Technology, Painting & Goat Care - we've been busy!!

It's been a busy couple days & I think it'll stay busy for a while at this point!

Yesterday we had 19 9-13 year olds in the office learning about Internet Safety & Painting Techniques. We traveled to Richmond Community College to discuss Internet safety and how to be safe when we are online. Dr. Carlotta Knotts helped us to find some websites that were safe to go to and we learned that we should never give out information about ourselves over the Internet. Before heading back to the Extension Office, we talked about cyber bullies & how to react when someone says something to or about you online.

After some team building activities, we got out the paints, brushes & newspaper & started painting everything! Well, almost everything:) We started out practicing on paper. Diane Lucas & her daughter Danielle helped us learn all kinds of cool designs! We had to learn to paint really small things, because next we moved to faces! I painted Coleman's face - cool huh?!? Check out the pictures to see what Coleman painted on my face:)

After we were all decorated, we moved on to painting jars. We painted jars to hold everything from dog treats to hair ties to cotton balls! We had to be sure to place our creations in the oven for a few minutes to make sure that the paint stayed on. We got to take our creations home to share & now we know how to create more cool jars if we need them!

This morning we got here early to a bit of a different sight! There was a pen set up behind the building & two goats in it! We learned all about how to take care of them and show them from several members of the 4-H Livestock Club. We got to lead them around the "show ring" and learned how to stay on the right side while showing (don't block the judge's view:) and how to make sure they stay healthy. We finished the class with a game of review darts and everyone has this afternoon free.

We are excited to continue our Summer Fun classes Friday with Sewing Basics! Stay tuned for news as several of our members will travel to Montgomery County tomorrow for District Activity Day!

Summer Fun Starts with a Twirl!

Yesterday was a very important day on the 4-H Calendar. It was the first day of 4-H Summer Fun! What better way to start the 4-H Summer than with 15 Cloverbuds (5 to 8 year old members) learning to dance & doing crafts!


We started the morning by getting warmed up with the help of Ms. Sharon Nichols, who just opened a new Dance Studio in the old Kay building in downtown Rockingham. Ms. Sharon helped us learn everything from the bunny hop to the waltz & as you can tell from the pictures, we had A LOT of fun doing it!

After thanking Ms Sharon & eating a yummy sack lunch, we started doing crafts and team building with a bit of coloring! We made sun catcher key chains and colored several 4-H pictures. They all turned out really cool. We finished the day by learning about communication using Team Chutes, which are actually just parachute panels that we put together to form obstacles to overcome. We learned that it is easier to listen to one team leader than for everyone to try to do things their way. After we figured that out, the obstacles became pretty easy!

As I type, a group of 9 to 13 year old 4-H'ers is at Richmond Community College learning about Internet safety and cyber-bullying with the help of Dr. Carlotta Knotts. I sure hope they learn that this is a safe site to visit:) This afternoon we will be painting everything from jars to faces as we learn about working with different types of "canvases" with Ms. Diane Lucas. Stay tuned for more updates of what our 4-H'ers are learning and doing during Summer Fun!

All Kinds of 4-H Fun!

Yesterday was an exciting day in the world of Richmond County 4-H! Many People are coming together to work for the good of 4-H and Richmond County Youth!

June 1st was the first day of Summer Fun Registration! We registered about 40 youth yesterday for classes that are held during the summer. Classes can be taken on subjects ranging from sewing to livestock to science to CSI to holiday crafts to healthy lifestyles. We are taking a few more trips than we have in the past, including a visit to the North Carolina Zoo, the Rotary Planetarium in Wadesboro, Richmond Community College, and the Sandhills Research Station. Registration will be held at the Extension Office from 9-5 and on an individual basis after Thursday. For more information, including required forms, schedules and class closings, please see the Richmond County Cooperative Extension website at richmond.ces.ncsu.edu.

Also, Mr. Brad Dixon, Assistant Director of Development for 4-H Camps and Conference Centers, Ms. Sharon Rowland, Executive Director, NC Cooperative Extension Foundation & Director of Development for the Central Region and Jim Clark, NC 4-H Historian, visited several businesses and individuals in the county to share the vision for the 4-H Museum Complex at Millstone 4-H Camp in Richmond County. Brad gave a wonderful presentation to the Richmond County Board of Commissioners with support of myself, our County Extension Director Clinton McRae, Millstone Camp Director Gene Shutt and his wife Dorothy, who is a public school teacher, Summer Camp Director William Terry and Head Male Cabin Counselor Will Speight. If anyone would like more information on the project, please check out http://www.nc4h.org/donors/museum.html or call Brad or Sharon at (919) 513-7989.

We are excited about both of these very big projects! Stay tuned for more information on events involving the Museum Project and be sure to come in & register for 4-H Summer Fun!