Benjamin D. Kline - 2009 Recipient of the Mary Fisher-Owens Memorial Trust Scholarship

Penn State Cooperative Extension of Clearfield County is pleased to announce that Benjamin D. Kline is the 2009 recipient of the Mary Fisher-Owens Memorial Trust Scholarship. Benjamin is the 18 year old son of Kevin and Christine Kline of Clearfield. Benjamin is a 2009 graduate of Clearfield Area High School, where he graduated with honors, and he is currently a freshman at Penn State University – DuBois campus, majoring in Animal Science. His future career goal is to become a large animal veterinarian.

Benjamin currently belongs to the Clearfield County 4-H Teen Council, the Clearfield FFA Chapter, and the Clearfield County 4-H Beef Club, where he currently serves as club president. Over his years in the 4-H and FFA programs, Benjamin has made several contributions to both organizations. Benjamin helped implement the Clearfield County 4-H & FFA Master Showman Contest held during the Clearfield County Fair the past two years. Benjamin was a co-chairperson of the event this year, which is sponsored by Clearfield County 4-H Teen Council. For the past two years, Benjamin along with fellow 4-H teen council members, has been involved with Clearfield County’s Progressive Agriculture Safety Days and has helped organize and present the animal safety station each year. Benjamin actively participates in Clearfield County Fair and has held 4-H and FFA projects in the areas of beef steer, dairy cattle, and poultry. Benjamin received the honor of having the Grand Campion Market Beef Steer of the Clearfield County 4-H & FFA Livestock Show & Sale consecutively in 2008 and 2009.

Outside of his involvement with the 4-H and FFA program, Benjamin is an active member of St. Francis Catholic Church and was a past recipient of the Christian Leadership Award. While in high school Benjamin was active on the prom committee and Clearfield Bison Baseball Team.

“It has been a true honor having Benjamin as part of the 4-H program. Again and again, Ben has proven extreme dedication to all of his 4-H projects and responsibilities and is one of the hardest workers I know. Ben always maintains a positive attitude and has served as a great role model and mentor to younger members. I am confident that Ben’s determination to achieve all the goals he sets for himself will take him very far in life” Jana Davidson, Children & Youth Development Educator

The Mary Fisher-Owens Memorial Trust Scholarship is open to all Clearfield County residents entering into Penn State University’s College of Agriculture Sciences as full-time, first-semester freshman. Applications are available at the Clearfield County Cooperative Extension Office and that deadline to apply is May 1st. The Mary Fisher-Owens Memorial Trust Scholarship is sponsored by Hazen Owens of Olanta and is based on the interest of a $10,000 trust fund.

Thundering Hoofbeats 4-H Club Members Participate in 4-H Equine Skill-a-thon

Three members of the Thundering Hoofbeats 4-H Club participated in the 4-H Equine Skill-a-thon held on Thursday, August 20, 2009 at Ag Progress.

The Equine Skill-a-thon, which is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Quarter Horse Association and Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension, is an annual event for 4-H members across the state to participate in. Three components make up the skill-a-thon including:

• Identification Stations, which included any topics from 4-H horse project books
• A Written Test, which was on general knowledge of horses, horsemanship, and related topics
• Horse Judging, in which contestants judged one or two classes of 4 horses according to ideal conformation standards for the class

The skill-a-thon had 3 age categories: Junior Division for ages 8-11, Intermediate Division for ages 12-14, and Senior Division for ages 15-18. Grand Champion and Reserve Winners in each age Division won $200 and $100 savings bonds. Cash awards were given to individuals’ receiving1st trough 5th place. Entries were limited to 20 participants per division.

Representing the Clearfield County 4-H Program was three first time participants from the Thundering Hoofbeats 4-H Club. The participants were Morgan Reardon, Violet Sleigh, and Sydney Turner, all of Philipsburg. Violet Sleigh placed 8th overall in the Junior Division (placing 1st in horse judging, 7th on the written test, and 10th on the identification stations). Sydney Turner placed 10th overall (placing 8th in horse judging, a 9th on the written test and 9th on the identification stations). Morgan Reardon placed 4th in horse judging and 10th on the written test.

