January 2017

MERCED COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS DAY

 MARCH 4, 2017

BALLICO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BALLICO CA

What is Communications?  That's how we share information, ideas, and thoughts.  It can be verbal, written, or drawn.  In 4-H we want our members to learn and practice good communication skills.  Giving project reports at club meetings, being an officer, keeping a record book, giving a demonstration, presenting a talk, and much more can be ways that you can build your communication skills.

A good way to share what you have learned is to participate in the county 4-H Communications Day.  This is a countywide event where 4-H members can give presentations, make display posters, or be part of a skit.
The 2017 4-H Communications Day will be March 4, 2017.  Registration is from 8:00 to 8:45, Presentations start at 9:00. If you have questions please contact the 4-H Office at 385-7418.

you can register online here; http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=19555

How can you help?

The Merced County 4-H Communications Day will be a fun and exciting day. All 4-H members are welcome and encouraged to attend and participate in some way. If you want to be a Room Host or a Judge, please contact the 4-H office to sign up.  A room host is an older member who helps in the presentation rooms with introducing the presentations and also assuring that the right speakers and judges are in their assigned classroom. For further information, please contact the 4-H office at 385-7418.  

More for Communications Day

Merced County 4-H Communication Day

Sample SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

(Time Approximate)

8:00 A.M.– 8:30 A.M. Judges' Orientation  

8:00 A.M. –8;30 A.M. Room Hosts' Orientation  

8:00 A.M. – 8:45 A.M. Registration/Check In Cafeteria

8:45 A.M.    Open Ceremonies - Cafeteria Stage

9:00 A.M.     Presentations to begin in rooms 

TBA    Group Share the Fun on stage in the cafeteriaAs judging is completed Critiques of presentations in each room

Awards Assembly Cafeteria following performances and critiques
Mini-members are those who are 7 and 8 years old and will only be given seals of participation on their certificates.

 Categories

  
Down load the Presentation Day Manual so you can see what the judges are looking for in the presentations. *file229306*

 1.  Demonstrations  – A demonstration shows how to do something. Member must use a minimum of four posters or slides. Posters should address Introduction, Materials, Process and Summary. Other visual aides are encouraged. Speakers are strongly encouraged to relate the presentation to their current 4-H project or 4-H activities or spark. Team demonstrations are limited to three team members. Age divisions are determined by oldest age of the three members. Models or actual products are encouraged with brand names covered. Organization and visibility of the work area is important. Presentation can range in length from three minutes for to 15 minutes based on complexity of the topic and age of the participants. Speakers may not use note cards.

 2. Illustrated Talks – An illustrated talk tells about something. Speakers are encouraged to relate the presentation to their current 4-H project or 4-H activities or sparks. A minimum of three posters or slides should be used.  Other visual aids are encouraged. Product labels should be limited to generic names and product names should be covered.  The illustrated talk would have at least a title, process, and summary.  A team of three members may present an illustrated talk. A presentation can range in length from three minutes to 15 minutes based on complexity of the topic and age of the participants. Speakers may not use note cards.

3. Informative Prepared Speech – This presentation is written and delivered by the member. The speaker will inform or educate the audience on a single issue or topic.  The speech has a clear and understandable theme or thesis.  There are no visual aids, costumes, or props. Notes on a 5"X7" card (single side) may be used by the speaker.   Limited to individuals, not teams. Length of speech should be 2 – 10 minutes.

4. Persuasive Prepared Speech - The purpose of a persuasive speech is to sway, convince, and influence, not simply to argue.  The speaker may use posters or visual aids to enhance the presentation, they are not required.  A speech can range from 8-15 minutes based on age or experience. Limited to individuals not teams.  Notes on a 5"X7" card (single side) may be used by the speaker.

