It’s time for month 4-H meetings again
By Kevin D. Tatum
County Extension Coordinator, Coffee County
With school starting up again for the new school year, it’s time to get back to our monthly 4-H meetings with our 4-H members. We are in the process of discussing in-school meeting times with teachers and principals and students will be notified by their teacher of their meeting time. However, our students in 7th and 8th grades (Junior 4-H members) hold their meetings twice a month at the 4-H office. Their first meeting will be on Thursday, August 22, from 4 to 5 PM. The 9th-12th grade students (Senior 4-H members) also meet at the 4-H office twice a month and their first meeting will be on Monday, August 19, at 4 PM. We will also hold a meeting for home schooled students at the 4-H office on Wednesday, August 28, at 2 PM. This meeting is open to any home schooled student in grades 4 through 12. Older home schooled students are welcome to attend the Junior or Senior 4-H Club meeting if they wish.
Certified Coaches Training
Each year, Georgia 4-H offers a training for target sports coaches. For years, it has been a three day (weekend) training held at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center. This year, the training will only be two days, Friday and Saturday with some online training to be done ahead of time. Trainings are offered for rifle, pistol, archery, and shotgun disciplines. This is a required training for any adult who would like to serve as a coach with any of the 4-H target sports programs.
In order for an adult to attend the training, they must be a Certified 4-H Volunteer Leader. To become a Certified Volunteer, a person must complete a 4-H volunteer leader application, agreement, and background consent form. Once we have these three forms turned in, we are required to do a character reference check on the individual. If they are given a positive character reference, then the criminal background check will be run on the individual. If this comes back as approved, the individual must then complete an online Risk Management Training. After completing all of this, the person is ready for service as a 4-H volunteer.
The Certified Coaches Training will be offered three times this school year; October 4-5, December 6-7, and January 10-11, 2020. All disciplines are not always offered at each training, particularly the pistol coaches training. Therefore it is best to sign up early for the training if you are interested in helping coach this year.
Please feel free to contact me about this if you are interested. I will be glad to sit down and discuss it with you.
Georgia National Fair Mini Booths
Each year, the Georgia National Fair provides contests for youth in 4-H, FFA, FCCLA, and TSA. One of the contests that 4-H members can enter is called mini-booth exhibits. These are small triangular shaped exhibit booths where students can put an exhibit about their main project. It is a great way for 4-H members to share information about their main 4-H project to help build their District Project Achievement portfolio. These booths are designed to quickly educate the public as they browse through the educational hall. Therefore, information on the booth should be succinct and large enough to read easily.
4-H members interested in signing up for a mini-booth need to come talk to the 4-H staff and get started preparing it now. The fair only allows four booths per county so we will have a county contest to determine with four will advance to the fair. The county entry deadline is 4 PM on Friday, August 23.
4-H on Facebook Remind App
Coffee County 4-H has a group page on Facebook. 4-H members and parents can be added to the group by asking to be added to the 4-H group. It is a closed group, so only those accepted will be able to view content. If you have children in 4-H, you should join this group so you can keep up with 4-H activities.
Another great way to keep up with what’s going on is to join the Remind group for your 4-H student’s age group. The Cloverleaf 4-H group is for parents of 4th – 6th grade 4-H members. To join it, text the message @coffeecl4h to the number 81010. Parents of 7th and 8th grade 4-H members need to text the message @coffeejr4h to the same number, 81010. And high school 4-H parents and members need to text the message @coffee4h to 81010 to join the Senior 4-H Remind Group. When you join one or more of these groups, you will receive text notifications of 4-H events.
If you have questions about the Coffee County 4-H Club program, or questions around the farm or home, please feel free to contact the Coffee County Extension office at (912) 384-1402. Remember, we are YOUR local connection to the University of Georgia.