It’s about time start planning the 2025 4-H Camping Program! Youth in grades 9-12 are eligible to apply to serve as a camp counselor. See below for more details regarding the camp counselor experience:

What: 4-H Camp Counselors provide care and coordinate activities for campers during the camp week. This is a fun and unique experience that requires a great deal of commitment, responsibility, maturity, and accountability.

When: Counselors are required  to attend mandatory monthly trainings to equate to a recommended 24 hours of training. The following are the counselor training meeting dates:

• November 17th (2-5 PM)
• December 15th (2-5 PM)
• January 19th (2-5 PM)
• February 16th (2-5 PM)
• March 16th (2-5 PM)
• Aril 27th (2-5 PM)
• May 18th (2-5 PM)

How: Interested in serving as a camp counselor? Please read the 2025 Camp Counselor Letter and then complete the Camp Counselor Application! Applications are due no later than October 4th at 4:30 PM! 

If you have any questions, please email Katie Miller at miller.11920@osu.edu! Thank you!

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Shelby County Farm Bureau and Sidney ACE Hardware are giving away free chore buckets to ALL Jr. Fair 4-H & FFA participants! Be sure to bring your Jr. Fair pass to the Community Foundation Round Building to receive yours. Be sure to be there early because supplies are limited!

The Shelby County Outstanding 4-H’er Award is given out annually to FIVE outstanding youth who deserve to be celebrated for their positive impact on their communities. The youth, nominated by their peers or advisors, are featured online and in the Sidney Daily News. They also receive a certificate and plaque recognizing them for their outstanding leadership. This is a noteworthy award that is presented every year.

Please include the name of the 4-H member and 4 to 5 sentences on how you feel they work each day to impact those around them positively. Specific examples of involvement in service leadership should be included. Please also include a photo of the member for publicity purposes.

To see past winners, visit https://shelby.osu.edu/program-areas/4-h-youth-development/outstanding-4-her-award

Nominations can be emailed to Katie Miller at miller.11920@osu.edu by July 14th! Thank you!

2024 Skillathon Information

2024 Skillathon Dates: (If an exhibitor has a legitimate conflict with the dates/times listed below, they can contact miller.11920@osu.edu to schedule an alternate time)

• July 17th from 5-8 PM
• July 18th from 5-8 PM
• July 19th from 5-8 PM

* *Youth that will be participating/attending Pre-Fair Judging may take their skillathon exam during those times in the Youth Building!**

2024 Skillathon Info & Study Guides

Application for Appointment
Shelby County Junior Fair Board

Return by Friday, July 26th, 2024 to:
OSU Extension Shelby County, 810 Fair Road, Sidney OH 45365
Contact OSU Extension at 937-498-7239 with questions or concerns.
All applicants are required to interview with the Executive Board and their Advisors.
Interviews will be held on Sunday, August 28th starting at 1 pm.

(Click Here for Application!)

2024 Junior Fair Board Applications Due Next Wednesday!

Any member of a 4-H Club, FFA Chapter, or Girl Scout Troop of Shelby County may be a member of this society.

There are two members from each townships.

Please see page 9 of the Shelby County White Pages. (2024 Shelby County White Pages)

(Click here for application!)

2024 JUNIOR FAIR KING & QUEEN CONTEST

Applications and Photo Due: Friday, July 5 at 4:30 p.m. at the Extension Office

Interviews: Thursday, July 18 a t 4 p.m. at the Extension Office

Crowning: Sunday, July 21 at 5 p.m. in Free Entertainment Tent

(Click Here for Application)

As of this publication time we are putting the finishing touches on our Pre-Fair Schedules.

2024 Pre-Fair Judging Information:

Scheduling & Format: Pre-fair judging will still be held July 15-19 (Mon – Foods and Clothing, Tues – Photography, Wed – Creative Arts and Creative Writing, Thurs – Special Interest, and Fri – Woodworking.)

Guidelines for Projects: A few other department-specific things to note:

– Foods: Members will bring an actual food sample, and also bring a photo story (photographs, album, scrapbook, collage, binder, portfolio, display board, any other type of visual display, etc.). Exhibitors will still bring a table setting display, recipe card, and balanced menu per the guidelines.

– Clothing: Exhibitors will wear their outfits themselves.

– Woodworking: Exhibitors will participate in the hands-on skillathon component of judging. The state fair will have hands-on skillathon.

– Creative Writing: Entries should be submitted to the OSU Extension office by Monday, July 7th at 4:30pm. At that time, you can sign up for a judging time OR you can call 937-498-7239 (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) to schedule your judging time. Judging will be held on Creative Arts day, Wednesday, July 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Not Seeing Your Name on the Schedule?: If you don’t see your exhibitor’s name on the schedules posted, please email me at gaerke.13@osu.edu so I can identify why they are not on the schedule and figure out which time group to assign them to. If you did not do a Fair Entry via shelbycounty.fairentry.com to indicate your intent to participate in pre-fair judging by June 1st, you have not been assigned a time slot.

Scratches: We hate to see you go! But, if you do decide it is necessary to scratch a project, please submit all scratches by the second Friday in July so that we can make necessary changes to the judging schedules well in advance. Scratch form due by July 12th.

Monday, July 15
Foods – Schedule | Guidelines | Scoresheet | Letter

Clothing – Schedule | Guidelines | Scoresheet | Narration Card | Letter

Tuesday, July 16
Photography – Schedule | Guidelines | Scoresheet | Letter

Wednesday, July 17
Creative Arts – Schedule | Guidelines | Scoresheets | Letter
Creative Writing – Schedule (Coming soon!) | Scoresheet | Letter

Thursday, July 18
Special Interest – Schedule | Guidelines | Scoresheets | Letter

Friday, July 19
Woodworking – Schedule | Guidelines | Scoresheet | Skills Study Sheet | Letter

Other Events:

Sunday, July 21
Style Revue – Program – Coming soon!

Thursday, July 25
Cloverbuds Share Day – Cloverbud Club Suggested Times