Hello 4-H Families!


Happy February!
I had the pleasure of judging some of your interviews at the
Archery tournament and you are all doing a great job! I was so
proud of our Toole County members who competed.


February is a short month but our calendar is jam packed with
some great 4-H activities coming up! If you are participating in
the pig project, it will be about time to start thinking about
where you will get your pigs. The chicken project will be starting
again soon. Spring will be around the corner before you know it!


Camp Counselor applications are out now and more
information is in the newsletter or you can stop by the office.
As always, our door is always open for folks with 4-H questions.
Please don’t hesitate to ask!


Kim & Jackie

HOW TO USE LIVESTOCK FEED SHEETS
Glacier County Agent, Kari Lewis, has shared a couple of options to help livestock members keep a better
record of the feed that they are providing for their livestock project. Whichever method is used, at the
end of the month, the totals from the sheet should be transferred to the Animal Journal of the record
book. Keeping good records will help you to make decisions for next year. You may want to change your
start weight, your type of feed and ration, the breed of animal, etc.


Livestock Daily Feed Record
This PDF can be printed and is meant to be kept in the barn (on a clipboard, in a folder) and the feed
amounts recorded each day as feed is fed and weighed.
Livestock Daily Feed Record (Excel)
This is the Excel spreadsheet of the Livestock Daily Feed Record.
This can be downloaded and saved to your computer and daily weights added to the spreadsheet.
There is a tab for each month which will then calculate the monthly total automatically.


Leadership Academy Monthly Virtual Workshops for Teen Members,
3:00 p.m. Sundays through March
Join the Montana 4-H Leadership Academy workshop on Sunday afternoons in 2023-2024 4-H year. The
leadership academy is a network of Montana 4-H members 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 present 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.
Leadership Training Dates are:
February 11: Tools for Facilitation
March 10: Authenticity & Self Awareness
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87240913270?
pwd=S1pReVphbFFoT095WVMzYjg4V29OQT09


Project Age Requirements
You must meet the minimum required age by October 1, 2023 in order to enroll in each project.
Cloverbuds - 5 years old
Regular 4-H - 8 years old
Shooting Sports - 9 years old
Market Beef & Beef Breeding - 10 years old
Teen Leadership - 13 years old
Ambassador - 14 years old
Colt to Maturity - 11 years old and have completed Horsemanship Levels 1, 2, and 3

4-H Camp Counselor Applications are Now Available
Do you want an opportunity to be a role model and work with youth? Are you interested in taking your
leadership skills to the next level? If you answered yes to these questions then please fill out an
application to be a Camp Counselor. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2024 . A fillable application
will be emailed out or you can pick one up at the Extension Office.
Camp Counselor - 4-H Youth age 14 as of October 1st and up
Summer Camp - A great experience for 4-H youth ages 8 - 13 as of October 1st.

CPR Class
There will be a CPR Class held at the Logan Health Hospital in Conrad. The class is limited to 12 people
but other classes can be scheduled if there is enough interest.
If interested please contact Wendy Wedum at [email protected] or call 406-271-4052.

Sewing with Ashley at the MRE
Ranching Rascals Club Leader Ashley Denno is hosting a couple sewing project days for all clubs to
attend! She asked if you would please bring your project, your machine, water bottle, lunch, and record
book.
Cloverbuds are also welcome to attend, parent or guardian must stay and help them. They also need to
bring their project, machine, water bottle, lunch, and record book!
If you have any questions please contact Ashley Denno!

4-H Rabbit for Sale
A 4-H Family is looking to rehome their bunny! Bunny and cage will be included. If you get this rabbit
and want to take it for the rabbit project, please let Kim know and she will work with you on showing
your bunny.
Please call Savannah for more details: 509-910-4436

 

Save the Date - 2024 REC LAB / April 19-21, 2024 / Jefferson County School / Boulder, MT
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.
The cost will be around $100.00. Youth participants must be 13+ as of October 1. Adult chaperones must
be as least 21 years of age. Contact the Extension office if interested in attending.
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 conducive to meeting
people from around the state and exchanging ideas. You are sure to gain some great info and bring
home motivated youth leaders.
Registration will be through Zsuite beginning in February. The cost will be around $100 to $125 per
person. Participants will have the opportunity to pick from a list of workshops during registration. Please
SAVE the DATE and GO FOR GREEN in 2024! Talk to your 4-H friends about attending this great event!

Upcoming Shooting Sports
Marias Fair 4-H Air Rifle/ Pistol tournament- February 25th in Conrad- Registrations are postmarked
due Feb. 16th. Forms will be attached to the newsletter email.
Pondera 4-H Shooters Invitational- February 10th- scores can be mailed in or participants can shoot
on site in Conrad.
Cascade County Invitational- February 17th at Exhibition Hall at Montana ExpoPark. Entry deadline is
February 9th, registration information will be attached to the newsletter email.
Chouteau County Archery Shoot- February 24th in Fort Benton. Cost is $15/event, registration deadline
is February 21st. More details and registration is available at https://fairentry.com/Fair/SignIn/19631.
Montana 4-H State Shoot- March 1st-3rd in Bozeman. All are welcome to participate. Registration and
shoot information is up at https://www.montana.edu/extension/4h/programs/events/shooting_sportsSS.html. Range fees increase from $15 to $20 per participant after Feb 7th, so register now! Cost of
each event entry is $14. Registration closes February 23rd.

