Planning for the Future:  Are You a Decision Maker?

We are forming subcommittee of youth and adults to develop a framework for 4-H program decision-making.Please let us know, no later than January 7, if you are willing to serve on this subcommittee. It will likely take three meetings between January and March.

Frameworks may include questions such as:

  • Does this fit within the guidelines from Montana and National 4-H, and MSU programs?
  • Does this reflect positive youth development principles and practices?
  • Will this retain and/or attract youth and volunteers?
  • Does this allow for fairness so diverse audiences will receive 4-H education?
  • Does this enhance the quality of the 4-H program?
  • Is it within our capacity? What does implementation look like?How much time/energy/resources does it take? What might we need to neglect or abandon to make the change?
  • Who does it affect?
  • What is the cost? If costs are financial, who/what else does the decision impact?
  • Is it consistent with the values, vision and mission of the 4-H program?

 

Please let Jane know ([email protected] or 406-590-2492 ) if you are interested in serving on this committee.

The Next 31

January 3

  • Beef Paperwok, Photos and Fees Deadline

January 7-8

  • Shooting Sports Training-Deadline January 3
  • Greenfield School

January 11

  • Livestock Committee Meeting
  • 7 p.m. at New Life Church in Fairfield

January 12

  • KMON Judging Contest Registration Deadline

January 14

  • Camp Counselor Application Deadline

January 24

  • 4-H Council Meeting
  • 5:30 p.m. at New Life Church in Fairfield

KMON Judging Contest

The annual KMON Judging contest will take place January 21-22 in Great Falls.ALL registrations and payments will be done through the Extension Office.An email with all the details is being sent December 29 so watch for it (check your spam folder if it doesn't show up!!)Registration deadline is JANUARY 12.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our two new Ambassadors, Myles Allen and Presley Holmquist.Both completed the application and interview process in order to become ambassadors.Thanks to Sun River Electric Cooperative for use of their space and to their employees, Ross Oveson and Leanne Hall, for serving as interviewers.

Rootin' Tootin' Shooting  Sports Training

There will be a local Shooting Sports Leader Training in Greenfield January 7-8, Shooting Sports Leader certification will be offered in archery, pistol and rifle at the Greenfield School.In order to be a Certified Shooting Sports leader, one must be enrolled in the county as a 4-H leader, pass a background check and complete the requirements for Shooting Sports Leader Training.For more information, please contact Brian Bedord at 406-590-9092 or [email protected]

How Would You Like to Meet?

If you would like to attend any scheduled meeting via video or audio conferencing, please let Jane or Karen know24 hours in advance so tech arrangements can be made.We will only planmultiple modes for attendance if people let us know in advance.Thank you.

Extension Notes

Jane Wolery taught YAM in Fairfield during the fall and will be teaching it during the winter in Choteau and Power.The Extension Office is working on the 2022 Fair (yes, already!) revising the fair book, working on retaining judges, etc.Keep an eye on your email and text messages as this is how we communicate changes and requirements!

It Could Be Yours

JoElla Singleness donated this display case to whomever could use it in 4-H.The case measures 37.5" x 22.5" x 3.5" and has a hinged glass top.Please contact the Extension Office (406-466-2491 or [email protected]) if you would like it.First one to notify us, gets it.Thank you.

If you add projects to your origial enrollment on ZSuite for which you need project books, you must let the Extension Office know.  We currently have no way of tracking if a 4-H member needs a project book.

Happy Campers

If you were 14 by October 1, 2021, and you are interested in becoming a counselor for this summer's 4-H Camp, please contact us no later than 5:00 pm January 31 (phone 406-466-2491, text 406-350-5373, email ([email protected]).Camp planning meetings will begin in February.

Rec Lab 2022:  The Road to Success

Where:  Hobson, MT

When:  March 18-20, 2022

Who:  For 4-H members ages 13 and older

Find out more about Rec Lab.

For the Good of the Order

Bullseye!  Archery Begins...

