The Buckeye Bullseyes 4-H Club, which is the club for shooting sports, is holding their first meeting of the year on October 16th at 6:30 pm.  This meeting will take place in the Otto Jacobs Building on the Fairgrounds.  Currently our shooting sports offers Archery only.  If you are interested in participating in Archery or want to know more about how the shooting sports program works, come to the meeting on the 16th.

Additionally, if you or anyone you know would be interested in becoming an instructor for any of the shooting sports disciplines, please reach out to our office.

Applications for National 4-H Conference are now available.  The dates of the conference are April 10-16, 2025, in Washington D.C.  The application deadline is December 1, 2024 at 11:59pm.  Applicants must be 15 to 18 years of age as of 1/1/2025 and enrolled as a 4-H member for the 2024-2025 4-H year.

Background: The National 4-H Conference is the premier civic engagement opportunity for 4-H members (15-18 years old) who are actively engaged in 4-H programs across the U.S. and its territories. The conference is administered by 4-H National Headquarters of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This experience upholds a tradition dating back to 1927. Known then as the “National 4-H Club Camp,” delegates slept in tents on the grounds of the National Mall in front of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D.C. Held annually, except for several years during World War II, the camp served to develop the next generation of leaders. Delegates attended training workshops, became acquainted with government, and had the opportunity to meet with state leaders. In 1958, the event name was changed to National 4-H Conference and, in 1959, the meeting moved from the National Mall to the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, MD (right outside of Washington, D.C.).

Today, National 4-H Conference is specifically focused on civic engagement, civic education, and personal development. Delegates arrive ready to connect, learn, engage, lead, and impact their communities, their nation, and their world. In 2025, National 4-H Conference returns for youth delegates to attend in-person in Washington, D.C. during *April 10-16, 2025 (*Ohio delegates arrive a day early on April 10. Conference begins April 11).

Additional information about the National 4-H Conference can be found in the application and from National 4-H.

Selection Process

1. Interested Ohio 4-H members must complete an application via Qualtrics (linked at bottom) by December 1 at 11:59 p.m. Applicants must be 15-18 as of January 1, 2025, and currently enrolled as an Ohio 4-H member for the 2024-2025 4-H program year. Note that the application required submission of various documents such as a resume and cover letter and a video. Review the application in advance to be fully prepared: National 4-H Conference Application Process and Questions)
2. After an application is received, the State 4-H Office will request a referral from county 4-H professional.
3. A selection board of advisors, 4-H educators, and past Ohio Teen Leadership Council members will review applications and as needed, conduct interviews.
4. Those selected are expected to participate in all pre-conference and conference activities and adhere to all National 4-H guidelines, complete required work as a result of conference participation, and share knowledge gained with Ohio 4-H upon  return.

Interested in applying for this opportunity? Complete this application by December 1 at 11:59 p.m. (Be sure to review the questions you will be asked and materials you need to submit by reviewing the document linked here. Please note: all applications should be submitted online through Qualtrics for consideration).

The Defiance County 4-H Teen Leaders have sent an invitation to all Paulding County 4-H members to invite them to their annual 4-H Hoedown.  This event will take place on November 23rd at the Defiance K of C Hall located at 111 Elliot Road in Defiance.  Line Dancing and Square Dancing will be the main activities for the night.

The Hoedown will run from 7:00 to 10:00 pm with the doors opening at 6:30 pm.  Admission is $2.00.  For questions about this event you can contact the OSU Extension Office in Defiance at 419-782-4771.

Every year, Collegiate 4-H at The Ohio State University organizes a weekend workshop called Carving New Ideas (CNI).  This year, the event will be held at Camp Ohio in St. Louisville beginning on November 22nd and ending on November 24th.  This workshop is open to all teen 4-H members across the state.

CNI is a camping opportunity that focuses on critical thinking and program facilitation for 4-H members in grades 8-12.  Campers develop their leadership skills while making new friends from across Ohio and participating in fun activities.  Camp counselors are college students at The Ohio State University.

The cost for registration is $95 and includes a t-shirt and all meals.  Check-in is Friday, November 22nd between 6:30 and 8:00 pm.  Check-out is Sunday, November 24th at 10:00 am.  Registrations are due by October 31, 2024.

To register, visit: Carving New Ideas Registration

The Friends of 4-H Camp Palmer is holding a Reverse Raffle on Saturday, October 5th at 4-H Camp Palmer in the Recreation Hall.  Doors will open at 5:00 pm with dinner starting at 6:00 pm.  Games will follow dinner.  Tickets are $60 each and only 200 are being sold.  Each ticket includes a catered meal and raffle entry for one guest.  All guests must be 18 or older and have a ticket.  No alcohol will be served on 4-H Camp Palmer property.  The Grand Prize for this event is $1,500!  To purchase tickets, e-mail friendsof4hcamppalmer@gmail.com.

Thanks to a generous donor, the Paulding County Junior Fairboard has Poly Grain Leg Buckets available.  These make great feeders!  The buckets are in the Southwest End of the Cattle Barn and will stay there until they are gone or the morning of the 14th of June.

All Junior Fair Poultry Exhibitors are invited to attend the Darke County Junior Fair Committee Poultry Clinic on Saturday, April 13 starting at 10:00 am until Noon in the Ohio Building at the Darke County Fair, sponsored by the Darke County Junior Fair Poultry Committee.

A free lunch will be served at the conclusion of the clinic sponsored by Cooper Farms.  The poultry clinic will focus on nutrition, animal care, animal health, processing, showmanship, fair selection and biosecurity.  Lew Cunningham the 2024 Darke County Poultry Judge for the Fancy Show will focus on quality and selection.  Jackson Hile will be speaking about Pigeons.  Dr. Tim Barman, retired Cooper Farm Vet, will speak about biosecurity, animal ethics and proper care animal. Matt Aultman will be speaking on poultry nutrition.   Poultry showmanship will also be demonstrated by Blake Addis, Darke County Jr Fair board Poultry Representative.  This clinic and great opportunity to expand knowledge of your poultry projects and get prepared for upcoming fairs!   The program will also feature door prizes.     Please RSVP by April 9^th by calling Dena Wuebker at 937-423-2369,  Cindy Mayo at 937-417-2296 or Amy Addis 937-216-2107  or email Dena at dena.wuebker@vtigers.org , Cindy Mayo at cmayo217@hotmail.com or Amy Addis at amyjoaddis@centurylink.net.

Paulding County 4-H and the Buckeye Bullseyes 4-H Club are looking for interested volunteers for our Shooting Sports disciplines.  Currently, Paulding County only offers Archery as a Shooting Sports project but we have a lot of interest in other shooting sports disciplines, specifically Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun.  There is a process to becoming a certified Shooting Sports Instructor which first starts with becoming an Ohio 4-H Volunteer.  From there, a training will need to be attended in the discipline that is chosen.  Ohio 4-H currently has one training opportunity available before Fall.  If you are interested in becoming a volunteer in our Shooting Sports program, please contact Michael at 419-399-8225 or schweinsberg.5@osu.edu.  The link below will take you to the Ohio 4-H Shooting Sports website where you can look at all the information available about the Shooting Sports program.

https://ohio4h.org/statewide-programs/ohio-4-h-shooting-sports

Please note that if you are interested in the Spring training workshop, registration is open now and closes on March 14th.  In order to attend the training, the volunteer must have completed all volunteer requirements set by Ohio 4-H.

Are you wanting to prepare for our Quality Assurance Test Out and not sure where to find study materials?  Look no further than right here.  The link below will take you to the study guide.

Quality Assurance Test Study Guide