Quebec 4-H December News Spreader

The News Spreader December 2015

Happy Holidays from Quebec 4-H!

From Quebec 4-H

Leadership For Tomorrow Through Learning Today

2015 Annual General Meeting

From left to right: Véronique Brisson, Annarose Beaudoin-Glover, Andrea Soesbergen, Matthew Burns, Julie MacFarlane, Sarah Enright, Cameron Burns

On Saturday, November 21, 37 people came together to celebrate the past year of Quebec 4-H programming. Members, leaders, staff, and other stakeholders participated at the association’s AGM. In addition to the election of new executive members, other business included a motion to host the 2018 4-H Canada AGM and an increase in membership fees to $30 beginning in 2017 (note that 2016 fees remain at $25 per member).

Incumbent President Sarah Enright spoke of the board of directors’ intention to review membership and project standards; they will seek input from

Pam McOuat (pictured centre) was recognized for her 15 years of dedication and service to Quebec 4-H along with 20 year anniversaries for Doug Lang (Howick) and Andrew McOuat (Lachute).

members and leaders in the coming months. Clubs were also asked to hold their own AGM’s at the end of October or early November to better facilitate the provincial process.

Cameron Burns and Julie MacFarlane were recognized as second and first place top judges overall for the year.

2015 Awards

After lunch, the assembly divided into four groups for a round robin which included 4-H Jeopardy and interactive stations lead by executive members and office staff. Participants brainstormed ideas to keep senior members engaged, raise the visibility of 4-H, and work with other organizations. They also shared club concerns such as completion expectations, fair representation of projects, and

McGill 2

Shur-Gain The News Spreader-December 2015

commitments of members, parents, and leaders.

The afternoon concluded with presentations of annual reports about club activities as well as stories of participation at provincial, national, and international events.

The evening banquet provided occasion to celebrate the achievements of members and clubs

as well as to recognize milestone anniversaries of leaders. 4-H Canada President, and third generation 4-H Ontario volunteer, Donna Bridge was guest speaker.

Save the Date: AGM 2016 is scheduled for Saturday, November 26.

2015-2016 Quebec 4-H Board of Directors:

Awards:

President: Matthew Burns Vice-President: Julie MacFarlane Chair of Financial, Committee : Andrew Hickey Chair of Programs & Regulations: Shelby Drew Past President: Sarah Enright (rep to QFA) Youth Advisory Committee: Andrea Soesbergen Brome: Annarose Beaudoin-Glover Hatley: Elizabeth Courchesne Howick: Chris Niewenhof Lachute: Jenna Hammond MACJAC: Kira Nelson Ormstown: VĂŠronique Brisson (rep to Table de Concertation de la Jeunesse Rurale du QuĂŠbec) Richmond: Carolyn Coddington Sawyerville: Cameron Burns Shawville: Travis Kluke

Best Achievement Day Poster: Howick 4-H Top Judge: Julie MacFarlane Most Improved Club: Brome Outstanding Achievement in Community Involvement: Richmond Best AGM presentation: Noel Erskine Leadership Challenge Award: Sarah Enright and Andrea Soesbergen

In this Issue Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8-9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16

Lachute 4-H / Sawyerville Summer Events Richmond Saskatchewan Exchange Quebec 4-H at the Royal Winter Fair Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture Upcoming Events and Opportunities Never Too Late by Allison Mastine News from AJRQ and QFA Going Global Exchange Tractor Safety Featured Member, Matthew Burns Junior Junction Show Your 4-H Colours / Parade of lights

Quebec 4-H Motto: Leadership tomorrow through learning today.

On the cover: 1 2

Canadian 4-H Motto: Learn To Do By Doing.

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.

1. Celebrated leader Doug Lang calls Virginia Reel 2. Clubs gathered for AGM

Thank you to our partners.

