4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills.

624 Second Street Natchitoches, LA 71457

(318) 357-2224 phone (318) 357-2225 fax

Dates & Deadlines

February

2 DUE: JLC Early Bird

Registration 4-H Office

3 Rifle Practice @ 4:00 pm Shooting Range

4-6 District Livestock Show Alexandria, LA

6-7 Shotgun Practice @

2:00p.m. Shooting Range

8 DUE: Regional Shoot

Competition Registration 4-H Office

8 Hunters Safety Course Fish Hatchery

9 Junior Leader Field Tour NRMC

10-

11 Rifle Practice @ 4:00 p.m. Shooting Range

13-

20 LSU Livestock Show Baton Rouge

13-

14

Shotgun Practice @

2:00 p.m. Shooting Range

15 Camp Stitchalot Westside Baptist Church

15 Junior Leader Meeting @

6:30 p.m. Arts Center

20-

21

Shotgun Practice @

2:00 p.m. Shooting Range

22 DUE: JLC Late

Registration 4-H Office

24 Rifle Practice @ 2:00 p.m. Shooting Range

25-

27 Challenge Camp Camp Grant Walker

27-

28

Shotgun Practice @

2:00 p.m. Shooting Range

Exploring career clusters is fun! With more than 30,000 different careers in this country, it is often

difficult for young people to focus their varying interests and to learn

about the numerous opportunities available in the world of work.

This month we will divide the

job market into Career Clus-

ters, which will help you view

future job possibilities more

clearly and makes the career

decision-making process much

easier.

Career Clusters are occupa-

tions that are grouped together

because so many people in

these professions share similar

interests and strengths. Clus-

ters include numerous occupa-

tions that require varying

degrees of education and training. The process of exploring is fun

and we can’t wait to get started with our 4-H members!

In January of 2017, the National 4-H Youth Conference Center will be offering the first ever Citizenship Washington Focus: Presidential Inauguration. Louisiana 4-H is delight-ed to be sending a delegation to participate in this event. The presidential Inauguration gives young people a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse themselves in politics and to understand, first-hand, the influence of democracy. What you’ll see and do: Partake in workshops, sessions, and speakers; Visit memorials, historical sites, and museums; Experience Inauguration Day events; Dance the night away on an Inaugural Ball dinner and dance cruise. The Louisiana 4-H Delegation will consist of 8 Louisiana youth and 2 adult chaperones. The application process is open to enrolled members of Louisi-ana 4-H that are currently in 8th-11th grade with the understanding that all youth will be in high school during January of 2017. The application includes:

Application Form Application Questions (12 pt, Times New Roman, double space) 4-H Agent Recommendation Form completed and signed by 4-H Agent Video essay (60 seconds max in .mp4 or .wmv format)

Applications are due March 1st, 2016, and will be judged by a panel. Winners will be announced by March 15th, 2016. A list of alternates will also be announced at that time.

Win a chance to represent LA 4-H at the

2017 Presidential Inauguration!

For the month of February we are collecting Pedigree

Adult Dog Food for Natchitoches Hope for Paws. Please drop off donations to the 4-H

Office or give to club lead-er at your next meeting!

4-H Culinary Arts Competition: March 21 Sundays are time to spend together as a family...so why not spend it in the kitchen together cook-

ing up the next award winning dish? This year we are hosting the Pecan, Poultry, and Seafood

Culinary Arts Competition on Monday, March 21, but because dishes have to prepared the night

before and transported on ice, this gives you the entire Sunday to work on preparing your dish.

Please contact the 4-H Office for the a copy of the official contest rules.

Contest: Monday, March 21, 2016. Check-In: 5:30-6:00 p.m. Judging Begins: 6:15 p.m. Awards/Pick Up Dishes: 7:30 p.m.

Categories include: Poultry Chicken; Seafood Crawfish, Shrimp and Fish; Pecan Appetizer/Salad and Dessert. Poultry dishes must contain

a minimum of 1 pound, deboned chicken or 2 pounds bone-in chicken; Seafood crawfish, shrimp, and fish must contain a minimum of 1

cup/8 ounces of (fresh, frozen or canned); and Pecan dishes must contain a minimum of 1/2 cup of pecans (whole, chopped, halves or piec-

es).

General Rules: Participants compete as an individual. Participants may only enter one dish in each commodity category. For example

you can enter only one Pecan Appetizer/Salad, and one Pecan Dessert. The dish must be prepared by the 4-H member the night before

and chilled in the refrigerator. The dish must be transported to the contest on ice and in an ice chest. Dishes not chilled in the refrigera-

tor the night before and transported on ice in an ice chest will be disqualified. Participants display of the dish must include the entire reci-

pe yield. Participants are responsible for setting up their dish for judging. Only contestants will be allowed in the judging room. Non-

edible items are not to be used as garnish. Items not directly related to the dish such as placemats, flower arrangements, and figurines will

be removed. Must submit 2 typed copies of the recipe. Recipes may be used in publicity and printed in publications by the sponsors.

Camping Corner

CAMP WHO CAN

GO WHEN COST

REGISTRATION

DEADLINE

CAMP

LOCATION

NUMBER

ALLOTED

Junior Leadership

Conference

14 years and

older by Jan. 1 March 11-13

$75 Early

$85 Late

February 2, 2016

Early Deadline

February 21, 2016

Late Deadline

Camp Grant Walker 4 Boys

4 Girls

Food and Fitness

Camp

4th-6th

graders March 19-20

$75 per

family

(one youth,

February 28 Camp Grant Walker 60 Family Teams

Statewide

4-H University 13 or older by

Jan. 1 June 21-24 $220 May 13 LSU Baton Rouge, LA Unlimited

For more information or to register contact your 4-H Agent or 4-H Club Leader!

Please keep in mind that overnight, chaperone trained adult volunteers are needed to help take youth to camps! If we do not have enough adult volunteers

youth will not be able to attend. Would like to volunteer? Need training? Contact Mrs. Gwen at 357-2224 or email at gfontenot@agcenter.lsu.edu!

Junior Leadership Conference

This conference provides the opportunity for youth to come together to further learning

and developing their leadership and teamwork skills. A variety of workshops are con-

ducted on communication, teamwork, service learning and much more! A key element is

that the camp is youth driven. Youth decide what’s offered, preside over the session, and

teach all the educational workshops!

Food and Fitness Camp

The weekend Food and Fitness camp experience is designed for family teams of youth

and a caring adult (s) to develop knowledge and skills in the area of food and nutrition,

diet and fitness. Planned and produced by the State 4-H Food and Fitness Board along

with nutrition and fitness partners. This board is comprised of teens from throughout

the state along with adult volunteers and LSU AgCenter faculty.

4-H University

4-H University is the premier 4-H event of the year for 4-H members 13 and up. This

year marks the 102nd annual celebration and will be host to both new-and-improved

contests as well as the traditional contests, plus nine Clover College tracks, educational

programs and campus tours. 4-H University has expanded to offer both competitive and

non-competitive activities along a range of interests from theater arts to technology.

Mrs. Gwen Fontenot

Associate Extension Agent, 4-H

gfontenot@agcenter.lsu.edu

Mr. Randall Mallette

Assistant Extension Agent, ANR & 4-H

rmallette@agcenter.lsu.edu

Junior Leaders Get First Hand Look at Manufacturing Careers Natchitoches Parish 4-H Junior Leaders got an up close look at the vast array

of careers at International Paper in Campti and at Alliance Compressors in

Natchitoches. Youth heard from various workers about their jobs and toured

the plant facilities. Each month the teens are touring various businesses within

the community as part of their service learning project “Career and Workforce

Preparation.”