4-H Weekly Blast
October 1, 2025
All events are on the 4-H Website! Add them to your calendar by clicking HERE
October 1-20: Christmas Card Design Contest (More information to come!)
October 1: ALL Rockdale Fair Eligibility Forms Due to the Office
October 1: All 4-H memberships complete for Rockdale Fair participation, 4-H ONLINE
October 1: 4-H Butterbraid Fundraiser BEGINS!
October 2: Consumer Practice, 6pm, Extension Office
October 3-5: Kendra Scott Gives Back
October 4: HOT Fair Ag Product ID Contest- Waco
October 4: Rockdale Fair Work Day, 8:00am to 11:00 am, RFA Fairgrounds
October 5-11: National 4-H Week!!!!
October 6: GO GREEN FOR 4-H!!!! WEAR GREEN AND POST ON SM! National 4-H Week!
October 9: Consumer Practice, 6pm, Extension Office
October 11: Rockdale Fair Work Day, 8:00am to 11:00 am, RFA Fairgrounds
October 12: Rockdale Fair Work Day, 1:30pm to 4:30pm, RFA Fairgrounds
October 12: Ag Product ID Practice TBD, 2pm, Extension Office
October 15-18: Rockdale Fair, Rockdale
October 20: Christmas Card Design Contest Deadline
October 21: Heifer Validation, 5-6:30pm, YEB
October 21: 4-H Photography Project Meeting, 6pm, Extension Office
October 23: Sheep and Goat Validation, 5-6:30pm, YEB
October 23: Virtual 4-H Youth Workshop Series- Public Speaking, 7pm, Zoom
October 26: Ag Product ID Practice, 2pm, Extension Office
October 26: MCJLA Turkey and Dressing Fundraiser, 11am-SOLD OUT, YEB
October 27: 4-H Butterbraid Fundraiser ENDS!
October 28: 4-H County Council/Club Officer Training, 6pm, Annex/Bea's Kitchen
October 30: Consumer Practice, 6pm, Extension Office
November 1-2: Holiday Classic, Cadence Bank Center, Belton
November 2: Ag Product ID Practice, 2pm, Extension Office
November 5: Major Show Entry Day, 8am-6pm, Milam County Extension Office
November 6: Consumer Practice, 6pm, Extension Office
November 6: District Ag Product ID Contest- Belton
November 9: Ag Product ID Practice, 2pm, Extension Office
November 11: Texas 4-H Outdoor Challenge Discovery Event
November 13: Consumer Practice, 6pm, Extension Office
November 16: Ag Product ID Practice, 2pm, Extension Office
November 18: 4-H Photography Project Meeting, 6pm, Extension Office
November 20: Virtual 4-H Youth Workshop Series- Personal Branding, 7pm, Zoom
November 24: Holiday Gift Idea Exchange/Co. Council Meeting/4-H FCH, 6pm, Cameron FMC
November 28-December 14: Tractor Supply Paper Clover Fundraiser
December 1-15: Texas 4-H Natural Resources Photography Contest
December 16: 4-H Photography Project Meeting, 6pm, Extension Office
January 8: Virtual 4-H Youth Workshop Series- What is a Leader?, 7pm, Zoom
January 20: 4-H Photography Project Meeting, 6pm, Extension Office
January 27: County Council Meeting/Recordbook Training, 6pm, Annex
February 17: 4-H Photography Project Meeting, 6pm, Extension Office
April 9: Virtual 4-H Youth Workshop Series- Preparing for Interviews, 7pm, Zoom
April 21: 4-H Photography Project Meeting, 6pm, Extension Office
April 28: County Council Meeting/Office Elections, 6pm,
Cloverbud Friendly*: This means that cloverbuds are welcome to come and participate in this activity. To learn more about the projects in the calendar, find the information below about the event.
Important Addresses:
· County Extension Office: 908 N Crockett Avenue, Cameron TX
· YEB (Youth Exposition Building): 301 S Houston Ave, Cameron, TX 76520
· "Annex"/Extension Office Conference: Meeting Room inside Milam County Annex (OLD BUILDING-where the Office used to be)
· "Annex"/Bea’s Kitchen (Senior Center inside of Milam County Annex): 806 N Crockett Avenue, Cameron TX
National 4-H Week 2025
National 4-H Week is October 5-11, 2025
This year we are GOING GREEN for 4-H!!!!
