Harvey County

Tag: 4-H

Hands to Larger Service

At every 4-H meeting, members recite the 4-H pledge. They pledge their “hands to larger service”, for their clubs, communities, countries and world. The holiday season is a time that many of our 4-H members put this pledge into action. All over the county, our 4-H members are giving back to their communities. These acts of service are instilling a sense of responsibility, respect, compassion and empowering 4-H youth with the skills that they need to lead for a lifetime.

Over the next few weeks, Harvey County 4-H members will be serving as bell ringers for salvation army, participating in adopt-a-family initiatives, Christmas caroling and gathering for holiday celebrations. Participation in 4-H events like these develop citizenship skills and empower youth to become informed and engaged in their communities. The 4-H clubs that conduct these events are made up of youth, parents, grandparents, volunteers. These groups help youth to develop relationships with others in their communities. Continue reading “Hands to Larger Service”

4-H Achievement Night

The 84th annual 4-H Achievement Banquet was recently held at Salem United Methodist Church in Newton to honor Harvey County 4-H members, volunteers and supporters. More than 75 4-H members, their families, and special guests attended the annual awards banquet sponsored by the Harvey County 4-H Council.

Harvey County 4-H members receiving 4-H Achievement Pins, County Champion awards, Kansas Award Portfolios, Club Seals, scholarships and special awards were recognized. Results are below, organized by 4-H Club. Continue reading “4-H Achievement Night”

Thankful

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

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

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.

New 4-H Family Orientation Meeting

 

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.

4-H Enrollment Day

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”