Cost is $30 and that includes lunch and materials. The workshop is open to all teachers and child-care providers who work with youth in kindergarten through eighth grade.

This year’s workshop will be filled with fun, hands-on activities that include lessons out of the various curriculum offered by the Texas Farm Bureau, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the 4-H program.

The workshop will focus on soil and plant science, bullying, life cycles, water conservation, mobile classrooms, health and nutrition and everything in between.

To register, call the Extension office at 940-627-3341, or email Andrea at acalabretta@ag.tamu.edu and please provide your name, email address, address, school and the grade you teach.

Please make sure to send contact information that is good for the summer months.

Chrissy Karrer is a Wise County Extension agent.

Do It Yourself Mondays Day Camp is open to all youth ages 8 to 12 held at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office on Mondays this summer. Join us as we create new treasures by recycling old, grow our green thumbs with gardening, learn how to build and launch rockets, tackle a robotics challenge, become mad scientists and create culinary masterpieces in the kitchen.

The cost is $15 per session or $80 for all seven sessions. Space is limited and pre-registration is required the Friday before each session. The D.I.Y. Monday Day Camp will be held 1 to 5 p.m. on the Mondays listed below.

• June 10 – Kitchen Smarts
• June 17 – Green Thumb
• June 24 – Sewing 101
• July 1 – Mad Scientist
• July 8 – Upcycle, Recycle
• July 22 – Rocketry, Robotics
• July 29 – Chef Camp

County Camp is an overnight camp hosted at the Texas 4-H Center in Brownwood for youth ages 8 to 14. Wise County 4-H will attend camp July 8-10, and the cost for camp is $175 per camper. County Camp is a co-educational, residential camp featuring traditional camp experiences such as kayaking, shooting sports, challenge course, environmental education, arts and crafts, dancing, swimming and lots more. Upon arrival, participants are assigned to “activity groups” based on their age. For more information, visit http://texas4hcenter.tamu.edu/services/youth-camps-and-retreats/county-camp/. Registration is due Friday, June 14.

Prime-Time is designed especially for youth ages 9 to 13 with opportunities to meet new friends, develop new skills and learn how to work with others.

• Session 1 – July 21-24, completed grades 5-8
• Session 2 – July 24-27, completed grades 2-5

The early registration fee for youth participants is $225 for the three-night, four-day event. This cost covers all meals, lodging, refreshments, health care services, facility and programming fees. For more information, visit http://texas4hcenter.tamu.edu/files/2013/01/Prime-Time-one-page.pdf.

For more information on the overnight camps, refer to the Texas 4-H Center website and the Texas 4-H website. As always, you can contact the Extension office at 940-627-3341 if you have questions about getting youth involved in 4-H.

Chrissy Karrer is a Wise County Extension agent.

The cost is $15 per session or $80 for all seven sessions. The D.I.Y Monday Day Camp is open to all youth ages 8 to 12 and will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on the Tuesdays listed below.

D.I.Y MONDAYS DAY CAMP SCHEDULE

• June 10 – Kitchen Smarts
• June 17 – Green Thumb
• June 24 – Sewing 101
• July 1 – Mad Scientists
• July 8 – Upcycle, Recycle
• July 22 – Rocketry and Robotics
• July 29 – Chef Camp

Contact the Extension office at 940-627-3341 to sign up for D.I.Y. Camp. Pre-registration is due on Friday before each session.

TEACHER WORKSHOP

There will be a teacher workshop held at Weatherford College Wise County 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 17-18. Cost is $30, and teachers will receive continuing education units at the end of the training.

The workshop is open to all teachers and child care providers that work with youth in kindergarten through eighth grade. The workshops will be filled with fun, hands-on activities that are lessons from the various curriculum offered by the Texas Farm Bureau, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the 4-H program.

The workshop will focus on soil and plant science, recycling, bullying, life cycles, water conservation, mobile classrooms and health and nutrition, among other things.

To register, call the Extension office at 940-627-3341, or email cmkarrer@ag.tamu.edu for the registration form.

