Author: Audra Scheel

4-H Newsflash Aurora, Buffalo, Jerauld & Sanborn Counties

Aurora County Extension Office
PO Box 397
Plankinton, SD 57368
(605)942-7754
aurora.county@sdstate.edu

Jerauld County Extension Office
PO Box 366
Wessington Springs, SD 57382
(605)539-9471
jerauld.county@sdstate.edu

Sanborn County Extension Office
PO Box 397
Woonsocket, SD 57385
(605)796-4380
sanborn.county@sdstate.edu

From my desk to yours: Building Relationships That Last a Lifetime

Audra Scheel
SDSU Extension 4-H Youth Program Advisor
audra.scheel@sdstate.edu

Growing your 4-H club is all about relationships. Obviously, marketing is integral to the success of anything. However, establishing relationships with your audience, more often than not, will seal the deal.
Knowing members well is the mantra and mission of 4-H in 2020 and beyond! I urge all of our club leaders to dedicate their time to building relationships with members and potential members. See what happens when you:
1. Listen to your members. This may seem really obvious, but it bears repeating. We are there to see how we can better serve our youth, understand the challenges each club is facing and ultimately offer solutions. We start by listening. We ask, “How are you doing?” and “Tell us about your project work.” “What are your goals for 2020?” The conversation goes to unexpected and wonderful places when you start this way. One of the things I love about 4-H is knowing that if we don’t have what our members are looking for, we are going to refer them to someone who can fulfill their needs immediately.
2. Be creative about where you listen to members. Often youth join 4-H, because their friends are in the club, or older siblings are involved. But often times we have first generation families. So they don’t know all the possibilities there can be. Listen to your youth at the meetings, but engage in the conversation at the gym, when you are out to eat, in the grocery store. Whatever the avenue of conversation be sure to engage and listen.
3. Respond to what members tell you. We have lots of great examples of project work that has been done in our counties. So if they want it, we figure out how to make it happen. The county leader’s meetings are a great way to start those conversations if it is bigger than what your club can accomplish.
4. Build your member relations. This is the fun stuff! Those outings to the bowling alley or aquatic center. Community service activities and central electric suppers are the civic engagement that will impact youth and parents long after their time in 4-H is over.
Technology today is better than ever. Don’t be afraid to have your youth club officers zoom or face time to plan the next meeting. Give your older youth the leadership opportunities they are craving.
5. Leverage the power of partnerships. We have fabulous youth groups when it comes to church, FFA, FCCLA, Boy or Girls Scouts. It is not about one being better than another… so partner! Host group dinners, lunch-and-learns and other events with our youth partners, resulting in increased member reach.
Our efforts over the past eight years have most certainly paid off. We’re looking outward to our membership more, and funneling their feedback inward. Especially this year as we celebrate 100 years of 4-H in Aurora, Jerauld, Buffalo and Sanborn Counties!!

January 2020

Inside this issue:

Shooting Sports / YQCA	2 / 3
Teens for Jeans	5
What are Project Medals? / District Calendar	4 / 3
Aurora Co. News	6
Science of AG / Junk Drawer Robotics	7 / 7
Sanborn Co. News / Jerauld-Buffalo Co. News	8 / 9

4-H Shooting Sports

SDSU Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program supports a tremendous project area called Shooting Sports. There are many disciplines to try, and there are opportunities for competitions and national trips as you progress through the program. Youth that are eight years old as of January 1st can be active members in 4-H and can start in the Shooting Sports program. The best thing about 4-H Shooting Sports is that safety is of primary focus. From the first meeting, all participants are consistently reminded that safety is the number one objective. Safety not only includes personal safety and proper handling of equipment, but youth are partnered with caring adults experienced with eight hours of training in a chosen discipline as well as four hours of youth development training. 4-H Shooting Sports is available in Jerauld and Sanborn Counties; youth can participate in many disciplines including: BB gun, Air Pistol, Air Rifle, and Archery. See district calendar for schedules. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Shooting Sports coach/volunteer please contact the Extension office. Each county faces their own challenges whether it be wanting to start a program, continue a program, grow their volunteer base, capitalize on facility use, or streamline processes. I want to make you all aware of some upcoming changes and volunteer processes.
Coaches Recertification
If you were trained before 1-1-17 you will need to recertify in those disciplines by 1-1-2022.
Discipline only, not youth development at this point.
If trained after 1-1-17, recertification in those disciplines will be required after 2023.

