September 2005

We are all looking forward to a fun and productive year. We hope you will take advantage of all that the club and county have to offer.

FIRST COMMUNITY CLUB MEETING: Wednesday, September 14, 6:30pm at Sunset School, Mocho site, 1040 Florence Road, Livermore. We will have installation of officers and enrollment. Refreshments will be provided by the Gardner/Hughes, Johnston, Daniel, Hewitt, Sowa, Beauchamp, Holt & Semonsen families. Each member is to bring one item that they made in 4-H for display at our first meeting. An item of clothing, a needlework project, a preserved food, a rocket, poster, etc. identified with member name, project name, year in project. Attach any award received, like county or state fair ribbons. This display will help spark the interest of new and returning members in our various projects. The item you bring can be from any 4-H year. Let’s have a lot of variety. This will earn you a project exhibit credit on your PDR Form, Item P.

COAST CLEAN UP DAY is Saturday, September 17 from 8:30am until Noon. The areas we have been asked to help at are the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge at the Dumbarton fishing pier area in Newark, the Shoreline Interpretive Center at the end of Breakwater Drive in Hayward and any of 5 locations in Fremont. This is a great family activity, but they request that there be no children under school age. Wear sturdy shoes, work clothes, and gloves. Sign in when you arrive. Beverages and water will be provided. Flyers with maps will be at our CC Meeting.

SKIT NIGHT plans are already underway. The theme is “4-H Solves a Mystery”. Members are encouraged to sign up at our September CC Meeting to help with script writing, acting and props. This will earn members many credits for their PDR Forms. Before any work can begin we will need an overall chair and adult advisor.

We will set up a display in honor of NATIONAL 4-H WEEK on October 24 at the Civic Center Library. We need a members (new and old) to help with ideas for display and arrangement. Sign up for this committee at our September CC Meeting or contact Chair Amanda Johnston, 447-2803.

NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION will be held on Wednesday, October 19, 6:30pm, location to be determined by the October Community Club Meeting. All new members and parents are encouraged to attend. Bring your ‘new member packet’ of information that you received when you enrolled and the various forms will be explained. Orientation is beneficial for all members and parents, new and old. There is always something to learn about the workings of 4-H. Refreshments will be provided by the Davis, Salcedo, Fraser, Herr & Ott families.

ACHIEVEMENT NIGHT will be held Friday, September 23, 7:00pm, at Canyon Middle School, Castro Valley. Our record book winners (see ‘Congratulations’ below) will receive their awards, along with other Alameda County 4-H members. This is a nice family event for new and returning members.

CONGRATULATIONS!! Record keeping, the “do I have to do it?” part of 4-H, paid off for our members who submitted their 4-H Record Book for county judging. The following is a list of the Del Arroyo members, their project category and their award:

K. Ott – Arts & Crafts – Junior Medallist
C. Salcedo – Avian Science - Junior Medallist
H. Ott – Avian Science - Junior Medallist
K. Johnston – Career Exploration – Junior County Winner
S. Daniel – Cultural Arts – Junior Medallist
M. Daniel – Cultural Arts – Junior Certificate
V. Parker – Cultural Arts – Junior Certificate
R. Daniel – Cultural Arts – Junior Certificate
K. Villarreal – Cultural Arts – Junior Certificate
R. Gary – Dog Care – Co-Junior County Winner
L. Salcedo – Dog Care – Co-Junior County Winner
A. Gary – Dog Care – Junior Medallist
N. Hewitt – Food Preservation – Senior Medallist
C. Barney – Food Preservation – Junior County Winner
S. Fratus – Food Preservation – Junior Medallist
C. Hewitt – Food Preservation – Junior Certificate
P. Miller-Silveira – Square Dance – Senior County Winner
K. Fraser – Home Arts – Junior County Winner
R. Fraser – Leadership – Senior Medallist
A. Johnston – Needlecraft – Junior County Winner
H. Holt – Needlecraft – Junior Certificate
M. Beauchamp – Rabbit – Junior Certificate
K. Semonsen – Sheep – Junior Medallist
A. Fratus – Small Pets – Junior Medallist
Primary Certificates to: N. Barney, H. Beauchamp, M. Daniel, H. Hewitt, M. Hewitt, S. Holt, K. Maloney, M. Maloney, C. Ott, K. Semonsen, and J. Villarreal.
All of these members will be further recognized at County Achievement Night. Keep up the good work - we are proud of each and every one of you.

