Montana 4-H Clover
is produced by
Montana State University Agriculture and Extension Communications

and funded by
Montana 4-H Foundation.

Agriculture and Extension Communications is part of MSU Communications Services
416 Culbertson Hall Bozeman, MT 59717
publications@montana.edu
(406) 994-2721

Edited by: Karen Johnson, Marla Goodman, Suzi Taylor

Contributors: Rae Lynn Benson, Wendy Gerky, Chery Ann Weatherell, Jennifer Wells, The Livingston Enterprise, The Great Falls Tribune

What is MSU Extension?

MSU:
The Extension program is a fundamental part of Montana State University's land grant mission, developed to ensure that all Montanans benefit from the University.

Public access:
The program extends university knowledge to the people who need it, even if they never set foot on a campus. It gives every Montanan access to useful information and expert help via workshops, demonstrations, community meetings, publications, videos, the internet and other sources. Montana 4-H is MSU Extension's youth development program.

Educational outreach:
Extension links a network of MSU facultytopic specialists on the MSU-Bozeman campus and agents in 53 counties and seven reservationsto the people. Its role is to extend practical knowledge to the public about agriculture, natural resources, youth development, community development and family and consumer sciences.

Free information:
MSU Extension provides resources on topics that range from raising livestock, growing crops and protecting the environment to raising a family, managing finances, starting a business and protecting your family's health and well-being.

For everyone:
You can use Extension by calling your local agent (listed in the county section of the phone book), by taking advantage of workshops and demonstrations in your area, or by clicking on "Extension and Outreach" at www.montana.edu.

For a catalog of free and low-cost publications, call (406)994-3273 or browse the Extension catalog online.

Welcome to the 2003-2004 Clover Magazine

What will this year hold?

4-H is launching into a new century to continue its mission of teaching youth life skills. In Montana, nearly 30,000 youth are taking advantage of this opportunity. They may be in 4-H clubs, they may be involved in a school enrichment program, or they may be in an after school program. Whatever their involvement, they are learning how to do new things and sharpening their skills.

For those who belong to 4-H clubs, selecting a project or projects is very important, as it sets the course for learning for the next year. When the 4-H Clover Project Selection Guide comes out, 4-H'ers look through the pages to see what fun and exciting things they can do for the year. Will they choose some new things or stay on the same path and advance in the materials? Will they take a lot of projects, or not so many? Are they curious enough about something to design their own learning activities? Whatever their case may be, we encourage all to do some planning so the year can be successful. It is important to select carefully to meet the goals each person wants to accomplish.

Project offerings are different now than what they were 101 years ago Ñ but then so is our life style. The Club is part of history, but the project offerings have changed tremendously and will continue to do so over the next 99 years. Even so, the project approach has proven successful over time and as you can see in this year's Clover, there are a great many choices to make.

Have fun in 4-H this year -- but challenge yourself to do your best.

Betty McCoy,
State 4-H Leader

Make the best better!

The Montana 4-H Foundation and its Board of Directors are once again pleased to make this issue of the Montana 4-H Clover available to all 4-H members, leaders, families and Extension staff. This will be the 11th year that the Foundation has been able to fund this publication. It is just one way that the Foundation is able to provide a benefit to every member and leader involved in the 4-H program. As you read this and past issues of the Montana 4-H Clover, you will learn about other programs that the Foundation has been able to help fund.

Since 1969, when the Foundation was started, its goal has been to raise funds that can be used to supplement 4-H programs and activities statewide. These funds come from many individuals, county 4-H councils, 4-H clubs, businesses and other foundations. Such things as the People Partner grants, Montana 4-H Congress, National 4-H Congress are supported from the funds that the Foundation raises.

With the current economic and political environment, the budgets for Extension and 4-H are limited. This is where the Foundation tries to help. Our fund-raising efforts help us provide additional funds to Montana 4-H programs. We thank all of our friends that support the Foundation for making this possible through their generosity.

As we move forward into the second century of 4-H in our great country I want to challenge all of you to "Make the Best Better" and to continue to support our efforts as your Montana 4-H Foundation.

As representative of our volunteer Board of Directors I want to extend our best wishes, to you, for a successful 4-H year. We hope that you will find many exciting projects in this Clover to work on during the coming year.

James McDonald
President, Montana 4-H Foundation

Montana 4-H Clover 2003
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The programs of the MSU Extension Service are available to all people regardless of race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, LeRoy Luft, Interim Vice Provost and Director, Extension Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.