DisTrict Calendar 2019—2020

Jan.
Jan. 14 Sanborn—Central Electric Supper @ 6:30 PM—Forestburg
Jan. 15 4-H Day at the Capital
Jan. 19 Sanborn Shooting Sports, 1–6PM
Jan. 19 Jerauld-Buffalo Shooting Sports, Archery @ 3PM, Gun Safety Night @ 5PM at the Ag Building
Jan. 20 YQCA in Plankinton
Jan. 26 Sanborn Shooting Sports, 1–6PM
Jan. 28 Sanborn Shooting Sports– practice 6-9PM
Feb.
Feb. 2 Sanborn Shooting Sports, 1–6PM
Feb. 4 Sanborn Shooting Sports– practice 6-9PM
Feb. 17 YQCA in Wessington Springs
April
April 24-26 Spring Shoot– Pierre SD
July
July 20-22 State 4-H Horse Show
July 23-26 SD Summer Spotlight
July 1– Aug 30 Aurora Co. Achievement Days
Aug.
Aug. 3-4 Jerauld-Buffalo Co. Achievement Days
Aug. 6-8 Sanborn Co. Achievement Days
Aug 29 State 4-H Dog Show

4-H Newsflash

What is a Project Medal?

So what is a project medal you ask…
It is a medal youth can apply for in their 3rd year of 4-H. Medals promote project achievement and allow youth to learn about a specific project area through exhibits, judging, and demonstrations/talks. So start thinking about the project you have done and those that you are interested in doing. This is why we encourage you to give talks that relate to the project you are learning about and share that knowledge with others at club or county events. There are project medals available in over 50 areas and many ways to exhibit in those areas.
Project medal requirements…
Enrolled 3 years in 4-H www.4honline.com
Enrolled at least 2 years in project and enrolled the year youth applies for medal.
Gave 1 county public presentation or 2 club demonstrations or talks in project area.
Show project accomplishment the current year by exhibiting.
Completed record book.
Participated at judging if available for that project area.
Example of my 4-H friend Avery…
Avery loves the beef project area and this is her 3rd year in 4-H. Last year Avery bought a heifer and exhibited the heifer at Achievement Days and State Fair. Avery learned a lot about the beef project; she even gave her 4-H talk about “Rotational Grazing” and shared with her fellow 4-H members how this relates to the beef project. Avery has selected her show heifer for this year and will chose another beef related topic to share at a 4-H club meeting. Avery has also attended livestock judging events and has learned what to look for when selecting a beef animal. When Avery turns in her record book in the fall of 2019, she will fill out a project medal application. The project medals are then awarded to youth during recognition events.
Project Achievement
Youth need to be able to access any materials and resources needed to fully explore the project. SDSU Extension promotes the 4-H mission through research and facilitating mentorship from industry leaders and volunteers. If we don’t know the answer we will work with you to find someone who does! Leader and parents encourage your 4-H youth to work towards a project medal when planning your 4-H year.

Service Learning Project

About Teens for Jeans
• This project was selected by delegates in attendance of the 2019 Teen Leadership Conference.
• It is coordinated by the State 4-H Ambassador Program.
• This project strives to ensure that no one has to go without a pair of jeans!
What will this project look like in my county?
Each county office is encouraged to collect jeans to participate in the statewide community service project.
Create a jeans drop off location at your county office or at different locations around your community.
Once the box is full, count the jeans and record it on the 2019- 20.TeensForJeans_CSProject_ImpactReport.
If you are a club who would like to help with this state wide project please contact your county office so we can assist you!

