4H Clover Country

Night Full of Family Fun!!!

2011-11-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

Family Fun Night was held on Saturday, November 19 at the the fairgrounds. Despite the cold we had over 150 people show up for a night of family fun. We had Minute to Win It games, cake walk (which was out of cakes by 7 pm), and pizza and cider. Thanks to the fairboard for letting us use the facility and to Sharon Dalton, fairboard member, who came and helped all night and Patti Speelmon for all her work with the games and cake walk. We would also like to thank Litehouse for the donation of the fabulous cider and Panhandle State Bank for the bottled water. The BC Leaders Council also purchased all the pizzas.

Before the crowds showed up in the Main Exhibit Building.

Cakes and goodies waiting for the cake walk to begin.

4-Corners 4-H club information table.

Door prize table

Having a chitchat with one of our County Commissioners, Louis Rich

On going fun.

The 2011 Leader of the Year, Amy Sawyer.

2011 Family Fun Night

2011-11-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

Join us for the 2011 Family Fun Night on Saturday, November 19th from 6-8 pm at the Fairgrounds. This event is free to all and hosted by the Bonner County 4-H Leaders Council and the Bonner County Fairboard. There will be games, cake walk, music, door prizes, leader awards and pizza for all. There will be area clubs on hand to answer questions about their club and the 4-H projects they offer.

Why Teens are Wired for Risk

2011-10-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

The following is an article that appeared on CNN.com. It could explain a lot!

Why teens are wired for risk - CNN.com
By Elizabeth Landau , CNN
2011-10-19T17:02:47Z
Hillary Tillotson, 19, and Tessa, 15, are sisters who have acted out as teens.
(CNN) -- It was hot at 3 a.m. in a small town in North Carolina, and there wasn't a lot for a group of teenagersto do. So, Hillary Tillotson, her brother and three other guys sneaked under a fence to go swimming at aprivate pool down the street. Only Tillotson and her then-boyfriend kept their clothes on, she said.Two days later, a cop showed up at Tillotson's house. Some of the teens' accomplices had been braggingabout their skinny-dipping adventure, and someone turned them in for trespassing. She and her brother hadto go to court; their mother paid the fine. "Sometimes I wonder where their brains are at," Tillotson's mother, Lori Lee, said of her children. "They dosuch impulsive things, and sometimes I just don't think they're thinking."

Neuroscientists confirm that teenagers do have brains, but they're wired differently from those of adults. Why many teenagers seek thrills, break rules and seem nonchalant about their own safety has been a question brain scientists have worked to answer in the last two decades. Top researchers use functional magnetic resonance imaging to see this brain activity. A new study in the journal Nature found that structural changes in adolescents' brains correspond to fluctuations in IQ over time, with some young people improving and some falling back on these tests. Teens improve at such tests at different rates, and it's difficult to know how someone will do a few years after the initial assessment, said study co-author Cathy Price at the Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging. It's not yet clear whether fluctuations seen in this study are unique to this age group, or whether they would be similar across a lifespan.

Scientists typically refer to "the teenage brain" in 13- to 17-year-olds, but that doesn't mean that college students are totally "adults" yet. In fact, research from the National Institutes of Health has shown, the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain associated with inhibition of risky behavior, doesn't get fully developed until age 25. The connections between the prefrontal cortex and other areas of the brain are also developing in teenagers. And a number of deep structures in the brain are influenced by changes in hormones, which may lead to heightened emotions.

The way that brain regions talk to one another in teenagers may explain teens' sometimes confounding behavior, scientists say. Even in their mid-teens, adolescents can make quick, efficient, correct decisions; in the heat of the moment, though, the brain's deep emotional centers will win out over reason. "It's not like these brain parts aren't there. It's how they get wired and become fine-tuned with experiences," said BJ Casey, director of the Sackler Institute at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

They get what they want

Teens are more sensitive than adults to rewards of situations or activities, and less sensitive to risks, brain imaging research shows. Laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology at Temple University and author of "You and Your
Adolescent: The Essential Guide for Ages 10 to 25," has done research in this area. He found that when teenagers are in the presence of friends, the reward system gets aroused even more. "It's not that adolescents don't understand risk. They understand it perfectly well," says Beatriz Luna, a neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh. "It's just that they find it more rewarding to impress their peers, and things of that sort, than the risk that's involved to their actual survival; it's just what they value at that point."

This would help explain why teens give in to peer pressure more easily than adults or instance, in breaking the law to jump into a pool in the middle of the night, as Tillotson did. "I'm not someone who makes big mistakes like that. I'm usually the goody-goody in my family," says Tillotson, 19, of rural North Carolina. Her 15-year-old sister, Tessa, is the family's rebel, their mother says. It's not unusual for Tessa to sneak out behind her mother's back and go to the park. "I don't like my mom to say no," Tessa says.

There's an evolutionary explanation for this kind of behavior: In most mammals, adolescence is the time when individuals leave the family environment, Steinberg said. Sensation-seeking leads pubescent creatures to go find sexual partners and a social structure outside the home. They need to become independent of their parents and adapt to new surroundings.

Venturing out into the wild and leaving the security of parents is a risky thing to do, so there must be some built-in biological mechanism to ignore the potential dangers of the wild, scientists reason. "If it didn't happen, we wouldn't leave home and reproduce," Steinberg explains.

And what they want can be dangerous

The reward-seeking brains of teens may lead them to experiment with pleasure-inducing substances like drugs and alcohol, which are especially dangerous for this age group, scientists say. Since vital structures in the teen brain are still developing, adolescents are more prone to brain damage from drugs and alcohol. Research has shown that teenagers who binge drink will have greater brain damage than adults. And teens are more vulnerable to stress, which may lead to an increased risk of depression later in life.

Marijuana can stay in a teenager's system for days, impacting the building blocks of learning and memory. That's because the teen brain probably has more receptors drugs to bind to -- the same is true for alcohol.

And in teens who regularly use pot, IQ can permanently decrease, research has shown. On the plus side, teens are rapid learners, since their brains are still developing. But that also means they can get "addicted faster, longer and stronger," Dr. Frances Jensen said at TEDMED in 2010. That's because addiction is related to learning and memory; teens may be able to pick up a language faster than an adult, but they can also develop dangerous habits more easily, too.

Parenting a teenage brain

So what's a parent to do? Steinberg says it's a lot harder to change the reward-seeking predilections of teenagers than to restructure the environment in a safer way. Parents can make sure kids don't spend a lot of time unsupervised. For instance, they can enroll teens in healthy after-school programs where adults are present.

On a societal level, raising the price of substances such as alcohol and cigarettes would curb teens' use of them. This would produce a greater change in behavior among young people than education programs,research has shown.

That's not to say that kids can't learn from their mistakes. There's a broad spectrum of sensation-seeking and tolerance for risk among this age group, so some teens won't get into as much trouble as others. And even though they may be saying "Get out of my face" when you offer advice, they may be listening and need your support, says Luna, the University of Pittsburgh neuroscientist.

And behavior isn't entirely determined by biology, either. Parents can also help by rewarding good behavior instead of emphasizing punishment of negative behavior,
Steinberg said. Find an incentive that gets your child motivated -- for example, give a bonus in allowance when he or she does something good rather than taking away money as a penalty.

As for Tillotson, after the pool incident, she had to do 40 hours of community service for the chief of police, and she was on probation for six months. Her mother made Tillotson and her brother, who is older and doesn't live at home, earn money to reimburse her for the fines she paid for them; Tillotson is halfway there. "I think that's one of the best decisions parents can do for their children: Make them accountable for their actions," said her mother, Lori Lee.

