The News Spreader April 2014
Winter has been a “flurry” of activity for 4-H’ers across the province!
LEADERSHIP FOR TOMORROW THROUGH LEARNING TODAY
The News Spreader QUEBEC 4-H 21,111 Lakeshore Road Macdonald Campus Harrison House 3-04 Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9 Phone: 514-398-8738 Fax: 514-398-8652 www.quebec4-h.com PRESIDENT Sarah Enright senright94@hotmail.com VICE-PRESIDENT Andrea Soesbergen farmergurl_12 @hotmail.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lorelei Muller executivedirector @quebec4-h.com AGRICULTURAL LIAISON Chelsea Daniel agliaison@quebec4-h.com OFFICE & COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT Norma Tolhurst office@quebec4-h.com
On the cover: 1
1– Square Dancers at this year’s provincial competition dance the Virginia Reel (Page 7) 2– Brome 4-H’ers at their winter activity day (Page 3) 3– Howick 4-H’ers participate in the Amazing Race (Page 4) 4-Snowshoe Race at this year’s Junior Camp (Page 6)
2 3
4
In this Issue: Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8-9 Page 10-11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15
Sawyerville 4-H Banquet, Brome 4-H Activity Day and Richmond Club Activities Amazing Race: 4-H Style Ormstown 4-H Winter Fun and Square Dancing, Build a Winning Future Contest Results Winter Junior Camp, National Leadership Conference Provincial Square Dance Competition Upcoming Events and Opportunities Innovative Ag Tour 2014 Youth Helping Youth, Macdonald Judging Competition, Volunteer Appreciation Online Auction, Judging Tips for Rally Junior Junction Feature: The Start of my AgriVenture in New Zealand
I Pledge My Head to clearer thinking My Heart to greater loyalty My Hands to larger service My Health to better living For my club, my community and my country.
Quebec 4-H Motto: Leadership tomorrow through learning today. Canadian 4-H Motto: Learn to do by doing.
Correction: In the February Edition of the News Spreader, we apologize for having neglected to credit Andrew Hickey (Shawville and MAC JAC 4-H) for his article on Discovery Days.
Page 2
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
April 2014
Club News Sawyerville 4-H Banquet Lisa Nichols, Club Reporter
On Friday January 31st the Sawyerville 4-H held their annual potluck banquet at 7:30 at the Sawyerville community center. To start the evening off, Krista Whalen and Matthew Burns lead the club with the 4-H grace and thanked everyone for coming. After everyone was finished their meals, there was a short meeting where past and upcoming 4-H events were discussed. Once the meeting was adjourned it was time for the trophies to be given out. Everyone received something, whether it was a trophy (which everyone wanted), a medallion, or a 4-H pin. No matter what the member got, everyone was happy to receive something for all their hard work. There were quite a few trophies to be given out; ones for Achievement Day placings, best project reports, overall points awarded throughout the year and the spirit trophy. The trophy for Grand Champion Overall Showman at Achievement Day went to Cameron Burns and Reserve went to Benjamin Nichols. The highest points for the gardening project trophy went to Meaghan Rivett. A trophy was given for best project in each age group starting from pee-wee to proven. Best project in the pee-wee group went to Alyssa Rothney, in the junior group went to Skyler Parnell. The intermediate trophy went to Cameron Burns, in the senior group the trophy went to Lisa Nichols. Last but not least the proven trophy went to Benjamin Nichols. The trophy for overall points received during the year went to Cameron Burns.
The last trophy to be given out was the spirit trophy. This trophy is given to a member that has done a lot for the club and was determined by the votes of all the Sawyerville members. This year the trophy was given to Matthew Burns for all his help to the club, members, and for all the work put into helping organize the Provincial Rally. Last but not least the Sawyerville club would like to thank everyone for coming to the banquet and to thank Neil and Marlene Burns for all their hard work in preparing and presentation of the trophies.
