Adult 4-H Volunteer Leader Development

Friends of 4-H Recognition Dinner / Dance: Each year, the Bernalillo County 4-H Staff and County 4-H Council officers host a friends of 4-H Dinner & Dance to recognize and thank the volunteers and sponsors who are critical to maintaining the Bernalillo County 4-H Programs. It was this agent’s pleasure to recognize one 4-H Rodeo Sponsor and one 4-H Rodeo Committee Volunteer by inducting them into the ranks of Bernalillo County Honorary 4-H Members. The food was catered, the dance DJ’d by a local Radio Station DJ, and attended by 213 adults and youth. The 4-H County Council Officers do most of the speaking and do a splendid job. The volunteers and sponsors enjoy this program very much because they can observe the results of their donations and support. All of the ninety 4-H Rodeo Sponsors returned in 2007 except one who sold his business.

Annual NM Fish & Game Hunter Education Scheduling meeting: This agent met with the NM Game & Fish Hunter Education instructors to schedule Hunter Education Trainings for shooting sports. He scheduled one workshop on March 24-25, 2007 with 15 positions reserved for 4-H Members. He was the lead instructor for that one and was be a team member to help teach an accelerated Hunter Education Workshop on March 10, 2007. The success of this meeting was recruiting five other qualified volunteer instructors to help teach the two day 4-H Workshop.

4-H Rodeo Evaluation: The agent met with the Bernalillo County 4-H Rodeo Committee to evaluate the August 2006 4-H Rodeo. The overall evaluation was very favorable and the profit was $30,133.29 in cash and credits for the event. Plans were implemented to have a logo contest for the 4-H Youth to design a logo for the 50th Anniversary Bernalillo County 4-H Fair & Rodeo. The design needed to be simple enough to put on the trophy saddle fender, so we identified an acceptable design and tweaked it to fit. The deadline was December 1, 2006. A $100 prize was donated by and anonymous committee member and awarded to the "designer". The profit from the 4-H Fair & Rodeo was huge and helped keep the maintanance at the 4-H Center and pay for the 4-H Program in Bernalillo County. Even at that level, the 4-H Center had to be rented to have complete maintenance.

SHOOTING SPORT TRAINING In February, the annual state-wide Shooting Sports leader training and certification was held at the Del Norte Gun Club in Rio Rancho. The 4-H Agent along with the Home Economist assisted the State 4-H specialist to coordinate and facilitate the training, as Sandoval County volunteered and agreed to be the host county for the training. Thirty-five (35) adults were trained in one of six shooting sports discipline. Five (5) leaders from Sandoval County participated in the training resulting in a 5-fold increase in certified leaders. Youth interest and participation in shooting sports is on the rise. This increase in trained leaders will enhance the Shooting Sports program. Del Norte Gun Club is the only permitted facility in Sandoval County. As a result, by hosting the Shooting Sports training at Del Norte, Del Norte has designated a shooting range specifically for 4-H youth.
The workshop was the largest class in the history of the workshop as held in its current format.

STATE LEADER PROMOTION Agent encourages leader participation and involvement at the New Mexico Leaders' Forum. Eighty-seven (87) leaders and/or agents attended the 2006 Leaders Forum of which nine leaders were from Sandoval County alone. Two (2) leaders and the 4-H agent presented three (3) workshops - Exploring New Mexico, 4-H is for Everyone!! and Chaperone Orientation. As a result of the success of this training, the Chaperone Orientation was presented as a Centra Training by a state 4-H Specialist to all agents in the state.