4-H U.P. Leadermete 2011

Where:  Peninsula Bay Inn

2603 North Lincoln Road

Escanaba, Michigan

When:  Friday, April 8^th and Saturday, April 9^th 2011

Who:  All Adult and Teen 4-H Leaders

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: March 18, 2011

U.P. Leadermete is an annual regional conference held for teens and adults with a focus on teaching new skills, recognizing volunteers, supporting club development and providing networking opportunities for leaders.  We hope that this year’s U.P. Leadermete Conference will inspire adult and teen leaders to grow in their 4-H knowledge and skills and to apply what they’ve learned back in their community by teaching others.

Conference participants will attend workshops on a very wide variety of topics led by 4-H staff and volunteers.  For a complete schedule of events, workshop descriptions, and prices, please download the 4-H U.P. Leadermete Registration Book and Forms.

The Marquette County 4-H Council is once again providing $50.00 scholarships to support the participation of Marquette County 4-H teens and adult leaders in this conference.  The fees listed in the registration materials reflects this scholarship.

If you've never been to Leadermete before, this is a great year to give it a try!  This conference consistently receives positive feedback from participants.  It's a great way to meet other U.P. 4-H'ers and to grow your own knowledge and skills!

TALENT SEARCH

The Leadermete planning committee is looking for 4-H members between the ages of 12-19 who would like to perform at the conference.  Entries must be submitted to Liana Graves (Alger County MSUE) by March 18th.  Download a Talent Search Application for more information.

Download Forms:

4-H U.P. Leadermete 2011 Registration Book and Forms

Talent Search Application Forms

If you would like a printed copy of the book and forms, stop by or contact the MSU Extension office.

The Posse 4-H Club Membership Meeting

Photo by Wolfgang Staudt (flickr)

The Posse (Marquette County) is seeking new members.  There will be a meeting on Sunday, February 20 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm in the Lion's Room at Peter White Public Library.  No membership fees will be charged and there is no additional paperwork if you are already enrolled in 4-H for the 2010/2011 year. An election of officers will be held so if you are interested in running for a position, be prepared to give a speech.  Equine competition plans, t-shirt design logos, future community service projects, and any other activities the membership would like to participate in will be discussed.  Youth and adult volunteers interested in joining the club are welcome to attend!

The Posse's mission statement is as follows: 

The Posse 4-H Club is a community 4-H club designed to develop skills and knowledge in the equine area for the purpose of competition to include Horsebowl, Hippology, Horse Judging, Public Speaking and Demonstration.  In addition, as a community club we are open to other aspects of 4-H should the membership wish to explore.

For more information about the club, please contact:
Chris Calderwood - Club Co-Leader - (906-228-9329) 
Jill Churchill - Club Co-Leader - (906-346-4543) 

Marquette County 4-H Participation Fee Grants

Do you have a great idea for a new or improved 4-H project or program, but you're short on cash to make it happen?  Apply for a Marquette County 4-H Participation Fee Grant and make your dreams come true!

The Participation Fee Grant Program is supported by the $10.00 fee that 4-H members pay each year when they register for 4-H.  Grant applications must be completed by youth.

Funds from the Grant Program are available now through August 31, 2011. Grant applications will be reviewed and processed in the order that they are received by the MSU Extension office (as in: first-come, first-served!).  There is approximately $950.00 available for grants during the 2010-2011 4-H program year.

Download a 4-H Participation Fee Grant Application Packet today!  The packet includes an application and eligibility requirements.  Good luck!!

UP Teen Overnight 2011

4-Hers 12 and up are invited to the 2010 U.P. Teen Overnight, February 25th and 26th in Marquette. This is a great chance to meet teens from across the U.P., to cheer on the NMU hockey team in their last home game of the season, to enjoy winter sports with friends, and more! (Download a brochure below for a schedule and additional information about the Overnight)

The cost for the Teen Overnight is $25 per participant which includes lodging, meals and outdoor equipment.

Completed forms (including media release medical authorization) along with payment must be turned in to the Marquette County MSU Extension office by February 7, 2011. 

Adult chaperones are needed.  Please contact the Marquette County MSU Extension office if you are interested in attending the overnight!

  

Space is limited!  Enrollment will be provided on a first-come, first served basis, so get your forms in as soon as you can!

Download Teen Overnight Brochure and Registration Forms

4-H Ski Nights @ Marquette Mountain

Some Marquette County 4-H members enjoying the slopes!  (Photo by Cathy Waller)

Thanks to the generous support of Marquette Mountain, the 4-H Ski Nights are back again for 2011!  On select dates in January, February, and March, 4-H members (along with their family and friends) can get ski or snowboard rentals along with a lift ticket for only $15.00!