Montana 4-H Foundation Scholarships Open for Seniors and College Students
Nearly $40,000 is available in scholarships to Montana 4-Hers, there are 26 scholarships available to a
potential 45 members. Please make sure to read each individual scholarship requirements. All applicants are
required to have two letters of recommendation and a copy of your most recent transcript. We have had
several winners from Glacier County over the years, it is worth applying! Applications are due February 14,
2024.

Show Pig Conference
The Show Pig Conference is a free, one-day virtual event to help show pig families widen their community
and achieve the next level of success in and out of the showring. The conference will feature over twenty
speakers who are excited to help youth and their families learn and succeed. Attendees will be able to listen
to mainstage speakers, breakout group sessions, enter virtual expo booths, and ask show pig experts the
questions that they have always wanted answered. If individuals and families are unable to attend live, the
organizers have options for them as well. This year's event will be held on February 3, 2024 from 9:00AM3:00PM MST. Get your free ticket at https://showpigconference.com/

Sentence Grants Available to 4-H Clubs
A mini-grant program available from Montana Farmers Union bolstered Montana 4-H club projects this
past year, with applications now open for another $10,000 in funding in 2024.
The process is simple to encourage clubs to apply by submitting a sentence about how they would use
$100.
Last year we received a few of them to go towards different clubs.

 

Pondera 4-H Shooters Combination Invitational and Postal
Toole County has been invited to participate in the Pondera 4-H Shooters In-Person Invitational or Mail-in
or Drop off your targets Postal. It will be on February 10th at the Pondera Shooting Sports Complex in
Conrad Montana. Entry Forms and information is in the attached PDF document. You can connect either
with me or Joel Farkell as noted on the registrat and Postal Attached is an invitation to participate in the
Pondera 4-H Shooters In-Person Invitational or Mail-in or Drop off your targets Postal. It will be on
February 10th at the Pondera Shooting Sports Complex in Conrad Montana.
We are doing Archery, Rifle and Pistol. The entry deadline is Wednesday, February 7th for entry forms
and mailed in targets. We are using Orion Targets for rifle and pistol – if you need targets, contact Wendy
Wedum and she will mail them to you. There is a score sheet in the registration materials for archery if
doing the postal.
If you would like an entry form please come to the office or contact me at [email protected] or 406-
424-8350

4-H Volunteer Orientation Instructions
If you are a club leader or plan to be driving other people‘s children at 4-H events, please sign up as a
leader. You will be covered by insurance and eligible for leader awards.
1. Log into your Z-Suite Account
2. Select the profile of the volunteer that is taking the course.
3. Click on Clover Academy from the menu on the left.
4. Click on the blue box “Launch Clover Academy”.
5. You will be taken to the Clover Academy website.
6. Scroll down to find the Montana 4-H Orientation course. Click on “Enroll Now”.
7. On the course page you will see an overview of the course. Scroll down to see the four modules that
make up the orientation. Click the blue box “See More” under module one.
8. Follow the instructions to navigate the course.
9. When you get to the end of the module, (Slide will say you completed module). Scroll down and click on
the blue box “Mark as Complete”. Box will turn blue once you have completed the module.
10. Select the next lesson to load the next module. Your progress will be saved and you can return later
to complete the remaining modules.

Blazing Saddles Report:
Blazing Saddles 4-H Club met January 7, 2024. We played blow the card game for recreation,
everyone had fun playing. We picked a day to sew hats for Busy Bee Day Care. Orion reported that he
went to the archery shoot in Helena. Brigham shot his goal of 200. Benson got a bullseye. Grace got
130 and Brayden had fun. Moira reported that she made a potholder at sewing. Grace reported that
we won 1st place at the Marias Museum Gingerbread Contest for our 5-13 year old group category. A
picture of us was in the Montana Farmer's Union newsletter for their end of year review. We
collected socks, blankets and tooth care kits for the Great Falls Rescue Mission. This was our January
community service. We updated our "My 4-H Year" pages and had good snacks.
Brayden Salem, Blazing Saddles Newsletter Reporter

