Hopkins County | Extension
The Hopkins County 4-H program is alive and well, and we have honors to prove it! One of the events that takes place each summer is District 4-H Record Book judging. If you are not familiar with the 4-H Record Keeping System, it is a booklet outlining a 4-H member’s project involvement, leadership, community service and awards, and for the high school 4-H members, a career exploration section is added. A 4-H Story is also included in which the 4-H member tells about his or her family, why they chose to be involved in 4-H and an overview of their experiences in 4-H along with photos of various events and projects. 4-H Record Books are not required, but our staff highly encourages 4-H members to complete one due to the value of putting thoughts together, sharpening writing skills and having a record for future scholarship applications or job interviews.
Record books from a 22-county district were recently judged, and our Hopkins County kids did very well. Seven books were judged on the District level and the results are below:
Seniors:
(grades 9-12)
• Elida Miller – Agriculture Sciences, second
• Jorja Bessonett – Health & Personal Safety, third
Intermediates:
(grades 6-8)
• Ethan George – Health & Personal Safety, first
• Braden Lennon – Agriculture Sciences, first
• Rylie Carroll – Consumer Education, first
• Diego Childs – Food & Nutrition, seventh
Juniors:
(grades 3-5)
• Kaden Mabe – Swine, second
Another highlight of the 4-H year is the Multi-County 4-H Camp. This three-day, overnight camp takes place at Lakeview Baptist Conference Center in Lone Star, Texas. I had the privilege of leading an outdoor cooking session assisted by Jessica Taylor, our Extension assistant. During this workshop, participants created a foil pack from sausage, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, corn, pineapple and seasonings. The second project was to make Campfire Eclairs from crescent rolls cooked on a dowel rod covered with foil, and then filled with their choice of pudding flavors, 4-H green sprinkles and whipped cream. I taught them about food safety including: the temperature danger zone, proper temperatures for refrigerator and freezer, knife safety, food-borne illness and preventing cross-contamination. Each camper ate what they had cooked over a grill. From comments heard throughout the session, it was a big hit!
My co-worker Mario Villarino took the lead in the archery session assisted by Eric Bridges, Hopkins County 4-H member. They instructed participants in proper handling of a bow and arrow, setting up targets and proper stance while shooting. They also covered safety procedures.
Other workshops included STEM, Healthy Lifestyles, Junior Master Gardeners/Nature and Zip-lining. Approximately 90 youth and adult volunteers attended the annual camp.
Throughout the camp, session leaders watched for 4-H members who excelled in various areas such as leadership, skill, attitude, helpfulness and encouragement. Several Hopkins County 4-H members brought home awards. They are:
• Eric Bridges – Team Leader
• Natalie Vaughn – Blue Team VIP, Fine Florist Award
• Colby Mayfield – Most Enthusiastic Archer
• Lena Reyes – Outdoor Cooking, Yellow Team
• Blaine Allen – Outdoor Cooking, Yellow Team
2019/2020 4-H ENROLLMENT
Enrollment for the 2019-2020 4-H year will soon be open. Mid-August is usually when the link becomes available.
To access information about the Texas 4-H program, go to www. texas4-h.tamu.edu There, you will find a description of all the projects and opportunities available through 4-H.
On our county level, we have three clubs and two special interest clubs, Veterinary Science and Equine. We also welcome adult volunteers to register as leaders.
The 4-H Gazette Newsletter is prepared six times per year and contains information about Hopkins County 4-H opportunities, deadlines, member highlights and more. Every 4-H household in Hopkins County receives the newsletter (both electronically and via postal mail), and a state-wide e-newsletter is sent to all 4-H members across the state.
CLOSING THOUGHT
“Just when you think you can’t do it, you find a way to succeed.” – Maddox Henderson, 4-H camper