Southern Region
4-H Volunteer Forum
October 1-4, 2009
Rock Eagle 4-H Center
Eatonton, Georgia
Web site: http://www.4hsrlf.org/
Don’t delay. Register now for this great leadership opportunity! Don’t underestimate the power you have to influence youth from across Louisiana. Join together with other leaders from the southeastern United States to network, build camaraderie and reunite with other volunteers and staff across the nation. Tap into your greater potential and enhance your skills through workshops and seminars. It’s not too late to get involved, to recruit new volunteers and to experience this wonderful opportunity. You will return to Louisiana reenergized and refocused in your volunteer efforts. Together we can make the best better.
The mission of the Southern Region 4-H Volunteer Forum is to increase the capacity of volunteer and salaried staff to contribute to the achievement of the mission of 4-H Youth Development and the Cooperative Extension system. The primary purpose of the SRVF is to educate and prepare participants to share the information they learned and practice the skills they have developed, through participating in the forum and at home in their own 4-H programs and activities. Participants benefit from the experiential learning activities that require them to discuss, use and apply what they learn. The ultimate application is for individuals and teams to teach others. SRVF delegates include adult volunteers and extension staff from the 13 states in the southern region, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The SRVF is conducted by the Cooperative Extension Services of the state land-grant universities in 13 Southern Region states; the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service of the United States Department of Agriculture; and the National 4-H Council. The forum is planned by a committee of dedicated representatives from each of these entities, including volunteer representatives from each of the participating states.
Registration Fees and Application: Early bird registration for the 2009 forum is $425 due by August 15 to the state 4-H office. After August 15, the fee is $500 until August 28, when registration closes. Please be sure to get your registration in prior to the deadline to avoid additional fees. Louisiana’s state 4-H volunteer specialist will register the delegates from Louisiana. Additional fees apply for those who arrive prior to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 1, to cover additional meals and lodging. Call the 4-H state office (225-578-2196) for early-arrival cost. The registration fee includes chartered bus transportation, conference shirt and Rock Eagle meals and lodging Oct. 1-4. Cancellations prior to August 15 may receive a $225 refund upon approved written request. Submit all forms, including your health form and code of conduct, along with registration form and payment. Your registration application is not complete until all forms are received.
Travel Plans: A chartered bus has been contracted for this year’s forum. Limited seating of 55 passengers is available. Seating will be secured upon receipt of completed registration on a first-come, first-served basis. Please indicate at which location you will board the bus with the Louisiana delegation. If you are traveling alone, please indicate that on the registration form, deduct $165 from total fee and forward your itinerary to the state office for insurance purposes.
Rock Eagle Lodging: Participants will stay in heated and air-conditioned cottages. Towels, linens and blankets are furnished. Room assignments will be made after all registration forms are received. A limited amount of married housing may be available but cannot be guaranteed. The private space is first used for special needs persons, and remaining rooms will be assigned to married couples. Every effort will be made to accommodate your wishes for rooming preferences and special needs. Only those individuals who have registered for early arrival will be permitted entrance onto the Rock Eagle grounds prior to Thursday afternoon. If you plan to arrive anytime prior to Thursday afternoon, you must register for early arrival.
Trading Souvenirs: Trading, a popular get-acquainted activity, is held Thursday afternoon. Small trinkets, representative of the delegates’ states, are encouraged for trading. Popular items have included lapel pins, printed buttons and handmade items. Your local Chamber of Commerce as well as your state’s Department of Tourism, Department of Commerce and Parks Department are all likely sources of good trade items, usually at no cost. If you want to get into the spirit of the SRVF, bring items to trade.
Cabin Decorations: Join the cabin decorating contest. Bring outdoor decorations representative of Louisiana. Show your Louisiana pride to other states attending Southern Region 4-H Volunteer Forum. Dress is casual except for the closing banquet, which is dressy ("Sunday best"). Comfortable shoes are a must! October weather is mild; check the weather forecast as you pack. Midday temperatures range from the mid-50s to 70s while the evening temperatures are cool into the 50s and 60s. Be prepared for the change in weather. Registration fee includes a conference shirt; indicate the size needed. No additional shirts will be ordered after September 4.
Phones: Pay phones are available for delegates to call out. However, delegates are not easily accessible to receive calls. Emergency calls only should be made to 706-484-2831. Cell phone service is improving but is not always reliable.
Exhibits: Show off your programming, fundraising, educational projects, etc. by setting up an exhibit. You don’t have to man the exhibit, but handouts are helpful. For further details please see: http://www.4hsrlf.org/09SRLF/ExhibitForm09.pdf.
CONTACTS:
Todd Tarifa
State 4-H Volunteer Specialist
Tanya Walker
State 4-H Event Coordinator
LSU AgCenter
P. O. Box 25100
Baton Rouge, LA 70894-5100
225-578-2196 (phone)
225-578-7847 (fax)