You must print and present a coupon at the Marquette Mountain ticket office in order to receive the special rate.

Schedule of 4-H Ski Events at Marquette Mountain:

January 28, 2011

4:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Download the January Flier and Coupon

February 17, 2011

4:00 - 9:30 pm

Download the February Flier and Coupon

March 4, 2011

4:00 - 9:30 pm

Download the March Flier and Coupon

*** Attention Parents!  Please note that supervision and safety of your child will be your responsibility at these events.  Thank you.

Marquette County Fair 2011

The 2011 Marquette County Fair Junior Beef Steer, Lamb & Swine Show & Sale Preliminary Entry Blank is now available for download.

Please mail completed Junior Beef Steer form(s) BY March 1^st 2011,
and completed Lamb & Swine form(s) BY June 1^st 2011 to: 

Emily Bruce, Livestock Superintendent, Box 2, Arnold, MI 49819

2011 Marquette County Fair
Market Livestock Record Books for Steer, Lamb, & Swine:

Beginner Record Book (9-10 YRS)
Intermediate Record Book (11-13 YRS)
Advanced Record Book (14-19 YRS)

4-H Capital Experience 2011

Preparing for Active Citizenship

4-H Capitol Experience is an annual 4-day conference that focuses on civic engagement and public policy. More than 100 teens from around the state converge on Lansing, Michigan, to experience state government in action!

Since 1982, Michigan teens have had the opportunity to learn how they can get involved with influencing policy issues. After choosing a current issue, participants interact with legislators, state agency staff, lobbyists and other resource people to learn how policy is made. Through educational experiences, teens will:

• Discover how to be actively involved in influencing policy decisions
• Understand the responsibilities of a citizen
• Explore different aspects of a policy issue that may affect individuals and communities
• Explore various careers in public policy
• Learn about the policy process at the state level
• Bill writing session
• Network with teens from around the state

Teens who attend 4-H Capitol Experience have the opportunity for an in-depth meeting with someone who works either in or is involved with state government. In addition, simulations and activities are incorporated to reinforce and apply what is learned about government. At the end of the conference, the teens leave with the charge to share what they have learned with others and get involved with other leadership and civic engagement activities in their communities!

Want to know what it's like to attend Capital Experience from the perspective of a youth participant?  Check out the story and pictures of Gentian W., a Marquette County 4-H member who attended the conference last year.  Go to: http://www.upriders.com/Archives/2010/03/CapitolExperience.htm to read Gentian's story. 

About the 2011 Conference

When and Where:

The conference begins with registration on Sunday, March 20, 2011, from 3 to 4 p.m. and ends on Wednesday, March 23, 2011, at 12:30 p.m. Tours and agency visits will take place at the State Capitol and surrounding area.

Who Should Attend:

High school students at least 14 years old and adult participant-chaperons who are interested in gaining skills and knowledge to develop their leadership, citizenship and community service skills and apply what is learned in their communities. All participants must have pictured identification.

Cost:

Registration cost includes all meals, lodging and material fees. Counties will be billed after the event. Cost: $295 4-H members, $305 non4-H members.  The Marquette County 4-H Council provides full or partial scholarships to conference participants, depending on how many people attend from Marquette County.  

Registration Deadlines:

Registrations are due in the county offices by February 4, 2011.
Registrations are due in the State 4-H Office by February 11, 2011.

For more information, including the application packet, go to the 4-H Capital Experience website: http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/capexp.html

or Contact Brian Wibby at the Marquette County MSU Extension office.

4-H International Exchange Programs

Bring the world into your home next summer!  Did you know that Michigan 4-H sponsors International Exchange Programs that give Michigan families the opportunity to host youth from other countries?  Michigan 4-H youth can also travel to different countries throughout the world as part of this program.

During the summer of 2011, Michigan will be hosting youth from Belize, Poland and Japan.  Families need to have a youth of the same age and gender as their exchangee living in the home to participate in the program.  

Japan Inbound Hosting Opportunity

About 60 Japanese students between the ages of 12 and 16 will travel to Michigan during the summer of 2011.  These young people are excited to learn about your family's customs and culture, your values, foods, clothes, and lifestyle. But mostly they want to make friends, meet other young people, and try communicating in English!

Would you consider opening your home to one of these students, or their chaperone?  The exchange takes place mid-July to mid-August, 2011.  Students are matched with host siblings of the same age and gender. Host families do not need to plan special activities. 