Chrissy Karrer is a Wise County Extension agent.

You did not have to qualify at the Wise County Youth Fair horse show to advance to District. The District 3 Horse show will be held in Vernon June 19-22. This validation is not the same as the Youth Fair validation and must be completed.

To validate your horse, log into your 4-H Connect family profile. Select edit by the individual’s name under which you would like to validate the horse. At the top left, you should see an animal link. Select it, and follow the registration process. All horses validated last year should still be in the system; you just have to reactivate each animal.

If you validate your horse by April 15 the cost is $10. Between April 16 and May 1 the cost to validate is $20. Payment is by personal credit/debit card.

Validation and payment is required on every horse to be shown. Registration must be in the name of the exhibitor or an immediate family member.

State horse show rules can be found at animalscience.tamu.edu/academics/equine/.

OTHER TAGS

State steer and State Fair sheep, goat and swine tag orders are due April 16. The state steer tag is required for steers entering the major shows, like the State Fair and those in Fort Worth, San Antonio, San Angelo, Houston and Austin.

The State Fair tag orders for sheep, goat and swine will just validate the animal for the upcoming State Fair. They will have to be retagged in the fall for the spring major shows. The cost is $10 per tag.

If you have questions, call the Extension office at 940-627-3341.

Chrissy Karrer is a Wise County Extension agent.

The youth in the barns are ambassadors of agriculture – they are usually the first thing the public sees as they are walking through the different species. This is why Quality Counts education is important and that the message they are sharing is positive and welcoming.

Quality Counts is a curriculum that teaches youth livestock exhibitors character and quality assurance. Quality Counts is designed around the Six Pillars of Character created by the Josephson Institute of Ethics. The Six Pillars are: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship. Quality Counts takes each pillar and relates it to how youth livestock exhibitors can develop and use these traits with their livestock projects. To better understand how this is done, let’s look at each pillar and how it relates to a youth livestock project.

TRUSTWORTHINESS

Trustworthiness can be exhibited in youth livestock projects in many ways. A livestock exhibitor demonstrates that they are trustworthy when they do things as simple as accurately recording birth and possession dates, meeting all obligations with their projects and accepting the responsibility that comes with a livestock project.

RESPECT

To be respectful, livestock exhibitors live by the Golden Rule by treating other exhibitors, spectators and judges, as they would like to be treated. Other ways of showing respect include listening to parents and advisers, valuing and honoring others’ opinions and taking proper care of your animal.

RESPONSIBILITY

A responsible exhibitor will develop the knowledge, skills and judgment about the desired characteristics of their animal and how to prepare it for the show. A responsible exhibitor will also do each job as well as it can be done, be a role model for peers and other exhibitors and keep record books up-to-date.

FAIRNESS

Livestock exhibitors can show fairness by treating all people fairly. This means that they listen to others’ ideas and try to understand their feelings, live up to all agreements and refuse to let personal preferences or prejudices get in the way of making a fair decision.

CARING

Often, caring can be thought of as one of the most important pillars. If we do not care, then why are we involved in livestock projects? A caring exhibitor treats animals humanely at all times, shares resources with others and is not cruel or insensitive toward other people.

CITIZENSHIP

An exhibitor can show good citizenship by obeying the rules of the show; promoting good character within their clubs, chapters, and communities; and by protecting the environment during the raising of their project. Citizenship should be shown to the projects (animals) as well as people.

While these are some brief ways that the six pillars are reflected in livestock projects, let us remind you that there are many more. In addition, many of the traits that are under one pillar are interchangeable with another pillar. Livestock projects are a vehicle that teach participants many things they will use later on in life. Developing our youth’s character can only lead to a brighter future.

Chrissy Karrer is a Wise County Extension agent.

Chickens can be classified several ways. Broilers are chickens that are raised for meat and grow very quickly. Backyard birds are raised for their egg-laying ability, and exhibition poultry are the ones you see in the show ring. Now, understand that I am no professional in the poultry scene. We can hold our own when it comes to educating 4-H’ers on how to raise broilers as a 4-H livestock project, and when it comes to backyard birds, I can spread the knowledge on hatching and raising a flock of your own.

