December What a month it has been

It has been such a great month what a way to say that you participated in National congress I would recommend any 4-Her the opportunity to go it’s a great time I never would have thought of the friends that I would make from other parts of the country and how there involved in 4-H. it was really cool to learn how they did things in there region compared to the way that it is done in Pennsylvania. Some people had no clue what sour kraut was but we seemed to mess really good with the kids from Wisconsin and from Virginia. With Christ mas right around the corner it was a great time to be with my family and do things together. Now I’m gearing up for Farm Show. It’s fair on steroids. I have such a great time showing and participating in such a great and wonderful event. Can’t wait to see what kind of things are to come in the coming of Farm Show.

Brendin Freeman

New Year Resolutions??!

Hello Everyone!

I can't believe it is almost January. Here it is, New Years Eve and I don't even remember Christmas. I suppose New Years is always a time to look back on the previous year and think about all the good and bad. It is also a time to make resolutions that will never be kept or meant. But Hey, why not it is tradition isn't it?

I will start by looking back on everything that has happened to me this year. I am half way through my senior year of high school! This was a goal I never thought I would actually see happening. I still remember when I was six and senior year seemed as though it would never come. I was elected onto the State Council Team and I can't say this is something I even made a resolution about. I turned 18 and began applying to college. I've done all of those high school lasts that come with the senior year. It is hard to believe that I am growing up so fast (isn't that something my mother should say)!! I can't even remember anything bad that has happen to me in the past year... I suppose that goes to show that good really does hide evil.

Now for the resolutions...

•  I will finish my duties on the state council team!
• I will graduate high school!
• I will successfully start high school!
• Maybe lose ten pounds! (who doesn't make that resolution)
• I won't lose contact with my council team or high school friends!
• I'll try not to maintain my status as "Misery" (my state council family, you know what I'm talking about)

I guess most of these are quite achievable if I simply set my mind to it! So with my year summed up and my New Year right around the corner, I will be signing off! Happy New Year everyone! I'll talk to you again next year!

Kaitlin Rogers

Once upon a December

This month, of all months, is the one I enjoy the most. I'm not sure if it's the cheer running rampant through the air, the plethora of peppermint that suddenly pops up everywhere, or the break from school that always comes at just the right moment to save me from death by frustration. Of course, it might also be that my birthday follows Christmas by a mere four days. No big deal.

This year though, it kind of was. I turned 18 two days ago, and am now officially able to buy lottery tickets, spray paint, and cough medicine. I can also register to vote, open up a checking account, sign up for a credit card, get a loan, and work without a permit. Yay!

My local club is making some serious progress on our projects for our next County Round-Up. We decided to do Wood Burning again this year, mostly because of all the fun we had with it the first year we did it, almost 3 years ago now. Back then, I was still a competing in the Junior level, so it will be interesting to see how far my skills have come. (I'm thinking most of my improvement has come from my new found ability to exercise Hand-Eye Coordination. Something that gave me a lot of trouble the first year we attempted this project. Anyways, this year my design is less generic than the last time. I stenciled some of my favorite German lyrics onto the board, and am in the process of burning, and then coloring the wood with Oil Pastels that my Club Leader recommended. So far I really like the way it looks. When it's finished I'll post a picture.



Farm Show is just around the corner, and I can't wait for it. I've never been before, although I've been to the complex back in October for the Keystone BBQ Competition, and I'm really looking forward to the event. I believe there will be some excellent photo opportunities to be had.

As 2013 becomes 2014, and as I look back on my childhood, (and look forward to the rest of my childhood) I can't help but be amazed at where I find myself. And excited to see where I will be in the future.




Wishing you a Happy New Years!,
Amber J Pound
Council Historian

Goodbye December

So long 2013! This last month of 2013 has been a blur! 

     For Perry County 4-H December is month of club banquets, Christmas parties, and volunteering at the Christmas Walk at Little Buffalo State Park.  I spent two night making change for visitors who purchased warm drinks and cookies to benefit Perry County 4-H County Council.  The park was decorated in holiday lights and wooden characters around the walking trail loop. 

     Our State Council meeting was cut short due to Snow!  Still I had a great time seeing everyone.  It wasn't just flurries at my house though.  We actually had about six inches on the ground by Monday morning.  Just enough to play in with the truck!

     For me December was about balancing.  Balancing 4-H, livestock, school, hunting, wrestling and my job. I had many days when I worried about getting everything done.  I'm grateful to my sisters for helping out with the livestock.  And the rest of my family for their patience and help. 

     Hunting didn't go as I planned.  I must have had a locator beacon that told the deer just where I was sitting as I didn't even see anything to shot in rifle season. 



