Swine/Goat/Lamb Possession Deadlines

Swine possession deadline is April 3, 2023. Lamb and goat possession deadline is April 17, 2023. The Extension office will be sending out packets for those animal projects in early March 2023.

Citizenship Washinton Focus

Exciting opportunity to visit our national capitol. More information can be found later in the newsletter.

4-H Council Meeting and Budget

Council meeting will be Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. at the Courthouse Annex in Choteau. 

2023 Scholarships

Montana 4-H Foundation scholarship application deadline is Tuesday, February 14, 2023. More information can be found later in the newsletter. Anne Wiprud and Boe Brothers scholarships applications have been sent directly to seniors. If you are a senior and did not receive information, please contact the Extension office.

4-H Council Minutes and Budget

Council meeting will be in early February.Date, time and location will be announced soon.

2023 Scholarships

Montana 4-H Foundation scholarship application deadline is Tuesday, February 14, 2023. More on page 12. Information about Anne Wiprud and Boe Brothers scholarships will be sent directly to seniors.

Volunteer Training!

New volunteers must complete training to become active. We ask that returning volunteers complete training modules as soon as possible.

The Next 31

February 1

  • 4-H Council Meeting, Wednesday 6:30 p.m., Courthouse Annex, Choteau

February 7

  • 4-H Livestock Committee Meeting, Tuesday 6:30 p.m., NewLife Church, Fairfield

February 14

  • Montana 4-H Foundation Scholarship applications due, Tuesday

February 17-19

  • Volunteer Institute, Tuesday-Thursday, Billings

February 24

  • Montana 4-H State Shooting Sports Invitational registration deadline, Friday

February 28

  • Camp Counselor sign-up on or before Tuesday

 

Communication Day

Communication Day will be Saturday, March 18, 2023. The location is yet to be determined. As we know more, we will keep you posted!

Camp Counselor Sign Up

If you were 14 by October 1, 2022, and are interested in becoming a counselor for the Teton County 4-H Camp this summer, please contact us no later than 5:00 p.m.  February 28 (phone 406-466-2491, text 406-350-5373.) Here is what some previous camp counselors had to say about their experience,

Golden Holmquist, "I got to learn awesome leadership skills and it's a lot of fun!"

Presley Holmquist, "I learned how to work with other people, and some great leadership skills."

Madeline Konen, "You get to work alongside other teens to plan an amazing experience for younger kids! Being a camp counselor was one of the most fun and worthwhile experiences of my 4-H career!"

Montana 4-H Volunteer Institute

Montana 4-H Volunteer Institute

Join us February 17-19 2023 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), in Billings for the Montana 4-H Volunteer Institute. Meet other volunteers from across Montana while learning skills to improve your 4-H program in your County.

Fabric Donation

Gerry Smith, a longtime supporter of 4-H, has generously donated fabric for use in sewing projects or for a club project. The fabric is free, we have it at the office and will distribute it on a first come, first served basis.

Record Book Help

If you would like help with your 4-H record book the Extension office will be available after school until 4:45 p.m. on Thursdays. Bring your record book forms with you. There will be some available at the office if needed.

Challenging Champs Club Minutes

On January 8, 2023, president Jersey Somerfeld called our meeting to order. We had our meeting at the Power School cafeteria at 4 p.m.

Tucker led the American Pledge of Allegiance and Caleb led the 4-H pledge. For roll call we asked the members, “What do you like to do when it snows?” Members present were Ben, Caleb, Calvin, Kamri, Kinlie, Annie, Abigail, Colin, Colton, Tucker, Kailey, Maggie, Issac, Jack, Mikayla, Gracie, Jessica, Jersey, Quinci, and Jordyn. Total present were 20 members, three leaders, and six visitors.

Vice-president Quinci Neuman read the minutes for the December 2022 meeting. There were no corrections to these minutes so they stood as read.

Treasurer's Report: $2,877.52

Old Business:

Jersey asked our members how gym cleaning was going after home games. Things are going smoothly.

New Business:

● March 5, 2023, is our Club Demonstration Day so have your demonstrations ready! If members are not able to make it on March 5, then they should be prepared to do a demonstration after one of our meetings this year. There is an option to do an illustrated talk or an interview rather than doing a demonstration.