CONGRATULATIONS also go to all our members who participated in the county and state fairs. Our members earned many of the top awards for their projects, posters and animals. We have a large number of members who were awarded Best of Class, Best of Show and Judge’s Favorite. Several of our project groups were awarded pins for having an active project group, and we also had many members who spent additional hours at the fair doing “4-H in Action” and “Make-it and Take-it” activities for the public. Many Del Arroyo members (we had the largest club representation) spent a day at the fair Escorting the Blind. The 4-Hers met the buses in the morning, helped serve lunch, escorted the people around the fair, explaining and describing the sights along the way, and then helped them back to the buses. This is a wonderful community service and it benefits both the blind and the 4Hers. Thanks to all who participated.

Many of Del Arroyo’s members and adults attended 4-H Summer Camp and enjoyed this years “Rodeo” theme. Our older members assumed leadership roles of counselors, committee chairs and committee members to help make the camp a success. All attendees made lots of new friends and learned new skills. Did you attend camp? If not, start planning to attend next year. Be part of the 4-H camp ‘family’, fun and fellowship.

R. Fraser and P. Miller-Silveira attended State Leadership Conference at UC Davis as delegates. The theme was “Get R.E.A.L.”, which stands for Get Ready, Get Energized, Get Active and Get Leadership. The focus was youth in governance; giving our youth, in partnership with adults, an active role in 4-H plans and decision making. Tom Fraser also attended and presented sessions for delegates.

The Square Dance Project was offered the opportunity to staff the 4-H Foundation’s booth at the State Fair in Sacramento. P. Miller-Silveira, C.& W. O’Connell, R. and K. Fraser, M. Geottman and C. Owens, and parents spent a day handing out information and answering questions about the 4-H program. In addition to parents and children getting information about joining 4-H, several 4-H members and alumni from all over the state stopped by and shared their experiences.

4-H SKATE NIGHT will be Monday, October 24, 6:30 - 9:00pm, at Golden Skate in San Ramon. This fun county wide event is for the entire family and features a Halloween costume contest with prizes and only costs $3.50, including skates, for members and families.

MEMBERS - If you did not receive your Record Book with this newsletter, you can pick it up at our September Community Club Meeting.

4-H LEADER’S FORUM will be November 4 – 6, at Asilomar, Pacific Grove. This conference will have hands-on learning experiences as well as leadership and project development opportunities. The fee is $240 and Alameda County Leader Council will pay ½ of the fee. Contact Carol Crossett 510-881-1124 for more information and registration form.

FREE*FREE*FREE Guinea Pig and Chinchilla with their cages. Please call Liz Fratus at 455-1851.

CLASSIFIED ADS - Do you have something to sell? Are you looking for items? Do you have a special announcement? Do you have a service to offer? For $5.00 per month we will run your ad in this newsletter. Ads must be submitted to Margaret, 1435 Heidelberg Drive, with a check payable to Del Arroyo 4-H by the last Friday of the month.

MEMBERSHIP/ENROLLMENT LEVELS are an age based system as follows: Primary: Must be 5 years old or in kindergarten as of January 1, 2006 Junior, Intermediate & Senior: Must be 9 years old or in 4th Grade by January 1, 2006 and can remain a member through December of the program year in which they turn 19 years old. For Home Schooled Children, the age criteria only will apply.

ENROLLMENT/UPDATE FORMS were enclosed with the newsletter for returning members and adults. Please complete and return at our September CC Meeting. All forms must be completed and returned, along with registration fees to register for this year. You do not need to make changes on the pre-printed form, as the computer will automatically update age, grade, etc. Enrollment forms for new members will be available at our September CC Meeting or by calling Margaret at 447-6980.

NEWSLETTER OPTION – The Del Arroyo web site is now up and running at http://delarroyo4hclub.websiteanimal.com/ If you would prefer to retrieve your monthly Del Arroyo newsletter from our web site, please indicate that on your enrollment form by writing ‘newsletter’ by your e-mail address. If you wish to keep receiving a hard copy, you need do nothing. The electronic option will help you reduce the paper piles in your life and save the club considerable costs.

