 |
||||
        
|
| |||
Rudy Powell
REGISTRATION
4-H Congress packets are now available in every unit office and on the 4-H website. An exciting event has been planned. Encouarge all your senior 4-H members to attend. Date: June 28-July1.
May 8 -- Registration due to District Events Coordinators
May 28 -- Applications due for State officers and ambassadors are due to Herb Pettway.
Dorothy Freeman
SHARE FAIRState 4-H Congress will be here before we know it. The State 4-H Share Fair will be conducted as part of State 4-H Congress again this year. This year's event is scheduled for Wednesday, June 30, 4:00 -- 5:30 pm at Cassell Coliseum. This is designed to be an educational awareness event to provide a large variety of ideas for Virginia's youth (ages 14 to 18). Its focus in on interactive, hands-on learning exhibits and displays. The format will be a continual group of youth visiting each exhibit area during the time allocated for this event.
Individuals and groups are being invited to be an exhibitor during this learning event. Possible ideas for exhibits or displays include, but are not limited to, multimedia presentations, portfolio exhibits, commercial exhibits, curriculum ideas, and the like. Your exhibit or display should be as interactive as possible and provide direct, hands-on experiences for the teens. Everyone is being asked to be creative! Be sure to consider having a display or exhibit with us. Each of the 4-H curriculum committees, as well as others, are being encouraged to have an exhibit or display with us. There is no charge or fee for the exhibitors. Fill out the attached form and return it to Bob Meadows, 107 Hutcheson Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 by the deadline date of May 15, 1999. This promises to be an exciting event again this year.
Bob Meadows
CJ Conner
The 4-H/FFA Dairy Judging Workshop at Virginia Tech will be held on April 9-10. Information about the workshop will be mailed under separate cover. Please let me know if you need further information.
David R. Winston
Criteria, procedure and applications for these awards are available from each unit office or on the 4H Website .
Richard Booker
National 4-H Council
JCPenney Assists With Alumni Search
Brian Calhoun
Great Deal On Internet Book
National 4-H Council Supply Service is currently offering the award-winning book 300 INCREDIBLE THINGS FOR KIDS ON THE INTERNET for less than it sells for on Amazon.com! The book recently won two Amazon awards for sales in the category of Kids Internet Books. Order this book from National 4-H Council*s website at http://www.fourhcouncil.edu/4hstuff/300incred.htm
Planning Guide For Public Health Week
"Healthy People in Healthy Communities" is the 1999 theme for National Public Health Week, April 5-11, 1999. This national celebration is an opportunity to recognize the contributions of public health to the nation's well-being and to focus public attention on major health issues in our communities. To assist in planning public health week activities, a complimentary copy of the 1999 National Public Health Week Planner's Guide is available by calling (301) 893-1894. Request APHA Publications Sales. The guide includes news releases and PSAs, success stories, ideas for a marketing plan, and an evaluation form to share your success stories with others.
Life Magazine Reveals Real Teen Thoughts
The March issue of Life magazine features a thought-provoking and revealing look at "The Secret Lives of Teens." The story is a result of focus groups from around the country where teenagers talked openly about their private thoughts on sex, drugs, parents, race, influences and fears.
Kidscampaigns Launches New "Connect For Kids" Web Site
The Benton Foundation and "KidsCampaigns" this week launched its new web site at a press conference in New York City. "Connect for Kids" is the new name for the KidsCampaigns web site. The site has interactive features and links to over 1500 organizations nationwide, including National 4-H Council. Visit the new website at http://www.connectforkids.org
Poll Shows Youth Care About Service
The New Millennium Project released results of a poll of 18-to-24-year-old Americans showing that the majority of young people today care significantly more about individual service to their own communities, families, and religious institutions than about politics or democratic involvement. The National Association of Secretaries of State sponsored the study in an effort to learn why young people have lower voter turnout rates than other age groups. Most people polled were untrusting of politicians and thought that government was only run by big interests (64%). While fewer than one in five young adults voted in 1998, 87% helped elderly neighbors in the past and 64% joined non-political organizations. Nine in ten respondents stated that the "most important thing I can do as a citizen is to help others," yet they considered volunteer work and good parenting more effective ways of helping others than voting. The study found that young people were more likely to vote if they were college-educated or if their parents voted.
John Dooley
These 10 curriculum groups have been very active this year designing web based interactive projects; piloting project materials; designing and implementing new activities for youth participating in State 4-H Congress; and developing and articulating and vision for programmatic efforts in the future.
While we have accomplished many things this past year, we still have a lot more to do. That's why we need you, your ideas and your talent!
If you are interested in participating on a curriculum committee, fill out an application form and forward to Beth Atkins by May 1, 1999. In addition, many of you would like to nominate volunteers, corporate partners, peers or co-workers who have an interest in youth and would like to contribute to the enhancement of the Virginia 4-H program. We would love to have you join our team. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Beth Atkins at 540-231-9411 or beatkins@vt.edu. We look forward to hearing from you!
Beth Atkins
Safe Night USA is looking to get some free publicity for this year's event. Twenty (20) second Public Service Announcement (PSA) spots are being sent to all PBS stations to promote the June 5 Safe Night USA.
A VHS videotape is available if you missed the Safe Night USA training videoconference on March 3. Tapes are $4.00 each. The videoconference tape includes ideas for activities, conflict resolution demonstrations and successful Safe Night descriptions. Mail your order to: Planning Guide Order, Safe Night USA, 780 Regent Street, Madison, WI 53715. Include your name, address, phone and whether you are currently on the Safe Night USA mailing list. A free copy of the Safe Night USA Planning Guide is also available. This packet includes registration forms and the mini-grant application, checklists, sample budgets, staffing recommendations and all kinds of other tips. To order the Planning Guide, send a request to the address above, fax your order to (608) 265-5039, email safenight@pbs.org or visit the website at http://www.pbs.org/safenight.
