Michigan State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension pro-grams and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in fur-therance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jeffrey W. Dwyer, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. The 4-H Name and Emblem have special protections from Congress, protected by code 18 USC 707.

Gratiot

Changes to 2017-18 Michigan 4-H Participation Fee Policy Beginning Sept. 1, 2017, the Michigan 4-H annual participation fee will be $20 per

youth or $60 per family, whichever is lowest. This is the first increase in participation fee costs in more than 10 years and reflects a growing need to generate supplemental dollars to support the expansion of Michigan’s 4-H program and to provide additional resources that will benefit all of the state’s 4-H’ers. Participation fees will not be a barrier to youth/families for whom the fee is a financial burden. 4-H will not turn away any youth who wants to participate in 4-H. Scholarship grants will be available to families unable to pay the increased fee.

As always, a portion of the participation fee will remain in the county to support local efforts and the remainder will be managed by the MSU Extension State 4-H Office. State office funds will be used to support the 4-H participation fee grant program (which funds various county and state 4-H programs across Michigan), the purchase of American Income Life supplemental accident insurance for all 4-H youth and volunteers enrolled in 4HOnline, resources for centralized and more rigorous Volunteer Selection Process (VSP) background checks, and more.

These new and enhanced statewide resources will not only provide county 4-H programs with a time and financial savings – allowing us to redirect those resources to other local 4-H efforts – but will provide parents with an added level of safety and security when their child is engaging in 4-H programs.

Sincerely,

Chris Thompson

4-H Program Coordinator

Contact Us

Chris Thompson 4-H Program Coordinator Phone 989-875-5295 Email thom1367@anr.msu.edu 219 North State Street Alma, MI 48801 Main Phone 989-875-5233 Email county@msue.msu.edu Web Site http://msue.anr.msu.edu/county/info/gratiot

Introducing Fritz

Fritz is visiting us this week from

Gratiot County Animal Control.

Fritz is available for adoption from

them for a $5 fee. He has been

spayed and declawed. Stop by to

visit with him, he really enjoys the

attention!

May 18

NOTE: THE

NEXT LEADERS

COUNCIL

MEETING

Thursday,

May 18 at

7:00 p.m.

2

3

Summer volunteer opportunities

Do you have a 4-H project you are passionate about? Would you like

to share it with the community? Do you want to help promote 4-H?

We have an opportunity for both youth and adults to participate in a

local youth program by offering activities and programming. There are

many ways to participate from one-time events to summer long pro-

grams. This would be a great opportunity for youth to develop leader-

ship skills and share your love of 4-H. For more information, contact

Chris at 989-875-5295 or thom1367@anr.msu.edu if you would be in-

terested in volunteering.

V O

L U

N T

E E

R

O P

P O

R T

U N

I T

I E S

Volunteers are needed to help out at all sorts of different educational

stations related to the dairy production happening on the farm.

Those stations range from cow health, housing, maternity, nutrition,

all the way to nutrient management. Those spots will be filled with

knowledgeable volunteers who serve as resource people who can an-

swer questions the public may have while touring the farm. We are

also looking for volunteers to help with foot traffic on the farm, clear

breakfast tables, monitor trash bins, distribute surveys & kids quiz-

zes, and hand out treats. Contact Chris at 989-875-5295 or

thom1367@anr.msu.edu if you would be interested in volunteering.

4

GCCFY Information

2017 Fair

July 29 - August 5, 2017

Fair Entry Form –

EXTENDED TO:

4:00 p.m.,

Monday June 26,

2017

http://

www.gcffy.org/

fair_forms.html.

Sign-up to be the fair queen

or princess. Applications are

online at gcffy.org (under

fair forms in exhibitor infor-

mation) and due June 6.

Let's see if the crown fits.

Can you sing? GCFFY and

Woody’s Music in St. Louis

are teaming up to help you

shine by being a contestant

in the 7th annual Gratiot

County Has Talent held

at #gcffy2017. Auditions will

be held on Monday, May 22

at 7:00 p.m. at the Gratiot

County Fair for Youth Pio-

neer Pavilion. Details and

entry forms are found

at http://www.gcffy.org/

fair_gctalent.html.

