Welcome Spring!!

Welcome Spring!!
Hello PA 4-H! Hope your enjoying this beautiful weather as much as I am!
I actually just came in from my first horseback ride in 6 months!! It was fabulous. I am excited for a roadtrip to Philadelphia for the Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of Ag Luncheon tomorrow! Although it will be an early morning and long day...it should be fun! :)
I want to wish everyone luck with purchasing their 4-H animals...I know I am going to be going to get my pigs pretty soon here!
I'm just so excited that the weather is changing...along with that change comes an event that I am looking forward to, which is PA 4-H State Capital Days! I hope to see everyone there!
Enjoy this weather and can't wait to see everyon in Harrisburg!! :)
Your Secretary
RACHEL

The Month of Green!

I hope the Sunshine is shining all across the state on this beautiful afternoon, and that everyone is able to enjoy it either before, during, or after school and work schedules. I know in Edinboro Pennsylvanaia there seems to be not a cloud in the sky. Trust me I'm not complaining, it has been rather gloomy lately.
Throughout this GREEN month of March and I mean literally green, I hope you all celebrated PA 4-H Week in style. I know I did. I posted my facebook profile picture with the New Mexico 4-H Leadership Team with the 2009 PA State 4-H Council, I wore a 4-H shirt everyday, I made 4-H Book marks available in my campus library and I talked a lot about the program to different individuals I encountered. I know especially excited were the elders I work for in the long term care facility where I spend my evenings. They loved listening to my stories of livestock judging and traveling with the council, and they all chuckled over the photos of my projects and myself over the years. Some of the faculty and administration asked me about the program and became very interested in 4-H Capital Days.
Speaking of Capital Days, it is just around the corner!!! I cannot wait for the discussions to begin and for the first amendment to a bill to happen. So Get Ready 4-H and start packing your suitcases because HARRISBURG HERE WE COME!!!

I enjoy making new friends and making 4-H connections, so feel free to friend me on facebook and we can talk about 4-H events and also remember PA 4-H also has a facebook page!!
If you would have any questions visit our website or feel free to email me at ps4hc.jforinash@gmail.com.

Enjoy the Weather!!!! and if you attend a College/University there's only 5 weeks left of school!!

Jamie Forinash
Vice President of Operations/Internal Affairs

Enjoying that winter-summer weather...

Hey PA 4-H!
I hope that all of you are enjoying this crazy weather! I know that here at Penn State we have been in shorts one day and winter coats the next day!

A lot has been going on in 4-H. On March 9, Jamie and I traveled to Harrisburg for a Penn State College of Ag Capitol Day. During the day we sat in on the College budget briefing, watched the opening session of the House, and later scooped ice cream for legislators and their office staff. I was so sore the next day from all that scooping! Jamie and I had a great time and my family enjoyed having her at our house.

While I was home for Spring Break I had a chance to go to my first 4-H club meeting since the summer. It was so exciting to see everyone and meet new members who have joined since I left. I also gave a short talk about what all I have been up to with Council since August.

All of us on Council are gearing up for our next events, Capital Days in April and State Days in August. During Capital Days we will talk to legislators about 4-H during office visits and lead all of you in a mock legislative session of the Green and White parties. Our theme for State Days has also been announced and will be Green Gala. Keep watching for information on a video contest that you can enter for the event!

This month also contained PA 4-H Week. To help celebrate, I posted a message on the PA 4-H Facebook page telling members to make their profile picture a 4-H theme. Be sure to check out the Pennsylvania 4-H page for the most up-to-date 4-H news!

Communicating with State Council is a great way for you to have your ideas heard! We are 4-H members--just like you--who have connections with those people who make decisions about events and how PA 4-H is run. If you have concerns about anything or would like to request a state officer for your next event, please do not hesitate to contact us. My email address is jmblank3@gmail.com.

Please check out: our NEW Council homepage, http://ps4-hc.cas.psu.edu/ , our newsletter, the Clover Clipboard, at http://ps4-hc.cas.psu.edu/206.htm, our Facebook page called Pennsylvania 4-H and our Twitter page, at PA4-H.

In the spirit of 4-H,
Jeanette Blank
2010 State Council President

where did the month go???

WOW!!! It almost the end of March already! And that only means I have 5 weeks of school left!!! I hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather. I have been very busy this month with not only 4-H but also all my school events. This month I have attended the Lycoming County, County Council meeting where I talked to the teens more about getting involved in 4-H on a state level. I encouraged members to sign up for Capital Days as it is really fun to meet with legislators and talk to them about pretty much anything you would like to. Later in the month i attended a Teen Advisory Committee meeting. I was able to talk to members from different counties about not only what I have been doing but about being on council. It was a great way to promote the 4-H state council to other members and let them know that they can apply from now till state days and even at state days!

During PA 4-H week, I changed my Facebook picture to a council picture to help promote the 4-H program. Also during the week I wore a different 4-H everyday to help people see about the 4-H program and I talk to a few friends about 4-H! They are too old to be members but when I explained all the leadership qualities I have gained through 4-H they wish they had joined when they were able to. They saw that I had so much passion for an organization to wear a shirt to promote the program more. I am working on writting an article about some of the activities in 4-H to submit to be published in a newsletter.

