DATES TO REMEMBER
April 3 – Deadline to Sign Up for District 7 4-H Roundup
7 – Brown County 4-H Photography Workshop 2-3pm at the Extension Office
8 – County Deadline for Senior Photography
30 – County Deadline for Junior/Intermediate Photography
BROWN COUNTY YOUTH FAIR CHECKS AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP
The 4-H checks for the Brown County Youth Fair are available for you to pick up at the Brown County Extension Office during our office hours of 8:30am – 4:30pm closed 12:00pm – 1:00pm for lunch Monday – Thursday and Friday 8:30am – 12:00pm. A thank you letter should be written to each buyer who contributed towards your project. Make sure that it is STAMPED and ADDRESSED and turned into the Extension Office! You will not receive your check until we receive your thank you letters. Handwritten “thank you” letters are best but, depending on your personality and penmanship a typed letter can also be appropriate. Thank each person individually, don’t try and thank a group of people in one letter. PLEASE NOTE THAT CHECKS ARE ONLY VALID FOR 90 DAYS.
4-H PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
We are excited to invite you to our upcoming 4-H photography workshop that will be held on Sunday, April 7th 2-3pm at the Extension Office. We are excited to have Kylee Land lead this workshop. She is a current Brown County 4-Her who has branched out and has her own photography business, KS Photography.
If you are planning to participate in the District and/or State Photography contest this will be a great opportunity to learn more about the photography project.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP by April 2nd.
SOLAR ECLIPSE GLASSES
Monday, April 8th is the day of the Solar Eclipse. This is a once in a lifetime experience. We received a donation of solar eclipse glasses. These glasses are only available for Brown County 4-H members, and we only have a limited amount, so they will be first come first serve. Stop by the Extension Office if you would like a pair of glasses.
UPCOMING COUNTY DEADLINES FOR 4-H CONTEST
Below is a list of deadlines for the upcoming 4-H contest. If you are planning to participate in any of these contests, please contact the Extension Office by the deadline.
April 3rd – District 7 4-H Roundup
- Educational Presentations
- Public Speaking
- 4-H Talent Showcase
April 8th – Senior Photography
April 23rd – Junior/Intermediate Photography
4-H HORSE VALIDATION – MARCH 1st TO MAY 1st
Validation is required for showing at district or state horse shows, and its
purpose is to certify that ownership requirements have been met. The horse MUST be owned solely by the 4-H member, his/her parents (biological or stepparents), brother, sister, grandparents, or legal guardian. Horses under lease to, but not owned by any of the named persons, do NOT qualify. Horses owned in partnership or jointly with any person other than those previously listed do NOT meet ownership requirements. The horse validation process will be completed electronically using the 4-H Connect online management system.
All 4-H members who wish to show at the District Show or the State 4-H Horse Show will be REQUIRED to validate their horse(s) on the 4-H Online system. Horse validation is completed for EACH HORSE and will cover all 4-H youth members in that family profile. When validating your horse(s) on 4-H Connect, you will select ONLY ONE 4-H youth member to conduct the validation under. Once a horse is validated, validation paid, and you begin registering for the District Horse Show, the validated horse(s) can be moved to the appropriate 4-H member(s) that will be exhibiting the horse in the show.
Validation will be open from March 1st to MAY 1st. Any horse validated before or after this date will NOT be accepted. An illustrated step-by-step instruction guide for families is available for download and reference on both the Texas 4-H website (http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/) and the Texas A&M University Department of Animal Science – Equine Science website (http://animalscience.tamu.edu/academics/equine/state-4h-show/). Validation cost for each horse is $10.00 from March 1st – April 15th. From April 16th – May 1st validation cost for each horse is $20.00. Credit Card will be the only acceptable form of payment. If you have any questions, please contact Nick Gonzales at the Extension Office.
Lease horses are now eligible to be validated and shown at District and State 4-H Horse Shows. An official Texas 4-H Horse Lease Agreement must be signed by the exhibitor, horse owner, and the supervising County Extension Agent. The lease period must include, at minimum, May 1st to August 31st of the current 4-H year. The lease agreement form can be found at https://texasyouthlivestock.com/horse-validation/ and must be uploaded to 4H Online at the time of validation.
