DEL ARROYO 4-H CLUB

September 2007 Newsletter

THEME:  4H IN ACTION

WELCOME TO ANOTHER 4-H YEAR! 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 12, 6:30 pm at Livermore Valley Charter School (LVCS), 543 Sonoma Avenue, Livermore. We will have installation of officers and enrollment. Refreshments will be provided by the Salcedo, Barney, Garliepp, Drew, Ott, Maloney, Choi, and Daniel 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 new PDR Form, Item 2.

Our theme, 4H in Action, is designed to involve all members by having project groups introduce their project to the rest of the club. Project Leaders are encouraged to sign up for a month to have your members show their project. Please call Adel 245-0599 or Maria 499-3909.

The Livermore School District will no longer send flyers home with each student to advertise 4-H. Your help is needed in order to get new members, so a flyer may be found on this web page for you to duplicate and distribute at church, soccer, class, your neighborhood, and anywhere else you can think of that might reach those interested in joining us. Make it your goal to bring in at least one new member. You can submit a bill to the treasurer for the cost of copying the flyers.

LIVERMORE CHILDREN’S FAIR is September 8^th and 9^th. An email went out last week asking for volunteers. Please call Sue Michel 455-1922 to help. The new record books require more community service hours/activities than before to attain star ranks.

COAST CLEAN UP DAY is Saturday, September 15 from 8:30 am 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 Martinez Regional Shoreline on Ferry in Martinez, and the Martin L. King, Jr. Shoreline on Oakport Street in Oakland. Flyers will be available at our September meeting. This is a great family activity, but they request that there be no children under school age. Wear sturdy shoes, work clothes, and gloves. They would like you to pre-register by emailing Kathleen Fusek, Volunteer Coordinator at kfusek@ebparks.org or fax her at (510) 569-1432. Beverages and water will be provided.

6^th ANNUAL TRI-VALLEY YOUTH FOOD DRIVE is looking for a teen representative from each participating organization. We need a teen to attend planning meetings and help organize the food drive. The plan is for the youth to take over this activity with the adults as advisors. Jennifer Yi of Foothill High School is the new chair and will host a planning meeting soon. Please sign up at our meeting or call Margaret 447-6980 to chair this event for our club. The first meeting is scheduled for Saturday, September 22, 1:00 pm, at 6101 Valley Avenue, Pleasanton (Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints). More information is available at their web site at http://www.youthservicecouncil.com. You can also e-mail Jennifer at jenniferyi1990@sbcglogal.net.

STATE RECORD BOOK EVALUATION deadline is October 15. Your record book must be in the county office to Carol Crossett by that date. This is for members 14 and older.

ACHIEVEMENT NIGHT will be held October 5 (tentative), 7:00 pm, 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 award and their project category:

            K. Fraser, Senior County Winner, Achievement

            K. Semonsen, Junior County Winner, Sheep

            A. Ruzicka, Junior Medalist, Poultry

            J. Choi, Junior County Winner, Fine Arts

            J. Villarreal, Junior Certificate, Cooking

            C. Ott, Junior Certificate, Cooking

            S. Hammerschmidt, Junior Certificate, Beef

            H. Holt, Junior Certificate, Arts & Crafts

            S. Holt, Junior Certificate, Arts & Crafts

            M. Maloney, Junior Medalist, Arts & Crafts

            N. Barney, Junior Medalist, Food Preservation

            C. Barney, Junior County Winner, Food Preservation

            H. Ott, Junior County Winner, Gardening

            K. Villarreal, Junior Certificate, Outdoor Education

            C. Morris, Junior Medalist, Shooting

            M. Smith, Junior Certificate, Dog Care & Training

            L. Salcedo, Senior County Winner, Dog Care & Training

            J. Smith, Senior Certificate, Community Service

            C. Salcedo, Junior County Winner, Poultry

            A. Garliepp, Senior Medalist, Dog Care & Training

            S. Smith, Junior Certificate, Community Service

            K. Ott, Junior Certificate, Horse

            A. Morris, Junior Medalist, Food Preservation      

            Primary Certificates to: K. Maloney, C. Holt, K. Semonsen, and A. Richards.

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 “Super Heroes” 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. and K. Fraser and P. Miller attended State Leadership Conference at UC Davis as delegates. The theme was “4-H Wants YOUth”. Tom Fraser also attended and presented a session for delegates and Cheryl Fraser served as a chaperon.

The Square Dance Project was offered the opportunity to staff the 4-H Foundation’s booth at the State Fair in Sacramento. P. Miller, A. Richards and K. Fraser, and parents spent a day handing out information, applying tattoos, 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.

We will set up a display in honor of NATIONAL 4-H WEEK 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 Jessica Choi 449-3909.

4-H SKATE NIGHT will be Monday, October 29, 6:30 - 9:00 pm, 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 $5.00, including skates, for members and families. Skaters can bring their own skates and save $2.00.

MEMBERSHIP/ENROLLMENT LEVELS are an age based system as follows:

            Primary:  Must be 5 years old or in kindergarten as of January 1, 2008

            Junior, Intermediate & Senior:  Must be 9 years old or in 4th Grade by January 1, 2008 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 will be at our September CC Meeting or by calling Margaret at 447-6980. 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.