5. Interpretive Reading – Members may read any published, written work. It should be age appropriate. Possibilities include, but are not limited to, children's stories, poetry, essays, and excerpts from novels. The member will introduce themselves and their chosen piece. Include the title, author, characters, purpose and setting, and any other information that would enhance the audience's understanding of the piece. The characters and setting are created through voice and gestures. The member is presenting the reading as at a story hour, not acting it out. The member may sit or stand. The source material must be present and used during the reading. No props, costumes, or other materials may be used. The member completes the presentation with a short conclusion, which leaves the audience with a vivid memory. The reading portion of the presentation should be no linger than five minutes.  The introduction should be 1-2 minutes and conclusion 1-2 minutes.  This format is limited to individual participants.

 6. Impromptu– Impromptu speaking involves speeches that the speaker has developed at the Presentation Day within a 3 minute preparation.  One at a time, the speakers will randomly draw a piece of paper with a topic on it. The topics will be developed from the pre-announced categories for the event.  From the time the speaker is given the topic they will have three minutes to prepare a speech.  This category is limited to intermediate and senior members.  The maximum speaking time is 5 minutes. This format is limited to individual participants.  Notes on a 5"X7" card (single side) may be used by the speaker.

2017 Impromptu Topics
Senior Topics: Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM):Robotics

Impromptu question will focus on: What Defines a robot, ways that robots impact our lives and ways that robots can improve our society.

Healthy Living: Mindfulness

Impromptu questions will focus on: Time management, stress management, emotional regulation, and mindful eating practices.

Citizenship: Civic Engagement

Impromptu questions will focus on: Youth voice, advocacy, activism and informed decision making, and ways that young people can be engaged and make a real difference in their communities.

Positive Youth Development: Mindset

Impromptu questions will focus on: the differences between a Growth Mindset versus a Fixed Mindset.

Intermediate Topics

Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM): Engineering

Impromptu questions will focus on: what it takes to be an engineer, the impacts that engineering has made in your life, and the different fields of engineering.

Healthy Living: Mindfulness

Impromptu questions will focus on: Handling stress, time management, dealing with emotions, and mindful eating.

Citizenship: Civic Engagement

Impromptu questions will focus on: service learning, community service and community youth development.

Positive Youth Development: Sparks

Impromptu questions will focus on: Why sparks are important to a healthy lifestyle, and strategies for identifying and nurturing your spark.

7. Science Presentation- A science presentation emphasizes the core process of inquiry to describe, explain, and predict through observation, experimentation, modeling, an other scientific techniques.  Science methods may rely on quantitative data(numbers), qualitative data (descriptions), or both.  A minimum of five slides or posters should be included in your presentation. The presentation should address the following points, Introduction, background, methods, results, discussion.  The speaker may use visual aids to enhance the presentation but are not required.  The presentation can range in length from 3-15 minutes depending on the complexity or the topic and age of the participant.  A team of up to 3 presenters is allowed.  Speakers may not use note cards.  Speakers are encouraged to relate the presentation to their current 4-H project or 4-H activities or sparks.

8.  Engineering Presentation - An engineering presentation uses the process of design to plan, build, and test a process, system, or device.  Engineers must weigh design choices based on merits, constraints, and aesthetics to meet design specifications.  A minimum of five slides or posters should be included in your presentation. The presentation should address the following points, Introduction, background, methods, results, discussion.  The speaker may use visual aids to enhance the presentation but are not required.  The presentation can range in length from 3-15 minutes depending on the complexity or the topic and age of the participant.  A team of up to 3 presenters is allowed.  Speakers may not use note cards.  Speakers are encouraged to relate the presentation to their current 4-H project or 4-H activities or sparks.

 9. Share the Fun – Groups perform acts such as skits and other presentations that focus on health, safety, community pride, citizenship, science, engineering, or technology, or other 4-H projects.  The presentation must include a topic surrounding 4-H.  A participant should introduce the activity and it's purpose.  Participants must provide and set up any needed audio-visual equipment. Costumes, props, decorations and other visual aids are encouraged.  Presentations are not exceed 15 minutes. 

 10. Cultural Arts – Individual participants, groups, projects and clubs perform a costumed dramatic reading, musical dance, or other such performing art.  A participant should introduce the activity and its purpose. Participants must provide and set up any needed audio-visual equipment.  Costumes, props, decorations and other visual aids are encouraged.  Presentations are not to exceed 15 minutes.  

