Alternatively, download a printable version of the October 2023 Cascade County 4-H Clover Connection

Newsletter Drawing

Everyone who emails Allyssa ([email protected]) by Monday, October 9 with a description of the page you found the pumpkin symbol above will be entered in a drawing to win a 4-H themed prize. The winner will be able to choose from multiple awesome 4-H items. Please include the description of the page you found the symbol, something you learned from the newsletter, and the name(s) of the 4-H’er(s) to be entered into the drawing. Congratulations to the September Newsletter Drawing winner, Bridger F. from the Great Divide 4-H Club!

Thank You!

Thank you to the following people and businesses that have donated to the Cascade County 4-H Program over the last month!

William & Holly Kessler
The Zeller Family Foundation

National 4-H Week

National 4-H Week 2023 is October 1-7! This year’s theme is “I <3 4-H”. Be sure to show your 4-H pride by wearing 4-H gear to work or school, talking about your 4-H projects and activities to your friends, and showing how you <3 4-H.

2023-2024 4-H Enrollment

Enrollment for the new 4-H year begins October 1. Make sure to enroll early so you are covered by 4-H accident insurance, we can order you your project books, and you remain on our email lists. A detailed enrollment email was sent to all families. For help with enrollment, call the Extension Office at 406-454-6980 or email Jody at [email protected].

Office Closure

The MSU Extension Cascade County Office will be closed the following dates due to staff conducting programing throughout Cascade County and attending statewide conferences.

October 16 & 17 – Closed in the morning. Office will open by 2:00 each afternoon.

October 24, 25, & 26 – Closed all day.

New 4-H Family Orientation

The first of two New 4-H Family Orientations will be held on Monday, October 30 at the Extension Office. There will be a potluck starting at 5:30pm with the orientation to follow beginning at approximately 6:30pm. Topics covered will include parent and youth expectations, record book requirements, and activity and event overviews. Registration for the orientation is open on ZSuite and closes October 16 at 11:59pm.

4-H Project Fair

We are excited to launch the first annual Cascade County 4-H Project Fair! This event is open to current 4-H members and those who are interested in joining 4-H. Come to the Family Living Center at the MT ExpoPark starting at 2:00pm on Sunday, October 22 to learn more about the projects and volunteer opportunities Cascade County 4-H has to offer! There will be food and 4-H swag available as well!

Fall Teen Leader Training

Fall 4-H Teen Leader Training will be held October 20-22 in Billings, MT. This event is open to all 4-H youth 13 years and older as of October 1, 2023. Attendees will learn how to be effective leaders in their 4-H program. Registration for this event is open in ZSuite. The Cascade 4-H Foundation has funds available to help offset the cost of attending this leadership event.

Montana 4-H Working Ranch Horse Finals

Congratulations to all Cascade County 4-H members who participated in the Montana 4-H Working Ranch Horse Finals! We had multiple youth place in their classes.

Overall Placings:

Level 1Adley E. – Galloping Guns 4-H Club – 2nd Place
Level 2 Leann M. – Ulm Pishkun 4-H Club – 1st Place; Luke J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 4th Place
Level 3 Reagan J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 1st Place; Kandie C. – Giffen Coulee 4-H Club – 6th Place
Level 4 Clayton J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 3rd Place

Patterns:

Level 1 Avery E. – Galloping Guns 4-H Club – 4th Place
Level 2 Leann M. – Ulm Pishkun 4-H Club – 5th Place
Level 3 Kandie C. – Giffen Coulee 4-H Club – 5th Place
Level 4 Clayton J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 5th Place

Sorting:

Level 1 Adley E. – Galloping Guns 4-H Club – 3rd Place
Level 2 Leann M. – Ulm Pishkun 4-H Club – 5th Place
Level 3 Reagan J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 2nd Place; Kandie C. – Giffen Coulee 4-H Club – 5th Place
Level 4 Clayton J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club 6th Place

Heading:

Level 1 Adley E. – Galloping Guns 4-H Club – 3rd Place; Avery E. – Galloping Guns 4-H Club – 6th Place
Level 2 Leann M. – Ulm Pishkun 4-H Club – 4th Place
Level 3 Reagan J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 1st Place
Level 4 Clayton J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 2nd Place

Heeling:

Level 1 Adley E. – Galloping Guns 4-H Club – 6th Place
Level 2 Luke J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 2nd Place; Leann M. – Ulm Pishkun 4-H Club – 3rd Place; Samantha L. – Ulm Pishkun 4-H Club – 4th Place
Level 3 Reagan J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 3rd Place

Knowledge Test:

Level 1 Adley E. – Galloping Guns 4-H Club – 6th place
Level 2 Leann M. – Ulm Pishkun 4-H Club – 1st Place
Level 3 Reagan J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 1st Place
Level 4 Clayton J. Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 1st Place

Colts Sorting:

Clayton J. – Tiger Butte 4-H Club – 2nd Place

Also, a huge thank you to all Cascade County 4-H leaders and parents who volunteered their time to help at this show, and a special thank you to event organizer Lisa Jassen!

