Youth Day at San Antonio Stock Show

The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo will have it’s Youth Day on Sat., Feb. 13, 10 am-4 pm.  This is a huge event with all kinds of activities including hands-on activities, exhibits, photography contest, fashion show, and wagon & wheelbarrow parade.  4-H members and their clubs are invited to participate, and can also sign up to have a booth and/or participate. Click here to visit their website for more info and entry forms.

Congrats to Cole!!

Cole Ritchie, a member of the Hays County 4-H Shooting Sports Club, has been selected for the 2016 Texas 4-H Shooting Sports team.  This team will represent Texas at the National Invitational Match.  Cole is on the Smallbore Rifle team.  Best wishes to Cole and all of the team members!!

TSC Paper Clover Promotion

Thank you to everyone who purchased paper clovers and hosted special activities during the Fall TSC 4-H Paper Clover Promotion, which was October 7-18.  Texas was the leader in clover sales among all states, raising $108,232!  We'll find out soon how much comes back to Hays County from the sale of clovers in our 3 great TSC stores.  Be sure to thank those stores for their tremendous support!!

Go ahead and start making plans now for the Spring 2016 4-H Paper Clover Promotion, which will be held April 13-24.

Hays County 4-H Horse Shows

The Hays County 4-H Horse Committee will be hosting three horse shows, open to all Hays County 4-H members.  The shows will be held on January 9, February 6, and March 19.  All shows will be held at Dripping Springs Ranch Park. Participation in one of these shows in the regular division qualifies the rider to advance on to the District 4-H Horse Show in June.  Participation in at least two of the three shows qualifies the rider for year end high point awards.

A show bill for all three shows can be found by clicking here.

Click here for an Eligibility form for the February 6 Show.

No Academic Eligibility form is required for the March 19 show due to Spring Break.

Monday Night Horse Riding at Dripping Springs Ranch Park

The Monday Night Riding Series will begin on October 5 at Dripping Springs Ranch Park on October 5.  It will be from 6-9 p.m.  The first night, we would request that participants not bring horses, as this will be the night that the safety orientation will be conducted.  The schedule for the Monday Night Rides will be:

December 7, 21

Major Livestock Shows

Here are links to premium books for the various livestock shows.  You can click on the name for the specific show to access their web site and get to the Premium Book for each show. 

Fort Worth Livestock Show

Houston Livestock Show

Rodeo Austin Livestock Show

San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo

San Antonio Livestock Show

2015-16 Hays Co. 4-H Handbook (updated 10/19/15)

Most of you should have received a hard copy of the handbook by now.  If not, check with your 4-H Club Manager.  The book has been updated a bit, so download the latest copy by clicking here.  The handbook provides a great variety of 4-H info, so please take time to review it and keep it close by in order to add updates throughout the year as needed.

National Youth Science Day at Central Texas Speedway

We had a great workshop!  Thank you to everyone who participated.  You can access a highlight video from the event by clicking here.  

Anyone interested in conducting the Motion Commotion project during a 4-H club meeting, at school or with any other group can contact our office about checking out the project supplies.

Rabbit Project Educational Videos

Attention Rabbit Project Members:  There has been a series of rabbit project educational videos that have been developed and posted online.  Find out more about opportunities in the rabbit project, as well as information about nutrition, grooming, showmanship, and much more.  This video series can be viewed for free at http://texasyouthlivestock.com/rabbit/

Dist. 4-H Community Service Project

All 4-H clubs throughout District 10 are invited to participate in this project.  If you make care packages, please keep a count and submit your totals as requested.

Annual Hays Co. 4-H Report

Each year we compile a report about our 4-H youth program.  Click here to review the 2014-15 Hays County 4-H Youth Development Report. 

Virtual 4-H Volunteer Conference

While you might have missed the live versions of the Texas 4-H Virtual (online) Volunteer Conference sessions this last year, you are encouraged to click here and view the recorded sessions at your convenience.  These sessions provide excellent information and resources, so please take advantage of them!