Exhibition poultry, for me, is like comparing a four-door sedan to a rocket ship. Here is where the good news comes in. There are not one, but two poultry workshops coming up that will give participants a wealth of knowledge not only about exhibition poultry but also about raising backyard birds.

At the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo there will be an Exhibition Poultry Workshop 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, in the Cattle Arena. We invite junior exhibitors and juniors interested in showing exhibition poultry to join us. This workshop will include topics such as purchasing, caging and pen space, feeding and conditioning, hatching, and preparing your birds for show. There will be several different speakers presenting these topics. Come join us for a morning of education, fun and door prizes.

The Dallas County 4-H Livestock Project Coalition is excited to announce the North Texas 4-H Chicken Fest on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the District IV Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Service Center. This educational event aims to enhance youth’s poultry showmanship skills and teach youth about poultry bio-security measures, feeding and housing requirements and breed identification. In addition, youth will have the opportunity to conduct a necropsy, so they can learn how to identify possible diseases within their flock.

Both of these opportunities are excellent for those looking to start a poultry 4-H project or those who would like more information on chickens in general. I will personally be at one, if not both, opportunities, and I am excited to share what I learn with the youth of Wise County.

Chrissy Karrer is a Wise County Extension agent.

We are proud to offer information about several scholarships on the local level, as well as some district and state scholarships.

If you need assistance filling out scholarship applications, notify me or Extension Agent Tanya Davis. While we can help you complete the forms, it’s up to you to pick up an application from our office, 206 S. State St., in Decatur and make sure you have the correct due date.

Wise County Youth Fair (WCYF) Scholarship Award (Local)

• Actively involved in the WCYF during high school years
• $1,000
• Postmarked by Feb. 22

Jim Frank Hornback Memorial Agricultural Scholarship (Local)

• Agriculture majors
• $1,800 split between fall and spring semesters
• Due April 19 at the Extension Office

TEEA Scholarship (Local)

• Actively participated in 4-H for at least three years
• Minimum GPA of B- over last three-and-a-half years of high school
• Accompanied with record book
• Due Feb. 15 at the Extension office

Wise Electric Scholarship (Local)

• Parents or guardians must be members of Wise Electric Cooperative Inc.
• $1,000 split between fall and spring semesters
• Due April 5

Thelma Wirges Scholarship (District)

• Open to 4-H members that excelled in Family and Consumer Sciences projects and in Family and Consumer Sciences leadership.

• Participated in at least three years of 4-H club work in District 3
• Overall high school average grade of “85″ or above
• $1,000 split between fall and spring semesters
• Due April 19 to the Extension Office

4-H Opportunity Scholarship (State)

Information about the 4-H Opportunity Scholarship was sent out in December. It is open to all graduating seniors that have participated in the Texas 4-H program.

• Open to four-year and two-year universities/colleges/technical colleges
• Range from $1,000 to $18,000
• Due Jan. 25 (We would like to have them emailed by Jan.17 to do a review before it is sent to district.

Chrissy Karrer is a Wise County Extension agent.

The Texas 4-H website states “4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. 4-H is about having fun, learning, exploring and discovering.”

4-Her’s have the opportunity to discover and learn about projects ranging from aerospace to zoology. Below are some of the upcoming dates important for families already enrolled in 4-H or for those considering joining.

All youth planning to participate in the 2013 Wise County Youth Fair need to be enrolled in either 4-H or FFA by Monday, Dec. 31. To register for 4-H, visit 4-H Connect Online to enroll (texas.4honline.com). You will first need to set up a family profile and then register youth and at least one adult. Cost is $25 for youth in third through 12th grade, and adults are free. Call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341 if you have any questions about enrollment. Also, you can use the Internet at the office if necessary.

