dirty ethel rackham Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Dd just finished doing her 4H cooking demonstration tonight. She and her friend did an excellent job. They were informative, entertaining and showed good food prep skills and excellent teamwork. They received blue ribbons and class champions! I don't they will be selected to go to state because dd's friend isn't old enough (had to be 10 by Sept. 1.) I have to say they looked absolutely darling in the matching aprons and headbands that I made for them:). So, for dd - dog show and cooking demo are done. By next Monday, she needs to finish her dress (95% done - yay!), practice making her scones, perfect her oral presentation for the club intercultural project, finish her watercolor painting (and frame it) and, if time, borrow a camera for her photography project. Ds16 needs to finish his individual intercultural project, perfect his oral presentation for the club project, and finish his pencil drawing. Ds18 needs to finish his Wildlife Clover Challenge project on the Whitenose Syndrome in bats, and finish his pencil drawing. I can't wait until this is over. I am so tired!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Mine have graduated out but I remember those days fondly. I remember driving to the fairgrounds as my 6th grader finished hand hemming the skirt to a reinactment skirt she was making. The rest of the outfit was ready and she was using it both for the sewing project, a demonstration speech on early Florida history and she was preparing it for the actual encampment weekend in St. Augustine (that was girl scouts the rest was 4H). Five yards of material, hand hemmed as we drove. Ha She had also entered baked goods, photography and an oil painting. 4H is an awesome program with so many different interest areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Wow, that's great that your kids are so involved and doing so many projects. We do 4-H too, but no fair stuff, mainly because we live in a different county from our club, and it's too far to trek over there during the summer. I like to hear what other kids are doing though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 (edited) Our Fair is going very, very poorly. I can't emphasize the poorly enough. :glare: Members of the Fair Board want to take over the 4-H buildings, built and paid for with 4-H monies years and years ago and continued maintenance costs belong to 4-H council, but they sit on the fairground property so apparently the law is on their side. They are doing everything they can to get rid of our participation in the fair so they can rent the buildings to area businesses. They refused to release the fair entry book until one week before the deadline to turn paperwork in. There were a lot of rule changes and the kids new it so they didn't start on their projects prior to that book coming out for fear of violating one. It left them less than six weeks to get anything done. We are down 85% the number of entries in the exhibit barn this year and less than half the livestock. So, the competition is nil. Ds's computer programming was a very, very difficult project and the judge told him that he did deserve the Best of Show ribbon he received and hoped he'd enter the project in another competition. We are looking at options. He also received an Honor's in lead pencil drawing. Ds #2 received honors on his remote control airplane. Ds #3 received honors on his Volcano/Natural Resources project and in physics for his remote control Dirigible. The barn looks barren. Last year dh had 89 projects in his department (Youth Sciences) and this year he only had 46. I took over and completely revamped the Natural Resources Department which is now dubbed Earth Science and Ecology. I didn't expect much since it was so new. But, I have 25 projects and four of them were absolutely top-notch work. So good in fact that my judge made a case to the powers that be for two Best of Show ribbons because the top two contenders were so diametrically different in terms of skills used, criteria for judging, etc. and yet absolutely on par with each other in difficulty and superior workmanship, that when the program director saw them she said, "Oh yah! You need two ribbons." So, though I didn't have a lot of entries, I'm very pleased with what came in. But, photography normally has 300-350 entries, there are 49. Fine Arts had 225 entries last year, they took in 23. Arts and Crafts has always averaged 100 projects, they had at most 20 and that judge told the kids, "I'm a fru-fru, girly, girl and I give ribbons to the ones that I think are really cute!" :001_huh::glare::banghead: So, five, stacked, empty shirt boxes each wrapped in a different color of tissue paper, then surrounded by a ribbon, with the whole thing topped with a NOT HANDMADE mult-colored bow, won an honors ribbon meanwhile a kid that did an exquisite leather working project of a bald eagle that shows extraordinary skill, did NOT get a ribbon. :tongue_smilie: We have a lot of latitude for judging because it can be very subjective, but this was too much. She's been informed she will not be asked back. Textiles - normally about 50 projects, took in 15 and NO open-show quilts from the adults either. Culinary - normally 150-175 projects....30. That's it. The Dog Show kids probably brought in the same number of displays about their dogs as they did last year. It's not a big group, but definitely a dedicated bunch. The archery and shooting superintendent retired and they weren't able to find a certified person to take it over. So that department had nothing. Due to the intense heat and some more fairboard ugliness, most of the small livestock kids who did come, did not bring their best critters either. I watched one of our high school kids who is an expert breeder and rocks showmanship, trounce the competition with rabbits that are absolutely not even close to her best stock. But, it's the county fair which for her, is no