● Colin moved to decorate the Power Senior Center for Valentine's Day. Abigail seconded it. Motion was approved.Annie, Abigail, Jessica, Jersey, and Quinci volunteered to be a part of the planning committee for this activity.

● Kelsy announced that she applied for a Farmer’s Union grant for $100 with a plan to use the money for prizes on demonstration day. She will let us know if it is approved. We will receive another $50 if we thank the Farmer’s Union on some sort of social media.

● Jack moved for our club to provide prizes for the club’s demonstration day if we don’t receive the grant. Abigail seconded it. The motion carried.

● With no more new business, Caleb motioned to adjourn the meeting and Jack seconded that motion.

● Our next meeting will be February 5, 2023, at 4 p.m. at the school cafeteria.

The Neumans led our activity with a 4-H pledge scramble.

Submitted by Secretary Jordyn Stengrimson

Eager Eagles Club Minutes

On November 14, 2022, at NewLife Church in Fairfield, President Addie Pearson, called the meeting to order. Annika Konen led the pledges. Secretary, Waverly Konen, took roll call. The club decided to approve the minutes as written. Korbin Pearson made a motion to accept the minutes as written and Nolan DeBruycker seconded it, the motion passed.

Then Waverly read a thank you from Madeline Konen for the graduation gift we gave her.

Next, treasurer, Ayden DeBruycker, gave the treasurer’s report. Currently, the Eager Eagles 4-H Club has $1,092.82 in our checking account and $213.15 in savings.

Ronnie Pearson gave the cooking report and said they made pizzas that looked like pumpkins.

Nolan DeBruycker told the club at shooting sports they have been keeping a journal about what they need to work on and improve.

There will be a livestock meeting on December 5, at NewLife Church in Fairfield.Also, a Cloverbud meeting will be held sometime in December. There was a horse meeting November 13. It was an informative meeting not a riding meeting. Remember to give Show Rite feed tags to Mrs. Egbert.

There is a mandatory orientation for 4-H volunteers. The orientation is in four, fifteen-minute online modules. We then discussed what a volunteer is.

On December 2, at the Fairfield Christmas Stroll, held at the community hall, we will have a bake sale. Half of the proceeds will go to our club and the other half will go to the Fairfield Food Bank. The stroll is4:00-8:00 p.m. but set up will be at 2:00 p.m. We will need baked goods that are wrapped and ready to sell.

Market Beef assessments, paperwork, and pictures are due on January 3, 2023. Be sure to watch your mailbox for your packet!

After going over the agenda, Jamie Smith from the Extension Office, gave our club a presentation on how to use ZSuite.

Afterward, Jorja Morris motioned to adjourn the meeting and Ronnie Pearson seconded it. The meeting was adjourned at 7:04 p.m.

Because there is no meeting in December our next meeting is Monday, January 9, 2023, 6:30 p.m. at NewLife Church in Fairfield!

Proposed 4-H Council Budget  2022-2023

Please contact the office for more information.

North 40 Junior Livestock Feed Program 

The 2023 cards for the North 40 Junior Livestock Feed Program are available in the Extensio noffice for pick up.

Leadership Academy:  Online Workshops

Join the Montana 4-H Leadership Academy workshop on Sunday afternoons from 3-4 p.m. in 2022 and 2023. The leadership academy is a network of Montana 4-H members ages 12 and up who are interested in exploring and developing their own leadership skills while serving their county 4-H program in new ways.

Local county leadership groups will have an opportunity to join with groups from around the state as well as the Montana 4-H Ambassador Officer team, virtually and in person when possible, to work on skill building, planning and mentorship.

Each month the officer team members will be presenting a different workshop topic that they have found to be important as they have grown their own leadership abilities. This workshop should be paired with a local county leadership meeting to work on county projects that serve the local 4-H program and community.

County Leadership groups should plan to meet face to face whenever possible and engage in the virtual state wide workshop together.This time can be viewed as a leadership club meeting. County ambassadors can aid in planning and facilitating these local workshop meetings. The agenda is currently being planned.Zoom links for each workshop session will be emailed to county extension offices and can be shared locally.