Brome 4-H Winter Activity Day
Richmond Club Activities
Submitted by Kim Glover
Devin Keenan, Richmond 4-H Club Reporter During the past couple of months, Richmond 4-H has done many provincial and regional activities. Our February meeting was the annual sliding party at Smith's farm. The club sent five members to Junior Camp and two teams to the Mac Square Dancing Competition. March began with a trip to Montreal where we spent the morning at Isaute, a cool trampoline park. Afterwards, we went to Macdonald College where we got to see the farm, greenhouses, and Quebec 4-H office! Ten members from the club attended IAT hosted by Hatley. Our monthly meeting was a sports night at our local high school where we played badminton, floor hockey and basketball. We have two new projects beginning this month: scrap booking and a photography workshop. Finally we ended the month's activities with a float in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
On March 1st, 2014 we had a winter activity day for which we had a good turnout considering our club size. We all congregated at the West Brome ice rink and some skated while others chose to go sliding on the nearby hills. A jump was constructed and many enjoyed the airtime while others comforted sore body parts! The event culminated in a hotdog and goodies barbeque at the Glover farm(ette) with smiling faces adorned in condiments and juice. Looking forward to the next activity! April 2014
Page 3
Club News Amazing Race: 4-H Style Mathieu Rouleau, Howick 4-H member and Quebec 4-H Past-President On February 9th 2014 Howick 4-H hosted an Amazing Race, 4-H style. We had over 65 people from our community come out and attend the event and participants were aged between 6 and 21. During the Amazing Race, everyone was divided into groups and were given clues. The clues were given at each station and there were 10 stations with pit stops where participants had to complete certain challenges before moving on to the next part of the race. The amazing race gave everyone who participated, hands on experience. They had the chance to familiarize themselves with the four main projects Howick 4-H has to offer: Garden, Handicraft, Dance and Calf. In the Garden part of the race they had the opportunity to do seed and plant identification found in a garden and learned to transplant flowers. When members arrived in the barn, they got to experience haltering a calf, clipping and everyone’s favorite: milking a cow. When participants arrived to the handicraft station they were given the task to create a Valentine’s Day card featuring the different aspects of crafts from using craft tools to arranging color patterns on the card. At the square dancing station they had a real toe-tapping experience when they had the chance to understand the basics of a square dance from a dosi-do to a two step, they learned it all!
Participants also had pit stops along the way through the race and had the chance to learn about what cows eat and had to pile some bales of hay as a team and in the fastest time possible. Members also had the chance to enjoy the snow where they had to toboggan the furthest down the snow mountain and climb a ladder with group support to get the next clue and ring the bell. At one of the pit stops, participants had to braid baler twine the length of the tallest person where a parent volunteer stated “it is putting the fun back into farming. Farmers use baler twine every day and sometimes don’t always see the fun in it and it makes things more enjoyable!” This activity was a really great way to bring the club members and community together with our Howick 4-H club in a hands-on and playful environment. Over a pizza lunch, everyone enjoyed lively conversations while in the comfort of a 4-H environment. This event really gave us the chance to show our community what 4-H has to offer. 4-H is a great way for people to develop leadership skills through our projects we have to offer in 4-H. This is a way to engage the youth of today in our communities and 4-H is a crucial part of making it happen .
Special Thanks to RBC for sponsoring this event.
Does your club want to do its very own version of the Amazing Race? Contact the provincial office: office@quebec4-h.com for activity day resources! Page 4
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
April 2014
Club News Ormstown 4-H Winter Fun and Square Dancing Ella Bryson, Ormstown 4-H Club Reporter On February 23, there was a square dancing competition held at Macdonald College in Ste. Anne de Bellevue. Many teams attended and the Ormstown club had both a junior and senior team compete in this year’s event. Congratulations to our very own Julie Neal who won best caller. Ormstown 4-H junior square dancers went on to dance at the Huntingdon Hospital during the March break (see photos below). Our caller was Angela Neal. The dancing and music, which was provided by John Wilson & Connie McClintock, was enjoyed by all.
Ormstown 4-H had 4 barn meetings at Ferme Bri-Mer, Reyla Farm, Caverhill Farms and Ferme Charlesview, where we continued to build on our judging skills and discussed important and upcoming issues and events. Thank you to all our hosts and guest judges. On March 7, we had our annual 4-H skating and pizza party at the Huntingdon Arena. There were over 50 skaters from various 4-H Clubs who joined in on the fun. Afterwards, pizza and drinks were enjoyed. Our Club would like to thank Betty Mercier for organizing and helping with the event, and to CO-OP des Frontières for sponsoring the ice time. Also, thank you to our volunteers: Carrie Simpson, Kirk Cavers, and Véronique Brisson.