5

Camp Counselors Needed

We are still on need of Teen 4-H members to be camp counselors for both Summer Camp

and Cloverbud day. This is a great opportunity to add to a resume or a college application.

And besides, it is just great fun to work with younger youth while learning leadership skills.

The applications for both events are available on our website under the 4-H Newsletters

section. You can also stop by the office to pick up a paper copy or we can email the electron-

ic version.

4-H Summer Camp at Coldwater Lake

Applications for campers are now available at the office or on our website (look on the

4-H Newsletters page).

The 2017 4-H Summer Camp will be held on July 11 &12 at camp Coldwater in

Weidman. The theme for summer camp this year is “Critters and Creatures”. We have

several special guests including the DNR with a “Mammals” presentation and CMU’s “Way

to Play”. Come prepared to have fun and learn about Critters and Creatures!

The deadline to register for camp is June 9th. Please submit all forms and fees to the

Gratiot County MSU Extension office before 4:30 on June 9th.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

6

7

Registration for the State 4-H Trail Ride and Family Camp Weekend closes on

June 1! You do NOT need to bring a horse to enjoy this family event. Join us from

June 23-25 for crafts, t-shirt making, science activities and plenty of other activi-

ties for non-riders. Camp includes electric hook ups, miles of trails, rental horses,

pens for the horses, playground equipment six meals and more! For more infor-

mation, visit: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/events/2015_state_4-h_trail_ride_and_ fam-

ily_camp_weekend

State 4-H Trail Ride & Family

Camp Weekend

8

9

10

11

2017 Shiawassee County Swine Jackpot

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Shiawassee County Fairgrounds 2900 E. Hibbard Rd. Corunna, MI 488417 MSYC Sanctioned

Pick up a registration form at the Gratiot MSU Extension Office

12

13

14

2017 S.M.O.R.E.S.

Southern Michigan Outdoor Recreational Education Symposium

June 16-18, 2017

Camp Tuhsmeheta, 10500 Lincoln Road NE, Greenville, Michigan

The Van Buren Voyagers 4-H Outdoor Club is pleased to sponsor the second SMORES

Conference at Camp Tuhsmeheta, Greenville, Michigan from Friday, June 16 to Sunday,

June 18, 2017. This is a 4-H event open only to 4-H families, leaders, members, and chap-

erones. Participants may bring the entire family for the weekend, but children younger

than 6 may not attend daily workshops and must be accompanied by parents at all

times.

Members from Michigan 4-H clubs will participate in several workshops throughout

the weekend, learning skills ranging from outdoor cooking to fishing. Attached is a list

of session descriptions.

Cost: $20 (4-H youth, chaperone, or leader)

(Extra cost for CPR/1st Aid Training/Cert and Project FISH Leader training)

Three meals per day are included in the price; campers may supplement

meals at their own site or in the group kitchen located in White Pine Lodge

Facilities: Camp Tuhsmeheta (Camp T) is a 301 acre facility with pine and oak forests

located on Flannigan Lake at the western edge of the Morgan Mills chain of lakes.

Camp T offers indoor and outdoor accommodations for participants, as well as an ar-

chery range and three-sided climbing wall. There is a swimming area at Camp T’s Lake

Flannigan dock. Trails wander through the woods, offering unique wilderness opportu-

nities for exploration. Participants may choose from indoor lodge housing in a bunk

setting, primitive camping, or motorhome/camper sites. Indoor restrooms and showers

are available for campers. Camp Tuhsmeheta is easy to find, being located just off US

131 at 10500 Lincoln Lake Road, NE, Greenville, Michigan, northeast of Grand Rapids.

Coordinates: 43○ 09’ 33.18” N; 85○ 20’ 15.74” W.

