New 4-H Year Enrollment

The new 4-H Year begins on October 1. Please wait to enroll until I send out an email that says the system is up and ready to take enrollments. 

Best Practices for 4-H Publicity: What Families and Volunteers Need to Know

What Is the Publicity Release?

When families enroll in 4-H Online, they are asked to agree (or not agree) to a publicity release. This release gives permission for the use of a member’s name, image, and likeness by:

• Local Extension Units
• Kansas State University (including the State 4-H Office)
• The Kansas 4-H Foundation

This includes use in photos, videos, social media, websites, press releases, and more. If a family selects “I Do Not Agree,” their child’s name and image cannot be used. Some examples include:

• Kansas State Fair & County Fair entry cards, schedules, or results
• Local or state contests
• Social media posts
• News articles or promotional materials

Additional Consent Questions

To provide more clarity, families are asked to give specific permission for:

• First and last name
• Extension unit
• 4-H club or town name
• Media (photos, video, audio, etc.)
• Print-only media
• Social media
• County fair-related publicity

These responses override the general publicity release and help guide what can or cannot be shared publicly.

Projects

If you want to try a new project this year, check out the 4-H Project Selection Guide to decide what you will enroll in this year. Project information can be found at: https://www.kansas4-h.org/projects/

National 4-H Week

October 5 to 11 will be National 4-H Week. On Monday, October 6, we will celebrate Go Green Day! On this day, anything green goes! Green shirts, hats, socks, and clover face tattoos – get creative and have some fun! This is a simple, cohesive way for youth, 4-H professionals, volunteers, and alumni to support 4-H across the state of Kansas!

On Thursday, October 9, we will celebrate 4-H For Good. This is a day to recognize all the good our 4-H members and volunteers do throughout the year! Share the impact the 4-H program has in your communities and beyond.

Get Involved!

Want to make a difference in your community?

The Extension Office is currently seeking passionate individuals to join the County Program Development Committee!

We meet quarterly to identify community needs and help deliver educational programs and resources that create real, positive change. As a committee member, you’ll have the opportunity to:

✅ Build new skills

✅ Expand your knowledge

✅ Help shape local decisions

✅ Make a meaningful impact right here at home

Interested in getting involved? We'd love to hear from you!

📞 Call us at 620-532-5131

📧 Or email Melissa at mthimesch@ksu.edu

PDC Elections

Stop by the Extension Office to vote in the annual PDC elections on October 16. We will be open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm for voting. We will also be open during the lunch hour.

Kansas State Fair

If you had entries at the State Fair, those are back in the office and are ready to be picked up!

Kingman County had a very successful showing at the 2025 Kansas State Fair! All results from the fair can be found at https://www.kansas4-h.org/educational-experiences/fair-resources/kansas-state-fair/

A special congratulations to Natalie Francis and Emily Ogg, who had their pictures selected to be on display at Rock Springs 4-H Ranch, and Kylee Piester, who had her photo selected to be on display at the Kansas 4-H Foundation!

Achievement Celebration

Save the Date! The 2025 Achievement Celebration will be held on Sunday, October 26 at 3:00 at the Community Building in Cunningham. The Cunningham 4-H Club will be our hosts for this event. Please bring a snack to share and be prepared to celebrate the achievements of our Kingman County 4-H members!

Officer Training will be held following the Achievement Celebration. If you are a new or returning officer in your 4-H club, it is a great way to learn more about the responsibilities of your office. 

Kingman County Fair

Fair Checks are Ready!

All of the checks from the fair are ready for pick up. If you have your thank you cards done from the Purple Ribbon Food Auction or Livestock Auction, those are ready for pick up. Ribbon money checks are also ready to be picked up. Please remember, all checks are only valid for 90 days from the time they were written. So this means all checks must be cashed by November 24, 2025. After that date, checks will be void and returned to the Kingman County Fair Association. 

New Auction Eligibility Form

There will be a new Auction Eligibility Form that members must complete for the 2026 Kingman County Fair. To participate in either the Purple Ribbon Food Auction or the Livestock Auction, members must fulfill a few additional requirements. Returning 4-H members will need to attend 50% of the club meetings from July 2025 to June 2026, fair set up and clean up will be required, attending the livestock meeting on the Monday before the fair for Livestock Auction participants, take part in two club activities, and two county, regional or state events will also be required. The new Auction Eligibility Form can be found here. These are not hard requirements to fulfill. Just remember, 4-H is a year-long youth program, as long as you are active all year, you will meet all of these requirements. 

