Your 2014 State Council

Your 2014 State Council

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Almost there!

Hello everyone!
I hope this finds you well and ready for summer vacation/graduation! Yet another year has flown by at record speed and as we prepare to end the school year, your officer team has been planning for another fun and educational summer. As some of you may already know, our theme for State Achievement Days is “Rev up!” which includes educational events for you to take part in and well-renowned speakers to help you showcase your ideas and engage your clubs. State Achievement Days includes events such as tractor driving, orienteering, horse judging, fashion review, and many, many, more. For a full list of the activities available and other ways to get involved, you can visit: http://pa4h.psu.edu/77.htm or you can contact me at j.lehman09@gmail.com.
At Capitol Days, your State Officer Team also revealed the new state project: Food Checkout Day. Food Checkout Day is an opportunity which has become available to us as a way to help others within our own community. You or your club has the opportunity to donate canned food, monetary donations, gift cards to local supermarkets, or tabs from your soda cans to help those in need. The proceeds from our drive will be donated to the Ronald McDonald houses across the state. At Ronald McDonald Houses, food, shelter, and basic necessities are provided to families who have youth currently undergoing treatment for illnesses such as cancer. Anything you or your clubs to do to help is greatly appreciated.
As I bring this to a close, I remind you to fill out all your forms for State Achievement Days, begin collecting donations for Food Checkout Day, and continue checking in on this blog as we will be posting more information in weeks to come. I would also like to thank you for your continued support of the 4-H program and keep doing the impossible!

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”

-Abraham Lincoln


Enjoy your last few days of school!
Jessica Lehman
State 4-H Council Vice President of Internal Affairs

Friday, May 29, 2009

Go Class of '09! and State Days Updates

Hi everyone,
I hope all of you are enjoying this nice, warm weather and the end of the school year! Congratulations Class of 2009!
On May 11, I attended the Snyder County 4-H Foundation meeting as a Teen Representative. During the meeting we discussed county funding, our region’s 4-H camp, and the county 4-H Scholarship. Both myself and a friend of mine received the two scholarships. Members of Foundation commented that it’s great that both recipients will be attending Penn State University, the land-grant university that runs Cooperative Extension and 4-H.
My club, Backyard Bunnies, held a meeting on May 14. I talked about a service project I just learned about called 4-H Million Trees. 4-H clubs around the world are asked to plant trees with a goal of planting one million. We also planned a day to count all the soda tabs that we’ve collected so far within our club.
During our Council conference call, we discussed our plan for State Days in greater detail and preparing our opening ceremonies during our June meeting. We hope to see you all there July 28-30! We are also looking at our trip to New Mexico closer and planning the workshops that we will present to the members there. In addition to that, we’ve been warned that July is New Mexico’s rainy season, and it’s nothing like PA’s! Time to buy some rain boots!
I have also been talking with leaders to plan club visits.

Until next time!
Jeanette Blank
State Council Reporter


“If you want to be cheerful and happy, act that way!”

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Congratulations Class of 2009!

Congratulations 4-H members the time is here at last, as May ends and June begins, summer vacation is right around the corner. Congrats to all of you who graduated. I’m sure you never thought this day would come! I also would like to say congratulations to the rest of the council team, as they are all seniors this year and have worked hard for the honor of wearing a cap and gown. As I finish out my junior year I am extremely excited for summer vacations, as I have many plans and trips coming up. At the end of June I will be traveling to Washington State as part of my county 4-H exchange trip. Last year 16 Somerset County 4-H members’ hosted other 4-H members from Thurston County, Washington State, so this summer we look forward to traveling and catching up with friends made from that exchange. The state 4-H council is going to be doing some exciting traveling in the middle of July as well. We all look forward to our trip to New Mexico as part of an exchange. Last year during our State Leadership Conference, members from the New Mexico council were in attendance to get some insight as to of how our conference works. We look forward to representing Pa 4-H and bringing back new ideas! The council has also been busy planning for State Days. We have some new ideas and hope that they will help everyone to “rev up” for an exciting three days. I hope to see you all there!
I would like to leave you with a quote from an unknown author that I feel 4-H helps us do throughout the summer-educate
“Your schooling may be over, but remember that your education still continues”
Good luck to all and be safe this summer,
Christy Lambert
Council Secretary

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Hi everyone!!
This past month was a bit of a slow one for the State Council. We did have a conference call together to talk about what will be happening within the next few months. The one thing that we council members talked most about was the opening ceremonies for State Days. I think that you will like what we have in store. It is new and exciting and nothing like any other council has done before…but I’m not going to go into detail… that is a secret. Another issue that came up was our trip to New Mexico. It is getting closer and closer to when we leave and everything is starting to get straightened out. It will be my first time flying, so I am happy that I get the experience going somewhere where I can serve the 4-H program and represent Pennsylvania 4-H. We also ironed out a few more item of business regarding State Leadership Conference, but a few things are still left up for discussion. Everything is falling into place as the year keeps on going. I can not believe that it is already the end of May. Thanks for reading and I will be back in June for more updates on what the 2009 State Council is up to.

