Hello 4-H Families!


Happy New Year!


I hope everyone had a great holiday break! The new year is atime that everyone focuses on goals and #NewYearNewMe.When you are writing in your record books, think of it as writingnew year resolutions. I write in my planner every day and Iwrote down some goals because when you write them down,they are more likely to come true. When I write my goals down, Ifeel like I am back to writing goals in my record book. I knowthat no one likes to fill out their record books, but thatpaperwork and goal setting never really goes away outside of 4-H. So what I’m trying to say is write some goals down, get thingsdone, have a great year!


Camp Counselor applications are out now and moreinformation is in the newsletter or you can stop by the office.
As always, our door is always open for folks with 4-H questions.Please don’t hesitate to ask!

Hope everyone has a great year!


Kim & Jackie

 

Marias Fair Archery
The Marias Fair Archery Invitational is open for signing up. Please read the information below and theinformation on the Bowscore page. Please read the directions below and the directions on the Bowscorepage carefully.


If you have used Bowscore before, please use your existing account with email/password. If you’veforgotten your password, please use the forgot password feature.
1.If you are NEW to 4-H Archery, you will need to create a Bowscore account. You can also use this tolook up your weekly scores.
2.The entry deadline is Friday January 19th, can enter as late as Jan. 24th with a $5 late fee.
After Jan.24th Marias Fair members can still participate in the invitational only and must pay the $5 late fee.
3.Follow this
link to the Marias Fair Invitational
Registration Link
or copy and paste this link into yourbrowser https://bowscore.com/tournaments/marias-fair-invitational#/
4.Before the tournament a Sign-Up Genius link will be sent to everyone – We need to help Blazing Arrowsset up for the tournament. This will likely happen the Friday or Saturday before. Details will be comingsoon. Please reserve time to help out. It goes very quickly when many people help out.
5.If you have any questions let Brent or Wendy know.

HOW TO USE LIVESTOCK FEED SHEETS
Glacier County Agent, Kari Lewis, has shared a couple of options to help livestock members keep a betterrecord of the feed that they are providing for their livestock project. Whichever method is used, at theend of the month, the totals from the sheet should be transferred to the Animal Journal of the recordbook. Keeping good records will help you to make decisions for next year. You may want to change yourstart weight, your type of feed and ration, the breed of animal, etc.
Livestock Daily Feed Record
This PDF can be printed and is meant to be kept in the barn (on a clipboard, in a folder) and the feedamounts recorded each day as feed is fed and weighed.
Livestock Daily Feed Record (Excel)
This is the Excel spreadsheet of the Livestock Daily Feed Record.
This can be downloaded and saved to your computer and daily weights added to the spreadsheet.
There is a tab for each month which will then calculate the monthly total automatically.

Record Books: We Want Your Feedback!
The Montana Curriculum Advisory Team is seeking to make changes to our Montana 4-H record books,and we want feedback from youth, volunteers, and families! Please complete this survey to tell us howyou use them, what you like, and what changes you’d like to see in the future.
Whether a 4-H member, 4-H alumni, 4-H parents and guardians, or fellow volunteers, everyone’s inputis encouraged! Thank you for your help in improving our record book system.
https://montana.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bmuj5V90ZtAygGq

Leadership Academy Monthly Virtual Workshops for Teen Members,
3:00 p.m. Sundays through March
Join the Montana 4-H Leadership Academy workshop on Sunday afternoons in 2023-2024 4-H year. Theleadership academy is a network of Montana 4-H members interested in exploring and developing theirown leadership skills while serving their county 4-H program in new ways.
Local county leadership groups will have an opportunity to join with groups from around the state as wellas the Montana 4-H Ambassador Officer team, virtually and in person when possible, to work on skillbuilding, planning, and mentorship.
Each month the officer team members will present a different workshop topic that they have found to beimportant as they have grown their own leadership abilities. This workshop should be paired with a localcounty leadership meeting to work on county projects that serve the local 4-H program and community.
Leadership Training Dates are:
January 14: Fake It Till You Make It!
February 11: Tools for Facilitation
March 10: Authenticity & Self Awareness
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87240913270?pwd=S1pReVphbFFoT095WVMzYjg4V29OQT09