The highlight of my month, wasn't Christmas morning.  It came on the 28th at the Newport Holiday Wrestling Tournament!  I placed second for 170 pounds  - earning a silver medal!

    

"Hard work certainly goes a long way. These days a lot of people work hard, so you have to make sure you work even harder and really dedicate yourself to what you are doing and setting out to achieve."
-Lakshmi Mittal

      Wrestling has been a great experience for me.  I've made some great friends in my teammates.  And I learned that hard work on the mat pays off.  I'm looking forward to the rest of this season and my senior season. 

     The new year means it time for PA Farm Show and 4-H State Leadership Conference - I can't wait to get started!


Happy New Year PA 4-H!

H Wyett Johnson

    

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

The stocking are hung on the door with care, awaiting the candy, lotion, and iTunes card I get every year.  Now it might not be Christmas Eve anymore but I still love a good Christmas tune every now and again.  Hearing the Christmas songs gone from the radio and Christmas decor down from the walls could only mean one thing the New Year is here! Before the ball drops and the confetti flies let me rewind how my year has been, well just December that is.

This month started out like any December has for years, deer hunting.  Do I have very good luck hunting? Most certainly not.  The joke is that I just shoot so they run faster passed the next guy.  Can you believe I saw the same buck twice in one day and missed him twice?  It was OK though the hunter above me killed him. The snow during deer season was wonderful but not so much for state council members.

Well you see, our December meeting got cut short do to some snow flurries.  Such a shame because we were working on some magnificent things for the State Leadership Conference.  With State Council I also had the opportunity to attend the 4-H Lady Lions Basketball game.  Boy was it fun for this girl,  seeing the players so close and having their coach talk to us was really special.  The cool thing was Penn State won! WE ARE PENN STATE!

As school whines down to the last few days before break most students get pretty rambunctious. Around my school we really do because there is this little thing called the Christmas Pep Rally.  Its not really little nor does it give as a reason to settle down a little, it whines us up.  All it really comes down to is a battle between the grades of who has the most class spirit and which can make the most noise.  Sorry neighbors ;) Each class has a color they represent. Seniors are red, juniors are green, sophomores are blue, and the freshman are yellow. There is a winner every year, can you guess who?

THE JUNIORS!!!!! 

Cheering on the one hand gift wrappers

I'm holding the zero

The decorating crew

Now my favorite part of December, Christmas!  My Christmas's are always special, grandma makes a whopping amount of food,  laughter is always going on, and I can't forget the comments that made. Here are some of my favorite.

• "We gotta cut the ham, we are eating in five minutes." At seven in the morning.
• "I think someone is hard of hearing in there and it isn't Gram."
• "Now you bring the good stuff after I already stuffed myself."
• "I got some iTune thingy."
• "Is that that bling stuff?"
• "Grandma's got a snowboard!"
• "Mom, you were worried about my loud mouth?" As my aunt screams at the Steeler's players. 
• "I was going to smash him with a two by four if he didn't pop the question soon." 

You can see what kind of family I have.  This year I'm putting a new meaning to 12 days of Christmas. As of right now I am still waiting on one gift, its gift number four that UPs will deliver since Christmas.  

Has December comes to a close so does time left before Farm Show. Am I going to miss the late nights, early mornings,  walking livestock in the wind,  the cold or the radio playing has they finish up their feed, YES!  But what I will really miss is Pap having hot water ready for me in the mornings and my younger cousins helping me.  "No, Megan I'll do it."  They are four and eight years old and most days I believe they do more than some adults.  

The ribbons fade the buckles tarnish, but in showing livestock the memories last forever!

Its been and amazing year and I can't wait for what the New Year has in store for me.

Happy holidays,

Megan Anderson

2013 Was Kinda Cool I Guess

Merry Christmas 4-H!!

I guess I'll give in to the typical "I can't believe this year is almost over/everything has changed so much in the past year" type of thing that most small talk revolves around at this time of year and say: OH MY GOODNESS 2013 IS ALMOST OVER AND SO MUCH HAS CHANGED. Sort of. 



It's not like everything instantly changed all of a sudden just because we're going to write "2014" at the top of all of our papers, but the end of the year does give a little perspective on what was happening a year ago. 

For instance, I was not planning on going out for a position on the State Council team last December.  Now here I am, writing a post on this blog (that I didn't know existed a year ago) during my first winter break from college (which I hadn't even applied to at this time last year).  And I am very thankful for these changes. I've met some amazing people in both 4-H and college, and gained new great experiences at the same time.  Now that we're gearing up for the Pennsylvania Farm Show and the State Leadership Conference, I am super excited for all of the 4-H events that are to come in 2014.  And I'm not going to lie, I can't wait to get back to school and see all of my friends again.

