Hopkins County 4-H Members Featured
In the next few weeks, you’ll be reading about the variety of programs, series, workshops, field days, and other events offered through Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Hopkins County. We recently held our annual Extension Leadership Banquet to honor our committees, Master Volunteers, 4-H leaders, episodic volunteers, and other Extension supporters. In planning the banquet, our staff decided to feature the Hopkins County 4-H program, with 4-H youth as our special speakers. They really came through for us! Each 4-H’er was given a specific topic to talk about, and each did a fantastic job. Hopkins County Judge, Robert Newsom and his wife, Robbie, were our special guests.
The 4-H members who provided a presentation at the banquet were:
· Zia Miller, Infinity4-H Club, “4-H Family Legacy.” She told about her family’s involvement in 4-H and the positive impact it has bestowed on them. Zia also shows livestock and her sister, Elida, serves as County 4-H Council secretary.
· Geoffrey Stewart, Dike 4-H Club, “Leadership, Shooting Sports.” Geoffrey currently serves as the 2018/2019 County 4-H Council President. He has led workshops in archery at Multi-county Camp, attended Ultra Leadership Lab, participated in numerous community service activities, and has excelled in archery on the district, state, and multi-state levels.
· Jorja Bessonett, Miller Grove 4-H Club, “Gold Star, Family Life Project, 4-H Record Books.” Jorja was the 2018 Gold Star recipient – the highest 4-H honor given on the county, district, and state levels. Her major project is Family Life. Her inspiration was her parents’ adoption of two children, making her family of four becoming a family of six. She has used her family life project to help care for her younger siblings, while also participating in 4-H photography, clothing, and foods projects. Her 4-H record book placed 4th on the state level.
· Diego Childs, Infinity 4-H Club, “Community Service and National 4-H Week.” Diego told about the projects in which he has been involved. These included: Paper Clover Campaign, Salvation Army Bell Ringer, Care packets for individuals in emergency situations, collecting school supplies for victims of hurricanes, signing Christmas cards for service men and women, collecting bottled water and snacks for firefighters, and others. National 4-H week featured the proclamation reading by County Judge, Robert Newsom, and Diego helped distribute 4-H enrollment information during the week-long event.
· Rylie Carroll, Infinity 4-H Club, “Public Speaking, 4-H Project Show.” Rylie told about the various categories in the 4-H project Show. As a recipient of several blue ribbons, and a Best of Show ribbon, she encouraged others to participate. Rylie has also been active in public speaking, placing 4th at the Houston Livestock Show Public Speaking Contest. She presented her speech to the audience about the importance of life insurance.
· Christian Ebel, Infinity and Dike 4-H, “Video production and public speaking.” Christian told of his journey of producing a video about the importance of saving the prairie grasslands. The video caught the attention of others, and was featured at a showing in Houston. The opportunity for him to tell about his production has now gone nationwide, so watch for great things ahead!
· Braden Lennon, Infinity 4-H, “Dairy project and judging.” Braden told about his involvement in the dairy project and how it has grown. He was part of a team that placed 3rd in Dairy Judging at the 2018 State Fair of Texas.
· Savannah Allen, Infinity 4-H, “Ambassador program, District Office, State 4-H Roundup contests.” Savannah currently serves as a 4-H Youth Beef Ambassador, and has had the opportunity to meet key individuals in the beef industry. As a district 4-H officer, she participates in numerous leadership activities on the district level. Savannah has participated in the Texas 4-H Roundup contests for three years and expressed the value of learning confidence and meeting other 4-H’ers from all over the state.
As you can see, 4-H provides a vast range of opportunities. The Texas 4-H Opportunities Scholarship applications are now available for graduating seniors, which provide another benefit of 4-H membership. Hopkins County is honored to have four 4-H scholarship recipients over the past few years, totaling over $45,000. In addition, the Janie Crump Memorial 4-H Scholarship is awarded to outstanding 4-H members on the local level. For more information on the Hopkins County 4-H program, contact our staff at 903-885-3443.
Another highlight of the banquet was the announcement of the 2018 Extension Supporter of the Year. Joan Brennan was given this honor. Joan is a Master Wellness Volunteer, Master Gardener, and member of the Family & Community Health Committee. Joan has been part of the Extension volunteer family for over three years, and had provided valuable assistance with 4-H projects, health fairs, camps, special events, and other projects. She has contributed over 75 hours of service to Hopkins County. Congratulations to Joan Brennan!
Master Wellness Volunteer Training
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Hopkins County is seeking participants for its Master Wellness Volunteer Program. Master Wellness Volunteers (MWV) undergo 40 hours of training on health, nutrition and food safety and are then empowered to provide outreach and education, helping reduce the burden of chronic conditions in Texans and Texas’ communities. Not a health professional? Not a problem! We welcome participation from anyone interested in promoting health and wellness: college students, employees, retirees – anyone!
Hopkins County currently has 8 trained volunteers. Statewide, there are 201 volunteers in 34 counties who have reported over 6,000 volunteer hours, reaching 36,000 individuals through 1,400 events. That’ impressive! Mark your calendar for the next training:
• Registration opens November 15, 2018 and closes on January 14, 2019
• First Session January 22, 2019
• Last Session February 19, 2019
The first and last sessions will be held face-to-face at Extension Offices around the state, including the Hopkins County Extension Office. Presentations will be held via WebEx, hosted by County Extension Agents. The other sessions can be done on-line or in a face-to-face setting. For more information about the Master Wellness Volunteer Program, visithttp://agrilife.org/mwv. In the meantime, please contact our office if you would like to take part – 903-885-3443.
Closing Thought
Kind words do not cost anything, yet they accomplish much – Blaise Pascal
Recipe of the Week
Jalapeno Cornbread
Ingredients:
· 8.5 ounce box corn muffin mix
· ¼ cup egg substitute or 4 egg whites
· 1 cup creamed corn
· 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, minced
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400°F.
2) In a mixing bowl, combine muffin mix, egg substitute or egg whites, corn, and jalapeno.
3) Coat an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Nutrition facts per serving (makes 8 servings): 150 calories, 4 grams total fat, 0 grams trans-fat, o mg cholesterol, 27 grams carbohydrate, 350 milligrams sodium, 3 grams protein. 
