Contests/Events

This year we will have an informational meeting on October 5, 2022, at 5:30 PM at the 4-H office. All parents/guardians and youth are encouraged to attend. The deadline to sign up for shooting sports without a late fee is October 17th and the absolute deadline to join with a $10 late fee is November 1st. For information on how to join shooting sports, see the Community Clubs.

Don’t miss out on a fun night of basketball and fan experiences! The 4-H Night with the Pelicans game is scheduled for January 6, 2023. There will be a private pre-game party for 4-H members and Pelican fans at the Smoothie King Center starting at 4:30 PM and Tip-Off at 7:30 PM!! Ticket prices vary. The packages include access to the pre-game party, your chance to participate in an on-court fan experience and a 4-H Night with the Pelicans T-shirt. Tickets can be purchased here https://pels.group/4HNight. Deadline to purchase tickets is December 9, 2022.

Date: Friday, January 6, 2023, Tip off 7:30PM

Game: New Orleans Pelicans versus Brooklyn Nets

Location: Smoothie King Center, 1501 Dave Dixon Dr, New Orleans, LA 70113

Deadline: to purchase tickets December 9, 2022

Fan Experience Opportunities

  • Pregame Tailgate Party - Arrive to the Smoothie King at 4:30pm to participate in the pregame tailgate party located on the Smoothie King Center Concourse
  • Court of Dreams –Select kids will get to play a pickup game on the court during the day prior to the game. The Court of Dreams will be from 12:30PM – 3:30PM.
  • Baseline Pelicans – Select members of 4-H will get an exclusive on-floor view of the Pelicans’ pregame shoot-around. (20 person max)
  • Pregame Fan Tunnel – Select members of 4-H will form a tunnel as the Pelicans team enters the court. You can high five the pros! (30 person max)
  • Anthem Buddies – Twelve kids from 4-H will stand tall in front of the Pelicans basketball team during the National Anthem Performance. (12 person max)

Spark Video Contest

Game Ball – One person from 4-H will be recognized on the court at the start of the game while presenting the game ball with players from both teams. This is during the tip-off of the game.

  • 4-H Members interested in presenting the game ball need to submit a video that describes the SPARK that started their 4-H experience. The video will be a minimum of 30 seconds and a maximum of 45 seconds.
  • For the video, 4-H Members must wear a 4-H shirt and use a solid color background.
  • All youth must be enrolled in 4-H Online to be eligible to enter the contest.
  • To upload the video, participants will need to follow the directions at the following link: https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=31198917
  • Once the video is uploaded the link to the video must be emailed to Lauren Faust, Lfaust@agcenter.lsu.edu by 4:30pm on December 9, 2022.

What’s Included with each ticket purchase

  • City Edition Beanie Souvenir (Knit Hat) – Given out to all fans upon entering to the Smoothie King Center
  • Pelicans & 4-H t-shirt – Given out at the Pregame Tailgate Party 4:30pm-5:30pm
  • A portion of the ticket sale proceeds will benefit 4-H Foundation
  • Parish that sells the most tickets each 4-H Member from that Parish will receive a New Orleans Pelicans Swag Item (given to parish Agent or designated adult at the game to give out to 4-H Members)

Ticket Orders

  • Payment order turned into the New Orleans Pelicans
  • The QR Code on the Flier can be used for group ticket purchases or individual ticket purchases
  • Parking needs to be ordered separately by contacting Denton Hunter at 504-593-4748 or Denton.Hunter@Pelicans.com
  • Seats are limited, first come first serve
  • Deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, December 9, 2022

Buses & Parking

  • Discounted parking offered
    • $10 parking per car
    • $25 parking per bus (limited)
  • Parking can only be purchased in advance via order form or contact Denton Hunter at 504-593-4748 or Denton.Hunter@Pelicans.com

A Life Book is the record of a youth’s life in his or her own words using photos, artwork, and mementos collected along the way. These journals allow youth in foster care to document their history, celebrate accomplishments, and let their talents shine! This contest is open to any 4-12th grader in Acadia Parish! The contest is to design a creative cover and assemble a Life Book for a foster care youth. Entries should be single-sided. Multiple entries will be accepted. Cover designs will be judged separately in two divisions: 4th-6th graders and 7th-12th graders. Entries are due to the 4-H Office by December 1, 2022.