I'm going to be punching myself in the face for saying that when homework starts piling up again...

Although many things have changed, both big and small, life goes on.  At this time next year, I will be reading some other 4-Her's blog posts about how they are excited for council and how they can't believe that the year has gone by so fast.  Because yes, things do change, but there are some things that will always stay the same.  

And who knows what I will be up to at the end of 2014? Not me, that's for sure.  Heck, I barely know what I'm going to do in 5 minutes.  Probably eat some food. Yeah, I think I'll do that. 

Have a great New Year!!

Sophie Hutchinson
Council Representative

Wait...It's Already January!?

Hey Everybody!
How is it already January!?!! The year has really flown by! Farm Show is right around the corner, and SLC is less then a month away! I can't believe how fast time flies when youre busy. It seems like just the other day I was posting my first post on here, and I was not sure what to say-not that that has gotten any easier :). And now, we've posted a whole bunch of times on here! But reflecting back on what 2013 has taught me, I've learned alot. I've learned to work with people that I may not get along with at first, and those people have become some of my best friends. I've also learned that you need to push yourself past what you think you can do, and do what you think you cannot do. I've been working really hard to push myself past my limits. I try new things that I thought I would never try, and those experiences have taught me alot. I hope your 2013 was great, and 2014 holds lots of promises for you!

Lydia Lion
2013/2014 PA4-HSC Secretary

Crazy Month!

Hi Everybody! This month has been little crazy and very busy for me. We had a productive and fun State Council face to face meeting where we made a video for the State Leadership Conference, and we, took a few pictures to be used at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. We also exchanged gifts with our “Secret Santas.”
On December 15, 4-H was invited to the Penn State Lady Lions Basketball game at the Bryce Jordan Center. 4-H State Council members who were attending the game were recognized. We had a State Council booth at the Bryce Jordan Center so people would know what we do in State Council. Dylan, Megan, and I had a picture drawn by a man. Dylan was happy that the artist added his beard to the drawing.
I was invited to speak about 4-H and my experience on the Pennsylvania 4-H State Council to the school board at my school. They asked many questions. I was happy to talk to the school board and tell them about 4-H and the Pennsylvania 4-H State Council.
I can’t wait until the Pennsylvania Farm Show begins. I will get to promote Pennsylvania agriculture, to see all of my State Council friends once again, and, hopefully, meet some new friends!
Merry Christmas!

 

Divya Reitz

What January brings....

Hello Pennsylvania 4H,

This month while exciting because the holidays are upon us has, for my 4H life been rather slow. This month I attended the December council meeting where we were chased out early because of a snowstorm. As I think about what December has brought I look forward to what January will bring. First off starting January 2 there is Farm Show. I am so excited to get to represent 4H in many things including when I compete in poultry showmanship. Also in January is SLC. After attending SLC for four years I am so excited to help plan this fifth year.

This month has been pretty awesome! First off I was accepted into Iowa State University. I do not know where I will end up going because I still have applications out there but at least I know I am going to college! I am also excited because at my FBLA regional conference I won first place I'm job interview which means I will be advancing on to the State competition at Hershey Lodge in April!

I am so excited to see what January brings and hope everyone has a Happy Holidays!

Forever 4-H,
Alexandra Adams
2013-2014 Pennsylvania State 4-H Council Vice President of Internal Affairs

Thankfulness

We all know that thanksgiving is all about the good food, football and family time, but do we ever stop and just take it all in and think to ourselves what we are really thankful for? I'm not talking about being thankful for you iPod or your car or material items like that I'm talking the things in life that put us here I this earth. For example just think if if Squanto and the pilgrims never met or never got along would we be here? If Britain would have won't the revolutionary war would we be here? These are the things in life you should be thankful for. Without these events who know what could have happened by now. On this holiday season I am thankful for our country's founding fathers and thankful for how they never have up on a dream of freedom!
   Don't get me wrong I'm not saying you can't be thankful for like your family and friends and events and activities in your life, because you can be just also in the back of your mind be thankful that you are here! After all the holidays are all about families and spending time with each other! Family time is something we shouldn't take for granted either because someday you will be going off to college and starting a new life for yourselves with out them always there, so take advantage of the time you have over the holidays and be thankful for them as well!
   Lets not lie we all do have those cherished items in our lives like iPods and stuff like that that we are thankful for but, do you know why you have those items? You have those things because of family members and because of freedom so to wrap this all up for you when you guys are laying on the couch after you are all that delicious turkey just think.... What am I really thankful for this holiday season? Any way you answer that question is the right way!
-happy holidays every one:)

“Assume you will live 80 years, and then translate that into 80 feet, with each month being 12 inches. Using that model, your time in high school is only 7.9 inches.”  -Eric Chester

Hello Pennsylvania 4-H! Nate Repetz here coming to you live from the Hyatt Regency Hotel in down town Atlanta, Georgia!