I hope all the members are ready to get their project animals ready for show season or begin that sewing project. I know I am ready! With a yearling horse its been crazy to get him ready as he just wants to play with our pony but he does not want to play. Then over the weekend my sister and I got two baby heifer cows! What a new experience for both of us! I named my white and brown cow nina and my sister named her brown one ninja. Way to stick with the letter N! This is definatly new for us but I know with the help of other 4-H members we will do great!

I hope as April comes around, you get ready for PA Capital Days. Don't forget to brush up on Parli Pro and get ready for a exciting weekend!

Justine Bush
Historian/Newsreporter

Spring Fever

I can hardly believe that it is soon the end of March! Where did this month go? I have been busy promoting the 4-H program in what seem like everything I do. At the beginning of the month as a Pennsylvania Maple Princess I competed for the crown of 2010 Queen. During my news paper interview I was able to highlight one event that helped me better prepare myself for the title of queen. Of course I knew 4-H was the only program to pick. Although I did not win the crown it was a great time and I made some amazing memories. This week I am finishing my duties as princess as I attend and promote the maple industry at the Pa Maple Festival. I also have found myself doing small 4-H promotions without even noticing. For example, at events I attend through school. It is funny how a year ago I was shy about talking to people and now everything comes so natural.
Our conference call for this month was cancelled, but we have a lot of exciting events coming up! Next month Capital Days will take place. I am looking forward to this event since this year I will be able to enjoy it more without the stress of it being my first event. Last year at Capital Days, the event marked the first state function our team went to, which meant tons of stress for everyone and new experiences. I also am looking forward to attending a promotion in Philadelphia at the beginning of the next month. I have always wanted to travel there and now I have a perfect reason to go!
I hope to see each of you soon at an event and hope that you are enjoying this nice spring weather!
Your State VP of Events,
Christy Lambert

Time is Flying

Oh my it is hard to believe that the time really is flying by so fast. It's already March and significantly getting closer and closer to SUMMER VACATION!!! Well this month Jeanette Blank, Couincil President, and I attended The College of Ag Capital Day in Harrisburg. We had a lot of fun that day. We met different people who work with the College of Ag and also different legislators throughout the day and while we scooped icecream during the icecream social. I'd like to Thank Jeanette's Wonderful Family for letting me stay with them so that I didn't have to drive such a long distance to Harrisburg all in one trip.
While I was in the Harrisburg area I stopped down to Shippnesburg to spend some time with my friend Caleb on his Dairy Farm. I didn't wake up quite as early as they would usually for milking but I tagged along to get fertilizer and feed the Heifers. I would say my experience that day was more like a job shadowing opportunity and I loved every second of it! While I was there we chatted about MAAC the Mid Atlantic Alliance of Cooperatives, past 4-H and FFA events, and being a State Officer.
REMEMBER:The month of April is Capital Days! So practice your parlimentary procedure, and pack your suitcases becasue it's really gonna rock! I know your State Council is super pumped and ready for that week and your should be too. We can hardly wait to see everyone and meet all the new 4-H'er's to the event.

Enjoy the Sunshine, and remember sometimes it is necessary to apply sunscreen. =)
Have a Happy March!

Jamie Forinash
Council Vice President of Operations/Internal Affaires

PA 4-H Week!

Hey PA 4-H!

It's PA 4-H week. Be sure to tell us what you are all doing in your counties to celebrate !

So Glad to be Back!!!

Hey PA 4-Her's,

Well for those of you who don't know me, I am Rachel Gruver, your 2010 Interim State Council Secretary...as some of you may know, I was also the Secretary for PA 4-H State Council in 2008 and I am so pumped to be back!! This 6 months is going to be fabulous! I am looking forward to making new memories with new & former council members! This past weekend the other council members & myself were busy planning new and exciting things for this year and for Council in the future!! State Days is sure to be a blast. Also during the weekend we attended workshops about teambuilding, diversity, personalities, & parli pro. The PA 4-H State Council will be heading off to Harrisburg in April for Capital Days, can't wait to see everyone there!!
Well that's all I have for now...until next month,
Council Secretary
RACHEL!! :)

Looking Forward to a Great Year!

Hey PA 4-H!

I hope all of you are enjoying this winter wonderland that PA has become! Penn State University looks really pretty in this White Out, but I'm ready for spring.

Since our induction at SLC in January, State Council has met once for our Training and Orientation Weekend, held in Milroy from February 19-21. During the weekend, we talked about what is expected of each officer, particularly by the rest of the team; for each officer, we determined how we wanted them to Encourage, Lead, Motivate, Advocate, and Represent us and PA 4-H. Later we set goals that will be carried out during our term, including: informing more members about the Council and the new voting process, encouraging more teens to attend state-wide events, and adding a new service project. Throughout the weekend we had workshops on Parli Pro, The Dog Poop Initiative, Global Whining, and several others. It was a great way for our team, made up of past 2008 and 2009 Council members, to get to know each other.