A phase that ends with responsibility

As young people move past the teen years and gain more responsibility, they tend to be less inclined toward risk-taking, Luna said. Tillotson felt guilty about the pool situation, but since then, she's re-earned her mother's trust. And she's making adult choices: going to college, working as a restaurant hostess and postponing her beauty pageant participation to focus on her studies. She tries to encourage her sister Tessa, who's been getting into her own share of trouble at home, to think
before she acts.

"All teenagers act on their impulse just out of instinct," Tillotson said. "It's like ripping off a bandage; you just want to do it quickly, not thinking about it. But what you don't realize is that you can tear skin. There's consequences."

© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

4-H News and Notes Newsletter for October, November and December

2011-10-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings;
Call it lazy or perhaps efficient, I have decided that the Oct, Nov, Dec newsletter will be an “e” letter. I will email it to all the leaders and post it on my 4-H blog and hopefully put it on the Bonner County 4-H web site, if the internet Gods are pleased. With the cost of mailings these days and the seemingly unreliable mail carriers (we really did send yours out!) it just makes sense (and cents) to use our technology available. If leaders could print off the e-letter and give to families in their group, or let them know it is available on line, I would appreciate it. In the future, it may help us in the office to get the word out better if we had each 4-H family’s email, but that is a discussion for another day. Enjoy your e-news! Nancy

In this E-Letter
Calendar - October, November, December
Leader Council Meeting and Training
2012 New Leaders Training
Do You or Someone You Know Want to Form a Club?
2012 KYG Project
Message From Patti’s Desk
2011 Family Fun Night
Meetings in October
Many Thanks to the Sandpoint Elks
Does Nancy Have Your Current E-Mail?
The Future of Extension In Bonner County

Calendar
October
12 Dog Leaders Meeting, 5:30 pm, Extension Office
12 Market Animal Livestock Committee, 7 pm. Extension Office
17 Leaders Council Fall meeting, 6 pm, Extension Office
17 Leaders Training, 7 pm Extension Office
24 Horse Leaders Council meeting, 6 pm, Extension Office
November
8 Election Day
11 Veterans Day, Extension Office Closed
19 Family Fun Night, Fairgrounds, 6-8 pm
December
Nancy will be off for most of December to use up some of her comp and vacation time before they take it away.
26-January 2 Extension Office Closed for Christmas Holiday

Leaders Council Fall Meeting and Training
The annual fall meeting of the Bonner County Leaders Council will be held on Monday, October 17 at 6 pm in the Extension Office. All certified leaders are members of this council and should plan on attending to be part of the any decisions needed to be made regarding the 4-H program. We will be cover 2011 fair review, 2011-2012 budget, 2011 food booth report, family fun night, and go over any pending scholarships.
Following the LC meeting, there will be a Leaders training workshop. We will be going over any new materials available, new information important to leaders and the new money handling requirements. This training will count toward your two hours of required update training.

2012 New Leaders Training
Nancy has scheduled one New Leader Training class for the 2012 4-H year. It will be on Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 9-12 noon at the Extension Office. Please let your new leaders know about this date and have them save it. If a leader needs to get going sooner or cannot make this date other opportunities for New Leader training is the on line course located at http://www.4h.uidaho.edu, go to volunteers, and e-learning for volunteers.
Please let your new leaders know they must fill out a new leader application, which includes the background check information and schedule an interview with Nancy at the Extension Office prior to training. New Leader applications will be in the clubs enrollment packet.

Do you or someone you know what to form a club?
If you would like to form a new club for various reasons, please let Nancy know at the Extension Office. It is relatively easy to start a club and I have numerous materials to help you out. You need to have at least 5 members in your club, a name, a willingness to work with kids, and help them achieve their goals.

2012 KYG Project
If you are an 8th or 9th grader and interested in our local and state government, you need to find out more about the Know Your Government project.
This is a county wide project and open to all 8th and 9th grader members. In February, members have the opportunity to travel to Boise to the statewide KYG conference. Call Nancy at the Extension Office if you are interested in learning more about this project.

Message from Patti’s Desk: Club Achievement Packets and Enrollment Packets
The club achievement packets should be ready to pick up by October 15th or you can pick up your clubs packet at the leader training on October 18th. If your club needs them sooner, please let Patti know. Also, any leftover project books or exhibits from fair will be given to clubs to distribute.
If you won an award at fair, don’t forget to send your Thank you. We really appreciate our sponsors.
Remember: Your club must turn in a financial report before they can receive their enrollment packets. Nancy will have packets and financial report forms at all the leader meetings.

2011 Family Fun Night
The 2011 fall Family Fun Night will be held on Saturday, November 19 from 6-8 pm at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. Clubs should plan on promoting their group to potential members. Table will be available for clubs to use. This event is open to anyone that would like to learn more about 4-H and celebrate the end of the 4-H year. As is the past, we will have door prizes, cake walk, games and food. We will also be given our Leader of the Year award which was selected by members and parents during the Fair.
Donations are needed for door prizes, and the cake walk. Door prizes can be any unused item you may have around your house or donations you have gotten from community businesses. Cake walk items can be homemade or store bought, cookies, cakes, sweets of any sort.
This event is hosted by the Bonner County Leaders Council and the Bonner County Fairboard.

Meetings in October
Dog Leaders Meeting
The BC Dog Leaders will hold a fall meeting on Wednesday, October 12 at 5:30 in the Extension Office meeting room. All dog leaders and interested future dog leaders should attend. We will be discussing policy changes and ideas for the summer dog education programs.

Horse Leaders Meeting
The BC Horse Leader Council will meet on Monday, October 24, at 6 pm at the Extension Office meeting room.

Market Animal Livestock Committee Meeting
The BC MALC will meet on Wednesday, October 12 at 7 pm. We will be going over fair issues, 2012 budget, livestock judges for 2012, and more.

Many Thanks to the Sandpoint Elks, Mountain West Bank, and the Bonner County Farm Bureau.
Special cash awards of $5, $10 and $20 were given to numerous record books that met a standard of excellence. This award is generously sponsored by the Sandpoint Elks, Mountain West Bank and Bonner County Farm Bureau in order to recognize members who put an extra effort into their record books. Members receiving awards from the Elks are encouraged to send a thank you to the Sandpoint Elks, PO Box 1000, Ponderay, ID 83852. We appreciate the support they give the 4-H program.

Does Nancy have your current email address?
Stay informed and make sure you give your current email address to Nancy or Patti at the Extension Office. You can email either of us, niwright@uidaho.edu, or Speelmon@uidaho.edu with your email or questions. 4-H families are encouraged to send their email to be on the information list.

The Future of Extension in Bonner County

2011-10-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

The Extension Office is not closed - yet!
It has been a challenging couple of years for the U of I Bonner County Extension Office. County as well as University budget cuts and cutbacks have made us take a long look at what we're doing and how we are doing it.

Bonner County Funding Issue
Another challenge we are facing is the consideration by Bonner County to discontinue funding for our local Extension Office, which includes 4-H. Bonner County Commissioners are contemplating whether the county should be funding departments that are not mandated by the state. In Bonner County, these include the UI Extension Office, the Bonner County Historical Society and the Bonner County Fairgrounds.

It is important to remember, the commissioners are not denying these departments inpacts or quality of work, they are very satisfied; rather they are asking whether it is the responsibility of Bonner County to fund non-mandated programs and that includes Extension and 4-H.

The County is administering an advisory poll that will be included in the November property tax statements asking if you want to maintain and continue these functions (Bonner County Extension Office, including 4-H, Bonner County Fairgrounds, and the Bonner County Historical Society) by using property taxes or user fees. Your response to this question must be returned with your December payment.