The 2024 district horse show will be held in San Angelo, Texas on June 11th.
BROWN COUNTY TEEA SCHOLARSHIP
Brown County TEEA offers a scholarship opportunity to an active Brown County 4-H graduating senior from high school. If you are interested in applying for this scholarship you can come by the Extension Office and pick up an application. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2024. If you would like more information, contact Courtney Parrott at the Extension Office.
CENTRAL TEXAS MASTER GARDENER ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
The Central Texas Master Gardeners Association is offering a scholarship to graduating seniors in our area who are planning to pursue a degree in an agriculture related field. This would include, but not be limited to, horticulture, plant and soil science, range management, natural resources management, agriculture education, animal science, and wildlife management. If you are interested in applying contact the Extension Office for an application. The deadline to apply is April 15th.
DISTRICT 7 4-H LEADERSHIP LAB
The 2024 District 7 4-H Leadership Lab will be held June 19th – 21st at Alto Frio Baptist Camp in Leakey, Texas. You must be at least 13 years of age by the date of leadership lab to participate. The cost will be $200 per person for youth. This includes all meals beginning with lunch on Wednesday and ending with breakfast on Friday, insurance, activity fees, lodging and facility use fees. The deadline to register is May 20th on 4-H Online. If you are interested in participating in the district 7 4-H Leadership Lab, please contact the Extension Office.
DISTRICT 7 COUNCIL OPPORTUNITY
The district 4-H Council provides opportunities for youth involvement in 4-H program development. It is an advisory committee which assists in making plans and executing these plans at the district level.
Their function is:
- to advise the district Extension staff on programs for 4-H youth
- facilitate representation on the Texas 4-H Council
- maintain linkage with county 4-H councils.
- assist with the development and implementation of district events and activities.
- provide opportunities for 4-H youth to learn democratic principles and procedures.
- interpret the 4-H program to the public.
AGE REQUIREMENTS – The president, vice president, and delegate-at large must be between the ages of 16 and 18 as of August 31 of the calendar year in which they are elected. The second vice president, third vice president, secretary, public relations officer, and parliamentarian must be between the ages of 15 and 18 as of August 31 of the calendar year in which they are elected.
To apply for a District 7 Council Officer position, you must have served as a Brown County Council Officer. If you are interested in applying for District 7 Council Officer, please contact Nick Gonzales so that we can provide you with an application.
14-H ENROLLMENT IS OPEN ON 4-H CONNECT!
The enrollment process for the 2023-2024 4-H year begins August 15, 2023. All 4-H families, new and returning, are encouraged to log in and enroll to become an official 4-H member.
As you begin your enrollment for the year, here are some tips in using 4-H CONNECT:
- If you already have a profile DO NOT create another one!
- If you lost your email and password, call the county office so we can reset, it for you.
- An active membership will not be granted until the $25.00 participation fee is paid on 4-H Connect!
- You cannot register or participate in an event until your profile is ACTIVE.
- When you are doing your re-enrollment for the 2023-2024 4-H Year please make sure you update your address, phone number, and e-mail address.
- For any youth who is joining 4-H in 2023-2024 for the first time as a 3rd/4th grader we ask for you NOT TO ENROLL until September 1st. September 1st is the actual first day of the new 4-H year and what is used to calculate grade/age. If a 2nd grader moving into 3rd grade enrolls before September 1st it will “tag” them as a Clover Kid, not charge an enrollment fee and lock them in as a Clover Kid for the year.
Don’t wait until the last minute to enroll because after October 31st the cost increases to $30!!
The Texas 4-H fee schedule is below:
$25.00 – Club Member Enrollment Discounted Fee: August 15 – October 31
$30.00 – Club Member Enrollment Regular Fee: November 1 to the completion of 4-H year
$10.00 – Clover Kid Enrollment Regular Fee
$10.00 – Adult Volunteer Application Fee
IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE ON ENROLLING PLEASE CONTACT THE EXTENSION OFFICE AT 325-646-0386 OR BY EMAILING MISTY FUQUA [email protected].