Beth Atkins
John Dooley
John Dooley
John Dooley To Table of Contents...
Each episode looks at a specific problem from the scientific, economic, political, and historical viewpoints, as well as at efforts by different communities to address these problems. Computer-enhanced satellite images open the episodes, dramatically illustrating the impact people have made on the planet ecosystem.
Rivers of Destiny (April 6) looks at the dangers (pollution, over fishing, loss of wetlands) threatening four of the world's major river systems the Mississippi, the Amazon, the Jordan and the Mekong.
The Urban Explosion (April 13 at 10:00 p.m. ET) examines the problems confronting four of the world's mega-cities New York City, Mexico City, Istanbul and Shanghai. Providing citizens with clean drinking water, waste disposal, food and shelter are constant challenges.
Land of Plenty, Land of Want (April 20 at 10:00 p.m. ET) visits diverse farming communities in Zimbabwe, France, the United States (Iowa and Pennsylvania) and China to examine the worldwide problems of feeding a growing population.
Free Educational Materials: "Sustainable Agriculture It All Starts with Soil," developed in conjunction with National 4-H, combines video excerpts from the Land of Plenty, Land of Want program with hands-on activities. Designed to be used in 4-H, Boys and Girls Club, FFA, or similar programs, this video and print package teaches middle-school-aged youngsters about different kinds of soil and how to determine the makeup of soil (is it clayey, loamy, silty, etc.). The video segments and print component are being made available to PBS stations nationwide. Both can be duplicated and the segments used in perpetuity. The print piece also can be used with the complete Land of Plenty, Land of Want program.
A second educational package designed for middle school teachers is also available. It consists of a teacher's guide and video segments excerpted from each program. The teacher's guide is made up of three lessons based on concepts covered in the programs. The specially selected video segments and teacher's guide is being made available to all PBS stations, too. The video segments and the teacher's guide may be duplicated and used in perpetuity. The teacher's guide can be used also with the full 60-minute programs, which carry the standard PBS one-year off-air record rights.
Both the teacher's guide and the "Sustainable Agriculture It All Starts with Soil" brochure will be available to download from the Journey to Planet Earth Web site in late March. Visit the site (http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/planetearth) for a "sneak peek," beginning in mid-February. For more information on the series and free educational materials, or to order educational materials if they aren't available from your PBS station, contact: Michele Reap, South Carolina Educational Television, 803/737-3394 or email: mreap@scetv.org
Peter Laws
Prior to the establishment of this center, some of the counties that now camp there conducted their 4-H camps at Hollins College (now Hollins University) near Roanoke. The literature contains many stories of the early short courses that were conducted at Hollins. In reference to an early short course, "Roanoke County Short Course for girls was held at Hollins College, June 11-14, 1923, with 34 girls from 8 clubs. Also, 3 leaders were present. Program focused on bread, sewing, canning, bead work, basketry, etiquette, and parliamentary practice. Demonstrations were given in testing baking powders, selection of cotton materials for undergarments, and canning budget. 50 visitors also came" (Agricultural 4-H Club Letter, 1923, July, p.4).
Other facilities were used to house 4-H camps prior to the establishment of the 4-H educational center as 4-H'ers from this area camped at 4-H camps in West Virginia, 4-H camps in other districts in the state, and rented church camp grounds. In 1962, for example, the counties of the West Central District camped 1304 4-H members at two other 4-H camps-the Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center, and at Holiday Lake 4-H Camp.
Plans for the establishment of the 4-H center for the West Central District were proposed in the late 1950's by Mr. J. Berman Flora, District Agent for that district, and Ms. Margaret Svoboda, District Home Agent. These two were assigned as head of the men and women programs respectively for the Extension Service. A group of far-sighted citizens met in 1963 and proposed to build a center that would be called the West Central 4-H Educational Center.
With endorsements and encouragement from the State 4-H Club Department, Virginia Tech administration, business and civic leaders and others, a steering committee was selected with Mr. James H. Moore of Roanoke, named as General Chair-person. The proposed center, as envisioned by the steering committee, would feature a complex that could accommodate between 200-250 youth at a time, and would include buildings, teaching facilities to provide for educational programming, a swimming pool water and sewage system, a recreation area, and parking spaces. "The Center would be owned by 4-H Clubs in the West Central District. It was to be incorporated and operated as a non-profit self-supporting corporation. Member counties”would have representatives known as a Board of Directors" (West Central 4-H Educational Center History).
The cornerstone laying ceremony was conducted on September 11, 1965, and the center opened in June of the following year. The first year of operation for the West Central 4-H Educational Center was 1966, with over 2,000 campers. In 1985, the name of the center was officially changed from West Central 4-H Educational Center to Smith Mt. Lake 4-H Educational Center to better reflect the relationship and location of the center. Of course, the name of West Central District no longer exists.
This all-year-round facility presently has the largest number of 4-H campers participating in 4-H camps in Virginia. It is home to 4-H campers from the 21 counties and cities of Allegheny, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, Campbell, Craig, Danville, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Halifax, Henry, Highland, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Roanoke County and City, Rockbridge, and Rockingham. The property currently consists of 120 acres and accommodates over 300 campers per week.
1) Virginia Polytechnic Institute. (1923). Agricultural 4-H Club Letter. Vol. VI, No. 3, July, p. 4.
2) West Central 4-H Educational History.
Bob Meadows
Chad Barnett
To Table of Contents...
