November Newsletter

The November edition of the Alleghany Clover News is now available online.  Click here to view.

West Central District Leaders Fall Day

The WCD Leaders Fall Day will be held Saturday, November 13 in Catawba County. Workshops include: Leatherwork, Lambs 101, ARIE, NC 4-H Hungry to Help, Dried Flower Arranging, How to Help your 4-H Teen Love Cumulative Records, Fundamentals of 4-H & Etiquette for Today’s 4-H, Parliamentary Procedure, and Understanding Ages & Stages of Youth Development.

Cost is FREE for Parents and Leaders. You must register by Friday, November 5 by calling the Extension Office at 336-372-5597. This is a great networking and learning event that is open to all Alleghany County 4-H Volunteers and Parents.

4-H - Hungry to Help

We’ve all heard the old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, it’s true – nutritious food is good medicine. Food is one of our most basic needs. Along with oxygen, water, and shelter, it is necessary for human survival. In a nation as affluent as the United States, no child should go hungry. Yet everyday hunger disrupts the lives of 1 in 5 children in North Carolina.

Hunger is a problem hiding “in plain sight” in North Carolina. Whether it involves skipping meals, eating less than is needed to live a healthy life, or making do with foods that are filling but not nutritious, hunger’s effects can be devastating, especially among our more vulnerable citizens, including children and older adults.

According to an analysis by Feeding America, a hunger relief organization with which the food banks are affiliated, North Carolina ranks as the second-worst state in the nation when it comes to children under 5 lacking regular access to nutritious food and as 10th-worst for children of all ages.

In May 2009, Feeding America released the results of its first analysis of food insecurity in early childhood, “Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2005 - 2007.” North Carolina ranked second worst in the nation with 24.1 percent of its children under 5 judged to be food insecure and lacking regular access to nutritional food. The state was 10th worst in the same Feeding America study of food insecurity in children 0-18 years old. Both studies used figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nationally, the food insecurity average is 17 percent for children under 5.

To combat hunger the NC 4-H Youth Development program and the Food Banks of North Carolina, all of which are affiliates of Feeding AmericaTM our nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, have teamed up to promote awareness of hunger in North Carolina and to make an impact in local communities through a new hunger awareness initiative entitled “Hungry to Help.”

According to Dr. Marshall Stewart, State 4-H Leader, “Exciting plans are underway to prepare 4-H’ers, 4-H volunteers and alumni to host a variety of hunger awareness programs, can food drives (virtual and real) and sponsor hunger related volunteer efforts in their local communities. Extension offices across the state will become “drop-off” locations for can food collections and the entire Extension family is gearing up to prepare participants to be citizen leaders for hunger relief.”

4-H recognizes that knowledge and understanding are powerful tools in the battle to end hunger, and that food insecurity undermines our nation’s investments in education and health care.

Alleghany County 4-H will begin meeting this initiative by collecting food for the Solid Rock Food Closet during the months of October & November. Please bring food items by the Extension Office (90 S. Main St., Sparta) Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. through November 22nd.

What can you bring? The most needed items are canned meat (chicken, turkey, ham, beef stew), canned fish (tuna, salmon), peanut butter, pasta, rice, deluxe macaroni & cheese, soup, canned vegetables (beans, corn, potatoes), or canned fruit (pears, apples, peaches). Other items you could donate are: canned fruit cocktail, canned ravioli, canned spaghetti ‘n meatballs, canned pork ‘n beans, breakfast bars, apple sauce cups, pudding cups, small plastic bottles of 100% juice, or small boxes of cereal.

4-H is a community of six million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. North Carolina Cooperative Extension at North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University conducts the 4-H program. More than 240,926 young people between the ages of 5 and 19 participate in North Carolina 4-H programs each year with the help of 21,221 adult and youth volunteers.

Additional information on the “Hungry to Help” initiative will be released on the N.C. 4-H website at www.nc4h.org. If you have questions please contact the Extension Office at 336-372-5597 or e-mail Amy Lucas at amy_lucas@ncsu.edu

Teen Leadership Deadline Extended

Just a reminder, the deadline is quickly approaching to register for the Teen Leadership Retreat. Deadline to register has been extended until October 27th. Don't miss out on a chance to meet teens from across the west and west central district and participate in some wonderful workshops where you will learn about leadership development and our 4-H theme (Hungry to Help).

Leadership Conference will be on November 13th at the Sertoma 4-H Educational Center. and is open to youth ages 13 and up (must be 13 as of January 1). If you have questions or would like to register, contact the Extension Office at 336-372-5597. Cost for the event is $40.00 which includes lunch, snacks and transportation.