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.

You can pick up your 4-H Record Book at our September Community Club Meeting.

NEWSLETTER –This newsletter has been distributed via e-mail. Be sure your e-mail address is clear on the enrollment forms. The electronic newsletter helps reduce the paper piles in your life and saves the club considerable costs. The Del Arroyo web site is now up and running at clubs.ca4h.org/alameda/delarroyo.

MEMBER NEWS

The fair was fun! My rabbit got 2^nd place. I got best preserved soft spread and it got a special award. I spent a lot of time at the livestock barn because of my sister’s sheep. The fair was great!             By N. Barney

This year at fair was really fun! My rabbit got 1^st place and Best of Breed. It got 2^nd in fur, Fanciest for dress-up and I got 5^th for Showmanship. My pineapples got Best preserved food for 9-11 year olds, 1^st, judges favorite, best of class and best of show! It was awesome! I was at the livestock a lot too. I had a sheep to take care of so we were there from 6:00am to the end of the day! Fair was lots of fun and I can’t wait till next year.            By C. Barney

Fair Time! The fair is a very important time for most 4-H members. It is the time when all the items we have made or raised are shown and judged. And we are able to reap the rewards for the work we have put in this year. For me it is when I get to see how much I have gained in the Dog Care and Training project. Every year I compete in the fair dog show, and this year I worked with my two year old yellow Labrador, Delta. We did really well considering it was our first time together at the fair. We placed a third in sub-novice obedience and we won Best jr. Handler in showmanship! I would have gone on to participate in what is called Small Animal Round Robin. (This is when the winners from cavy, rabbit, poultry and dog showmanship are judged on how well they show each species). But I won last year so the second place handler competed instead, and I helped by coaching her and the showmanship winners from cavy and rabbit. Coaching was fun and a great experience. I hope I can help the winners next year as well.      By L. Salcedo

My Little Rooster and His Crow

My little rooster, he cannot crow

For he still has yet to grow

If you listen you will hear

My little rooster screech in your ear

He may not look like much now

But this I can tell you anyhow

Soon he won’t look so very thin

Once his feathers grow on in

He sounds quite funny, but don’t be tough

For a little rooster life is quite rough

This won’t last long

Soon he will crow a rooster’s song

By C. Salcedo

I liked the rabbit judging because I got to see all different types of rabbits. My favorite part about the rabbit judging was seeing the himalayans.           By C. VanFossen

I liked watching the rabbits. I liked how cute they are. I liked cake booth. I liked trying the cakes and selling the milk and chocolate milk. I liked trying the rides.            By E. VanFossen

Note:  Thanks to the above members who submitted articles. As always, the news is typed as received including spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc. Our members do a great job. Some 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.

PROPOSED PROGRAM FOR 2007 – 2008 – “4H IN ACTION”

Sept. 12         6:30 pm           Enrollment & Installation of Officers

Oct. 10            6:30 pm           Enrollment continued & Fine Arts by Maria Choi

Nov. 14           6:30 pm           Potluck dinner & New Member Orientation

Dec. 12          6:30 pm           Presentation Day Workshop & holiday item for veterans

Jan. 9          6:30 pm           Presentation Day practices & Valentines for Veterans

Feb. 13           6:30 pm           Skit practice and theme program

Mar. 12           6:30 pm           Talent Show and Dessert Potluck

Apr. 9              6:30 pm           Fair and Camp programs

May 14           6:30pm           Record Book workshop & theme program

May 28           6:30pm           Election of new officers & Record Book turn in

June 4           6:30pm           Awards & Ice Cream Social

All monthly community club meetings are planned for 6:30 pm at Livermore Valley Charter School, 543 Sonoma Avenue, Livermore. Officer meetings are planned for 4:00 pm, the last Wednesday of the month, at Barney’s, 2516 Bess Avenue. Watch calendar for dates/changes. All officers, chairmen and members are invited and encouraged to attend the officer meetings.

Enrollment costs for the coming year are as follows:

            $25.00 for one member

            $50.00 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.

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. Additionally, 4-H is now requiring 2-deep leadership. Registering all adults in a household satisfies that if you are holding project meetings or committee meetings at home. 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.

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.

LEAD A PROJECT!!  We do not have BEGINNING 4-H, ROCKETRY, ELECTRICITY, SEWING, CATS, ARCHERY, WOODWORKING, FORESTRY, TEEN LEADERSHIP, GARDENING, FISHING, HORSE, BICYCLING, PETS & SMALL ANIMALS or many other projects that could be offered to our members. You could help!  Please call Margaret Miller at 447-6980 or Tami Garliepp at 606-8754 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                              Small Engine

            Beginning 4-H                                               Nylon Flowers                                    Small Pets

            Food & Nutrition - all levels                          Veterinary Science                           Woodworking

            Horses                                                            Dairy Goats                                       Rag Dolls

            Island Knitting                                                Wildlife                                               Rocketry

            Sport Fishing                                                 Macrame Belts & Bags                    Decorating Eggs

            Family & Consumer Science                       Forestry                                              Entomology

Call Margaret 447-6980 to see any of the above information and discuss leading a project.

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.