4-H Ambassadors

We are looking for dedicated members in grades 8th-12th to promote 4-H in Acadia Parish. The Ambassadors will be expected to promote 4-H through attending civic organizational meetings, presenting radio spots, encouraging others to join 4-H and completing community service activities. To apply, you will need to fill out an application and complete an interview. Applications can be found at (https://tinyurl.com/AcadiaAmbassador). Applications are due on October 5th! NO EXCEPTIONS! Interviews will be held at the 4-H office on October 7^th beginning at 3:30 PM. All those who submit applications must be present at interviews in order to be selected.

4-H Open House

Join us on September 14^th at the 4-H office from 5:30 to 7:00 PM.Attendees will be able to meet the 4-H agents, ask questions, and get information about all the various activities and events that are offered through the 4-H program, including the variety of project clubs.Registration help will be offered as well to those interested or needing assistance.

Achievement Day Theme

Do you enjoy drawing and expressing yourself artistically? If you said yes, then the Achievement Day Theme contest is for you! All you need to do is come up with a catchy slogan and a colorful picture. Draw your creation on regular 8 1/2" X 11" typing paper and turn it into your school. Entries relating to the advertisement of cigarettes or alcohol will not be accepted. Entries are due on October 26^th. Be sure to include your name, school, and grade on the back of the entry.Multiple entries per participant will be accepted.No computer-generated themes will be accepted! Themes will not be given back. The overall winner will receive a cash prize at Achievement Day!

Art Club

This club is open to 4-H members in 7th-12th grades. Youth will be introduced to the elements and principles of art as well as related hobbies and careers through monthly hands-on activities and projects based on various artist’s works and art movements.Accomplished artists, as well as non-artists, with an interest in developing skills are welcome. Registration opens on September 21, 2026, at 9 am, through your 4-HOnline account, under the events tab. Spots for this club are limited and on a first come first serve basis with registration and payment! Meetings will be held the first Thursday of each month starting on November 5th at 5:00 PM at the 4-H office. The cost to join is $30 (non-refundable). For information on how to join this club, see the Project Club section of this newsletter. For more information visit our website.

Back to School Dance

Get back into the groove of school by attending the Back-to-School Dance! The Junior Leadership Club will be sponsoring a dance at the Rayne Ballroom, 401 Gossen Memorial Park Dr., Sunday, October 11^th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. There will be a $5.00 (non-refundable) entry fee if you purchase a ticket ahead of time from our office or a Jr. Leader member. For tickets bought at the door, the cost will be $7. All 4^th-6^th graders are able to attend regardless of their 4-H membership status. Bring concession money. Tickets can be pre-purchased from any Junior Leader member. Drop Off: Enter the parking lot from behind the Ballroom building; follow signs to drop off at glass doors.

Bee Club

This club is open to 4^th -8^th grade and is FREE this year! The first meeting will be on October 14^th at 5:00 PM at the 4-H office. Meetings to follow will be the second Wednesday of the month, unless stated otherwise. Registration to join this club will open on September 21, 2026, at 9 am, through your 4-HOnline account, under the events tab. Spots are limited and on a first come first serve basis.

Dog Show & Vet Set Geaux Contest

This is a fun activity open to all 4-H members. It will be held at the Crowley Rice Arena located at 159 Cherokee Drive Crowley, LA on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. One dog per participant (may choose to take part in 2 categories). In the event you are not a dog owner, you are allowed to show a neighbor or close friend's dog! Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 6:00 p.m. This is a dog ONLY contest. Do not bring dogs that are too big or too aggressive for the 4-H'ers to handle. All animals MUST be vaccinated and restrained on a leash. Only exhibitors participating in the dog show will be allowed in the arena. This year's categories are Best Costume, Best Trick, Waggiest Tail, Highest Jumper, Most Obedient, and Best Bark. Disclaimer: your dog will be in close proximity to other dogs, so be mindful of your dog’s temperament. We will also have the Vet Set Geaux contest happening at the same time. This contest includes identifying breeds of dogs, cats, birds, etc. It also requires knowledge of pet care.

Duct Tape Contest

Participate in our annual 4-H Duct Tape Contest. This contest is open to ALL youth in 4^th-8^th grade in Acadia Parish!! Projects should be student created. You CANNOT duct tape on top of a pre-existing item. You may use cardboard, wire and clips ONLY. Categories: Clothing :(belts, vest, hats, shoes) Accessories: (Wallets, purses, hair bows, key chains, etc.) Room Decorations: (photo frame, flower arrangement, etc.). Each participant may enter ONE item per category. You may not re-enter an item that was already entered in the previous year's contest. All duct tape entries are due to the 4-H Extension Office by October 12^th.

