Changing Lives One at a Time

“4-H in America –  Clovers’ lovers – Great people, they are not angry. They are not judgmental. They are not unkind. They are not nasty. They are brilliant. They are loving. They are kind. They are generous. They are strong. They are passionate. They are gentle. They are peaceful. They are full of laughter, full of good cheer. They are generous, lavish, and they love a good fight. They will contend for what is ours, but they will contend with joy! 

The Best Place I never dreamed of…. May God Bless you and help the world get to where you are.”

~ Bineta Khalla Guisse

Bineta Khalla Guisse from Senegal Africa sent the above message after she visited Virginia May 27 – June 20, 2013 to learn about the Virginia 4-H Youth Development program as she is interested in starting 4-H in her country.

During her visit, she spent a few days with Kaci Daniels, Extension Agent 4-H Youth in Orange county  participating in 4-H Camp Counselor Training and learning about Virginia Cooperative Extension programming. She attended a Virginia 4-H Strategic Planning session observing the group process learning about people working together for a common goal.  Spending a week at the Henry County/City of Martinsville 4-H Camp with Brian Hairston, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth, she observed Teen Counselors and Adult Volunteers putting their training into action while working with the campers. She participated in camp classes, interacted with the campers, teens and adults and had an unforgettable experience.  In June, she participated in Virginia 4-H Congress working with the 4-H Cabinet learning what happens behind the scenes, staying in the dormitories with the delegates, participating in workshops, observing presentation contests, and experiencing all aspects of 4-H Congress. 4-H Agents Linda King, in Prince William County, Rita Schalk in Hanover County, Michelle Dickerson, in Montgomery County and Sonya Furgurson, in Halifax County hosted Bineta at various times during 4-H Congress sharing about the 4-H program and our culture while learning about her interests and her culture.  Bineta interacted with 4-H teens, 4-H agents, 4-H volunteers and parents learning while sharing. At the end of the 4-H Share the Fun show, Bineta shared about her culture by performing an African dance on the Burruss Hall stage for all of the Congress delegates.

After her return home, Bineta remarked, “You were remarkable! I have learned so many things from every one of you… I must admit that I owe you and so does my country!  Thinking of you makes me feel strong because you made me a new person…and I can feel the difference!”  “I really do not think I will forget this for the rest of my life.”

Bineta is currently working with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty and students to help Senegal farmers learn conservation practices to maximize their resources. On December 28, 2013 a delegation of College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty and students left Virginia to assist with farming practices in Senegal villages.  In addition, the college students will engage the youth in some 4-H hands-on activities.

Bineta is the current Gender and Community Outreach Officer specializing in strategic planning and organizational policy development/implementation with a focus on innovative approaches to securing child wellbeing and women’s empowerment through education and micro enterprises.

The Southeast District 4-H agents and cabinet members have been working hard to prepare for this weekend’s state 4-H officer training! Just a few reminders about the upcoming officer training on Saturday, January 18 at Virginia State.

1. If there is a cancellation due to weather we will send a blast email to those that supplied an email on their registration form. Check your emails if the weather seems hazardous.
2. We will begin promptly at 10:00 am in the Wilder Building Auditorium located on the campus of Virginia State in Petersburg. Registration begins at 9:30 and I encourage you to come in time to be ready to begin at 10:00.
3. The training has been extended by 15 minutes so it will now end at 3:15 instead of 3 p.m.
4. Lunch will be provided. If you indicated a dietary restriction on your registration form, please advise them of this when picking up your lunch.
5. Participants do not need to bring any supplies with them besides a positive attitude. All programming needs will be provided.
6. Several participants ask about proper dress. School appropriate clothing is adequate for this event. There is no need to dress up but please make sure your clothing would be appropriate for school.
7. Parking – There should be parking available in lot 28 or lot 27 (near the athletic field).

The training team looks forward to seeing you this weekend! Safe travels!

