Tarrant County 4-H – Making the Best Better

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Dear 4-H Members and Families,

There are two more opportunities to attend Record Book Training at the county level coming up in January.  Please mark your calendar for either Tuesday, January 15^th or Tuesday, January 22^nd.  Both of these trainings will take place from 6-7 p.m. and be out in the community.  Keller 4-H will host the evening of the 15^th at Ridgeview Elementary School located at 1601 Marshall Ridge Pkwy, Keller, TX 76248 and East Fort Worth 4-H will host the evening of the 22^nd at Meadowbrook United Methodist Church at 3900 Meadowbrook Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76103.

These trainings are open to all families in the county.  I encourage parents and members to attend.  The training covers:

• Why a record book is a great way to complete the 4-H year.
• The steps involved in completing a record book successfully.
• What happens to your record book once it is complete.
• How to make a great impression with your record book.

Please complete this registration form if you will be attending.  There will be handouts for all attendees so please let us know your plans to attend so we can be prepared.

If you have any questions, please contact me.  And thank you for participating in the record book process.

Kent DeCardenas

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Dear 4-H Members and Families,

I have some great news to wrap up 2018 with.  We currently have 508 youth members enrolled in 4-H!  This is an important milestone because we had a total of 508 members for the whole 2017-18 year!  We have matched last year’s membership number four months ahead of schedule.  And we will surely continue to have more youth join our clubs as the new school semester starts next month.

Moving forward, I ask that you consider doing three things to help foster this continued growth in our program.

Please consider reaching out to friends, neighbors, and family and share how much you enjoy 4-H.  Share our website, tc4h.org, and let them know they can join any of the 20+ clubs in the county.  There is still plenty of time for new members to join, find out what 4-H is all about, join projects, and have a great time.

Secondly, join us for the Fort Worth Stock Show Parade on Saturday, January 19^th.  Our plan is to have 100 members and parents march that morning.  With this large of a group, we will encourage more families to check out 4-H and share the fun that our kids have in their clubs.  Plus it counts as community service for our members as they promote the program as a whole.  If you would like to join us, please complete the release form and get it to the Extension office by January 10^th.  One release form is needed for each adult and youth that will participate.

And finally, I would like you to consider making a year-end donation to the Adult Leaders Association Cloverleaf fund.  This campaign is used to raise money for the social activities of the County Youth Council and for the County Awards Banquet at the end of the 4-H year.  As we grow and bring in more families and members, we need to make sure we have the capacity to award and acknowledge the hard work that our members are completing in 4-H.

Thank you for your commitment to 4-H.  Please let me know if you have any questions or if the Extension office can help you and your club with any of your 4-H work.

Kent DeCardenas

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Dear 4-H Members and Families,

The Tarrant County Junior Livestock Show Rulebook for 2019 is here!  Along with the forms that you will need to process your entries!

Remember, the process of entering TCJLS is done online through your club manager.  I have placed the rulebook in a folder on our shared Google drive that can always be found on our website under the Link to G-Drive 2018-2019 folder.  You can also find it at the TCJLS website.

Jeff Newcomb of Rendon 4-H has agreed to host a training session for processing the entries for new managers or volunteers.  When we have a firm date, I will email the club managers directly.

And please remember that county validation take place on Saturday, December 8^th.  Please see the county calendar for more information on this event.

If you have questions, please visit the TCJLS website first and then feel free to contact me.  Thank you.

Kent DeCardenas

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Dear 4-H Members and Families,

Please plan on attending the County Youth Council and Adult Leaders Association meetings on Monday, 26^th.  The CYC meeting will start promptly at 6:30 p.m. and parents and adult volunteers are encouraged to sit in on the program portion of this meeting.  Next week’s speaker will be Heather Lowe, the Community Engagement Manager from the Fort Worth Zoo.  The ALA meeting will start when Ms. Lowe has finished speaking at approximately 6:45 p.m.

Please see the official CYC meeting invitation from President Cole Whiddon below.

Remember, the ALA and CYC meetings are opportunities for every club to stay in touch with what is happening at the county level and what other clubs are doing.  And members who attend the CYC meeting have the opportunity to win door prizes and prizes for their club at the end of the year.

Both meetings take place at the Extension office.  If you have not visited the office before, please see this link for directions and parking information.

I encourage every member and family to attend.  I know that the holiday season is very busy but 4-H is always strongest when we come together to share our skill, knowledge, and expertise with our youth and each other.

Hope to see many of you next Monday and have a great Thanksgiving.

Kent DeCardenas

*click on image to enlarge*

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Dear 4-H Members and Families,

A great opportunity is coming up in January to promote 4-H and your clubs!

We will once again be marching in a group in the Fort Worth Stock Show Parade.  This year’s parade takes place Saturday, January 19^th and the parade begins at 11 a.m.  This is a great event that counts as community service for the 4-H members that march and parents are encouraged to participate as well.

We had a great turn out last year but believe that we can show Tarrant County the strength of 4-H by having participants from every club.  I would like to challenge the members and clubs to have 5 or more people from each club participate in the parade.  That can be youth and adults.  With a 100+ people representing 4-H, I think we can make a real impact on the spectators and encourage new families to join 4-H.

This is a fun event where 4-Hers can get to know families from other clubs.  We also get to hear the TCU marching band warm-up and see much of the parade while we wait for our turn to march.