There will be a Shooting Camp held December 16-18, 2022, in Pollock at Grant Walker Educational Facility. The camp is open to 4-H Youth ages 9-13 years old. Participants will choose one of the following: Archery, Shotgun, .22 Rifle, or Air Rifle/Air Pistol/BB (Combined). Parents and coaches are welcome to attend but it is not mandatory. The cost will be $100 per youth/per parent/per coach which will cover registration, lodging, meals, and t-shirt. All youth will be required to bring their own bow/firearm and arrows/ammo. Transportation is not provided and must be independently organized.

You can register for this camp through your 4HOnline account under the events tab. Deadline to register is November 25th.

The annual LSU AgCenter Southwest Region Agricultural Career Day at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station in Rayne, LA is on December 14, 2022. The agricultural Career Day offers youth in grades 8-12 a unique opportunity to learn more about agricultural careers, research, and production. Youth will experience firsthand the basics behind agricultural production. A field tour will give an up-close look at rice production. In addition, participants will learn about potential agricultural related careers from university, research, and extension leaders. You do not have to be a 4-H member to attend. The deadline to sign up is December 1st.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

  1. The pumpkin decorating contest registration is due on October 27th to the 4-H Office.
  2. The main part of each entry must be a pumpkin or a member of the pumpkin family. NO CRAFT PUMPKINS WILL BE PERMITTED.
  3. Each entry must clearly labeled and include the following information: contest category, student’s name, grade level, and 4-H club.
  4. Skill level should reflect the youth’s grade and age.
  5. Pumpkins may not be carved or hollowed out.
  6. 4-H members may enter one (1) pumpkin in each category.
  7. Objects, paper, and materials of any kind may be pinned or glued to pumpkins except for glitter. Participants may also draw or paint on their entries, cut designs into their surfaces, or dress them up. Again, do not carve or hollow out your pumpkin.
  8. No electrical device may be used as part of any entry.
  9. Pumpkins must be picked up on October 31st but no later than November 2nd. Pumpkins not picked up will be discarded (thrown away).
  10. No team entries will be accepted. Single entries only.

Entries are judged according to the following criteria:


Originality Use of materials Quality of the work Creativity

  1. Judging Categories
  1. School Pride-make your pumpkin your school’s mascot, school colors, a teacher, etc.
  2. Animal Pumpkin - Lions, tigers, bears -oh my! Make your decorated pumpkin look like an animal.
  3. Character – show us your favorite Disney character, movie character, game character, etc.
  4. 4-H Spirit Pumpkin - Show us your love for 4-H by decorating your pumpkin with your favorite 4-H things.
  1. Some Helpful Tips:
    1. Keep your pumpkin in good shape.
    2. Choose a firm pumpkin, with no blemishes, and make sure the stem is firmly attached.
    3. First wash your pumpkin under running water.
    4. Store your pumpkin in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place.
  2. Some decorating tips:
    1. Use acrylic paint if you wish to paint your pumpkin. DO NOT use spray paint. Spray paint will make the pumpkin deteriorate FAST!
    2. Use a glue gun or straight pins to attach decorations to your pumpkin.
    3. Make sure that you give your pumpkin time to dry.
    4. Think about transporting your pumpkin.

There is a NEW 4-H Portfolio to use for the Record Book contest this year! Record-keeping is an important part of every 4-H educational project. Many awards, educational trips and college scholarships are given to club members on the basis of their records and project work. Records show your progress toward your goals. Keep this book from year to year and add to it. You may include up to three years of 4-H work.

This form is designed to help you keep your records and other supporting materials in an orderly manner. Do not alter the basic format of this book.

It’s never too early to start working on your record book!