The dates have been set for the 2026 Kingman County Fair! Join us for fair fun July 22-25, 2026!

The Kingman County Fair Association is still looking for more members. If you are interested in being on the Fair Board, join in on the Annual Meeting on October 22 at 7:00 pm at the Saddle and Ropers Building. 

Record Books

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on your record books and pin applications. Watch for the result details to be posted after the Achievement Celebration. 

4-H Council

4-H Council Meeting

The next 4-H Council Meeting will be on October 14 at 7:00 pm at the Extension Office. This will be the election of officers for the new 4-H year.

Texas Roadhouse Roll Fundraiser

Once again, the 4-H Council will be selling Texas Roadhouse Rolls for our county fundraiser. Your club leaders have the sales paperwork. A dozen rolls will be $8. All orders and money are due to the Extension Office by October 17. Talk to your club leader for more information.

The money that is raised during this fundraiser is used to run the Kingman County 4-H program during the year. These expenses include supplies and pins for the Achievement Celebration, 4-H Online subscription fees, Leader background check fees, Club Day judges and ribbons, Regional Club Day expenses, Fashion Revue building rental, and State Fair entry fees.

Watch your email and our Facebook for information about upcoming programs!

Project Engagement Information

4-H is an organization that lasts all year! It is important to do project work all year. Engage in educational opportunities all year. Find your spark with something new every day. This year, in this section, you will find ideas to engage in your project areas all year long. Take some time each month and learn, grow, and find out something great in your project work. 

Photography Showcase Project

Pick up your camera or phone and take pictures all year long! In each newsletter, I will give members a photo prompt and you can take pictures and send me your best 2 by the 20^th of each month. You can email me the file at mthimesch@ksu.edu or text me the files at 620-243-3766. I will apply a watermark to your image and then post a showcase each month on our Facebook page. I will also showcase photos on our digital frame here in the office. If a member isn’t in photography but would like to give it a try, this would be a great opportunity for that! 

October’s Photo Prompt is “Fall Leaves.”

Monthly Food Project Challenge

The foods and nutrition project is more then just what you make for the County Fair. This year, I will give you a fun monthly food challenge. If you take part, take photos and email those to me. You might just be featured on our Facebook page! 

October – Pumpkin Power: Incorporate pumpkin or squash into a dish!

Club Corner

This year, I would like to share club highlights each month in the 4-H newsletter. If club reporters would like to email me a short paragraph about what your club is doing each month, I will include that here! Please email that to me at mthimesch@ksu.edu by the 20^th of each month. 

State Events

Healthy Living Workshops

Time to Reset! Please join us for the first in a series of Healthy Living Workshops that will happen across the state of Kansas this fall. Live Well, Lead Well will hold its first workshop in Great Bend, Kansas on Saturday, October 4th, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. (Location will be sent with registration confirmation.)

Participants will prepare to be Beyond Ready with activities to build Strong Minds, Active Hearts, Helping Hands, and Healthy Lives. A few of the activities will include modeling dough and activity cards, line dancing, smoothie snack, and a hands-on activity to check out your favorite drink for sugar and caffeine.

All adults and youth (ages 7-18) can register here today. Your registration fee of $15 includes all workshop supplies, take home modeling dough and activity cards, conversation rocks, smoothie snack, and door prizes. Please pay at your local Extension office by September 30th or bring your payment with you on the day of the workshop. Registration will close at midnight, September 30th. (Accommodations can be requested with registration.)

Please bring your favorite drink that includes the nutrition label and be prepared to talk about it during a fun, hands-on learning experience.

Other Healthy Living workshops will be held at the following locations and dates (watch for details coming soon):

·       October 18 – 9:00 am to Noon – Hays (Engineering & Technology workshop in the afternoon)

·       October 25 – 9:00 am to Noon – Manhattan (Engineering & Technology workshop in the afternoon)

·       November 1 – 9:00 am to Noon – Wichita (Engineering & Technology workshop in the afternoon)

·       November 8 – 9:00 am to Noon – Garden City

48 Hours of 4-H

Join us this fall to see how much we can give back to our communities! The weekend after National 4-H Week is the perfect opportunity to set up a service project for the Kansas 4-H Service Challenge, 48 Hours of 4-H. Invite your friends, clubs, adult volunteers, and 4-H Alums too!