Additional Equipment: Archery workshops: Bring own bow/arrows, if available

Backpacking: Bring own backpack, if available

DEADLINE TO REGISTER: May 26, 2017

For more information, contact

Denise Noble, Van Buren Voyagers Secretary

269-303-5407

nobledenise@rocketmail.com

15

16

International Visitors are coming to Michigan! Every year, Michigan 4-H helps coordi-nate host families for young adults traveling to the U.S. from abroad via the International Farm Youth Exchange (IFYE) program. This program is a great way to engage your family in a cultural ex-change without the cost of traveling oversees. IFYE is unique because each visitor stays with three host families during the duration of their approximately three month stay in the state. This creates a system for exchange participants to see the diversity of the state, while providing a low risk opportunity for host families! Michigan is hosting two IFYE inbound participants this year, and are looking for hosts! IFYE is a two-way exchange program. Young adults 19 and older come to the United States to live with families who have a zest for sharing their homes and communities. Family living is at the heart of the cultural experience. IFYE representatives discover life in the United States as a member of the family, not as a guest or tourist. Host families must meet screening criteria and be willing to provide room and board to a person from another country for 3 to 4 weeks. For more information or to apply to be a host family, please contact MSU Extension IFYE coordinator: Makena Schultz schul430@anr.msu.edu (517) 432-7603.

17

2017 Summer Discovery Cruises registration is now open! Do you want to learn about the Great Lakes by being on the Great Lakes? If so, you will want to learn more about our 2017 Summer Discovery Cruises (www.discoverycruises.org) season! For the 16th summer, Michigan Sea Grant Extension will provide Michiganders (and visitors to Michigan) with the opportunity to learn about the Great Lakes by being on the Great Lakes. Cruises depart from Lake Erie Metropark, with cruises on the lower Detroit River and Lake Erie, and Lake St. Clair Metropark, cruising Lake St. Clair. The 2017 season offers more than 20 educational cruises around themes such as Fisheries, Wildlife, Wetlands, Shipwrecks, Lighthouses, Weather, Shipping and more. Cruises for educators wanting to enhance the use of Great Lakes content in their teaching are also provided, with stipends. Some of the exciting cruises for the 2017 season include: Lake St. Clair Fisheries - This is not a fishing cruise, but it definitely is a “fishy” cruise! Learn first-hand about the fish that are found in Lake St. Clair, many of which are available for hands-on exam-ination during the cruise. We will be joined by a Michigan DNR Fisheries Biologist and rendezvous with their research vessel while out on the lake to observe fish tagging, measuring and other re-search operations. Warfare on the Waterfront - The War of 1812, World War II, and even the American Civil War have all shaped the Detroit River and western Lake Erie. Long after the end of hostilities, remnants of this military presence can still be found. Join an Interpreter for an in-depth look at these con-flicts, their sites and stories, and see how they impacted the region and the world. Shipwreck at Sugar - Just under the waves off a crumbling Sugar Island dock lie the remains of a vessel sank in 1945. Travel with our resident historian to the wreck site to learn about the S.S. Sea-breeze, the story of how it got there and the circumstances surrounding its mysterious sinking. Birds, Boats & Booze (4 hour history cruise) - Many things brought people to the St. Clair River Delta Flats area. The abundant wetlands brought duck hunters and fishing. Wood boats and pas-senger steamers brought tourism and recreation, and Prohibition brought rumrunners and speak-easies to the region. Spend a little more time in "the flats" with us as we cruise farther up the South Channel and share a little of the past including stories of the big hotels, Tashmoo Park, Chris Craft boat building and more. Great Lakes Science for Kids - Learn about the ecology of Lake St. Clair or Lake Erie, by using the tools a Great Lakes Scientist uses to determine water quality by studying the plants and animals of the lakes. Try your hand at using a plankton net, bottom dredge, water testing kit, underwater cam-era, and binoculars to discover the exciting nature of the lake and become a Great Lakes Scientist! To learn about the Great Lakes by being on the Great Lakes, visit the Summer Discovery Cruises web site at www.discoverycruises.org for complete cruise descriptions, locations, dates and times, as well as directions on how to register for your 2017 Summer Discovery Cruises.

Set Sail to Learn About the Lakes

Summer Discovery Cruises

offer anyone interested in

exploring Lake Erie, the

Detroit River and Lake St.

Clair the opportunity to

get out on the water for an

educational experience.

Cruisers can learn about

many aspects of the lakes,

from lighthouses, ship-

wrecks, bootleggers and

history and culture of the

region to fish, ecology, res-

toration and wind, waves

and water — and much

more, depending on the

cruise theme.

There are more than 20

cruise themes to choose

from. Most cruises range

from 2.5 hours to 4 hours

on the water and range in

price from $15-$30 per per-

son. Ages six and older are

welcome on the cruises.