Build a Winning Future: Contest Results 4-H Canada Thank you to everyone who participated in the Build a Winning Future Contest! The first place winner was the South Bruce Beef Club, and the three-dimensional beef steer they created with their 4-H cards. The steer, lovingly known as Bruce, was auctioned off at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto for $550, with all proceeds benefitting the Alzheimer’s Society of Ontario and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Amazing! The second place prize in the Build a Winning Future contest went to Cercle des Jeunes Ruraux de Compton-Waterville who created a flying pig, complete with wings and a curly tail. Through their bilingual video, this club demonstrated that anything is possible when you put your mind to it, even for pigs to fly. Continue to dream big, 4-H’ers! The third place winner in the Build a Winning Future contest, the Keswick Ridge 4-H Club, expressed that there is no limit to where 4-H is headed in the next century. Keswick Ridge created a number of card structures to represent a multitude of possible future project ideas, including sports leadership, butterfly activities, parliament hill, urban development and even space adventure. Be sure to check out the 4-H Canada youtube channel to see the videos of all the winning entries: http://www.youtube.com/user/4hcanada
April 2014
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
Page 5
Provincial News Winter Junior Camp
also had played more games until lunch, some were relaxing or playing cops and robbers and some people were playing cards. By Julie Gabriel, Huntingdon 4-H member We got to have fun all weekend. Some parents were early and th Winter Junior Camp was on Friday February 14 2014, there was some were just on time and some were late. Over all I had fun all weekend and I can’t wait until the next Junior Camp to see all my a big snow storm but most of us got there safe and sound, the friends again. Thank you to all the people that made Winter Junonly ones that did not make it, was the Hatley club but we still had a good amount of campers. When we all arrived we sat down ior Camp a success! and got to learn about the birds of prey, it was really interesting. After the birds of prey we played some icebreaker games, and then we went to bed. The next morning we got up nice and early and we had breakfast. After breakfast, we went snowshoeing, had snacks, played games as well as couple of round robins. In the afternoon, we went back outside to go sledding and played games, after sledding we had supper and played some more games. That evening, we went outside to go skating. Afterwards we had a snack and went to bed. Sunday we also got up nice and early, we had breakfast and played games and did more round robins. Then we had to pack up to get ready to go home but we
Special thanks to Sears for making this event possible.
National Leadership Conference Norma Tolhurst, Office and Communications Assistant Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has. —Margaret Mead From February 20-23, Quebec 4-H Staff, Lorelei Muller, Chelsea Daniel and Norma Tolhurst had the opportunity to participate in the National Leadership Conference hosted by the Canadian 4-H Council in Ottawa. Over 80 volunteer leaders, staff and youth representatives from across the country participated in this event. An opportunity for best practices to be shared and new ideas for the future to be discussed, the participants left the weekend with new knowledge for the improvement of our organization as well as motivation to begin the next century of 4-H. Keynote speakers and workshops throughout the weekend explored a variety of topics in risk management, positive youth development, and programming for senior members, to name a few. Lively discussions were further developed in an “Open Space Technology” workshop where everyone was invited to join the conversation. While skating on the Rideau canal had to be cancelled on Saturday evening due to the warm weather, many of the participants enjoyed a tour of parliament and explored our nation’s capital. It was at this event that 4-H Canada officially launched the newest campaign for the country to participate in. “Proud to Bee a 4H’er”, as outlined in the image in the Events and Opportunities section (page 8), is an exciting new project that we hope youth can actively participate in. Watch your mailboxes for more information!
Page 6
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
April 2014
Provincial News Record Attendance at the Provincial Square Dance Competition Norma Tolhurst, Office and Communications Assistant While Square Dancing has always had a rich history as a part of the Quebec 4-H Association, in recent years, thanks to a revitalization project in 2011, many clubs have shown a renewed interest in the project. For this reason, an annual event was organized in order to showcase the talents of the young 4-H’ers. This year, with the highest participation in the event since its debut, the Quebec 4-H Association and the MAC JAC 4-H club welcomed a total of 10 Square Dance teams from across the province to gather in a little friendly competition on Sunday, February 23rd at the Centennial Center of Macdonald Campus. With 5 teams in both the Junior and Senior This Year’s Winners divisions, the competition was stiff. Each Juniors: 1st place: Lachute White team was to perform a dance of their choice. Colourful costumes filled the room as nerv2nd place: Lachute Red ous dancers gathered to watch the first Seniors: teams perform. Over 80 spectators watched 1st place: MAC JAC 4-H as the youth performed in the center stage. 2nd Place: Lachute After each team had danced, chairs were cleared and everyone was invited to join in Best Junior Caller: a Virginia Reel as the Judges deliberated on Julie Neal (Ormstown) the results. Up and Coming couple: MAC JAC 3rd couple Bobby Tolhurst & Ariane France
Below left: Winners of the competition, the MAC JAC 4-H Club perform their set. Right: A d e l e B r ys o n (Ormstown 4-H) and Amanda St-Denis (Lachute 4-H) new found friends from Junior Camp, dance the Virginia Reel after the competition is over. Below: All 10 teams, a total of 80 participants and 4 mascots crowd into the stairway for a group picture.