Consumer decision making practices are 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, and 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, at the Extension office. Consumer decision making is a project based on teaching youth about selecting products at the store based on economics and product information. All 4-H members are welcome to attend and should bring a pencil and paper to take notes.

Livestock judging practices are 1:30 p.m. Dec. 27, after hoof trimming on Saturday, Dec. 29, and at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, at the Extension office. Livestock judging teaches youth about market animal characteristics and selection and helps with public speaking skills. All 4-H members are welcome to attend and should bring a pencil and paper to take notes.

Hoof trimming is 8:30 a.m. Dec. 29 at the Sheriff’s Posse Grounds in Decatur. All 4-H and FFA members are invited to attend, and the cost is $30 per head.

There will be a “Crafter-noon” 1 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, at the Extension Office. We will have supplies to create crafts that can be entered into the 4-H Theme/Any Craft or Recycle Division categories at the Youth Fair. We will supply various craft supplies – if you have a specific project in mind, you should bring the supplies for it. Call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341 by Dec. 28 to sign up.

Wise County Youth Fair tag-in for sheep, goats, hogs, non-registered heifers and dairy sale heifers is 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 5. If you miss this tag-in date, you will not be eligible to show in the WCYF. Just because you tag your animal, does not mean you are entered in the WCYF. Entries open Wednesday, Jan. 9 and will close Saturday, Feb. 9. For more information, go to www.wcyouthfair.org.

The Clothing and Textiles 4-H Club will host a Clothing and Textiles Workshop 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9, at the Extension office. Topics discussed will be story boards, construction and buying projects, community service and various Youth Fair categories. To participate in the clothing and textiles project, you do not have to know how to sew. For some, it’s about the love to shop for clothing and accessories.

A Broiler Clinic is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, at the Extension Office. Topics that will be covered include housing, nutrition, health, daily care and selection. If you have been showing broilers for years or if this is your first time this workshop is for you. Call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341 to sign up by Friday, Jan. 11.

Another exciting (scholarship) opportunity for Senior 4-H members is the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo School Tours. This year Wise County 4-Her’s will give tours to schoolchildren on Friday, Feb. 15, at the San Antonio Stock Show. We will travel to San Antonio after school on Thursday, Feb. 14, and return home the evening of Feb. 15.

All senior youth that participate in this tour guide experience have the opportunity to apply for a $1,000 scholarship (in either 4-H or FFA) or an add-on to their market animal if it makes the sale at San Antonio. Tour guide training is 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22 and Feb. 12, at the Extension office. For information, contact the Extension office.

Chrissy Karrer is a County Extension Agent, 4-H and Youth Development.

To register for 4-H, visit 4-H Connect Online, https://texas.4honline.com. You will first need to set up a family profile and then register youth and at least one adult. Cost for third through 12th graders is $25, and adults are free.

Call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341 if you have any questions about enrollment. There is Internet access at the Extension office if you need it.

The Wise County Youth Fair tag-in for sheep, goats, hogs, non-registered heifers and dairy sale heifers is 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 5. If you miss this tag-in date, you will not be eligible to show in the WCYF.

Just because you tag your animal, does not mean you are entered in the WCYF. Entries open Jan. 9 and close Feb. 9. For more information, go to www.wcyouthfair.org.

All rabbits must be validated 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, at the Extension office. All rabbits must be tattooed or tattoos checked and checked for breed and sex at this time in order to show at the Wise County Youth Fair.

Chrissy Karrer is a County Extension Agent, 4-H and Youth Development.

For their One Day community service project, the County Council, a collection of 4-H members from across Wise County, wanted to make a difference in the life of another child.

The County Council is hosting a game and book drive for their annual community service project. 4-Hers will be collecting new games and books to donate to Cooks Children’s Hospital in Ft. Worth. The Council set a goal of collecting 250 items to donate to the hospital.

Items suggested for donation include board games, travel games, card games, puzzles and handheld electronic games. Board games provide ways to use and develop thinking skills, while spending quality time with family or new friends.