4-H archery will begin in January on Mondays. It will meet at the Choteau LDS church January 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31.There will be two classes: beginning and advanced.The beginner class will be 5:30-6:45 pm and the advanced class from 7:00-8:15 pm.If you have any questions, please contact Jason Asselstine at (406) 750-1342 or email [email protected].

National 4-H Congress by Maggie Toeckes

On the morning of Thanksgiving, November 25, Justin Forseth and Maggie Toeckes boarded a plane to Atlanta, Georgia for National 4-H Congress. Both had won the opportunity at 4-H Congress in Bozeman back in July.Justin earned the trip by winning the videography contest with a video about his family’s farm and Maggie won the Textile contest with a jacket and dress she had sewn.They joined 12 other 4-H members representing Montana.

In Atlanta, they stayed at the Hyatt Regency hotel where National 4-H Congress would take place.The next day, November 26, the Montana delegation enjoyed a relaxed morning while members from other states arrived. Half of the delegation went to the Georgia Aquarium while the other half toured Atlanta’s Olympic Centennial Park. After the morning of sightseeing, the group ate their state lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe followed by getting their state picture taken back at the Hyatt.

The main event began that night with an assembly to welcome all 37 states and 1 territory and all 850 delegates to Atlanta.The delegates learned some success strategies in reaching goals from John Beede followed by some icebreakers.

Saturday began with an opening assembly and the day was filled with workshops with a break for lunch in between.Each workshop had about 200 delegates participating and the day ended with an International Dinner and dance.

Sunday opened with a flag ceremony introducing each state in the order they were added to the union. This was followed by a presentation from Manny Ohonme, the starter of Barefoot Legacies, who talked about his goal to put shoes on every child’s feet around the world. The afternoon was filled with12workshops to choose from and varied greatly in topics from yoga to science. One of the workshops Justin went to was UAS- RU READY where delegates learned about drones and Maggie went to Dancing with the Stars where she learned classic jazz swing dancing. The evening entailed another multicultural event. The delegates went to the Atlanta History Museum for a historic southern dinner where they got their first taste of Georgia peach cobbler. The delegates enjoyed comedy from Ron Anglin, a clown who entertains at Atlanta’s children’s hospital. This was followed with southern ballroom dancing, a Bluegrass band, and the evening concluded with West African dancing and music.

Monday began bright and early with community service around Atlanta. The delegates were split into several groups going to various places around the city. After the service was finished and lunch was eaten the Montana delegation went on the Hotlanta’s World-Class Attractions bus tour around Atlanta. The highlight of the tour was the visiting of the World of Coca Cola where the delegates got to try every coke product made and sold all around the world. While most were tasty, a few were really awful.But the exciting day wasn’t over until the formal gala and dance that night. Dressed in their prom formals, the delegates enjoyed an elaborate dinner and a visit from Santa Claus. Montana continued to hold its own in the line dances and variations of swing dances that followed. The late night ended with packing for the day of travel to come.

Tuesday began with a speech from motivational speaker Dan Clark inspiring delegates to take what they had learned on this trip back to their communities.This message also ended the 2021 National 4-H Congress and delegates said their goodbyes. Pin trading amongst the states had been popular throughout the entire trip and any pins that had yet to be traded were given away. Justin and Maggie were welcomed back to Montana with winds so strong the ramp to de-plane couldn’t be pulled up.

For both Maggie and Justin the best part of the trip was meeting people from around the country.From watching a young woman from Puerto Rico Salsa dance to hearing a variety of southern accents, Maggie really enjoyed each of the people she met.Bonding over squeezing lots of people into elevators and dancing, the 4-H members they met were just really great people. Both Maggie and Justin will remember the trip as an exciting and wonderful experience and will cherish the many friendships made from across the United States.