There will be an informational meeting on Thursday, October 13, at 6 pm at the Sandpoint Catholic Church hosted by the Bonner County Farm Bureau. All those interested in learning more about this and what you can do are invited.

Sandpoint Elks, Farm Bureau, and Mountain West Bank encourage 4-H members up the quality of their record books.

2011-09-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

Steve Klatt, Elks member, 4-H members with their record book awards; Derek Sawyer, Alex Mays, Clay Rasmussen, Kiah Mays, Kaycee Rasmussen, Patti Speelmon, extension office staff, Betty Kinney, Farm Bureau member and Nancy Wright, 4-H program coordinator.

Bonner County 4-H Record Book Awards
2011 Displays Impressive Quality

In an effort to show support for Bonner County’s exceptional 4-H program and to promote scholastic achievement in an atypical venue, the Sandpoint Elks Lodge began a program to award outstanding project record books a cash award. This program has produced gratifying results of improved quality and expanded efforts by 4-H members over the years, but was financially threatened by this restrictive economy. The Sandpoint Elks Lodge has partnered with two local business organizations as sponsors to continue the cash awards program for outstanding efforts in 4-H Record Books.

Joining the Elks in this tradition to focus 4-H effort on the scholastic end of projects has been Mountain West Bank and the Farm Bureau Federation. The 4-H recipients achieving these $5, $10 and $20 awards have increased dramatically since this program began and this partnership assures continuity in rewarding local youth for efforts in narrating their projects. There is an impressive breadth to all the projects included in the local 4-H program and the volunteer efforts contributed by 4-H leaders are very praise worthy.

The Sandpoint Elks & Partners program to encourage, evaluate and reward the required scholastic elements of all Bonner County 4-H projects has become a featured component of the local 4-H venue. We should take pride in how appreciated this program is by 4-H members and their parents, plus the 4-H leaders. The quality of record books continues to increase, young people are striving to win these cash awards, and the number of awards given has much more than doubled in a few short years.

A program created to award cash bonuses to the top 100 record books reviewed, awards for the program rose from recent levels of nearly 180 recipients to exceed 210 awards in 2011. This year we judged record books on Wednesday through Saturday afternoons to evaluate the efforts put into these books and the quality produced put some pressure on the review committee. The Sandpoint Elks, Mountain West Bank and the Farm Bureau Federation would like to congratulate the 4-H members on their very good efforts.

The primary reason there is support for this 4-H program is recognition for the value in innumerable young lives of our very well structured and managed 4-H program. To hear Bonner County Commissioners consider doing away with the relatively small tax contribution to the Extension Office, 4-H and the Fair is troubling. Balancing budgets is a challenge, but the community contributions of the programs of the Extension Office, 4-H and the Fair are absolutely immeasurable. County government may talk all it wants about preserving our “Rural Way of Life” in Bonner County, but nothing speaks more emphatically for our real links to rural roots than gardening, forestry programs, 4-H and the Fair – for residents both urban and rural. While most Bonner County residents may agree with the concept of smaller government is better, there are many of us who feel the Extension Office and the Fairgrounds are essential components of “rural” life in this county.

Totally Awesome Thursdays Coming in July!

2011-05-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

Bonner County 4-H will be hosting Totally Awesome Thursday day camps in July. These day camps are open to youth ages 8-18. Youth do not have to be in 4-H to participate.

Camp dates will be
Thursday, July 14, Coloring Your World;
Thursday, July 21, Color through Flowers and Vegetables;
Thursday, July 28, Fun With Food.

There is a registration fee of $10 per youth per day to cover supplies, snacks and beverages. Participants need to bring a lunch. Pre-registration is required to ensure we have enough supplies. Youth must pre-register by July 8, July 15, and July 22.

For more information contact the Bonner County Extension Office at 263-8511.

Ag Discovery Program 2011

2011-01-28T10:48:00.000-08:00

The AgDiscovery program is a USDA outreach program to help students learn about careers in animal science, veterinary medicine, agribusiness and plant pathology. This 2 week program allows participants ages 12-17 (check campus info to see the age accepted)to live on a college campus and learn about Agricultural science from university professors, practicing veterinarians and professionals working for the U. S. Government. Students chosen to participate in AgDiscovery will gain experience through hands-on labs, workshops, field trips and other group and team building activities. Click on the heading of this post to view the AgDiscovery 2010 - Investing in the Future of American Agriculture brochure to learn more about the program. Or go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/agdiscovery/index.shtml.

How much will it cost? This is one of the great things about this program. The only costs to participants is the transportation fees - or flying to and from. For two weeks of instruction, room, board and lab fees you can't beat that!

Application packages must be postmarked no later than April 11, 2011. Spread the word. This opportunity is open to any interested youth.

Web Site for 4-H Resource Material

2010-11-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

If you are a 4-H leader, member, parent or just someone looking for some good resource material on all animals, sewing, cooking, and other, check out the Ohio State estore. They have some great material. Just click on the title to this post and it will take you right there. :-)

Family Fun Night, 2010

2010-11-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 20 from 6-8 pm. The Bonner County 4-H Family Fun Night will be held at the fairgrounds. There will be door prizes, cake walk, games for all ages, entertainment, and pizza. Club will have tables with club information to promote thier club.

Everyone is welcome and it is all free.

Hosted by the Bonner County Leaders Council and the Bonner County Fairboard.

4-H - Get together and have fun!

2010-10-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

Get Together to Have Fun and Learn!
Clubs are one of the most popular aspects of the 4H Youth Development Program. While today’s 4H offers many options for young people, clubs provide opportunities for
them to get together to learn by doing, make new friends, and develop teamwork and
leadership skills.

Youth ages 8 to 18 can belong to 4H clubs or groups and choose projects and activities that match their interests. Five to eight year olds who want to participate in organized clubs belong to Cloverbuds, which is designed to meet their developmental needs. Cloverbuds emphasizes cooperative learning and excludes competitive events. More and more clubs Bonner County are making Cloverbuds part of their 4H programs.

What Kind of Club Could We Have?
Clubs can be either general 4H clubs or they can focus on interest topics, such as the
environment, pets, photography, or other 4H subject areas. They can be organized in a
variety of ways:
• Neighborhood Club—Youth and families in the same neighborhood
• Community Club—Youth and families in the same or nearby communities
• Child Care Program—Kids in the same daycare or afterschool
program
• Interest or Project Club—Young people who want to learn about a specific interest or
project
• Cloverbuds—Families who live close together and have children ages 5 to 8
• Community Service Club—Youth who want to concentrate on doing community
service projects in their communities, schools, etc.
• Church Group—Families and youth who attend the same church
• Home School Group—Families who educate their children at home
• Other—Any group of youth who want to come together to form a club
Be Creative!

4H groups can operate in virtually any way that meets the needs of kids as long as
positive youth development is the foundation of the club.
Think of All the Possibilities!

