News

Club News for December 7

| Community Service, Meetings, News, Officers

December Club Meeting

We have our club meeting, the final one for 2023, on Monday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m. There has been a slight location change for this meeting. We are still in the McKee Building, but we will be in the Exhibit Hall instead of the classrooms.

Important agenda items to think about:

  • Read the November Minutes: They are posted on the website here. Our secretary Eden has done a great job and has worked hard to make sure they are accurate.
  • Carnival Basket Themes: Our club will vote to decide on the number of baskets and type of baskets we would like to do for the 4-H Carnival’s live auction in March.
  • 4-H Carnival Tickets: 4-H Carnival tickets will be distributed to each club member to sell. Each member is asked to sell 25 tickets at $1 each. All funds support the Larimer County 4-H Foundation.
  • Office Elections: Elections will be held for the club officers for 2024. (We will go in order: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, Historian, and Sunshine). If you would like to run for an office, please come prepared with a brief speech including your name, years in 4-H, why you want the office, and why you would be a good choice for the office.
  • Demonstrations: There are still plenty of slots to sign up to present a demonstration.

At the end of the meeting, members will be wrapping Christmas gifts for the Foster & Adoptive Families of Larimer County. This is a community service project, so be sure to take pictures for your record books.

Then, we will have a cookie exchange. We will share cookies and members can exchange and take home what is left. Please plan to bring a dozen cookies to share if possible.

Wrapping Presents at Murdoch’s in Fort Collins

As a club, we voted to offer our club services to wrap purchases for customers at Murdoch’s in Fort Collins. There is a Signup for the December 17 date.

We are asking for intermediate and senior members to sign up, along with a parent/guardian. We are lacking member support. Please go to the club website and signup for a time or two. This counts as a community service project for your member completion for 2024.

Club News for November 9

| Meetings, News

Club Meeting

Our club meeting is this Monday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the Berthoud/Loveland/Fort Collins rooms in the McKee Building at the Ranch.

Club Achievement Night

We will host our club achievement night at Monday’s meeting. All 2022–2023 club members who completed projects will receive their certificates of completion. And we’ll hand out some special awards. If you submitted a livestock record book for judging, you will be getting it back at this time. For those who participated in a county shoot, you will be receiving your premium money at this time. And this will be the final opportunity to pick up any county or state fair projects that have not yet been collected.

Demonstrations

Here is another opportunity for returning members to present a demonstration and cross this off your to-do list! Go to the signup on the club website at hch4h.org/signups.

Club News for October 7

| Cloverbuds, Demonstrations, Meetings, News

How wonderful it is that we are starting a new 4-H year! Welcome to 2023–2024!

Club Meeting / Monday, October 9

Our first club meeting of the new 4-H year is this Monday, October 9 starting at 7:00 p.m. in the McKee Building. We will be meeting in our usual rooms: Berthoud, Loveland, and Fort Collins.

Members

For returning members, follow SOP (Standard Operating Procedures), as they say, upon entering the room:

  • Get your name badge from the file boxes,
  • Pick up a meeting agenda,
  • Take a parliamentary procedure book,
  • Grab a pen/pencil to use if you don’t have one.

New Parking Procedure

The Ranch has instituted paid parking for ticketed events at the Blue Arena (formerly the Budweiser Events Center). Our understanding is that scanners will capture license plate numbers and those who have not pre-paid will receive a bill, similar to driving on E-470 and receiving the charge for the toll.

4-H families DO NOT have to pay parking at 4-H events. But the following procedure is necessary to NOT be charged for parking.

Take note of the license plate number of the vehicle you drive to the meeting. When there is a ticketed event, we will gather the following information and turn it in to The Ranch to remove you from their billing:

  • First and Last Name,
  • License Plate Number,
  • License Plate State.

Demonstrations

Returning members, this is a great opportunity to present a demonstration and get that requirement out of the way. Please go to the club website at hch4h.org and then the Signups page to choose a demonstration slot.

Pick Up Projects and Premiums

Projects and premiums that were not picked up from county and state fair will be available at Monday’s meeting. After Monday, families will need to make special arrangements to pick them up.

4-H Open House

A big thank you to Mike, Carrie, and Lacey Adams and Sharel Cameron for volunteering at the 4-H Open House on Thursday. It was a successful event!

Cloverbuds Meeting / October 16

Cloverbuds are always welcome to attend the club meeting. Then they also have their own meeting on Monday, October 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the McKee Building.

Questions?

Email info@hch4h.org with any questions.

Club News for September 1

| Community Service, e-Records, News, State Fair |

A big congratulations to everyone in the club who completed their projects this year! All of your hard work has paid off. It is hard to believe the 4-H year is over.

End-of-the-Year Potluck Picnic

On Monday, September 11, our usual meeting night, we will meet at Fairgrounds Park off of Railroad Avenue in Loveland for an end-of-the-year potluck picnic. Start time is 6:00 p.m. Please bring a dish or two to share. The club will provide sloppy joes, the paper goods, lemonade, and water. For members enrolled in livestock including dog and poultry, please bring your finished record books at this time.