Why am I in Atlanta you ask? The reason, ironically, is due to the amazing opportunities that 4-H has to offer! I am a part of the Pennsylvania Delegation the National 4-H Congress! I am here as one of over 700 4-Hers from 45 States and Puerto Rico. As I’m writing this, I have been here for just over 24 hours, but I have already made a lifetime of memories. National Congress makes me realize the impact of the 4-H program more than any other 4-H event I have attended.

Speed Meeting!

So far three things stand out. First is the sheer amount of new people I have meet. For example, I just came back from a “speed meeting” workshop. I sat at a table from another delegate, and we got to introduce ourselves and have a short conversation, and after a few minutes we switched. Just before that workshop, I was out in the lobby playing Ninja with members from Wisconsin, Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky!!

A Lifetime in 80 Feet

The next thing that stands out is our opening ceremony keynote speaker: Eric Chester. He gave us a great analogy about our life. He stretched out a tape measure to 80 feet, saying that the average expected lifespan for our generation is 80 years. Each foot represented one year and each inch represented one month. He then asked us that if we had that time guaranteed, how would we live differently. For high school students, your time in high school only lasts 7.9 inches of those 80 feet! It may seem forever and hopeless when you are in it, but sick with it because those short inches have the possibility to be some of the best of your life. I have already passed that and started a new 7.9 inches of college, but I will continue to live by that philosophy.

The last thing that stands out is a conversation I had with my roommates: Council VPO Jesse Isenberg and Chris VanBlargan from Northampton County. We all shared or past 4-H experiences, and while they were all different we agreed on one thing: Without 4-H, we would not be near the same way we are today. I have said it before but I’ll say it again, 4-H is an awesome organization that shapes many lives. I am happy I get to see that first hand here at The National 4-H Congress!

 

Until next time, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Nathan Repetz

Pennsylvania 4-H State Council
President

 

The Simpler Things in Life

Hello Everyone,

If you drive through rural Pennsylvania during the fall someone somewhere is harvesting corn or getting ready to.  Just recently my family has been in the process of getting all the corn harvested, before deer season of course.  It becomes a family affair, Dad is on the tractor, my brother and pap have the dryer running and were filling the bin.  Then there is me, I either end up keeping my younger cousins out of the way or running errands for the men. Fun Fun!!!

Loading out corn

The council team had the amazing opportunity to meet with Sectary of Agriculture George Greig and tour the Department of Agriculture.  My personal favorite part was seeing the rabies portion of the veterinary lab.  My mom being a vet and all I have seen my fare share of rabies cases in her office. It was really neat for me to be able to see where they end up after she ships them out.

Our cool lab coats!

The holiday season brings out a lot of hustle and bustle.  Everybody says you should stop and smell the  roses along the way.  Well it wasn't actually roses!  Thanksgiving morning the most beautiful sunrise appeared.  The barn has always been a peaceful area for me and that sunrise made it so much better. 

This sunrise made me thankful for so many things, thankful for my family that has supported me through everything, the place I call home, and for getting to live my dream day in and day out.  This picture might not be everyone's paradise but is sure is mine.  

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays maybe because of all the delicious food. I have two thanksgivings every year one with my dad's family and one with mom's.  Anybody could guess that I eat a lot in one day, you can't just turn down tasty food.  I can't forget to mention Black Friday.  For the ones out there that spend hours and hours waiting for great deals and standing in lines and huge crowds, I give you props.  I waited an hour for one tablet smashed up against the people around me and that was enough shopping for me.  

Deer season is around the counter, I'm almost ready to spend Monday morning sitting in a deer stand freezing my butt off.  I hope all the hunters have a safe and successful season.  

The holidays are here so enjoy some time with the ones you love.  

Happy holidays and happy present wrapping,

Megan Anderson 

  

Signs of Winter

Hey again all!

November is drawing to a close quite quickly. Christmas break is right around the corner, but I would like to take a moment and remember all the excited things that happened in the month of November!

1.   I went to Disney World with my high school marching band. It was a 22 hour bus ride and raining in Florida, but it was a good closing to my senior year in band! 
2. I got to tour the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture with the amazing state council team and learned so much of the "behind the scenes" work that goes into food safety and other agriculture related subjects.
3.  One of my cats had four kittens. Let's be honest, who doesn't like a tiny ball of fluff. 
4. Thanksgiving! I was able to see so much of my family and enjoy the best meal of the year. I had so much to be thankful for this year.
5. My 18th birthday was also conveniently on the same day as Thanksgiving! Which meant tons of delicious food and now I can buy lottery tickets what more could a girl ask for!
6. The first snow fall! Although this happened when I was in Florida, I am a sucker for the first snow fall of the season. I can't wait for a white Christmas.