Suggested books include board books, picture books, chapter books, “I Spy” books, game/puzzle books and coloring books. Patients and families spend time a lot of time waiting for appointments or between medical tests, and these items help make the time more bearable.

All items must be new due to the compromised immunity systems of some of the patients at the hospital. More suggested items can be found at www.cookchildrens.org/Giving/WishLists/.

Please help these 4-Hers make a difference in another child’s life. Items can be donated between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Extension Office, 206 South State St., in Decatur.

For more information about this community service opportunity, call the Extension Office at (940) 627-3341.

A 4-H fashion show is 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, at David’s in Decatur.

Each year, David’s graciously lets the Wise County 4-H program host a fashion show in honor of National 4-H Week. Members sign up at the Extension office for fitting times on Oct. 10 and on Thursday 4-H members arrive and prepare for the fashion show.

During the fashion show, a short commentary is given about the 4-H member and their selected garments. Clover Kids (youth in kindergarten through second grade) are also able to participate in this event and have a blast each year.

Also during National 4-H Week, hundreds of thousands of youth from all around the nation will complete a single, innovative experiment on 4-H National Youth Science Day, which is Wednesday, Oct. 10.

The 2012 National Science Experiment, 4-H Eco-Bot Challenge, explores how robots can be used to preserve and protect the environment, while offering a glimpse into the future of science, technology, engineering and math. Join us at the Extension office at 5:30 p.m. as Wise County 4-H members and potential new members strive to complete the Eco Bot Challenge. To sign up to participate, call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341.

4-H clubs around the county will also decorate a local store front, post office or display case at the library or school in celebration of National 4-H week. Please take the opportunity to check out their hard work.

Recent findings from Tufts University’s 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicate that young people in 4-H are three times more likely to contribute to their communities than youth not participating in 4-H.

Notably, the Tufts research discovered that the structured learning, encouragement and adult mentoring that 4-H’ers receive play a vital role in helping them actively contribute to their communities. In Wise County, more than 420 4-H members and 60 volunteers were involved in 4-H last year.

“4-H has taught me many things,” said Wise County 4-H member Caitlin Pruett. “It has helped me grow into a leader and the person I am today. Through 4-H, I had the opportunity to organize the community service project Nike Re-Use A Shoe, and we collected over 300 shoes that will be turned into playground surfaces.”

4-H youth are a living, breathing, culture-changing revolution for doing the right thing, breaking through obstacles and pushing our country forward by making a measurable difference right where they live.

Learn how you can Join the Revolution of Responsibility at 4-H.org/revolution, or contact Chrissy Karrer, County Extension Agent, 4-H and Youth Development at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Wise County at (940) 627-3341 or cmkarrer@ag.tamu.edu.

This Saturday, Sept. 22, Wise County 4-H will host a golf scramble benefiting the youth in the 4-H program. Tee off is at 9 a.m. at the Decatur Country Club. Teams of four need to call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341 to sign up and get more information. Singles will be placed on teams Saturday morning. Third place and up are guaranteed money back.

SWINE PROJECT WORKSHOP

If you are interested in raising and showing a pig project this year at the major shows or the Wise County Youth Fair, there will be a swine workshop 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24, at the Extension office. Ag Extension Agent Todd Vineyard will share tips on selecting, housing, grooming and feeding successful swine projects. Call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341 to sign up.

What about food and nutrition, citizenship or public speaking? Do you think about shooting sports, photography, or clothing and textiles? How about traveling across the country and overseas with fellow 4-H’ers?

There is more to 4-H than showing livestock at the Wise County Youth Fair or at the major stock shows. To get a better idea of what 4-H is all about, we invite you to join the members of the Wise County 4-H Clubs at 4-H Explosion on Saturday, Sept. 8.

The event is in conjunction with the Chisholm Trail Days celebration in Decatur. The fun will start at 10 a.m. on the Courthouse lawn in downtown Decatur. Each club will have a booth with information and games and will be happy to share their experiences with you, or answer any questions you might have concerning 4-H.