Warm Up America Community Service Project Opportunity

Here's some information shared from Comal County:
Do you know how to crochet or knit, or want to learn how?  This is a great way to learn a new skill while helping those in need.   We realize that everyone’s time is valuable and you may not have the time or skill to complete an entire afghan.  We are collecting 7” x 9” rectangles knit or crocheted from a washable wool blend in any color which will then be sewn together to make completed adult size afghans.   Donate just one or donate several.  The more rectangles we receive, the more afghans we can complete.  For children’s afghans make the rectangles in a sport weight washable acrylic in child friendly colors.  If you want to participate, but simply don’t have the time to knit or crochet, we will accept yarn donations to share with those who are willing to help knit or crochet.  Click here for more info.

T.L.C - Teamwork, Leadership, and Communication Training

Alexis Skaggs, a summer intern from Kentucky who has been working in the Hays County Extension Office, has developed a leadership training module titled "T.L.C. 101".  This training module focuses on Teamwork, Leadership, and Communication.  In this training module, Alexis covers information that can build young leaders and strengthen 4-H clubs.  Check out the training module by clicking here.

Thank You Safety Day Volunteers!!

Special thanks to all of our 4-H members and volunteers who helped with our Safety Days!! Thank you to:  Alizae Mendoza, Aliseana Lopez, Makena Hawkins, Kora Renfro, Carleigh Funk, Konleigh Eben, Quentin Parrish, Priscilla Ruiz, Ashley Wortham, Arielle Wortham, Araya Feeney, Skylar Parrish, Joseph Nino, Jennifer Ruiz, Becky Hawkins, Tina Owens, Dori Naivar, Haley White, Kendyl Gordon and Lois LaCaze.  Special thanks also to our 4-H Shooting Sports members and volunteers who presented the firearm safety session:  Scott Edwards, Lisa Edwards, Riley Edwards, Cynthia Ritcher, Gretchen Westbrook, Yahva Westbrook, Alyssa Tate and James Tate.  A big thank you also to Dyan, Olivia and Cassandra Twining for leading the hearing session.

Over the 2-day Safety Days, we had a total of 755 4th grade students from 7 Hays CISD elementary schools and 225 youth and adult volunteers and school staff.  Students rotated through 9, 20-minute sessions on a variety of safety topics.  Thank you to everyone who helped make both days successful!!  

Check out the highlights videos that Richard compiled.  He went above and beyond this time with two versions – 1 long and 1 short.  Click here to view the 18-minute video and click here to view the 6-minute (short) video.

Texas Community Futures Forum Summary

We conducted our Futures Forum on March 28th.  The event brought together individuals from throughout Hays County to identify and prioritize critical issues.  The forum is conducted state-wide, within each county, every 4-5 years.  Issues were reviewed within four areas:

• Agriculture & Natural Resources
• Families & Health
• Community Resource & Economic Development
• Youth

Click here for a complete summary.

Wimberley 4-H News

Congratulations to Wimberley 4-H for being honored by the children's shelter.  4-H members brought coats and clothes to the kids there. They not only collected coats all over town, they took them to the kids and visited with them.  Thanks to Kim McGee for sharing!!

Mrs. McGee also reported on the 4-H food and nutrition project lesson, which included a sit down lesson about nutritional value and a special guest French professor who teach them how to make crepes.  They also received a French language lesson.  What a great experience!!

Hays Co. 4-H Horse Judgers Shine

The Hays County 4-H Junior Horse Judging team received third place honors in the San Antonio Livestock Show Horse Judging Contest held on February 19. There were fifty-three teams competing in the Junior Division of this contest. The Hays County 4-H Team members consisted of Sarah Bouckley, Colin DeWitt, Haley Garland, all members of the Dripping Springs 4-H Club, and Arielle Wortham, a member of the Wimberley 4-H Club. The team also had two of its members place in the top twenty high point individuals in the contest. Of the 182 junior contestants competing in the contest, Haley Garland was the 12^th high point individual and Colin DeWitt was the 15^th high point individual in the contest.