Quebec 4-H Association 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

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President: Matthew Burns matthew.burns99@hotmail.com

Agricultural Liaison: Chelsea Daniel agliaison@quebec4-h.com

Vice-President: Julie MacFarlane julie.macfarlane@hotmail.com

Office and Communications Assistant: Nicole Blais office@quebec4-h.com

Executive Director: Lorelei Muller executivedirector@quebec4-h.com

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Club News Lachute 4-H By : Amanda St-Denis

Here is a little recap of what the Lachute 4-H club has been keeping busy with this past year.

We have had some meetings at different local farms on dairy (showing, judging and clipping), gardening, beef (showing and judging), and horses.

The Lachute 4-H club was very lucky to have 3 square dancing teams again this year. The square dancers participated in some competitions and danced at local events. Our senior team danced at the Toronto Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and came home with 1st place in the the 4-H division!

This year we had many members participate in the 4-H float in the Lachute fair parade. Our squaredancers entertained at the fair and did some fantastic square dancing.

We also sold some delicious ice cream in the 4-H ice cream booth where lots of people stopped by to support us.

Some of our members also showed calves this year and participated in

local fairs and Provincial Rally. 3 members from our club were selected to represent Quebec North-West at the TD Canadian 4-H Dairy Classic at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

At our club Achievement Day held in August, members were able to show garden produce, handicrafts, baking, poultry, rabbits, horses, calves, sheep, and field crops, along with participating in a judging competition.

On Saturday, October 24th, the Lachute 4-H’ers had their annual banquet. Many members attended this wonderful event where prizes were handed out for the events this year and for Achievement Day. On November 18 th, the club held their annual meeting and voted in the new executive for 2016.

Sawyerville 4-H Summer Events By: Kendra Parnell

Sawyerville 4-H has been very busy over the summer months. On May 30th, we held our annual 4-H dance following the Cookshire fair BBQ and all our profits went to our local fair. Cookshire fair was a great success and tons of fun as the weather permitted, we prepared for the shows, went on a few rides and sold plenty of ice-cream in our 4-H icecream booth. In early July, we had our first show of the season, our Achieve4

ment Day. The weather was very generous, while we had a lot of fun participating against our fellow club members. Afterwards, we were rewarded with a delicious potluck lunch and desserts. It was a good trial run for a week later; we were off to the annual Provincial Rally. The Richmond 4-H did a great job and we had a lot of fun participating in the activities. We are looking forward to next year’s Rally in Shawville. Many of our members went on to show their pride in many other local fairs. They said they had a good time and are making plans to attend the fairs next year. After the summer, we joined together for our September meeting. Our members brought back their harvest from the 4-H seeds they were given in May, to be judged. It looks like all of our gardens turned out successful.

The News Spreader-December 2015

Club News

Richmond Saskatchewan 4-H Exchange By: Cassandra Evans

During the summer, the Richmond 4-H Club took part in an exchange organized by 4-H Canada. Ten members from Moosomin, Saskatchewan came over to Quebec for ten days. Each member from Richmond was paired with a member from Saskatchewan. We did tons of fun activities like Bromont Waterslides, camping, and did multiple farm tours. The Saskatchewan members even got to take part in our annual Quebec 4-H Provincial Rally that was hosted by Richmond 4-H. After the ten

days was over, the Moosomin members headed back to Saskatchewan and waited a very long two weeks until the Richmond members flew to Saskatchewan for another ten days. We got to go do more fun activities and learn more about Canada. We made new friendships and got to see more of our country. Thank You to 4-H Canada for enabling us to take part in this unforgettable experience!

Richmond members researched their host community prior to the exchange and discovered

Mossomin is known for the snow plane, the same way Valcourt is for the Ski-Doo.

Top: Richmond members pose for a shot in front of a snow plane along with their Saskatchewan hosts. Bottom-left: Richmond members take their guests on a tour of Capleton Mines. Bottom-right: Mossomin members join the Quebec 4-H community at the 2015 Provincial Rally.

