ADA Accommodation

Should you need an ADA accommodation to participate in Caldwell 4-H, please contact Jana Bennett at 318-649-2663.

4-H Pledge

I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service, my Health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.

It's Time to Sign-Up for Caldwell 4-H Shooting Sports

Attention all 4-H members interested in participating in archery, pistol, shotgun, or rifle activities! Caldwell 4-H Shooting Sports will have its first meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 7 at the Caldwell Parish Library in Columbia. This will not only be an informational meeting for 4-H members but will also be the enrollment meeting for the 2024-2025 Shooting Sports year. If you are interested in joining Caldwell 4-H Shooting Sports, you must attend this meeting with a parent or guardian. Do not bring any firearms or archery equipment to this meeting. Membership dues are $30 dollars for one discipline and $10 for each additional discipline. If you will be using cash to pay Shooting Sports dues, you must have the exact amount.

If you are not able to attend the meeting you can come by the 4-H office starting October 8 to sign-up. The deadline to signup for Caldwell 4-H Shooting Sports is 4:00 p.m., October 28. 4-H Shooting Sports is a program that strives to teach 4-H'ers the safe and responsible use of firearms and archery equipment and promote the highest standards of safety, sportsmanship, and ethical behavior. If you have questions, please contact 4-H agent Jana Bennett at 318-649-2663.

Fashion Workshop

All Caldwell 4-H members in grades 4 to 12 are invited to participate in a Fashion Workshop on Monday, October 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Caldwell Parish Library. Workshop participants will create a no-sew project and decorate a t-shirt that can be entered in the 4-H Fashion Revue to be held on December 9. You will also learn about the Fashion Revue categories including Decorated T-shirt, Apron, Tops or Bottoms, Complete Outfit, Ready-to-Wear, and the Consumer Decision Making Contest.

The workshop fee is $20 and is limited to 15 participants. If you are interested in attending, you must preregister by coming to the Caldwell 4-H office,106 Jackson Street in Columbia, to pay the fee. T-shirts will be provided for participants. The deadline to register for this event is 4:00 p.m., October 9.

Leaf Identification Contest

• Entries are due to the 4-H office by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 25.
• Entries submitted after October 25 will not be eligible for cash prizes.
• Submit a binder of 15 pages of leaves, one leaf per page, which have been collected during the current school year.
• Leaves must be collected from trees or shrubs.
• Tape each leaf on a separate piece of construction or copy paper and identify the leaf using a pen or marker. Be specific when identifying leaves. For example, if a leaf is from a Live Oak tree, write Live Oak on the page, not just Oak. If the leaf is from a Bald Cypress tree, write Bald Cypress, not just Cypress.
• Write your name, school, and grade on the front cover of your binder.

Fall Foods Festival and Consumer Foods Judging Contest

• Monday, November 4, 8:45 a.m. at Union Central Elementary School
• You must pre-register for both contests by calling the 4-H office at (318) 649-2663 by 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 30.
• Dish categories are Quick-n-Easy Ground Beef, Main Dish Beef, Chicken, Egg, Rice Main Dish, Rice Any Other, Pecan, Sweet Potato, and Corn.
• All dishes must be already prepared and ready to serve. All dishes must be chilled, cold to the touch, and transported in an insulated hard case ice chest with ice. Styrofoam ice chests are allowed but insulated totes or bags will be disqualified.
• Alcohol is not allowed in any recipe.
• Dishes that won first place in last year's 2023 contest cannot be entered in this year's contest.
• Members who do not want to enter a dish can still compete in the Consumer Foods Judging Contest in which participants will rank classes of food items based on factors such as health, cost, lifestyle, or other requirements in a given situation and give written reasons for ranking.
• Complete contest rules, dish category requirements, and recipe forms are available at the 4-H office located at 106 Jackson Street in Columbia.

Safety Poster Contest

• Entries for the Safety Poster Contest are due to the Caldwell 4-H office by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 15.
• Create a poster on a specific safety topic, for example, fire safety, food safety, internet safety, etc.
• Posters must be on any color 22 inch by 28 inch poster board.
• Posters will be judged on originality, neatness, safety information, and eye-catching design.
• Your name, age, school and grade should be written on the back of the poster in the upper right corner.
• Posters submitted after November 15 will not be eligible for first, second, or third place awards.

Fashion Revue and Consumer Decision Making Contest

Handmade garments, shirts, and data forms are due to the 4-H office by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, December 2. Submit garment and/or decorated shirt on a hanger along with a Personal Data Form. The 4-H Fashion Revue consists of Clothing Construction, Decorated Shirt, Ready-to-Wear and Consumer Decision Making contests. Remember to submit a Data Form if you are planning to enter the Ready to Wear contest.

Life Skills: Importance of Laundry Care

Properly caring for your clothes is a life skill that requires a little knowledge and attention to a few details. Clothes are an investment and laundering them properly is a good way to extend their life and get the most from your money. Properly cleaning clothes is also a hygiene issue. Removing dirt and bacteria from soiled clothes will keep us healthy and also boost self-esteem.

Healthy Living: Find Your Ultimate Support System

It's important to learn who you can count on when you aren't feeling your best. This could be a friend, therapist, parent, mentor or anyone who remains your biggest advocate through your ups and downs. Finding friends who support you and treat you kindly helps to keep positivity in your life. Once you know who you can trust to support you, you won't feel the need to take on your challenges alone.

Club Meeting Schedule

• October 31 Union Central Elementary
• November 1 Caldwell Parish Junior High School
• November 5 Old Bethel Christian Academy
• November 6 Caldwell Parish High School
• November 6 Junior Leader Club 4:15 p.m.

Upcoming Events

• October 6-12 National 4-H Week
• October 7 Shooting Sports sign-up meeting
• October 12 Art and Folk Festival
• October 14 Fashion Workshop
• October 25 Leaf ID entries due
• October 30 Preregistration deadline for Fall Foods Festival
• October 30 Louisiana State Fair opens
• November 4 Fall Foods Festival
• November 15 Safety Poster entries due
• December 2 Garments and Forms due for Fashion Revue
• December 9 Fashion Revue and Consumer Decision Making Contest
• December 13 Photography Contest entries due

Membership and participation in activities and events are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, veteran status or disability. If you have a disability that requires special accommodation for your participation, please contact us at 318-649-2663. Louisiana 4-H is an educational program of the LSU AgCenter. The LSU AgCenter is an equal opportunity provider and employer.