Comal County 4-H News February 2016

Comal County 4-H News
February 2016
325 Resource Drive, New Braunfels, TX 78132
Phone: 830-620-3440
Fax: 830.620.3446
http://comal.agrilife.org
http://comal4-h.blogspot.com
In this newsletter:
o Club Manager & Council Meeting – Feb. 3
o District Photography Contest
o Scholarships
o State Fair
o Comal 4-H
o CCJLSA
o Wade Busby
o 4-H Booth at San Antonio Livestock Show
o Leadership Opportunities at Rodeo Austin
o Community Service Corner
o Roundup Rooms – Book ‘em Early!
o Eli’s Fund
o 4-H Has Talent
o Livestock Skill-a-thon
o Howard College Goat Camp
o Howard College Lamb Camp
o District 10 4-H Small Bore Rifle Contest
o 4-H Shooting Sports Coach Trainings UPDATE
o Poultry Equipment for Sale
o Livestock 101
o Rabbit Meat Pen Validation – Feb. 16
o Texas 4-H Congress
th
o Recordbooks Due June 24 !
o State 4-H Photography Contest – Seniors Only
o Club News
o Clover Kudos
o District 10 Care Package Service Project
o Calendar
All county offices, including the Extension
th
Office, are closed Monday, February 15 in
observance of Presidents’ Day.
We are happy to welcome Dr. Megan Capeheart as
our County Extension Agent – 4-H and Youth
Development, beginning in Comal County on
February 16th. Welcome, Dr. Meg!
Club Manager and 4-H Council Meeting
February 3, 2016 - Council Meeting, Club Manager
Meeting (both at 6:30 p.m. at the Extension office)
Officers, please be at the meeting room by 5:30 p.m.
District Photography Contest
Registration for the District Photography Contest will be
held on 4-H Connect April 1-15, 2016. Cost for
registration is $5 per person. Late Registration is on 4-H
Connect April 16-18, and registration will be $30 ($5
regular entry and $25 late fee).
Age Divisions:
- Juniors - 3rd - 5th grade
- Intermediates - 6th - 8th grade
- Seniors - 9th - 12th grade
Each 4-H member may enter up to three (3) total
photographs. You CANNOT enter all three photos in the
same category; they will need to be entered in 3
separate categories. Photos must be taken by the 4-H'er
between March 20, 2015 and April 15, 2016.
Please check out the rules that are posted on our web
site: Click Here. There are specific rules for formatting,
labeling/naming the photograph, submitting them and
completing your online entry.
Judging will be held between May 15 and June 1, 2016.
Results will be posted on the District 10 web site by June
6, 2016. A slide show of all photos will be on display at
the District 10 4-H Conference in August.
Please remember, the District Photography Contest and
the State Photography Contest are two STAND-ALONE
contests. One has nothing to do with the other. The
District contest is open to all age groups. The State
contest is open to Senior aged 4-H'ers only (grades 912).
Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability,
genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas
Cooperating. Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid, service, or accommodation in order to participate in meetings are encouraged to contact the
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office at, 830-620-3440 five days prior to the event so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
State Fair of Texas Scholarship Applications
Scholarship Applications Now Online
Applications for the 2016 State Fair of Texas Livestock
scholarships are now online! Scholarships are awarded
to graduating Texas high school seniors who are
enrolling in an agricultural-related or agriculturalbenefiting natural science curriculum at a Texas college
or university and who have competed in competitive
youth livestock events held at the State Fair of Texas.
Apply online today, applications are due February 15,
2016.
2016 Comal 4-H Scholarship
The Comal 4-H Scholarship (award amount $1,000)
of New Braunfels Area Community Foundation is
available to a current high school senior who plans to
attend a college, university or vocational school full time
in the Fall of 2016. Applicants must be active in the
Comal County 4-H Program and must have been a
participant for a minimum of two years. Applicants will be
selected on the basis of participation in 4-H projects,
activities, leadership, character and scholastic record.
Applications will open no later than January 12,
2016. Application deadline is February 18, 2016.
Applications will be accepted ONLINE ONLY at
www.nbacf.org.