You’ve Got To Be Kidding Workshop
MSU Extension- Cascade County is offering a free webinar series on how to assist livestock giving birth.The webinar will also discuss neonatal care, dystocia, colostrum, and other helpful topics. Each Webinarwill start at 7 pm.
Topics, speakers, and dates are:
Calving with Megan Van Emon on January 18, 2024
Foaling with Rose Malisani on January 25, 2024

Click this link to Register:
https://montana.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dd63ZSVTGHsiZLM

Attention Swine Members/Jr. Leadership Members
The livestock committee would like to purchase a swamp cooler/large fan for the swine barn. This wouldbe a great Montana 4-H Foundation People Partner grant (due February 1). We are looking for a 4-Hmember (or few) to take the lead on the project and submitting the grant (livestock committee will serveas a partner). If you are interested, please let Kari Lewis or Jesse Fulbright know.

Save the Date - 2024 REC LAB / April 19-21, 2024 / Jefferson County School / Boulder, MT
What is Rec Lab? It sounds like a funny name for a 4-H event. Rec Lab stands for Recreation Lab andmeans that everything is hands-on and fun! This event is a 4-H member favorite: It provides anopportunity for youth and adults to enhance their leadership, communication, and team-building skills inan action-packed and interactive setting. Rec Lab programming provides participants with tips and tricksfor being a better club, camp, and community leader.
This event is ideal for younger senior members to attend as a first-time state event. It allows them toform relationships with 4-H peers from across the state, broaden their skills, and widen their network.The cost will be around $100.00. Youth participants must be 13+ as of October 1. Adult chaperones mustbe as least 21 years of age. Contact the Extension office if interested in attending.


Extension Staff and volunteers:
The idea of sleeping on an air mattress in a school gym may not beyour idea of a fun weekend, but this is a great event for you too! The program is conducive to meetingpeople from around the state and exchanging ideas. You are sure to gain some great info and bringhome motivated youth leaders.


Registration will be through Zsuite beginning in February. The cost will be around $100 to $125 perperson. Participants will have the opportunity to pick from a list of workshops during registration. PleaseSAVE the DATE and GO FOR GREEN in 2024! Talk to your 4-H friends about attending this great event!
Montana 4-H Rec Lab 2024 - Going For Green!
April 19-21, 2024
Jefferson County School - Boulder, Montana
4-H youth 13+


Project Age Requirements
You must meet the minimum required age by October 1, 2023 in order to enroll in each project.
Cloverbuds - 5 years old
Regular 4-H - 8 years old
Shooting Sports - 9 years old
Market Beef & Beef Breeding - 10 years old
Teen Leadership - 13 years old
Ambassador - 14 years old
Colt to Maturity - 11 years old and have completed Horsemanship Levels 1, 2, and 3

Marias Fair 4-H Archery Tournament
The Marias Fair Archery tournament registration is open for signing up. The details and link were e-mailed and are here as well. Please read the information and the information on the Bowscore pagecarefully. If you have used Bowscore before, please use your existing account with email/password. Ifyou’ve forgotten your password, please use the forgot password feature. 1. If you are NEW to 4-HArchery, you will need to create a Bowscore account. You can also use this to look up your weekly scores.2. The entry deadline is Friday January 19th, can enter as late as Jan. 24th with a $5 late fee. After Jan.24th Marias Fair members can still participate in the invitational only and must pay the $5 late fee. 3.Here is a link to the Marias Fair Invitational https://bowscore.com/tournaments/marias-fairinvitational#/where you will register to select your shooting time, etc. 4. Parents and coaches, help will be needed withset-up (likely Friday, January 26 or Saturday, January 27) and at the tournament with scoring, checkingbows, etc. A sign up sheet will be coming soon from Pondera County, please plan to assist. Glacier Countyreceives funds back from the tournament and help is needed to make it run smoothly. 5. At thetournament, members will complete their Marias Fair archery interview and compete against other 4-Hers in their archery division.

Montana Winter Fair
Winter Fair will be hosting alivestock judging contest again thisyear for Montana’s youth.Attached is the flyer for the event.Please go to the Montana WinterFair website @
Montana WinterFair - Livestock Judging
toregistration and rules.

4-H Camp Counselor Applications are Now Available
Do you want an opportunity to be a role model and work with youth? Are you interested in takingyour leadership skills to the next level? If you answered yes to these questions then please fill out anapplication to be a Camp Counselor. The deadline to apply is February 15th, 2024 . A fillableapplication will be emailed out or you can pick one up at the Extension Office.
Camp Counselor - 4-H Youth age 14 as of October 1st and up
Summer Camp - A great experience for 4-H youth ages 8 - 13 as of October 1st.