We ask that all 4-H members, clubs, and schools paint the nation GREEN on Monday, October 6th!!!
Get your 4-H Club, school, and your 4-H family to take a picture of you wearing green on Monday, October 6th!
Please add these to your post so we can see all the pictures!!!
@Milam4H
@AgriLifeExtension
@Texas4H
@TXExtension
@National4H
#4HBeyondReady
#National4HWeek
4-H Club Meetings:
- Cameron 4-H Club: 1st Tuesdays, 6pm, Yoe High School Cafeteria (NOTE: Cameron 4-H Meeting will be at the National Night Out from 5-7pm on Oct 7th. This will be at the Cameron PD and we will not have the NORMAL meeting time and location- come see us at the NNO and sign in at the event)
- Gause 4-H Club: 1st Mondays, 6:30pm, Gause Baptist Church Family Life Center
- Rockdale 4-H Club: 2nd Mondays, 6:30pm, Rockdale Peace Lutheran
- Thorndale 4-H Club: 4th Mondays, 6pm, Thorndale Chamber
- Shooting Sports 4-H Project Club: September 22nd, 5pm, Minerva- Whiteley House- call or text Club Manager for more information- 254-482-1143
Other months: American Legion Rockdale, 2534 N Hwy 487 Rockdale, TX 76567
ENROLL TODAY!!!
To re-enroll or join 4-H, please see our website: http://counties.agrilife.org/mc4h/4-h-enrollmentguidelines/ This link will show you the steps to join as well as many important items for the 4-H year! Join us for 4-H fun!
PLEASE CHECK YOUR ENROLLMENT BEFORE YOU SUBMIT IT! If you are awaiting review, you are good! If it says resubmit or incomplete, you will need to finish before you can be approved!
Eligibility Forms
All Contests and Livestock Shows (any competitive event) requires an Eligibility Form to be completed AT LEAST 2 weeks OR BEFORE the contest/show. Please print and complete this form and turn it in to the County Extension Office, 908 N Crockett Avenue, Suite B, Cameron, TX 76520. Or it can be faxed to 254-697-7046. We do have a drop box for after hours. For questions, please call the Extension Office.
All forms will be emailed to: mailto:kimberly.mcelwrath@ag.tamu.edu
Forms can be found by going to: https://milam.4h.agrilife.org/4-h-enrollmentguidelines/eligibility-form/
DO NOT SEND TO SCHOOLS!!!!!
REMINDER: YOU MUST BE ENROLLED ON 4-H ONLINE BEFORE COMPLETING AN ELIGIBILITY FORM!
SEE PICTURE FOR INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!
October 15, 16, 17, & 18, 2025
Rockdale Fair Rules have been updated on the website: https://milam.4h.agrilife.org/rockdale-fair/
Ownership and Tag-in dates are as follows:
Rockdale Fair Home Economics has been updated and posted on the website above! Take a look and get started on those projects now!!!! Don't wait till the last minute!
REQUIRED WORK DAYS:
- Saturday, October 4th, 8:00 to 11:00 am
- Saturday, October 11th, 8:00 to 11:00 am
- Sunday, October 12, 1:30 to 4:30 pm
All exhibitors showing market animals, commercial heifers, breeding beef heifers, baked food and ag mechanic projects will be required to come to one board approved cleanup/set up day. Exhibitors will be required to sign in. FAILURE TO ATTEND MAY RESULT IN PROBATION OR DISQUALIFICATION.
Rockdale Fair and Rodeo Parade
Calling all schools, clubs, and organizations!
The Rockdale Fair & Rodeo is just around the corner, and we’d love for YOU to be part of the celebration!
Come showcase your pride, spirit, and support as we celebrate 50 years of youth achievement in Milam County.
Parade entry forms can be found at https://rockdalefairassociation.com/ or below.
https://docs.google.com/.../1YKMeMXXNWbQugncm_aT.../edit...
Let’s make this year’s parade the best one yet!
Fall Validations
This validation will be for heifers, sheep, and goats attending the spring majors (Ft. Worth, Houston, Austin, etc.) that were not validated in June (heifers only have to be validated once as long as breed and owner remain the same).