2024 Blazing Arrows Marias Fair Archery Invitational
Sunday, January 28th, the Shelby Blazing Arrows 4-H Archery Club hosted the Marias Fair Archery
Invitational competition. We had a great turnout with 99 archers competing in the invitational from
around the state.
Our 40 Blazing Arrows archers have been practicing and preparing for this competition since October
when we started shooting and will continue until the Bozeman state 4-H shoot the first weekend of
March.
For the statewide invitational, 14 of our competitors brought home medals.
For Bowhunter 9-10 Orion Vetch took 2nd and Anissa Smith took 3rd. For Bowhunter 11-12 Tel Gray took
3rd. For Bowhunter 13-14 Avalyn Smith took 1st , Makenzie Kujava took 2nd, and Alethea Smith took 3rd.
For Bowhunter 15-18 Dylan Clark took 1st.
For Unlimited 9-10 Wylie Frydenlund took 1st. For Unlimited 11-12 Desirae Salois took 2nd and Morgan
Riphenburg took 3rd. For Unlimited 13-14 Makenzie Kujava took 3rd. For Unlimited 15-18 Logan Nation
took 1st and Dylan Clark took 2nd.
For Primitive 15-18 Logan Nation took 2nd.
The Four-County Marias Fair event consisted of Toole County, Glacier County, Pondera County, and
Liberty County. The archer completed their archery project interview.
For Bowhunter 9-10 Orion Vetch took 2nd and Anissa Smith took 3rd. For Bowhunter 11-12 Bridger
Ergenbright took 1st and Desirae Salois took 3rd. For Bowhunter 13-14 Avalyn Smith took 1st and Alethea
Smith took 3rd. For Bowhunter 15-18 Dylan Clark took 1st.
For Unlimited 11-12 Morgan Riphenburg took 1st and Kaylee Berthelote took 2nd. For Unlimited 13-14
Paxton Flesch took 2nd. For Unlimited 15-18 Dylan Clark took 1st.
Top Bowhunter score was Dylan Clark and top Unlimited score was Dylan Clark with him receiving
trophies for both.
For the 4-H Archery Project Interview, many Toole County archers received purple ribbons, with Bridger
Ergenbright receiving a rosette for one of the Top Interviewers. Through a project interview the 4-Her is
asked what their favorite part of the project is, what goals did they set for themself, what is the most
challenging part, and what are some safety rules to follow. Through these interviews the kids are learning
skills they will utilize in the future.
Blazing Arrows has about three weeks left before the state shoot in Bozeman. Then we will end the year
with a fun shoot and awards in March.

 

FEBRUARY
1st- 3rd-5th grade Robotics after school-5 pm @ Ambulance Barn
2nd- Ranching Rascals Cloverbuds 3:30 - 5:00 pm @ Alissa Besancon’s house
3rd- Sewing with Ashley 9 am-2 pm @ MRE Meeting Room
4th- Blazing Saddles Club Meeting 2 pm @ Ambulance Barn
6th- EV3 Robotics after school- 5 pm @ Ambulance Barn
7th- Cloverbuds after school- 5 pm @ Elementary Cafeteria - Bring a snack & water bottle.
8th- Chicken Club members (not cloverbuds) after school- 5 pm @ Ambulance Barn- will be doing project books.
8th- Ranching Rascals Chicken Club 3:45 - 5:15 pm @ Amy Smith’s house
10th - Pondera County 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational
11th- Kountry Kids Club Meeting 1pm @ Exhibit Building
12th - Fair Board Meeting - Toole County Ambulance Barn 6pm
13th - Toole County 4-H Council 6:30 pm @ Toole County Courthouse
15th- 3rd-5th grade Robotics after school- 5 pm @Ambulance Barn
17th- Cascade County Invitational at Exhibition Hall at Montana ExpoPark
19th- Office Closed- President’s Day
20th- EV3 Robotics after school- 5 pm @ Ambulance Barn - Bring a snack & water bottle
21st- Cloverbuds after school- 5 pm @ Elementary Cafeteria
24th- Chouteau County Archery Shoot in Fort Benton
25th- Marias Fair Air Rifle/Air Pistol tournament, Conrad
26th-1st- Kim- Out of the office

 

MARCH
1st- Ranching Rascals Cloverbuds 3:30-5:00 pm @ Alissa Besancon’s
house
2nd- Sewing with Ashley 9am-2pm @ MRE Meeting Room
3rd- Blazing Saddles Club Meeting 2pm @ Ambulance Barn
5th- EV3 Robotics after school- 5pm @ Ambulance Barn
6th- Cloverbuds after school-5pm @ Elementary Cafeteria
Please bring snack and water bottle
7th- 3rd-5th grade Robotics after school- 5pm @ Ambulance Barn
7th- Ranching Rascals Chicken Club 3:45- 5:15pm @ Amy Smith’s house
8th- West Butte Club Meeting
8th- Ranching Rascals Club Meeting
14th- Chicken Club members (not cloverbuds) after school- 5pm @
Ambulance Barn- will be doing project books.
19th- EV3 Robotics after school- 5pm @ Ambulance Barn
20th- Cloverbuds after school- 5pm @ Elementary Cafeteria
Please bring snack and water bottle
21st- 3rd-5th grade Robotics after school- 5pm @ Ambulance Barn