Apply for a State Award

The Montana 4-H State Awards program recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of 4-H members whoreach a standard of excellence in a project area. State Award winners go above and beyond regular project work with a focus on leadership, communication and community service. Winners are eligible to attend National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Georgia. The out-of-pocket costs for Teton County4-H members has been around $300 for the week of National 4-H Congress. The timeline below will help those who plan to apply for state awards in 2021-2022. Much of the process is self-directed.

December:

• Download state award application from Montana 4-H website

• Spend 3-6 hours completing written work – add information based on your own record books, Teton County 4-H newsletters which are posted online, club leader information

• Have your application reviewed by your family members and your club leader

• Look up “verbs for resumes” or “adjectives for resumes” to find powerful words to use as you describe your 4-H work

January:

• By mid-January, please submit your first draft of your written work to the Extension Office for editing and suggestions.

• Start working on your creative work – which can vary from a newspaper publication, quilt, scrapbook, video, slide show.

• Set aside up to 10 hours this month to work on your creative project.

February:

• Schedule an appointment with Extension Office. Discuss corrections needed for written application and brainstorm/plan for creative work.

• Make corrections as needed on your written work.

• Set aside at least 5 hours this month to work on your award package.

March:

• Submit a copy of your creative work and corrected written work to the Extension Office.

• Schedule 2-3 hours to work with the office, if you need assistance with technology, writing, etc.

• Complete creative project, as much as possible.

April:

• Schedule 2 hours with the Extension Office to review your work.

• Make recommended changes in your project.

• Have application completed, packaged professionally, signed and delivered to MSU by May 1 (or deadline specified in application).

• Be prepared to spend the hours needed this month to complete your creative project.

Find out more about state awards.

 

Club Hubbub

Old Agency Minutes by Natalie Hodgskiss

On November 21, 2021, Old Agency met at 4:30 pm at the Choteau Elementary School Cafeteria. There were 18 members present.The American pledge was led by Liam and the 4-H pledge was led by Laudi.The roll call question was “Why do you like Thanksgiving?” The secretary's report was read by Natalie.Bellamy moved and Taylor seconded to accept the secretary’s report as read. Motion was passed. The treasurer's report was read by Taylor.Our balance is $4,164.27.Ledger moved and Kale seconded to accept the treasurer’s report.Motion was passed. We elected a new treasurer.Dillion was the only one to run.He was elected by acclamation.

Old Business:We discussed ideas for the Christmas party, and we came to the conclusion of going bowling, doing white elephant, and having a potluck. Claire is going to call the bowling alley and find a date we can do it. Trent moved and Dillion seconded to go to the bowling alley, do white elephant, and have a potluck.Motion was passed.The CASA committee gave an update on the progress they are making.They are getting a couple things donated.They are giving ten bags to CASA.Before the meeting the group tied fabric for tie blankets to be donated to CASA.

New Business:4-H needs new ambassadors.Ambassadors help organize things like 4-H fair and other activities.It also helps with your leadership skills.You can pick up a form at the Extension Office and it must be turned in by November 30th. The group was told that December 1 is the deadline for 4-H enrollment. We were also told that 4-H Congress is coming up and you must be at least 14 years old to attend.

We discussed what we wanted to do for the caring tree.We came to the conclusion of spending $50.00 per tag and we are going to get four tags. We also decided to meet in front of Pivot Physical Therapy after the movie during Christmas Stroll.Trent moved and Seeley seconded to get four tags and spend $50.00 on each tag. Kayla Breen is going to give a class on how to cook lefse on December 3rd at the Lutheran church right after school.We counted how many members wanted to go. Trent moved and Ledger seconded to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned.

Spring Creek Minutes by Payson Allaire

The Spring Creek 4-H Club met November 14, 2021, at the Baptist Church in Choteau at 2 pm

followed by cleaning the Bud Olson bluebird houses up the Teton Canyon Road.

Those present were Danelle and Carson Crary, Susan Snyder and Coleman, Nick, Maili & Chad Miller, Leah, Anna & Tiffany Paulson, and Addy Scott.The meeting was called to order by President Carson Crary.Nick led the American pledge and Leah led the 4-H pledge.