4-H Open House

The Larimer County 4-H Open House will be on Thursday, October 5 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. in the McKee Building’s Exhibit Hall. Our club will have a table, and we need a few families who would be willing to talk about our club and 4-H in general to help get the public interested in 4-H. Yes, this is a community service to get you started on next year!

State Fair Project Pickup 

This Wednesday, September 6 is the day to pick up your state fair projects. Come to the Fort Collins room in the McKee Building between 7:30–10:00 a.m.  If you are not able to make it during this time, please let me know and I will pick your project up for you. For those who sent a project to state fair for the first time, sorry, but state fair does not pay premiums.

See you on the 11th!

Introducing Rachel Wildman, New 4-H Youth Development Specialist

| Announcements, News

Hey there, everyone! I’m thrilled to be joining the team here! I’m a product of this county, and it feels amazing to come full circle and give back to the community that shaped me.
Growing up in Windsor, Colorado, I had the chance to be part of a community that believed in developing all aspects of a person. During high school, I joined the Knowledge Bowl and Robotics teams, which helped me work well with others and think critically. I was also an active member in the Windsor FFA Chapter. I qualified for nationals with our Parliamentary procedure team my senior year.

I started with 4-H in 2005 as a Cloverbud. My favorite projects were Weeds (sadly this has been discontinued) and Dairy Cattle. The dairy project provided me with invaluable life lessons. Tending to animals taught me responsibility, commitment, and the rewards of hard work. Through the challenges and triumphs of raising dairy cattle, I learned the importance of dedication and consistency. The dairy cattle project not only taught practical skills but also nurtured qualities that extend far beyond the realm of agriculture, shaping me into a conscientious and determined person.

One of my best memories was representing Larimer County at the National Western Roundup with the Family Consumer Science team. We all worked so hard together it was amazing for it all to pay off. 

After 10 years as a 4-H member, I attended Colorado State University where I studied horticulture. I was drawn to CSU Extension but I didn’t know exactly where I would fit in.  But as soon as I started working at the Larimer County office I knew my place was with 4-H. I’m currently enrolled in a master’s program at Oklahoma State University pursuing a degree in Family Consumer Science Education. 

Being part of 4-H made me a well-rounded person. Now, as a 4-H specialist, I’m excited to help young people in Larimer County grow in their own journeys. Returning to my roots as a 4-H specialist feels like coming home. The values of this community are deeply ingrained in me, and I’m eager to pay it forward. I’m here to inspire the next generation of 4-H members to chase their dreams and make a lasting impact. Thank you for welcoming me back into the 4-H family.

In Case of Apocalypse, Find the Nearest 4-H Club

| News

by Chloe Coleman, The Washington Post

“Raising and training animals. Growing food. Fishing. Archery. Sewing clothes. Making preserves. These are some of the skills that humanity is going to need if one of the many fictional post-apocalypse narratives ends up coming true.

Growing up in rural Ohio, I developed some of those skills by participating in 4-H, the network of youth development organizations whose roots (in Ohio, coincidentally) date to 1902. Recently, I paid a nostalgic visit to my childhood county fair, and it was while strolling the various barns occupied by 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) projects that my brain connected this wholesome form of learning to grim scenes from ’The Last of Us.’”

Click here to read the entire opinion piece.

Club News for August 2

| Community Service, County Fair, News

WOW! The Larimer County Fair is well underway. Interview judging is complete and I can’t wait for Friday afternoon when we find out how you all did. Now the members showing livestock are checking in animals for their upcoming shows. Cloverbuds have the opportunity to try their hand at Pee Wee Showmanship. Cloverbuds can show a Goat, Sheep, or Swine.

Dairy Bar Volunteers

My concern with a club as large as ours is that we can’t even fill 8 slots at the Dairy Bar on Saturday. Only 8! Please click the button below to sign up. I would love for us to fill more than two shifts (just 2-hour time slots). No experience is necessary and it is fun. I would think a club of our size should be able to easily fill at least four shifts. If the original slots get filled for Saturday and you try to sign up and can’t, then reply and we will look at adding more time slots.

Club News for July 7

| Community Service, County Fair, News |

Community Service: Very IMPORTANT!

We’re looking for 4-H members to help set up for Jim Easthouse’s memorial service.  This is a community service that our club needs to participate in—Jim was one of our club leaders.

We will be setting up chairs and tables tomorrow, Friday, July 7 at 9:00 a.m. at Foundations Church at 1380 North Denver Avenue in Loveland (east of Walmart on Highway 34).

Fair Entry Deadline / July 7

Big reminder…fair entries are due tomorrow, Friday, July 7 by 11:30 p.m.