For information, visit www.nbacf.org or contact Betty
Taylor, NBACF scholarship coordinator, at
betty@nbacf.org or (830) 606-9597.
(This scholarship was formerly known as the Comal
Extension Education Scholarship.)
CCJLSA Scholarship - Due March 15th
The Comal County Junior Livestock Show
Association Scholarship is due to the Extension office by
March 15, 2016. The application is posted on our web
site under the Publications & Information tab. Click here
for the application. Be sure to turn in your documentation
with your scholarship application.
CCJLSA Scholarship Rules & Guidelines are on the
blog!
Wade Busby Memorial Scholarship
If you are not familiar with this organization, they are
a non-profit organization that was formed 11 years ago
to provide support to 4-H and FFA members. Their big
project is as a buyer at the county youth livestock
shows. Last show season they were the #1 buyer at the
Guadalupe County show, the #2 buyer at the LaVernia
and Comal County Shows and a silver VIP buyer at the
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Junior Livestock
Show. In addition to supporting the exhibitors at the
shows, they also offer scholarships to graduating
seniors. They will be offering up to 10-$1,000
scholarships to the 2016 graduating class.
CLICK HERE for the scholarship application.
Eligibility requirements, selection criteria and deadlines
are in the document.
4-H Booth at the San Antonio Stock Show!
4-H Council Members: Dr. Meg is asking for your help
with our booth on 4-H Day at the San Antonio Livestock
th
Show. 4-H Day is being held on Saturday, February 13
from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We will again be making the
very popular popsicle stick animals. Please email Janet
(jlsweet@ag.tamu.edu) to sign up for a shift. Times
available are 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.; 12-3 p.m. and 2-4:30
p.m. Be sure to specify which shift will work for you!
Leadership Opportunities at Rodeo Austin
There are some leadership opportunities available to
sing the National Anthem, recite the 4-H pledge and FFA
motto for the shows at Rodeo Austin in March. If you will
be participating in the show or live close to the area and
would like to volunteer, please sign up using the link
below.
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4ea9ae2aa57star
Please review your schedule carefully when
selecting to volunteer so that you are not overbooking
yourself.
Roundup Rooms - Book 'em early!
Donations are being made directly to the already
established fund at the Texas A&M Foundation. Make
sure those donating denote #Texas4h and their county
information in the Additional Comments or Instructions.
See the flyer on the blog!
4-H Has Talent - Due April 1, 2016
This is the complete room block list for Texas 4-H
Roundup. Almost all locations listed have double
options, some are suites as well.
Each location has set a cutoff date as well for room
rates, please note that when booking. Should a location
fill their block, please look to the other locations in town.
Eli's Fund
The 2015-16 Texas 4-H Council has selected Eli’s Fund
as this year’s community service project. From now
through Texas 4-H Roundup, we encourage your
counties to support this effort. The Moore family of
Corpus Christi, TX has provided a $5,000 Challenge
Award donation to the Texas 4-H Foundation which will
be awarded to the top three counties raising funds. The
award will be disbursed in the amount of $2500, $1500,
and $1000 respectively.
More about Eli’s Fund:
Eli, a bomb-sniffing military working dog was assigned to
US Lance Cpl. Colton Rusk. In December, 2010, Lance
Cpl. Rusk was killed by sniper fire in Afghanistan. Eli,
ever faithful to his handler was left depressed and alone.
He would not leave Lance Cpl. Rusk’s cot at the base for
several weeks. In February 2011 Lance Cpl. Rusk’s
family in South Texas was allowed to adopt Eli. The
Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation (College of
Veterinary Medicine, CVM) has pledged to cover all of
Eli’s veterinary care for the rest of his life. The CVM
established Eli’s Fund as a source of financial support
for active duty service men and women, medically retired
veterans’ service animals and retired military animals.
Livestock Skill-a-thon - NEW CONTEST!