Find it here https://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/kids_teens/proj...

All shooting sports participants are required to show proof of hunter safety by December 31st. There are multiple hunter safety classes being offered through Wildlife and Fisheries. You can check on their website and view all upcoming classes that are being offered through them. https://louisianaoutdoors.com/events. We will not be offering any other classes through the 4-H office this year.

Come join the Horse Clinics this

year for FREE! This year Acadia parish will be offering horse clinics. We will again team up with master horsemen throughout the region. The dates for the clinics are November 14th and December 12th held at the Acadia Parish Rice Arena from 6 -8 p.m. In order to attended youth must be a registered 4-H member AND bring your own horse. You MUST pre-register to attend the clinics through your 4H Online account under events. For more information or questions, please call Emma Zaunbrecher Tyler at 337-366-2109

This is the biggest contest day that we will be offering this year! The Commodity Cookery & Contests Extravaganza will be held on Monday, November 21, 2022, at the 4-H office. Registration for the cookery begins at 8:30 AM. Judging and other contests will begin at 9:00 AM. Once judging begins, no late dishes will be accepted. The contests for the Commodity Cookery & Contests Extravaganza are the Commodity Cookery, Demonstrations, Journey into Jobs, Meat ID & Poultry ID.

  • May only enter one dish in each commodity.
  • May register the day of the contest. No pre-registration forms are required.
  • Dishes must be prepared at home and brought to the contest ready for serving.
  • Each dish must be chilled on ice and plated in a disposable container and brought to the contest in an ice chest accompanied with ICE. Only completely chilled dishes, even cakes and cookies, will be allowed. No placemats, no serving utensils, no flower arrangements, etc. will be allowed.
  • Only 3-4 servings of the dish should be displayed for the contest in a presentable, disposable container - for example, a clear plastic tray or dish, but your recipe must state the entire servings.
  • Creativity and originality are encouraged. The use of previous winning recipes is discouraged.
  • The first-place winner in each category will compete at the Southwest Region Commodity Cookery Contest representing Acadia Parish.
  • Participants are required to submit a copy of their recipe with the dish. Remember to put name, grade. category and division on the back of the recipe. Only one copy of the recipe is needed. The recipe may be neatly hand written or typed.

Ground Beef Cookery (All Grades)

Prepare a ground meat dish. A minimum of one pound of ground beef must be used. All beef should be cooked until gray in color, not pink, and juices run clear. The Ground Beef Cookery offers three divisions:

  • Low-Calorie Main Dish: A dish which provides less than 300 calories per serving. Calculation of calories will be stated on recipe.http://nutritiondata.self.com/ should be used to calculate dishes calories.
  • Quick & Easy Main Dish: A dish that is ready to serve in less than one hour. The time for each step and for cooking and baking will be stated on recipe.
  • One-Dish Meal: A dish that provides complete servings from at least three of the five required food groups. Serving of the dish should be on recipe.

Seafood Cookery (All Grades)

Prepare a seafood dish. A minimum of one cup of seafood must be used. Canned seafood will NOT be accepted. The Seafood Cookery offers five divisions:

  • Shrimp
  • Crawfish
  • Oyster
  • Fish/Non-Traditional
  • Crab

Sugar Cookery (All Grades)

Prepare a sugar dish. A minimum of one cup of sugar (raw, brown, powdered or granulated) must be used. There can be no raw eggs in the final product. The Sugar Cookery offers two divisions:

  • Baked items: bread, cakes, pies, cookies, etc.
  • Other Dessert: candies, icebox pies, ice cream, etc.

This does not include homemade jams, jellies and preserves.