Garden Club

This club is a hands-on program where youth explore the world of gardening through fun, interactive lessons on soil science, Louisiana agriculture, insects, and plant care. Members learn how fruits, vegetables, and flowers are grown while discovering the importance of sustainability and local ecosystems. This club will be open to 4-H members, ages 9-12, with the first meeting scheduled for October 6th at 5:00 at the 4-H office.Meetings to follow will be on the 1^st Tuesday of every month.Registration will open on September 21, 2026, at 9 am through your 4-HOnline account, under the events tab. Spots are limited and on a first come first serve basis with registration and payment. Cost to join is $20 (non-refundable).

Horse Clinic

Acadia parish will be offering FREE horse clinics every month! We will again team up with master horsemen throughout the region. The first clinic will be held at the Acadia Parish Rice Arena on September 28^th from 6-8 PM. In order to attended youth must be an approved 4-H member AND bring your own horse. For more information or questions, please call Emma Zaunbrecher Tyler at 337-366-2109.

How to re-Enroll in 4-HOnline

If you were a 4-H member last year, re-enrolling in 4-H this year will be easy! All you need to do to re-enroll is log into your 4-HOnline account and update your information for this year. For a step-by-step guide on how to re-enroll in 4-H, visit our website under the “Join 4-H” tab. www.lsuagcenter.com/acadia4h

Hunter Safety Class

Thinking about joining shooting sports this year? All shooting sports members are required to have their hunter safety card by December 31^st in order to participate in practices. There will be two classes held at the 4-H office this year in December and January. Registration for the December class is now open. December 4-5, 2026, register here https://louisianaoutdoors.com/events/196164

Join it!

Any boy or girl who is 9 years old by January 1st of the current school year through the 12th grade and is willing to follow the 4-H ideals and standards, is eligible for membership.

To join 4-HOnline, visit https://v2.4-HOnline.com

Join the Jr. Leadership Club!

cThis club is open to all 7th-12th grade 4-H members. Junior Leaders have fun helping younger 4-H’ers with their project work and assisting in their communities. This club participates in numerous activities where members meet and make friends with other teenagers throughout the parish and state. They also may qualify to attend an educational awards trip each summer as a reward for their participation throughout the year. Meetings are scheduled on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 PM at the 4-H office. The first meeting will be held on September 8th. The cost to join is $15 (non-refundable). For more information on how to join, see the Project Club section of this newsletter. Registration is now open through your 4-HOnline account, under the events tab. The deadline to join is November 10th.

Livestock Validation & Possession Dates!

Animals must be in the exhibitor’s possession and validated by the following dates below. An LSU AgCenter agent or FFA advisor MUST be present during the validation process when DNA samples are collected. Validation will consist of: Ear tagging animal. Collecting hair sample and/or DNA sample; hair sample should be placed in a properly identified validation envelope for each animal validated.Exhibiters must enter animal information into the

4-H Online system on or before deadline. Animals validated must be in the exhibitor’s name or family name. Animals tagged for the 2026 LA State Fair may utilize the State Fair tag but must still pull hair to complete the LSU AgCenter State Show validations. Acadia Parish will utilize central office validation days for each species. All validation dates will take place at the LSU AgCenter Office from 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM:

• Beef & Dairy Commercial Heifers, Market Lambs, Commercial Ewes, Market Goats, Commercial Does: November 4, 5, & 9, 2026
• Swine: November 30 & December 1, 2026

Validation and Possession Dates: Com.=Commercial. Com. Does, Market Goats, Com. Lambs, Market Lambs, Com. Heifers and Com. Dairy Heifers: November 9, 2026. Market Swine and Com. Gilts: December 1, 2026.

National 4-H Week

National 4-H Week is October 4-10! We would like to see all clubs participate in activities such as making treats for teachers, hanging signs or banners at school or having green and white dress up day, etc. Take time to celebrate your great club organization! Remember we are having a school display picture club contest! Can be an outdoor or indoor school display! Due via email on October 12th to Mrs. Mary Beth at mleonards@agcenter.lsu.edu. The club that wins the display contest will receive an ice cream party!