Here are some examples of 4H clubs based on a variety of interests:
• A daycare provider works with the local Extension staff to set up a 4H
club in an after school daycare program. The daycare provider meets every week with Katie’s Kids to carry out fun, learning experiences around a variety of interests and projects at their club meetings. They even made a project to exhibit at the county fair.
• The River Rangers, young people interested in the environment, enjoy activities related to environmental issues and activities. Advised by volunteer leaders (a science teacher and a forester), they formed a club that canoes, builds bat boxes, and coordinates an environmental fair, among other projects and activities. Some members of this club also participate in other events and activities in a general 4Hclub.
• The Jackson Action Club meets once a month during the school year and twice a month in the summer. Youth leaders each plan and conduct one meeting. Ten minutes are set aside at each meeting for business. Activities include visiting a nature center,
constructing bird feeders for the elderly, and touring a bank where they learned a
lesson on the time value of money—and more! All of this happens with less than two
hours of business during the entire year.
• Twelve high school students formed the High Impact Club based on their interest in
agribusiness careers. At the start of the year, they chose twelve learning projects and
assigned someone to plan each one. Every month the club gets together for their
program: touring a poultry facility, chatting with Chinese exchange students, or
searching the World Wide Web for information on agricultural careers and training.
• In the Flower Ridge 4H Club, leadership is shared among all adults and youth. A list is
devised at the beginning of the year, and each leader signs up for one area of
responsibility. The leader recruits parents and youth to help. Areas of responsibility
include monthly meetings, new families and promotion, liaison with the Extension
office and county meetings, project work, Cloverbuds, enrollment, and county
activities.

What About Rules?
4H club rules should create a flexible and adaptable framework, not stifle kids’
growth or interests. Any rules should contribute to positive youth development and focus on such fundamental issues as safety and mutual respect. Kids must be in charge of making the rules. That’s leadership development!

How Should 4H Club Meetings Look?
Club gatherings can look however the kids choose for them to look—it’s their club.
They can change in format. Think about why members are involved and stay involved.
What are they looking for? Help the kids plan club gatherings to meet those needs.
Business meetings may be useful at times, but they shouldn’t be a focal point of every
meeting.

How Do We Recruit Members and Adult Leaders?
First, how many members will be in the club? Clubs can have as few as five members or as many as the leader feels can be included effectively in the group. Six to 10 members per adult leader may be best. However, it depends on the number and variety of activities in your club. It also depends on how many other leaders will be working with you. Limit your first group to a number with which you and your co-leaders feel comfortable!

Recruiting members is seldom hard to do. Contact your county Extension office — they usually have names of kids who want to join a club. Your Extension staff may have a recruiting program or ideas for recruiting club members.

You may find it helpful to recruit other adults to help with advising the group. Interested parents, 4H alumni, or friends are often willing to help. This gives the leader much needed assistance and provides continuity for club meetings. An older, experienced teen member can help teach younger members and lead activities. In recruiting, be sure that programs are equally open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or veteran status. Diversity enriches our lives and builds our communities!

How Do We Enroll My Group as a 4H Club?
Enrollment is required for participation in a 4H club. The Bonner County Extension office has the necessary enrollment forms. These forms can be downloaded from the Bonner County Web site at http://www.uidaho.edu/extension/bonner.

The 4H year starts October 1 and runs through September 30. All 4H members must reenroll every year. It’s a good idea to enroll early so you and your members stay continually on the mailing list and receive notices of all events and activities. Some of the larger Bonner County clubs have a deadline for enrollment.

Do 4H Members Pay Fees?
Bonner County members pay an enrollment fee of $13, or $15 for members taking the horse project per year. This fee helps to pay for materials for up to three projects, insurance and state fees. Addition projects may be added for $3 per project. 4-H is still one of the least expensive youth programs in our area.

Where Will Our Club Meet?
The number and location of members may determine where your club meets. Clubs meet in Extension offices, schools, community halls, churches, even car dealerships and banks! It may be easiest to meet at the leader’s home, which may be the only available location. Many clubs rotate meetings to give each family an opportunity to host a meeting.

How Often Will Our Club Meet?
Work with your club members to find the best time for them to get together.
Possibilities for choosing a day and times for club meetings include the following:
• Once a week, after school (This works well for elementary age members.)
• Every 2 weeks, after school or on a weeknight
• Once a month, on a weeknight
• Once a month, on a Saturday or Sunday
• Other variations, determined by the needs of your club members

What about Project Materials?
Project materials, such as publications and other support materials, can be ordered and picked up at your county Extension office.

As with any youth organization, there is a process to become a 4-H leader, including an application, interview, background check and training. This is for the childs safety as well as the adults. Once the registration process is done, the reward of working with youth and being a positive role model can be very fulfilling.

Contact the Nancy Wright at the Bonner County Extension Office, 263-8511,
niwright@uidaho.edu, or on line at http://www.uidaho.edu/extension/bonner for more information about becoming a leader and forming a club.

4-H Shooting Sports Rifle and Pistol Completion Event

2010-08-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

The Bonner County 4-H Shooting Sports Rifle and Pistol projects held their completion event on Sunday, August 8 at the Sandpoint Shooting Range. Members displayed their shooting ability as well as range safety and knowledge of the project. This year we had 15 members complete at this event. Participating in the rifle shoot were Alex Banks, Thomas Banks, Brandon Johnson, Tyler Wilson, Gabriel Theander, William Turner, Blaine Nelson, Josiah Widmayer, Mahonri Hunsaker, Erick Hicks, Tanner Wilson, Cameron Parks. Alex Banks, Thomas Banks also participated in the pistol shoot. Not picture is Austin Theander who participated in the pistol shoot.

The Bonner County 4-H program would like to thank Rangemaster Cliff Lanning and the Sandpoint Shooting Range for their support and help in this event.

Top awards for the Pistol Shoot went to Alex Banks, senior champion and overall champion, (Marrion Newsom Banks, volunteer leader and proud parent) Thomas Banks, intermediate champion and Austin Theander, senior and overall reserve champion.

Participating in the rifle shoot were Alex Banks, Thomas Banks, Brandon Johnson, Tyler Wilson, Gabriel Theander, William Turner, Blaine Nelson, Josiah Widmayer, Mahonri Hunsaker, Erick Hicks, Tanner Wilson, Cameron Parks.

2010 4-H Dog Show

2010-08-09T17:48:00.001-07:00

Adult Fitting and Showing class - the 2010 adult champion is Penny Whitaker.

The 2010 Dog Show Showman Champion, Janelle Whitaker and Reserve Champion, Damion Forell

Fitting and Showing Class

The following pictures are of the Agility Class. Champions this year are Caleb Bopp, off leash, and Miranda Painter, on leash.

It was a nice day for all the members and their dogs. Our judges this year were excellent.
Top awards went to:
Sage Levora - Dogs For Family Living
Janelle Whitaker - Fitting and Showing Champion
Adelea Chaney - Top Obedience Dog
Top Agility, on leash - Miranda Painter
Top Agility, off leash - Caleb Bopp
Top Neutered Dog - Caleb Bopp
Top Spayed Dog - Janelle Whitaker
Top Dog Judge - Courtney Parnell

Congratulations to all the 4-H Dog members for another great year.

4-H Market Swine Spring Weigh-in - noisey but fun!

2010-05-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

The 2010 4-H market swine spring weigh in was held on Saturday, May 8 at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. We had 101 members bring 143 piggies to be weighed in. Needless to say, it is always a "sqeelin" time!

Cars lined up at 6:30 am for the start time of 8:00 am!

First stop was the Tagger Lady - Mary Presser. Most of these pigs don't like getting their ears pierced!

Then on to the scales to get their weight.

Then on to the Shot Lady - Kim Hoodenpyle. We all want healthy pigs. They were getting vaccinated and wormed.

This was the shot table and the dedicated helpers filling syringes for Kim.

Thank you to all our volunteers that helped out. Tim Cary, scales, Mary Presser, tagging, Kim Hoodenpyle, vaccinations and wormer; Harmony Morgan and Makayla Morgan, syringe fillers; Brian Hoodenpyle, Kyle Hoodenpyle, Mike Ludolph, Miriah Ferrel,Daniel Desjarlais, as well as others, pig movers, Moreen Leen, Billie Cochran, and Patti Speelmon.

