Weekly 4-H Update
Communications >> 4-H Update >> Volume 11, Number 4..................................... January 26, 2007
Attachments:
:: CWF cover letter
:: CWF forms
:: Premises ID article
:: Shooting Sports workshop registration information
Reminders:
- January 27 - 28: Leadership Development Conference, Denver
- January 29: Colorado 4-H Day, State Capitol
- February 1: Barbizon School of Modeling scholarship applications due
Citizenship-Washington Focus
Attached to this newsletter is registration information for the 2007 Citizenship-Washington Focus trip that will take place July 1-7, 2007. The acceptance and application forms, along with payment, are due back in the State 4-H office by Thursday, March 15. Please note that there are no Carhartt scholarships being offered this year. Call me at 970.491.1152 or email ellen.butler@colostate.edu if you have questions. Thanks! — Ellen Butler
Premises ID
“The key to business success – whether operating a ranch or a Fortune 500 company - lies in management and planning. It’s the ability to have foresight, to carefully evaluate and choose appropriate new concepts and technologies, and to implement a well thought-out business plan that complements all aspects of the business.” — Setting Strategy and Measuring Performance, Barry Dunn, King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management
The new 4-H and FFA premises registration recommendation plan has brought about considerable controversy, not only within Colorado but also out-of-state. The 4-H motto “To Make the Best Better” aligns with Dr. Barry Dunn’s philosophy – capacity for foresight, assessment and choosing new concepts/technologies and implementation of those choices. For further insight on this issue, please read the attached article from the January 2007 publication of Seedstock Edge, written by Kati McQueen.
Please feel free to contact me (Brett.Kaysen@colostate.edu), or Dwight Rus, Premises ID coordinator, (drus@lamar.colostate.edu) should you have questions. — Brett Kaysen
4-H Charters
There has been some confusion about 4-H Charters recently. 4-H Charters, either in certificate or letter form, are the only documents that officially recognize a 4-H Club or Affiliated 4-H Organization and authorizes its use of the 4-H Name and Emblem for the conduct of 4-H Youth Development programs.
Every organization in your county that has the name “4-H” in it should have a charter. This includes clubs, councils, foundations and any other organization with the name 4-H. A Charter is required for any 4-H entity for it to: 1) use the 4-H Name and Emblem; and 2) be included under the Tax-Exemption Group Ruling for 4-H. Charters should be issued when establishing a 4-H group. For those 4-H Clubs and organizations that have been long established and verification of a valid Charter is not available, issuance of a new Charter is recommended. For further information please refer to the links that are on our Web site under Agent Resources.
If you’re not sure if one of your clubs or groups has a charter, Ellen has a notebook that goes back to the 1940's with documentation on the issuance of charters to 4-H groups. Our work-study student is slowly retyping all of the information into an Excel document that we’ll be able to send to you or post on the web. In the meantime, call Ellen if you have questions about groups in your county. You can request a charter by filling out the postcard request for new charters. — Dale Leidheiser
Non-Profit Tax Law Changes for 2007
President Bush signed the The Pension Protection Act into law on August 17, 2006. Starting with tax year 2007, Congress revoked the filing exemption for exempt organizations that have annual revenues of $25,000 or less. Groups won’t have to file form 990, but they will have to e-mail data, including their names, addresses, tax ID numbers, principal officers and evidence that gross receipts don’t exceed $25,000. This evidence is required to substantiate the organization’s continuing basis for its exemption status. Upon such organization’s termination of existence, the organization is required to furnish notice of such termination. We can anticipate that these reports will be due by April 15, 2008 for the 2007 calendar year. Organizations that repeatedly ignore this rule will lose their income tax exemptions.
Take a look at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/ppacharitableprovisions.pdf. If you look at page 73 of 128 of the PDF file or page 852 of the actual document (Section 1223) you'll start to read about the reforms.
How do we begin planning and supporting 4-H organizations to comply with this law? You can make sure that every 4-H group has:
- a charter
- a tax ID number. It only takes five minutes and can be done on-line at: http://www.gov-irs.com/main.php
- submitted the annual club financial summary.
What happens if they don’t do those things? Their privilege of using the 4-H name and emblem will be withdrawn. They will no longer be 4-H organizations. As we receive more information about this law and its implications we will be posting it! — Dale Leidheiser
Barbizon School of Modeling Scholarship Available
The Barbizon School of Modeling is once again offering one full and one half scholarship to participate in their program at all of their locations – Denver, Fort Collins, Durango area, and Colorado Springs. The scholarship is open to any currently enrolled 4-H member, male or female, over the age of 13 as of Dec. 31, 2006. The program includes up to 20 classes, which are offered on Saturdays. Participants may take one class each Saturday for 20 weeks or two classes every other Saturday over the same 20-week period. 4-H members currently enrolled at Barbizon are ineligible to apply. The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2007. An application can be found on the 4-H Web site -- click here.
— Connie Cecil
2007 4-H Shooting Sports Workshop Registration
Attached is an Adobe Acrobat file with the registration form for the 2007 4-H Shooting Sports workshops. Please let your county leaders and volunteers know about this opportunity to become state-certified to teach shooting sports to 4-H youth.
We would ask all of you to get these registration forms into the hands of interested parties as soon as possible. Please begin your recruitment immediately and mail all registration forms to me at Extension - State 4-H, 134 Aylesworth Hall NW, Fort Collins, CO 80523-4050 or fax them to 970.491.5108. Thank you! — Susan Cuckler
