Tennessee 4-H Ideas: 03-12

The state 4-H staff appreciated everyone's participation in the listening sessions. We shared the summaries of each listening sessions with the district program leaders. We have had discussions as follow-up to the listening sessions. The question is "What next?"

I plan to communicate with you on a regular basis regarding the direction of the state 4-H program. 4-H is the youth development organization of The University of Tennessee. Tennessee 4-H is about positive youth development. You will hear those statements often over the next year. My response regarding the listening sessions is that we heard very good suggestions and legitimate concerns regarding the 4-H program. I have addressed some of those concerns in this article.

We will work toward providing appropriate inservice training and a good orientation training for 4-H agents. We will address the curriculum and project literature. In fact we are already involved in working to develop some changes and improvements. The priority programs will remain the same and we will develop resources to address the priorities.

Life skills will be very important in the way we measure impact and evaluate programming. We plan to develop tools to measure 10-12 identified life skills that can be evaluated in everything we do. The life skills can be measured in school clubs, project groups, camp or special interest groups.

Volunteerism is a priority and we will find ways to train agents to recruit, train and retain volunteers as well as provide opportunities for volunteers. Service learning will be integrated into much more of the 4-H program. We will look to find more ways to attract and retain teen's interest in 4-H.

The new 4-H web site will be introduced and announced at State 4-H Congress. Technology will be a part of the 4-H program. Committees will be formed to take a look at record books and our state events.

The state 4-H office does not stand alone. We exist to promote positive youth development and to assist in providing resources and to assist 4-H agents and volunteers in working with youth. We need the help of 4-H agents, district staff, administration, volunteers, and donors.

Tennessee 4-H is not broken, however, with any organization, there is always room for improvement. As the world around us changes, we realize that we must make positive changes. Some of the suggestions may be easy to adjust or change and some will take time. We cannot do everything all at same time nor can make changes immediately.

We must keep in mind the Tennessee 4-H mission: To provide research-based Extension educational experiences that will stimulate young people to gain knowledge, develop life skills and form positive attitudes to prepare them to become capable, responsible and compassionate adults.

This week we will begin featuring our area 4-H specialists in Ideas. Keep reading to find out about another one of our team.

Mitch Beaty serves as the area 4-H specialist in the 27 county Cumberland District. He has been in that role since 1998. His main responsibility is to serve as a resource person for 4-H agents in his district. In this capacity, he develops resource materials; conducts training; and makes visits to new agents. Some of his other district responsibilities include giving leadership to the All-Star and public speaking programs in the Cumberland District.

He has also initiated the 4-H Clover Bowl in the Cumberland District. This is a quiz bowl competition designed to encourage 4-H members to learn more about themselves and their surroundings. Twenty-one counties now conduct Clover Bowls with total participation expected to exceed 7,500 young people in 2003.

In addition to Mitch's district duties, he also serves as the state coordinator for Citizenship Washington Focus. He is active in the Tennessee 4-H horse project where he serves as the barn manger for the State 4-H Horse Show and helps coordinate the State Horse Bowl and Hippology programs.

Mitch is a graduate of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he majored in animal science. He also received his M.S. from UTK in 1993. He began Extension work as a 4-H agent in Wilson County in 1985. He transferred to Putnam County in 1994 where he served as 4-H agent until 1998 when he assumed the role as area 4-H specialist.

Mitch is originally from Overton County, but lived in Sequatchie and later Cumberland County as young person. He was an active 4-H member showing livestock and was in the All-Star program serving as District Big Chief in 1980.

Mitch is married to the former Angie Benson of Crossville. They live in Cookeville with their two girls Morgan (12) and Taylre (8).

We received the following information from National 4-H Council last week regarding an opportunity for local 4-H clubs.

For the second year 4-H is pleased to have been invited by Scotts and Wal-Mart to participate in their Miracle Garden Party Event. Due to last year's efforts of 4-H clubs across the country Scotts has enhanced their relationship with 4-H so that we are the only not for profit organization involved.

We recognize that county agents are overwhelmed by the amount of information and requests that they receive. All we are asking you to do is to pass this information along to:

F.Y.I. - Many 4-H offices have existing relationships with their local Wal-Mart so this is a natural extension. For those who do not this is an easy way to establish a working relationship. Please note that the local Wal-Mart store manager has a small pot of funds to donate locally and they will naturally take care of those with whom they have an existing relationship.

All 2,700 Wal-Mart stores are involved in the program on April 12th, with just 24 stores involved in Garden Party events in their parking lots. Please review schedule below as the Garden Party event dates vary by location. Just as last year we have assisted in the development of a four-color information guide with two in-store activities (see Wal-Mart in-store activities below) for parents and 4-H youth to teach younger kids. Participation in both activities is encouraged but not required.