Bonner/Boundary Tack Swap - Loads of Fun

2010-04-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

When the idea formed, we didn't know what kind of a response we would have. I only wanted to give sellers an avenue and buyers the same. Especially 4-H members, both horse and livestock. While the horse portion was a grand success, the livestock was slightly lacking. I think if we continue to hold this event, the livestock portion will grow. Set up began at 10 am on Friday morning.

The first vendor with her consignments came at 1 pm and it took numerous volunteers 2 hours to check her in. Thank goodness she came early. then the real fun began. From 4:00 to past 7:00 we were steady with people consigning their equipment.

When we were done on Friday night, I was not sure we could even fit any more in the room but they would still be coming on Saturday morning.

The 4-H members were able to shop from 8-9 am and pick out some bargains, then the doors opened for the public at 9 am. We were pretty busy all day and still ringing up items well past the 3 pm closure. But really, why would you turn away buyers! All said and done, I think it was a success and we may try to hold it again next year in hopefully a larger area.

Many thanks to all the volunteers,leaders, and members and especially the Boundary County crew, who without them we would have fallen flat!

Heads Up Sandpoint

2010-04-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

Shake the Sand Out is a community clean up organized by the Mountain West Bank.

The groups are meeting at Jeff Jones square (next to Farmin Park, where water fountain is located) at 8 am on the 24th April. They will receive a continental breakfast, receive a raffle ticket to win some prizes and be given an area of town for the clean up as well as garbage bags and gloves. They will then go to their designated location to pick up and clean. We will meet at 11:30 at our bank parking lot which is on Highway 2 and Division. We will be serving lunch at that time as well as draw tickets for the prizes. We will take a photo with a dumpster and all of our trash with the Daily Bee. Everything should be over no later than 12:30 We (STI- Recycling committee) are calling all community groups to get volunteers together, but we need STI members to help as well. Please can we get some volunteers (wearing our t-shirts) on April 24th?

Please reply to cpeer@pchaninc.com, so we know what numbers we can count on.

Thanks for your assistance!
Cindy Peer
255 7138

Saddle Fitting clinic hosted by Spirit Riders in Spirit Lake.

2010-04-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I ventured to Spirit Lake to attend a Saddle Fitting Clinic hosted by the Spirit Lake Riders, and presented by Gail and Paul Springer. The Spirit Lake Riders are a new group in Bonner County and young but very enthusiastic. Gail and Paul own a Treeless Saddle distribution.

Do you really know if you saddle fits your horse? What if it doesn't, would he or she really tell you and if he or she did tell you, would you understand what they are saying???? I have been riding for years but no one has ever explained to me how to fit a saddle in terms my meek mind could understand. This clinician did.

She began by explaining about different tree sizes and the fact that most trees cater to Quarter horses (this I realized but since I have an Arab/Frisian most trees don't cater to me!).

She explained how to use a wire rod or wire coat hanger to create a sort of mold of your horses withers making it easier to take with you when you go saddle shopping. She also explained that you should check you saddles on your horse without the blankets to check the fit.

She talked about treeless saddles since that is what they sell but she was not against treed saddles either. After attending this clinic, I went home with information that will hopefully help me to make my wide withered horse happy. It didn't make me too happy to find out the saddle I have been using is too narrow - no wonder she has problems with the canter.

I am hoping to bring Gail and Paul to the 4-H Horse Camp for an informational session for adults - kids seem to be bored by the subject but it is good info for all.

Thank you Kaiya Springer for sending me the pictures.

Upcoming Events for BC 4-H

2010-03-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday, March 27
BC Horse Bowl, Nazarene Church, Highway 95 North of Sandpoint.
Juniors begin at 10 am, with 1st year juniors to follow, then intermediates, then seniors and then the open round for the county team. Check in starts at 9:30 am.

April 5-9
Spring break! Nancy will be off this week. :-)

Monday, April 12
Horse Leaders Council meeting, 6 pm, Extension Office

Saturday, April 17
County Demonstration Day, Nazarene Church, registrations are due in the Extension Office by April 9th.

Thursday, April 22
Small Animal and Dog Leaders meeting, 6 pm, Extension Office

Saturday, April 24
Bonner/Boundary County 4-H Tack and Livestock Equipment Swap, 9-3 at the Fairgrounds. consignments are taken on Friday, April 23 from 4-7 pm and Saturday, 7-8:30 pm. Proceeds from this sale with benefit Bonner and Boundary 4-H Horse and Livestock groups.

2010 4-H Beef Weigh-in

2010-03-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

We weighed in 43 steers on Saturday, March 20 in the cold shade of the Beef Barn on the Fairgrounds. While it was cold, it was a nice morning and no major problems this year, such as steers breaking free and heading to the airport! And, Nancy did not climb the fences to get out of the way of rampant steers. The adverage weight this year was 772 pounds and no steers came in over the maximum weight of 1050. Of course it helps that we were able to hold the weigh-in on the March date and not have to move it to April because of snow. Thanks to everyone that helped, Alan McNall, Dave Brooks, Dan McNall, Robin McNall, one of the McNall twins (very sorry, STILL can't tell you apart!) and her husband, Mitch Widgren and numerous others that were there to help with rowdy steers and backing trailers.

AgDiscovery Program 2010

2010-03-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

The AgDiscovery program is a USDA outreach program to help students learn about careers in animal science, veterinary medicine, agribusiness and plant pathology. This 2 week program allows participants ages 12-17 to live on a college campus and learn about Agricultural science from university professors, practicing veterinarians and professionals working for the U. S. Government. Students chosen to participate in AgDiscovery will gain experience through hands-on labs, workshops, field trips and other group and team building activities. Click on the heading of this post to view the AgDiscovery 2010 - Investing in the Future of American Agriculture brochure to learn more about the program. Or go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/agdiscovery/index.shtml.
Last year, a Bonner County 4-H member, Catie Hunsaker, was selected to attended the University of Kentucky workshop, "Investing in the Future if Veterinary Services in Horse Country". Catie was selected out of 80 applicants and had a great time.

How much will it cost? This is one of the great things about this program. The only costs to participants is the transportation fees - or flying to and from. For two weeks of instruction, room, board and lab fees you can't beat that!

Application packages must be postmarked no later than April 10, 2010. Spread the word. This opportunity is open to any interested youth.

News for the Inquiring Minds

2010-02-26T14:52:00.000-08:00

We held our 4-H sponsored ski night last Friday and we made $464 for the program. It really is a great fundraising program and I thank Schweitzer for letting 4-H be part of it. Watch for our date next year and hopefully we will have another great year.

Last night we held a Horse Leaders workshop and Ty Cochran from Elenbaas Feed spoke to those attending about Equine Nutrition. It was very informative. No matter how much you think you know, there is always more to learn. Ty does a great job going over the digestive system and how it works. He really covers the good, the bad and the ugly and he covers it in a way the normal layman can understand. Ty has done other workshops for us and I will always be happy to have him in our county. I wish I had remembered to get a picture because when he speaks he is very animated.

He had Bill Armstrong with him, another Elenbaas Feed rep. Bill enjoys talking about he show beef and steers rather than the horses. Bill will be back on Thursday, March 18, in Sandpoint speaking at the Panhandle Bank for the Carter County Livestock seminar. Check it out if you can. It is bound to be informative.

And for all those horse people out there that feel they have to feed their horse buckets of grain, in the words of Ty Cochran, "Horses don't do grain!". To find out more check with Kim Dana at Carter Country feed or give me a call.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

2010-02-26T14:49:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of some of the trees that had to be sacrificed for the camp ground. I believe I counted about 64 rings so I would assume the tree was planted about the time the fairgrounds was moved from Lakeside to the current location.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

2010-02-26T14:46:00.001-08:00

The old water tank is now gone and work is going forward on the new camping area for the Bonner County Fairgrounds. Look for great things in the future!

