Upcoming Events
Morris County 4-H Events + Deadlines:
Friday, November 22, 2024 @ 6pm
Please join us for a fun event with hands-on activities, video presentations, and animal visits, at the Mine Hill Civic Center on Friday, November 22 at 6pm.
Grade range is K-4. Register here: https://forms.gle/BPm8WqvMufZXEL3CA
Saturday, November 30, 2024 @ 1pm
(Rain Date: Sunday, December 1, 2024)
RSVP by November 24
WHERE: Parade starts at 816 Main Street / Upper Plane Street Parking Lot & ends at 124 North Main Street / Santa Land (Boonton, NJ)
4-H clubs and families are invited to march in the parade and enjoy the popular festivities.
Sign up by November 24 to march with 4-H in the parade: https://forms.gle/63wveaFjSv4JkpYq5
Promote 4-H at local events
4-H will have a table or booth at many events in Morris County in the coming months. All 4-H families are invited to participate (talk to visitors about 4-H and your club, offer an activity, hand out flyers, bring your friendly animal - if permitted at the event, and help with the set-up and take-down). It is a lot of fun! Please contact the group if you would like to be included: mc4hpromotions@gmail.com. Or simply support 4-H and the event by visiting and stopping by at the 4-H table to say Hi.
Boonton Parade - Saturday, November 30
Home for the Holidays in Roxbury - Saturday December 7, 11-3
4-H Holiday Tree @ the "Festival of Trees"
December 2024 at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum
Ornaments drop off by Wednesday, December 4 at the 4-H Office
The "Festival of Trees" will be open on select days in December, admission by the Frelinghuysen Arboretum is $10 per person for their event)
Our 4-H tree at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum's Festival of Trees the last two years was a hit! It was so much fun to see all the different handmade ornaments - and all the other trees too, of course. This year's the Morris County 4-H Clubs Tree will be called "Jam Out In 4-H" based on the Fair Theme.
All 4-H clubs are invited to make ornaments that show what their club is all about.
The ornaments can be dropped off at the 4-H office by Wednesday, December 4th during office hours (M-F, 9-4).
Alternatively they can be brought to the tree decorating at the Arboretum Mansion on Friday, December 6 at noon (please let us know so we can coordinate).
No unwrapped edible items, flammable things (candles), confetti, glitter, artificial snow, live plants or flowers etc. should be used as part of the ornaments / decorations or during the decorating.
We can't wait to see this year's creations!
National 4-H Conference
December 10, 2024 - Registration due to the 4-H office
April 11-16, 2025 - Event Dates
Grades 10-12
The 2025 National 4-H Conference will be held April 11-16 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel, located in Crystal City, VA (just outside of Washington D.C.). National 4-H Conference is the flagship youth development opportunity of USDA, hosted by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The nationally recognized event is developing the next generation of leaders. Delegates will experience unparalleled discovery, learning, professional development, and networking with 4-H’ers from around the world.
During the Conference, delegates will become familiar with the government and future career opportunities and share their voice with federal agencies and congressional committees. In preparation for, during and after National 4-H Conference, youth participants learn, practice and apply new skills and use their voices, talent and ideas to make a difference. They are empowered to generalize what is learned to affect change in their own community. Those who participate in National 4-H Conference report increased leadership, civic engagement, agency, and social and cultural competence.
Interested 4-H members must complete an application form available from the Morris County 4-H office. All applications are due to the 4-H office by December 10, 2024. Group and individual interviews will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2024, in Martin Hall of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences located at 88 Lipman Drive on the Cook Campus in New Brunswick.
Approximately 250 youth, volunteer leaders, and state and county Extension staff members from across the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the Canadian Provinces are expected to attend. New Jersey will be sending a delegation of four teen 4-H members and an adult chaperone. Teens must be in the 10-12 grades as of September 2024 in order to participate in the 2025 event. 4-H members interested in attending must work well in groups, have good communication skills and be leaders. They should also be interested in making a change in their community and be willing to work on a project upon their return.
Event dates: Friday-Sunday, February 7-9, 2025
(Registration is due by January 17)
Grades 8-13
Meet other 4-H Teens from Sussex, Somerset, Warren, and Morris at the 4-H Teen Winter Camp in 2025. Enjoy games, winter activities, crafts, and meals together; have fun and make lifelong friends at! The cost is $80 and covers the camp fee, food, and lodging.
Where: LG Cook 4-H Camp, 100 Struble Road, Branchville, NJ 07826
Check-in /meeting time at camp will be between 8:00 p.m – 8:30 p.m., Friday, February 7, 2025
Pick-up / departure time from camp is 11:00 a.m. Sunday, February 9, 2025
Scholarships are available on request.
Click the link below for the registration package:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EB3TnzoJ7LVcclYv_atLXgxTnJ6WdhO1/view?usp=drive_link
Events dates: March 12-16, 2025
Applications were due, November 15, 2024
For members in grades 9-12
Plans for the 2025 Teen Summit "Ignite by 4-H" are underway, and the state office is recruiting a small delegation to represent New Jersey! Please see the event flyer, which includes the link to the application (https://go.rutgers.edu/mcq38tpi).