Best Junior Couple: Lachute Red 1st couple Jason McOuat & Amanda St-Denis Best Senior Couple: Lachute 1st couple Jordan Godin & Bobbi Heatlie
May 23- 25, 2014 Jump into the adventure! Discover archery, wall climbing, build leadership and communication skills and so much more! Fee: $60 Tamaracouta Scout Reserve
Deadline to register: May 1st April 2014
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
Page 7
Upcoming Events...
Ormstown Square Dance Competition Location: Recreation Centre, Ormstown Date: April 12, 2014 7:30 pm Cost: Dancers free, Spectators $3 for ages up to 8, $6 for ages 9+ Music by the Neil MacKay Band Info: Janice Barr barrneal@rocler.com
Vankleek Hill Square Dance Competition Who: All 4-H square dancers Location: Vankleek Hill Community Centre Date: May 10, 2014, at 1:00 pm Cost: $24/junior set, $40/open set Organizers:Vankleek Hill Fiddle, Step Dance and Square Dance Association Info: Kelley Allen (613) 675-4955 kelleyallen@xplornet.ca
Summer Junior Camp
CHAPERONES WANTED Intermediate Leadership Camp May 23-25 Join the fun as members learn new leadership skills and make new friends at this adventure filled camp. Male and female chaperones : aged 18+ Summer Junior Camp August 10-13 “Out of this World” fun awaits you at this year’s Junior Camp. Male and Female chaperones: aged 16+
No Fee for Chaperones
Hosted by the Valley 4-H clubs, July 17-20, 2014, Ormstown Fairgrounds. Theme: Country Fairs. Registration deadline June 1st For forms and information, visit www.quebec4-h.com
August 10-13. Voyageur Provincial Park, Chute-a-Blondeau “Out of this World”. Go camping, play games, build campQFA Farm Food Forums fires and learn about the solar system! An opportunity for community members to listen to experts in their fields. Taking place in English, Forums are hosted in CLC on Registration fee $70, Registration Deadline: JULY 15 Page 8
the last Thursday of each month from 7:30pm - 10pm Visit: www.quebecfarmers.org/qfa-in-the-community/farm-foodforu:m-en/ Quebec 4-H News Spreader
April 2014
...and Opportunities! International Year of Family Farming 2014
QAHN Heritage Photo Contest Attention Quebec High School Students! Like photography? There are $450 in prizes to be won! Deadline APRIL 30
Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture
The IYFF-2014 photo competition Jointly sponsored by Agriculture and is calling for photos that represent Agri-Food Canada and Canadian 4-H the motto: Family Farming: Feed- Council, the Canadian Young Speakers ing the world, caring for the earth. for Agriculture competition is held annually in November at the Royal AgriculSubmit photos by MAY 1 ture Winter Fair in Toronto. Topics for this year’s competition www.extra.agriculturesnetwork.org/ include:
www.qahn.org/kids-heritage-
survey/photocompetition/
As stewards of the land can Canadian farmers do more?