July Club Meeting / July 10

Our last meeting for this 4-H year is Monday, July 10 at 7:00 p.m. at the McKee Building.

Good Luck, Archery Members

Best of luck and happy shooting to all the archery participants in the county shoot on Saturday, July 8!

Club News for July 1

| Community Service, County Fair, Events, Fundraising, News | ,

30 Days Left!

It is amazing how much is happening now. The Larimer County Fair is getting closer—only 30 days until Interview Judging Day, and then Livestock starts showing.

National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships

This past week, the National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships was held in Grand Island, Nebraska. Larimer County was fortunate enough to have 4 youth attend. A total of 34 Colorado members qualified in 9 disciplines.

Qualification takes place during the state shoot the previous year. Larimer County had 2 of the 4 members on Colorado’s Compound Archery team: our own club’s Walker Cameron and Jude Rudd. Walker finished 4th OVERALL…AMAZING! Jude was 38th of the 111 participants and the Colorado team was 2nd of the 32 teams! Tristan Noyer shot Recurve Archery and placed 37th out of 68. She was one of a few to shoot a traditional barebow. The Colorado Recurve team was 9th out of 22 teams. Our club’s own Tait Simpson competed in Muzzleloader and finished 57th out of 71, and the Colorado team placed 6th of 22 teams. This is quite an accomplishment for all four of these shooters. It is certainly something for all of our club members who participate in shooting sports to strive for.

Demonstration Night

Last night we held our second Demonstration Night and had 16 fantastic demonstrations given. See the club website for the titles of their presentations. It was a fantastic variety and as always, I learned something new.

4th of July Parking Fundraiser

At the last club meeting, a discussion was held about having a 4th of July fundraiser. A motion was made, seconded, and voted on. During our parliamentary procedure reports, Mr. Ryan has explained many times about the importance of voting. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to vote and each member has the ability to agree or disagree about a motion by casting their vote.

The club members voted to park cars on the 4th of July at the Stowers Orthodontics on Taft in Loveland right across from Lake Loveland. The Snyder family was kind enough to bring this fundraising opportunity to us, and the signup is on the club website hch4h.org on the home page.

Now, we need members to sign up! This is a club event and we need members who voted to approve it to volunteer. Our club just spent over $2,000 on club shirts for our members, so this fundraiser would help increase our available funds. Thank you for signing up!

Fair Entry

Fair Entry is due by July 7! Be sure to enter for your projects and interview judging.

Shooting Sports County Shoots

County shoots are kicking off! Make sure to sign up before the deadlines for your disciplines.

Those in Archery, please note that the event has been moved to the afternoon of July 8 to allow families and leaders to attend Jim Easthouse’s memorial service that morning.

Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are needed to help with setting up chairs and tables for Jim Easthouse’s memorial service. If you are able to assist, please come to the Foundation Church in Loveland on Friday, July 7 at 9:00 a.m.

Foods Meeting on July 3

The Foods meeting is this Monday, July 3 at 6:00 p.m. at the McKee Building. Our theme is Red, White, and Blue foods.

What an exciting time of year—watch for all the e-mails that will be coming over the next month!

Club News for July 23

| Club Shirts, Community Service, Demonstrations, News |

e-Record Requirements

There are only 38 days until interview judging day! It is coming soooooo fast!

Demonstrations

This is a reminder that two things are required of each 4-H member and should be included in e-Records. The first is a demonstration. We are offering a demonstration night on June 30 and there are still a couple of openings left. We are asking you to limit demonstrations to no more than 5 minutes. The signup is on the club website at hch4h.org under the Signups tab. The demonstration slots during the club meeting on July 10 are full. However, if we need to allow for more slots, let me know and we will accommodate as needed.

Community Service

The second requirement is community service. If you sold carnival tickets or helped at the club booth that day, you have fulfilled the requirement. However, more is better and additional pages attached in the e-Record are welcome. If you are in shooting sports and have helped with setting up or tearing down a range, this is also considered community service.

If you have a few hours to donate in the next week from June 29–July 4, the Foster and Adoptive Families are looking for volunteers to assist in their fireworks tent. The tent is located at the Walmart in North Loveland off of 65th Avenue. Our 4-H members are not allowed to make the actual transactions of sales, but they help customers with fireworks and help with keeping the shelves stocked. Here is the link for the signup – please put 4-H in the comment section: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040a48a5aa2ca7f94-faflc7#/

Club T-Shirts and Hoodies

All the ordered apparel is in. I will bring to the next club meeting, but if you would like it sooner, you can come by my shop or email me and we can meet up at the McKee building. Next week I am at the McKee Building on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday, of course, for Demonstration Night.

Shooting Sports Record Book and Project Workshop

Tonight there is a shooting sports record book workshop at 6:30 in the Berthoud Room in the McKee Building. If you have your e-Record done and you’re ready for me to sign it…AWESOME!

Questions

PLEASE reach out to me if you need help with anything or have any questions!

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