We are excited to announce the rules and resource
information for the Texas 4-H Livestock Skill-a-thon
contest. This is a NEW contest for the 2016 Texas 4-H
Roundup. This year we are offering the contest as an
Invitational Contest open to both Intermediate and
Senior age 4-H members. The first place senior level
team qualifies to advance to the 2016 National 4-H
Livestock Skill-a-thon contest at the North American
International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, KY.
Date: Tuesday, June 7, 2016; Time / Location: TBD
Contest Superintendents: Brandon Dukes, John Villalba
and J.D. Ragland
OBJECTIVE - The Livestock Skill-a-thon contest tests a
4-H member’s knowledge and comprehension of animal
science and livestock management practices. The
contest provides an opportunity for youth to gain and
develop production livestock skills and life skills through
a competitive environment. The guidelines can be found
on the Texas 4-H website - click here.
Goat Camp
2016 District 10 4-H Small Bore Rifle Contest
Date: Saturday, April 16, 2016
Location: Wilson County Fairgrounds, Floresville, Texas
Regular Registration: March 21-30 on 4-H Connect ($10
per individual)
Late Registration: March 31 - April 1 on 4-H Connect
($35 per individual)
No late entries after this deadline!
This is an indoor - 50 foot competition.
A concession stand will be provided the day of the
contest.
Age Divisions (as of 8-31-2015):
- Junior - 3rd to 5th grade
- Junior Intermediate - 6th - 7th grade
- Intermediate - 8th grade
- Senior - 9th - 12th grade
Counties may enter as many teams as they wish in each
age division. Each age division may enter up to two (2)
individuals in the contest and individuals will be eligible
for high point individual awards.
For More Information:
Contact Janet at the Extension office for the registration
form and info page.
For more information, contact the Extension office.
Complete rules and required waiver form are posted on
our web site. Click here for the information!
Lamb Camp
4-H Shooting Sports Coach Trainings UPDATE
Please take note of the following registrations for
upcoming 4-H Shooting Sports Coach Trainings. Each
of these trainings are open to any enrolled 4-H Adult
Leader across the state. Other trainings will be
announced as they are planned.
·
The South Region 4-H Shooting Sports Coach
Training in Uvalde scheduled for February 6-7, 2016
unfortunately had to be cancelled. It will be rescheduled
in the Fall lineup.
·
The District 6 4-H Shooting Sports Coach Training
scheduled for March 5-6, 2016 in Fort Stockton will open
registration from January 11, 2016 to February 19, 2016.
·
The District 7 4-H Shooting Sports Coach Training
scheduled for March 12-13, 2016 in Brownwood will
open registration from February 1 to March 1 and late
registration on March 2-6, 2016.
·
The North Region 4-H Shooting Sports Coach
Training scheduled for April 2-3, 2016 in Lubbock will
open registration from February 11 to March 10 and late
registration on March 11-17, 2016.
Other trainings will be announced as they are
planned.
For More Information:
Contact Janet at the Extension office for the registration
form and info page.
Shooting Sports Coach Certification Training - Mar 12-13
We’re pleased to announce that District 7 4-H, in
conjunction with the Texas 4-H Conference Center will
be hosting a Shooting Sports Coach Certification
Training for Archery, Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun in
Brownwood on March 12-13, 2016.
This training is open to any eligible potential
coaches across the state.
•
Registration will be conducted through the Texas
4-H Conference Center Registration Website:
http://texas4hcenter.tamu.edu/ (NOT 4-H Connect)
•
Please Note: Even though registration will be
done through the 4-H Center Registration System, all
participants still MUST have an ACTIVE Profile in 4-H
Connect and have passed the Background Check
PRIOR to participating in the training. (This will be
checked! - NO EXCEPTIONS)
•
Registration will open February 1st and close
March 1st.
•
Please pay close attention to the deadline!
•
Cost is $120
Additional details are on the blog.
Texas 4-H Congress - July 17-20
Poultry Equipment For Sale
We have several poultry feeders, waterers AND an
automatic water system for sale if anyone is interested. I
can be reached at 830-832-6706.