11. Educational Display Talk – An educational display talk is an organized visual presentation of a program or a concept.  A display should be designed to convey it's message in a limited amount of time.  The speaker should support the visual presentation.  Once the speaker completes the oral presentation they will have a dialog with the judges about the display.  Educational Displays must exhibit one the following formats, Card Table Display (approximately 30"X30")- tri-fold poster board that includes a title, members name and 4-H affiliation, and depiction of the program or concept, Panel Display (approximately 4'X4')- is presented vertically on an easel, it includes a title, the members name and 4-H affiliation, and depiction of the program or concept. Display items that are added to table should be kept to a minimum and only include if they are practical to place on the display surface.  Items must be clearly labeled.  The speaker's presentation should be 3-5 minutes followed by questions and dialogue with the judge.  Teams of two are allowed.  Note cards may not be used.

12. Photos · A picture is worth a thousand words and it's also a great form of communication! In honor of this form of communication we would like to invite photography members to bring up to two photographs to Communications Day where their entries will be judged. Photos must be taken within the current 4-H year.  Photos must be mounted on a photo mat board or foam board.  They must be at least 8X10.

 ALL PRESENTATIONS

Organization: All oral presentations should be composed of an introduction, body and conclusion. The inclusion of researched information adds weight to a presentation. Originality is encouraged, especially with the title and introduction.

Delivery: Important components of successful speaking are eye contact, sincere manner, correct pronunciation, enunciation, inflection, humor, natural posture and gestures. Audience seated in all parts of the room should be able to see and hear the presenter. The presentation should flow naturally, without gaps. A confident well-prepared presenter will keep the audience's attention.

Length of presentations: Appropriate to the member's age and experience and as necessary to cover the subject. See descriptions of each presentation for time limits.

Teams: Teams of three members may present a demonstration or illustrated talk. All members should have equal opportunity for speaking and “showing.” Speeches and Interpretative Readings are by individuals only. Educational Display Talks can be a team of two.  Share the Fun is a group presentation. Cultural Arts may be presented by individuals or groups.

Number of entries: A member may enter two presentations in different categories plus be part of a group performance at county level. At the sectional level they are limited to just two and at the state event limited to one presentation per member.

Questions: Judges' questions are appropriate in all categories except Share the Fun and Cultural Arts.

Advancement to next level: A county Gold award (medal or seal) qualifies to advance to Sectional level. A sectional Gold Medal qualifies to advance to state level.

Special needs: If a presenter has special needs this should be stated on the entry form. This may be a need for special consideration due to a disability, or a special need for equipment, or even a need to be scheduled first or last in a room.

Valley Roots

Valley Roots is a theater project funded by the University of California, Merced's Center for the Humanities. This public arts project will make plays with and about local farmers and farm workers. The goal of Valley Roots is to celebrate stories of Merced's farming community and create a space for voices and stories that are not always heard.

We invite women in agriculture in the Merced area to come share their joys and challenges about their work in farming. These story-collecting circles will take place on Wednesday January 25^th from 6:30-8:30 PM and Sunday January 29^th from 2 PM-4 PM at Merced Multicultural Arts Center. Story circles will be led by project director, Dawn Trook, a faculty member in writing at UC Merced and a theater artist and producer and playwright Hannah Maulden.

During the Spring, these stories will be combined and written into a play. After the play is written, story circle participants will be invited to come read the play out loud together and then offer feedback on the play, so the playwright can revise it.

Next October, all participants will be encouraged to audition for the play, which will have rehearsals in November and free public performances at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center in December. No experience is needed to be in the play.

If you cannot make these dates but would like to be interviewed by Valley Roots team, please contact project director, Dawn Trook, at dtrook@gmail.com or 415-728-2488.