October Validation Dates:
- October 21st: Heifer Validation - 5 - 6:30 PM at the YEB
- October 23rd: Sheep & Goat Validation - 5-6:30 PM at the YEB
Milam County Major Show Entry Day
Entry Day for Spring Major Shows (Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Houston, Austin, etc.)
November 5th
Extension office
8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Notary for Houston entries will be available from 3:30 to 6 PM.
Milam County Junior Livestock Show:
All rules have been posted on the MCJLS website and can be found here: https://mcjla.org/
4-H Cloverbuds
We are so excited to get back to cloverbuds meetings this year! Cloverbuds are Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students. We regularly meet each month and learn about 4-H and have fun!!!! This year, we have a new 4-H leader, Adison Dach! She is excited about getting going and has some fun activities for you all!
All meetings will be at 5:15pm at the YHS Cafeteria (303 E 12th St, Cameron, TX 76520) EXCEPT FOR THE OCTOBER MEETING!!!!
Here are the dates for each month:
- October 7 (5:00-7pm National Night Out- Cameron PD- COME AND GO)
- November 4
- December 2 (6pm- Christmas Party in conjunction with Cameron 4-H)
- January 6
- February 3
- March 3
- April 7
Texas 4-H Natural Resources Photography Contest
The Texas 4-H Natural Resources Photography Contest encourages observation within specific 4-H Natural Resources project areas and allows youth to demonstrate skills learned in the area of photography. Categories include Aquatic Science, Entomology, Shooting Sports, Forestry, Sportfishing, Range Science, Hunting, Outdoor Education, Wildlife & Fisheries, and Water Conservation & Education. The contest is open to any enrolled 4-H member or CEA/Program Assistant or Volunteer. Registration is $10/photo and entries will open on December 1st and close on December 15th on 4HOnline. Contact larry.hysmith@ag.tamu.edu for more information.
4-H County Council Meetings 2025-2026
Join us for 4-H County Council Meetings!
All meetings start at 6pm.
Locations:
August, October, January, April: Annex
November: Cameron FMC
District 8 4-H Youth Workshop Series
We are excited to announce the launch of the D8 4-H Youth Workshop Series, a dynamic and engaging series of virtual workshops designed to help 4-H members across District 8 explore leadership, build communication skills, and prepare for future opportunities in 4-H and beyond!
These workshops are open to all D8 4-H members and are perfect for youth looking to grow personally and professionally, while having fun connecting with others in our district. Each workshop will be presented via Zoom and will begin at 7:00pm. They should last around 1 hr. Each will be recorded in case others would like to view later.
D8 4-H Youth Workshop Schedule:
- October 23: Public Speaking
- November 20: Personal Branding
- Guest Speaker: McKenna Bush, Texas Farm Bureau
- January 8: What is a Leader?
- Date TBD: Leadership Opportunities
- April 9: Preparing for Interviews
- Guest Speaker: Bailee Wright, Texas 4-H Foundation
Youth may attend one, several, or all workshops in the series. There is something for everyone!
REGISTER HERE: https://forms.office.com/r/xKmKEcHcxv
4-H Recordbooks- BIG CHANGES!
The 2025-2026 Texas 4-H Record Book Family Guide is now available. Take notice of a few changes to the record book format for this coming year. Recordkeeping is one of the most valuable life skills taught in the Texas 4-H program. Members are encouraged to keep project records throughout the year and review them annually by completing a Texas 4-H Record Book. The primary purpose of a Record Book is to help youth learn how to set goals, work toward them, reflect on their progress, and then set new and higher goals for the future. A secondary benefit is preparing young people for real-world applications such as academic scholarships, college admissions, and even job opportunities. This secondary benefit is the reason for the changes you will see in the new format. Check out the link below to learn about the new changes. The Milam County 4-H Website will be updated in November/December with all the changes!
Notable Changes:
- Replaced the 4-H Story with Narratives:
- About Me Narrative (All Ages)
- College & Career Exploration Narrative (Intermediate & Senior Only)
- Essay Prompt Narrative which changes annually (Senior Only)
- Added “My Year in Photos” section
- This page is separate from the written narratives and forms.