Pam Timmermann
Timmertrip@aol.com
Livestock Workshops 101
The next Livestock 101 Workshop presented by
Livestock Ambassador Kenzy Hoffmann will be February
rd
23 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Extension barn. This
month’s topic is “Ready for the Show!” Bring your
animals and come get ready for the county show!
If you have questions, you can contact Kenzy at
830-358-6060.
PLEASE NOTE: 4-H Connect will be down for
maintenance February 20-29, 2016. If you have a
deadline in that time, please be sure to get it entered
th
online BEFORE February 20 .
Rabbit Meat Pen Validation:
Tuesday, February 16th from 5:30
to 8:00 p.m. in the Extension
Meeting Room!
Bluebonnet's 4-H Photography Schedule
Listed below are all of the workshops that the
Bluebonnet Photography project will be hosting this year.
All 4-H'ers are welcome to pick and choose which they
would like to attend based on their availability or the
focus of the workshop.
the Family Guide with updates and Recordbook
Categories.
Recordbooks - Due June 24th!
CHANGES FOR 2015-2016
Record Books submitted for judging in 2016 are to
be completed using the Microsoft Word forms found at
texas4-h.tamu.edu
Member categories
Junior (grades 3-5)
Intermediate (grades 6-8)
Senior (grades 9-12)
Clarification on reporting of learning experiences
- Activities that occur in non-4-H settings such as
other community or youth organizations, or in a selfdirected project may be reported in the Junior Diary,
Intermediate Personal Journal or Senior Section I as
learning experiences.
- All competitive events outside of 4-H are to be
reported as non-4-H.
- 4-H members winning first place in a record book
category may enter that same category again.
NEW!!
Livestock Judging can be reported as a 4-H project.
Other judging contest activities will continue to be
reported within the 4-H Project it supports. (Whereas
Horse Judging supports the Horse Project, Livestock
judging involves multiple species; thus it can be reported
as a stand-alone project.)
Recordkeeping Tool available - Please see Appendix F
of the Family Guide to the Texas 4-H Recordbook to
learn about an online recordkeeping system created by
Claire Godwin, Williamson County 4-H member. This is
a TOOL and is not an online Record Book
CATEGORIES:
ADDED: Agriculture Sciences
REMOVED: Dairy, Housing & Home Environment &
Safety.
Please see category descriptions, efforts have been
made to ensure the books in the eliminated categories
have a place to enter.
2015-2016 State 4-H Photography Rules
For 2015-2016 the theme is “4-H, Ribbons, Awards
and Recognition”. This year the theme will focus on still
life arrangements of 4-H awards, ribbons and
recognition. The arrangement and positioning of items
will be strongly evaluated as well as the quality of the
photo. Photo should create emotion and have impact!
Changes to rules for 2016. A statement related to
the fact that all photos must be the original work of the 4H member submitting the photograph. No photograph
can be submitted which has been taken by other 4-H
members, a family member, or any printed/digital
source. All photos will be scanned through a reverse
image search.
This contest is for SENIOR AGED 4-H'ers ONLY
(Grades 9-10-11-12). You must submit your photos to
the Comal County Extension Office by March 15,
2016 for county judging – email them to
jlsweet@ag.tamu.edu Only those selected by the judge
will be allowed to enter on 4-H CONNECT, as we can
only submit one photo per category.
Rules are posted on our web site at:
http://comal.agrilife.org/files/2011/03/15-16_Texas4H_Photo_Rules.pdf
CLUB NEWS
Sherwood 4-H Club - January Meeting
Sherwood 4-H Club met on January 11th with 39 in
attendance (24 members, 14 adults, 1 guest). Our
program was given by Dr. Diron Wunderlich, DVM. Dr.
Wunderlich told us about his job and what kind of
education is needed to become a veterinarian. He
answered questions about animal care.
Our Community Service project is Operation
Paperback.
The club played a game called "Bang Bang" for
recreation (see below).
Other items to note:
- Personal Information Page (required, but not judged)
available as a fillable PDF
- Junior Books - current year's report form only
- Intermediate books - include prior year's report
forms as part of the overall evaluation
- Senior books - include three year's prior report forms
as part of the overall evaluation.