I entered a fantasy pet and a poster for the first time! I got second place on both!! I also worked at the cake booth and it was really fun!! I can’t wait until next year!! By A. Morris
I have done a few projects in sewing like a magic pillow and two gift bags. I’m also the Jr. leader in table settings. Also I did two pigs but I did not name them. By K. Fraser
I entered a luminary box and a bird feeder in the county fair. I made them in the Yard Beautiful Class. I received two participation ribbons for them. By C. Ott Fair
This is my first year in the 4-H sheep group. I took seven lambs to the fair. I took two breeding lambs to the fair, I also took three market lambs and two feeder lambs to the fair. I got third place in showmanship, eighth place and last place on my breeding lambs. I got 1st, 2nd and third place on my market lambs and I got Champion and Reserve Champion on my two feeder lambs. I had a great time at the fair! By K. Semonsen
I did rubber stamping and mini 4-H. I made a 4-H necklace. A bird feeder and I learned the pelage I also made a bag and a hart box with a house on it. I had a lot of fun and for my first time I had an experience I had the best time of my life. By H. Beauchamp
This year I went to escorting the blind. I had a lot of fun. I went to the livestock. By K. Johnston
I brought my bunny and I won second place and best of breed. By G. Gardner
This year in 4-H I took a bread making class. It was lots and lots of fun. We made breads from all around the world. My favorite was the Spanish breakfast rolls. I am also going to be Historian next year. 4-H is lots of fun and I can’t wait for next year. By R. Sowa
This spring my family got 2 angora goats. There names were Angelina and Benjamin. Benjamin died and Angelina was very sad. I was too. Then we got a new goat, his name is Clark. I feed them and play with them every day. They are very fun to play with and they follow me wherever I go. This Fall I want to be the Junior Leader of an Angora Goat project. By K. Johnston
This year I showed a dog I have been training for a year at the fair. In obedience I got first place, and in showmanship I got second place. It was really fun! By A. Garliepp
I worked at the cake booth and those cakes looked good! It was fun!! I got to frost a cake!! By C. Morris
I was in citizenship and did a panel at the fair. My main entry were my two pigs through swine. The last entry was through table settings. By R. Fraser
I entered my bird feeder and my drawing of a covered wagon in the Alameda Fair. They both got 1st place ribbon. It is fun to enter things in the fair. By H. Ott
Cake Booth I worked selling lemonade at the Cake Booth. I also decorated a cake that had white frosting with rainbow sprinkles and chocolate chips around the rim of the cake. I hope the people that bought it thought it was yummy. By K. Semonsen
Some things I entered in the Alameda County Fair are my bird feeder, my quilt, and my luminary box. I got 1st place on my bird feeder and my luminary box. I got 3rd place on my quilt. I am excited! By K. Ott
This year in 4-H I did the Rabbit Project. I showed my rabbit in the fair, did rabbit dress-up, made a poster, and competed in rabbit bowl. My rabbit group made a panel and won Judges Favorite, Best in Show, and First Place. By M. Beauchamp
My First Agility Trial This summer I participated in my first AKC agility trial. First I volunteered to reset poles for another class then I ran my grandma’s black Labrador retriever named Gimmy. I felt very odd while we were getting the instructions from the judge because I was definitely youngest handler there. The first course was the jumpers with weaves class, meaning the course contained jumps, weave poles and tunnels. Gimmy and I had a difficult time concentrating on that course. We were both excited so I had a hard time directing him through the proper sequence. The second course was the standard course. This course contained contact obstacles, jumps, weave poles and tunnels. We did a lot better on that course but still did not receive a qualifying score. I’m still happy I went. I had a lot of fun and I can’t wait to try again. By L. Salcedo
This year, I was the Chair of Escorting the Blind at the Fair. First, at about 10:30, when it started, we were instructed about what to do. Then we went to the buses that brought the Blind and escorted them back to the picnic area where we had lunch. Afterwards, we went around the Fair with the Blind. The blind person I was escorting was a really nice lady who liked a lot of the same things I did, so I brought her to my favorite parts of the Fair. It was a challenge to explain all the things to her which she could not see. My brother escorted a blind person who was in a wheelchair and wanted to go on the rides. My mom was there to help him, but they had a lot of trouble getting her on and off the rides. I really enjoyed Escorting the Blind and learned a lot, not just about how hard it is to be blind, but also from the person I escorted. By A. Johnston

Note: Thanks to the above members who submitted articles (some were coerced to before they could swim at the Officer’s Planning Meeting). As always, the news is typed as received including spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc. Our members do a great job. Many of the above contributors are mini members (grades K -3). Newsletter articles earn credits on the PDR Form and towards our Super Member Award. Submit articles to Margaret by the last Friday of each month.

2004 - 2005 OFFICERS & CHAIRMEN
(SEE MARGARET FOR THIS INFORMATION, CONTACT INFORMATION FOR CHILDREM CAN NOT APPEAR ON CLUB WEBSITES - R. Fraser, Club Web Master)

All monthly community club meetings are planned for 6:30pm at Sunset School, Mocho site, 1040 Florence Road. Officer meetings are planned for 4:00pm, Wednesdays, 2 weeks prior to community club meetings at Miller’s, 1435 Heidelberg Drive. All officers, chairmen and members are invited and encouraged to attend the officer meetings.

Enrollment costs for the coming year are as follows: $20.00 for one member $40.00 for two members (from same family) and $10.00 for each family member thereafter. Included in the cost for the year are insurance fees required by the county, as well as club costs for literature, newsletters, awards, scholarships, etc. The club will pay the enrollment fees for leaders.