Keith Gilmore Foundation
I am a Canadian farmer and this is my success story
Monsanto Opportunity Scholarship For rural High School students who have successfully enrolled at a Canadian educational institution (degree or diploma) in a first-year agriculture program, $1,500. Deadline MAY 30 www.monsanto.ca/ourcommitments/Pages/ OpportunityScholarship.aspx
FMC & CAPAD’s Excellence Award 3 scholarships valued at $1,000 each for students in agri-food or agriculture programs. Apply by MAY 9 www.fmc-gac.com/excellence-award
Canadian Junior Hereford Association “Future of the breed”
Why succession planning is crucial
Up to ten (10) scholarships to the future of Canadian are available and are awarded agriculture each year in the later part of Why social media is an August, ranging from $1,500opportunity farmers cannot ignore $3,000, for students enrolled Why I am choosing a career in agriculin agricultural fields of study. ture Apply by MAY 15 www.keithgilmorefoundation. Topics will also be used at this year’s provincial rally along with topics chosen by the host club com/scholarships.htm#3
4-H AgriVenture Scholarship Opportunity Sponsored by AgriVenture Global and the International Agricultural Exchange Association (IAEA), 4-H Canada is pleased to announce a $3,000 scholarship will be awarded to one student nationally, to be used toward an AgriVenture travel and work program. Applicants can choose a placement in Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand or Japan. To learn more and apply, refer to the documents listed below, and visit www.agriventure.com for more information.
4 scholarships of $500, for active CJHA members. Application must be postmarked no later than MAY 15. Please send your application to the provincial office by November 1st www.hereford.ca/4_juniorForms/
April 2014
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
Page 9
IAT 2014: Hosted by the Hatley 4-H Club
This year’s Innovative Ag Tour, brought 44 participants from 4 different clubs to Hatley, Quebec from March 7th-9th, to visit the farms and agri-businesses in the surrounding area. Participants had much to see during this 3 day event, Saturday and Sunday included full days of tours, as well as a banquet Saturday night at Érablière Ferme Magolait where participants also had the opportunity to go sliding and kick up their heels in a little square dancing. Here’s a quick look at the locations that participants had the opportunity to visit:
Ferme Butler Owned by Sydney and Rosemary Butler, this 4th generation family farm owns over 200 Holsteins and approximately 700 acres. Members found the visit very interesting, noting how the Butler’s put a lot of effort into the care of their animals, particularly by having bigger stalls for the cows that need extra room. Another interesting technique the farm is perusing is crossbreeding to improve their production. Butler’s were also very generous in providing a table full of milk and cookies, which 4-H’ers used to film their “milknomination” from the AJRQ. The video can be viewed on Quebec 4-H’s Facebook page.
Dairy and Swine Research and Development Center Emma Redburn and Emily Young The experimental farm has over 150 acres, over 300 head of dairy cattle, 250 beef cows, 200 sows and 250 growing/finishing pigs. During the tour, an employee of the farm showed each group a fistulated cow, removed partially digested food from the cow’s stomach, and explained that they sometimes transfer food from the stomach of a healthy cow to one that is unwell to aid with digestion. This was everyone’s favorite part of the visit.
Ferme Bouffard Krista Whalen Ferme Bouffard has a beef operation, but also makes maple syrup and sells horse hay down in the States. The have 450 cow/calves and 550 head in the feedlot. I found it interesting that they had many truck loads of calves going to places like Cargill. They had cows that would calve all year round just so that they have calves for the feedlots. They also have quite a few replacement heifers. I really enjoyed seeing exactly how their operation worked and all their animals.
Fou du Berger Matthew Morin Fou du Berger has milking sheep (brebis) and they milk with a carousel. What I found most interesting about this visit was that: -sheep have a 200 day lactation -the sheep give about 23L of milk per year -the cheese does not smell or taste like goat or cow’s cheese I really enjoyed seeing the rotary parlour in action. How well the sheep cooperated and went through the process was also interesting. April 2014
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
Page 11
Ferme Magolait Enr. Ferme Magolait has both a maple syrup and dairy farm. Their sugar shack is also used as a reception hall style building where they serve meals. Saturday evening included a tour of the farm and learning about maple syrup production. They currently use oil to heat the sap to make syrup, which is different from most places that use wood. Participants were very fortunate to enjoy a sweet treat after the visit: taffy on snow!
Ferme Paré et Fils Owned by Robert and Alexandre Paré, this dairy farm currently milks approximately 105 cows with a Lely robot. The farm also produces corn and soya which is widely distributed. Participants we’re especially excited to see the robots in action. Along with the milking robot, the farm also had another robot, use to push feed in front of the cows. While these innovations seem to make chores a breeze, they make sure to have an employee in the barn at all times to oversee all the activity.
Carrefour des Étoiles Olivia Chute-Hale Olivia is a 9 year old member of the Hatley 4-H club, host of innovative Ag Tour this year. Her passion for horses was clear at the visit to Carrefour des Étoiles, a hobby farm that trains horses and has a full arena. I found it interesting to learn about all the different kinds of horses. My favorite part was watching Amy train the horses. During the visit, participants we’re also asked to identify different breeds of horses for the chance to win a gift certificate from Purina.
