Clover Clips

A newsletter for 4-H families

State Fair Entry Drop-off Information

Projects that were registered for entry into the Kansas State Fair can be dropped off at the Extension Office Tuesday, September 8th from 8:30 AM - 6:45 PM or Wednesday, September 9th from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Fresh food and flower entries can be brought in at the same time as all other entries, however (to help with freshness) we will accept them from 7:45-8:30 AM on Thursday, September 10th. Please note that this drop-off time is only available for food or flower entries, as the van will already be loaded with all other entries.

IMPORTANT: Please read the rules in the Kansas State Fair 4-H Exhibitor Handbook as well as check the Exhibit Area Downloads links for any class you entered in. A link to additional downloads links is on the webpage.

To find the Exhibit Area Downloads link for your class:

1) Scroll down the page to find your department.

2) Review all necessary forms and information for your entry.

3) We have all entry tags at the Extension office, but if there are other documents required you will need to print them off and bring them in with your exhibit.

If you have any questions, please call the Johnson County 4-H office. If you plan to attend the state fair, check the schedule for all the events.

All 4-H’ers should complete their Record Book (this includes the personal page, 4-H story, and permanent record) so you can get rewarded for the year’s hard work. Need more help with filling this out? This Record Book Resource is a great overview and Informational slides from our local training are posted.

• If you would like to apply for a membership pin, complete and submit a membership pin application to your club leader. Each membership pin application requires submitting a Project Report Form. Please see the information below regarding changes to the Project Report Form process in our county.

• If you would like to apply for an officer pin, submit an officer pin score sheet/application and a book or supporting documents to your club leader. Make sure to review the scoring sheet to meet all requirements. Score sheets can be found under "Club Resources" on the website.

You will submit ALL record books, applications, project report forms and officer books to your club leaders. Be sure to check with your club leaders to find out the deadline to submit your record book to them. Note: County Awards Judging will be taking place on Wednesday, October 7th.

Want an overview of all county awards and the procedure - find it all on the Johnson County Awards Procedure document and see it laid out in the Awards Application Judging Flowchart.

Project Report Form Process Change:

We are introducing a new option for completing the Project Report Form requirement for membership pins. In the past, members were required to submit a Project Report Form that was entered into the county awards judging process as a requirement for membership pin applications. Beginning this year, members will be able to choose how their Project Report Form is submitted:

• Members may complete a Project Report Form to meet the membership pin requirement only. This report will not be judged at the county level and will not be considered for county awards related to project reports. Members will still receive their membership pins if all other requirements are met through this option.
• Members may submit their Project Report Form to be evaluated through the Johnson County 4-H Awards judging process and be considered for county awards. All members of each age level (junior, intermediate and senior) who qualify for a project report form award will now receive medallions. Senior Division winners will be eligible to send their reports to Regionals.

When submitting your Project Report Form, you will declare your choice with this Preference Sheet. Please place this sheet in the front of your report. If you are submitting your report form(s) for the County Award Judging, we ask that you present your form in either a three ring folder or binder, labeled with your name, age division and project.

Countywide Social Event

Saturday, September 26th

5:00 - 8:00 PM

Erfurt Park (24135 W 71st St, Shawnee, KS)

Join us for a come-and-go social at the park – food, games & PRIZES!

• Please bring a side dish or dessert to share, hot dogs & hamburgers will be provided.
• Bring a lawn chair and any games you may want to play – board games, card games & yard games.
• Gift Card prizes! You won’t need to be present to win gift cards to cool places!
• RSVP by 9/12

Ambassador Applications

Have you ever considered joining the Johnson County 4-H Ambassadors Program? If you love 4-H, meeting new people, and want to gain more leadership experience, this is the perfect program for you! The Ambassador program helps 4-H’ers build leadership skills, promote 4-H in the community, and become more involved members of the 4-H community.