List of the projects for the coming year is enclosed. Please go over this list prior to the enrollment meeting. Additional projects can be added - all that is needed is an adult leader or a teen leader with an adult advisor. Please remember that a project leader can be any adult who wishes to work with 4-Hers and share their knowledge-they don’t have to have children in 4-H. Also enclosed are the requirements for Youth Leadership. Please refer to it if you are planning to be a Teen or Junior Leader. You must fulfill the requirements in order to be acknowledged in the Leadership Project. If you wish to be a leader, but don’t have a project to help lead, please call Margaret at 447-6980. So far, the projects that are looking for Junior and Teen Leaders are Rubber Stamping, Yard Beautiful, Cooking, and Sewing. The Teen Leadership Project will consist of 8th graders through high school seniors and the Junior Leadership Project will be 6th and 7th graders.

SPECIAL NOTES TO PARENTS The monthly community club meeting is for the entire family. Each member is required to have one responsible adult with them at the meeting, but we would like to encourage you to bring siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. The community club meetings are where your child gets up and speaks, demonstrates a new skill, leads an activity, and children do their best when you, the family, is there to show how proud you are of them. Please come each month and show your support. Please keep the project list. Circle the projects your children have selected. If you have not heard from the project leader by the November meeting, please call the leader and ask when the project is going to start. If you can’t get a response from the project leader call Margaret Miller at 447-6980.

We would like each parent to register and be certified in 4-H. This is a simple process that greatly expands what you can do. Registration forms will be available at our September meeting and throughout the year. Please mark your calendars for the night you are responsible for refreshments and clean up. If you can’t make it to the meeting you are assigned to, please send your refreshments with another member or trade months. Each family should bring 3 dozen large cookies. Clean up consists of putting the benches away, wiping the refreshment table, sweeping the floor, and checking and cleaning restrooms. To comply with parity requirements, each parent is responsible for getting in touch with underrepresented adults and youths to invite them to join 4-H. Each time you make a contact we need you to notify Margaret Miller so that proper documentation can be made. It is imperative that these contacts be made and documented for Del Arroyo to continue. A sample letter follows for your use. You can either use it as a guide or copy it as is.

Recruitment letter sample: Dear xxxxxx: I belong to the Del Arroyo 4-H Club. It is a club for boys and girls from kindergarten through age 19. There are many projects and activities available in 4-H. You can do rocketry, animals, square dancing, guide dog raising, car care, crafts and many more. You can participate in Skit Night, earn awards at the fair by exhibiting projects, and attend summer camp. Please join us for our first meeting on September 8 at 6:30pm at Sunset School. Our meetings are usually scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month. Bring your parents and friends. See you there!

LEAD A PROJECT!! We do not have BEGINNING 4-H, ROCKETRY, ELECTRICITY, CATS, ARCHERY, WOODWORKING, FORESTRY, MINI 4H, GARDENING, FISHING, ELECTRICITY or many other projects that could be offered to our members. You could help! Please call Margaret Miller at 447-6980 or Kim Schuetz at 371-1546 to get more information and sign up to lead a project. Would you like to lead a project but are stuck for ideas or just don’t know where to start? Del Arroyo has numerous books and information. Most are designed for 4-H projects and take you step by step through the program. Some of the categories and titles we have are: Aquatic Science Community Pride Beginning 4-H Nylon Flowers Food & Nutrition - all levels Veterinary Science Mini 4-H Dairy Goats Island Knitting Wildlife Sport Fishing Macrame Belts & Bags Family & Consumer Science Forestry Outdoor Education Plant Science Rocketry Decorating Eggs Woodworking Rag Dolls Small Engine Small Pets Call Margaret 447-6980 to see any of the above information and discuss leading a project.

HELP DEL ARROYO RAISE FUNDS by enrolling in the Albertsons Community Partners program. Again, we will attempt to have enough money in our treasury to function this year without any active fund raising efforts, as this has been the wish of the majority of the parents for the last several years. However, we need some funds coming in so that we don’t have to raise member fees. Please enroll your family, your relatives, and your neighbors, and we will receive a percentage of their purchases.

MEMBERS NOTE: Please try to sign up for more than one project. Sometimes, even with the best intentions, a project leader isn’t able to complete a project. Or, it could be that your piano lesson or sporting event is at the same time as the one project you signed up for. Also remember, sometimes the day and time listed in the project description has to be changed due to other commitments of the project leader and you may then encounter a conflict. You must have a completed project report form to turn in at the end of the year or you are not considered a member of Del Arroyo 4-H. Remember, too, to be a courteous member. Please attend your project meetings. Phone in advance if you are unable to attend a meeting. Your project leader has the right to drop you from the project if you miss two meetings without notifying the leader. Always pay any fees promptly.