- Section I – Projects
- All project information will be noted in this section (page limits have increased slightly)
- Encouraged to include at least 4 projects with their main project (to reflect the record book category they are competing in) being the first entry
- However, when judging, one should note QUALITY of the project experience vs QUANTITY
- A young person with 3 active projects may have a lot more of true project experience than those with 6 projects
- Removed Section IV – Other 4-H Projects (added into Section I)
- Forms can reflect all years in 4-H, not just current and previous 3 years
- This was a change because a 4-H member for example may have won a Major Livestock Show in elementary school and that is still considered one of their highest achievements even in High School
- This also mirrors the requirements of the Texas 4-H Opportunity Scholarship which allows all years of 4-H involvement
- Section V - Non 4-H Activities should still focus on more recent years since is to demonstrate your involvement outside of 4-H in more real-time
- Removed Animal Agriculture Category and replaced with Open/Self-Directed
- All record books should be typed. Handwritten books should not be submitted. We understand it may be harder for younger kids to type; therefore, an adult can take their written presentation and type into the format. This is a move towards the potential future of the submissions being in an online format only.
- DISCONTINUED ZSuites. We are exploring alternative online platforms for the future years.
Texas 4-H Outdoor Challenge Discovery Event
Interested in the epic 4-H Outdoor Challenge but not sure where to begin? Join us for the Texas 4-H Outdoor Challenge Discovery Event November 11th in Jeff Davis County to learn about Outdoor Challenge, participate in events like Off-road Biking and Biologist Skills, and prepare to take on our 10-event contest in June.
Registration is OPEN!
Christmas Card Design Contest
Move over Halloween, Christmas needs a moment The 2025 #Texas4HFoundation Christmas Card Design contest is open NOW! This contest is open to all 4-H members, and a winner will be selected from each age division, Clover Kids included! Postmark your designs by October 20th.
- Designs will be accepted October 1st – 20th! Must be postmarked by October 20th!
- Open to Clover Kids, Juniors, Intermediates, and Seniors!
- Entry Form & Guidelines Attached.
4-H SPARK
Is an overnight camp led by Texas 4-H Council for junior and intermediate 4-H members to make friends, learn about 4-H through hands-on workshops, DANCE, enjoy 4-H camp activities, and have fun! SPARK is happening November 7-9, 2025 at the Texas 4-H Center in Brownwood. Registration is $175 per participant and is open on the Texas
4-H Center website. We are also taking registration for enrolled 4-H Adult Volunteers that are interested in chaperoning.
MyPI Program
Do you want a way to build skills, help your community, enhance your college applications, potentially get CTE hours?
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Disaster Assessment and Recovery Unit is offering a class, open to youth between the ages of 13 and 19.
Beginning in 2025, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will offer a four-time national award-winning youth preparedness, leadership and educational outreach program known as MyPI (My Preparedness Initiative) for teenagers across Texas. MyPI Texas is a component of the National Youth Preparedness Initiative (MyPI National), a partnership of 37 states and 3 US territories, delivering an innovative, engaging, and comprehensive curriculum for teenagers that will enable profound impact on emergency preparedness for households and communities in addition to youth leadership characteristics across the nation.
If this is something you would be interested in, please fill out form. We will need 10 students to form a class. Once we have enough to begin a class, we will contact you regarding a class time.
Learn more about the program by clicking on the brochures below, follow this LINK to the website, or contact Danny Hale, DAR Specialist at d.hale@ag.tamu.edu
Texas Farm Bureau Student Success Series
Texas students put together the pieces that make up a successful leader through the Student Success Series. Students in 8th through 12th grade can learn more about leadership and networking and grow confidence and personal professionalism. For questions, email youthactivities@txfb.org or call 254.399.5037. Click here to learn more and apply today at the button below.
4-H Facebook & Instagram:
Do not forget we have a 4-H Facebook and Instagram page! We post 4-H Blasts, 4-H contest results and neat opportunities to do in 4-H! Make sure that you “see us first” in your settings. Step 1: Like the Page, Step 2: Click on 3 dots by search and like and then click Follow Settings, Step 3: set as favorite, Step 4: Click on Posts and choose STANDARD, then you will see all 4-H posts when they arrive!
Facebook: Milam County 4-H and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Instagram: milam4h
WEBSITE UPDATED!
We are working on updating the website so it has all the current activities and dates! We also now have a calendar of events on the website! Take a look! Missed 4-H Open House?? No worries! We have majority of the flyers on the website!