Don’t Miss the Boat!

First, choose your depar-

ture location, check out the

cruise descriptions and

schedules and then register

through the online form.

18

19 STATEWIDE CALENDAR OF EVENTS

4-H Workshops

May 5-7; Outdoor Adventure Challenge Orientation http://bit.ly/2nAwdxN Manistee River near Kingsley May 13: Michigan 4-H Agriculture Career Fair https://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?eventID=1FE621BAB4FD36B0 Bavarian Inn Lodge & Conference Center, Frankenmuth May 13-14: 4-H Regional Shooting Sports Air Pistol Training http://msue.anr.msu.edu/events/4-h_regional_shooting_sports_air_pistol_training Demmer Center, Lansing May 20-21: Teens as Teachers Workshop https://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?eventID=3828E28B31BCA578 Kettunen Center, Tustin May 26-29: Rock Climbing, Outdoor Adventure Challenge Level 3 http://bit.ly/2nAwdxN Manistee River near Kingsley June 3-5: 4-H Companion Animal Spring Camp http://msue.anr.msu.edu/events/michigan_4_h_companion_animal_camp_1 Camp Tuhsmeheta, Greenville

Other 4-H Events May 11: World Food Prize Michigan Youth Institute https://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?eventID=194D71E9BDAF67A7 MSU, East Lansing May 20: State 4-H Poultry Show https://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?eventID=E025CAFF6B2A6962 Eaton County Fairgrounds, Charlotte June 3: 4-H Day at Michigan’s Adventure https://www.miadventure.com/events/things-to-do/special-events/4H-Day Michigan’s Adventure, Muskegon June 10: State 4-H Rabbit & Cavy Expo Contact Katie Ockert (ockertka@msu.edu) Anthony Hall, MSU, East Lansing June 18: Michigan 4-H at the Tigers http://m.mlb.com/tigers/tickets/special-events/4h Comerica Park, Detroit June 21-23: Michigan 4-H Exploration Days http://msue.anr.msu.edu/program/info/4_h_exploration_days MSU, East Lansing For the most up-to-date events listing, go to http://4h.msue.msu.edu/events

20 STATEWIDE NEWS AREA

2017 Michigan 4-H Companion Animal Camp This exciting, hands-on training opportunity – presented by MSU Extension (http://bit.ly/1sdvYu8) 4-H Youth Development (http://bit.ly/12NxjLN) – will provide participants with opportunities to:

Gain new ideas and information about companion-animal projects, while being able to work with their own companion animal

Attend various sessions such as:

Ask a vet

Games to play with your dog

Learn hands-on skills from a veterinarian

Try out new training techniques

Have an overnight workshop experience

Share, learn and explore new information about companion animals with others 4-H’ers from around the state

Practice skills such as team building and leadership

Bring new programming and ideas back to their 4-H clubs, county programs and local communities

Participate in activities such as:

Hiking trails

An evening campfire

A climbing tower

Make-it and take-it crafts and more Remember, there will also be awesome sessions for your dogs in obedience, games, agility and much more! Who Should Attend? Michigan 4-H'ers who are 5 to 19 years old, as of January 1, 2017. Cloverbuds are welcome with parent chaperones. When Is the Workshop? June 2-4, 2017 Where Will the Workshop Be Held? Camp Tuhsmeheta (https://camptuhsmeheta.org) in Greenville. This facility offers various lodging options to participants. That is, lodge, tent or camper/RV sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. How Can Someone Register? All camp registration forms (for 4-H youth members, 4-H volunteer leaders and 4-H parents) are available on the Michigan 4-H web site (http://bit.ly/2nhoqbk). Submit your registration form and payment to:

Katie Ockert, Room 240, 446 West Circle Drive, East Lansing, MI 48824. Camp registrations must be postmarked by May 5, 2017. What Is the Cost of the Workshop? The $50 registration fee covers lodging and meals. More information about this camp is available from:

The Michigan 4-H web site (http://bit.ly/2nsFThf)

Katie Ockert (ockertka@anr.msu.edu), Michigan 4-H Animal Science Educator

Your local MSU Extension county 4-H staff (http://msue.anr.msu.edu/county)