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National News

Excitement for Everyone at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Sixteen Quebec 4-H members attended the 2015 TD Canadian 4-H Dairy Classic representing 3 regions from Quebec: Junior Showmanship

Jeremy Patry, Ormstown 4-H, 6 of 111

Intermediate Showmanship Among the 8 youth sets, Lachute 4-H Senior Team won first place with MAC/JAC 4-H earning second. MAC/JAC leader Angela Neal took the title of Best Youth Caller.

Matthew McOuat, Lachute 4-H, 18 of 119 Monica Parnell, Sawyerville 4-H, 21 of 119

Senior Showmanship

Alana McKinven, Ormstown 4-H, 2 of 123 Emmanuel Brisson, Ormstown 4-H, 3 of 123

Quebec South West – Top Group of Three and third place Premier County Champion Jersey Yearling

Monica Parnell, Arethuse Impression Veramonte ET

Champion Ayrshire, Guernsey, Milking Shorthorn, Brown Swiss

Matt Baillon, Arethusa Whiskey Nordica ET

Reserve Champion Calf

Alana McKinven, Red Oak Fevers Secret

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The News Spreader-December 2015

National News

Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture By: Ben Hooker

Ben Hooker (far right) with fellow senior finalists.

While many from our area know the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair as an opportunity to show cattle on a national level, the Fair is also host to the Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture’s (CYSA) annual public speaking competition. On Saturday, November 7th, speakers from every corner of Canada assembled at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto to test their knowledge of pertinent farm issues. This year’s topics included global warming’s effect on agriculture, an individual who has changed farming, and how government can help today’s young farmers.

Thanks to Quebec 4-H (and tons of driving by my parents) I was able to participate in the competition, and I’m very glad that I did. The weekend began on November 6th with a reception at the Hampton Inn where competitors were staying, allowing a relaxed setting for organizers and speakers to get to know one another. This was a great time to learn where everyone is from, how they are connected to agriculture, and if they’d been to the competition before. The heaps of pizza and wings certainly didn’t hurt either. I was pleasantly surprised how friendly and non-competitive the participants were with each other throughout the event, as it allowed us to meet each other as peers and enjoy our time before the big day. After the reception, most of us turned in early while still trying to put the finishing touches on our speeches. After weeks (and maybe months) of preparation, no one wants to stumble over their words or leave out a key point when speaking.

Registration was underway at 8:15am on Saturday, followed immediately by the Junior competition for ages 11-15. This gave Senior competitors the chance to go check out other spots at the Royal fair, and

The News Spreader-December 2015

work out their nerves. With hundreds of booths selling everything from dirt bikes to alpaca socks, the Royal is a great place to be in November no matter your interests. However my strolling around was short-lived, as word got around that the Governor General of Canada was to address the competitors and hear the Junior Champion’s speech. Needless to say everyone rushed back to the competition, where His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston stayed for questions and took a group photo. After that surprise, Seniors were divided into two heats, with three speakers from each group being chosen to compete in a Top-6 final round later in the day. When it came time to deliver my speech, I spoke on the role Canadian governments can play in improving the lives of young farmers. This is a deeply personal issue for me, as my time in Ottawa has allowed me to see the effect our federal government has on agricultural producers. Ultimately, I placed with the Top-6 finalists, meeting the goal I set for myself prior to the competition.

At this time of year, it’s difficult for a Cegep or University student to take a whole weekend off to compete with the CYSA, and I hadn’t been able to do so since 2011. Regardless, I would urge anyone between the ages of 11 and 24 to take advantage of this great event. It has allowed me to meet peers from across Canada who share my experience with agriculture, and who push me to become a better speaker. While midterms may loom, by planning in advance the CYSA competition can be an unforgettable experience. I’d like to thank Quebec 4-H for sponsoring my participation, and another special thanks to April Stewart for representing the Chateauguay Valley as an organizer with the CYSA!

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Upcoming Events….

