Ammunition May Be Defective

An incident has been brought to my attention concerning the malfunction of .22 caliber ammunition involving multiple target rifles on a single 4-H range. This initial incident occurred in Val Verde County with their 4-H Shooting Sports program run by volunteer Gary Humphreys. The Eley Sport .22 rimfire ammunition caused damage by minor explosions to multiple rifles while being shot. No human injuries were sustained. A similar incident occurred in Kinney County. The Eley Sport ammunition involved came from lot numbers 031209011 and 061209008purchased in October 2010. Gary Humphreys is currently in contact with Eley Ammunition in San Antonio. Eley is picking up all of the remaining ammunition from the lots in question to test for malfunctions. We plan to hear from them following their investigation and will pass that information along when it becomes available. Gary Humphreys is running point on this incident since it occurred on his range. He welcomes any contact if anyone has questions concerning similar issues with the same brand of ammunition (830/703-0826; gary@humphreysgunshop.com)

In the meantime, the State 4-H Office is asking any 4-H program that may be using Eley Sport .22 caliber rimfire ammunition (especially ammunition from the lot numbers listed above) to cease use of that ammunition until further information is available from the manufacturer. It is further recommended to cease use of other Eley ammunition if similar incidents have occurred within a program and to take seriously any type of ammunition malfunction and not to disregard it as merely a single incident. Keep track of ammunition and firearm malfunctions to be able to recognize a pattern and head off any greater potential mishaps. In regards to other brands of ammunition used, it may be advisable to contact the manufacturer of your ammunition to inquire about any recalls or issues with that specific ammunition in use by a 4-H program. This type of contact may also be advisable to the manufacturer of rifles used in a 4-H program to determine the same.

Please do not hesitate to contact the 4-H Natural Resources Office if questions or concerns arise at 979-845-1214. As it is with you, the safety of our 4-H’ers and adult leaders across the state is paramount in the 4-H Shooting Sports program. This is no small incident and as such is taken very seriously.

New Record Book Training Videos

The Record Book process for 2012 has changed. Over the last 30-60 days, there have been training opportunities for agents on the new Online Record Book System (www.4hreports.com). In an effort to support this exciting change, an 11-part series of videos have been posted to the D12 4-H website. You can share these with your 4-H families to give them the opportunity to get an early start on the 2012 4-H Record Books.

This series was developed from a CENTRA training provided to agents of the changes to the Record Book program and an online tour of the system. Special recognition is extended to Jodi McManus and Derrick Bruton (Extension 4-H Program Specialists) for conducting the CENTRAs used for this series and their leadership in the new Record Book system. The videos have been arranged in a “playlist” on the D12 4-H website. To browse through the list, click on the icon in the player control to display the entire series (see red arrow below) in order to select the video of choice.

Here is a breakdown of the 11-part series:

· 4-H Record Book – Changes (1 of 11) 3:37 min

· 4-H Record Book – Project Forms (2 of 11) 15:02 min

· 4-H Record Book - 4-H Story & Photo Portfolio (3 of 11) 2:25 min

· 4-H Record Book – Age Transitions & Evaluating Record Books (4 of 11) 5:32 min

· 4-H Record Book – Online Interface – Overview & Login (5 of 11) 6:37 min

· 4-H Record Book – Online Interface – Personal Information (6 of 11) 4:05 min

· 4-H Record Book – Online Interface – Jr. Report Form (7 of 11) 9:42 min

· 4-H Record Book – Online Interface – Int. Report Form (8 of 11) 4:04 min

· 4-H Record Book – Online Interface – Sr. Report Form (9 of 11) 8:08 min

· 4-H Record Book – Online Interface – 4-H Story & Photo Portfolio (10 of 11) 5:10 min

· 4-H Record Book – Online Interface – Printing & Deleting (11 of 11) 2:22 min

It is also important to note that there are also some training videos on the www.4hreports.com website.

There will also be a record book training as part of the Volunteer Workshop scheduled for January 10^th in Freer. However, volunteers would benefit greatly from reviewing this information prior to that training. This will allow us to dig deeper into the new system and provide a much richer experience for volunteers in January. Please share as appropriate.

D12 Announces Training For Volunteers

The District 12 4-H program announced today that a workshop for volunteers has been scheduled for January 10th in Freer. The Workshop features 9 sessions for leaders to choose from with the opportunity to attend several. There s a minimal fee to cover program costs, but leaders will find that the workshops will be well-worth the investment.

• Effective Club Meetings
• Online Recordbook System
• Shooting Sports - Shotgun
• Shooting Sports - Archery & Rifle
• Sheep & Goats
• Dog Project Development
• Fashion Storyboards
• 2013 Steer Classification Changes
• 4-H Scholarships

There is a stellar cast of workshop presenters and leaders will not be disappointed. Leaders can register starting November 15th through 4-H Connect. Registration fee is $13 per person. Contact your county Extension agent for more information and details.

D12 4-H Council Adds 2 New Officers

The District 12 4-H Council had its annual winter meeting this past Saturday in Freer. The big-ticket item on their agenda was the proposed amendments to their Standing Rules that were proposed during their meeting on December 4th in Falfurrias. The amendments passed unanimously to effectively add two new officers to the slate of officers that currently serve as the Executive Committee (EC) for the Council. Specifically, they added a Health & Safety Officer, and a Youth Advisor. This takes the EC from eight to ten officers, expanding the opportunities for 4-H members across the district to get involved at the district level. In addition to this change, the EC also presented new opportunities for 4-H members to serve as Election Officials during the annual Election Convention. The Election Convention is an annual event used to highlight candidates interested in serving as officers of the District 12 4-H Council. The election has changed to mirror many public elections and the Election Officials is another part of this important process. Information about these new opportunities should be posted online within the next couple of weeks. The leadership the EC provides council continues to serve as a model for others and also inspires 4-H members to demonstrate their own skills. A great meeting!

1st Annual District 12 4-H Shooting Sports Postal League

NEW! District 12 4-H Shooting Sports Postal League

The District 12 4-H Shooting Sports Committee is pleased to announce its 1^st Annual 4-H Shooting Sports Postal League. In an effort to provide additional opportunities for 4-H members across South District 12, this new event will allow both smallbore rifle and archery enthusiasts the opportunity to engage in a new competition. By nature of this event being a postal league, it will take place locally with scores mailed and submitted by the due date. Participants will register online, shoot the specified match within the specified timeline, and submit scores.

Awards will be provided for each discipline and presented during the District 12 4-H Rifle Match scheduled for May 14, 2010 in Duval County. Awards for rifle will include team awards, individual high-point, and a special county award. Awards for archery will include individual awards and a county award. Rules for these events will follow Texas 4-H 3-Position Rifle Rules and Texas 4-H Archery Rules as well as the guidelines provided online in support of this postal league event.

Registration for these events will take place on 4-H Connect by selecting the “D12 4-H Shooting Sports Postal League” event. The registration period will begin October 1st and conclude on December 15th. Registration and fee information is also provided online for your reference. Only registered adult volunteers can complete online registration.

An announcement flyer is also available to assist you in marketing this opportunity locally and among other 4-H shooting sports members across the district. If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the District Office at 956-968-5581 or via email at d124h@ag.tamu.edu. Good luck and happy shooting!