In the past month I also attended the Leader's Forum at the Penn Stater on February 13 and, along with Council Advisor Mya Rushton, gave a presentation on "Climbing the Leadership Ladder". It was great meeting the volunteer leaders from all over PA and seeing their enthusiasm for our events and leadership opportunities.

In March, Jamie and I will be attending the PSU College of Ag Capital Day (different, but similiar, to our 4-H Capial Days) in Harrisburg to talk with our legislators.

Communicating with State Council is a great way for you to have your ideas heard! We are 4-H members-just like you- who have connections with those people who make decisions about events and how PA 4-H is run. If you have concerns about anything or would like to request a state officer for your next event, please do not hesitate to contact us. My email address is jmblank3@gmail.com.

Please check out: our Council homepage, http://ps4-hc.cas.psu.edu/, our newsletter, the Clover Clipboard, at http://ps4-hc.cas.psu.edu/206.htm, our Facebook page called Pennsylvania 4-H and our Twitter page, also called Pennsylvania 4-H.

In the spirit of 4-H,
Jeanette Blank

2010 State Council President

Hello Pa 4-H

Hello Pa 4-H,
As you blog followers already know I am Chrisy Lambert. Last year I had the honor of serving as the council secretary. In January I hung my jacket up for a few minutes before putting it on again as the new 2010 Vice President of Events! I am so excited to serve Pa 4-H again for another six months! Last weekend our team met in Milroy to complete our training weekend. It was alot of fun and we made a great foundation and bonds for a strong 2010 team. We listened to workshops on diversity, body image, parli pro, and character. We learned alot and did our planning for the new year along with setting our goals. State days will be a blast with a creative theme and our new service project. Keep reading our blog to find out more as we work out details.
Take care and stay worm,
Christy

PA 4-H!!!

I hope as you get spring fever that your 4-H fever is here also!!!!! Your State Council is hard at work on event planing for the upcoming months. Last weekend the council had the opportunity to get together at the Hartman Center to team build, learn about each other and start planning our activities. It was wonderful to be able to come together as a team and be able to connect as a team. While at training weekend we came up with some goals that we want to accomplish over our term. Our goals include:

1. Inform more members about the council and the process by: providing packets with an application and letter during registration at Capital Days 2010, by providing a monthly article from March to July for A.T.S., visit a county council meeting and promote the council process by the end of July via power point/presentation
2. Encourage more teens to get involved in state wide events by: develop a brochure promoting statewide events by April 1st
3. Add new service project Penny Wars by: having a main collection at State Days, Flyer with explanation.

These goals will help to spread the word of 4-H and state council to members across the state of PA.

Over the next few months the council members will be busy with attending local meetings to promote 4-H activities to fellow 4-H members. I hope you join our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=feed&story_fbid=369439024675&id=770080573#!/group.php?gid=8695351837

Think Spring!!!

Justine Bush
2010 Historian/Reporter

Life's a Dance, You Learn as You Go

Hey PA 4-H!
I hope that all of you had a great time getting your License to Lead at SLC 2010! I know I enjoyed myself the entire time. For those of you who missed it, here's what happened:

On Friday night, Council kicked off Opening Ceremonies by coming out of a giant vault (thank you, Phil Hoy) carrying bags of stolen soda tabs. One member tripped the laser alarm, beckoning Jamie Bond and her gang of Collegiate 4-Hers to save the day. Following some introductions, Mark Lowery came up to give the opening address. Following Mark's speech, Council led some icebreakers.
Saturday was once again filled with workshops on leadership. That evening we were blessed to have Regina Vella fill in for our scheduled Keynote Speaker Rhett Laubach, whose plane was grounded in Oklahoma. Following the address we held our dance, which was fun as it always is!
Sunday morning we presented a check to the PA Farm Bureau for $269 for the more than 620,000 soda tabs YOU collected! Great job PA! Then came the Closing Ceremonies, a difficult part for me as well as my team. As we each read our thank yous and goodbye, we took off our jacket and placed it on a chair. The 2010 Council, made up of 2008 and 2009 team members who will serve until August when inductions will be held during Stater Days, then came and put on the jackets. Your new State Council Team is: President-Jeanette Blank, Vice President of Operations-Jamie Forinash, Vice President of Events-Christy Lambert, Vice President of Internal Affairs-Emily Gabriel, Secretary-Rachel Gruver, and Reporter/Historian-Justine Bush.

The ceremony was really emotional as I thought about all the memories I have from the 2009 team. At the same time I am very excited to serve again in 2010 and serve PA 4-H as its President. Whoever would have expected that a shy 8-year-old would end her 4-H career as State President? Probably not my leaders, teachers, my family, and especially not me! The 2009 Council year definitely made me a better person and I will try to continue that this year as your President.

I already miss my "sisters".

See you all at Capital Days!
Jeanette Blank
2009 Reporter/Historian
2010 President