US National Conference Deadline: December 15 April 8-14, 2016 . The USA National 4H Conference is America’s annual premiere national civic engagement opportunity for 4-H members across the USA and beyond. 4-H members from across the country will meet first in Ottawa for one evening, where they will learn about the Canadian government and citizenship, and bond as a delegation. There is 1 delegate position available for a member 16-19 years, $400 fee. Info: www.quebec4h.com/u-s-national-4-h-conference

Terry Fox Humanitarian Award Graduating secondary (high) school students or students completing their first year of CÉGEP. Deadline Feb 1, 2016.

Info: terryfoxawards.ca/applicantinformation/

Leadership Excellence Awards of Distinction 4-H Canada's new award, recognizing the talents and dedication of our 4-H youth members is in development.

Huge bursary of $20,000 available! http://4-h-canada.ca/sites/default/files/ lead_guidelines_web.pdf. More info Spring 2016.

National Volunteer Leader of the Year Your club leaders are the glue that holds the association together, show them how much you appreciate them by nominating them for the National Volunteer Leader of the Year Award! Deadline JAN 31, 2016 . Info: apply.4-h-canada.ca 8

National Citizenship Congress-May 3-8, 2016

TRACTOR SAFETY CLINIC

Visits to Parliament, a debate, and a chance to see a swearing in ceremony for new Canadian citizens, help youth to better appreciate their rights and responsibilities as Canadian citizens. Visits to museums and a maple sugar bush, square dancing, and a haunted tour of Ottawa, top off the fun. There are 7 delegate positions available for members 16 -21 years old. Deadline: JAN 15, 2015. $300 fee More info: quebec4-h.com/national-4-hcitizenship-seminar.

Would your club like to host a clinic in your community? Need help?

Quebec 4-H can provide resources and assistance. Contact agliaison@quebec4-h.com for more information. Thank you to C.A.S.A. and FCC for funding this project.

Young Quebecers Leading the Way Project

Hosted by MAC/JAC 4-H club! Sunday, February 14th. Get your teams together!

Eligible applicants must be between the ages of 15 and 25, be a Canadian citizen and live in one of the following six regions of the project: the Eastern Townships, the Gaspésie, the Greater Montreal area, the Outaouais, AbitibiTémiscamingue and the Provincial Capital Region. Participate in three workshops in your region on January 27, February 17 and March 16, 2016 (from 6 to 9 pm) and Provincial Forum from March 4-6 in Montreal. Info: youthleadingway150.org.

Provincial Square Dance Competition

Kin Canada Bursary $1,000 bursaries awarded to full-time students graduating from high school or currently studying/registered at a post-secondary institution. Will be evaluated on their community and school involvement, knowledge of Kin Canada and financial need.

Complete the application form and submit it to the Kinsmen Club closest to their permanent residence by Feb 1, 2016. Info: kincanada.ca/apply

Winter Junior Camp January 29-31, Base de Plein Air les Bosquets, Otterburn Park.

Theme: “From Pond to Sea” Special guests: naturalist with live animals from the Ecomuseum!

Reg fee $60. Deadline JAN 5.

More info: office@quebec4-h.com The News Spreader-December 2015

...and Opportunities!

Quebec Junior Beef Show 2016 The 4th Edition of the QJBS is being held at the Brome Fairgrounds from July 7-10, 2016.

Many competitions including team judging, showmanship, and many more. For more info contact Allison Mastine at quebecjuniorbeef@gmail.com

Build your knowledge of bird habitats with Find Your 4-H Wings!

Receive your very own bird house to build and decorate, learn all about bird habitats, and discover the different birds in your region.

Registration: 4-h-canada.ca/ findyour4hwings

Judging Competitions Laval Judging January 16 clubexpertise@fsaa.ulaval.ca

MAC Judging January 30 macjudgeclub@gmail.com

Answers to Scramble POND RIVER CREEK STREAM LAKE SEA OCEAN

The News Spreader-December 2015

Advertise Club events in The Advocate The Quebec Farmers' Association is creating a new space for clubs to advertise announcements and coming events within the pages of The Advocate at no charge. "Our rural youth need as much support as they can get if we are to sustain our community into the future, and this is merely a token of goodwill which will help strengthen our foundation" said QFA President, John McCart.

