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Harvey County

Category: 4-H & Human Development

Thankful

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

Often times during the rush of summer and the county fair people tell me, “It will slow down after this!”. I usually smile and nod, knowing that the 4-H program only seems to get even more busy as the fall season begins. State fair, enrollment, awards, scholarships, and banquet hit our office just as holidays are fast approaching. It is easy to get caught up in the rush of long days of work, late night meetings, and dwindling hours of daylight this time of year. This year I have challenged myself to take a step back from all of the busyness to remember to be thankful.

I am thankful to be able to be busy. Busy with a job that allows me to work with people who believe in the power of young people. Busy with late night meetings with people who volunteer their time to make a difference in their communities.

I’m thankful to work in a community where I run into familiar faces at the grocery store. A few weeks ago I ran into my third grade teacher while picking up groceries. Having not talked to him for years, I assumed he would not recognize me. Instead, he made a point to say hello and tell me he enjoys reading this column. I am thankful for the support our community provides.

I am thankful to have an office that is a mess of papers, sticky notes and boxes of supplies because all of the mess is a sign of positive difference this 4-H program is making. The walls of my messy little office are lined with notes, drawings, and photos that constantly remind me of how thankful I am to serve our community as a 4-H Agent.

4-H Junior Leaders

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

What is your definition of a leader? Harvey County 4-H gives youth a unique opportunity to discover what leadership means to them. Youth ages 13-18 have the opportunity to be a part of a teen leadership group in Harvey County, 4-H Junior Leaders.

4-H is a youth development organization for youth ages 5-18 to join. Membership is free to age five and six-year-old Cloverbud members, and $15 annually for 4-H members age seven and up. Waivers are available for anyone with a financial need.

     Jr. Leaders at Spring Fun Night
            Taste of Newton

4-H members ages 13-18 are able to join the Junior Leaders program. Throughout this program youth are challenged to better understand their own leadership style while adding valuable input to a team. Junior Leaders meet once and month and participate in fun activities including Taste of Newton, the Harvey County Fair, and serving as counselors for the Harvey County Day Camp.

Interested youth are invited to attend the 4-H Junior Leader’s Kick Off- Bowling Party event on November 14th at 6:30 PM at Play-Mor lanes in Newton. All youth ages 13 to 18 are invited to come and enjoy leadership games, snacks and fun activities! 4-H membership is not required to attend this event but we do ask that you RSVP by November 13th to Hannah at hannaha@ksu.edu.

 

4-H Shooting Sports

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

The Kansas 4-H Shooting Sports Program is a part of the 4-H Natural Resources area that focuses on using shooting sports as an approach for teaching life skills to participating youth members. This youth program is founded upon the National 4-H Shooting Sports curriculum. Throughout the 4-H Shooting Sports program, risk management and safety procedures are of upmost importance. In Harvey County 4-H, two certified programs are available for youth, the archery and shotgun projects.

These projects teach gun and bow safety, hunting practices and give participants the opportunity to test their skills at local, district and state matches and events. National policy regarding age states that 4-H Shooting Sports Programs are open to all youth 8 years of age or older (as of Jan. 1 of current year). Local certified shooting sports coordinator Gail Lanier and instructors Tony Koehn and Kevin Duerksen lead these local programs. These instructors have completed training at the Statewide 4-H Shooting Training and have completed the 4-H Volunteer Screening Process.

Practices for these projects typically begin in late spring and continue weekly throughout the summer and into the fall months. Youth that have an interest in guns and/or hunting are encouraged check out the Harvey County 4-H Shooting Sports project! Enrollment for Harvey County 4-H projects, like Shooting Sports, is now open at https://ks.4honline.com.

Domestic Violence and Males

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

With all this talk of domestic violence in the news and media these days, I wanted to make sure we talked about victims. Typically, we assume that all victims are female and that is not the case. 1 in 4 men have been physically abused and 1 in 7 men have been severely abused in a relationship. That is a high percentage that we tend to brush off and not focus on.

Reasons why we might not know men being abused by their dating partner is the stigma we put on men to be macho or manly, they tend to be stereotyped as the person who should not show emotion, when it is discussed it is treated as a joke and for those who have told someone the reply is, “Be a man,” or something that discourages them to speak up about it again. Continue reading “Domestic Violence and Males” →

New 4-H Family Orientation Meeting

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

 

Thinking of joining 4-H? Have a few questions about the program? Interested families are invited to attend the 4-H Family Orientation Meeting to meet 4-H leaders and get questions answered.

The meeting will be held Sunday, November 5th from 6:30-7:30 PM at the 4-H Building in Athletic Park, 800 W. 1st St. in Newton.

Local 4-H Club leaders and K-State Research and Extension Staff will be discussing general 4-H information, 4-H Clubs, 4-H Projects, 4-H Camping, and the Harvey County Fair. Families will receive a 4-H Family Handbook, information about enrollment and upcoming events, and new 4-H members will receive a free 4-H t-shirt!

It doesn’t matter where you live, what your kids want to be when they grow up, or your level of experience. 4-H is a club of kids and their families who take part in fun, practical projects from woodworking to rocketry, and everything in between. 4-H is for youth ages 5 to 18 as of January 1st and is $10 a year per member, with the exception of Cloverbud members ages 5 and 6 for whom there is no fees. Thanks to a Harvey County sponsor, all first year 4-H members are reimbursed their program fee, making it free to join.

Our promise to you is that with your continued involvement, 4-H will empower kids with skills to lead for a lifetime. 4-H stands apart from all other programs by fostering true leadership through its emphasis on critical building blocks: Respect, confidence, responsibility, and compassion.

RSVP to Hannah Reynolds at hannaha@ksu.edu or 316-284-6930 to attend the meeting.

#MeToo

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

#MeToo has been all over social media lately. It started from the Harvey Weinstein case. The campaign is about women using the hashtag along with Me Too to tell about their stories of domestic violence. Some of the stories I have read range all over the place. There are about abusive relationships, rape, crazy nights they cannot remember due to a drug slipped into their drink and just plan rude comments that women sometimes experience growing up.

Continue reading “#MeToo” →

4-H Enrollment Day

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

Next Saturday, October 28th, the Harvey County 4-H program will host the 4-H Enrollment Day event from 9 AM to Noon at the Newton Rec Center located at 415 N Poplar in Newton. The 4-H Enrollment Day is your one-stop-shop for meeting 4-H volunteers, learning about what 4-H has to offer and enrolling in the program. 4-H is a community of young people, ages 5-18, across America who are learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. 4-H empowers youth to reach their full potential working and learning in partnership with caring adults. Continue reading “4-H Enrollment Day” →