Ambassadors plan and host fun countywide events, such as Cloverbud Camp and Barnyard Olympics. They also help promote 4-H in the community (at events like Deanna Rose June Bug Ball) and contribute to countywide events, such as hosting a concessions stand at Club Day. Not only do Ambassadors develop leadership and communication skills, but they also build real-world skills in public speaking, event planning, and teamwork.

Requirements and Commitment:

1. Age: Must be between 14 and 18 (before January 1, 2027).
2. Time: Commit 4-8 hours per month, including monthly meetings held on the 3rd Thursday of each month from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the Extension Office.

How To Apply:

New Applicants -

• Applications are due at the Extension Office by Thursday, September 10, at 5:00 PM.
• Interviews will be held on Thursday, September 17, in the evening. Applicants will be emailed after submitting their applications to schedule an interview time.
• Applicants will be notified no later than September 24 of their admittance status.

Current Ambassadors -

• Current Ambassadors must reapply by the same September 10 deadline.

County Award Nominations Due

It's time to nominate your friends, club members and local businesses for our county awards! There are four awards seeking nominations:

• Johnson County 4-H Impact Award
• Most Helpful 4-H'er Award
• Johnson County 4-H Innovation Award
• Johnson County Friend of 4-H Award

Please review each nomination form carefully as some have stipulations. Find the links to each of these under the "Forms" section. Nominations are due by October 1, 2026.

Save the Date: 4-H Fall Programming

Mark your calendars now for these important fall events!



• Wednesday, October 7th - County Awards Judging (evening)
• Tuesday, October 27th - Project Fair (evening)
• Saturday, November 7th - Achievement Celebration (afternoon)

The Johnson County 4-H Shooting Sports project will hold an introductory Air Pistol class. Join us to learn the basics of air pistol shooting in a fun, safe environment. This indoor class will focus on introducing the sport of target air pistol shooting with an emphasis on gun safety and handling. Pistols, targets, pellets and other equipment will be provided; however, participants are asked to bring their own safety glasses. The class is taught by Kansas certified 4-H Shooting Sports instructors. Participants do not have to be a 4-H member but must be between 12 and 18 years of age (before January 1, 2027).

This class is a pre-requisite for joining the air pistol competition squad and for participating in smallbore pistol next summer. Those who show an affinity and wish to compete further may be invited to join the air pistol competition squad for the regular season which will run from December to April.

Air pistol SPIN will meet on the following Thursday evenings, October 8, 15, 22, and 29 from 6:30 – 8:00 PM. The class location is indoors on the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kansas. A $45 equipment fee will be required.

Registration will open at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. The link for enrollment can also be found on the K-State Extension Johnson County webpage. Participants will be required to turn in a Johnson County 4-H SPIN Club Participation Form. 

For further questions contact Sara Eccles or the Johnson County 4-H Office with questions about signing up.  

Have you ever been fascinated by the way a butterfly gracefully moves through the air, or the way a beetle crawls across the ground, or wondered how everything around us is connected? If so, the 4-H Entomology Project is perfect for you! In this project area, youth have the opportunity to catch, identify, preserve, and learn more about the amazing, creepy-crawly friends all around us. Don't feel like touching gross insects? No worries! There is a special category where members can capture and curate photographic collections.

If you want to learn more or are already in the project and want to be more involved, you are invited to attend the monthly Johnson County Entomology Project Meetings, held every 3rd Monday of the month, at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. All are welcome to come and learn more, regardless of age or skill level. These meetings teach scientific taxonomy, how to find and preserve insects, ecological conservation, and much more through interactive activities and fun presentations. Questions? Please contact George Delancy.

ATTENTION sewing enthusiasts and new learners! The County Sewing Class is going to start October 1st at the Extension Office from 6:30-8:30 PM. Class is open to all 4-H'ers who want to learn to sew, want to increase their skills or just want to have a fun place to sew once a week. October 1st is the introduction class - no sewing will happen. We will go over what we will be doing for projects and equipment needed. We will start sewing on October 15th (note: no class will be held on October 8th) with our first project. Sewing classes will be held from October 15th to November 19th. We will reconvene classes in 2027 on January 7th. Class will then be held every Thursday until July15th. For questions email Martha Powell or call at 913-302-5812.