New-Chef Club

This club is open to 4^th-8^th grade 4-H members. Members will learn to prepare nutritious meals, practice kitchen safety, work as a team, and discover the joy of creating food for themselves, their families, and their communities. By the end of the program, members will have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to safely prepare healthy meals, make informed nutrition choices, and enjoy cooking as a valuable life skill. The first meeting is scheduled for October 22^nd at 5:30 at the 4-H office.Meetings to follow will be on the 3^rd Thursday of every month.Registration will open on September 21, 2026, at 9 am through your 4-HOnline account, under the events tab. Spots are limited and on a first come first serve basis with registration and payment. Cost to join is $30 (non-refundable).

New-Western Heritage Shooting Sports

The Western Heritage Shooting Sports discipline will be open to all youth ages 11 and older who have completed at least one year in the 4-H Shooting Sports program.

The 4-H Western Heritage Project is a unique combination of Shooting Sports and a living history study of the American frontier from 1860-1900. The program blends hands-on shooting activities with historical learning, allowing youth to experience and appreciate the traditions, values, and culture of the Old West while developing firearm safety and marksmanship skills. Please note that 2026-2027 will be a learning year for this discipline. Participants will compete only at the parish level during this program year. Our goal is to build skills, knowledge, and confidence so that members who re-enroll in the program for the 2027-2028 school year will have the opportunity to prepare for and participate in state competition. Enrollment will be limited to 20 youth participants. Registration will open on September 21, 2026, at 9 am, and will close once capacity is reached or by October 5, 2026, whichever comes first. This discipline will require two practices per month. One practice each month will focus on classroom instruction, including firearm safety, Western Heritage history, competition rules, firearm maintenance, period dress, and other educational topics. The other practice each month will be a live-fire shooting practice where members will apply the skills and knowledge learned during classroom sessions. Participation in Western Heritage requires a commitment to attend both monthly practices. Families who are unable to commit to both monthly practices should carefully consider whether this discipline is the best fit, as consistent participation is essential for members to gain the full benefit of the program and be successful. Cost to join this club is $65 (non-refundable). An informational meeting will be held on October 5^th at 5:30 pm at the4-H office.

Sewing Club

This club is open to all 4-H members. The first meeting will be on October 7th and meetings after that will be on the first Wednesday of every month at 5:00 PM at the 4-H office.No experience needed! This year, the club will learn basic sewing fundamentals, make a layer cake quilt and participate in local community projects. Registration to join this club will open on September 21, 2026, at 9 am, through your 4-HOnline account, under the events tab. Spots for this club are limited and on a first come first serve basis with registration and payment! The cost to join is $25 (non-refundable).For more information on how to join, see the Project Club section of this newsletter.

Shooting Sports

This year we will have an informational meeting on September 30, 2026, at 5:30 PM at the 4-H office. All parents/guardians and youth are encouraged to attend.Registration is now open through your 4-HOnline account, under the events tab. The deadline to sign up for shooting sports is October 5^th.

For information on how to join shooting sports, see the Project Clubs section of this newsletter.

Shooting Sports Ambassadors

The Shooting Sports program is looking for dedicated 4-H members in grades 8th-12th to promote the Shooting Sports program in Acadia Parish. The Shooting Sports Ambassadors will be expected to promote Shooting Sports through helping at discipline practices, hunter safety courses, work at parish, regional and state competitions, or any other events that may arise throughout the year and encouraging others to join the program. To apply, you will need to fill out an application and complete an interview. Applications can be found at

https://tinyurl.com/SSAmbassador. Applications are due on October 5^th. NO EXCEPTIONS! Interviews will be held at the 4-H office on October 7^th, beginning at 3:30 PM. All those who submit applications must be present at interviews in order to be selected.

What is 4-H?

4-H is the largest youth organization in the United States! Louisiana’s 4-H program has thousands of members who take part in 4-H meetings and activities year-round. It’s all about you really. You can even create a project focus of your own. 4-H covers a wide range of projects to do on your own or with your friends and family members! Follow your passion and see how far it will take you!

What is a Project Club?

Project clubs are our “after school” clubs.In Acadia Parish 4-H, you have the opportunity to join our Jr. Leadership Club (7th-12th grades), Art Club (7th-12th grades), Sewing Club, Shooting Sports Club, Garden Club (ages 9-12), Bee Club and new this year-Western Heritage Shooting Sports. Joining these clubs is as easy as it was to join online.To join a project club, you must first be enrolled and approved as a 4-H member through 4-HOnline. The registration for these clubs can be easily located under the events tab on your 4-HOnline account by selecting “Register for a New Event.”Project Club registration opens on September 21^st at 9 am. For a step-by-step guide on how to register for any of the project clubs, visit our website, www.lsuagcenter.com/acadia4h