longer a big deal because she's winning ARBA shows now. The fairboard loaned out the cooling fans in the livestock barn to someone - they refuse to say who and of course those were owned by the livestock committee so they didn't have the right to do it to begin with - and they never came back. Critters arrived on Sunday and it was 100 degrees outside and NO FANS. Kids immediately left with their animals and didn't come back, or they went home and exchanged their stock out for ones they weren't quite so worried about stressing. Oh, and the other angst in that was that the fairboard locks up the barn at night and takes it's merry old time getting a fairboard member down there to unlock them. Yesterday, kids didn't get into the barn to check their animals' food and water until almost noon. It's getting ugly and there have been shouting matches. The drama is really, really bad this year. Dh says we may not have our club participate next year and he may hand over his superintendent position so that he doesn't have to deal with the crazy. We've heard this from other supers as well. This could be the end of 4-H participating in the county fair. We are already talking about venues that could be rented next year for judging and awards ceremonies and calling it a one day 4-H expo. Sigh.... I'm tired of the whackadoodles ruling the roost. Each of the boys entered 11 projects, most of them in sciences except two did copper tooling, two entered short-stories, the one that entered lead pencil drawing also entered clay sculpting and pen & ink drawing, and one boy entered sewing. He makes something out of camo fabric every year. Faith Edited July 19, 2012 by FaithManor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Faith, I'm sorry about the drama and unfairness happening for your county fair---actually sounds like the County Un-fair. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 It's interesting to read how differently 4H is managed in different areas of the country. I really like what I read about some of your fairs/clubs and the requirements and the way they judge. Dd received excellent ribbons for her pencil drawing of her dog and her photo of 2 of our dogs sitting in a chair together called 'Share the Chair'. Also a good ribbon for her first cross stitch project. Ds received an excellent for his drawing of an English Springer Spaniel and an outstanding of this photo of his dog (it's my avatar). We aren't sure how they did on their club's display. It's been judged, but we haven't been back to the fair since we finished it. All they have left is their dog show tomorrow. Will come back and post results as long as Dd's dog behaves himself and doesn't embarrass us, or I don't embarrass us with my grooming skills! :D We are going to survive the fair this year--I think. We were at the fair on Tues for set up day. Quite a drama there. Our club chooses a committee to set up a club display every year and the displays are judged. Set up is always on the night of our club meeting, which means we are always rushing to get home in time to eat, get the dogs and get to the meeting. Some years we have been late. Ds & Dd did not want to be on the committee this year. Tues night we had an AKC judge coming for a showmanship clinic and they did not want to miss any of it. So, they did not sign up to be on the committee, which was formed about 2 months ago. Ds is club president and he repeatedly reminded the committee chair persons that they needed to have a meeting and plan the display. Last club meeting 2 weeks ago still no plans for the display. Ds called the girl and basically told her she had to have a meeting. Finally, on Sun, 2 days before set up she calls a meeting. My Dc went b/c Ds was worried about how the club would be represented. To shorten the story, lets just say my Dc ended up doing everything. The only thing this girl & her mom had to do was bring a table cloth and a table skirt. They kept questioning the skirt, and even though we told them it was necessary, they showed up without one and with extremely cheap tablecloths --one of them showed rips in numerous places. The mom looks around and realizes our display is going to look horrible without a skirt and decides she will go and get one. We waited there for 2 hours for her to come back with the skirt. We did not want to leave without seeing the skirt put on properly. It was so windy, that the skirt was the key to keeping the table cloth on and preventing it from shredding further. I was fuming b/c I had special permission for us to set up earlier than all the other clubs so we could get to our meeting on time. B/c of her we left the fair at 6pm and had 40 mins to drive home and change, fix Dd's hair so she looked presentable, (we were sweaty and dirty and actually, showers would have been nice.) eat dinner, chop dog treats, and get the dogs to the meeting by 7pm. We made it, but it was so hectic and stressful. Yesterday I continued to work on dog grooming with Dc. Ds does a lot but there is no way Dd can groom her own dog yet. Their next dogs will not be spaniels unless they both have jobs and can pay a groomer---or they can do it themselves. Dd's dog ended up being groomed by his breeder who took pity on me and completely finished the grooming even though he was supposed to do only one side. Today I'm finishing the Cocker. I am going to tell you, groomers definitely earn their money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Wow, Faith. That is just terrible. Are there any higher-ups that you can report this to? While our county extension office has been gutted due to budget cuts, I have to say that they are the nicest people and do work hard to help. Also, the 4H people tend to help out a lot with other fair projects. I know that if I were to have a problem, I can take it to the state extension office, which would mean some heads would roll. Don't these people realize that the best way to keep a fair solvent is to have lots of participants, which means lots of peripheral people coming to the fair? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Dd just finished doing her 4H cooking demonstration tonight. She and her friend did an excellent job. They were informative, entertaining and showed good food prep skills and excellent teamwork. They received blue ribbons and class champions! I don't they will be selected to go to state because dd's friend isn't old enough (had to be 10 by Sept. 1.) I have to say they looked absolutely darling in the matching aprons and headbands that I made for them:). So, for dd - dog show and cooking demo are done. By next Monday, she needs to finish her dress (95% done - yay!), practice making her scones, perfect her oral presentation for the club intercultural project, finish her watercolor painting (and frame it) and, if time, borrow a camera for her photography project. Ds16 needs to finish his individual intercultural project, perfect his oral presentation for the club project, and finish his pencil drawing. Ds18 needs to finish his Wildlife Clover Challenge project on the Whitenose Syndrome in bats, and finish his pencil drawing. I can't wait until this is over. I am so tired!! How did the dog show go? Am I remembering correctly that your Dd had some trouble getting started with showmanship and finding a club/class for practice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyK Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 We have ZERO experience with 4H, but it's always been something I've daydreamed about. I should look into it. Though I would hate to experience any drama like that :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 The dog show was a a disaster for dd. We had absolutely no idea what to expect, facilities-wise, what she would do, etc. We didn't bring Bear's x-lge crate with us because I it is difficult to transport. It might have been helpful. Bear was really good while waiting, even though he was dying to go meet all the other dogs there. By the time he was called into the obedience ring, he was all obedienced out. He wouldn't even do one sit for dd - the one skill she felt she could count on him to do. He put his head down in his "not-gonna-do-it, you-can't-make-me" pose. Dd was poised in the ring, but reduced to tears afterwards. He did a little better in the showmanship ring, but, since he was first in line, he kept turning around to greet the dog behind him and would not face the proper way. But, four positive things happened. One, we were able to see our friends who have been trying to mentor us long-distance - they were really sweet and encouraging to dd. Two, dd learned a lot about what is expected and can be better prepared. Three, we met a trainer that dd will be able to use for next year. And four, dd earned a blue ribbon (96 out of 100) in Dog Care. All Bear had to do was be his adorable self while dd talked to the judge about what she did. The only thing they dinged her on was his ears because we have been fighting chronic ear infections and have been under the care of a vet all this time. At one point dd wanted to pack up and go home, but, by the end, she was encouraged about next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Wow, Faith. That is just terrible. Are there any higher-ups that you can report this to? While our county extension office has been gutted due to budget cuts, I have to say that they are the nicest people and do work hard to help. Also, the 4H people tend to help out a lot with other fair projects. I know that if I were to have a problem, I can take it to the state extension office, which would mean some heads would roll. Don't these people realize that the best way to keep a fair solvent is to have lots of participants, which means lots of peripheral people coming to the fair? Our extension office has two part-time employees for 4-H who work full-time out of the goodness of their hearts despite the pay. They are GREAT people, but they have no control over the fairboard. To tell you how bad it is, fairboard members were going to allow a few of their friends' kids violate a whole series of bio-hazard rules because they are inconvenient. It could have ended with the state AG department shutting down the animal shows and sending an inspector in...part of the shout down was the HEAD OF 4-H AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY on speaker phone telling the fairboard president exactly what he would personally do if it came to this and he was shouting so loud - and wanted to be on speaker phone so that the offending 4-H members and their parents could hear every word he said - that easily 80 people heard it. The sheriff actually had to come in and tell the fairboard president to take a chill pill or they'd remove him from the grounds - this was after the fair board president f-bombed on EMS because he didn't like the way they parked the ambulance (they were responding to a call for an elderly person overcome with heat and it looked pretty serious too). I am just so sick of the drama. The good news is that the fairboard is tanking the county fair. Seriously, as of today, they are $30,000.00 in the hole and the number is climbing by the hour. They insisted on having the carnival - having to pay the company $33,000.00 just to get them there - in spite of the fact that this county still has a 19% unemployment rate and businesses going bankrupt left and right. Many families do not have two pennies to rub together and most certainly aren't paying $15.00 per person for carny rides. At the present rate of speed, they'll just keep alienating people while incurring a debt they cannot pay, and by summer's end my guess is that this will all be in the hands of our county commissioner's who are an AMAZING group of men and women...truly the best people. If it ends up in their hands and they are stuck with the bill in an already financially strapped county, there will no longer be a fair board or a county fair. They'll take over control of the property and let us use it to host a four day 4-H expo next year. The drama is stressful. We love 4-H. We love what we do as superintendents, as club leaders, for the kids, to promote science in this county, and for the rocket team. But, honestly, I cannot imagine dealing with this kind of crap year in and year out. There is no rule in 4-H for our state that says club members and leaders MUST participate in the county fair. If this continues, we won't and we'll find science fairs for our club's projects to be entered into. They should be doing science fairs with stricter judging parameters anyway because instead of just ribbons, they'll earn scholarship money and the kind of recognition that leads to good things when it's time to apply for jobs, vo-tech, and college. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 :grouphug:, Faith, that sounds just awful. It's discouraging to put all the work in, and then have the administration be so poor and chaotic. I'm really disappointed in our 4-H state level organization this year. Normally every year, they sponsor a 4-H booth at the state fair, and they have the booth in the County Exhibit building, so it gets a lot of exposure. They encourage families to work there and show off their different projects and record books, etc. It's always been great for my family, because my kids don't exhibit animals, but this way they still get to show off various projects they've done and interact with the public and tell them about 4-H. We always try to make our time there really fun - we bring candy to hand out, and hand stamps for the kids, and sometimes crafts, like making bracelets, or Legos for the little kids to play with. Plus, it lets us get into the fair for free so we can see the other exhibits. Anyway, this year, I'm assuming because of budget cuts, they decided not to have the normal 4-H booth, but only to have one for opening weekend in the Livestock Pavilion, and they were limiting the number of workers to 1 adult and 2 kids. That didn't work for us, so we are having to miss out on the fair completely this year. It also bothers me, because every year we hear this big emphasis from the staff about how 4-H isn't just about raising animals, and make sure we let people know that they don't have to have an animal to participate in 4-H, blah blah blah, but then this year they stick the booth in the Livestock Pavilion, and then only for 2 days. Yeah, way to go, people. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 The dog show was a a disaster for dd. We had absolutely no idea what to expect, facilities-wise, what she would do, etc. We didn't bring Bear's x-lge crate with us because I it is difficult to transport. It might have been helpful. Bear was really good while waiting, even though he was dying to go meet all the other dogs there. By the time he was called into the obedience ring, he was all obedienced out. He wouldn't even do one sit for dd - the one skill she felt she could count on him to do. He put his head down in his "not-gonna-do-it, you-can't-make-me" pose. Dd was poised in the ring, but reduced to tears afterwards. He did a little better in the showmanship ring, but, since he was first in line, he kept turning around to greet the dog behind him and would not face the proper way. But, four positive things happened. One, we were able to see our friends who have been trying to mentor us long-distance - they were really sweet and encouraging to dd. Two, dd learned a lot about what is expected and can be better prepared. Three, we met a trainer that dd will be able to use for next year. And four, dd earned a blue ribbon (96 out of 100) in Dog Care. All Bear had to do was be his adorable self while dd talked to the judge about what she did. The only thing they dinged her on was his ears because we have been fighting chronic ear infections and have been under the care of a vet all this time. At one point dd wanted to pack up and go home, but, by the end, she was encouraged about next year. I'm so glad to hear that your Dd now has some one to help her and knows what to expect. It's great that she is willing to keep trying. You never know what dogs are going to do. Even dogs that are experienced with kids that are experienced have sometimes had enough and just will. not. do. My Ds's first time in the showmanship ring was pretty close to a disaster. Ds did not want to enter showmanship. I told him it would be good for his dog. His Cocker is extremely timid and he did not want the judge to touch him, so he almost backed off the exam table! Fast forward 3 years and lots of training and this year he took 2nd at our state show. He's still timid and requires a lot of work, but he and Ds have made a lot of progress and that's what it is all about. I try hard to get the kids to look for progress, not wins. Every time something unexpected happens in a ring we try to be thankful that we now know how to direct our training instead of focusing on how badly the dog/kid behaved. Our dog show is tomorrow and Dd is still deciding which agility class to enter b/c we aren't sure what her dog will do at a show. And she is used to winning in showmanship. I've gotten some flack from breeders and leaders, but told her not to expect another blue ribbon. When you are dealing with animals anything can happen. Learning to deal with the unexpected is part of learning to train animals. Just ask Ds about the time his Cocker got partway around the agility course, saw the exit and took off! Or the first time he entered an agility trial and his dog ran in sniffed the judge, took a victory lap and exited the scene before even attempting an obstacle! :smilielol5:It really was highly entertaining, though not quite the entertainment we expected. Your Dd should be so proud she stuck it out at the show and you should be proud she's willing to keep at it! I hope she has a great time with her dog this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I'll never