Several updates are listed at the very beginning of the
Family Guide. You can find this on our web site under
the Publications and Information tab. Click here to see
Our next meeting is April 11th at 7 p.m. at
Bulverde/Spring Branch EMS. The topic of the next
program is the Food Bank.
Submitted by Kayla Wunderlich
Hill Country Central - January meeting
Hill Country Central 4-H Club met on January 19th
with 8 members and 1 adult present. The program,
presented by Club Manager Barbara Hummel, was on
job interviews and scholarships. We reviewed the
concession stand sales from the 4-H show in December.
Our next meeting is in March and our program will be by
health ambassadors.
We will NOT MEET in FEBRUARY.
Submitted by Jacob Timmermann
Bulverde 4-H Club January meeting
The Bulverde 4-H Club held its monthly meeting on
Monday, January 11, 2016. There were 8 members and
4 adults present. During our meeting we voted to make
Valentine cards at our next meeting for the Bulverde/
Spring Branch Activity Center. We also voted to bring
dog and cat food to our next meeting to donate to the
animal shelter.
Our next meeting will be held Monday, February 8,
2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the Rahe Bulverde Elementary
School Cafeteria.
Cody & Curtis Stricker and special guest Cassie
Stricker gave us a presentation on photography.
Submitted by Curtis Stricker
Homegrown 4-H Club - January meeting
Homegrown 4-H Club met January 14, 2016 with 17
people present. We opened the meeting at 3:05 p.m.
After the minutes were read by Jacey Hall we had
project reports and discussed dates for a clothing and
textiles meeting. We then had a program called
Gardening 101, which was presented by Mrs. Jacque
Stetter. We then adjourned and had snacks.
In other business of special interest, our club t-shirts
arrived!
Our club will not meet in February.
Submitted by: Jacey Hall
Vet Science - January meeting
The Vet Science 4-H Club had an educational meeting
with Dr. Rierson. Members observed a dog neuter
surgery and learned about surgical instruments
Gruene Kountry - January meeting
Gruene Kountry 4-H Club held their January meeting on
Sunday, January 10th at the Comal County Extension Meeting
Room. There were 61 people in attendance: 34 members, 22
adults, 4 siblings, and 1 guest.
Our guest speaker, Mrs. Phelan, talked to us about renewable
and non-renewable natural resources. She shared with us her
Range Method Demonstration from thirty years ago. We
learned about Grass ID and we went outside to look at some
grasses that have been planted for anybody in Comal County
to see. We also dug holes in the dirt and used magnifying
glasses so we could see bugs crawling around in their
ecosystem.
During our general meeting, we discussed the Clothing and
Textiles project and for the recreation Keene Kreusler read a 4H story while we passed around envelopes every time the
word “the” was heard. The winner, Austin Rodriguez, won the
prize.
Submitted by Kasen Kreusler
Bluebonnet's January Meeting
Bluebonnet 4-H Club met on January 10th at the River
Chase Club House. We recognized all of the people that
participated in District 10 Food Challenge and the Food Show
and those who participated in the Comal 4-H Practice
Livestock Show. Helena MacCrossan shared with us about her
time with the National 4-H Congress meeting in November. We
voted to spend club funds to purchase archery equipment and
to seek additional funding from community organizations to
support starting a Bluebonnet Archery Project. Our community
service project this month is to take pictures of animals and
frame them to donate to local doctors offices, nursing homes,
etc. We talked about the Duds to Dazzle competition and held
a mock competition and fashion show with our creations. We
also discussed the upcoming Livestock 101 workshop, the
2016 Comal County Youth Homemaking and Arts Fair and the
Comal County Junior Livestock Show. Two workshops, one on
public speaking and one on animal projects, were presented by
senior and intermediate members of our club.
There were 33 youth and 20 adults at the last Bluebonnet
4-H meeting.
Our next meeting will be February 14 at the Extension
Office.
