New Year with Endless Opportunities
Like our local schools, Georgia 4-H begins a new year in August, but unlike schools, it is twelve months of opportunities to explore, learn, be creative, attend, participate, and much more. Most often, when a person thinks of 4-H, farming and livestock come to mind. While those things are the foundation of the program, time and the need to expand for the benefit of youth has increased the number of opportunities available.
Students in grades 4th through 12th or ages 9 to 18, are eligible to join Gordon County 4-H at no cost. Once enrolled, they are subjected to events and activities according to their age. As they get older more opportunities become available.
The core programs of 4-H are County 4-H Curriculum/Club meetings; 4-H Summer Residential Camps; Project Achievement; and State 4-H Council. Also available are Communication and the Arts. Locally, there is the Northwest Georgia Regional Fair and statewide, the Georgia National Fair, Arts Contests such as the Georgia 4-H Photography, and Holiday Card Design and Clovers & Company which is an opportunity for youth to share with other groups, associations, and the general public their talents through music and dance.
Family and Consumer Science - Cotton Boll and Consumer Judging along with learning and sharing the importance of cotton, youth learn about consumer goods and services then rank them on how well they satisfy a particular consumer’s need in a given scenario; LifeSmarts, a quiz bowl competition teaching life skills, and Foods and Nutrition Contests such as MilkMake, Peanutrition, Egg Preparation, Chicken Barbecue, and Food Project Development.
4- Citizenship and Leadership - Summer Residential Camp there are five H camping facilities throughout the state and all offer adventure, friendship and fun; Conferences/Rallies
4- Junior Conference, Senior Conference, Junior Rally, Fall Forum, and State Council; H Day at the Capitol tour the State Capitol while the General Assembly is in session, meet and possibly page for legislators, Club Officer Elections and Training County,
Clean- District, and State levels, Certified Teen Leader Program, Community Service Activities Rivers Alive Annual Up, drives for clothing, canned goods, and pop tabs, Salvation Army “Ring the Bell,” and nursing home visits. There is also Awards and
4- Recognition - Bulldog Bucks, summer rewards trip and Outstanding Gordon County H’er based on participation in incentive program, Leadership in Action recognition of 7th through 12th grade youth who have shown leadership in the community; youth will choose an issue and execute an action plan,
4- Dean’s Award choose one of five project areas and submit a cumulative portfolio of your H career, Key Award
4- 4- 7th through 12th grade youth complete
4- an application based on their overall participation in H, Fantastic H’er featured on the Georgia H homepage, and Scholarships graduating high school seniors are eligible.
Agriculture and Natural Resources - Horse Club, Judging Teams – making a decision and telling why that decision was made, Dairy Cattle Judging, Livestock Judging, Poultry Judging, Wildlife Judging; Livestock Show Teams and Record Books—Beef Cattle, Goats, Sheep, and Swine; SAFE ( Shooting Awareness, Fun, and Education)
4- Program Archery, and 5 Meter BB, Shotgun – Modified Trap. Gordon County H is a positive
4- youth development organization that offers educational programs to school age children. The mission of H is to assist youth in acquiring knowledge,
self- developing life skills, and forming attitudes that will enable them to become directing, productive, and contributing members of society.
To find out more about Gordon County 4-H or to join, please call our office at 706-629-8685, visit our web site and event calendar at caes.uga. edu/extension/Gordon and please like Gordon County 4-H on Facebook.