4-H Achievement Celebration

Join the Cascade County 4-H Ambassadors in celebrating the accomplishments of Cascade County 4-H youth and adult leaders on Sunday, October 22 at 2:00pm at the Family Living Center at the MT ExpoPark. The Achievement Celebration will follow the Project Fair. We will have a potluck dinner before the celebration begins. Check with your club leader to find out what type of dish to bring.

Project Days

Project Days will be held on the second Saturday of the months of November-May from 9:00am-12:00pm. We are in need of Project Day workshop leaders. If you are interested in teaching a Project Day workshop, please reach out to Allyssa at [email protected] or 406-454-6980.

Future Project Day Dates

November 11
December 9
January 13
February 10
March 9
April 13
May 11

Air Rifle & BB Gun Instruction Registration

Registration for 4-H Air Rifle and BB Gun will open on Monday October 2 on ZSuite. To participate in Air Rifle, youth must be 9 years old as of October 1, 2023, be an active Cascade County 4-H member, and be enrolled in the Air Rifle Project on ZSuite. To participate in BB Gun, youth must be at least 8 years old as of October 1, 2023, be a regular 4-H member (no Cloverbuds), be an active Cascade County 4-H member, and be enrolled in the BB Gun Project on ZSuite. Details about Air Rifle and BB Gun instruction can be found in the Events section of ZSuite. This year’s instructors are Samaria Kirby, Coya Williams, and Josh Lodge.

Air Pistol Instruction Registration

Registration for 4-H Air Pistol instruction will open in ZSuite on October 2. In order to participate in 4-H Air Pistol, youth must be at least 9 years old as of October 1, 2023, be an active Cascade County 4-H member, and be enrolled in the Air Pistol Project on ZSuite. More details about Air Pistol instruction is available in the Events section of ZSuite. This year’s instructors are Coya Williams, Joe Leggett, Jon Saxton, and Samaria Kirby.

4-H Market Animal Project Registration

If you are planning on showing and selling a market animal at the 2024 Cascade County 4-H Livestock Show and Sale, you must enroll in both the level and market project for that animal on ZSuite. For example, if you are planning on showing and selling a market steer and you are in Beef Level 1, you need to enroll in both Beef Level 1 and Beef Market. Direct any questions about enrolling in Market Animal Projects to Allyssa at [email protected] or 406-454-6980.

4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Trainings

There are multiple opportunities available to become at 4-H Certified Shooting Sports Instructor. Certified 4-H Instructors help to teach 4-H Shooting Sports disciplines to youth throughout the 4-H year. Reach out to Allyssa at [email protected] or 406-454-6980 if you are interested in attending a training. The Cascade 4-H Foundation has funds available to help offset the cost of attending a training.

October 13-15 in Lewistown, MT – Rifle, Pistol, Archery, Shotgun, Muzzleloader, and Hunting (you may get certified in up to 2 disciplines)

December 1-2 in Kalispell, MT – Rifle, Pistol, Archery, Shotgun, Muzzleloader, Hunting (you may get certified in up to 1 discipline)

December 8-9 in Miles City, MT – Rifle, Pistol, Archery, Shotgun, Muzzleloader, Hunting (you may get certified in up to 1 discipline)

December 15-16 in Belgrade, MT – Advanced Training for Rifle, Pistol, and Archery

Spring 2024 – Basic and Advanced Trainings for Western Heritage, Muzzleloader, and Hunting

Meeting Announcements

Horse Leaders

The Cascade County 4-H Horse Leaders will meet on Tuesday, October 3 at 5:30 pm at the Extension Office and via WebEx. Topics of discussion include rule changes and planning for the upcoming year. Please remember in order to vote on rule changes, leaders must be active in ZSuite and attend both the October and November meetings.