The Sheriff’s Posse rodeo parade will also begin around the same time, and we are crossing our fingers for cooler weather. 4-H Explosion/Chisholm Trail Days will last until 7 p.m., and those that attend will have the chance to register for door prizes. We will also give families the opportunity to register for 4-H for the 2012-2013 year.

This is a free event the whole family can enjoy. Call the Extension Office at (940) 627-3341 for more information.

The 3rd Annual “Green Out” 4-H Event with the Texas Rangers is a great way to begin the 4-H year. Discounted tickets are on sale now for the Texas Rangers vs. Mariners game Wednesday, Sept. 15, at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Start time is 7:05 p.m.

Every ticket holder will receive a free, one-of-a-kind “Green Out” T-shirt sponsored by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Company. It will include the Rangers, 4-H and Texas Farm Bureau Insurance logos. To receive your “Green Out” T-shirts, tickets must be purchased by Aug. 30.

T-shirts will be available in youth sizes medium and large, adult sizes S – XXL. If larger than XXL is needed let us know, and we can verify availability.

Every county and 4-H club has the opportunity to sell “Green Out” tickets as a fundraiser for their County 4-H program. Prizes will be awarded for the member, club or county 4-H that sells the most tickets.

The Texas Rangers organization has been gracious enough to not only give us a discounted ticket rate, but is giving $3 for every ticket purchased to the county 4-H program that sells tickets.

The more tickets you sell, the more money you can make for your county 4-H. You can download more information at the following website: texas4hfoundation.org/texas-4-h-alliances/rangers-baseball-green-out-4-h-event/.

The theme this year is “Masquerade,” and dinner will be catered by Sagebrush Caf . The cost is $10 per person. All 4-H’ers who turned in a 4-H record book will get in free. Call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341 to RSVP.

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County Council will meet 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6, at the Extension office to plan for the 2012-2013 4-H year. Both last year’s and the newly elected council need to be there to help plan the 4-H Banquet.

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There will be a leaders meeting and a calendar planning meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13, at the Extension office. Each club manager or a representative from each club needs to be present. Please bring a list of club meeting times and dates for the 2012-2013 year, as well as your school and community calendar.

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The entry days for the State Fair, West Texas State Fair and Heart of Texas are Tuesday, Aug. 7, to Thursday, Aug. 9, at the Extension office. Forms are online on the websites listed below. Call the Extension Office at (940) 627-3341 if you have any questions.

Fill out the entry form found on the respective website, and drop it with your payment by the office during that time frame (or earlier if you would like). We will submit the online entries shortly after Aug. 9.

State Fair – www.bigtex.com/sft/LiveStock/OnlineEntryForm.asp

West Texas State Fair – www.taylorcountyexpocenter.com/wtfr_entries.html

Heart of Texas – www.hotfair.com/content/livestock_show/livestock_show.asp

Entries for the North Texas Fair and Rodeo (www.ntfair.com/livestock.shtml), can be done on your own and at your leisure.

The 4-H scholarship was one of 251 totaling over $2 million awarded by the Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation during the 2012 Opportunity Awards Ceremony June 11 in United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

The scholarship recipients were selected from 361 who applied, said Jim Reeves, executive director of the foundation, which is the organization responsible for coordinating the program and for resource development for the Texas 4-H program. He said the scholarship application process began in January.

The foundation’s scholarship program has 50 donors including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate, Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo, and the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show along with the Richard Wallrath Educational Foundation, individuals, corporations, foundations, producer associations, Texas AgriLife Extension Service professional associations, individual honorary funds and individual bequests.

Reeves said the donors share the foundation’s vision of investing in the future of Texas youth by helping them pursue an education, which in turn, should eventually benefit their communities, state, country and world.

The scholarships range from $1,000 to $16,000. Jodie received a total of $11,000.

“Scholarships are provided to assist 4-H members who will attend universities and colleges throughout the state,” Reeves said. “The scholarship program is a celebration of achievement for 4-H members across Texas. It recognizes the development of qualities inherent to the Texas 4-H program – personal responsibility, civic responsibility and leadership.