When: October 11-12, 2025

Who: 4-H Members, 4-H Clubs, Friends, Adult Volunteers, Parents, 4-H Alumni

Get this on your radar now!

4-H Leadership Weekend

4-H Leadership Weekend will be November 22-23 at Rock Springs 4-H Ranch and consists of the Kansas Youth Leadership Forum and the Kansas Volunteer Leader Forum. 

KYLF is for youth ages 14-18 before January 1, 2025.

KVF is for all Adult Kansas 4-H Volunteers. 

KYLF will feature leadership workshops, Youth Council Elections, a speaker, and opportunities to learn and have fun. Each delegate will get a KYLF T-shirt. We are excited about a number of new workshops this year. 

The Kansas 4-H Volunteer Leader Forum will feature workshops and information to help volunteers be more effective and learn from each other. This Forum for adults is organized by the Kansas Association of 4-H Volunteers. 

This year's speaker will be Brandon Lee White. Author, speaker, and youth mover, Brandon Lee White has spoken to thousands of youth and adults in nearly all 50 states about “owning it” in life and leadership.

Again, this year, participants in both forums will register through the same system under Kansas 4-H Leadership Weekend. 

The registration deadline is Wednesday, October 15, 2025. There will also be an option for coming in on Friday evening and having breakfast Saturday morning for those coming from a distance. 

Fees:  $215 KYLF Youth and Adult Registration

      $55 KYLF Youth and Adults Friday night (after 8 and no programming planned) and

breakfast Saturday 

$150 KVF Adult Registration Regular

$125 KVF Adult Registration for Life Members

$95 KVF Friday Night and Saturday Breakfast 

$22 KYLF T-Shirt if Volunteer Forum Attendees want to purchase one 

The cancellation fee for cancellations before October 15, 2025, will be 50% of registration fee. Cancellations after October 15, 2025, will owe the full registration cost with no refund.

REMINDER: Youth Council and National 4-H Conference Applications - Deadline is Wednesday, October 1, 2025.  

Looking for some great Youth Leaders! The 2026 Youth Council Application and 2026 National 4-H Conference Application are combined again this year, with applicants indicating if they are applying for one or both opportunities. 

Any Kansas 4-H member between the ages of 14 and 18 before January 1, 2026, may apply as a Council Rep, and those 15-18 before January 1, 2026, may apply for National 4-H Conference Delegate. 

This year's KYLF delegation will elect representatives from the four extension program areas (NE, NW, SE, SW) for one-year terms on council. Up to 5 National Conference Delegates will be selected through an interview process, and they serve a two-year term on the council. 

Follow us on Facebook

If you would like to stay up to date with what is happening at K-State Extension – Kingman County and the Kingman County 4-H Program, follow us on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/kingmancountyextension You have all helped us reach our goal of over 1000 followers! Thank you!

Dates to remember

October 1 Happy New 4-H Year!

October 5-11 National 4-H Week

October 6 Go Green Day

October 9 4-H For Good Day

October 11-12 48 Hours of 4-H

October 13 Extension Office Closed

October 16 PDC Elections

October 17 Texas Roadhouse Rolls orders due to Extension Office

October 26 Achievement Celebration and Officer Training 3:00 Cunningham

October 31 Happy Halloween

If you have questions regarding the information in this newsletter, please contact me at:

Kingman County K-State Research and Extension Office

Melissa Thimesch

125 N Spruce

Kingman, KS 67068

620-532-5131

mthimesch@ksu.edu

K-State Research and Extension is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services, and activities. Program information may be available in languages other than English. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, including alternative means for communication (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, and American Sign Language) may be requested by contacting the event contact Melissa Thimesch two weeks prior to the start of the event at 620-532-5131 or mthimesch@ksu.edu. Requests received after this date will be honored when it is feasible to do so. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information will be provided free of charge to limited English-proficient individuals upon request.

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.