All in all November was an amazing month full of fun surprises, but also very busy! I can't wait for the Sharing and Caring season of Christmas to come around! I'll update about my December journeys soon!

Happy Holidays!
Kaitlin Rogers

P.S. Here is a sneak peak into Cinderella's Castle! 
                         

Thankful

Hello Pennsylvania 4-H!

As Thanksgiving just past it is of course the time of the year where we think about what has happened this year and what we are thankful for. This year I am thankful for many things, first of all my family's health. I am so thankful that there minimum trips to the hospital this year. Being selected to serve on Pennsylvania 4-H State Council is definitely one thing I am most thankful for.

Being on State Council allows me to be apart of many opportunities not many 17 year olds are able to be apart of. Just two weeks ago I toured the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and learned about the multiple amazing agriculture opportunities Pennsylvania is apart of.  After that tour I came hoe and barraged my family and friends with "did you know facts about Pennsylvania".

I am also excited that I got the opportunity to teach other 4Hers in Bucks and Delaware County about what it means to be a leader in your clubs. I was able to work with Lydia Lion to teach these 4-Hers about other opportunities in 4-H! I am so thankful for the all the opportunities that I have been given and will be able to experience in this coming year.

Forever 4-H,

Alexandra Adams
2013-2014 Pennsylvania 4-H State Council Vice President of Internal Affairs

My 4-H Life!

I joined 4-H about 8 years ago! Im so glad that I am involve with 4-H because without it I wouldnt get the experience that I have now. Ever since I joined 4-H I made alot of friends. I also show animals for my fair which I love doing. I have been showing animals for about 6 years and I am going to miss it very much. I show pigs, goats, lambs, and this year I will be showing a cow for the first time so I am very excited about that. I joined 4-H because my sister was involve with it before I started getting into it. I have been attending to a lot of 4-H events every year, which is so much fun because I get to meet new friends from different county and also learn about leadership skills, team building, public speaking, and the one most important thing is parlimentary procedures. The events that I went to was State Leadership Conference, TAC, and also Teen Day Away. This past summer I decide to go to State Days to get into 4-H State Council. I was really nervous that I wouldnt get it, but guess what I did get in and I am so happy about that because I get to meet important people that is involve with argiculture. I am going to miss 4-H very much! I will showing animals at the fair, my friends that I made through 4-H, and all of the fun and important experience I have learned throughout my 4-H life!


Divya Reitz
New Reporter

I Mustache You A Question...

But I'll shave it for later.

Badum tisss.

Hey guys, now that I've gotten my lame No-Shave November joke out of the way, lets get down to business (to defeat the puns). Wow that was terrible wasn't it?

Anyhow, It's time to get cereal with this.

November has come, and its about to be gone so let's recap. On the 18th I talked at my counties Recognition Night about my experience on Council, and I think it went splendidly. I talked about all the things we'd done so far and all the things still to come. I invited them all to consider Capital Days and SLC and State Days, so helpfully the crowd from Franklin will be, well, an actual crowd this upcoming year.

On the 20th we toured the PA Dept. of Agriculture and met the Secretary! It was a very exciting building, and we learned a lot about what the Department did. The etymology was really cool if slightly terrifying. We saw a GIANT beetle with leathery wings and a very large locust. Like Biblical plague type locusts, although I've been reassured that these type won't be swarming any time soon. Whew.

On a more personal note, we've already put up the Christmas tree at work! I was the one who got to set it up in our lobby actually! T'was very exciting for me. I felt a little bit like Santa Claus to be honest.


Here's looking forward to Christmas,
Sincerely,
Your State Council Historian,
Amber J Pound

The Assorted Occurrences of November

Hello again Pennsylvania 4-H!

This month was quite eventful and still is (which I'll get to later)! A few weeks ago on November 20, all met at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in Harrisburg. The first thing we did was that we met with the PA Secretary of Agriculture, George Greig. We talked with him about what kind of life he grew up with, different aspects of his job, and what he's working on right now with his job. 

The Council with Secretary of Ag, George Greig!

Then we went and toured the food safety, plant, and vet laboratories. The first one analyzed different grain and feed samples to see if the claims on the packages were true! Then we went to a lab that dealt with monitoring different pests and insects within our state. We got to see these huge, huge beetles that they had preserved (they were not native)! Next we went to the virology labs and looked at different equipment that is used to identify diseases. The last lab that we toured was the vet lab! We looked at room where they tested anything from live specimens to blood samples to eggs for various things such as disease or DNA!  