The Virginia 4-H International Exchange Program was recently recognized by States’ 4-H International with the “Extraordinary Quality Programs” Award for 2012-13.  This award not only acknowledges the outstanding International Exchange Programs conducted by 4-H in Virginia, but also the quality of work of the volunteers who manage the various programs.  In Virginia there are four amazing volunteers who work tirelessly to make sure that 4-H is active and relevant in this area of citizenship.  Please allow me to introduce you to them.

Judy Ann Fray is the coordinator for the VA 4-H/Outbound Exchange program to Japan.  This program provides and opportunity for 4-H members from the United States to travel to Japan.  This year, there were three students who traveled to Japan for the month long stay.  For this program, students must be 14 -18 years old.  You may contact Judy for more information at ja.fray@Verizon.net

Rebecca Moyer is the coordinator for the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program and also the Japanese High School Exchange.  The FLEX program is a hosting program for high school students from former Soviet countries.  They spend the school year attending your local high school and this program is coordinated through the United States State Department.  Two of the students spoke at the 4-H Symposium this past weekend (one from Russia and one from Ukraine).  Japanese high school students may also be hosted for the school year through the Japanese exchange program.  Host families are recruited in the summer to participate in this program.  You may contact Rebecca for more information at Rebecca.moyer25@yahoo.com

Deb Johnson is the coordinator for the 4-H/Japanese Summer Exchange program.  This is a month-long summer hosting opportunity for families and is a great introduction to the International programs. Students from Japan ages 11-18 years old participate in this program.  Each year Virginia families host over 30 Japanese delegates and adult chaperones.  For more information on this program, you may contact Deb at jdjohn123@yahoo.com

Dottie Nelson is the coordinator for the International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) program.  This program focuses on opportunities to students for students to host and travel to a variety of countries and continents.  The program is operated in 25 countries on 6 continents for young people ages 16-26 years old.  Dottie also coordinates the 4-H Summer Inbound and Outbound exchange program with Australia, Costa Rica, Norway, Argentina, and Cameroon.  This program is for youth ages 12-18.  You may contact Dottie at dottieifye@yahoo.com

These programs are all well run and quality programs that you can feel confident in marketing to your 4-H families.  I encourage you get involved in 4-H International Programs and to contact the 4-H volunteers above to discuss the programs in more detail.

At the Galaxy Conference last month, I attended a timely workshop regarding teen use of social media and things to be aware of. The workshop was conducted by Christy Clary, a graduate student in Youth Development and Agricultural Education at Purdue University. It was one of the best workshops that I attended and I wanted to share some of the information with you all.

According to a 2012 report by Common Sense Media:

• 90 percent of teens use Social Media;
• 51 percent of teens log onto a social media site everyday; and
• 68 percent of teens say Facebook is their main social media site.

This is important to know as we are looking for the most effective ways to communicate with teen 4-H members.  Many of you have your own Facebook accounts, but do you know everyone who can see your account or has access to your account?  If not, it is likely that the teens in your 4-H program do not either.  Increasingly, scholarship committees, employers and college admissions are searching applicants’ social media accounts prior to making decisions.  It is important to make them aware that what they post can tell others a lot about them and may impact their chances of receiving a scholarship, job offer or admission to college.  Below are some recommended social media settings which can help protect them (and you) from potential dangers.

Recommended Facebook Settings:

• Adjust your privacy settings at: https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=privacy
• Always use your correct age, but only display your birth month and day, not the year.
• Facebook has safeguards in place for individuals under 18 and it is against the terms of service to lie about your age.
• It is also against the terms of service to have an account if you are under the age of 13.
• Change all of your privacy settings to “Friends” only.
• The default setting if you are under 18 is “Friends of Friends.” For over 18 it is “Public”.
• You don’t know who all your friends’ friends are; think about what you are letting them see.
• Turn ON the feature that requires you to review posts your friends tag you in.
• This allows you to determine if the content is appropriate for you to have visible on your page. By turning ON this feature, you are able to review any status updates or pictures before they are published to your profile with your name linked to them.