September 10 - Ambassador Applications Due

October 1 - Kansas Youth Leadership Council Applications Due

October 1 - County Award Nominations Due

October 7 - Record Books, Project Report Forms, Officer Pin Applications and Award Applications Due

October 15 - KYLF Registrations Due

Bring your family! Bring your friends! The next SE Kansas Entomology project meeting will be held on Saturday, October 3rd at the Allen County Extension Office in Iola, Kansas. This will be Family Day - we will have lots of fun and games for all to join in. Rumor has it that the kids will be challenging the parents to some brain games. Come join the fun! Please RSVP to Vicky with the number of people in your family that will be attending by September 21st so she can plan refreshments. Questions? Call Vicky at (620)804-9170.

Kansas Youth Leadership Council

The Youth Council and National 4-H Conference applications will be combined, with applicants indicating if they are applying for one or both opportunities. 

• Youth may run for a one-year term as a representative on the council. Youth Council Applicants must be ages 14-18 before January 1, 2027.

• Those who are selected as National Conference Delegates will serve a two-year term on the council. Applicants must be 15-18 before January 1, 2027.

The process includes an online application, online reference form, and signature page. All items are due by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, October 1, 2026. All resources and links can be found on either the National 4-H Conference or Youth Leadership Council page linked above. Elections will happen at this year’s Kansas Youth Leadership Forum and the National 4-H Conference Delegates will be announced there as well.

Did Discovery Day spark your interest in cybersecurity? Are you enrolled in the Computer Science project? Take your next step and join us for Cybersecurity Awareness Month kickoff at Heartland Harvest: Cyber at the Station and experience a live Capture the Flag (CTF) competition hosted by Enterprise KC!

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month! What better way to celebrate than by diving into an exciting CTF competition? The CTF is a fast-paced, hands-on way for students to develop real-world cybersecurity skills while working as a team to solve a series of technical challenges to find hidden “flags” — pieces of code or data that demonstrate a successful exploit or solution. These challenges span from cryptography, reverse engineering, web vulnerabilities, and forensics.

Spots are limited! This exclusive opportunity is open to just 12 Kansas 4-H youth who participated in Discovery Day and/or are enrolled in the Computer Science Project (7th grade and up). Youth will form 4-H teams (3-4 person/team) and represent Kansas 4-H while competing against teams from across Kansas and Missouri.

Registration is first come, first served. Don’t miss your chance to represent 4-H and take on the challenge!

Expectations: Participants are encouraged to attend the remaining Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026 series, which includes 2 webinars and the Cyber Community Service.  Detailed information will be shared soon.

The Heartland Harvest: Cyber at the Station Event will be held on Thursday, October 1st.

Schedule:

• 9:30 AM – Registration opens
• 11:00 AM – Capture the Flag (CTF) competition begins
• 3:00 PM – Competition concludes
• 3:15 PM – Awards Ceremony (attendance is strongly encouraged)

Cost: Free! Registration includes snacks, beverages, and lunch.

Location: Union Station Kansas City (30 W. Pershing Rd., Kansas City, MO 64108)

Deadline: September 12, 2026, at 11:59 pm OR will close when all 12 spots are filled, whichever comes first.

School Absence: A 4-H excuse letter is available upon request

The 12th annual “Hasta Luego Monarchs” celebration takes place Saturday, September 26th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Pollinator Prairie (320 South Blake Street, Olathe, KS). Hosted by the K-State Extension Master Naturalists of Johnson County in conjunction with Monarch Watch, this free, family-oriented event features exhibits such as milkweed, native plants, rain barrels, composting, bird conservation, monarch tagging demonstrations, games and more! New this year, DarkSky Missouri will feature “Effects of Nighttime Light Pollution and Bats.”

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