Clubs invited to send inquires to qfa@upa.qc.ca.

La Revue Holstein is looking for Photographers!

Get your photo published on the cover page of La Revue and on the Holstein Quebec website! Contact: larevue@holsteinquebec.com for info.

Innovative Ag Tour 2016 Hosted by Howick 4-H Club.

March 18-20, 2016.

4-H Canada Science Fair Register now to keep informed and receive helpful resources! Winners get to attend the Canada-Wide Science Festival! Deadline to submit a project is DEC 15. Can't decide on a project? Let the Project Recommendation Wizard help you choose! (sciencebuddies.org/ science-fair-projects/ recommender_register.php). More info:4-h-canada.ca/sciencefair.

Provincial Rally 2016

Hosted by Shawville 4-H from July 21-24, 2016.

Theme: “Hollywood”

Merial Boxback Program Collect participating Ivomec & Eprinex box tabs, for every tab collected Merial will donate $10 to your club!

Deadline to submit FEB 26, 2016.

Info: www.ivomec-4h.com/en/

AGM will be Sat. Nov. 26. With a request to clubs to hold their own AGM’s at the end of October or early November so as to facilitate preparation for the provincial AGM. 9

Provincial News

Never Too Late

By Allison Mastine

Though many 4-H members have been active since a very young age, others have done the complete opposite, only getting involved in their late teens or even early twenties. Some people would not see the point in joining at such a late age, but these members prove that it does not matter at what age you join; it is what you choose to do with your involvement.

Many people are unaware that 4-H is not only for farming youth. This was the case for Hatley 4-H member, Elizabeth Courchesne, who did not live on a farm but had a passion for the industry. After her move to the Eastern Townships for post-secondary education, and meeting friends who were actively involved in 4-H, she decided to start her 4-H journey.

MAC/JAC 4-H member, Shinae Hartley, had a similar situation growing up in the suburbs of Saskatchewan and not knowing of 4-H until her attendance at the 2013 Global Youth Ag Summit. Impressed by the dedication of the 4-H members and alumni in attendance, she decided to give 4-H a try once she moved to Quebec to attend McGill University.

Although there are many opportunities, joining 4-H at a later age is not easy. As Shinae said, “It seems like opportunities seem to run short on me.” Many members have gone to conferences, tours, fairs, and have taken in as many 4-H events as they can during their tenure. For latecomers like Shinae, these experiences and opportunities must be squeezed into only a couple of years.

2015 Online Auction A special thank you to everyone who donated to the 3rd edition of the Online Auction! More than $2,000 was raised to support 4-H programming at club and provincial levels.

Alpaca Tracks T(h)read Lightly Peruvian Connection, Amanda Bushey, Andrea Soesbergen, Barb Rivett, Brandon Maither, Caitlin MacDougall, CIAQ, CBC, Coop des Frontières, Droulers Archeological Site Interpretation Centre, Emily Enright, Espace pour la Vie, Exposition Ayer’s Cliff Fair, Expo Cookshire Fair, Expo Lachute Fair, Expo Ormstown, Fellgrath Farms, Foire Havelock Fair, H. Coderre & Fils Ltée, Horticulture and Garden Centre Operations of theHuntingdon Adult Education and Community Centre, J.T. Sport, Krista Whalen Photography, Lachute Fair, Les Biquettes a Flopines, Les Équipements de Ferme BHF Inc., Les Fermes N&B Simpson, La Petite Bibliotèque Verte / The Little Green Library, Lorelei Muller, Macdonald College, Magasin Pontiac Country Store, Montreal Science Center, Norma Tolhurst, Quebec 4-H, Quebec Farmers Association, Quinn Farm, Rachel MacFarlane, Richmond 4-H Club, Robert Tolhurst, Rockland Farm, Shauna McKenna, Shawville Fair, Shinae Hartley, Société d’agriculture de Missisquoi, Van-Win Woodcraft, Zoo Ecomuseum.