Us in our handy dandy white lab coats! 

So more recently there is the National 4-H Congress! That's actually where I am this very moment! Live from Georgia! So far it's been a complete blast, and it's only the third day! We kicked off Friday night with getting acquainted with as many of the 700+ delegates from across 45 states and Puerto Rico as possible! Then we had a pretty beastly awesome motivational speaker followed my a very interactive speaker (games and moving). That's a quick synopsis of the events thus far! I can't wait for what else is left to come!

Until next month then! So just in advance, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Jesse Isenberg

2013/2014 Pennsylvania State 4-H Council
Vice President of Operations

A Lot To Be Thankful For

Hi Pennsylvania 4-H!

Happy Thanksgiving! Well, happy post-Thanksgiving. Which is better than regular Thanksgiving cause the food is already cooked and you can eat leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast. 

So this month I'm going to share with everyone who reads this some things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. Brace yourselves. 

1. My family.  This one's a given, they're pretty chill people who drive me places and feed me (which are excellent qualities).
2. Stretchy pants.  I would not be alive today without them.
3. Snapchat. It brings joy to my life to send everyone I know embarrassingly ugly pictures of myself for 10 seconds.
4. 4-H. Of course I'm thankful for it! I've given a lot of time and love to 4-H and I am grateful for all that it's given back to me.
5. Pillow Pets.  They are beautiful inventions (especially the unicorn ones).  Enough said.
6. That guy who plays Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl.  Also a beautiful invention.
7. My new college friends.  Because nobody else on this planet voluntarily puts up with my obsessive Snapchatting and freakishly annoying laugh. 
8. The Star Wars movies on blu-ray.  Without you, I would have nothing to do this Thanksgiving break.  Except homework which is slightly less important.
9. Pink lipstick.  Cause it's pretty.  
10. Sarcasm. Without which I could probably never write anything in any of my blog posts. 

I try to be thankful for the little things.  What are you thankful for?


Until next month,
Sophie Hutchinson
Council Representative

What an Exciting Month!

Well this has been one heck of a month! I've been to two different counties officer trainings, and we toured the PA department of Agriculture (how cool is that?)! We had Delaware and Bucks county officer trainings this month! It was so cool to see the members get involved and excited about their different offices, and even Parliamentary procedure! All of the members seemed to really enjoy all the activities that went with the different workshops.
The Department of Agriculture was awesome! While we were there we met with the Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. George Grieg. We also met with various different people from various different departments. The department I found the most interesting was the bug department. It was a little weird seeing all those creepy bugs, but it was pretty cool to see how many affect us in the state.
Well, that's been my month in a nut-shell.
Hope Yours was great too!!

Lydia Lion
PA4-HSC Secretary

An Exciting Month It Has Been

What a month November has been. I had such a surprise this month while I was showing rabbits at the Lebanon valley rabbit breeders show on Saturday November 9. At this show I took second in reserve in show this was a huge shock to me and the biggest award that I got at showing at an ARBA sanctioned show. In the month of November was a very rewarding time for me and to be thankful of what good parents I have they showed me how hard work pays off and that was proven to me the night of the 15 at our 4-H achievement banquet. At this event I had the opportunity to talk to all of the members in attendance from various 4-H clubs in Schuylkill County and tell them about what we do in my county 4-H is manly all livestock and horse clubs but until next month we will be starting a Poultry and also a shooting sports club. I explained how in 4-H there are people with a little or no agricultural background. Witch in our county is unheard of because we all have some sort of an agricultural background because 4-H in our county was all that it consisted of. It was nice to get to sit down at the annual PA farm bureau meeting and talk about agriculture to the Young farmer and rancher committee. We also went down to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and spoke with the Secretary of Ag Sec. Grieg. While there we also visited the different labs there and learned what they do. Now I’m getting ready to jump on a plane and head down to Georgia for National 4-H Congress I can’t wait to meet new people and learn how 4-H is in other states compared to here in our state of Pennsylvania.