Fall 2010 4-H Target Shooting Sports Workshop

October 22-24, 2010 at Millstone 4-H Camp
Deadline to register: October 14th

The Fall 2010 North Carolina 4-H Target Shooting Sports Workshop will be held October 22-24, 2010 at Millstone 4-H Camp, near Ellerbe, NC. The workshop is designed to equip adult volunteers to work with youth in 4-H Target Shooting Sports
Clubs. Participants will have the opportunity to share ideas and information while enhancing their skills in teaching youth through the use of the National 4-H Shooting Sports curriculum materials.

We will be accepting a total of 75 participants for the workshop - no more than 15 in each of the following disciplines: shotgun, pistol, archery, muzzleloading, and rifle (note: accepted applicants will participate in only one discipline throughout the entire weekend long training). Participants are required to pay a $75 fee to help offset some of the cost for the workshop. We are asking that all participants be registered with their local Extension office as 4-H volunteers prior to attending our workshop.

This is a hands on workshop, participants will be required to pass a written test in their discipline and required to teach portions of their curriculum as part of a practicum test. Participants should be familiar with the shooting disciplines they choose; we will not be teaching participants to shoot but rather how to use shooting sports as a youth development tool.

Deadline to register is October 14th. If you are interested in attending, please contact the Extension Office at 336-372-5597. Applications can be found HERE and should be turned in at the Alleghany Office. Scholarships for the $75 fee are available. There are expectations on the county level once you have attended training.

Fodder Trot Trail

When: October 22 5:45 pm - 7:30 pm

Cost: $6.00 per person

Want to get lost in a corn maze? Come with us on an adventure to Fodder Trot Trail. The theme this year is "A Salute to American Soldier" so we will be making our way through a cannon, a soldier, stars and the US Navy Symbol. After we find our way out, we'll be enjoying hot dogs roasted on a campfire but be sure to save room for S'mores.

We will meet at the County Office Building on Friday, October 22nd at 5:45. Entry fee, transportation and snacks included. You don't want to miss out on the fall fun.

To register come by the Extension Office at 90 S. Main St (3rd floor) or for more information contact us at 372-5597.

SCarowinds & Hungry to Help

Join us as we make a frightful trip to Scarowinds on Friday, October 15th and help fight hunger at the same time. In an effort to help make a difference in the hunger problem we are inviting teens ages 13 (as of Jan 1) and older to join us as we travel to Carowinds SCarowinds. There will be no exceptions on the age limit. In order to be eligible to attend, teens must bring at least 5 (five) non-perishable food items to the Extension Office by Wednesday October 13th. For every 3 three additional items you bring in $1 will be deducted from your ticket price.

Suggestions of non-perishable food items: boxed macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, canned foods, dried fruit, canned or boxed juice, cereal, oatmeal, canned tuna or chicken, and peanut butter. For a full list of items click HERE. Please no glass containers or perishable items.

Cost of each ticket is $25 and five non-perishable food items. We will be leaving the Extension Office at 4:00 pm on Friday and will leave the park at midnight. For more information, contact the Extension Office at (336) 372-5597. Deadline to register is Wednesday, October 13th.

Teen Leadership Focus Conference

The West Central Teen Leadership Focus (taking the place of State Council Conference) will be held at Sertoma 4-H Educational Center on Saturday, November 13, 2010. The retreat will begin with registration at 8am and workshops at 9:30am. These retreats are designed for teens, so 4-H’ers ages 13 (as of Jan. 1) and older are invited to attend.

The cost to attend the Teen Leadership Focus Conference is $40. This includes lunch and snacks. Some workshops will focus on our theme (Hungry To Help); however, the majority of the workshops will be focused on Leadership Development including selected Ambassador tracks. This is a day event only.

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to meet teens from across the West and West Central District and learn about our state theme and participate in some great activities. To register, you must contact the Amy or Michele at the Extension Office at 336-372-5597. Deadline to Register is October 20th.

Scutes, Scales and Slippery Skins - Zoo Snooze

Who: Youth ages 8-12
When: October 8th & 9th
Cost: $25

We will be traveling to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro for a special program on reptiles. We will be spending the night in the zoo and then touring the zoo on Saturday. Snacks will be provided. You will need to bring money for dinner Friday night and lunch in the Zoo Saturday. We will be leaving on Friday from the County Office Building Parking lot at 4:00 p.m. Spaces are very limited. You must come by the Extension Office at 90 S Main St. to register.

Science Fair Workshop

There will be a science fair workshop in Wilkes County on September 8, 2010 from 10 am - 2 pm. Cost for the workshop is $5. April Dilllon, 4-H Agent in Lincoln County, will be the instructor. You will learn about the process of science fairs and also receive materials to help you with your project. If you would like to register, please contact Amy Lucas at (336) 372-5597 or amy_lucas@ncsu.edu.