4-H Leader/Parent Meeting
Monday, February 17, 2020
6 pm at the Courthouse Community Room
2020 Officers
President—Sue Faulhaber
Vice-President— Tara Bush
Secretary—Cheryl Dethlefsen
Treasurer—Kama Bruns

2020 4-H Achievement Days
July 30 — Display Exhibit Judging
August 1 — Livestock Judging/Community BBQ

Aurora County 4-H News

28th Annual 4-H Auction
January 25, 2020
Club Work Schedule
8:30 –10:30 am Storla Stockers
10:30am-12:30 pm Aurora Country Siders
12:30—2:30 pm Country Kids
2:30—4:30 pm Bits & Bridles
4:30 pm-cleanup Stickney Eagles
Each 4-H family is to bring a pan of bars or two pies.

Teens for Jeans 4-H Youth Development Program Statewide Community Service Project.
Gather your new or gently used jeans of all sizes and take to your 4-H Club meeting or drop off at the Extension Office. This project is on-going until August 1, 2020.
VFW Auxiliary is partnering with 4-H on this project.

The revised Aurora County 4-H Policy Book and other forms can be found on the county website.
www.auroracounty4h.net

Remember to re-enroll in 4hOnline for the 2019-2020 4-H year! The website can be found at https://sd.4honline.com.
Please try to do this as soon as possible. Thank you!

The Science of Agriculture Competition

4-H knows that today’s youth are tomorrow’s agriculture leaders. The new 4-H Science of Agriculture (SOA) asks youth to explore and develop science-based solutions to agriculture-related issues that they have identified in their communities. Youth teams will work with local partners to explore issues and finds solutions to challenges in agronomy, animal husbandry, soil science, ag business, rural finance, food science and engineering.
To ensure high quality experiences for youth, mentors, and coaches, teams must agree to meet deadlines set by the state, meet throughout the project to discuss progress and celebrate achievements, issue work that fits under the 6 Pillars of Agricultural Literacy and the 8 Principles of Engineering. They also agree to reflect on their experiences with a coach, publicly demonstrate their learning, abide by all SDSU Extension policies, and participate in regional and state 4-H Science of Agriculture events.
Maybe there is already a science fair project in the works or a FFA project that can be adapted to fit this program. For more information on how to get involved in the Science of Agriculture program please contact the Extension office. Scholarships are being secured currently for top placing teams.
Teams must sign up before Feb. 1, 2020 https://extension.sdstate.edu/tags/science-agriculture
Coach Registration http://igrow.org/events/science-of-agriculture-coach-registration/

Junk Drawer Robotics Workshop

Educators and volunteers looking to facilitate Junk Drawer Robotics and Engineering with youth are invited to attend an upcoming workshop. Various lessons from the Junk Drawer Robotics curriculum will be completed as well as tips for facilitation. This curriculum is great for teaching upper elementary/middle school youth not only robotics, but general engineering, physics, and electronics. For information on the curriculum go to: https://4-h.org/parents/curriculum/robotics/. This workshop is free to attend but registration is required.
Workshop-January 25th
o Mitchell Regional Center
1800 E. Spruce St.
Mitchell, SD 57301
o 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (1 hr. break for lunch)
o No charge
o Register by Jan 27 at: https://extension.sdstate.edu/event/junk-drawerrobotics-and-engineering-workshop-mitchell

Win a free movie ticket!
We had so much fun doing this last year, we are going to do it again! It’s time to get a jump start on your 4-H projects and a chance to win movie tickets! For every exhibit completed between now and April 29th, 4-H members can enter their name in the drawing. All you need to do is show your 4-H project to a 4-H Leader or Sherryl at the Extension Office. On Tuesday, April 30th, we will draw names out of the hat for several free movie tickets! Join the fun and see how many projects you can get done!

Sanborn County 4-H News

Central Electric District Meeting
The Sanborn County 4-H Leaders will be serving the evening meal for the Central Electric District meeting on Tuesday, January 14th at 6:30 PM at the 4-H Building in Forestburg.
We will need volunteers to help serve the meal/clean up from 5-7:30 (or part of this time).