forget the year of showing our BC--the judge was our horse trainer (who also raises JRTs) and the poor dog could NOT figure out what she was doing there. So, the BC put the "eye" on her, rounded her up and moved her out of the ring toward her truck. The judge needed to get back to the horses where she belonged! See, that's just my point, the 'mistakes' are so much more entertaining! You just have to laugh and not get so competitive that you can't see the humor. (She says, while secretly hoping for the 'right' kind of entertainment at tomorrow's show):D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 We have ZERO experience with 4H, but it's always been something I've daydreamed about. I should look into it. Though I would hate to experience any drama like that :( It varies so much from state to state, county to county and club to club. There are fantastic leaders with active fun clubs even in so-so counties. And of course, plenty of boring clubs even in great counties. Hop in, get involved, be prepared to help out :auto:. It is still the best program out there for kids of all interests (in my opinion :001_smile:). Florida has one of the best Mock Legislature programs around. Several other youth organizations have tried it, one was purely for homeschoolers. Because the 4H group has a lot of long standing adult volunteers and excellent relationships with congressmen we are asked back year after year. One year the congresswoman whose desk my dd was using took the time to come in and see the kids and talk to dd. Here is dd making some kind of speech from the floor and leading a press conference. We have a good Legislature program because we have a great leader. She is stepping down and I don't think our county is planning to send anyone next summer. On the other hand we have just started up a shoot sports club and have received certification for the range and the instructors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 LOL. Our big laugh was the lab who decided he had to go in the show ring...and just went and went and went...he must've pee'd for a full minute and a half or more, by which time all the spectators were howling. And he did the same thing at the 2nd fair we went to as well. :lol::lol::lol: We have the opposite problem with Noodle (the horse in the avatar), he will not pee when someone is watching. He gets all cranky and ornery and dd has to take him back to the stall for some privacy. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyWImom Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 It's funny that you posted this, because I have been agonizing about projects for the past few weeks. I was bound & determined that "This year, we won't wait until the last minute", and here we are, again.:001_smile: They did work on some things today, and have a few other things done, we're waiting on vegetables, so...... It could be worse. Except-the Record Books!:eek: Last year, we never even did record books, because we were completely clueless, and our club was not a very good one. This year, we are part of a new club, which we love, and they have lots of leaders, project leaders, etc.... So, there should be no excuses, right?? And, it's my fault.:blush: I have to develop the photos & get our stuff together, and I've been procrastinating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 It's fair eve for us. My daughter has more work to do tonight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyWImom Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 It's fair eve for us. My daughter has more work to do tonight... You've made me feel so much more with it, now.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Just got back from the dog show, so county fair time is officially over.:hurray: Dd won all of her classes except agility where she came in 2nd. She was Champion for Showmanship and Reserve for Rally obedience. Ds was the Rally champion and got a 2nd in showmanship and agility. He had a great attitude considering his little sister beat him at showmanship. But, then again he beat her at Rally. They were happy for each other. All the kids did a great job and they have made so much progress with their dogs. Their club booth was awarded an excellent ribbon, but it is starting to suffer from the rain blowing in on the sides of the tent. It was rainy and our pictures didn't turn out so well, but it was a happy day, and we certainly needed the rain! I can tell you I wasn't thrilled after the show to see Ds walking his cocker through the mud. All that effort to blow out and fluff up his legs and they are now gross. I was so glad to be done with all the intense grooming, but looks like I'm not done yet! Now tomorrow we will get to go walk around get on some rides and take home their projects from the tent. Our 4H year ends at the end of August, so they still have to finish their dog project books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 To continue the 4-H drama--we were flabbergasted when one little girl had the announcer announce at the sale that she'd won Grand Champion in Shooting Sports! Um, do you not think people are paying attention??? You won first in .22 Juniors because you were the only entry and you didn't even turn in a project--you weren't even ELIGIBLE for Grand! Some 4-H parents take the cake... We also enjoy the 18 year old girl in our club who enters inexperienced classes every single year and becomes champion in those classes and never moves into more advanced classes. She then takes a victory lap waving her large ribbon for all to see. :confused: I'm wondering if she started doing this when she was younger and first won. But, I'm not sure what she thinks she has accomplished if she is entering the same classes for 10 years and wins every time. It's getting a little old. Kind of sad when even the younger kids are entering more advanced classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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