The responsibilities of the DeSoto 4-H Advisory Leadership Council are to represent their peers, identify needs and issues, identify opportunities for collaboration, be active in sharing their skills and knowledge to help the parish and understand Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service as a community resource. Term will be through 2012.

4-H Advisory Leadership Council Members

Meeting Minutes
2010-2011 DeSoto Parish Advisory Council Meeting
Thursday April 7, 2011
6:30 p.m.
DeSoto Parish Extension Office
Grand Cane, La.

Those in attendance:

Karen Evans – 4-H Parent/Supporter
Jennifer Simmons – Junior Leader
Kristen, Ken, & Emily Fulton – 4-H Club Leader/Parent/Jr. Leader
Danielle Colton – 4-H Parent/Resource Person
Dean Register – 4-H Parent/DARE Instructor
Tom Usrey – 4-H Supporter/NRCS Employee
Steve & Carol Ashley – 4-H Parent/Supporter
Mindy Kile – 4-H Agent
Molly Farrar Usrey – 4-H Agent
Chuck Griffin – DeSoto Parish Chair

The DeSoto Parish 4-H Advisory Council meeting was called to order at 6:35 a.m.by Molly Usrey. Thirteen members were in attendance. Molly led a prayer was said and dinner was served.

Molly Usrey explained the purpose and goal of the Advisory Council and reviewed the minutes of the 2010 4-H Advisory Committee Meeting.

Molly gave an enrollment update for the 2010-2011 school year. DeSoto Parish has 12 organized school clubs with 451 youth enrolled. Mansfield Middle and Mansfield Elementary School did not have 4-H Clubs during the 2010-2011 school year. A discussion was held to identify volunteers to lead clubs at those schools.

Molly also highlighted four of DeSoto Parish’s seven project clubs:

The Junior Leader Club has approximately 45 actively involved youth. They have participated in a service learning project during the 2010-2011 school year to support troops overseas. This project included collecting items for military care packages and writing cards and letters to the troops to show their support.

The DeSoto Parish Livestock Club currently has more than 45 youth involved in livestock projects. This is an increase from 2009-2010 with more youth becoming involved in small animal projects such as poultry and rabbits. The Livestock Advisory Committee has voted to have livestock exhibitors in the club present programs about their projects at livestock club meetings.

The Horse Club has continued to meet every other month throughout the 2010-2011 school year. Topics covered in Horse Club meeting have included: How to Horse Around (participate) in 4-H; Tips for Cutting Expenses with Equine; Colors, Markings, & Other Horse Identification; and Breed Characteristics and Uses. For the third year, the Horse Club will sponsor a spring horse show as a “warm up” for the Northwest District Horse Show. This show will be held Saturday, April 16, 2011.

Karen Goodman has served as the 2010-2011 4-H photography club leader. Meetings have been held bi-monthly. She has expressed an interest in holding meetings every month during the 2011-2012 school year and include more speakers and individuals involved with photography into the club programs. A monthly photo contest will also be added.

Mindy Kile gave an update of the DeSoto Parish Outdoor Skills Program, the Cooking and Sewing Clubs and the Cloverbud Club:

Eleven youth have participated in 4-H Shooting Sports and 10 of those youth will move on to the State Shoot. There are currently five adult coaches for the DeSoto Youth Sportsman Team. Currently, shooting sports practices do not begin until January. For the 2011-2012 school year, practices will begin in November 2011 at the conclusion of the State Fair so that youth have more time to prepare for competition. Fifteen youth from DeSoto Parish have now been through the All-Terrain Vehicle Rider Safety Course. More courses will be offered during the 2011-2012 school year.

Amy Garsee has served as the leader of Designers in the Kitchen cooking and sewing club. The club has met monthly at the Mansfield Hospital. This club has 15 active members who have mastered basic sewing skills. For the 2011-2012 year this club will meet at the DeSoto Parish 4-H Office.

Cloverbuds meetings are held monthly. Participation has decreased this year. More effort will be made in the fall of 2011 to recruit Cloverbud 4-H members.

Molly presented information about the club meeting focus area for the past three schools years: Safety in 2010-2011, Environmental Education in 2009-2010, and Food and Fiber in 2008-2009. Molly then asked the group to identify three needs the youth of DeSoto Parish have that 4-H could help meet. Steve Ashley identified netiquette as an issue with teens sharing too much information on the internet and text, along with texting while driving and at other inappropriate times. Danielle Colton identified a lack of work ethic among youth. Karen Evans identified childhood obesity rates as an issue. Mindy made the group aware of an issue seen by the agents which was limited time for 4-H due to LEAP preparation in the spring.

The group voted to use Workforce Prep as the focus for high school clubs during the 2011 – 2012 school year and LEAP lessons for the elementary club focus. Netiquette has been covered in the safety lessons during the current school year. To address the obesity issue, health eating and active lifestyles will be the topic of the educational program held at the Parish Cookery Contest.

Molly talked about plans for the 2011 4-H Safety Awareness Fun Day to be held May 6, 2011.

Molly pointed out a possible need for an outdoor adventures club. A large number of youth in DeSoto Parish are enrolled in camping, fishing and ATV projects. The advisory committee agreed that this is a need in the parish to keep youth involved in healthy activities.

Karen Evans suggest that the Jr. Leader Club consider working at the Hub as their community service project for the fall. The Hub provides meals and clothing to the homeless in the Shreveport Area. Jennifer Simmons encouraged this idea and reflected on her positive experience working at the Hub.

Finally Molly discussed the need for a volunteer training. Trainings have been scheduled in the past but have been unsuccessful due to lack of participation. It was suggested that a training be held in August when teachers are wrapping up their annual meetings at the school board office. Such trainings will help the parish program run more smoothly and increase enthusiasm among leaders.

Molly and Mindy thanked the committee for their time and excellent suggestions. The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m.

Minutes from this committee meeting is also available through the link provided below.