You may wonder - what is the impact of participating as a host family? 

According to reports from six families that hosted in 2007-2008, host brothers/sisters gained an understanding that they have a lot in common with people from other cultures.  They also learned to care about and appreciate people who are different from themselves.  Host youth were able to experience what it means to be a good representative of the United States and how important it is to learn to communicate with others from different cultures.  Host siblings were able to work through misunderstandings. 

Host youth reported that communicating in a language other than English was even more difficult than anticipated but other things were not as difficult as expected.  Some of these things included the exchange student getting homesick (most did not), not getting along with the Japanese youth (most did just fine) and making mistakes because of not understanding the Japanese culture and customs (people seem to have more similarities than differences).

Host parents noticed that their son/daughter gained the skills of making new friends, accepting differences, working in cooperation with others and being comfortable in new situations.  Adults found a new respect for having to care for someone who is a long way from home and learned skills of how to be tolerant of differences.  Living with people they didn’t know was a unique positive experience.

Two families reported that they gained a helpful awareness of how they relate to each other.  Several families shared that they learned how to be more patient and that the host experience brought their family closer together.  Gaining a respect for how brave the young Japanese girl was to travel from her home to a strange country and stay with people she never met before was enlightening for one family.  The resounding theme of what the families gained was basically patience, understanding and friendship!

Results from the 2003 Japanese Exchange Program Evaluation conducted by Dr. Mary E. Arnold of Oregon State University reveal that youth who participate as hosts to international visitors reported gains in life and personal skills that were similar to those who traveled to Japan.  From learning to appreciate other people and cultures, to developing important social skills, to forming a self and career identity, youth participating in the exchange experience report that it has a high level of impact on their lives.  This has important program implications as the results show that it is not necessary to travel to another country in order to have a significant inter-cultural experience!

Poland Inbound Hosting Opportunity:


Teens, ages14 to 19 as of January 1, 2011, from around Michigan are invited to host students traveling here from Poland from June 24 to approximately July 21, 2011.  This hosting opportunity is coordinated by Michigan State University Extension, 4-H Youth Development Global and Cultural Programs.

Youth who host students this summer will have the chance to make life-long international friends and have the opportunity to travel to Poland in 2012.

Check out the Polish Exchange brochure for more info: http://web1.msue.msu.edu/msue/cyf/youth/global/forms/Poland-Belize/PolandBrochure2011.pdf

For a host family application or more information contact your county 4-H Extension Educator at the MSU Extension office or contact the trip Coordinator:

Polish Exchange trip coordinator, Jan Brinn at 269-673-0370 Ext. 2555 or at brinn@msu.edu.  

Japan Exchange trip coordinator, Wanda Repke at 231-922-4825 or at repke@msu.edu

Belize Exchange trip coordinator, Pat Waugh at 810-667-0341 or at waughpat@msu.edu

4-H Halloween Party 2010

Marquette County 4-H Awards Program

2010 Marquette County 4-H Awards Program forms are available to download!

The Awards Program and Banquet will be held:

November 7, 2010

1:00 pm

Negaunee Township Hall

42 State Highway M35
Negaunee, MI 49866

Individual Awards

As in past years, 4-H youth members need to fill out the Individual Awards Information Sheet.  Each enrolled 4-H member is eligible for a year pin and a project pin.  The same project pin and/or award cannot be received two years in a row. Cloverbuds will receive a year badge and certificate.  

Leadership, Citizenship, and Achievement Awards

Youth ages 12 – 19 (4-H age determined by age of child on 1/1/2010) are also eligible for Leadership, Citizenship, and Achievement Awards.  Youth must fill out a cover sheet for these awards and write an essay.

Volunteer and Community 4-H Awards

Also, be sure to make nominations for Volunteer & Community 4-H Awards.  Youth, leaders, volunteers and parents are encouraged to fill out a nomination sheet.  This is your opportunity to recognize the outstanding contributions and efforts that others make to 4-H!

Deadline

Forms are due to the Marquette County MSU Extension office before Friday, October 8th, 2010.  Only those who submit completed forms by the October 8^th deadline will be considered for awards. 

Download the Forms

4-H Club Leaders can provide you with printed copies of the awards forms or you may download and print the forms yourself by clicking on the following links:

Individual Awards Information Sheet

Leadership, Citizenship and Achievement Awards Sheet

Volunteer and Community Awards Nomination Sheet

Awards Handbook

The Awards Handbook provides more information on the awards process and eligibility for all awards.  If you have questions about the awards, please contact your club leader or the MSU Extension office.  Download the Marquette County 4-H Awards Handbook