by the staff of the Bladen County NC Works Career Center. Superintendent Robert Taylor brought the welcome and words of encouragement and inspiration to kick off this year s luncheon, which was sponsored by STAR Telephone. The planning team is very thankful to all of our local business partners and local professionals that serve as hosts to these eager eighth graders and they all agree that this year s event was a true success!

The Clover Connection Page 8 More Achievement Program Photos! Junior Boy - John Hunter Elks 2016 County Council Officers Senior Girl - Olivia Barnes Jane Ross Community Service Award The Super Clovers 4-H Club Arriel and Maya from the Down East 4-H Club helped serve the guest of the Annual Blueberry meeting at Lu Mil Vineyard Senior Boy - Giordan Graham

The Clover Connection Page 9

March 1-11 Collect Canned Food Items 1-18 Register for Talent Show 7 Green Team meets at 6 pm 14 Super Clovers meet at 3:30 pm 17 Bullfrogs meet at 6:30 pm 18 Last Day to Register for Talent Show 20 Down East Club meets at 2:00 pm 24 County Council and Talent Show 6pm 26 Jones Lake Easter Egg Hunt (register by 23rd) 30 Presentation Practice from 10 am to 5 pm 31 DEADLINES: Teen Retreat and 4-H Congress Scholarships Deadlines and Events April 4 Green Team meets at 6 pm 7 County Presentation Competition starting at 4 pm 11 Super Clovers meet at 3:30 pm 13-24 Tractor Supply Clover Sale 15-16 4-H District Teen Retreat 22 NC Citizenship Focus Application DUE 23 BAKE SALE 24 Down East Club meets 2pm Upcoming dates May 14 May 26 District Activity Day Lenoir County County Coundil Meeting June 13-15 NC Citizenship Focus July 16 State Presentation Finals July 16-19 State 4-H Congress Sincerely, Stacie_Kinlaw@ncsu.edu Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development Johnice Autry 4-H Teen Court, Restitution & Community Service Coordinator Sharon Parrish Support Specialist, 4-H Youth Development Elizabeth Blanks 4-H Life Skills Coordinator North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. NC State University, NC A&T State University, US Department of Agriculture and local governments cooperating.