1. Scotts has underwritten our ability to offer to the first 1,000 4-H clubs that participate $10.00 gift certificates. Download and print the participation form from our web site www.4-hmall.org/. Please fully complete, obtain signature of Wal-Mart representative, then fax to 301-961-2937 in order to receive your $10.00 4-H Source Book gift certificate. Just one gift certificate per club will be accepted, as we want to have up to 1,000 clubs participating. The entire form must be completed in order to establish an accurate record of 4-H participation.

2. Once again, Scotts has become the donor/sponsor for 6000 of the Gardening and Horticulture medal. These will be distributed to the states later on this spring. Quantities received are based on state enrollment numbers as reported in the latest available ES237 report.

3. Please have the 4-H clubs that wish to participate, contact their local Wal-Mart Store Manager to find out what Saturday that the event will be happening in their store. Please do not contact your local Wal-Mart before March 21, 2003, as they will not have any information about this program until that date. FYI - Last year some 4-H clubs contacted the stores before they received information about this event and 4-H's participation and were frustrated that the store did not know about this event.

4. We are encouraging participation by as many 4-H Master Gardeners as are available to work with the 4-H youth at this event. While there is no time limit on the participation by 4-H clubs or the master gardeners, two to four hours is a reasonable amount of time.

WAL-MART IN-STORE ACTIVITIES: (as shown in the brochure available in the store)

Here are some fun garden activities to do with your children. Be a teacher - spread word about how fun and rewarding gardening can be!

Planting Pots for Pollinators:
Explain it to your children: Bees and butterflies are more than just buzzy beings! These insects are pollinators they move golden pollen between plants, which helps them reproduce. Attracting butterflies and bees is good for your garden.
What you need: Plants such as butterfly weed, aster, coneflower, peppermint or garden sage; small pots, potting soil and water.
What you do: Let each child pick out a plant and place it in a pot with soil. Add water. Place the pots near pollinators outdoors! Watch and see which buzzy beings like your plants!

Plant a Plump Pumpkin:
Explain it to your children: How does a pumpkin get to be so big when it starts out as a tiny seed? Magic! No, really, it's just a matter of adding sunlight, water and a little carbon dioxide (the stuff we breathe out).
What you need: Pumpkin seeds, paper cups, potting soil, garden trowels and water.
What you do: Help children plant pumpkin seeds into soil in cups about an inch below the soil surface. Water seeds regularly.
Ask: How big will your pumpkin get? The world record pumpkin weighed more than 1,300 pounds or as much as an entire second grade class! Most pumpkins, though, top out at 15 pounds. Let's water it and watch it grow!

If you experience any difficulties, please contact National 4-H Council for assistance through mcascioli@fourhcouncil.edu.

The Tennessee 4-H History Bowl will be held in Nashville on Tuesday, April 15, during State 4-H Congress. The competition will get underway at 9:00 a.m. in the Nashville Sheraton Ballroom. Each district has selected two Congress delegates to represent them in the event. Contestants include:

Western District
Fiona Black, Hardeman County
Liam Black, Hardeman County

Central District
Nathan Batey, Cheatham County
Jim Bob Sawyer, Hickman County

Cumberland District
Will Rhoads, Coffee County
P.J. Shrader, Coffee County

Smoky Mountain District
Chip Johnson, Monroe County
Amanda Hansen, Sevier County

The competition is pattern after the TV College Bowl. All questions relate to either Tennessee history, 4-H history or current events in Tennessee and come from a bibliography of publications made available to delegates through the county Extension offices. For more information on the 4-H History Bowl, visit the web site at www.utextension.utk.edu/4H/stcong/historybowl/.

Each participant in the Tennessee 4-H History Bowl will receive a certificate and a copy of 4-H - A Tennessee Tradition. The two state winners will receive engraved plaques and a $100 US savings bond. Donor for this event is Janet C. Cluck, Extension director in Dickson County.

Congratulations to Van Buren County on being the first to register 4-H'ers for Electric Camp. Registration is online and may be accessed at: ext1.ag.utk.edu/4H/electricRegist.nsf. The site MUST be accessed using Microsoft Internet Explorer.

If you receive a security alert, click "Yes" to proceed. You will be prompted for your Lotus Notes user name and default password. Your default password is the first two letters of your birth month, last two digits of your birth year and last four digits of your SSN. Enter your information and click "OK."

At the 4-H Electric Camp Electronic Registration page, click "Create New Document" to enter the information for each delegate. When finished, click the "Submit Registration" button at the bottom of the form.

If you notice a mistake was made after submitting your data, simply pull up the incorrect record and click the "Edit" button at the bottom of the page. Make your correction and then resubmit the record.

If you have problems, please contact your district IT specialist. Check with your district office for information regarding specific district deadlines.

Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting.
~Edmund Burke