Submitted by Lila Moseley
CLOVER KUDOS
Hippology Team - Reserve Champion @ Western
National 4-H Roundup
Bexar County Livestock Judging Contest
Layton Hemann was 2nd high junior; Rylee Wunderlich
was 7th; Dylan Wunderlich was 3rd. Congratulations!
Clubs not meeting in February include:
- CCLS
- Hill Country Central
- Homegrown
- Sherwood
Clubs not meeting in March:
- Bulverde
- CCLS
- Sherwood
Clubs not meeting at their regular time/place in March:
- Horse Club – going on a trail ride/meeting on
th
March 20
st
- Claybusters – March 31 , 6:30 p.m. at the club
house
Team members: Clayton Elbel, Cheyanne Hatley,
Ashley Fuqua, and Rachel Fuqua; Coaches: Donna
Fuqua and Dr. Leslie Elbel
The Comal County Hippology Team represented the
state of Texas at the Western National 4-H Roundup
January 6-10, 2016. The team won Overall Reserve
Champion. The Hippology Contest is a two day
competition with four different components. There is a
horse judging component, I.D stations, an examination
phase and 4 team problems. The team won Reserve
Champion I.D. Stations, Reserve Champion in the
Examination Phase, Reserve Champion Team
Problems, and 8th in Horse Judging. Ashley Fuqua
placed 8th overall individually and 3rd high individual in
the examination phase. Rachel Fuqua placed 9th overall
individually and 6th in the I.D. stations phase. Clayton
Elbel placed 10th overall individually and 5th high in
Stations.
Congratulations, Team!!!!!
District 10 Care Package Service Project
USDA AgDiscovery Summer Program
Have you heard of the USDA's AgDiscovery summer program? Youth get to stay on a college campus for 2 weeks and
explore careers in agriculture. There is a new program in Texas this year at Texas A & M University/Prairie View A &M
University, but kids can apply to any of the 20 programs throughout the US. It is for kids age 14-17 (Texas A &M is for 1517 year olds). There is no cost to attend except for transportation to and from the campus. Application deadline is March
7. Below is the link to the website and some pamphlets will be dropped by the Extension office next week. Thanks to 4-H
mom and USDA employee Sarah Ortiz for this information!
www.aphis.usda.gov/AgDiscovery
February 2016
SUN
MON
01
TUE
02
7 pm, Horse Club,
EMR
07
08
NO SHERWOOD
3:00 Gruene Kountry
EMR
Happy
Valentine’s Day
14
7 pm Bulverde,
Rahe Bulverde Elem
15
County Holiday –
Office Closed
09
District 10 Nutrition
Quiz Bowl
WED
04
5:30 Council Officers
6:30 4-H Council
6:30 Club Managers
3:40 Homegrown
GDA, Gloria Deo
Academy
10
11
NO HOMEGROWN
17
NO HILL COUNTRY
CENTRAL
3:00 Bluebonnet,
River Chase
Clubhouse
NO CCLS 4-H Club
21
22
5:30-8:00 Rabbit
Meat Pen Validation,
EMR
23
Livestock 101, 6:00p
Extension Barn –
Bring Animals!
FRI
05
6:30 Claybusters,
Clubhouse
18
District 10 Horse
Judging Contest,
San Antonio
SAT
06
3:00 4-H Dog Club,
NB Dog Park
12
13
4-H Booth at the San
Antonio Livestock
Show,
10 am – 4:30 pm
2:30 Close to Home,
Tye Preston Library
7 pm Vet Science,
EMR
16
st
Dr. Meg’s 1 Day
THU
03
19
20
District 10 Consumer
Judging Contest
Comal 4-H Scholarships Due
24
25
26
27
02
03
04
05
7 pm Robotics, EMR
28
29
MAR 01
Homegrown GDA,
@ Gloria Deo, 3:40
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Comal County
325 Resource Drive
New Braunfels, Texas 78132-3775
Phone: 830-620-3440 Fax: 830.620.3446
3:00 4-H Dog Club,
NB Dog Park
EMR = Extension Meeting Room
http://comal.agrilife.org
http://comal4-h.blogspot.com