February County Council Report

Greetings, 4-H Members! Our last County Council meeting was held on
February 19th, and we discussed some exciting upcoming events.

The Alachua County 4-H Youth Fair is coming up! Get your exhibits
ready to be judged on March 15th at the County Extension Office. The
fair itself will be held March 28th - April 1st at the Alachua County
Fairgrounds. You should have received your Fair packet with all
pertinent information in the mail. Please be sure to look it over and
submit your fair form. Come join us at the Fair!

You may have heard that there is going to be a new 4-H T-Shirt
available through County Council as a fundraiser. One shirt costs
approximately $10.00, and may be pre-ordered by calling the Extension
Office. We recently had a design contest to determine what would be put
on the shirts. Congratulations to the McIntosh family on their winning
design! The image will be featured on the T-Shirts once they are made.

Please note that 4-H County Events Day has been moved to April 19th.
County Events Day offers an opportunity for you to give speeches,
illustrated talks, and demonstrations. You can also model clothing that
you’ve constructed or selected, and participate in the talent show.

Jr. Congress is coming up on May 9th and 10th. Jr. Congress is an
overnight camp where youth have fun, learn new skills, make new
friends, and get an idea of what Senior Congress is like. Several
Senior-level 4-H youth have signed up to teach classes at Jr. Congress.
If you are also interested in teaching or need more information,
contact the Extension Office at (352)-955-2402 . The registration
deadline for Jr. Congress is May 2, 2008.

4-H County Council officer elections are coming up soon. A vote will
be held on April 15th to decide who will hold each office. Holding a
4-H County Council office looks great on high school transcripts! Being
an officer will also give you a chance to practice those ever-valuable
leadership skills.

Speaking of leadership, there is an ATV Safety Program forming that
needs volunteers. Intermediate and senior 4-H-ers may be interested in
participating. For more information, contact Lorraine Williams at
LSW@alachuacounty.US .

Grape Pruning at Grandma’s Vineyard was a great success! 98 people
helped raise money for our 4-H record book fund. Many thanks to all who
showed up to volunteer and helped us break our record by finishing at
1:30 pm. Also, a big thank-you to Ms. Lorraine for providing us with a
delicious lunch!

Sadly, there is some disturbing news at hand. The University of
Florida is in the process of making budget cuts that will affect county
extension services and the 4-H program throughout the state of Florida.
While the budget cuts may be unavoidable, we can make our opinions and
support for 4H known by contacting our legislators, UF Board of Trustee
members, and local newspapers and media. Tell them how much 4-H means
to you! Decisions will be made as early as March 8th, so please let
your voice be heard before then! Please visit the Save Florida 4H blog
at http://saveflorida4h.blogspot.com/ for more information, and for
contacts.

If you’re looking for another way to promote 4-H, then you can
participate in the Faces of 4-H 100-year anniversary Celebration.
Please visit the state website, where applications and details can be
found. The deadline is March 1st.

submitted by Kayleigh Hinson, County Council co-reporter