2010-02-17T16:11:00.000-08:00

Day two of the Water Tank demo!

2010-02-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

The distruction continues. Another day or so and it will be history.

First, out with the old to make room for the new!

2010-02-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

The old water tank at the Bonner County Fairgrounds is being removed in order for the construction of the new and improved campgrounds coming our way. Anyone out there remember what year the tank and power house was put up? Stay turned for more updates as they occur.

2010-02-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

Bonner County Has a Ski Night at Schweitzer!

2010-02-11T09:32:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars for Friday, February 19, 2010. This is our 5th year being invited to host a ski night at Schweitzer. Tickets will be $8 and will be available at the Extension Office or the Schweitzer Conoco gas station from February 15 through the 19th. Anyone can purchase a ticket at this price for a night of skiing at Schweitzer from 3-7 pm on Friday, February 19th. This is a great activity for the whole club. Let your friends know and encourage them to help support the 4-H program activities.
The 4-H program receives 1/2 the ticket price to help with funds to buy leader resource material and provide funds for the summer day camp.
For questions,contact Nancy Wright at 263-8511

3 Local Girls attend North Idaho Teen Day albeit reluctantly at first!

2010-01-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

A few members of the Beaver Creek Kritters attended the North Idaho Teen Day this weekend. The event was held at the Couer d'Alene Extension office. "A day devoted to helping teens to develop leadership and social skills." The girls attended classes in "ice breakers" where they played many games that got into your "personal bubble" and got you out of you shell so to speak. They learned about generational diversity, and why their parents act the way they do. They had some leadership 101. They gave impromptu speeches. They learned about time management and team work, which involved blind folds! All in all when the event was concluded, our reluctant, shy, Wall Flowers were picked up with grins from ear to ear and one of them asking when the next one would be. Go figure. Once in a while, mama DOES know best, eh??

Teen Day bonding

Payton's personal space has been INVADED (by a boy!!)

a game called "The Keys", look how tangled they are! "I'm in your bubble!"

Isabel looks a little stressed....too close for her comfort.

they had to squeeze each other's hands....yes, even the boys!

See holding hands with boys! (This is the only time I want to see this! :)

The girls, Abigail Nelson, Paytonlee Jackson and Isabel Mitchel, wondering what their mothers got them into, and did they really want to participate...

Everything's better when Paytonlee smiles!

End of the Week Update

2010-01-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

Hello all, I realized that I should be posting on this site, not just checking in to it. I will get better!

Reminders
4-H enrollments for clubs are due by February 1, 2010 in the Extension Office. New clubs and new members and leaders can enroll until March 1, 2010. If you would like to get your kids involved or volunteer to lead please contact me, Nancy Wright, at 263-8511 to find out more.

The next Fairboard meeting will be on Monday February 1, 6 pm in the fair office meeting room. For more information contact Rhonda at 263-8414.

In February, we have some leader training classes coming up.
Thursday, February 18, 6-8 pm, Extension Office
Learn how to build an enclosed swine waterer for fair. We will provide you with the needed materials and send you home with a waterer. A fee will apply, contact Nancy if you would like more information.
Thursday, February 25, 6-8 pm, Extension Office
Ty Cochran, from Rosalia Feeds will Discuss Equine Nutrition.

Friday February 19 4-H Ski Night at Schweitzer! Tell your friends and head up to the mountain for an evening of night skiing. Tickets are just $8 and will be on sale at the Schweitzer Conoco, and the Extension Office the week of February 15-19th. Fun for a good cause!

Have a great weekend!

Opportunity for Members - Ag Day 2010 Essay Contest

2010-01-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

Ag Day 2010 Essay Contest: This year’s theme is "American Agriculture: Abundant, Affordable, Amazing." The national winner will receive $1,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C. For complete contest details rules and entry form visit 2010 Ag Day Essay Contest.Contest deadline is Feb. 12.
http://www.hpj.com/agdayessay/

2009-12-30T21:14:00.001-08:00

Barn Rules! Rules to live by!
Jessica and Rebekah from the BCK's and Addy from Careywood Eager Beavers with one of the clinician horses, "Peg."

Annette and Lenora talking with the showmanship clinician.

The Bonner County Clan, bundled up and ready to learn with paper and pencil in hand.

Showmanship do's and don'ts.

Today was a COLD day for some die hard 4-H kids and a few adult leaders! After rising early (7am!---I know, really??) and getting the chores completed, cell phones and digital camera batteries charged, we loaded the little red mini van with folding camping chairs, snacks, blankets, kids and adults, and went on our way. We stopped near the end of the road and picked up 2 more passengers, and all their gear. We were headed to Hayden Idaho for a Showmanship Clinic. What were we thinking?? It began snowing in earnest, but the chatter in the van over whelmed any nerves threatening to fray. We did pass a terrible accident on the south end of Granite Hill and we quickly said a prayer for all involved and thanked the Heavens for the grace of timing. The chatter picked up again and the printed directions were shoved into the capable hands of the front seat passenger. Soon we were executing a u-turn and going back to the barn that we thought must have been our destination the first time we passed it. They really should make the address numbers much larger on those barns. Anyway, we realized we were the guests at an amazing ranch. We were all completely awestruck with the shear beauty of the facility. Gail Silkwood of the Golden Go-4's 4-H club, organized an amazing day for all the Northern County 4-H clubs to attend, FREE of charge. The clinic, sponsored by a grant from the AQHA was held at Joy Richard's barn, 1221 Lacey Ave, Hayden Id. The facility was beautiful! The rider's lounge, where we assembled to sign in was well appointed with leather couches, beautiful artwork, a full kitchen and donuts and hot chocolate and coffee. We signed our group in and went to collect our chairs and blankets which we placed around the perimeter of the indoor, HEATED arena. The stalls on either side were amazing. Automatic waterers and feeders, beautiful runs....ahhhh, what a life! The arena floor was chopped up rubber, NO dust! The clinic began with an instructor teaching about showmanship from the very basics and on up. The kids learned tricks for training their horses how to square up (HOURS and HOURS of practice!) pivots, leading, increasing/decreasing your horse's speed and that showing your horse to the judge as best as your horse can look...clean, tidy, well mannered. The clinic then moved onto Horsemanship and what the judges are looking for. We learned some tricks to begin training for lead changes and a very key statement to take to heart, "Its not IF something is going to wrong in the show arena, its WHEN." and how important that makes it that your horse is listening and responding to you. Then we had a FREE lunch! Hot chili with all the fixins'. and sweet treats. Even though the barn was heated, it was still pretty darn chilly and the hot chili was welcomed with smiles and cupped hands. After lunch, two trail judges and instructors came out on their horses and taught the kids the fine points of trail. I am excited to try trail with my horse now! I only need to figure out how to let her know that the gate I am trying to open by pulling towards us is really not going to eat her! After trail was a short clinic on Western Pleasure riding. This class probably sparked the most conversation on the drive home, with the "draped rein" and the "peanut rollers" and the "4-beats" as we jokingly call them, and the pro's and cons of each characteristic of top Western Pleasure horses. All in all we had a terrific winter day immersed in the world of horses. Of course the husbands of the adult attendees now have to listen to the wishes of their wives for indoor arenas, automatic water and feeding systems and rubber footing for those non-existent indoor arenas.

