January 2025

New Meeting Location!
Rocky River Riders Club will begin holding all meetings at West Stanly Saddle Club starting
January 3, 2025.

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: Usually meets at Sunny Oaks Farm in Albemarle, but will meet at the Stanly Agri Civic Center January 16 & February 20 due to colder weather.  Meetings start at 6:30pm.  
   
   
2. Rocky River Riders Club: Meets the second Friday of each month at 6 p.m. at West Stanly Saddle Club. See full 2025 meeting schedule below.

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.

Rocky River Riders Announce 2025 Meeting Schedule

Is your 4-H'er interested in horses??  All horse-loving 4-H'ers should consider joining the Rocky River Riders Club.  Club members will be competing in the 4-H Horse Bowl on January 25 and will host a Horse Bowl Practice on January 3.  Rocky River Riders club typically meets the 2nd Friday of each month at 6pm, and will host all 2025 meetings at a new meeting location - West Stanly Saddle Club located at 13154 Saddle Club Rd in Oakboro.  The 2025 meeting schedule is listed below:

• January 10

• February 7

• March 14

• April 11

• May 9

• June 13

• July 11 (State State Horse Show)

• August 8

• September 12

• October 10

• November 14

• December 12 (Christmas Party - to the left is an image from this year's Christmas party!)

Deadline for Summer Camp at Millstone: February 1

We are pleased to announce that Stanly County 4-H'ers 8-18yrs of age will have the opportunity to attend Millstone 4-H Camp in Ellerbe, NC the week of June 22-27, 2025.  Millstone hosted its first  group of 4-H youth for camp in 1939!  

What is the cost for overnight camp? 
The cost for a Stanly 4-H member is $535.  If budget allows, Stanly County 4-H may be able to offer an additional discount for each camper.
Are there scholarships? 
Yes.There are full and partial need-based scholarships available.  Please talk with your 4-H agent to learn more.
Where is 4-H camp? 
Stanly County 4-H'ers attend overnight camp at Millstone 4-H Camp each summer.
How long are 4-H'ers gone during overnight camp? 
Overnight camp lasts 5 nights.  Camp drop off day is always on Sunday, and pickup day is the following Friday morning.

What kinds of things do campers get to do while at Millstone?

Meet new friends, take on new challenges and learn things about themselves they may have never known.  There's canoeing, swimming, crafts, riflery, a giant swing, a climbing wall, archery and MORE!
How do I register my child for overnight camp?

Register your child for camp by contacting 4-H Agent, Mandy Smith-Thompson at 704.983.3987 or smith-thompson@ncsu.edu and submitting your $50 deposit to the
4-H Office no later than February 1, 2025.

Thank You, Tractor Supply - Albemarle

The Fall/Winter Paper Clover campaign was held last month at the Albemarle Tractor Supply Store.  Each paper clover purchased sent money directly to the Stanly County 4-H program.  All proceeds received are used to fund free 4-H programming and help cover summer camp cost for Stanly 4-H'ers.  Rocky River Riders Club leader, Kathryn Nelson and 4-H'er, Ava Nelson, set up an informational booth at the store during the event to promote the Stanly 4-H Program.  A huge thank you to Tractor Supply - Albemarle, Kathryn and Ava! 

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.

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 along with example videos can be found on our website 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.

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.

Projects will change on a regular basis.  The invitation to create is for EVERYONE,  young and young at heart.  We hope to foster creativity, collaboration, public service, fun, relaxation and mindfulness.

The image on the below shows results from the Winter Solstice themed prompt to build a sun.  For our next project, we will try our hands at weaving in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20.

Stop by and make something soon and often.  Bring friends, and 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!