Shooting Sports
Shooting Sports practice began on Sunday, January 5th at 2 pm. Regular practices will run from 1-6 each Sunday. Come any time that works for you. Guns practice at the 4-H Building; archery practice across the road at the Sand Creek Archery Building in Forestburg.
Guns practice will also be on Tuesday nights at 6-9. Bring dry shoes to wear while shooting. If you haven't completed safety training or safety test, see Paula. Looking forward to a fun and safe season!

Photography Group
Do you enjoy taking pictures? Would you like to broaden your camera knowledge? We are looking into the possibility of starting a photography group that would meet monthly. We would explore a different topic each month and then present a month challenge to the group. This would be for 4-Hers and adults.
If interested, please send an email to the extension office or give Sherryl a call at 796-4380. Let us know what day or night of the week will work best for you.

2020 Private Applicator Training Schedule (in area):
2/10/20 Madison @ Lake County 4-H Center—9:00 AM-12:00 PM
2/19/20 Wessington Springs @ Jerauld County 4-H Ag Center—9:00 AM-12:00 PM
2/27/20 Plankinton @ Aurora County Community/4-H Building—9:00 AM-12:00 PM
2/28/20 Alexandria @ Hanson County School (Community Room) - 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
3/9/20 Forestburg @ 4-H Building—9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Jerauld—Buffalo County 4-H News

Shooting Sports
Sunday January 12th we will start the Jerauld/Buffalo 4-H Archery shooting beginning at 3 PM at the 4-H Building in Wessington Springs. We will be doing orientation on Archery only. I know some of you have had the orientation already but I feel it needs to be done again as many of you have not handled a bow before. I hope to have the orientation done in time to start shooting on Sunday as well. We have bows and arrows to use, but are welcome to bring your own if you have one. If you have any questions please give Todd Braun a call, cell number is 605-770-6027.
Next Archery practice on Sun. Jan 19 @ 3PMGun Safety Orientation Jan 19 at 5PM

2020 Upcoming Events
January 20– YQCA-Plankinton-9:30-Plank Ag Bldg
January 27-Parent/Leader meeting-5:30-Jerauld Co Courthouse
Feb 10-24-Butterbraid Fundraiser
February 17-Farm and Home Show-Wess Springs Gym
February 17-YQCA-10:30-WS Elementary Library

Re-enroll online
for the 2019-2020
4-H year!
www.4honline.com

2020 Achievement Days
Monday August 3 and Tuesday August 4

2020 Private Applicator Testing
Feb 19-Jerauld Co Ag Bldg-9 a.m-12:00 p.m
Feb 27-Plankinton Ag Bldg-9:00-12:00
March 9-Sanborn Co Ag Bldg/Forestburg-19:00-12:00
COMMERCIAL APPLICATOR—ON LINE AT THE EXTENSION OFFICE.

Sanborn Co. Extension
PO Box 397 – 604 W. 6th St.
Woonsocket, SD 57385
Phone: 605-796-4380
Email:
audra.scheel@sdstate.edu
sanborn.county@sdstate.edu

Jerauld-Buffalo Co. Extension
PO Box 366
Wessington Springs, SD 57382
Phone: (605)539-9471
EMAIL: audra.scheel@sdstate.edu
jerauld.county@sdstate.edu

South Dakota State University, South Dakota counties, and USDA cooperating. South Dakota State University adheres to AA/EEO guidelines in offering educational programs and services.

Aurora Co. Extension
PO Box 397
Plankinton, SD 57368
Phone: 605-942-7754
Email:
audra.scheel@sdstate.edu
aurora.county@sdstate.edu

Award Requirements
With the new 4-H year starting we wanted to make sure everyone is aware of the requirements each year for youth to receive their end of the year awards at Recognition Event.
Youth must participate in at least ONE Jerauld/Buffalo County 4-H Community Service project
Youth must give a Public Presentation (can be done at ANY 4-H Event)
Youth must do Judging (except those who just participate in shooting sports, they must pass safety test)
Youth must attend at least ONE club meeting for each club they belong to
Youth must turn in a Record Book by October 1st with required pages
Shooting Sports youth must also attend at least 7 shooting events including one Postal

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