4-H projects are taken on annually, however, over the years members perfect their skills in showmanship and their knowledge in judging, helping them to become experts in their projects and in 4-H. This can be a challenge for new members. Elizabeth started her 4-H adventure showing beef cattle. The difficulty she came across was she was just learning the basics of showing, while almost every other member in her age category had over 10 years’ experience. What made things easier for her, was the help she received from others, “We work together, to help each other succeed.” Shinae started showing dairy at the age of 20 and just as she got the hang of it, is no longer eligible to contend in showmanship competitions. The biggest challenge for her was being new to the world of 4-H and lagging behind people in terms of projects and experience.

If you are a prospective 4-H member, don’t be shy about being new, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and enjoy yourself. According to Elizabeth, “4H is a great chance to create positive change not only in your own life, but in the lives of others around you by applying your strengths and skills.”

Though only involved for a short time, these members have certainly “Learned To Do By Doing.” Elizabeth attended her first Provincial Rally this summer in Richmond, participating with her beef project and in life skills. She had the opportunity to attend various fairs, thanks to Greyledge Simmentals. Elizabeth is currently the Hatley representative for the Quebec 4-H Board of Directors. Shinae chaperoned Winter Junior Camp 2015, was selected by 4-H Canada for the Going Global Exchange program which included a month in Finland, and just recently attended the 2015 4-H Canada National Members Forum as a delegate for Quebec 4-H. 10

Above: Photo of Elizabeth Courchesne by Scott Matthews during the Senior Showmanship class at this year's Expo Boeuf in Victoriaville. Right: Shinae Hartley with calf.

The News Spreader-December 2015

La Jeunesse Rurale du Québec

Quebec Farmers Association

The QFA annual general meeting was held November 13 in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue. Guest speakers were Dr. Joe Schwarcz and Anje Geitmann, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University. As in the past, winners of the Warren Grapes bursaries were announced during the event, but new this year, those recipients were asked to say a few words about what brought them to that place and their plans for the future. Of the four honorees, two were 4-H members who both mentioned the program as an important part of their lives. Congratulations to Matthew Burns and Andrea Soesbergen.

Amongst the crowd gathered for lunch, many had connections to 4-H including Andrew Hickey, 2015 4-H representative to the QFA board, and alumnus Benjamin Nichols who once served in the same role and now continues to maintain his director seat. The presence of 4-H’ers on the QFA board is not the only indication of the association’s connection to and support of rural youth. Executive Director Dougal Rattray attended Quebec 4-H’s AGM on November 21 where he reiterated the offer of QFA publication, the Advocate, to designate a space in their classified ads section to include announcements from clubs about upcoming events. Discussions also began about welcoming senior 4-H members to a QFA farm tour planned for August. In the past, the two associations have collaborated on farm safety initiatives and the QFA has donated Advocate subscriptions to the 4-H online auction fundraiser. The QFA Farm Food Forum videoconference series has often touched on such topics as succession planning, technology in agriculture, and other Andrea Sosebergen presented with Warren Grapes matters of interest to young producers.

For more information about the QFA, contact 450-679-0540 (ext. 8536) award by QFA director Mark Boyd or qfa@upa.qc.ca.

The News Spreader-December 2015

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International News

Going Global Exchange

Shinae Hartley of MAC/JAC 4-H visits Finland MAC/JAC 4-H member Shinae Hartley visited Finland in July. She stayed in Lapinlahti with the Niskanens, a family of 8, on their dairy and pony farm.

“We visited museums dedicated to Finnish artists, spent a few afternoons sightseeing, but most interesting of all to me were our visits to country fairs. There, I had the chance to see dairy cattle including Lapland and Eastern and Western Fincattle. But the best part about being in Finland was simply the experience of living with my host family. It’s difficult to believe, after coming home, that they’re from the other side of the world.”

Shinae hosted her twin, Amanda Aronen, from August 7 – 14; they attended a food security conference, toured downtown Montreal, and joined the Ormstown/Alberta Club to Club Exchange group for a day in Ottawa. Amanda was also hosted by a student in Niagara, Ontario during her Canadian visit.