Some things to consider when determining who will represent your club:

• Every participant must complete the attached release form.
• The route is little over a mile long.  It starts at the Tarrant County Courthouse, goes to the Fort Worth Convention Center, and then back to the Courthouse.
• We will meet at 10:30 a.m. at the county Extension office and head over to the start location at 10:40 a.m. that morning.
• We are usually done by 12 p.m.

Please let me know if you have any questions and I look forward to having a great turnout for the parade!

2019 FWSSR Parade Release

Kent DeCardenas

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Dear 4-H Members and Families,

This is a reminder that tomorrow is the final day to enter the San Angelo, San Antonio, Houston, and Austin Livestock Shows.  We are also still accepting applications for the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo calf scramble.

Please see the edited original email below.  I have cleaned up the links below for the shows that had not posted their worksheets yet.

Please let me know if you will be coming in today or tomorrow to drop off entries.

It is almost time to get entries in for the Major Livestock shows.  This email contains entry information only for the major livestock shows listed below.  There is no information that pertains to the Tarrant County Junior Livestock Show.

Please be aware of the following deadlines and links to application paperwork.

Also keep in mind the following points:

• It is the responsibility of youth and parents to be aware of and comply with the regulations of each show that they will be attending.  See the above links to the premium lists and books.
• Youth entering the junior shows must submit entries through the Extension staff and be active in their 4-H clubs.
• Youth entering open shows do not need to submit their entries through the Extension staff but work directly with the show office themselves.
• Calf scramble entries will be submitted as soon as they are received.  The earlier you submit, the more likely you will receive a spot.  Many of the shows are already accepting calf scramble applications.
• Calf scramble participants sometimes have the opportunity to return if they are not successful the first time they compete.  The earlier you enter, the more likely you will receive a second opportunity.
• Calf Scramble participants can apply sponsorships from multiple shows to the same livestock project.  They will be required to show their project at all shows that they received sponsorship from.
• Please be aware that most of the shows above have other competitions besides the livestock shows.  Click on the links above to explore these options.  Some of the additional competitions include:
  • Art shows
  • Public speaking
  • Ag mechanics
  • Livestock judging
  • Robotics
  • Competitive shooting
  • And more
• If you are paying by check, make them payable to “ELEC.”

Please call before bringing applications to the Extension office to make sure I or Veronica Cabral are available to receive your entries.  If you have any questions, please call or contact I or Veronica.

Good luck and I look forward to a great Major season.

Kent DeCardenas

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Dear 4-H Families and Supporters,

The Adult Leaders Association is half way to their goal with the Clover Campaign!

The Clover Campaign is used to fund the award and recognition program for all of the 4-H members in the county.  It also supports the activities of the County Youth Council.  With nearly 500 members in the 24 clubs, we know that our youth are hard at work every day on their livestock, robotics, food & nutrition, and community service projects.  Help the ALA to support their growth and development by giving today.

Please consider supporting the great work that our 4-H members are doing by donating through PayPal or by check.  All donations will be recognized on the Tarrant County 4-H website and through social media.

On behalf of the 4-H members, thank you for your support!

Sponsor Flyer

Kent DeCardenas

Dear 4-H Members and Families,

Please take a look at the Holiday Party Flyer.  The County Youth Council has been hard at work planning a holiday party for the members of 4-H from across the county.  With food, games, community service, and a gift exchange everyone will have a great time.

Please see the details below:

• Who: All 4-H members in Tarrant County.
• When: Friday, December 7^th from 7-9 p.m.
• Where: County Extension office at 200 Taylor St. Fort Worth, TX 76102.  Go to the 5^th floor and turn left.
• What to Bring:
  • A favorite finger food.
  • A wrapped gift for $5 or less.
  • An unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots.
  • Blankets and socks for the homeless.
• And Remember:  There will be an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest and Best Holiday Dessert Contest.  Find a sweater and bring a favorite dessert.

Parents are encouraged to stay and meet 4-H parents from other clubs or to feel free to drop youth off and pick them up later in the evening.  Adult chaperones and Extension staff will be present.  If your child will not be accompanied by a parent, they must be mature enough for this privilege. If you have not visited the Extension office before, please visit this link for directions and parking information.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there.  And have a great Thanksgiving.

Kent DeCardenas

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Dear 4-H Members and Families,

I have received confirmation that the Tarrant County Junior Livestock Show validations will take place on Saturday, December 8^th.  They will take place in Saginaw from 8-11 a.m. and then at Crowley from 1-3 p.m.

Please remember these very important points:

• All animals must be validated.  This includes fancy chickens and breeding rabbits.
• If your animal is already validated at the state level, it does not need to be validated at the county level.
• Validation must be performed each year for every animal.
• Please be aware of the ownership requirements for the animal that you will be showing.  A link to the latest rulebook can be found on the TCJLS site below.
• Plants for the Horticulture Division must also be validated on this day as well.
• All youth who are showing a livestock project will be required to have a Quality Counts number at the time their club manager registers them for the show.

It is very important that all 4-H members, parents, and managers be aware of this one day to validate at the county level.  This will be the only opportunity to validate any remaining animals that will be shown at TCJLS.  If you have any questions, please visit the TCJLS website for more information or contact the Extension office.

Kent DeCardenas