December 2024

4-H'er, Dominik Danzy, poses with Stanly County Commissioners after presenting at a recent County Commissioners meeting

Club Meetings

Listed below are the active 4-H clubs in Stanly County. Any 4-H member is welcome to join any of these clubs - you can even participate in multiple clubs!

1. Sunny Oaks Farm Club: Meets at Sunny Oaks Farm in Albemarle. See Sunny Oaks Farm's Facebook page for the next meeting time or contact your 4-H Office to learn more.
   
   
2. Rocky River Riders: Meets the second Friday of each month at 6 p.m. at Oakboro Community Building 626 Long St, Oakboro

Please contact our office if you'd like to learn more about these clubs or how you can join our amazing volunteer staff to help lead a new club.

Join the Stanly County Horse Bowl Team

Is your 4-H'er interested in horses??  All horse-loving 4-H'ers should consider joining the Stanly Horse Bowl Team! Pictured here are current team members holding buzzers and competing in the NC 4-H Horse Program's Horse Bowl, a horse trivia competition. The Stanly Horse Bowl team is looking for new teammates for the upcoming contest on January 25, 2025. No prior knowledge or experience is required. If your 4-H'er is interested in joining the team, please contact our office as soon as you can.

Handmade Wreaths and Okra Ornaments!

We have handmade ornaments and bows still available!!
Proceeds help pay for summer programs and overnight camp for Stanly County kids. 

Hand painted okra ornament,
Santa or natural styles: $7

Handmade bows for your holiday
wreath, door or tree: $12

Contact our office at 704.983.3987 or stop by to purchase!

Helpful Hands, Healing Hearts Hurricane Helene Relief Initiative

Follow the link below to learn how you can help folks in WNC by sending 4-H Clover Care Packets or monetary donations.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0A4FAF3-52157661-nc4h#/

Buy a Paper Clover at Tractor Supply through December 14!

The Fall/Winter Paper Clover campaign is underway now through December 14 at the Albemarle Tractor Supply Store.  Each paper clover purchased sends money directly to the Stanly County 4-H program.  All proceeds we receive are used to fund free 4-H programming and help cover summer camp cost for Stanly 4-H'ers.  The store is also carrying a limited supply of 4-H ornaments.  So, stop by and support life-changing experiences for Stanly County kids!

Save the Date for South Central District Winter Enrichment

The South Central District Winter Enrichment day for 4-H'ers 13-18 years old will be held on January 25 in Stanly County.  More information to come!

2025 4-H Presentations and Talent Show

Public speaking is an essential life skill that is critical to our workforce today. Start polishing those public speaking skills early by participating in 4-H presentations

All Stanly County 4-H’ers are encouraged to participate in County Activity Day coming up this spring. Now is the time to start thinking about and developing a 5-7 minute presentation on a topic of your interest OR a 5min or less talent show performance. Participation in County Activity Day teaches valuable life skills and will be required to participate in the 2025 county livestock show.

Some counties elect to have all 4-H'ers perform and present on the same day. Stanly County 4-H'ers will present and perform by appointment over a 2 week period. If you would like to participate in the 4-H Presentation Competition or 4-H Entertains Talent show, please contact the 4-H Office to reserve your time slot no later than April 1, 2025. This the deadline for scheduling your time slot during County Activity Days. Stanly County Activity Days will be Monday April 21 - Friday, May 2.

What is a 4-H Presentation?

4-H Presentations are 5-12 minutes long and are either demonstrations or illustrated talks. This means that you are either demonstrating how to do something or you are talking about a topic of interest and using props to add value to your presentation. Youth ages 5-7 (as of January 1 of the current year) are Cloverbuds and do not compete, but are allowed to participate with a presentation of any time length.

Contact our office or follow this link to learn more about NC 4-H Presentations and 4-H Entertains talent competition rules.  Details about county-level presentations can be found at https://stanly.ces.ncsu.edu/4-h-youth-development-3/4-h-presentations-2/

NC Youth Institute for High School Students

Deadline to register: March 10 - Engage In Global Food Security: Through NC State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and North Carolina 4-H, along with national partners, high school youth are invited to explore these tremendous opportunities that will challenge them to explore our world and consider what it means to be a global citizen and the role they can play in making our best, better.  North Carolina Youth Institute, April 11th, 2025  All high school youth are invited to join us for the 2025 North Carolina Youth Institute, an exceptional opportunity that ignites a passion for solving global hunger through an engaging exploration of agriculture and food systems. The North Carolina Youth Institute is an educational initiative of the World Food Prize Foundation and is designed to spark emerging leaders in developing innovative solutions for our world’s most pressing grand challenges surrounding feeding a growing population. Read more here.

We hope to see you at our new Make Something Creative Space

A sign posted outside the Stanly Co Cooperative Extension & 
4-H Office (located in the Stanly Agri Civic Center) reads: To everyone who passes through this space: Have a seat. Make something. The sign hangs above a table stocked with art supplies and an ever-open invitation to make something.
During the recent 4-H letter writing drive project for western NC, one of the agents said, "I wish we could do something like this all the time," and the Make Something Creative Space was born.

Projects will change on a regular basis, and EVERYONE,  young and young at heart, is invited to make something!  The purpose is to foster creativity, collaboration, public service, fun, relaxation and mindfulness.

The first project was making mandala-inspired designs with natural materials.  Pictured above, 4-H'er, August Thompson, shows off a design she created with fresh rosemary, dried beans and leaves.  We invite all our 4-H families to stop by and make something soon and often - and bring friends!  Be sure to pop in and say hi when you do.  

Clover Contribution Campaign

Stanly County 4-H uses monetary donations for volunteer training and appreciation, free programs for Stanly Co. kids, healthy snacks and summer camp fees. We're working every day to build a generation of Stanly County citizens who are beyond ready for the challenges of a changing world. The Clover Contribution Campaign makes it easy for individuals and businesses to support Stanly County 4-H any time.  Each and every donation you make remains right here in Stanly County.  Visit go.ncsu.edu/donate4H

Volunteers Mean More Stanly Co. 4-H Clubs! 

We plan to continue growing our 4-H program by adding more clubs. Each club requires 2 volunteer leaders over the age of 21, and several clubs are ready to start meeting as soon as a 2nd leader is identified! If you would like to learn more about becoming a volunteer club leader, please contact the 4-H Office. Follow the link above to read the NC 4-H Club Leader job description.  These clubs are only waiting for a volunteer to get started:

• Stanly County Rabbit Rangers

• Nature & Wildlife Club

• Kitchen Kids Cooking Club

• General Interest Club

No subject matter expertise necessary!