The 2018 Leader of the Year award goes to a couple, and one could not be recognized without the other: Ian and Sam Webb.

Ian and Sam embody the words “To Make the Best Better” within the Larimer County Shooting Sports program. They have both willingly completed training to serve as leaders in the .22 Rifle, Air Rifle/Air Pistol, and .22 Pistol disciplines, and Sam completed the Range Officer Training. They have served as superintendents for .22 Rifle and then they took on .22 Pistol once it became a county program. They have helped those programs grow by requesting necessary funds from the NRA Grant Program and our own Larimer County 4-H Foundation.

Sam has stepped up and assisted with the enrollment of all Shooting Sports disciplines for the state competitions, as well as the collection of the registration fees.

This summer when our county extension agent left just before the county competitions, Sam attended every event to score using the Orion system. This was especially challenging since this was the first year that Larimer County utilized the system for every discipline.

The Webbs are very open to suggestions within their programs and willing to make changes. If you’re ever in the need for assistance you can count on Ian and Samantha to be there.

Congratulations, and thank you, Sam and Ian!

This year’s Diligence Award goes to Tait Simpson. Tait is susceptible to the heat and that can make it difficult for him to participate in Shooting Sports when the weather is not favorable outside. Tait is involved in multiple Shooting Sports disciplines, which can often be challenging. He worked very hard at many practices and endured the heat to improve and compete.

Unfortunately, Tait had to withdraw after only one round at one of his county competitions, making him ineligible for state.  However, he and his teams did well enough to qualify for state in two other disciplines. At both state events his team claimed 1st place. Although it was disappointing to withdraw from one discipline, Tait persisted and competed well in his other disciplines. This proved to be a positive example of resilience and a great experience for Tait!

Congratulations, Tait!

At Achievement Night this year, Fort Collins Archery Association was recognized as the Larimer County Friend of 4-H. Fort Collins Archery Association supported our continually growing archery program in various ways. They host a weekly shoot during the summer, and hosted our national qualifiers at no charge. Also, with the expansion of the 3D competition, we needed expensive targets for the county competition. The Fort Collins Archery Association loaned us targets for the county shoot, which benefits over 150 youth in the Shooting Sports program.

The organization was presented with a plaque to demonstrate our appreciation for the positive support they have offered to our youth development program. Thank you, FCAA!

Tavis Bensley, Katie Webb, and Emma Litchford.

Congratulations to the 4-H members who placed well enough at State to qualify for the National Championships in June 2019. The qualifiers were recognized at Achievement Night on November 2.

• Katie Webb – Air Rifle *

• Dominic Foltin – Compound Archery *

• James Rudd – Recurve Archery

• Clint Jordan – Muzzleloading

• Dakota Taylor – Muzzleloading *

• Katie Webb – Muzzleloading *

• Tavis Bensley – Shotgun

• Emma Litchford – .22 Pistol

• Jacob Grudle – Western Heritage *

Note: Those with an * are not eligible to participate in the 2019 National Championships because they have aged out of the program or have previously competed in the discipline.

A complete list of the awards at Achievement Night can be found by clicking here.

The new issue of the Clover Connections for November/December is posted now.

Be sure to find the upcoming meeting dates for Outdoor Skills and Western Heritage beginning in November.

The dates for Hunter Education Class have also been reserved for March 23–24, 2019. Save the dates!

Download the newsletter here and take a look.

Enrollment for 2019 is open now!

Returning members and leaders, visit 4HOnline.com and sign in.

New members, visit this page on the Larimer County Extension website for information on where to begin: http://larimer.extension.colostate.edu/progra…/4-h/join-4-h/

Note to Leaders: Remember to complete the refresher course before enrolling. Learn more here: https://www.lc4hss.org/news/2018/10/10/attention-returning-leaders-for-2019

Larimer County is currently accepting applications for an Extension Agent. Please share the job posting if you know someone who you think would be qualified and interested. The deadline for applying is October 30, 2018. Click here to find all of the details.

This year, all returning leaders are required to complete updated training modules before re-enrolling for the 2019 4-H year. You can complete the online training now, and then complete enrollment on 4Honline.com after it opens on October 16, 2018. At that point, please log in to 4Honline.com using your existing user information. Do not create a new record.

The training consists of four modules. Each module takes about 10 minutes to complete, for a total of 40 minutes. At the end of the training, you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion. Please save this certificate and email it to Pam Heeney at heeneyps@co.larimer.co.us.

Click here to access step-by-step instructions to complete the online training.