Ignite at a glance:
When: March 12-16, 2025
Where: Marriott Marquis in Washington D.C.
Who: 4-H members in grades 9-12
Cost: $1350 per delegate (a partial scholarship may be requested from the county Association, contact the Morris County 4-H office for the scholarship application and details)
Event Application Deadline was November 15th
Other 4-H Events and More:
Registration is Open!
It's that time of year! Registration for 4-H Camp is open for both our classic overnight program, and our day camp, 4-H camp at Rutgers Gardens. Register before December 31st during our Polar Bear registration period to get our lowest rate, and the first pick of classes for summer 2025. More information can be found on our website at https://nj4hcamp.rutgers.edu Also check out our new overview video on or website at https://nj4hcamp.rutgers.edu/videos.html
Building a Better YOU Workshop in Somerset County
November 23, 2024
This program will be held November 23rd from 9 am-12:30 pm at the Somerset County 4-H Center. (310 Milltown Road). Building a Better You! is a day full of workshops that provide youth participants with the opportunity to explore public speaking, resume building, cover letter writing, and interview practice all while creating a positive YOU statement! This program is open to all grades 8-13, you do not have to be a 4-H member to attend. Snacks will be provided. Registration is $20: checks payable to "Somerset County 4-H" or cash. Payment and registration are due by November 15th. Payment can be hand-delivered or mailed to 310 Milltown Road Bridgewater NJ.
Register here: https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8HA5SFlZHFQdpVY
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Register now for the popular Cupcake Wars & Expo event at Somerset 4-H, which will be held on December 7. Cloverbud members in grades K-3 will bake cupcakes together and learn how to decorate them. Teams of 4-H members in grades 4-13 compete to make the best cupcakes in the Junior and Senior groups. This is open to all 4-H members.
See the flyer for more details and the registration links: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NImshCoFUiuPnEEqB5GS90V8dMhj6XyB/view?usp=drive_link
Saturday, December 14, 2024
4-H'ers in grades 6-8 are invited to this special leadership training opportunity on December 14th from 10 am to 3 pm at the Somerset County 4-H Center. To register visit http://tiny.cc/y1pqzz. The registration fee of $35 covers all program supplies and lunch. Don’t miss out - register today!
More details here: https://nj4h.rutgers.edu/leadership/discover-the-leader-in-you/
Horse Project Members: Save the Dates
See the flyer for all Horse Project events for the 2024-2025 year. And check the NJ 4-H Horse page: https://nj4h.rutgers.edu/horses/ and Facebook posts: https://www.facebook.com/NJ4HHorse/ for updates.
Somerset 4-H Archery Fun Shoot
Saturday/Sunday, January 4 & 5, 2025
(Registration is due by December 29)
The On-Target Archery Club Fun Shoot is an event where non-traditional archery games (both individual and team) are played. No standard targets will be used. It is for 4‐H youth members (in grades 4-13) that are currently enrolled and active in a 4-H shooting sports club. The fee is $10 per participant.
Registration and Payment is required by December 29. More details and link can be found here.
Saturdays, January 11, February 22, March 15, 2025
The next cohort for the NJ 4-H Leadership for Life Program will begin in January 2025 with Module 1, followed with Module 2 in February and Module 3 in March. The Leadership for Life Program is offered in three sequential modules, which focus on leadership skills such as planning, decision making, critical thinking, goal setting, problem solving and conducting a service-learning project.
Registration details can be found here: https://nj4h.rutgers.edu/leadership/leadership-for-life/
Contact Camden County 4-H Agent Sharon Kinsey at 856-216-7130 x 2 or sbkinsey@njaes.rutgers.edu
Upload videos by March 3, 2025
Film Festival on March 29, 2025
4-H members may work individually or as a team to create short educational videos (3:30 minutes or less) about alpacas, cats, cattle (beef/dairy), dogs, goats, herpetology, horses, llamas, poultry, rabbits, sheep, small animals, and/or swine to enter in the 4-H Animal Science Video Contest. Upload your video and media release(s) by the end of March 3 (see website for details). The videos will then be shared at the film festival in the Round House of the Rutgers Cook Campus Farm during an afternoon session of the Junior Animal Science Symposium on Saturday, March 29. Those with top scoring videos will receive awards, including gift cards. Videos will be scored on educational value, creativity, clarity, pacing, and technical quality (sound, lighting, etc.) – 20 points each, total of 100. A tip sheet and a description of the judging criteria are both available on the website, along with the top scoring videos from prior years. All participants are encouraged to have fun and be creative in designing their video entries! Details are available at http://nj4h.rutgers.edu/animals/film-festival.
Not a 4-H member yet?
Visit the 4-H Clubs page to see what is available - then email or call the 4-H office to get connected with the club leaders and get you started. Many clubs let you try a club meeting to see if it is the right fit for you before you enroll. Email: morris4h@njaes.rutgers.edu, Phone: 973-285-8301
Find out more about the many ways to get involved and support 4-H on our "Support 4-H Page". Or click on the button below and make a tax-deductible donation to the Morris County 4-H Association. Don't forget to write your name or that of your organization in the comments so we know who to thank! We appreciate your support!