Upcoming 4-H Calendar and News

2009-12-11T14:18:00.001-08:00

It's been awhile and I apologise. I wanted to stick the 4-H calendar in here for January and February as well as update the 4-H community on news. I am busy, as I am sure most of you are, getting ready for the holidays but 4-H still goes on.

I had a great class of nine new leaders last night. I am always happy to see new leaders as they add spice to the mix. I hope they enjoyed the class. One suggestion came up. A FAQ list for new families or leaders. I need some help on this one. If you know of questions that are asked to yourself or your other families, please let me know. I will compile this question and answers for future use. The comment which brought this to light was "as a new leader or family, I didn't know the questions to ask". Good point and since I have been in the program so long, I forget that new families really are confused and have very simple questions, questions we all take for granted. So... if you can remember the questions you had as a new family or have been asked a number of the same questions, let me know.

There is a new 4-H group in the Gooby Rd area in Sandpoint. They are focusing on the goat projects. If you or anyone you know would like more information on this club, let me know and I will be sure to send you to Melanie, the Organizational Leader.

I am excited to say that the Bonner/Boundary 4-H Horse and Livestock leaders are hosting a Tack and Equipment swap in April at the Bonner County fairgrounds. The reason I'm excited about this event is that in this economy, which may get worse before it gets better for us, anytime we can reuse, recycle and make a little money, it's great. The sale will be in the Southwing of the Main Exhibit Building on Saturday, April 24, 2009. Anyone is welcome. We have not ironed out the logistics yet, such as times and fees, but it's on my Horse Leaders Council meeting agenda in January. Please mark your calendars and start a "I can get rid of this" pile that includes tack, livestock equipment, show clothes etc.

Many kudos to Adrianne Nelson, her family and all the Beaver Creek Kritters for their work on the Free Christmas. I am quite sure they helped a number of families. What a great feeling.

The Extension Office will be closed from December 24 to January 4, 2010. I will be checking my email so if you have to, contact me that way. Look for your 4-H Briefings newsletter shortly after the first of the year. You will find a printed copy of the 4-H calendar for the whole year. Make sure you pull it out and post it in your home.

JANUARY 2010
Dec. 31-Jan.1 New Years Day, Extension Office Closed
9 New Leader Training, 9-12 noon, Extension Office, must pre-register
11 Horse Leaders Council meeting, 6 p.m., Extension Office
13 Market Animal Livestock Committee meeting, 7 p.m., Extension Office
18 Martin Luther King Day, Extension Office Closed
FEBRUARY
1 4-H Club Enrollment Deadline
1 Deadline for New Leader Applications
1 American Beekeepers Federation Essays due State 4-H Office
4, 11, 18, 25 Leader Training Workshops (tentative)
13-15 Know Your Government Conference, Boise
15 Presidents’ Day, Extension Office Close
19 4-H Ski Night, Schweitzer, Tickets available at Extension Office and Schweitzer Conoco

Beaver Creek Kritters Free Christmas 2009, DONE!

2009-12-05T15:59:00.001-08:00

Free Christmas 2009 is in the books!!! Great job by the Beaver Creek Kritters!

Grab yourself a cup of something hot drink and settle in for a heart warming read....

Little shopper's hands putting on the "to, from" sticker.... below

Lenora lookin' cute below and Payton asking the little one if they want to sign their name on the package (upper right) Galen picking out the right bow. (left)

Wrapping, wrapping and more wrapping!

!

Beaver Creek Kritter Gang, pre- Free Christmas door opening. Don't they look calm??

Ali, Isaac, Abigail, Isabelle,Payton, Angelica, Keaton and Rebekah up front (littlest one)

Shoppers at Free Christmas 09

Our heavy laden tables

Well, our Third Annual Free Christmas is in the books! YAHOO! The 4-Hers did a great job, collecting donations, setting up the Free Christmas Store in the Sagle Senior Center, and then wrapping all the treasures for our shoppers. They also hung around for clean up and helped return the building back to its pre- Free Christmas state. I am sure proud of all those kids. What a great day we had! We had many families lined up at 9:30am, and our doors opened at 10am. We had some who had lost much in a fire, some who were there collecting for neighbors who were too shy to come in for themselves, some who just recently came out of surgery and were hobbling around the tables on crutches. We had quite a few kiddos come through and choose gifts for their families. It was and always is a heart touching day. We greeted everyone with a "Merry Christmas" and handed out candy canes to one and all. We had local neighbors bring us home made candy to sustain the gift wrappers, and bagels for those who stayed at the Sagle Senior Center all day Friday to collect donations. I LOVE our community! We had many awesome donations, a mountain bike, a TV and VCR, some beautiful side tables, lots of stuffed animals. Just a lot of wonderful gifts. Our kids were wrapping tornadoes! I tell ya, Santa's elves "ain't got nuttin' " on the Beaver Creek Kritter Kids! Thank you to all the other 4-H clubs and members who helped by donating, we REALLY appreciate you!

Merry Christmas!
Fa, la, la, la,

Adrienne

2009-11-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

The Bonner County Fairgrounds are getting a whole new upgrade to the Horseshoe camping area thanks to the grant written and submitted by Fairgrounds employee, Bob Snider. With this upgrade we will be getting a new shower and bathroom facility, a new pavillion, new camping pads and a beautiful new landscaped camping area. I happened to be out there when the restroom/showers arrived and took some pictures of the process. Imagine picking up one section, around 71,000 pounds (I think that is what Bob said) and placing it right next to another one. There are three sections to this unit. I was there to watch the second connect to the first. Good crane opperator. As you can see in the above pictures.

Family fun Night Photos

2009-11-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

Just a few pictures of our Family Fun Night 2009. Thank you everyone for another great 4-H year and event!

2009-11-23T10:08:00.000-08:00

Saturday night we held our Family Fun Night at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. At first glance I was a little nervous that the only ones coming would be the members that were setting up a booth from their club. But as it turned out, we had a great turn out and everyone seemed to be having a great time. I would love to hear from some of the people who were there.

I want to thank everyone that helped pull this together, Rhonda Livingstone, the fair board members, Sharon Dalton, Gail Curless, the fair royalty, Rachel Doty, Ashlee Knopp, Cassie Tenney; the junior fair board, Mikaila Bristow, Rachel Doty, all the clubs that came and set up tables, all the donations of door prizes, (I think most everyone received something and we still had some left over to donate to the Beaver Creek Kritters Free Christmas) Sandpoint Super Drug for a large door prize of a snowy themed basket, Kevin Bristow (and the whole Bristow family) for always being our "token" man. All the cakes and cupcakes and cookies donated to the cake walk. But most of all I want to thank Kristan Peacock and Patti Speelmon from my office. Those two are the creative juices of our office - they have more creativity in their little fingers then I'll ever have! Thanks ladies, I could not do it without you.