Rice Cookery (All Grades)

Prepare a rice dish. A minimum of one cup of cooked rice must be used. Wild rice is not cultivated rice in Louisiana and does not meet the requirement of one cup of rice and will not be accepted. Dishes containing rice products such as rice cereal, rice flour, etc., must also contain cooked rice. Example: Traditional Rice Krispy treats do not meet the contest requirements. The contest will be divided into three categories:

  • Rice Main Dish: contains significant amounts of beef, poultry or seafood.
  • Rice Side Dish: rice dressing would be considered a side dish.
  • Rice Dessert


Bento Cookery (All Grades)

“Bento” is Japanese for packed lunch or meal. A Bento lunch is a compact, balanced, visually appealing meal packed in a box. Bring a prepared healthy box or Bento lunch to the contest. It should be representative of “MyPlate” recommendations - www.myplate.gov Each competitor will create a lunch to be eaten at school by a student age 9 to 12. The beverage to accompany the meal will be water (do not need to include). Each competitor will transport their Healthy Box or “Bento” Lunch to the contest packed in a portable, lock-top, and leak proof container, chilled and on ice.


Recipe Evaluation

The recipe should include the following parts:

a. Name of recipe

b. List of ingredients in order used in instructions

  • Measurements given in common fractions
  • No abbreviations used
  • No brand names used
  • Clear instructions for every step of combining and cooking the ingredients
  • Short, clear, concise sentences
  • Correct food preparation terms to describe combining and cooking process
  • Size of pan stated
  • Temperature and cooking time stated
  • Number of servings and calories per serving given

c. Instructions for combining ingredients

d. Dish meets contest and division requirements


For more information and all rules see the attachments at the bottom of this page.

Part of the Commodity Cookery & Contests Extravaganza

  • Open to all 4-H members.
  • Contest Description: Contestants complete application that are turned in ahead of time, then complete a face-to-face interview with judge(s).
  • You must pre-register through this link https://tinyurl.com/ComCookContest
  • Registrations should be completed as if applicants are fully qualified for the job. Interview questions and applications are specific to division.
  • Youth compete as a division. Elementary: 4th-6th grades, Junior: 7th-8th grades, and Senior: 9th-12th grades.
  • All contestants are expected to dress nice and neat to best present themselves to the judges.
  • This contest is designed to expose the 4-H’ers to the common job application and interviewing process.
  • Winners in each grade category will win their first paycheck!
  • Deadline to register is November 8th.

Part of the Commodity Cookery & Contests Extravaganza

  • Open to any 4-H member.
  • The contest may consist of:

A. Market Class

• Judge one class of six dressed fryers according to U.S. Grades.

• Judge one class of six dressed hens according to U.S. Grades.

B. Egg Class

• Judge one class of ten broken out eggs (Judge one class of ten).

C. External Quality

• Judge two classes of 6 eggs for exterior quality.

For study guides, see the bottom of this page.

Part of the Commodity Cookery & Contests Extravaganza

  • Open to any 4-H member.
  • Elementary and Junior contestants will be required to identify cuts of meat from beef, pork and lamb, if possible, and tell what wholesale cut it is taken from. Study charts are available at the 4-H Office.
  • Senior contestants will be required to identify cuts of meat from beef, pork, and lamb.
  • To practice for this contest, it is recommended that youth visit fresh meat markets or the meat sections in the local groceries.

For study guides, see the bottom of this page.

Part of the Commodity Cookery & Contests Extravaganza

  • Open to all 4-H members.
  • There will be a limit to no more than one entry per category
  • Members of a team demonstration (2 members only) can be from different clubs and different grade level but will compete in the oldest team member’s grade division.
  • All demonstrations and speeches must be prepared and practiced prior to Demonstration Day.
  • A demonstration which was presented for an area and/or state competition may not be presented by the same person or team on Demonstration Day.
  • There will be one easel and tables in each contest room. 4-H'ers must furnish all other equipment and supplies. 4-H'ers are responsible for clean-up after each demonstration they present.
  • All demonstrations must be pre-registered. Any demonstration not pre-registered will be unable to participate. You can pre-register here https://tinyurl.com/ComCookContest
  • Categories are Civic Engagement,/Leadership Method, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Method, and Healthy Living Method.
  • Deadline to register is November 8th.

For demonstration resources, please see the attachment at the bottom of this page.

Innovate . Educate . Improve Lives

The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture

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