A new 4-H year began on October 1^st and will run until September 30, 2013.  We are glad you will be a part of our 4-H family again this year.

Your completed and signed re-enrollment form, medical release form, acknowledgement of risk form, 4-H member’s code of conduct form, and 4-H member enrollment fee invoice form must be returned with your member enrollment fee payable to Cornell Cooperative Extension on or before December 1, 2012.   Mailed re-enrollment forms and fees must be postmarked by December 1, 2012. 

Re-enrollment paperwork and fees may also be inserted in an envelope addressed to Cooperative Extension and dropped off in the mail slot at the United Methodist Church (the location of the CCEFM 4-H Office), 50 East Main Street in Canajoharie after business hours and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday when the Cooperative Extension Office is not open to the public.  The mail slot has a strip of yellow duct tape above it and may be found next to the back entrance to the church adjacent to the clothing donation shed off of Little Mohawk Street.

The annual 4-H member enrollment fee is $20.00 per year with a cap of $50.00 per family unit (3 or more youth residing at the same location).  Payment of the 4-H enrollment fee is the responsibility of the family.

*Re-enrollment  forms and fees are due on or before December 1. 
Mailed re-enrollment forms and fees must be postmarked by December 1, 2012.  An individual re-enrollment submitted after December 1st must include a $10.00 late fee.  A family unit re-enrollment submitted after December 1st must include a $15.00 late fee.

You are not a current 4-H member nor are you covered by 4-H insurance until the forms and fee are submitted to the CCEFM 4-H Office.  Prompt return of these required forms will ensure you will continue to receive uninterrupted 4-H communications.

IMPORTANT! You must cash your 4-H Fonda Fair premium check no later than Friday, November 30th. If you don't cash the check by November 30th, you forfeit your premium. After November 30th, the checks become invalid and cannot be re-written.

Only 4-H club members who submitted their 4-H Member Record Book to their club leader and 4-H individual members who submitted their books to the 4-H office were eligible to receive their 4-H Fonda Fair premium checks.

Youth interested in becoming new 4-H members and adults interested in helping local youth develop into competent, caring and contributing adults through new 4-H clubs are invited to attend an upcoming 4-H interest meeting.

A 4-H interest session for parents and youth who are between kindergarten and 12^th grade is set for Thursday, November 28th from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Shirley J. Luck Senior Citizens Center, 109 East Main Street in Johnstown, New York.

Individuals planning to participate in this 4-H interest meeting are asked to call 4-H staff at Cornell Cooperative Extension at 673-5525, ext. 113 or ext. 114 no later than 12 noon on November 8^th. 

4-H, the youth development program of Cornell Cooperative Extension, provides youth and adults with exciting, interesting and rewarding experiences. 4-H youth development provides opportunities for youth ages 5–19, under the guidance of adult volunteers and Extension staff to pursue projects of particular interest, learn about healthy lifestyles, and participate in programs with a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) focus through neighborhood clubs and individual study.  The core 4-H ideal of practical, “learn- by- doing” experiences encourages youth to inquire, experiment, innovate and think independently.

The November 2012 4-H e-News is now available for viewing, downloading and/or printing. Find it on the left-hand bar of this page or download it below.

Here are some of the highlights you'll find in this issue.

• The latest about the 4-H Member & Volunteer Recognition Event
• Honor 4-H Club Criteria
• Northeast Volunteer e-Forum is this month!
• Timely information for 4-H Member Re-enrollment
• Did you know that CCEFM has a dropbox for you?
• 4-H Animal Nutrition Workshop
• 4-H Dairy Bowl
• 4-H Livestock Roundtable
• Farm Bureau Scholarship application info
• 4-H Interest Meeting this month
• Veteran's Day Parade opportunity for 4-H Clubs
• Corrections to Fonda Fair Results

Enjoy the read and as always, check this website often for updates between issues of the 4-H e-Newsletter!

NOTE: As a result of interruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy, this program has been postponed to Friday, November 16th - same time and location.

On Friday, November 2nd, 4-H members and volunteers are invited to celebrate 4-H accomplishments, services & "growing green" in youth development programming throughout the 2011-2012 4-H year! The event will be held in Canajoharie at the East Hill Elementary school in the cafeteria. (25 School District Road) All Fulton/Montgomery 4-H members, families, and 4-H volunteers are welcome to attend. There will be a potluck supper, socializing, fun and award presentations! The supper will be at 6:30 p.m. followed by the awards program at 7:30 p.m.

Please bring a dish to share for the potluck supper as well as a utensil for your food item. Please let us know by 12 noon on November 1st what food you will be bringing and how many people from your club or family will be attending. We are looking for 4-H member and volunteer families to bring meat/cheese platters, veggies and dip, fruit platters, baked beans, salads, main dishes (beef stew, goulash, zit, lasagna, spanish rice, casseroles), bread/rolls etc. (Each dish should serve approximately 15-20 people). We will be having ice-cream sundaes for desert. The 4-H office will be providing beverages and ice cream sundaes as well as plates, utensils and napkins.

4-H  member project award discs will be presented as well as 4-H volunteer certificates and tenure pins. Special recognition will go to outstanding 4-H members and volunteers. 4-H premium checks will also be available for 4-H members who exhibited items at the 2012 Fonda Fair and completed and submitted their   4-H Member Record Books. We look forward to seeing you and celebrating the 2011-2012 4-H Year! 

The 4-H program in Fulton and Montgomery Counties is looking for 4-H volunteers and teens to attend this year's Volunteer forum on Friday evening, November 9th and Saturday November 10th in Binghamton, NY. This is a great opportunity to meet other volunteers and teens and take several workshops. Workshops include:

• What Keeps 4-H Members and Leaders Actively Participating
• Kids and Questions
• Club Management
• Cooperative Games
• Working with Children with Challenging Behaviors
• Learning by Doing: The Experiential Learning Model
• Healthy Lifestyles
• Civic Engagement
• Youth Community Mapping

These workshop will provide volunteers and teens valuable information, curricula and much more to bring back to the 4-H program in Fulton and Montgomery Counties. Reigistration is due November 2nd. To view a copy of the registration and see workshop descriptions visit the link below.  

In the 4-H Rabbit Show, the winner of the American Chinchilla Breed was Katie Gray. 

In the 4-H Beef Show, the winner of the Grand Champion Herford (TheMalcolm A. Wilber Memorial Award, Sponsored by Mule Hill Farm) was Kaitlyn Phillips

New brochures for classroom enrichment and after school programming have been posted. The brochures list programs that will be offered for the 2012-2013 school year. Questions? Contact Shannon Dygert at 518-673-5525 ext. 122 or email smd69@cornell.edu

The local 4-H club, Horse Lovers Unlimited, set up an exhibit at the Tractor Supply Store in Gloversville on Saturday to share their animals with shoppers and passers-by. The The exhibit was part of the TSC's Paper Clovers Campaign to focus attention on the 4-H program and to support local programs.

Customers of TSC in Amsterdam and Gloversville had the opportunity to purchase paper clovers for $1 at the checkout register during the 10 day program. 4-H members also cold the paper clovers at their animal exhibit outside the store.

When you visit either the Amsterdam or Gloversville Tractor Supply Store beginning today through September 30th, you have an opportunity to support 4-H by purchasing paper clovers at the check out. Be sure to say a big "THANK YOU" to the cashier and staff at the store. Tractor Supply Stores have partnered with National 4-H to support 4-H programs at the grassroots level. Your paper clover donation comes back to Fulton and Montgomery Counties!