Laura Pifer
Hi everyone!!
This past month was a bit of a slow one for the State Council. We did have a conference call together to talk about what will be happening within the next few months. The one thing that we council members talked most about was the opening ceremonies for State Days. I think that you will like what we have in store. It is new and exciting and nothing like any other council has done before…but I’m not going to go into detail… that is a secret. Another issue that came up was our trip to New Mexico. It is getting closer and closer to when we leave and everything is starting to get straightened out. It will be my first time flying, so I am happy that I get the experience going somewhere where I can serve the 4-H program and represent Pennsylvania 4-H. We also ironed out a few more item of business regarding State Leadership Conference, but a few things are still left up for discussion. Everything is falling into place as the year keeps on going. I can not believe that it is already the end of May. Thanks for reading and I will be back in June for more updates on what the 2009 State Council is up to.

Laura Pifer

Friday, May 8, 2009

April 2009

Hello once again fellow 4-H enthusiasts!
This is Jessica Lehman, Vice President of Internal Affairs. As summer rapidly approaches I know everyone is busy counting down the days, but I truly appreciate your continued dedication in viewing our blog. Please keep checking in as we will continue to update this as a way for you to know what is going on within this great state!

Yet another busy month has come and gone for your state officers. After a brief conference call at the beginning of the month, I headed to Wayne County for their 4-H Leader Training and Appreciation banquet on April 17th. I had a lovely time presenting a speech about the opportunities 4-H provides to everyone and anyone. I also had the chance to meet the members and officers of their local County Council and discuss some of the events which they participate in such as their 4-H camp. On April 18th all of your officers met in Harrisburg, PA to prepare for Capital Days which was April 19 – April 21. I enjoyed having the chance to visit with you and hope that you each took some of the skills you learned about Parliamentary Procedure, etiquette, and legislation home with you. My favorite part about Capital Days was being able to discuss 4-H with various legislators and Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff.

On April 28th I also had the honor of attending the Agricultural and Extension Education Banquet in State College, PA. While at this banquet I had the opportunity to speak with the president of the FFA and tell him some of the events we do as 4-H members. This included State Leadership Conference, Capital Days, State Achievement Days, projects available, and much more! Also in attendance were members of the collegiate 4-H program who presented a small update of their current projects.

As I prepare to end my letter, I will leave you with the quote which I have promised and once again hope that you may take it to heart.


“I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.”
-General George S. Patton

Until next time,
Jessica Lehman
Vice President of Internal Affairs

Thursday, April 30, 2009

20 Days of School Left!

Hi Everyone! Wow April is done and Prom and Graduation are among us. There have been so many exciting happenings across our state that continue to shape our 4-H program.
The Month of April for me began with Community Service with the Crawford County 4-H Teen Council. We volunteered our time at the Pymatuning Fish Hatcheries for their Annual Spring Open House. We did activities such as teaching youth how to cast fishing poles, and fish printing on t-shirts. Jordan and I took advantage of the option to dress up as “Freddy the Fish”, and “Bobber the Dog.” This month was also officer training with the Crawford County 4-H Teen Council. The Council invited the officers from each of the 48 clubs to be trained specific to their offices.
Instead of a conference call this month our State Council team met one day in advance to Capital Days to have a meeting and prepare for the Capital Days festivities. There we continued to plan State Achievement Days, and State Leadership Conference activities. During Capital Days State Council was the Mistress of ceremonies. Council also had the wonderful opportunity to meet with our State Legislators and the Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff. During these appointments we discussed important topics such as the current bills that were on the floor for the Senate and the House. We also talked about the recent cutbacks in agriculture and tourism presented in the Governor’s budget.
The 4H delegates that arrived for Capital Days participated in different workshops such as the parliamentary procedure workshop presented by the Collegiate FFA. That workshop prepared them for the mock legislative sessions. During these sessions the delegates debated three different bills that ranged from topics of possession of tobacco and tobacco use by minors, the witness protection act, and starting school before Labor Day.

