Volunteer Extension Cord (VEC) is a way to advise you about Texas 4-H Volunteer Development. This newsletter is e-mailed to County Extension Agents, Texas 4-H Faculty, District Extension Administrators, and Regional Program Directors. In addition, 4-H volunteers who are active in VLAT or their District Adult Leaders Association (and we have your e-mail address) will receive VEC. To add an e-mail address to our list, send a message to texasvolunteer@tamu.edu and type subscribe followed by your name, county, district and e-mail address.
We are always looking for news items, county and regional highlights, recognition of volunteers and other information related to volunteer development. Please send information to the following e-mail texasvolunteer@tamu.edu
In This Edition:
1. Texas 4-H Roundup Update
Roundup Deadline Approaching Fast
Packet Pick-up for Roundup - MAJOR CHANGE!
Texas A&M Dorms to House Roundup Participants
Meals on Campus will be at Two Dining Facilities
Don’t Forget Your Forms
Thank You Notes
Website Includes Up-to-the-Minute Information about Roundup
2. Texas 4-H Roundup Educational Workshops Announced
3. VLAT Meeting Planned for Roundup!
4. National 4-H Council Supports 4-H Volunteers with $500,000 From Monsanto Company
5. What is a Master Volunteer?
6. Large Animal Master Volunteer Trainings Coming Up - Registration Deadlines Approaching!
Roundup Deadline Approaching Fast!
The deadline for regular registration will end on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 at midnight. To avoid any late fees your registration should be complete and submitted. From Thursday, May 10th, to the 16th, registration will include a late fee for those still needing to get registered. If your registration states “APPROVAL PENDING”, please don’t panic! That means that your county office or the state office is needing to approve it.
Scholarship recipients (not Scholars and Contestants – contestants will already know if they are attending or not) will be allowed extra time after the 9th to get their registration submitted without any late fees, due to the notification period.
Packet Pick-up for Roundup – MAJOR CHANGE!
Registration for the 2007 Texas 4-H Roundup will be held starting at 7:00 a.m. on TUESDAY, JUNE 5TH. No registration or packet pick-up will be available on Monday. For those participating in Fabric and Fashion Design and the Computer Technology Contest, ample time will be provided for you come to the Reed Arena Concourse prior to attending your contest.
Texas A&M Dorms to House Roundup Participants
The Texas A&M University Residence Life has been contracted to manage the 2007 Roundup Housing. Housing will be in the Commons Dorm area on the Southside of the campus. Monday lodging is only available to those that have a chaperone having Monday lodging as well. Room check in will be available after 3:00 p.m. for anyone having Monday night lodging. No meals or Roundup Registration will be available on Monday.
The Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program requires that every youth be chaperoned by a screened adult leader/parent/county Extension Agent. Youth will be housed with youth, and adults will be housed with adults. TAMU will try within all means to segregate genders into certain areas of the dorms; however, for the maximization of rooms, some areas may be shared with opposite genders and/or other youth groups on campus.
Meals on Campus will be at Two Dining Facilities
When you come to Roundup and you have purchased meals, you are going to have an opportunity for some exercise with your lunch and dinner. Breakfast will be served at the Commons Dinning Area, but lunch and dinner will be at Sbisa Dining Hall on the North side of campus. By having lunch and dinner at TAMU’s main dining hall, this provides a greater variety and higher quality of meal. TAMU has recently revamped their dining services, and we are excited to see the new and improved changes in food for 2007.
Meals times are as follows:
Tuesday Dinner: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Wednesday Breakfast: 6:00 am – 8:30 am
Wednesday Lunch: 11:00 am - 1:30 pm
Wednesday Dinner: 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Thursday Breakfast: 6:00 am – 8:00 am
Thursday Lunch: 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Thursday Dinner: 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Don’t Forget Your Forms!!!!
Please help all 4-H members and adults arrive at Roundup prepared. This includes bringing all forms for youth and adults. The forms needed are as follows:
YOUTH:
Code of Conduct
Youth Medical Waiver
ADULT:
Adult Chaperone Agreement
Adult Medical Waiver
All forms must be submitted at registration. Registration packets will not be distributed without submission of forms.