“The program rewards hard work and dedication of young people involved in 4-H.”

The Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation Opportunity Scholarship Program is the nation’s largest 4-H scholarship program. It began as a single $1,000 scholarship given by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 1959.

The Opportunity Scholarship Program was a highlight of the 2012 Texas 4-H Roundup which was held June 11-14 at Texas Tech. This was the first time in its 65 year history that the Texas 4-H Roundup was held at a location other than College Station.

The Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose members promote and support youth development in leadership, vocational skills, social skills and citizenship. The foundation’s board is a diverse group of 41 trustees who share a common passion for improving the lives of Texas youth. Trustees work to secure private funding to support scholarships and programs for Texas 4-H youth.

Youth from across the county met for final practices before they competed in Lubbock at the beginning of June. At the Texas 4-H Roundup several walked the stage. Their year of hard work paid off as they placed high in their respective contests.

The following week Logan Moore, Christian Cross, Shelby Vanover, Morgan Barnes and Caitlin Pruett attended Teen Leader Lab in Roaring Springs to meet 4-Hers from across District 3 and build their leadership skills. Cross was elected the district webmaster.

The District 3 Horse Show concluded last week, and the results are as follows:

In the Halter classes, Seth Byers placed second with his registered mare. In the grade geldings class, Sadi Wilson placed third, and Cassidy Wilson took 12th. In the registered geldings 5 and over, Cassady Craddock placed second, Jessie Outlaw eighth, Mikayla Cox 12th and Dalton Outlaw 14th.

In Western Pleasure, first place went to Cody Chapman, 19th Jesse Outlaw, 32nd Lucas Solomon, 36th Cassady Craddock, 37th Seth Byers and 43rd Cassady Wilson.

In Western Showmanship Cody Chapman placed third.

In Western Horsemanship, Cody Chapman placed sixth, Michaela Wilson Mason eighth, Cassady Craddock 10th and Mikayla Cox 12th.

Trail participants include Cassady Craddock, Cassidy Wilson and Michaela Wilson Mason.

In Western Riding, Seth Byers placed seventh, Jesse Outlaw 16th and Cassady Craddock 26th.

In the speed events, starting with Barrels, 12th place was claimed by Cassady Craddock, 15th place Michala Wilson Mason, 23rd place Cody Chapman and 27th place Mikayla Cox.

In Pole Bending, 11th place went to Michala Wilson Mason, 12th place Cassady Craddock and 18th place Mikayla Cox.

In Stakes, Mikayla Cox placed 20th and Michala Wilson Mason 23rd.

Shelby Haggart took fifth in the Working Cowhorse class. Mikayla Cox and Shelby Haggart participated in the Stock Horse Trail class. Cassady Craddock, Mikayla Cox, Seth Byers and Shelby Haggart participated in the Reining class.

In the English Riding division, there were several participants. In the Hunter Under Saddle class, Cody Chapman placed third, Cassady Craddock fifth, Mikayla Cox ninth, Cassady Wilson 13th and Michala Wilson Mason 14th.

In the Hunter Seat Equitation, Cody Chapman placed fourth, Cassady Craddock sixth and Michala Wilson Mason ninth.

In the Showmanship class, Cody Chapman placed eighth, Michala Wilson Mason eighth, Cassady Craddock 10th and Mikayla Cox 12th.

In the Futurity classes, Seth Byers took first in the Yearling Longe Line and second in the Yearling Halter Filly.

Excellent job by the Wise County 4-Her’s!

D.I.Y. MONDAYS DAY CAMP SCHEDULE

• June 18 – Upcycle, Recycle
• July 9 – Wild About Water and Plants
• July 16 – Up, Up, and Away (Rocketry)
• July 23 – Mad Scientists
• July 30 – Kitchen Boot Camp

Call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341 to sign up for D.I.Y. Camp. Pre-registration is due on Friday before each session.

