(The following is a press release on this Saturday's Cloverbud Field Day in Ukiah:)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Ukiah, CA) The first Mendocino County 4-H event ever to be aimed specifically at 4-H "cloverbud" members –- kindergarten through third grade youth -- takes place on Saturday, January 9^th from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the County Agriculture Center at 890 N. Bush St. in Ukiah.

Cloverbud Field Day will serve as a “welcome to 4-H” day consisting of various learning stations and activities.  Those who attend will learn the 4-H pledge and motto, many facts about the American flag, new songs and new games, the basics of giving a presentation, background on the 4-H uniform and emblem, and much more.  In keeping with Mendocino County 4-H’s innovative focus on the national Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) program, participants will also be introduced to many aspects of the world of science.

"This field day is for new members to get to know more about 4-H and how involved they can become if they choose to," Mendocino County 4-H Program Representative Linda Edgington said.

The day will start with photos of each member in uniform for their new 4-H ID card.  Attendees will then learn new games and songs while waiting for everyone to arrive.  They will then divide into groups and rotate to a different activity every 10 minutes.  There will be 10 hands-on stations for members to enjoy.

The Cloverbud program is designed as an informal approach to developing the confidence, social skills, decision making abilities, subject matter knowledge, and physical skills of kindergarten through third grade youth. As youth begin their 4-H Cloverbud experience, they take part in a unique blend of activities and opportunities specially designed for their age level.

Mendocino County 4-H is a program of the University of California Cooperative Extension.  For more information on any aspect of the 4-H program, including Cloverbud Field Day, contact the UC Extension office at 463-4495 or e-mail lgedgington[at]ucdavis.edu.

Note to blog readers who are 4-H members: RSVP for this event to weparrish[at]ucdavis.edu.

Two photo albums from 4-H events were recently posted to the 4-H web page.

One is from 4-H Achievement Night, which took place on November 14th at the Willits Community Center.

The other is is from the "Power of Wind" training -- a part of the Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) program -- which took place from December 4-5 at the Mendocino County Agriculture Center conference room in Ukiah.

A 4-H shooting sports workshop for the rifle discipline will be held at Rankin Field Range, 20000 Road 140 in Tulare, CA on Saturday, January 9, 2010 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, January 10, 2010 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants must attend both days of training to receive certification. Upon successful completion of the course, the participant will be certified as rifle trainer and can lead a rifle project at the club level or serve as county trainer to certify other leaders. There is no cost for the course. To register for the course, and receive more information, contact John Borba at jaborba@ucdavis.edu

For information about the facility and a map, please visit the range website.

Of course, this is in addition to the 4-H Shotgun Training here in Ukiah coming up in just a few weeks.

A local representative from Veterans of Foreign Wars stopped by and asked us to post information about an essay contest entitled "Patriot's Pen Essay Contest."  It is available for 6th through 8th graders.  Up to $91,000 in savings bonds are available as part of the contest. Click here for more info on this year's contest and here for a brochure geared toward teachers.