Thank You Notes
Several questions have arisen about the requirement of thank you notes for Roundup. ALL contestants are REQUIRED to bring thank you notes written to the donors of the contest(s) they are entered in and for the general sponsors of Roundup. All thank you notes will be turned in to the contest superintendent prior to 4-H members being allowed to compete.
Where can a list of the contest donors be found? All donors will be listed on the Texas 4-H Roundup website around the second week of May after all donors have been confirmed.
Why are we requiring these to be turned in before they compete? Unfortunately, we have heard from many dedicated and long time donors for Texas 4-H Roundup, expressing disappointment in not receiving even one thank you note for their sponsorship to a contest. As a result, during the contest superintendent training, it was decided by the 4-H faculty and superintendents to have the thank you notes turned in prior to competing and then the 4-H Office will forward all thank you notes to the donors.
What format do the thank you notes need to be submitted in? All thank you notes can be in any format the 4-H contestant wishes. They should be well written, contain correct grammar and spelling and be in a sealed, addressed, and stamped envelope.
Website includes Up-to-the-Minute Information about Roundup
The 2007 Texas 4-H Roundup website at: http://tx4-h.tamu.edu/roundup/ contains up to the minute updates and information about the event. The site also includes an interactive Google map of key locations and directions for Roundup. If you have any questions, check the site first; if you can’t find what you are looking for, let us know by e-mailing us at 4hevents@ag.tamu.edu.
Texas 4-H Roundup Educational Workshops Announced
Texas 4-H is pleased to offer educational workshops again this year at Texas 4-H Roundup. The workshops will offer great educational experiences for 4-H members and adults, as well as provide an opportunity to see aspects of Texas A&M University. All workshops are open to ALL senior 4-H members and adults. Youth do NOT have to be participating in a Roundup contest to participate. Registration to participate in an educational workshop is conducted as normal Roundup Registration (4-H CONNECT) during the same published registration dates. Workshop participants also have the same privileges as other Roundup participants (dorm lodging, meals, dances, etc.). Each workshop is limited to a certain number of participants, so sign up NOW! Once registration is complete, workshop participants will receive additional information about the workshop (i.e. exact location and map, schedule, etc.). Any questions pertaining to Roundup educational workshops should be directed to Courtney Dodd at cfdodd@ag.tamu.edu
Exploring the Many Faces of Veterinary Medicine - Wednesday, June 6th - 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Come see and enjoy all of the many exciting opportunities the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has to offer. Take tours of the entire college, watch and help perform a necropsy on a goat, look at ruminant physiology with a fistulated cow and much more. There will be hands-on demonstrations and interactive seminars where you will have the opportunity to participate. You will also be able to ask current students enrolled in the veterinary medical profession questions about how they prepared for this career path. Cost: $20 - lunch included. Location: Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine.
Building Blocks for 4-H Club Managers - Wednesday, June 6th - 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. In a rut? Need some help in keeping your 4-H club strong? Join others and learn how to maintain and build your 4-H club. You will leave with great ideas and resources to strengthen your club. Cost: $5 per person. Location: Reed Arena - See Roundup program for room.
4-H Food Challenge - Wednesday, June 6th - 1:30 to 4:00 pm. Put a new spin on an old project! Have you ever seen Iron Chef or similar shows on the Food Network? We have taken this concept and created the 4-H Food Challenge. You will be given various ingredients and with those you will create a dish and provide nutritional information about the dish. This workshop is hands-on, so be prepared to cook, clean and show us what you know about food and nutrition. Cost: $10 per person. Location - Brazos County Extension Office.