Capital Days was our first event as 2009 State Council, and I really enjoyed meeting all of the delegates. Please join us for State Achievement Days.

Until next time,

Jamie Forinash
Pennsylvania State 4-H Council President


“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” – James Dean

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

April's Happenings!

Wow! April has found me busy with tons of work both for school and council. As the month began I was busy preparing for our council’s first big group event- Capital Days, while attending musical practice and studying for my last nine weeks of my junior year. After much preparation, the council represented 4-H well at our State’s Capital in Harrisburg! This was a learning experience for all of us and gave me so many great memories! Sunday started with our council’s very first opening ceremony followed by mixers. That night we also held our first committee meeting. Up bright and early on Monday the council members had the honor of meeting with our state Representatives and Senators, along with Secretary Wolf. At the end of our very busy day was an exciting evening. The Green and White parties met for the mock legislation followed by a dance and ice cream social. Within the blink of an eye it was time for closing ceremonies on Tuesday. Jeannette and I had the honor of announcing this year’s service project “food check out day.” We mentioned ways to get involved and reminded counties about saving pop tabs for the contest that will take place at next year’s Leadership Conference. I would like to thank all of those who attended this event and hope more plan to attend next year! I look forward to other upcoming 4-H events as summer is approaching.
Christy Lambert
Secretary
Hey Everyone!
April was yet another amazing month for the 2009 Pennsylvania State 4-H Council. We had a conference call so all six of us members and our advisors Dr. Bruce and Mya Rushton could touch base and get on the same track in preparation for Capitol Days. Then on the 18th Council arrived at the Hilton in Harrisburg to do final . As the preparations for the Capitol Days event. By the time that everyone else arrived at the hotel we were ready for action. That evening, the first committee meetings of the Green and White parties were held. I had the honor of being the Green Party Chair. During the meetings, the delegates went over three bills that had actually gone through the House of Representatives and Senate of Pennsylvania. Monday was an extremely busy day for all. First thing in the morning, after breakfast, the council members headed over to the Capital Building for meetings with legislators. We started out the day by going to a Representative from my area, Representative Sam Smith. He could not meet with us personally so we talked with one of his staff members, Michelle Rudloff. Throughout the rest of the day we were all over the Capital Building, including the Lieutenant Governor’s office. Also during a visit to a Senator Don White, who is also from my county, we had our fist experience on the Senate Floor. We also had the chance to sit down and talk with Dennis Wolff, Secretary of Agriculture, about what his job entails and how it is related to our 4-H program. After our time at the Capital Building was over, we had another chance to re-group with our committees for one last chance to meet before the mock legislative meeting. During the meeting Jessica, the White Party Chair, and I gave our committee reports between each bill that was discussed and Jamie did an amazing job of being the Speaker. Tuesday was our last day in Harrisburg as well as our Legislative Breakfast. There was a good turnout and a lot of chatter between legislators and 4-H members from their respective regions. Throughout our time in the State Capital we also heard from many speakers including: our State program leader Christy Bartley, Gwen Bower who spoke about the legislative process, Lori Connelly who taught everyone about dining etiquette, and Representative H. Scott Conklin. All in all Capitol Days 2009 was a great success. To those who were not there this year, I strongly encourage going to the event in 2010. As for now, have a great month and I will catch up with everyone in May!

Laura Pifer

April Updates

Greetings!

To prepare for the upcoming Capital Days event, held on April 8th was a conference call where we discussed our meetings with legislators, our bills, and a bit about the AEE banquet and the New Mexico trip.

The council team arrived at the Hilton Hotel for the 2009 4-H Capital Days event in Harrisburg on Saturday, April 18th in order to prepare for the mock legislative sessions, meetings with our legislators, and review other items on our agenda.

To kick off our 4-H Capital Days program, we had our opening ceremonies dinner with our guest speakers: State 4-H program leader, Christy Bartley and Ms. Gwen Bower. Ms. Bower talked with the 4-H delegates about how a bill becomes enacted into law. After dinner, the council team led ice breaker activities Representatives from the Collegiate FFA also came to share information about parliamentary procedure. Afterwards, the information was applied while at the mock party meetings for the majority party (green party) and minority party (white party). The bills that were discussed are House bill 63 regarding the sale of tobacco, Senate bill 111 about the Witness Protection Act, and House bill 188 regarding the start of school before Labor Day.