Register for Leadership Academy

 

Dates & Times

• Sunday, February 5, 2023 3:00-4:00 PM

• Sunday, March 5, 2023 3:00-4:00 PM

March 3-5:  Montana 4-H State Shoot

March 3-5: Montana 4-H State Shoot

The 28th Annual Montana 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational will be held in Bozeman on March 3-5, 2023. This event is open to all enrolled 4-H members ages 9-19 in the Shooting Sports Projects. The registration will open on January 13, 2023, and close on February 24, 2023. Please see the State Website for all information regarding the State Shoot. The events held at the State Shoot are Air Rifle, Air Pistol, Smallbore Rifle, Smallbore Pistol, Target Archery, and 3D Archery.

The State Shoot will serve as the qualifier for the Air Rifle, Air Pistol, Smallbore Rifle, and Smallbore Pistol events. The top 4 individuals in each event will be invited to represent the State of Montana at the 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships to be held in Grand Island, Nebraska, June 25 – 30, 2023. Those individuals trying out for the Sporter Air Rifle Team must compete in Sporter 3P and Sporter Standing. The top 4 finishers will be determined from the combined scores from these two events.

To attend the 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships, participants must have passed their 14th birthday by January 1, 2022, of the current year and may not have passed their 19th birthday before January 1 of the current year in which the championships are held.

We hope to see you in Bozeman in March. Good luck, shoot straight, and have fun!

Registration for the Montana 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational.

     

Montana State Awards

Teton County                                                                                                                                                                                      The Montana 4-H State Awards program recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of 4-H members who reach a standard of excellence in a project area. State Award winners go above and beyond regular project work with a focus on leadership, communication and community service. Winners are eligible to attend National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Georgia. The out-of-pocket costs for Teton County 4-H members has been around $300 for the week of National 4-H Congress. The timeline below will help those who plan to apply for state awards in 2022-2023. Much of the process is self-directed.

December:

• Download state award application from Montana 4-H website
• Spend 3-6 hours completing written work – add information based on your own record books, Teton County 4-H newsletters which are posted online, club leader information
• Have your application reviewed by your family members and your club leader
• Look up “verbs for resumes” or “adjectives for resumes” to find powerful words to use as you describe your 4-H work

January:
• By mid-January, please submit your first draft of your written work to the Extension Office for editing and suggestions.
• Start working on your creative work – which can be in a variety of formats including a newspaper publication, quilt, scrapbook, video or slide show.
• Set aside up to 10 hours in January to work on your creative project.

February:
• Schedule an appointment with Extension Office. Discuss corrections needed for written application and brainstorm/plan for creative work.
• Make corrections as needed on your written work. • Set aside at least 5 hours this month to work on your award package.

March:
• Submit a copy of your creative work and corrected written work to the Extension Office.
• Schedule 2-3 hours to work with the office, if you need assistance with technology, writing, etc.
• Complete creative project, as much as possible.

April:
• Schedule 2 hours with the Extension Office to review your work.
• Make recommended changes in your project.
• Have application completed, packaged professionally, signed and delivered to MSU by May 1 (or deadline specified in application).
• Be prepared to spend the hours needed this month to complete your creative project.

Find more information about state awards.

2023 Rec Lab

What is Rec Lab? It sounds like a funny name for a 4-H event.

Rec Lab stands for Recreation Lab and means that everything is hands-on and fun!

 

This event is a 4-H member favorite. It provides an opportunity for youth and adults to enhance their leadership, communication, and team building skills in an action-packed and interactive setting.

 

Rec Lab programming provides participants with tips and tricks for being a better club, camp, and community leader.

 

This event is ideal for younger senior members to attend as a first-time state event. It allows them to form relationships with 4-H peers from across the state, broaden their skills, and widen their network.

 

Rec Lab will be hosted by District 4 in Culbertson on March 17-19, 2023.

Youth participants must be 13+ as of October 1.

Adult chaperones must be as least 21 years of age.

Find out more about Rec Lab.

 

Extension Staff and volunteers: The idea of sleeping on an air mattress in a school gym may not be your idea of a fun weekend, but this is a great event for you too! The program is condusive to meeting people from around the state and exchanging ideas. You are sure to gain some great info and bring home motivated youth leaders.