Building Leadership Through Community Involvement - Wednesday, June 6th - 1:00 to 4:30 pm. Have you ever not liked something in your community and wanted to make a difference butdidn’t know how? Building Leadership Through Community Involvement will help you organize a team of your peers to address local community needs. Did you know it’s projected that 1 billion people will die in this century from tobacco use? The session will focus on the SWAT team approach (Students Winning Against Tobacco), which has been very successful involving youth in the fight against tobacco. What ever the “cause,” this session will equip you with the skills needed to be a leader in your community. Cost: $5 per person. Location: Reed Arena - See Roundup program for room.
The Corp of Cadets “Forging Leaders of Character” - Thursday, June 7th - 8:00 am to 12:00 noon. This workshop is designed to give the youth a basic introduction to some of the leadership development programs that are part of Corps of Cadets. The program will be a mix of classroom, field exercises and demonstrations by cadet leaders and Commandant’s staff. An informational meeting for the parents is also scheduled. Cost: $5.00 per person. Location: Sanders Corp of Cadets Center.
Welcome to the Poultry Industry: Where We Feed the World - Thursday, June 7th - 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The U.S. poultry industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that provides endless opportunities for qualified individuals. Participants will attend lectures and laboratories presented by world renowned faculty members within the Poultry Science Department, the largest Poultry Science Department in the nation. Topics will include poultry management, gross anatomy, embryology, poultry processing and food safety. Following classroom and laboratory instruction, participants will attend a field trip to a local broiler processing facility to gain first-hand knowledge of the modern poultry industry and the technology used to produce the world’s food supply. Cost: $5 per person - lunch included. Location: Poultry Science Center (on FM 2818).
The Science of Soil and Crop Sciences - Thursday, June 7th - 8:00 am to 12:00 noon. Students will be exposed to the sciences behind production agriculture, including shooting genes into plant tissue and producing transgenic plants, cross pollination, soil formation, how nature cleans our water, how agriculture prevents global warming, and how soils differ. Lectures may include discussions on how the earth will sustain a larger population, how agriculture will power our homes and cars through bioenergy crops. Cost: $5 per person. Location: Heep Building.
4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP) - Thursday, June 7th - Workshop 1: 8:00 am to 12:00 noon; Workshop 2: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Experience WHEP first-hand by participating in an abbreviated contest. Get to know the wildlife living around you and the needs they have to live. The four-hour workshop will introduce participants to the objectives of WHEP, how 4-H’ers participate in their local areas, and how the contest is set up. This workshop will be an excellent opportunity to find out about this program without a lot of time invested. Cost: $25 per person. Location TBA.
Leadership Development - Thursday, June 7th - 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Come explore the many qualities and dynamics of a leader in this hands-on, active workshop. Participants will discover their own leadership abilities, learn how to “pass on” their leadership by sharing it with others, and the difference between delegation and empowerment. On top of leadership, participants will learn about creativity and have the opportunity to practice creative thinking and apply it to creating new potential programs for Texas 4-H. Cost: $15 per person - lunch included. Location: Reed Arena - See Roundup program for room.
VLAT Meeting Planned!
Volunteers and Parents - Don’t forget! There will be a Volunteer Leaders Association of Texas (VLAT) meeting on Tuesday, June 5th during Roundup. The meeting will be held in Reed Arena starting at 7:30 pm. VLAT was organized to give 4-H Volunteers an opportunity to network. The focus of the 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association of Texas is on training and communication for and among 4-H adult leaders. The overall purpose is to involve 4-H leader in 4-H leadership development. Come and find out how you can get involved with this organization that helps support volunteers across the state, raises funds to support volunteer efforts and a 4-H Opportunity Collegiate Scholarship!
National 4-H Council Supports 4-H Volunteers with $500,000 From Monsanto Company
National 4-H Council has received a two-year $500,000 award from Monsanto Company to create hands-on training experiences for 4-H’s 540,000 volunteers, who provide 4-H youth across America with opportunities to learn leadership, citizenship and life skills.
“As a company 100 percent focused on agriculture, Monsanto is committed to investing in ag youth you represent the future of farming,” said Ernesto Fajardo, vice president of Monsanto’s U.S. crop production business. “We appreciate and are proud to support the dedication of 4-H volunteers across the country as they help youth become active citizens and community leaders.”