All participants said the skill-a-thon was a great learning experience and would like to go back and take part in the program again next year!

In photo above from left to right are participants Morgan Reardon, Sydney Turner, and Violet Sleigh.

E-DATA - 4-H Member & 4-H Volunteer Leader Enrollment for 2010

E-data (Extension Data System) is Penn State Cooperative Extension’s new information management system. This new system will take the place of the paper 4-H Member Enrollment and 4-H Volunteer Leader Enrollment Forms. In addition to adding your enrollment information, this system will help inform you about upcoming club, county, regional, and statewide 4-H programs. The system also allows you to register for these programs, as well as cancel your registration to a program or event if a conflict arises. This program will not only cut down on paper usage, but allow you to be notified about upcoming opportunities immediately. This is not a county or a regional database as it was originally designed, but it was adopted by the ENTIRE state of Pennsylvania as a way to enroll 4-H members and leaders. If you, as a 4-H Leader, have already enrolled in the system earlier this year, you have now been given 4-H club access! I encourage all of you to go into the system and become familiar with it! I hope to have ALL current 4-H members and leaders enrolled by January 1, 2010!

How to get started with e-data: First, visit the you will need to visit the Clearfield County Cooperative Extension website - http://clearfield.extension.psu.edu/ Second, you will need to click on the e-data link at the bottom left hand side of the webpage. Third, you will need to set-up a Friends of Penn State Account at https://fps.psu.edu, where you will be given a user name and password to log into the system at http://edata.extension,psu.edu/ Once you log-in, you can begin entering you information into the system including your contact information, 4-H club, 4-H projects, etc… (PLEASE NAVIGATE BY USING THE TABS AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN). Fourth, once you are finished entering items on a page, press the UPDATE button to save all your information. Remember, if 4-H members are in multiple clubs; please make sure to tell them to list themselves as a member in ALL the 4-H clubs they belong to. Leaders of multiple clubs should do the same!

Since this program is brand new and there are still some issues to work through, here is what is recommended for ALL 4-H Members & 4-H Leaders to do:

• If you enrolled in e-data for 2009, you will now need to re-enroll for the 2010 year. To do this, click CARRY OVER on the top right hand side of the PROGRAMS Tab.
• Complete as much information in the system as possible, then go to the PDF button on the top right hand side of the screen and print out the enrollment form. On the printed form, correct any errors or fill in any blanks that are shown. We have found that medical information has not moved to the PDF form, the 4-H member’s years in 4-H defaults to 1, and the parent signature is needed on the Code Agreement.
• Ask all 4-H members to submit hard copies of this form to you (the Organizational Leader) along with their $10.00 Educational Material Fee for 2010. Then submit hard copies of your 4-H club’s enrollment to the Extension Office.
  

4-H Day with the Penn State Lady Lions - February 7, 2010

This year’s 4-H Day with Penn State Lady Lions Basketball Game will take place on Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Penn State Lady Lions will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. A brochure with ticket order information was attached to the recent 4-H Fall Newsletter.

All tickets to this game are only $1.00 for 4-H members, leaders, and families. If you would like tickets to this event, please submit your complete order form to the Extension Office by Wednesday, November 25 along with your payment.  All ticket orders will be sent to the appropriate contacts on each order form when they are when received by the Extension Office.

4-H Horse Program VTC - December 8, 2009

On Tuesday, December 8, 2009, Lew Trumble, 4-H Horse Program Associate for Western Pennsylvania, will be hosting a 4-H Horse Program Video Teleconference on the topic: "Competitive Trail Riding: What Is It & How Can I become Involved?"

The program will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and can be viewed at the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Office (VTC site) in Brookville, PA.

This program is open to all 4-H members, parents, and leaders wishing to gain more information on the 4-H competitive trail riding project!

Please contact Susan Alexander to register at (814) 849-7361 by Friday, December 4!