Happy Holidays,
 Brendin Freeman

 

Eventful November to Remember

What an eventful November it has been!  This month I've filled my calendar with family, friends, school, sports and 4-H.  At moments I wasn't sure which way was up, but I got it done with the help of my family and some great friends!
Perry Co 4-H conducted it's Farm City program this month.  I presented for 1st and 3rd grades at Blain Elementary School.  Also November means time for Livestock Quality Assurance training.  November was also the official kick-off of my first 4-H Market Steer project with tag day.  275 days and counting until Perry County Fair!
State Council participated in the PA Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee meeting and toured the PA Department of Agriculture office in Harrisburg. It was neat to finally find out just what they do in that building.
School is nearing the end of the first semester.  Time to really crack the books!  My school field trip this month was to a Gettysburg Ghost Tour.  I didn't see any ghosts, but it was cool to see history. Besides Wrestling season is starting - which equals aches and pains.  Go Newport BUFFS!
Farm life has it's moments of excitement too!  I went to pick up a load of hay for the goats and steer from Tyler Shaw.  No problems until the truck decided not to start when it was time to go.  Unfortunately, my dad is a little stubborn and tinkered around for three hours before calling in a tow truck.  But on the upside it gave me more time to visit with he Shaw family!
Farming also includes helping others.  This month I've put my free time to use helping a friend clean out her barn and helping another move. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wyett

Connections everywhere!

Hello Pennsylvania 4-H!

November is here yet again as it always seems to be after October! So, this month I went to something that was really new for me. The National Junior Horticulture Association Convention (NJHA for short). It was the national level for the plant science presentation ("Tree Identification") that I won with at 4-H State Achievement Days. This year it was hosted in Williamsburg, Virginia. To begin my journey to the convention my mother and I had to  make a very long six hour drive! (Meaning that my mom drove and I slept, haha). After we arrived at the hotel that the convention was held in I practiced a few times to make sure I felt ok about it. Something pretty cool was that I saw someone there that I knew! It's kind of funny because I knew her from the National 4-H Forestry invitational, and then here I was doing something with trees again and I saw her again! Small world huh? 4-H really does make lots of connections! Anyway, next day it was rise and shine early! By the time it was my turn to present I was in the zone and ready to go! So, I presented and felt like I did really well. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay for the awards and had to go back home. The wait at home to find out how I did was nerve-racking! Finally, I received a phone call from my 4-H leader (who had also gone to the convention with her children) and she told me that I was selected as the Grand National Award winner in my category (which was illustrated talks)! Grand National means that I received first place in my category and the judges thought that I did such a good job that they gave me the extra title of "Grand" instead of just national. With this honor I received a $100 check and a medal! I was very excited and glad that I went. I would definitely recommend this convention to anyone who has the opportunity to go, because there are so many more things that you can do there other than just competing.

Until next month then! Eat lots of turkey!

Jesse Isenberg
2013/2014 Pennsylvania State 4-H Council
Vice President of Operations

October is Over? When Did That Happen?

Hello Fellow 4-H'ers!

I'll save you the suspense you typically feel with posts of this nature and let you know right off the bat that this is Amber, State Council Historian, speaking to you not-so-live from Franklin County. Happy Halloween folks! October was a particularly busy and exciting month for me, and I'm especially psyched to tell you guys all about it.

This month began with my school's Homecoming Week, which I had a blast with. Particularly on the 2nd, when I played in my school's annual Powder Puff game. For those of you who have never heard of Powder Puff, it's basically flag football, except the girls are the players and the guys are the cheerleaders. Everyone gets really excited about it, and it's an incredible amount of fun. Seniors beat the Sophomores this year in overtime by one touchdown, and everyone was on the edge of their seats for the entire game. It was definitely one for the books.

On the 5th I was at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg with Dylan and Alex and the FFA State Council team. We were all helping with the Keystone BBQ Competition in whatever capacity we could. We registered teams, distributed supplies, fetched a lot of ice, drove a couple of golf carts, made some friends, drove some more golf carts, fetched some more ice, and then finished our day off by helping to actually judge some BBQ. We did the same thing all day on the 6th, with the addition of Megan and Brendin.


October also held our first face-to-face meeting, which was exciting! I was really glad to see everyone's costumes (of course we dressed up, it was only a few days before Halloween!) and excited to get deeper into planning SLC. It's gonna be amazing this year. I can tell.

With much regard,

Amber J Pound

State Council Historian

A Little Halloween Treat

Trick or Treat!

It's Halloween everybody! I love this holiday! Mostly because candy.

But my absolute favorite thing about Halloween is dressing up because I love costumes!! (Go figure.)

So I'm going to have a little Throwback Thursday and show you some of the crazy, creative, weird and wonderful outfits I have worn as a 4-Her...



Once upon  time, my 4-H friends and I decided that wearing costumes around the fairgrounds was a GREAT idea. We dressed up in crazy mismatched outfits and fabulous blue wigs and paraded through the barns like it was any normal day.

 

One of the things I used to do with some of my friends in the club was participate in the talent show at the fair.  Our signature act was putting together a short cheer and dance routine. We had a lot of fun dressing as cheerleaders, although I'm not sure how we made a connection between 4-H and cheerleading.