Old Business: Addy reported on the roadside cleanup.New Business: Election of officers was held.Each member was asked what their preferred office would be or what their favorite office had been.The members then proceeded to write down who they felt would be the best fit for each office.The results were: President: Carson Crary; Vice President: Leah Paulson; Secretary: Bo Lytle; Treasurer: Maili Miller; Recreation leaders: Nick Miller and Anna Paulson; Historian: Addy Scott.Danelle announced upcoming changes to market animals including an increase of $40/species for assessment fees, a $100 stall deposit that will be held until the member has satisfactorily participated in set-up and clean-up, the plan to have work meetings with animals and a qualification list to guide the members with their project, and the option to not use the pig alley to get pigs to the show/sale ring.Helping the Food Bank was discussed. Maili moved to set up drop boxes for food and monetary donations for the Food Bank at the library for the week prior to the Christmas Stroll and to have a booth at the Christmas Stroll on December 4 at the Hallmark Store.Leah seconded and the motion passed.There will be a sign up for members and families to work the booth.Leah will work with Bo and Jo Lynn on sending out an online signup form.Nick will call the library to ask about putting the drop boxes there for the week prior to the Christmas Stroll and will also put an ad in the Choteau Acantha.Meeting was adjourned and the club then proceeded up the Teton Canyon Road to clean bluebird houses.

Eager Eagles by Taylee Pearson

The Eager Eagles met November 8, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. at the New Life Church in Fairfield.Pledges were led by Jorja Morris. Secretary, Taylee Pearson, took roll call. The October meeting minutes were attached to the agenda.Motion to approve the minutes as written was made by Jorja Morris, seconded by Kameron Lindstrom and passed. Ayden DeBruycker gave the treasurer’s report. We have $1304.59 in the club checking account and $213. 13 in our savings account. There is a cooking meeting on November 12 at Heidi Konen’s.Karen Forseth will be showing how to make different kinds of rolls for Thanksgiving.Shooting Sports is every Tuesday. There was no sewing report. Ayden DeBruycker gave the horse report. There was a riding meeting at the 406 Arena on the October 31. Ashle Morris gave the livestock report.Old Business:We reviewed how to enroll in 4-H committees and projects by December 1, keep collecting Show Rite Feed Tags as a fundraiser, 4-H member discounts available through businesses, and that the club is paying member and volunteer dues.New Business: Mrs. DeBruycker talked about setting goals for 4-H projects and reviewed examples of goals. We decided that on December 3, during the Fairfield Christmas Stroll, we would have a bake sale fundraiser at the Community Hall, with all monies raised going to the Fairfield Food Pantry. We will also have a donation box available.The motion for this was made by Addie Pearson, seconded by Alexis Morris and passed unanimously. Market beef needs to be in possession by January 3, 2022.At the end of the meeting we wrote thank you cards to the healthcare providers in Teton County as a service project. The next meeting will be January 10, 2022, at the New Life Church.The meeting ended at 7:05 p.m. The motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Kameron Lidstrom, seconded by Ayden DeBruycker and passed.

Please contact the MSU Teton County Extension Office to view the 4-H Council budget.

Contact/Resources (Clip and Keep)

MSU Extension Teton County

 

Fair Dates

The Teton County Fair is scheduled for the last full weekend in June that includes a Sunday.

2022    June 20-26
2023    June 19-25
2024    June 24-30
2025    June 24-29
2026    June 22-28

Camp Dates

2022    July 25-29

MSU Extension Teton County
P.O. Box 130
Choteau, MT 59422
406-466-2491


Agents:

Karen Forseth:  [email protected]
Jane Wolery:  [email protected]

Assistants:

Sharla Hinman & Jamie Smith  [email protected]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and the Montana State University Extension Service prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cody Stone, Director, Extension Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717