Upcoming 4-H countywide events

Please save the dates for the following countywide events:

Communications Day March 4, 2017 Ballico School

Food Fashion and Fun Festival March 25, 2017 Place to be determined

Regional Presentation Day April 1, 2017 UCCE Stockkton

Merced County Skills Day, includes large animals, small animals, mechanical skills and home economic skills April 8, 2017 Merced College

Science and Adventure Camp June 25-29^th Camp Sylvester, Pinecrest

Watch emails for event information and registrations.

Shooting Sports Leader Meeting

The California State 4-H Shooting Sports Committee will be hosting a meeting regarding updates to the program in Merced County on Saturday, February 25, 2017. This meeting will cover a variety of items that are of interest to shooting sports leaders and teen leaders. This will be the first in what they hope to be a series of meetings to take part around the state. Attached you will find a schedule of the day's events and the schedule for the second (optional) day of range rotations on Sunday, February 26, 2017. There is no cost to attend but you MUST register online using the link below.

https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=19605

UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Science Field Day

The UC Davis, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Field Day will take place March 3-4, 2017 at UC Davis. This field day is open to both FFA and 4-H members. 4-H members may compete in any of the contests offered. Please note that the Livestock Judging, Poultry Judging and Dairy Judging contests are considered State qualifiers to attend the National events. 

Registration Deadlines

• December 2nd - Online Registration opens.
• February 3rd - Online Registration Deadline - Payments must be postmarked by this date. A $25 late fee for payments postmarked after this date will be enforced.
• February 10th - Agriscience Fair and Job Interview materials due.
• February 10th - Online registration closed - Late registrations will no longer be accepted.

To register your team, please follow the instruction included in the attached letter. 

For more information about the event, please visit: http://www.caes.ucdavis.edu/connect/events/field-day 

Information on State Qualifiers 

Livestock Judging

There are three National 4-H Livestock Judging Contests.

The first place team (composed of the top placing team at the State 4-H Livestock Judging Qualifier) may select which contest for which they will represent California. The second place team may select next, and the third placing team may select third. California 4-H does not need to send a team to all of the contests.

• North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE), Louisville, Kentucky.http://www.livestockexpo.org/
• American Royal, Kansas City, MO. http://www.americanroyal.com/ 
• Western National Round-Up, Denver, CO. http://www.westernnationalroundup.org/

For more information about the State qualifier, please visit: http://4h.ucanr.edu/Projects/STEM/SET_Projects/Animal/SLJC/.   

Dairy Judging 

To view contest rules and regulations, please see California State 4H Dairy Contest Rules

The top placing 4-H team in the Dairy Judging contest is eligible to represent California at the official National 4-H Dairy Judging competition as part of the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. The Expo is a five day event showcasing the finest in dairy genetics and the newest technologies available to the dairy industry. For more information about the National contest, please visit http://www.worlddairyexpo.com/

For more information about the State qualifier, please visit: http://4h.ucanr.edu/Projects/STEM/SET_Projects/Animal/SLJC/.   

Poultry Judging 

The top placing 4-H team in the Poultry Judging contest is eligible to represent California in the official National 4-H Poultry Judging competition in Kentucky. http://national4hpoultryandegg.psu.edu/judging.html.

For more information about the State qualifier, please visit: http://4h.ucanr.edu/Projects/STEM/SET_Projects/Animal/SLJC/.   

State Fashion Review Categories

• Traditional
• Consumer Science Purchased, $40 limit
• Upcycled
• Knit Challenge
• Stripe/Print/Plaid Challenge

AGE DIVISIONS (As of 12/31/2016)

• Junior age 9-10
• Intermediate age 11-13
• Senior age 14-18

RULES FOR ALL CATEGORIES:

• The outfit must be produced and modeled by the individual member during judging and the fashion show (not created for someone else).
• All outfits must meet the 4-H Dress Guidelines, found at http://4h.ucanr.edu/files/210170.pdf. For State Fashion Revue (SFR), all shorts, skirts, dresses, etc. must be at least fingertip length due to the raised stage for the fashion show. County Fashion Revue coordinators will review all outfits based on these guidelines before SFR entry, with further review by the SFR Committee if needed.  
• All outfits entered in SFR must be suitable for comfortably walking, sitting, and going up and down stairs because of the schedule and location of SFR and the fashion show.
• Other categories offered in previous years will not be included at 2017 SFR. Only the 5 categories listed above are included for 2017 at the state event. All entries in the state event must conform to the SFR category rules.
• A member may only enter one outfit in State Fashion Revue.
• Counties may offer additional categories at the local level. Counties may allow members to enter more than one category at the local level. If so, each entry must contain different garments, shoes and accessories. A garment worn in one entry may not also be worn in a different entry. For example, a top entered in the Knit Challenge may not also be entered in the Traditional category.
• A county may qualify one member in each age division (Junior, Intermediate and Senior) and each of the five categories to advance to State Fashion Revue. Participants should expect competition at SFR to be at a higher level than at the county events. SFR Rubric scorecards are currently being updated for the new categories.
• Participation in the SFR Fashion Show is a required element of the event or awards are forfeited.
• Participants entering SFR may be dual-entered in State Presentation Day except the Share the 4-H Fun skit. The presentations are scheduled in Olson Hall during the SFR participant's workshop time.
• All SFR participants and family members are invited to attend the SFR workshops, Make it-Take it sessions, Silent Auction, and the Skillathon.
• Additional rules may be added by the SFR committee as needed.

CATEGORIES:

Traditional - features garments the participant has constructed, showcasing sewing skills and the ability to coordinate an outfit. The entry must be sewn by the member as part of the 4-H Clothing and Textiles project. The outfit must contain at least one constructed garment; participants are encouraged to construct additional garments to complete the outfit. (No change from 2016)

Consumer Science Purchased, $40.00 Limit for the entire outfit, includes shoes but not sales tax. Receipts from the current 4-H year are required for any item that is visible. Gifts, prior purchases, and items without receipts are not eligible for this category. Receipts from yard sales, etc. may be hand written. The member should consider value vs. cost, versatility, the shopping experience, and coordination of the outfit within the cost limit. There is no 4-H project requirement; any 4-H member may enter this category. (Note addition of category criteria)

Upcycled – take one or more existing garments and turn them into a new, different, and wearable garment. Additional fabrics, trim and supplies may be used during the construction process. The upcycled garment must be sewn by the member as part of the 4-H Clothing & Textiles project. Additional upcycled and/or sewn garments are encouraged to complete the outfit. A “before” photograph showing the original garment(s) is required. This is not an alteration - such as a large dress taken in to fit a smaller person that still retains the same lines. It is where the garment has been cut apart and remade into a new garment that looks different. The emphasis is on the transition of the garment. The outfit entered in the Upcycled category must include an accessory of your choice, handmade by the participant. (No change from 2016)

Knit Challenge – Construct an entire wearable garment out of knit fabric. Any fabric content is allowed (cotton, polyester, wool, rayon, blend, etc.) and any type of knit (single knit, double knit, rib knit). This is not a garment that is hand-knit; it is a garment that is sewn, serged, or otherwise constructed using fabric. In designing and constructing the garment, consider how the stretch of knit fabric affects the fit and the opportunity to learn new techniques for seaming, hemming and edge finishes. Include handmade or purchased garments and items to complete the outfit. Open to all 4-H members with no project requirement. (New for 2017)

Stripe/Print/Plaid Challenge – Choose any two of the three fabric designs (stripe, print, and plaid) and incorporate them into one or more sewn garments. If one garment is sewn, it must include 2 of the 3 choices (ex: a shirt containing print and plaid). If multiple garments are sewn, the 2 choices can be in one garment (ex: print and plaid shirt), more than one garment (ex: print and plaid shirt and skirt), or one garment each (ex: print shirt and striped pants). The addition of other fabric is allowed (ex: solids, other prints/stripes/plaids, polka dots, etc.). In addition to construction techniques for stripes and plaids, consider the placement of prints, harmonious combination of fabrics in design of the outfit and current style trends. Include handmade or purchased garments and items to complete the outfit. The entry must be created by the member as part of the 4-H Clothing & Textiles project. (New for 2017)