November 16 , 2010
We know the success of the Georgia 4-H program has
been built on our Base
Core Programs which begin with successful in-school
club meetings. Recent surveys indicate
that during the 2009-2010 program year, 78% of
the 5,077 club meetings conducted by 4-H agents last
year were carried out during instructional time in
schools. We also use club meetings as an opportunity
to introduce project
achievement, which is the backbone
of our program that helps young people develop life
skills in a variety of ways. During the past program
year, 55,000 of Georgia’s 165,000 4-H members were
involved in project achievement at the county level.
In years past we have only reported on the seven or
eight thousand young people who participated at district
and state competitive events in project achievement,
but we knew that many more young people participated
in project achievement at the county level. The third
core element which is part of the rich heritage of
Georgia 4-H is summer camping. Summer
camping programs offer
educational opportunities for young people in science,
healthy living, and social development. Each year
nearly 10,000 young people in Georgia participate in
camp, where 4-H’ers get to know their adult leaders
and help create a bond that will strengthen the 4-H
program at the local level.
In addition to these three core programs, State
4-H Council provides the opportunity for each county to
send four delegates to attend the constitutional meeting
of Georgia 4-H and elect state 4-H officers. Besides
these four very important components, the Georgia
Youth Summit has been held for the past ten years on a biennial
basis. Young people from other youth-serving organizations
are invited to participate in an open forum and discuss
issues facing Georgia’s younger citizens.
In addition to the work conducted by our local 4-H
programs, the Georgia
4-H Environmental Education program has
also strengthened our relationship with public and
private education by providing hands-on science
learning opportunities for over 850,000 students from
Georgia. We salute our county Extension agents,
our 4-H program assistants, our 4-H volunteer leaders,
and staff at our 4-H centers, who continue to
put forth their best efforts in making the Georgia
4-H program a success.
Our success in Georgia 4-H is also built on a public/private
partnership, and Georgia 4-H has many private partners.
We appreciate the recent support that AT&T provided
for Georgia 4-H to support the Georgia
4-H Board of Directors youth voice leadership development
program in integrating
technology and enhancing civic engagement. Our special
thanks to Paul Chambers, Regional Manager for AT&T
Georgia, for his leadership in bringing this new support
for Georgia 4-H.
4-H’ers around the state are involved in many educational
programs that are offered by Georgia 4-H. The State
4-H Wildlife Judging contest was held at Rock Eagle
4-H Center on November 13. The winning Junior Wildlife
Judging team was from Walton County and was comprised
of Lana Goitia, Hannah Peters, Carleigh Peters, and
the High Junior Individual, Blair Caldwell. The winning
Senior Wildlife Judging team, which will attend the
2011 national contest, is also from Walton County and
was made up of Michael Mappes, Andrew Byrne, Davin
Moore and Daniella Moore, who was the High Senior Individual.
Special thanks go out to David and Sandra Williams
and Jim McCarthy, who continue to provide excellent
volunteer leadership in setting up and administering
the state contest.
On the weekend of November 6-7, over 700 4-H members
and their leaders attended the 4-H
Junior Conference at Rock
Eagle 4-H Center. This conference is designed as an
opportunity for junior 4-H’ers to plan and participate
in service projects. For the past nine years, one of
those service projects has been collecting pop tabs
and bringing them to Junior Conference, where
the pop tabs are bagged and sold to a recycling center.
The proceeds from the sale are donated to Ronald McDonald
House Charities around the state. This year, our 4-H’ers
collected more than 17,000 pounds of pop tabs. That
is over 20 million pop tabs, which generated $10,500
that is being donated to the Ronald McDonald Houses
in Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee. Please visit
the Georgia 4-H website to learn more about Junior
Conference and why two Ronald McDonald Houses in Tennessee
were selected to receive the funds this year.
On Friday, November 5, Georgia 4-H was pleased to
be a part of the dedication
of the Rock Hawk Tower and Interpretive Center
near Wallace Dam. The Georgia 4-H program is responsible
for the Rock
Hawk Effigy, which is one of two rock effigies
east of the Mississippi River. The Georgia 4-H program
received a grant from the Federal Department of Transportation
to develop the Rock Hawk Tower and Interpretive Center.
In-kind contributions from the Putnam County Board
of Commissioners, Georgia Power, and Rock Eagle 4-H
Center made the completion of the Rock
Hawk Tower and Interpretive Center possible.
Be sure to include Art
@ the Rock in your weekend plans! Join us at
Rock Eagle 4-H Center on Saturday and Sunday November
20 & 21 to see an array of local and regional
artists sharing their work in both the GEMC Senior
Pavilion and the Hastings Building. Enjoy BBQ from
the Clover Café, or join us for Sunday Lunch, and
stay to see the artists. Open from 10 to 4 on Saturday
and 11:30 to 4 on Sunday, Art @ the Rock also features
musicians and a 4-H art exhibit.
As the year nears an end and we approach Thanksgiving,
Georgia
4-H would like to express a special “thank you” to
all our supporters and all those who help make
the 4-H program a success in Georgia. This year we
have embarked on a new promotion campaign entitled
“I Am Georgia 4-H.” I encourage you to visit the “I
Am Georgia 4-H” website and see the many stories told
by 4-H members and alumni. There is a summary of work
that counties have been doing to support the “I Am
Georgia 4-H” campaign. Georgia 4-H has been an important
part of the lives of many people.
Until next time, continue "To Make The Best Better."
Sincerely,