Camp Counselor Training 2011! This was taken after each group performed their skits. Yeah. I'm that girl dressed up as Batman. Cause I was a really cool kid.

 

This was probably my favorite year as a Jr. Camp counselor.  My group and I got dressed up in their finest outfits for the costume contest and fashion show, which we took first place in! Does that blue wig on the boy in the back dressed as Katy Perry look familiar to anyone?



I served a year as the Venango County 4-H Queen, which basically meant that I got to run the awards ceremonies throughout the year, make special appearances at events, and go to National Congress.  Plus I got an excuse to wear a sparkly crown. BONUS!



Another year at 4-H in the Mall, and I'm up to my usual shenanigans which include trying to get away with riding those baby rides outside of the stores.  My thought process at the time was probably along the lines of "nobody will recognize me in this lovely Clover Bear costume, lets ride an airplane like it's nobody's business!" Clearly though, I was caught in the act. No regrets.

Here's me and my crazy friends at the fair one year. I must think I'm Batman or something (shhhh) because this is the second time I make the life decision to wear this costume for 4-H.  The blue wig also makes another appearance.

Looking fiiiine at the 4-H Jr. Camp fiesta, where for some reason I was inspired to channel my inner Mexican spirit by wearing a tiny sombrero and posing for a picture next to my friend sporting a lovely mustache. The things we do to entertain the kids at camp...

 

I've had a lot of good memories in these and many other outfits over the years. But I am so excited that I finally got my official Council uniform this Saturday, and can't wait to make more memories while wearing the green jacket.

 

I'm also looking forward to SLC, where I will be wearing a super (hint hint) awesome costume. More on that later though.

    

But seriously. There is no reason why I shouldn't dress like this every day. 

 

Happy Halloween everyone!

Sophie Hutchinson, Council Representative

 

Free Parking with a Five Dollar Water!

Say What? Well, nobody that I know would spend five bucks for little old bottle of water but some people sure did.   While my father and I were on our way home from the NJSA Eastern Regional in Hamburg, New York, we passed this sign that said, "free parking with a five dollar water".   At the time the town we were driving through was Elliotville, which I may add is a pretty rich town.   It was having its annual Fall Festival.  From what we could see people just opened up their yards for parking, charge included of course.  So clear on the other side of town apparently people could not charge for parking so they charged for a water instead. To be honest I don't really know but Dad and I sure got a kick out of the five dollar water.  What ever floats your boat I guess.

People say you learn a lot from traveling and after that trip I sure did.  First, I learned  that a small restaurant named Eddy's has the BEST pizza ever!  If it was up to me we would have ate there for the entire weekend.  Also, that Jason Aldean was right when he says about "connecting little towns with funny names".  I saw more "funny names" for stuff than I could have ever imagined.  Killbuck road and Pumpkinville were some my favorites and when something says "pumpkins by the thousands", it literally means pumpkins by the thousands.  Did you know that four way stops are all way stops in New York?

The NJSA Eastern Regional was a blast.  Now, I might not have came home with all the hardware that other showman did but it was still the greatest time.  Speaking of livestock shows, at KILE I got to help friends with the sheep show.  That Sunday morning I felt like I had shown or help shown more sheep than I could have ever thought of. 

My gilt before we left for New York.

KILE was also fantastic because I helped with Farm City Day and the BBQ.  Yum!  I tasted more BBQ than one person could think of.  My favorite part of the BBQ was selling chicken legs for the "Best Legs in Town" contest.  Twenty-eight different types of legs we sold that day. Some legs were not so great I found out.  I handed one gentlemen a leg and immediately after he took his first bite, I could tell he wasn't going to take another.  A couple days after attending the BBQ, Farm City Day, and KILE, the state council went to the governor's mansion for the Friends in Agriculture Breakfast.

Just about a week ago Mom and I attended the PCLA awards banquet. Which was terrific since I got to see so many great people I haven't seen since early summer.  Not to mention, I was awarded champion 16-17 year old lamb and goat showman. I also got champion senior skill-a-thon! Those awards really made my evening but the cherry on top was my early birthday present!

My sweet new wash pants, thanks Mom!

Thanks to Dwayne Hay for having me speak at the Taste of Harvest and for Joanne Stoltzfus for having me speak and help with county council inductions.  It was great seeing so many old faces again.

Well by all of this one probably could  say I had a pretty hectic month. I wouldn't disagree, it was but I still found to time to hang out with friends and family and enjoy this awesome fall weather.

It's Halloween, don't get to scared and don't eat all your candy in one night!

Sincerely,

Megan Anderson