Monday was very eventful with back to back Senator and Representative appointments. We had the opportunity to meet with Special Assistant to Lieutenant Governor Tony Moscato; Secretary of Agriculture, Dennis Wolff; Senators Charles McIlhinney, Donald White, John Gordner, and Robert Robbins; and Representatives John Evans, David Millard, and Samuel Smith. The council also hosted a working luncheon on table manners with special guest Lori Connelly to prep us for the Legislative Breakfast on Tuesday; the mock legislative meeting with the green and white parties; a banquet with special guest representative Scott Conklin; and Dairy Promotion ice cream social, dance, and movie.

To close the 4-H Capital Days event, on Tuesday, April 21st, the delegates had an opportunity to meet with their legislators at the Legislative Breakfast. At the breakfast, Secretary Wolff and head of Penn State Cooperative Extension, Daney Jackson offered a few words. As Capital Days came to a close, we unveiled the 2009-2010 Service Learning Project, “Check out the Silver”. We ask that counties, throughout the year, start collecting metal tabs from soda and juice cans to benefit Ronald McDonald Houses! Those regions who collect the most tabs will be recognized at the 4-H State Leadership Conference.

In short, the 2009 4-H Capital Days was a great success and we are all looking forward to our trip to New Mexico and State Achievement Days!

Until next time,

Alex Stepnoski
Council Vice President of Conference

Hi everyone,
April brought some wonderful spring weather and also the Council’s first state event.
On April 2, I attended the Union County Teen Council meeting, held in Mifflinburg, PA. While there, I talked about my duties as a State Council member, our Checkout the Silver project, and the upcoming Capital Days. I also led a personality trait test called “How Full Are Your Sails?”. The Teen Council is rather new, so as the meeting progressed they asked for my opinion on various events they plan to do in the coming year.
On April 4, the Central Susquehanna Counties held a mandatory Camp Counselor Training in Sunbury, PA. Here I took part in various training exercises, planning tenting area activities, and choosing workshops to lead. Our region’s 4-H Camp Brule will be held in Sullivan County on June 21-26.
From April 18-21, the Council participated in our first state event…Capital Days, held in Harrisburg at our beautiful capital and the Hilton Hotel. While the members were taking tours of the capital and attending workshops, the Council met with Senators and Representatives from across PA, including: a staff member for Rep. Samuel Smith, Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Woolf, the assistant to the Lt. Governor-Tony Muscato, Rep. John Evans, Senator Donald White, Rep. David Millard, Senator John Gordner, Senator Robert Robbins, and Senator Charles McIlhinney. That evening we held a mock legislative session where we discussed and amended three real bills being discussed by our legislators. The final day it was the members’ turn to meet with legislators at our Annual Legislative Breakfast. This was actually my first time at Capital Days and I enjoyed it very much. You can visit a Capital Days blog at http://pa4hcapdays.blogspot.com/.

“Troubles, like a washing machine, twist us and knock us around but in the end we come out brighter.”

God Bless,
Jeanette Blank
State Council Reporter

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Hello again!

Hello everyone!
This is Jessica Lehman checking in again! I hope this finds everyone well and ready for the lovely summer weather on it’s way! Thank you for checking up on our blog and staying up-to-date on current happenings in the State 4-H program!
Your officers have had an excellent month full of workshops and traveling. With Capital Days rapidly approaching, we have been busy preparing so you have the most fun and educational experience possible. On March 18th all the officers had a conference call where we covered everything from Capital Day’s appointments (where we get to meet with your Representatives and Senators from across Pennsylvania) to ideas for the “License to Lead” State Leadership Conference in January. On Saturday, March 28th, Laura, Alex, Jeanette, and I headed to Bradford County to present workshops on the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the activities of State Council. After visiting with an array of 4-H members we all returned back to our respective corners of the state to prepare for more adventures to come!

As I bring my letter to a close, please feel free to contact me through my email (j.lehman09@gmail.com), calling me, visiting with me at any of your state events, or inviting the State Officer team to visit one your local activities. I look forward to seeing you at Capital and State Achievement Days! I would like to leave you with another quote which I hope that you find inspirational throughout the last few weeks of school. I will try to leave you one each month and hopefully you find them as valuable as I do!

"The way to learn to do things is to do things. The way to learn a trade is to work at it. Success teaches how to succeed. Begin with the determination to succeed and the work is half done already."
-Anonymous

Until we meet again,
Jessica Lehman
Pennsylvania State 4-H Vice President-Internal Affairs