Domaine de la Cressionnière Inc. The Domaine currently maintains 8 greenhouses to grow various herbs. Exporting 50% of its product to markets in the USA, and the other 50% stays in Quebec supplying local restaurants as well. All the participants were very surprised how warm it was inside the greenhouse, considering it was very cold outside! Mr.Cloutier explained how important the heat was to keep the plants alive, as they invest a great deal of money to purchase the seeds. Another item of interest was the closed circuit hydroponic system. This recuperates all the water so that none is wasted.
Special Thanks to all the farms and agri-businesses who participated in this year’s event Page 10
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
April 2014
Youth Helping Youth: 4-H’ers from across the Province collect pop tabs for the Ronald Macdonald House The Montreal Ronald McDonald House is a temporary home away from home for out-of-town families of children with critical illnesses who must travel to Montreal for medical treatments. It offers children the possibility of having their parents near them during their treatment or hospitalization. More than 2,000 families stay at the House every year. Since it opened in 1982, more than 35 900 families have been able to stay close to their sick children. The nightly rate per family has been maintained since 1982 at $10, when the actual maintenance cost per room per night is $70. Their most recent initiative to help compensate the costs of these rooms, is to collect the tabs off of soft drink containers to be traded in at recycling centers, where they are weighed and the donor is compensated for the price of the aluminum. While 1 little pop tab may not seem like much, when thousands are collected, they make a huge difference. For 4-H, the idea of youth helping youth seemed like an ideal fit for our organization. Last November, as a part of the 100 acts of kindness initiative, members from the MAC JAC 4-H club in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, visited local restaurants to collect the tabs off soft drink containers. Since that time, a number of other 4-H members and their families have dropped off a considerable amount as well. So now we challenge you! If you’ve got pop tabs at home, save them up and send them in to the Provincial 4-H Office with one of your members, we will take care of the rest!
Macdonald Judging Competition Congratulations to the Howick 4-H Club who placed 1st in the 4-H division at this year’s competition and ranked 7th out of all the teams! 6 4-H teams participated in this year’s event which included the judging of Dairy, Beef, Horses, Sheep, Birds, Swine, Jam, Silage, Mushrooms, Apples and Maple syrup! The points they received at the competition will be added to those they will receive at this year’s Provincial Rally in order to be eligible for the top Judging award which is presented each year at Quebec 4-H’s Annual General Meeting.
Did you know that April 6th-12th is National Volunteer Week in Canada? Why not take a few minutes to thank the leaders who have made a difference in your life? Page 12
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
April 2014
Online Auction
September 1st will mark the launch of our 2nd Annual Online Auction! A great opportunity for clubs to raise some funds and help support the provincial organization. While September may seem far away, we need your help now! Start thinking of items that you or your club can contribute, and remember, your club will get 50% of the profits!
COMING SOON
Watch your mailboxes for more information. The provincial Items office will received by provide June 15th everything will be included in you need to our get started! promotional pieces.
Judging tips for Rally 2014 Judging Crochet– Oral reasons You can use this Judging sheet as basic judging criteria for Crochet. Typically crochet judging is broken into 3 categories: General Appearance The item should be clean, neat and blocked properly (if needed). The pattern should also appear uniform. Selection of Materials The yarn selected should be suitable for the article’s purpose, likewise the needle/hook size should be suitable for the yarn. Color coordination should also be taken into consideration. The article’s style should be appropriate for the age/intended purpose. Workmanship Displays correct cast on and bound off techniques. The tension is uniform and is free of split or dropped stitches. The ribbing is accurate and the pattern stitches are consistent. Edges of the article should be smooth and even and the seams should be neat and flexible. In the case of buttons/trim, it should be securely attached. April 2014
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
Page 13
Since “For the Birds” Winter Junior Camp, members have been busy enjoying the visits of birds to the feeders they made! Believe it of not, spring is just around the corner and more birds will be visiting. Be sure to keep watching to see any new species that may show up with the warmer weather!
Left: Randy Chisholm of the Howick 4-H club drew this picture of birds visiting the feeder he made at Junior Camp. Above: Amanda St-Denis of the Lachute 4-H club snapped this photo of a blue jay at her feeder. Right: Ryan Chisholm from Howick drew this picture of birds at a maple tree.