Shinae saying goodbye to her Finnish host sister.

4-H in Finland: 

  

The Finnish 4H Federation, or ‘Suomen 4-H-Liitto’, was started in the 1920’s. It now has a membership of over 70,000 across 3,000 clubs with members aged 8-28.

Finland 4H shares many of the same values of 4-H Canada, especially skill development using the ‘Learn to Do By Doing’ model.

4-H in Finland has a presence in both rural and urban areas.

Finland 4H plays an active role in providing employment opportunities for youth through its ‘Three Steps to Employment’ approach.

Shinae assisting the veterinarian at her host family’s farm in Finland with a displaced abomasums surgery in 2015

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The News Spreader-December 2015

Tractor Safety

Your club could host a tractor safety clinic with support and resources from Quebec 4-H. Contact Chelsea: agliaison@quebec4-h.com for more information.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of CASA and FCC in funding the ‘Tractor Safety Throughout the year’ project.

The News Spreader-December 2015

Answers to tractor safety: Tractors are designed for work not passengers.

Roll over protective structures protect tractor drivers.

Wear non slip shoes to prevent falls.

Thanks to:

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Featured Member

Matthew Burns, Sawyerville 4-H

By Allison Mastine

6th generation farmer, Matthew Burns got involved in 4-H after attending his first club meeting at the age of 9, where he then began his showing career with his calf, Mickey. A dedicated member of the Sawyerville 4-H Club, Matthew has been involved in many events and shows since his debut in 2003. For the past 13 years, Matthew has showed dairy calves from his family farm, sharing his passion for the dairy industry with others.

Cool Fact about Matthew Matthew is a second generation provincial association president; father Neil Burns served the same role for Quebec Young Farmers in 1981-1982

Matthew has held every position within the Sawyerville club executive, demonstrating exemplary leadership skills. From there he has gone on to assume roles at the provincial level of the association starting as director on the board in 2013, VicePresident in 2014-2015, and most recently elected to the position of Quebec 4-H President at the Annual General Meeting held November 21.

Matthew has gotten a lot out of 4-H, most of all, it has allowed him to pursue his passion of showing. 4-H has opened many doors and opportunities, allowing him to participate in many different shows, and learn about the business of showing high quality cattle. 4-H has also taught Matthew, that in order to succeed, you must put in the time and effort, and work for it. This life lesson has had a great significance in Matthew’s life, as it has been the key to success in his education.

Currently in his final year of the Farm Management Technology Program at McGill University, Matthew wishes to take over the family farm, Island Brook Ayrshires, and continue to improve their dairy herd.

Matthew attending his first Achievement Day in 2003, with his calf, Mickey.

His passion for the 4-H program and the organization, is one of the reasons Matthew continues to stay involved. The 4-H program offers many opportunities, from which Matthew has benefitted. This past summer, Matthew had the opportunity to travel to Columbia to clip and show Ayrshires.

His advice for those looking to get involved in 4-H: “Find your passion and follow it. 4-H is all about supporting the passions of rural youth, it doesn’t matter whether you like showing animals, life skills, or public speaking. 4-H offers all these programs and many more.”

Favourite 4-H Memory

Matthew with 4-H Canada President Donna Bridge at the 2015 Quebec 4-H Annual General Meeting.

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“It’s hard to choose, but I think I would choose the moment when we won the fitting competition at the 2014 Rally in the Chateauguay Valley. I’m quite competitive, so it was really exciting to win the dairy fitting.”

The News Spreader-December 2015

Word Search From Pond to Sea, from tiniest tadpole to great huge whale, find the water-loving wildlife. Bring your completed puzzle to Winter Junior Camp to be entered into a draw for a prize.

Unscramble these bodies of water: OPDN VREIR REKEC RTASEM ELKA AES NCOEA (Answers on page 9)

The News Spreader-December 2015

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Happy Holidays!