 

Scholarships

The Montana 4-H Foundation supports 4-H initiatives that focus on healthy living, citizenship, leadership, science, engineering and technology, to name a few.The mission of the Montana 4-H Foundation is to "help 4-H youth by raising private funds, managing financial resources and partnering with the MSU Extension Service to fund educational opportunities for Montana 4-H youth, volunteer leaders and staff."

Scholarships and grants provide opportunities for youth and adults to strengthen their skills and maximize their positive impacts on the communities in which they live.

How to Apply

Each person need only complete one Montana 4-H scholarship application to apply for multiple Montana 4-H scholarships. Interested persons should complete the scholarship application via the Application platform on or before February 14, 2023.All applicants will need to submit two letters of recommendation, with one of the letters from your County 4-H Agent.

Announcing Scholarships

​The Montana 4-H Scholarship winners will be recognized at Montana 4-H Congress on the MSU campus in July.As a condition of receiving the scholarship, each recipient or their appointee must agree to attend Montana 4-H Congress closing banquet to be recognized.

 

Awarding of Montana 4-H scholarships is based on the availability of funds.

Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)

When:Week 1: June 11-16 or Week 4: July 2-7

Where:Washington D.C. at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, MD

Eligibility:Current 4-H members must be 14-19 years of age

Chaperones:We will have a 1:10 chaperone to youth ratio

Cost:$1,295/person registration for double occupancy which includes guest room, meals (excluding the two state-organized meals), DC area site visits, and program materials; plus approximately $200/person for the DC area Transportation Package; and the round-trip flight from MT to Washington DC. The approximate total cost will range from about $2,000 - $2,500 depending on flight costs.

Accommodations/Registration:Hyatt Regency Bethesda, MD with double occupancy. Note:The Montana State 4-H Center will register and make the guest room reservations for the Montana delegations.

Transportation:The Montana State 4-H Center will arrange the purchase of the flights. Note:Airport(s) will be determined by the best flight cost and chaperone availability as all youth will travel with a chaperone.

Montana Delegate Application and Deposit: Please complete and send in the attached application (or use the link to the application below) along with an initial $650.00 deposit by February 13 or earlier to [email protected] or Christine Sommers-Austin, PO Box 173580, Bozeman, MT 59717.

Susan Dufner Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded to a current 4-H member, age 17 or older (by the time of travel), that is attending a 4-H citizenship event in Washington D.C. The award will be applied to the total fees for this event. Find out more about the Susan Dufner Scholarship.

 

Checklist:Please complete and send the following by the February 13, 2023 deadline to [email protected] or Christine Sommers-Austin, PO Box 173580, Bozeman, MT 59717:

_____ Mail or email your CWF Delegate Application by February 13 or earlier.Apply to be a CWF delegate.

_____ Mail your initial $650.00 deposit (made payable to MSU Extension) by February 13 or earlier

_____ Ask your county office about any possible financial support to attend CWF!

_____ For those applicable, mail or email the Susan Dufner scholarship application by February 13 or earlier – form attached or found on the MT 4-H website under Programs: https://www.montana.edu/extension/4h/programs/events/cit-wa-focus.html

Contact Christine Sommers-Austin at [email protected] or 406-994-3504 with questions and/or comments.

Host International 4-H Youth

Call to Action! Consider hosting the following 4-H youth:

• 2 Norwegian Delegates for approximately 4 weeks, mid- to end of June

• 13 Japanese Delegates for approximately 4 weeks, mid- to end of July

• 2 Japanese Delegates for the Academic Year Program (AYP) beginning in August (lasting approximately August through June)

Experience cultural exchanges firsthand and broaden your global experience.

First come, first serve!

More information contact Christine Sommers-Austin at [email protected]

Contact/Resources (Clip and Keep)

MSU Extension Teton County

Fair Dates

The Teton County Fair is scheduled for the last full weekend in June that includes a Sunday.

2023    June 19-25
2024    June 24-30
2025    June 24-29
2026    June 22-28

Camp Dates

2023   July 24-29

 

 

MSU Extension Teton County
P.O. Box 130
Choteau, MT 59422
406-466-2491


Agent:

Jenn Swanson  [email protected]

Assistants:

JoAnn McDowell & Jamie Smith  [email protected]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and the Montana State University Extension Service prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cody Stone, Director, Extension Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717