Dust Riders Cloverbuds & Cloversprouts Program We are excited you and your child/children are here! You are laying the foundation for a great 4-H experience and career. Our goal for this program is that Cloverbuds and Cloversprouts learn the foundational knowledge of 4-H, get used to the routine of meetings, grow friendships and teamwork with their peers, and plant the seeds of a love and excitement for 4-h and the club. We are setting out to create a fun, safe, atmosphere where we focus on 4H principles, learning, teamwork, and fun.
What to expect from us.
Cloverbud Program Goals
Opportunities: Welcome, pledges, roll call, special speakers (if appropriate), special events (leadership and teamwork days), crafts (if appropriate) and games.
What we expect from you.
What we expect from our cloverbuds and cloversprouts.
What will the Meetings look like for your cloverbud and/or cloversprout?We meet the first and third Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., here at the church in the basement. We try to serve a snack after the game or activity. Parents may sit with their clover buds, even during team events. However, if you feel your little one would do well in their friend group in the main area, feel free to sit with the other parents. All cloverbuds and cloversprouts need to do the following during meetings.
All cloverbuds and cloversprouts need to do the following during community service.
Meeting Attendance & Participation Cloverbuds and cloversprouts are not required by the OSU 4-H extension to attend a certain number of meetings or participate in the community service. However, in the Dusty Riders club we ask that you develop good attendance habits and encourage your cloverbud to participate in meetings and community service events as much as they possibly can. We do not hold absences against cloverbuds and if you do have to stop attending for a while, we encourage you to come right back when your schedule allows. We do give an award at the end of the year for best participation and attendance. Safety Guidelines To keep your cloverbud and cloversprout safe we have the following safety guidelines from the OSU Extension agency and the Club.
Fundraiser Cloverbud and Cloversprouts have been asked to pay dues of $10.00 each to cover books and craft supplies. However we as a club like to supply all members with t-shirts, year end awards, a cloverbud sportsmanship award (voted on by the cloverbuds) and candy and prizes throughout the year. Not to mention cost of craft supplies and science supplies. We are asking that you help us raise money for your cloverbud or cloversprout by participating in the club elected fundraiser. The money you raise will be earmarked for the cloverbud program only and will not go into the club kitty. If you have both a member and a cloverbud that are participating in the fundraiser, the members sales proceeds will go to the club and the cloverbuds proceeds will go to the cloverbud program.
Club Field Trip You are more than welcome, and we would love for you all to come on the club field trip. Although this is not required of your cloverbud or sprout, we encourage participation at this event.
Special Club Events May 6 – Team Day This is a Harry Potter inspired team event. Kids will come in and sign in and be given a sugar cookie they will break open and discover what “house” aka team they will be with for the night. This will be a mixed aged event where your kiddos will be integrated into teams with members. They will have to help solve clues that will lead to a key that unlocks a box that will be hidden. The first team to solve all the 4-H and project clues and find the golden snitch will be declared the winners. We will also have a Harry Potter inspired game that makes them work together as a team. We plan to have delicious theme inspired snacks for the night. Water Wars This is a fun team inspired event that we do outside in the side and back yard of the church for the entire club. We will be asking parents to sign up for a station, gather the supplies, and man the station during the water wars night. They can even get in on the fun if they would like. Please consider planning a station and manning it. Signups will be going around shortly. Mini Themes We would love for your cloverbud or cloversprout to participate in these officers elected (our officers came up with these themes) themes for the night.
Fair Cloverbuds (K-8 year old and in second grade) have plenty of opportunities for fun and fellowship at the fair. We have a decorating day to prep the horse and other species barn on Friday, August 2, 2024, at 6 p.m., Croton Fairgrounds in the Horse Complex. We ask all members and parents to help decorate, have a pizza party and prep for the week of fair. We do a special display at the end of the barn and feature the other members and cloverbuds & cloversprouts. This year we would like the kids to consider putting up a booth, in the booth we would love to feature a cloverbud/cloversprout corner. If you would like to volunteer to be on the booth committee to help set up and tear down, please let me know. 4-H Opportunities
Cloverbud Day Camp: June 1
Cloverbud Day Camp is open to youth entering Kindergarten in fall of 2024 up through those who are currently in the second grade. While the timeline/schedule is still being finalized, please plan that your child will be at camp during a 9:00am to 4:30pm timeframe. Registration will be done online visit https://licking.osu.edu/program-areas/4-h-youth-development/camp-opportunities to register or visit our club website in the Cloverbud and Cloversprout Patch to click the link above. Registrations are due by May 3, 2024. Please allow plenty of time to complete the registration, payment, and health form. Once you complete the registration, you will receive an email confirmation to the email you used in the registration. If you do not receive the email within a few minutes of submitting the registration, please check your junk/spam folder as sometimes the email will end up there. If you still do not receive it, please reach out to Adrienne at anderson.1410@osu.edu as it is likely you input your email incorrectly. Additional details and reminders leading up to camp will be sent to this email address so it is vital that we have it correct in our system. Your registration is not considered complete until you have submitted the registration, paid the camp fee (either electronically by debit/credit card or by cash or check in our office), and completed the 4-H Camp Health History Form. All of these items are due by May 3, 2024, but we encourage you to complete them as soon as possible in order to ensure your child's spot at Cloverbud Day Camp is secured. If you have questions about Cloverbud Day Camp or have issues with registration, please reach out to Adrienne at anderson.1410@osu.edu or 740-670-5315.
How do you get information? Website – Dustyriders4h.com. Look for the page that says Cloverbud & Cloversprout Patch. We use this page the most to impart information to you. Facebook – If you are not on the page look for Dusty Riders 4-H club Band – If you are not on Band and wish to be see Jessica Email & Text – If necessary, I will email or text you with questions or to make sure you are good to go on volunteering for the night you have picked.
Issues or Concerns If you have any issues or concerns at all, please contact Jessica Adamson at (740) 291-9148 (text or call is fine), or email to sharrock.jessica@yahoo.com.
Final Thoughts We are thrilled that both you and your child are here and have decided to join the Dusty Riders. Our aim is that you thrive, enjoy yourselves, build lasting friendships, and eventually move into membership with your child. We care about what you think, and what you and your child need to be successful in this club. We have a motto “once a Dusty Rider…always a Dusty Rider”. We have been going strong for over 30 years now and I believe its because we choose to be act and be a family club, we encourage learning, teamwork, and club spirit. Parents are integral to this process, and we like to think of you as a Dusty Rider just as much as your member. If you have a desire to lead or volunteer or have any special gifts or talents, you would like to share with the club, and/or for the betterment of the club, we welcome them with open arms. Please let Jessica know so that we can get you started! We are looking forward to a wonderful 4-H year with you!