October 2009            

Fee increase for 4-H Participation:

Due to economy driven state budget reductions and to help the 4-H program remain vital for youth and their community, the University of Idaho Extension is implementing a $5 annual state participation fee for 4-H members.  There is a $15 state participation fee limit per family. 

This fee provides for affordability for larger families and will offer scholarships to assure that no child will be turned away because a family’s finances do not allow them to pay the fee. Idaho’s youth will be on the front lines of finding and creating new products, using technology in a whole new way, and becoming tomorrow’s leaders. We want 4-H to be there to guide them through these changes, with your help.

This $5 fee is in addition to the fee Bannock County 4-H collects to cover insurance and miscellaneous costs.  The fees for 2009-2010 4-H year are $7.00 for Home Ec/ Miscellaneous members and $11.50 for horse members. 

We won’t turn anyone away!  If there are members in your club who may have trouble with the new fee please let me know.

   Memo from Missy:

We made it!  Fair season is over and things are sort of starting to calm down in the office.  I have to admit that as I was driving back from Blackfoot with EISF projects in my car, I kept thinking “This is too good to be true.  I know there has to be another week of fair!”  It seemed like fair season would never end.  Whew!!!  I bet it is a HUGE relief for you 4-H leaders and parents.   

I thought this would be a good time to give you a report of our accomplishments for this year.  One of my goals when I started this job was to increase the number of youth in our 4-H program by 10% each year until we doubled in size.  Well, this year alone we doubled our numbers and then some!  We had almost 1400 youth involved in Bannock County 4-H for the 2008-2009 enrollment year.  Thank you for all of your help in that.  I know many of you have children who recruited their friends and lots of you added members to your clubs.

The 4-H Office also worked our little clovers off providing 4-H programs to elementary schools and daycare programs, starting the Early Out Monday 4-H program, offering Project Kits over the winter break and increasing the number of Project Camps we offered throughout the year.  Together we really are helping kids and changing their lives.