Recommended Twitter Settings:

• All settings are under account: https://twitter.com/settings/account
• Turn off Tweet Location GPS tagging
• Protect your tweets.
• If unprotected, anyone with internet access may view your posts and information.
• If protected, only people who you approve to follow you can see your profile and posts.
• Always be mindful of who you approve to follow your account.

For more information regarding how to stay safe online go to : http://onguardonline.gov

Because we are holding ACCESS 4-H trainings the second week in October, final year-end ES-237 reports won’t be due until close of business on November 1, 2013.  Please note that you do not need to submit anything to Tonya Price. Since this is an online program,  Tonya can access your report by logging into ACCESS 4-H and selecting your unit.  If your report will not be ready by 5:00 PM on November 1, please let the State 4-H Office know as Tonya will be on maternity leave at that time.  If you are having technical difficulties with the program, please contact Meredith Muckerman with National 4-H Council at 301-961-2829 or mmuckerman@fourhcouncil.edu.   Please note that it is the 4-H Agent’s (or whoever is in charge of the 4-H program) responsibility to review the final report for accuracy.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact Tonya or the State 4-H Office.

The semi-annual fall paper clover fundraiser held at local tractor supply stores will take place nationwide October 9-20, 2013. Clubs should begin planning events now. This is an excellent opportunity to raise funds and create awareness in the community for 4-H! Contact your local extension office for more information.

If you have a 4-H Shooting Club in your unit, or volunteers interested in starting a shooting club, please share the information below with them.  Thanks!

National 4-H Invitational
Two teams from Virginia competed in the National 4-H Invitational in Nebraska the last week of June.  Our Air Pistol team coached by Chris Wearmouth, a 4-H volunteer instructor from Tazewell, placed 2^nd in the nation out of 10 teams. Our Shotgun Team, coached by RL Harris from Appomattox and Mike Wolfe from Botetourt, placed 9^th in the nation out of 25 teams.

 VA 4-H Shooting Camp
A total of 64 youth ages 12 – 16 are registered for next week’s shooting camp at Holiday Lake 4-H Center.  These campers will receive basic firearm safety and marksmanship instruction in the archery, pistol, rifle and shotgun disciplines.  Linda Eanes, 4-H Extension Agent in Cumberland, is serving as this year’s camp director.

Northern District 4-H Shoot
The northern district is sponsoring a shoot in Culpeper on Saturday, August 17^th.  For additional information including a Fact Sheet, Match Program and Registration go to the website listed below.

VA 4-H Shooting Sports Teen Ambassador Program
Please encourage your outstanding teens to apply to be an ambassador for the VA 4-H Shooting Education Program.  Call for an application!  Interviews for the next “crop” of ambassadors will be conducted during the weekend of the State 4-H Shoot.

State 4-H Shoot
The 2013 State 4-H Shoot is set for the weekend of September 13^th – 15^th at Holiday Lake 4-H Center.  For additional information, go to www.4-h.ext.vt.edu/programs/nree/shootinged/indexshootinged.html

VA 4-H Shotgun Championship
The 2013 VA 4-H Shotgun Championship will be held Saturday, October 5^th at Brushy Mountain Gun Club located in Pittsylvania County.  Go to the above site for a Flyer, Match Program, Registration and Sponsor Form.  This championship is the qualifying event to select senior 4-H members to represent Virginia at next year’s National 4-H Invitational.

October Instructor Certification
To start a 4-H Shooting Club, you need to have certified instructors.  The next 4-H Instructor Certification will take place the weekend of October 18^th – 20^th at Holiday Lake 4-H Center.  The following disciplines will be offered – archery, coordinator, pistol, rifle and shotgun.  Additional information, including an application, will be posted on the above website in the near future.

NRA Grants
In the past, 4-H Shooting Clubs and 4-H Centers have been successful in securing grants through the Virginia Friends of the NRA Program.  This year’s grant deadline is November 20^th.  For additional information and to access on the online grant application, go to www.nrafoundation.org/apply-for-a-grant.aspx

Jinx L. Baney
Coordinator, VA 4-H Shooting Education Program
and Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development
jbaney@vt.edu
434-848-2151