It is with great sorrow that we have an announcement…

2021 Presidential Inauguration

I regretfully am writing to inform you that due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis and current OSU travel restrictions, we will be not be sending a group of Ohio 4-H’ers to the 2021 Presidential Inauguration in Washington DC.  While this decision was hard to make, we feel that it is in the best interest of the health and safety of our delegates and our staff serving those delegates.

The health of everyone is of the utmost importance.  I will be working to refund any payments that I have received from you for your delegates.  Thank you so very much for your understanding.

Due to a number of ongoing things, I need to reschedule the virtual Quality Assurance sessions that were originally scheduled for this week. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and your family.

Dates and times are now set as follows:

• Session 1: Sunday, July 5 at 6:00 p.m.
• Session 2: Tuesday, July 7 at 10:00 a.m.
• Session 3: Tuesday, July 7 at 7:00 p.m.
• Session 4: Thursday, July 9 at 10:00 a.m.

We are also hoping to offer an in-person Quality Assurance after July 6, once we are informed of Ohio State University’s post-July 6 in-person gathering regulations.

You can revisit the same link, go.osu.edu/shelbyQA, to register for the new dates and times.

Shelby County Junior Fair Schedule

It has come to our attention that some families believe all fair events have been cancelled for 2020, including those that include youth exhibitors. This is not accurate. While the rides, midway, entertainment acts and other parts of the fair will not be held this year, we are still deep in the midst of planning for the 2020 Junior Fair. At this point in time, the Junior Fair Board has full intention of holding almost all of the 4-H and FFA events, including all pre-fair judging events and livestock shows. They have also confirmed that the Livestock Sale Committee intends to hold a modified premium livestock sale for market exhibitors and is also still securing block buyers for all market species except poultry and hogs.

The Junior Fair Board is working to coordinate the schedule and judging/show formats with the Senior Fair Board, Sheriff’s Department and Health Department. This is not an easy task and requires many entities to come to a consensus on what is best for the entire community, all while state-level regulations change almost daily. We intend to have specific and concrete details available to families after the next Senior Fair Board, which will be held Wednesday, June 17.

Upcoming Dates:

• June 14 at 6 p.m. – Junior Fair Board Meeting – Zoom
• June 15 – JUNIOR FAIR ENTRY DEADLINE!! go.osu.edu/shelbyfairentry
• June 16 – Extension Office Reopens! Open Tuesday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment only. Please call ahead!
• June 16 – 4-H Advisory Council Meeting
• June 17 – Horse Advisory Council Meeting
• June 17 at 7 p.m. – Senior Fair Board Meeting
• June 23 at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. – Virtual QA Sessions – Register at go.osu.edu/shelbyQA
• June 24 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. – Virtual QA Sessions – Register at go.osu.edu/shelbyQA
• June 25 at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. – Virtual QA Sessions – Register at go.osu.edu/shelbyQA

In-Person Events Must Continue to be Virtual through July 6

While we recognize that things are starting to open up (including our office) and that we are all excited to get back to “normal,” we want to remind everyone that ALL 4-H activities, club meetings, events, and programs must be held virtually between now and July 6. This date has not changed. Events that cannot be held virtually must be postponed or cancelled. This is a directive from the State 4-H Office and The Ohio State University and must be followed.

Junior Fair Board Eligibility and Elections

All youth entering the 9th grade in the fall of 2020 are eligible to run for the Shelby County Junior Fair Board. There are two routes for joining Junior Fair Board:

(1)   Candidate for Election Route: This is ONLY for townships with an impending opening. Once an application is submitted, candidates are placed on a ballot for election by their peers. Voting will take place throughout the Junior Fair week (exact dates and times TBD). Any junior fair exhibitor with a valid fair pass for the current year can vote.

(2)   Appointment Route: This is for youth who do not live in a township with an opening or youth who run in the election but do not get elected. Appointment interviews will be held the last day of the fair at a time TBD.

Intent to run for election and/or appointment will be declared via an updated form that we are working to finalize. We will send out the form and post it on our website as soon as it is ready. If a youth in your family is interested in applying to the Junior Fair Board, please email Cassie at Dietrich.145@osu.edu so she can add your youth to the interest list and ensure they get all the necessary information for applying

Junior Fair 101 Slide Decks

The Junior Fair Board has put together “Junior Fair 101 Slide Decks” (aka slideshow presentations) with helpful information, tips and tricks for popular project areas. These slide decks include answers to frequently asked questions and guidance for preparing 4-H and FFA projects for fair. From what to feed your goat to what to bring to Special Interest project judging to the dress code for the market rabbit show, they have covered a lot! If you are a new 4-H family, unfamiliar with a project area or need a refresher, we highly suggest you check out the information, which can be found at go.osu.edu/shelbyfair101. Thank you to the Shelby County Junior Fair Board for putting these together!

Dog Posters

Dog posters, which were originally due June 15, will now be due Monday, July 20. Since there is no state-level judging, posters will only be judged and exhibited at the county level this year. The scoresheet and rules will remain the same as in past years.

State 4-H Office’s Response to Cancellation of Ohio State Fair Non-Livestock Judging

Due to COVID-19 and in alignment with the cancellation of the Ohio State Fair, there will be no 4-H state fair project judging this year. However, Ohio 4-H knows how important it is to recognize 4-H members for the time and effort in completing their projects. While the State Office is still working on the details, they are excited to announce there will be an Ohio 4-H Project Showcase. All members will be invited to submit a photo of themselves with their 4-H project. These photos will be added to a gallery page on the state 4-H website. They are working on plans to highlight members in additional ways. More information about posting photos will be shared by June 15.

Shelby County Pre-Fair Judging & Virtual Accommodations

While the Ohio State Fair and state-level 4-H project judging have been cancelled (see below), we still plan to hold in-person county-level project judging during the originally scheduled pre-fair week (July 20-24). We encourage youth taking these projects to try to stick with them if they can, but understand if they cannot. If they do still plan to follow through with the project, please make sure they enter the fair per the instructions at go.osu.edu/shelbyfairentry. If they do not plan to proceed further with the project, they do not need to do anything regarding fair entry. Any youth or family that doesn’t feel comfortable coming to an in-person judging will still have the opportunity to complete their project AND be eligible for county awards via a virtual Zoom interview and project evaluation. In these cases, the family should enter the project via Fair Entry and then email Cassie at dietrich.145@osu.edu to request virtual accommodation for pre-fair judging. Please submit all accommodations requests as soon as possible and no later than Friday, July 3rd!