TEACHER WORKSHOP

There will be a teacher workshop held at the Extension office 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, and Wednesday, July 25. Cost is $10. The workshop is open to all teachers and childcare providers that work with youth in kindergarten through eighth grade. The workshops will be filled with fun, hands-on activities that are lessons out of the various curriculum offered by the Texas Farm Bureau, Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the 4-H program. The workshop will focus on soil and plant science, bullying, life cycles, water conservation, mobile classrooms, health and nutrition and everything in between.

To register, call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341, or email me at cmkarrer@ag.tamu.edu. Provide your name, email address, address, school and the grade you teach. Please make sure to send contact information that is good for the summer months.

Steer validation will be held on Thursday, June 21, from 7 to 11 a.m. at the Decatur Livestock Auction on Farm Road 51 North. Please note that this is a change from previous years’ validation.

Tuesday, June 26, is the date set for all Wise County 4-H and FFA members to validate State Fair sheep and goats. We will validate from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Decatur High School Ag Facility. Anyone who plans to enter a sheep or goat at the State Fair of Texas is required to have them validated on that date.

State Fair swine validation will be held on June 28 on location. The validation committee will validate that day on each family’s premises. Anyone who plans to enter the market swine show at the State Fair of Texas is required to have them validated at the times listed above.

If you have questions regarding any of the upcoming 4-H deadlines and events, call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341.

Wise County 4-H Horsemanship Camp will be held south of Decatur June 15 and 16. Every year, teams of Texas A&M Horse Program Assistants are trained to go to counties and teach two-day horsemanship schools. These are hands-on schools for 4-Hers, parents and volunteer leaders in the county who bring their horses and participate in a variety of basic and advanced horsemanship drills and maneuvers.

The cost per participant is $55. Participants need to be ready to go at 8 a.m., and camp will let out around 5 p.m. each day. This camp is open to youth and adults. For information, call the Extension office at (940) 627-3341 or Jori Dearing, 4-H Horse Project Leader, at (942) 210-9412.

Multi-County Camp will be held in Bridgeport July 13 and 14. The camp is open to 4-H youth age 9 to 18. Participants will enjoy canoeing, swimming, the climbing wall, dances, archery, arts and crafts, games and more.

The cost is $65 per 4-H member and $90 for non-4-H members. This includes meals, snacks, lodging, limited accident insurance, a resource fee, facilities fee and program items. For information, call the Extension office.

Horizons is a five-day, four-night camp (July 3-7) that focuses on project enhancement, career exploration, and personal/professional development at the 4-H Center in Brownwood. Participants (4-H youth that have completed grades 4-8) choose their focus in which they will receive approximately 16 hours of instruction and introduction to careers in the field. Each workshop is limited to 20 youth and are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Evening activities are geared toward professional development and workforce preparation, and of course, camp recreation and games. Dances are held each night. Project-focused workshops on natural resources, robotics, culinary arts, creative leadership, clothing and textiles and dog project. The informational flyer can be found at the Texas 4-H Center Website under Summer Camp opportunities.

Water Camp is a day camp held in Decatur that focuses on conserving our No. 1 natural resource – water. This fun-filled day will be packed with sessions on water conservation as well as fun water games. Water camp is open to all youth ages 8 to 13, and we are also looking for youth 14 and older to serve as group leaders. The cost per youth is $10, and it includes activity fees, snacks and lunch. Join us July 19 for Water Camp! You can begin signing up at the Extension office.

Prime-Time is designed especially for youth ages 9 to 13 with opportunities to meet new friends, develop new skills and learn how to work with others.

• Session 1 – July 24-27, completed grades 5-8
• Session 2 – July 27-30, completed grades 2-5

The early registration fee for youth participants is $220 for the three-night, four-day event. This cost covers all meals, lodging, refreshments, health care services, facility and programming fees. For information, visit: texas4hcenter.tamu.edu/youth-camps-and-retreats/.

For information on the individual camps, refer to the Texas 4-H Center website and the Texas 4-H website. As always, you can contact the Extension office at (940) 627-3341 if you have any questions on getting youth involved in 4-H.