Livestock Leaders Meeting

The Cascade County 4-H Livestock Leaders will meet on Tuesday, October 3 at 7:00 pm at the Extension Office and via WebEx. Topics of discussion include rule changes and planning for the upcoming year. Please remember in order to vote on rule changes, leaders must be active in ZSuite and attend both the October and November meetings.

Shooting Sports Leaders

The Cascade County 4-H Shooting Sports Leaders will meet on Thursday, October 5 at 6:00 pm at the Extension Office. Email Allyssa at [email protected] if you need the WebEx link. Topics of discussion include rule changes, plans for the upcoming 4-H year, and budget and bylaw proposed changes.

Serving as a Horse, Livestock, or Shooting Sports Leader

The Cascade County 4-H Horse, Livestock, and Shooting Sports Leaders Committees are always looking for dedicated volunteers. The duties of committee members include setting project specific policy, planning educational events, maintaining project budgets, and working with the Extension Agent to guide the program. Committee members must be enrolled volunteer leaders. Horse and Livestock Leaders meet the first Tuesday of the month, and Shooting Sports Leaders meet the first Thursday. For more information, reach out to Allyssa at [email protected] or talk to a current committee member.

4-H CALENDAR

 

October
Date
Meeting
Activity/Event
1
 
New 4-H Year Begins & Enrollment Opens
3
Horse and Livestock Leaders Meetings
 
5
Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting
 
13-15
 
Shooting Sports Instructor Training, Lewistown
20-22
 
Fall Teen Leader Training, Billings
22
 
Project Fair and Achievement Celebration
30
 
New 4-H Family Orientation & Potluck

 

November
Date
Meeting
Activity/Event
2
Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting
 
7
Horse and Livestock Leaders Meetings
 
10
 
MSU Extension Cascade County Office Closed
11
 
Project Day
14
Leaders Council Meeting
 
21
Foundation Meeting
 
23
 
MSU Extension Cascade County Office Closed

 

December
Date
Meeting
Activity/Event
Due
7
Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting
 
 
9
 
Project Day
 
15
 
 
Returning Member Enrollment Due
25
 
MSU Extension Cascade County Office Closed
 

 

January
Date
Meeting
Activity/Event
Due
1
 
MSU Extension Cascade County Office Closed
 
2
Horse and Livestock Leaders Meetings
 
 
4
Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting
 
 
9
Leaders Council Meeting
 
 
13
 
Project Day
 
15
 
MSU Extension Cascade County Office Closed
 
22
 
Communications Contest
 

 

February
Date
Meeting
Activity/Event
1
Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting
 
6
Horse and Livestock Leaders Meetings
 
7
 

Communications Contest Make-Up

Foods Festival & Stir-Ups Cooking Competition

10
 
Project Day
15
 
New 4-H Family Orientation & Potluck
19
 
MSU Extension Cascade County Office Closed
20
Foundation Meeting
 

 

March
Date
Meeting
Activity/Event
Due
5
Horse and Livestock Leaders Meeting
 
 
7
Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting
 
 
9
 
Project Day
 
12
Leaders Council
 
 
31
 
 
Cascade 4-H Foundation Scholarships Due

 

April
Date
Meeting
Activity
2
Horse and Livestock Leaders Meetings
 
4
Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting
 
13
 
Project Day
16
Foundation Meeting
 
25
 
Fashion/Sewing Revue and Quilt Show

 

May
Date
Meeting
Activity
2
Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting
 
7
Horse and Livestock Leaders Meetings
 
11
 
Project Day
14
Leaders Council Meeting
 
27
 
MSU Extension Cascade County Office Closed

 

June
Date
Meeting
Activity
4
Horse and Livestock Leaders Meetings
 
6
Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting
 
23
 
Record Book Office Hours

 

July
Date
Meeting
Activity
4
 
MSU Extension Cascade County Office Closed
9
Leaders Council Meeting
 
9-12
 
Montana 4-H Congress
12-14
 
Cascade County 4-H Livestock Show and Sale
21
 
Record Book Office Hours
25
 
Montana State Fair 4-H Static Exhibit Judging
26-August 3
 
Montana State Fair

 

August
Date
Meeting
Activity
Due
11
 
Record Book Office Hours
 
20
 
 
Record Books Due to Club Leaders

 

September
Date
Meeting
Activity
Due
2
 
MSU Extension Cascade County Office Closed
 
3
Horse and Livestock Leaders Meetings
 
Award Nominated Record Books Due to Extension Office
5
Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting
 
 
10
Leaders Council Meeting
 
 
17
Foundation Meeting
 
 

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and Montana State University Extension prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status.