The new program year for Manitoba 4-H officially began on September 1st, and activities are now underway. 4-H clubs are in the process of reorganizing, and area councils are holding their preparation meetings to plan for the year ahead.
Member enrollment has begun, which is always an exciting time for 4-H members, volunteers, staff and alumni.
Provincial programming will ramp up quickly, starting with Senior Member Events in October. In November, the 4-H Provincial Conference will take place, with a focus on leadership development.
4-H Manitoba Shifts from Green Tie Gala to Meet 'n Greet
This year, there is a shift in fundraising efforts. Instead of the traditional Green Tide Gala, a new mix-and-mingle event will be hosted. This change comes in response to feedback from alumni who previously attended the dinner.
"There just wasn't enough opportunity for that reconnection and that's really kind of what the goal was of the gala, to create some awareness about 4H, connect with the business community as far as awareness of our sponsorship needs and then also reconnect those alumni," shares Executive Director for Manitoba 4-H Shannon Carvey.
"So, we're just going to do a little shift and have a little bit of a less structured program and really allow that opportunity for reconnection with our alumni and also connection with our 4H family with the business community," she adds. "So, it's just an opportunity to share a little bit more on that grassroots level."
Hands-On Learning at the Heart of 4-H Clubs
Carvey encourages folks and families to check out their 4-H Manitoba website to find out more information on 4-H club opportunities closest to them, to become members as young people, but also for volunteer opportunities.
"We're very community minded. Our kids belong to a club and as a member of that club, they run that club," she explains. "It's not up to the leaders; it's not up to the parents. The kids manage the club. So, they are taking on all of those parliamentary positions within their club. They're learning how to run a meeting. They're learning how to make decisions. The money that they raise is those members is that club's money. So, they're learning how to manage all of that. They can take on a treasurer role or a secretary role. So, there's so much to 4-H that is beyond just the basic the basis of doing a project."
"I will also add that all of our projects are based on experiential learning, so everything is hands-on. Our motto is learn to do by doing. So, everyone is very involved from the members up to the leaders to the parents. We're a family-driven organization, so we highly encourage families when you join. When your child joins 4-H, your whole family joins 4-H and we very much focus on the family," adds Carvey.
4-H Manitoba Adjusts Event Schedule for the Year
Carvey confirmed that no new programming has been added this year, but the schedule has been slightly adjusted. In previous years, the fall season was particularly busy, so this year’s events have been more evenly distributed.
The Senior Member Event and Provincial Conference will still take place in the fall, specifically in October and November. Agri Career Quest, which highlights careers in agriculture for senior and adult members, has been moved to the spring and will now occur in the first quarter of the year. Provincial Communications are scheduled for late April.
"So yeah, it's going to be a busy time, but we're really looking forward to it," adds Carvey. "And then we'll also be throwing in some intermediate camp opportunities there, probably in March sometime. So, we haven't got a specific date for that yet, so we just kind of shuffled our schedule a little bit to kind of spread things out a Little, bit more.
"If anybody thinks that they might be interested in 4-H for their family, by all means give us a call and we'll connect you with a club in your area and we would be glad to have you as part of our 4-H family," she adds.