May 25, 2012

...the day I will never forget! I finally graduated high school! I ended the first step of a very long road and I can't wait to start the journey to college. This has been a very exciting month! Not only did I graduate with honors but I also was ranked 8th out of the 94 other students in my class! I was also honored with several scholarships and an amazing graduation present from my mother.

What was this graduation present?? Well....we took a four day trip to CANADA! This was only my fourth time going but we did some pretty spectacular things! Of course our first stop was in Niagara, where we had an amazing view of the horseshoe falls right outside our hotel window! We also had some fun at the Bird Kingdom where we walked around three levels of a huge building filled with different types of birds! It was amazing seeing all the different colors and species of birds all in one area! After Niagara, we traveled even more north into the beautiful city of Toronto. I haven't been to many large cities but this was definitely one that I will always remember! It was bursting with different cultures and liveliness. I really hope I get a chance to go back there sometime and just browse around. While in Toronto, we went to a Medieval Times dinner and tournament. It was so cool to watch knights on horses joust and do events that they used to do along time ago. We also had a four course meal that we had to eat with our hands. It was a little messy but totally worth it! That night was my big surprise! My mom got us tickets to the play War Horse! It was so exciting because it was my first play and I was in a different country! The play was so amazing! I don't even have good enough words to explain how amazed I was at it! This was the best graduation present I could have asked for. Thank you so much mom!

Coming up, the State Council is heading to KENTUCKY and I can't wait to start the bonding time!

Truly, 

Liz McAndrew

PA State 4-H Vice President of Operations and Events

Horsing around

Trail riding is one of my favorite things to do and my horse Ryelee enjoys going on them just as much as I do. I have looked forward to having a horse that I can trust to go out on a trail ride with since I was young. When I was little I never really had a horse that I trusted, because none of them were trained well enough and would spook but the MAJOR issue was that I didn’t know how to do anything back then because I was young and inexperienced. With the help of 4-H I have had so many amazing opportunities to be able to take my young mare to events such as shows and clinics and train with her there. To get her used to new surroundings and letting her know that it is okay to leave her friends behind at home, because she would be able to return to them later. My older sister Kim has also been a HUGE help in teaching me how to do so many things with my horse. Without her my horse and I wouldn’t know how to do half of the things we do.

My sister has gone through 4-H as a horse member and she encouraged me to be a part in it as well. The first year I took Ryelee to the 4-H show we did awful.. She was scared from being in a new environment and didn’t know what I wanted her to do, so we did poorly because she never finished a pattern. The reason for that was she stood completely still inside the show ring not knowing what to expect from it. We improved by the next year and she was a lot calmer about being at the show than the first year. From all the work we did together we were able to finish the Contest and Showmanship patterns!  That was last year, this year I have worked more with her and we are continuously improving with each day. I have already taken her to a few shows and clinics to get her ready for the show at the end of the year. The last show I went to with her we placed 3^rd in Grooming and Showmanship and Trail! She has come a long way and I am excited to see how this year goes for us. It is my last year in 4-H and I plan to make it count as best we can, but always make sure to have a great time doing it. I have been working hard with Ryelee on Showmanship and Trail because those two classes we enjoy the most. I hope to place in the top 6 at my county Roundup in these two classes. The progress is great and hopefully this year I will be going to Districts to compete towards going to States! That is my goal this year, I want to make it to Districts with Ryelee. 

I am grateful for my sister and her continuous support to make this year possible for me. For the resources that 4-H has provided for me to help me improve on my horsemanship skills. I am excited to see how the year turns out for Ryelee and me. I hope that everyone else has a great year and I wish all 4-Her's GOOD LUCK on all the shows that you are competing in, whether they will be your last or your first. Just remember to always strive to improve on what you have done. Just like the 4-H motto goes "To make the best, better!" 

Sincerely,

Danielle Knapp 

Reporter

1 in 8 Million Chance!

 My cousin, Raina Wolfe, shows cows through the 4-H program, and if it wasn't for that she wouldn't have had the amazing experience that she had on May 16th.
  After school I sometimes watch my cousins. That Thursday when I went over to babysit I was greeted by a very excited Raina. She couldn't wait to tell me about her 3 new calves. Her cow, Mizzy, had triplets! It was amazing that they all survived. From what I have learned from my uncle it is rare for all 3 triplets to survive. However, there was something even more spectacular. All 3 calves were heifers! According Holstein World this is a 1 in 8 million chance. Raina named the 3 calves Bizzy, Tizzy, and Lizzy.  I am very surprised that she can tell them apart.
    Not only did 4-H give Raina the opportunity to say that she beat all odds with her calves, but it also gave her an opportunity to work on her public speaking. Since the calves were so rare Raina had several interviews for TV and news papers. I have to say that she did really well with the interviews.

Congratulations Raina on the calves!

Sarah Bassett, President

End of school activities.

As my senior year comes to a end, I can't help but look back and see all the great years spent with friends. All the times when we played jokes on each other, and even the the times where we had to console each other. My friends and teachers will be missed ,but each step closer to the end of school means that I am one step closer to college.
This Friday I will be taking a one day journey to Canada for my JR.-SR. trip. I will be visiting the Niagara Falls. I will be riding on the Maid of the Mist ship and will also have the opportunity to go under the falls.
Then next Friday is my Jr.-Sr. Banquet. This events is similar to a public school's prom, except no dancing. After this is graduation.
I am so excited but yet sad about the end of school. I know many people with the same feeling. Congrats class of 2012.
Sincerely Council VP of Internal Affairs and Sentinel
Garrett Richardson

Honoring a beloved friend...

 On January 14, 2012, the 4-H horse community in my area lost a beloved leader, friend, and coach. Lucy Blakley, will always be remembered for her dedication and support not only to the 4-H program, but to the many 4-Hers and non 4-Hers that she has helped over the past several years. I have known Lucy for as long as I can remember. She helped me lay the foundation for all of my riding and horse handling skills. She helped me to find my first horse, Sweetie, and I know I would have never been able to succeed as much as I did, without the help of Lucy.  

In her memory, a committee of leaders from Clearfield and Jefferson counties teamed together to start the Lucy Blakley Memorial Scholarship. All monetary donations made will support the academic aspirations of a local Clearfield or Jefferson County 4-H Horse Club Member  who seeks to further their education beyond the High School Level. Recently, a friend of Lucy donated his newly foaled filly. The name of the filly, in memory of Lucy, was named Lucy and is a palomino. She was born on Friday April 13, 2012. I was asked by the owner to show Lucy in 4-H horse production this year. I feel very honored that they asked me to help train her and show her in 4-H. I've already been out to see her and started handling her and her mom. So far it has been an amazing experience to work with her and to have been given this opportunity.

4-H has given me so many opportunities, like this one, that I get to learn from and grow as a person to make myself better in the future. I have learned how to take on huge responsibly, how to be a gracious winner and even more gracious loser, hard work does pay off, and to always remember to have fun. Without 4-H, I would have never known how great of a person Lucy was and how 4-H has affected my life. 

Sincerely, 

Liz McAndrew

PA State 4-H Vice President of Operations and Events