Through regional and state 4-H volunteer forums funded by Monsanto, 4-H volunteers will network with each other and learn about innovative programs that will help them bring fresh perspectives and activities to their local 4-H programs. Texas 4-H is a recipient of some Monsanto Funds, and the funds have been allocated to support the Large Animal Master Volunteer Trainings conducted in 2007. Monsanto also provided early funding to help make the National 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer Awards - recognizing top 4-H volunteer leaders across the nation - possible.
“4-H is supported nationwide by a dedicated network of volunteers who know the value of strong, positive youth development. Partners like Monsanto make it possible for 4-H to continue to build and sustain our volunteer base and ensure that even more youth enjoy fulfilling 4-H experiences,” said Donald T. Floyd, Jr., president and chief executive officer, National 4-H Council.
“Monsanto has a long-standing tradition of providing support for 4-H,” noted Jim Tobin, director, biotech business development, Monsanto, who presented the $500,000 training award to 4-H. “Many company employees were 4-H members, and tell us that they credit 4-H for many of the skills they use today to do their jobs - a real credit to the 4-H volunteer leaders who assisted them in their learning process.”
Monsanto Compnay is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. For additional information, please visit www.monsanto.com.
What is a Master Volunteer?
One of the most important contributors to the county 4-H livestock program is the Master Volunteer. Master Volunteers receive special training in a technical area and are organized to help the local Extension office extend or improve its educational programs. Each year, Texas AgriLife Extension Service offers beef, swine, sheep, goat, and horse Master Volunteer trainings. These individuals experience a minimum of 20 educational hours focused on one of the aforementioned livestock projects. At the conclusion of the training, they provide 50 return hours to their local 4-H livestock program. Once they have completed these 50 hours, they are then certified as a Master Volunteer. The average number of Master Livestock Volunteers that are certified annually is about 20 per project.
These Master Livestock Volunteers represent a well-trained, committed, and motivated source of reliable manpower and expertise. Some of the items they provide to the local 4-H livestock program include:
• Host local project clinics
• Host volunteer trainings
• Support the county Extension agent with project visits
• Support major and county show validation
• Present Quality Counts to local 4-H youth
In addition to these major responsibilities, Master Livestock Volunteers also assist 4-H members and parents with record forms, market local learning opportunities to youth, and coordinate project learning opportunities. They also serve as an opinion leader and county networker for 4-H livestock projects to help identify new local resources and supporters.
Large Animal Master Volunteer Trainings Coming Up!
The Texas 4-H Master Sheep & Goat Volunteer Training will be held July 20-22, 2007, in George West at the Terry Lee Kennels Hunting Camp. The program will begin on Friday, July 20th at 6:00 p.m. with registration, meal and several important sessions. The program will conclude on Sunday, July 22nd by noon. The purpose of the program is to train sheep or goat project leaders to provide support to new sheep or goat feeders (families in 1-3 years of feeding sheep or goat projects). The training will provide these project leaders with a valuable set of resources from which to build and support families in your county who are new to the sheep or goat project. Early registration will be $100 through May 31, 2007, and late registration will be $125 through July 1st.
The Texas Master Beef Volunteer Training will be held June 1-3, 2007, at the Texas Tech University Animal Science Building in Lubbock. The program will begin on Friday, June 1, at 6:00 p.m. and conclude on Sunday, June 3, at approximately 3:00 p.m. The purpose of the program is to train beef project leaders to provide support to new beef feeders (families in 1-3 years of feeding beef). The training will provide these project leaders with valuable set of resources from which to build and support families in your county who are new to the beef project. Early registration will be $100 through May 22, 2007, and late registration will be $125 through May 30th.
Additional Large Animal Master Volunteer Trainings to be held this year include:
Horse MV Training: December 4-6 in Abilene
Swine MV Training: July 20-22 in Waco
As a volunteer, if you are interested in becoming a Master Volunteer, contact your county Extension agent for additional training information and requirements.
Texas A&M System -