Your challenge for this month! Even if you weren’t able to participate in Junior Camp, we challenge you to take on the bird watching project! Once the snow melts, the birds will start building nests to lay their eggs, so why don’t we give them a hand, its easy!
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Gather scraps of yarn or small pieces of fabric, ask your family members if they have any lying around, or even your craft leader. These will be used to help the birds build their nests
Now you will have to put your scraps in something so that the birds can find them when they are building their nests. Here we challenge you to be creative and recycle! Some ideas you can use are: a mesh bag (like something you would buy onions in, a small basket, an old whisk or slinky, really anything will do as long as the birds are able to pull the yarn free so they can use it to help make their nests.
Hang your scrap bundle somewhere outside where the birds can easily find it. Then watch to see if any come take the scraps. Wouldn’t it be cool to see a nest made out of bright colours? Be sure to snap photos of your creations and send them to headquarters. We love to see all your hard work!
Check out www.quebec4-h.com/juniorjunction for more ideas!
Quebec 4-H
We want to hear from you!
Macdonald Campus, Harrison House 3-04 21,111 Lakeshore Road Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9
3 easy ways to contact us!
Phone: 514-398-8738 Fax: 514-398-8652
office@quebec4-h.com
E-mail Page 14
Fax Quebec 4-H News Spreader
April 2014
The Start of my AgriVenture in I received my conformation a few weeks later saying that I was accepted New Zealand Shauna McKenna, Gatineau Valley 4-H
It doesn’t seem long ago that I can remember sitting with Norma Tolhurst at the Shawville Rally on some straw bales, just hanging out, when Lorelei came around with that year’s Opportunities Guide for all the 4-H activities. Flipping through the booklet, I came across the AgriVenture Scholarship program. I started reading that and was hooked on the idea from then. I had always wanted to see New Zealand and this was my chance to get there, see the country, work as a trainee and learn how agriculture works in another country. With the scholarship contest to possibly help out with the trip I would still have money left over to spend on touring around. At the time I was taking courses and not working so I figured I would give the contest a try and hope I got chosen. Long story short I procrastinated and missed the deadline, working on my courses and not the scholarship contest. But I still really wanted to go to New Zealand! So I took a deep breath and filled out the full application without the scholarship and hoped I would get accepted into the program.
bit. Therefore instead of me leaving in October as planned I was pushed back into the program and that I would have to January. In the end that worked out an interview set up with a past trainee for the better and everything went off in Ottawa. Due to my interviewer being ill I wasn’t able to be interviewed without a hitch. I was soon counting down the days remaining before I until mid-April. The interview went well and I was rec- headed off to meet my hosts and find ommended for the program and was out all about how agriculture in New told that I would be hearing about it in Zealand worked on a arable, sheep and a few weeks. I was very anxious wait- black current farm. ing to hear about the program but as my interviewer said I should not have any problems, and I didn’t I was welcomed by the AgriVenture staff and they made sure that every question I had was answered. When it comes to paperwork I am not one to jump into it full speed, it sits on the table for a while and gets buried. I tried desperately not to do this with my visa application and other forms. I really should not have worried because along with my numerous applications came detailed sheets of where, what and how to fill in all of the complicated forms. It was honestly the easiest paper work ever! The only worry that came along in my Shauna visits the Moeraki Boulders, planning phase of my trip was a perunusually large and spherical rocks which sonal issue that made me have to lie along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on change my leaving dates around a little the wave-cut Otago coast of New Zealand.
Like this story and want to read more? Do you have a family member who wants to keep up with what's going on in 4-H? Fill out the subscription slip below to subscribe to:
The News Spreader
*members will automatically receive a subscription with their yearly membership to Quebec 4-H
Keep informed about 4-H in your neighbourhood and across the country. Subscribe to the Quebec 4-H News Spreader - 6 issues per year for $20. □ Yes, I would like a subscription to the Quebec 4-H News Spreader. Name: ____________________________________________Telephone: _______________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________________________ Town: _________________________________ Province: _______________ Postal Code: _______________ Please make your cheque payable to Quebec 4-H and mail to Macdonald Campus, Harrison House 3-04, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9
April 2014
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
Page 15
Innovative Ag Tour 2014
For more photos of Innovative Ag Tour or any other provincial 4-H activity, visit our website and click on the Flickr icon April 2014