Free Christmas

2009-11-18T22:10:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow 4-h-ers! Its that time of year again when we begin thinking about "giving." Giving has many identities; monetary, personal, time, sharing etc. Three years ago, my kids and I read an article about a lady and her family who were "de-cluttering" their home before the holidays. You know, cleaning out closets to make room for all the new things coming in. In doing so, the woman was wanting to show her children a new way to think of giving and getting. She didn't have any "extra" money (who does??) so she set up a table in her front yard (she lived in a warmer climate) and put all the gift-worthy toys and extra things out on it. She made a sign that said "Free Christmas." She gathered some extra wrapping paper and sat with her children at the table. They were amazed at the first timid "shoppers" that browsed their small offering. They wrapped the gifts that were chosen and a warm feeling began to grow within those family members. That warm fuzzy feeling has grown into an annual holiday tradition and many people donate gifts. People from all over the city come to shop the Free Christmas. Some are homeless, some are in shelters, some have just hit dire straights due to lay offs, medical bills and the like. No questions are asked, no hoops to jump through in order to be "worthy" of the Free shopping day. That story inspired my children I. Three years ago, we went through our closets and garage and stuff and came up with some donations that we considered "gift-worthy." We shared our idea with our friends and neighbors, and they too started collecting and gathering. We had our first "Free Christmas" at the Sagle Senior Center. We offered free gift wrapping to those who wanted. We made flyers and distributed them at the shelters, at the food bank, the WIC office, Panhandle Health, anywhere we could think of. We were interviewed in the Daily Bee and Channel 4 even called. We spent the evening before our event carefully arranging the donations in such a way as to be like a boutique. We carefully displayed tea sets, Barbies, snow boots and more. The next morning we arrived an hour early. We planned to open the doors for shopping at 10am. There was already a line waiting when we got there. It was sleeting, cold and early morning and the line was 20 people deep. They were bundled up in coats, scarves if they had them, quietly talking amongst themselves, eager to see what waited for them. It brought tears to my eyes. Who knew of the need? Who knew how many lives we were about touch. We opened the doors and the flood of people was amazing. We had EVERY walk of life. We had people with diabilities, people dressed nicer than me, single moms, families who had just lost their homes (one in a fire, another due to lack of money) Most were shy, not wanting to meet our eyes. Most questioned, was it "really free?" We wrapped like Santa's Elves on Red Bull! There was paper and ribbon everywhere. We had a small cd player playing Christmas music and offered hot chocolate and cookies. We were completely "sold" out of our Free Christmas within 90 minutes. Many expressed deep thanks for the opportunity to put something under their tree for their loved ones. Yes, I've had people ask me how do we regulate who gets what, who gets in. My response is always the same. They have to sleep at night. Whether they "needed" the Free Christmas or not is between them and God. All I can do is help organize it and trust that the Lord will bring those who need to be there. Who am I to judge? We have had our times when things were very, very tight. It didn't look that way on the outside, because we are all good at making things look better than they are. So I will not judge who can come and what they can take. As I said, if they feel they need to be there, then so be it.

Lat year I brought the idea to our 4-H club. The Beaver Creek Kritters. I thought it would be a good community service project and it would help our family with extra hands to accept donations, help arrange the displays, help wrap, help clean up. Last year was a success. The club has decided to partner with us again this year, for which I am thankful for. We will be hosting the event December 5th. We will be at the Sagle Senior Center on the 4th to accept donations. If you or your club members or friends and family would like to donate we would appreciate it very much. If you would like to stay and help and work towards your club's community service, that would be welcomed as well. We are in need of tape and ribbons, we have plenty of paper for wrapping. Last year we lacked men's gifts, tools, mugs, nice clothing, gloves, hats etc....if you have anything you would like to donate, please contact us, call Susan at 290-1320 to coordinate pick up of your items, or if you have any questions please contact me, Adrienne at apumpkin29@yahoo.com, or 597-2280. CD's, DVD's, books, toys, dishes, kitchen items, nick knacks, games, complete puzzles, anything that is in a gift worthy condition is appreciated. If there are any items left, we donate them to the local thrift stores. Sometimes we get phone calls after the event from those who couldn't make it and we've wrapped stuffed animals and pretty little girl's dresses and delivered them Christmas week. Please join us in redefining what it means to give. Your time, your extra things, your thoughts, your effort. Thank you!

Catch us on Speak Up North Idaho

2009-11-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

2009 Fair Royalty, Rachel Doty, and Cassie Tenney, will be joining Barb Carpenter on Speak Up North Idaho on Thursday, November 19 at 12 noon. Rachel and Cassie will be promoting the Family Fun Night, set for Saturday, November 21 from 6-8 pm at the Fairgrounds along with promoting 4-H and Fair. Join us!

Volunteer Opportunity

2009-11-18T15:33:00.000-08:00

Carol Miller, a representative from the Bonner County Food Bank and the Salvation Army, called to let me know she is looking for volunteers to “ring the bell”. The Salvation Army in North Idaho will not be paying a wage to ringers this year so this has put them in a bind. The money raised goes to the Bonner County Food Bank and helps pay for gas vouchers, the backpack program and other local programs. There will be 2 shifts each day, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am-2 pm, and 2 -6 pm. Shifts will begin the day after Thanksgiving and go until Christmas Eve. Please give her a call if you or any of your members would like to help out. Contact her at 946-6646.

Family Fun Night Getting Closer

2009-11-18T14:12:00.000-08:00

Well, today is the 18Th which means that there are only 3 more days until Family Fun Night, Saturday, November 21. This a fun, family event for anyone, not just 4-H families. Clubs will have a table promoting their group, and showcasing the projects they normally offer. The Fairboard will be offering ice cream and all the toppings, Rhonda Livingstone will be teaching Line Dancing to anyone game to learn, they will be 3 on 3 basketball mini tournaments, a cake walk, and numerous other activities. We will also be awarding our Leader of the Year award. Join us on Saturday, November 21 from 6-8 pm on the Fairgrounds for Family Fun Night. Hope to see you there!

A Visit with Miss Idaho, Kara Jackson

2009-11-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

2009 Miss Idaho, Kara Jackson, was visiting in Bonner County recently, thanks to the Bonner County Farm Bureau. On Friday, she spoke at the East Bonner County library. The Bonner County Fair Royalty and members of the Junior Fair Board attended. I have posted some pictures for you enjoyment.

2009-11-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

Kara Jackson and Lael Gaddie, Selkirk Pack 4-H member and future Miss Idaho!

2009-11-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

Rachel Doty, Kara Jackson and Mikaila Bristow, Bonner County Junior Fairboard member.

2009-11-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

Rachel Doty, Bonner County Fair Queen and member of the Junior Fairboard; Kara Jackson, 2009 Miss Idaho; Cassie Tenney, 2009 Bonner County Fair Princess.

2009-11-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

Family Fun Night

2009-11-13T10:53:00.000-08:00

Join us for the 2009 Family Fun Night on Saturday, November 21, from 6-8 pm at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. This event is open to any family interested in learning more about 4-H and just getting out to have a good time. There will be 3 on 3 basketball, cake walk, line dancing, numerous games and activities for all. 4-H clubs in the county will be available to tell interested participants what is available in their clubs. The Bonner County Fairboard will also be dishing up ice cream and all the toppings. See you there

Welcome to our Blog

2009-11-13T10:39:00.000-08:00

This is my second day blogging and I might add I am having quite the education setting this up. I was having a few problems adding links to the page but after a quick call to Marianne Love, who has numerous links on her blog, Slight Detour, http://slightdetour.blogspot.com/ she helped me pull it all together. Thanks Marianne! Next, I would like to learn how to post more pictures and slide shows.

I would like to invite all of our 4-H leaders and members in Bonner County to comment or even post events you have coming up. Just let me know and I can "invite you" so that you too may post to the blog! If you know of a super web site you think should be linked, let me know and I will put it on if it fits our mission - which is to get good and accurate (and sometimes funny) information to all. And pictures.... I would love to post any 4-H pictures of your group. Just send them to me. Enjoy.

Family Fun Night 3 on 3 Basketball

2009-11-13T10:35:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to come to attend the 4-H Family Fun Night on November 21st. We will be having a 3 on 3 basketball tournament and would love to see all the kids show their sportsmanship!

4-H isn't just cows and cookies anymore!

2009-11-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

To help promote 4-H, to spread some of the fun and achievements of 4-H, to let people know what will be happening in the world of 4-H, I have developed a Bonner County 4-H blog site "4-H Clover Country". Welcome and enjoy.