Marias Fair Archery Tournament Set up
Archery Tournament Set up will be on Saturday, January 27th starting at 10 am. Please meet at theExhibit Building at the Fairgrounds – Brent will have a trailer to load the archery bales, tables andchairs. We will haul these to the Old Middle School (133 6th Ave South, just up the street from theFire Station) for the tourney. Estimate it will take 2-3 hours, the more people there are, the quicker itwill get done.
People who are willing to help from Glacier, Liberty and Pondera counties will be able to share in theprofits of the Invitational for their Archery Club.
If you have any questions, please contact Wendy Wedum, 406.271.4052 orwendy.wedum@montana.edu

4-H Rabbit for Sale
A 4-H Family is looking to rehome their bunny! Bunny and cage will be included. If you get thisrabbit and want to take it for the rabbit project,please let Kim know and she will work with you onshowing your bunny.
Please call Savannah for more details: 509-910-4436

4-H Volunteer Orientation Instructions
If you are a club leader or plan to be driving other people‘s children at 4-H events, please sign up as aleader. You will be covered by insurance and eligible for leader awards.
1. Log into your Z-Suite Account
2. Select the profile of the volunteer that is taking the course.
3. Click on Clover Academy from the menu on the left.
4. Click on the blue box “Launch Clover Academy”.
5. You will be taken to the Clover Academy website.
6. Scroll down to find the Montana 4-H Orientation course. Click on “Enroll Now”.
7. On the course page you will see an overview of the course. Scroll down to see the four modules thatmake up the orientation. Click the blue box “See More” under module one.
8. Follow the instructions to navigate the course.
9. When you get to the end of the module, (Slide will say you completed module). Scroll down and click onthe blue box “Mark as Complete”. Box will turn blue once you have completed the module.
10. Select the next lesson to load the next module. Your progress will be saved and you can return laterto complete the remaining modules.

JANUARY
1st- Office Closed
2nd- EV3 Robotics after school -5 pm @ Ambulance Barn
3rd- Cloverbuds after school- 5 pm @ Elementary Cafeteria
4th- 8-11year old Robotics after school- 5 pm @ Ambulance Barn
5th- Ranching Rascals Cloverbud Meeting 3:30 - 5pm @ Alissa Besancon’s house
6th- Sewing with Ashely @ MRE 9 - 2 pm
6th- Ranching Rascals Meeting 4 - 7 pm @ New Life Church
7th- Blazing Saddles 4-H Meeting 2 pm @ Ambulance Barn
8th- Fair Board Meeting 6 pm @ Ambulance Barn
10th- Cropping Seminar 8:30 am - 3:30 pm @ Comfort Inn
14th- Kountry Kids Meeting 2 pm @ Exhibit Building
15th- Deadline to apply for cook or assistant cook position at Marias Fair
15th- Office Closed - Holiday
18th- Calving webinar, 7 pm
19th- Deadline for Marias Fair archery tournament (without a late fee)
16th- 4-H Council Meeting 6:30 pm @ Extension Office
17th- Cloverbuds after school- 5 pm @ Elementary Cafeteria
18th- 8-11year old Robotics after school- 5pm @ Ambulance Barn

23rd- EV3 Robotics after school -5 pm @ Ambulance Barn
25th- Foaling webinar, 7 pm
27th- Next Generation Conference @ Shelby High School - All Day
28th- Marias Fair Archery Tournament, Shelby - All Day
31st- Livestock committee meeting, 7 pm, Marias River Electric, Shelby

FEBRUARY
1st-3rd- 5th grade Robotics after school-5 pm @ AmbulanceBarn
6th- EV3 Robotics after school- 5 pm @ Ambulance Barn
7th- Cloverbuds after school- 5 pm @ Elementary Cafeteria
15th- 3rd-5th grade Robotics after school- 5 pm @AmbulanceBarn
19th- Office Closed- President’s Day
20th- EV3 Robotics after school- 5 pm @ Ambulance Barn
21st- Cloverbuds after school- 5 pm @ Elementary Cafeteria
25th- Marias Fair Air Rifle/Air Pistol tournament, Conrad
26th-1st- Kim- Out of the office