Virtual Enrollment Party

State Fair 2009 already???

Actually, we're working on some changes/improvements for next year's state fair while this year's issues are still fresh in our minds--some of us lose that memory quicker than others...

One thing I'd like to run past all of you is an idea that MIGHT make the database entry just a little easier. We had an awful lot of exhibitor letters returned for incorrect addresses this year, and we totally understand how easy it is to make those input errors. Maybe the input person was a summer aide, maybe you duped a record and forgot to change the town, maybe you have Becky's Flying Fingers disease... whatever.

Anyway, what do you think about having a field in the livestock entry database that would be called "4-H ID", which would be the young person's 5-digit ID from Blue Ribbon? I can set the database up on my end to include your county ID, which would make for a unique 8-digit ID for each kid, and can then set up a relationship to import the address information from the state BR database. You would be entering only the 5-digit ID and the kid's name (along with their entries). The reason I'd have you type in their name would be for error-checking. If the ID brings up Johnny Smith, and you think it was Susie Jones that entered that dairy goat, we'd have to figure out that the ID was entered in error.

The bottom line is that you would have to have a list of those ID numbers, write them at the top of the paper entry form, and enter them in the database. The benefit to you would be that you wouldn't have to type in the address, grade, gender, phone for the exhibitor. I will have to restructure my state livestock database, and double-check the names to make sure we have the right kid, but then I should have a little more accurate info about them.

Comment back to the blog--are the costs worth the benefits? You're the ones doing the database entry. Is this "do-able" from your perspective??

Posted by Becky at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)

You know, I think I'm going to have to dream up some "issue" in Blue Ribbon, because this is quickly turning into the "baby blog"!! I think that's probably pretty darn positive.

The latest Blue Ribbon Baby is Klaire, shown below with her brother Dalton (who's 3 & "petting her head")--their proud grandma is Stacey from Jasper Co. Klaire was born on July 1, and Stacey's pretty sure she looks just like her mom!

Thanks, Stacey, for sharing, and the rest of you keep watching the blog for more babies, and maybe even a little more information of a "business" type!!

Posted by Becky at 02:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Nicole from Appanoose County just returned from some time off getting to know her new son, Gradey. She sent along this picture of him and his brother, Brody (5). I don't know about the rest of you, but it seemed that the "new baby" delight and affection wore a little thin as they got older... but we can hope that Brody continues to be as happy as he appears in this picture!!

Another pair of GREAT Blue Ribbon kids!! Thanks, Nicole, for sharing!!

Posted by Becky at 04:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, it's about time!!

Sophia Marie (Sophie) arrived Saturday night, July 5, at 9:20 PM, weighing in at 6# 12 oz, 21 inches long, 10 fingers, 10 toes, and quite possibly the most adorable baby ever born! She has lots of soft blonde hair, blue eyes, and an ecstatic extended family to welcome her home. Everyone asks if she looks like Dan, but the truth is, I never had a baby that small, so it's kind of hard to tell. She looks an awful lot like herself at this point.

I've posted a few pictures on Picasa for those of you who just can't get enough baby pictures!! I'm sure there will be more!! Thanks for all your good wishes as I waited and waited and waited!!

Posted by Becky at 03:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, Donna from Adair Co. beat me to the Grandbaby Album... she sent this picture of Davin Earl, her grandson who was born on June 12. Obviously, from the picture, you can see that Grandpa thinks he's pretty special!!

Looks to me like being a Blue Ribbon Baby means that they're automatically CUTE!!

Posted by Becky at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As I was looking at one system, I found that they have their projects listed a little bit differently than we do--they have two different fields... one for the project name, and another for the "level" or "unit". So, a young person's project would be Market Beef, and they'd also note that they were in Level 1 this year. The pubs are linked to the levels, just as ours would be.

What do you think? The big question is whether you keep track of "years in project" by the general topic (market beef) or by the LEVEL... so a member might be in Mkt Beef level 1 for 3 years, then in Mkt Beef level 2 for 2 years, and you'd never see the combined 5 years of market beef... kind of a convoluted explanation, but...

For those of you who track years in project in Blue Ribbon, what do you do when a young person switches from Level 1 of a project to Level 2? Do you add up the years in project, or do you start over at 1?

Do you think this is a change we could all adapt to? The change would be that although the pubs are linked to the specific level, the years in project are linked to the project, regardless of level. Let me know your thoughts!

Posted by Becky at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Okay, somebody's an over-achiever... Steph in Sac county not only gave birth to this adorable litte girl, Kinzie Lynn, but she ALSO sent the picture at 9:55 this morning, which is only 13 hours and 30 minutes after Kinzie's big entrance. What the heck??? Steph, you need to get some sleep. Seriously.

Anyway, here's the latest addition to our Blue Ribbon Baby Album--and I must say, she's another cutie! Unless any of the rest of you really hurry, I think I'll be the next one to add a picture--MY little granddaughter is due to make her appearance within the next 2 weeks! Oh, yes, we're excited!

Thanks, Steph, for sharing this picture of Kinzie. Now get some sleep!

Posted by Becky at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Hmmm. My responses are dwindling. I'm going to post a few more questions over the next week or so to help bolster my numbers!! It's incredibly important to me that you provide "in the trenches" guidance for me as we work towards our goal of having a web-based enrollment system that fits YOUR needs, so speak up. Today's question is pretty simple, but I do want some direction from you for possible changes.

Do you use the Member Charts option under the Utilities menu? Whether or not you're using them now, do you think that these particular charts are useful? Are there other simple charts that you would find MORE useful? When I say "simple charts", I mean primarily those that only sort by one variable. The charts under the Utilities menu take the group of records and sort by one variable (grade, residence, etc.) for each chart.

While we're talking about charts, also take a look at the options under Reports>>Statistical Reports>>Member/Leader statistical. What combinations would be more useful than the ones that are listed there?

Keep those comments coming in--and keep watching the blog. There should be a couple more posts over the next week or so. Oh, yeah, try to keep dry as well!!

Posted by Becky at 08:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I got my first question about the State Fair entry databases this morning, so I know that it’s Fair Time in Iowa!!!

This is just a little reminder (it’s also in the instructions) that no matter whether you intend to enter communications, exhibits, or livestock, you ALWAYS start by double-clicking on the 2008StateFairEntry.exe icon as shown in the picture (View image). In that same folder, there are files named “comm.sf8”, “livestock.sf8”, and “exhibit.sf8” BUT if you attempt to double-click on those, your computer will not know what program should be running. You actually access those files through the opening screen of the 2008StateFairEntry.exe program.

I sent this info to a variety of lists a few minutes ago, so some of you may get two notices. Future info about the state fair will ONLY come out through the blog and the 4h-statefair mailing list, so please be sure that you are subscribed to either the blog notification list or the 4h-statefair mailing list if you need that information. If you received an email this morning with the subject line "You're subscribed to the 4h-statefair mailing list", you are. If not, you're not!!

Posted by Becky at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's a new topic that will hopefully generate lots of discussion!

We've all heard about the genie and the three wishes. If I was the genie, and you could have your top THREE wishes for improvements or additions to the 4-H enrollment system, what would they be?

It's important to me not only to know what you want, but also how many people ALSO want that same thing... so just because someone else has "already said what I was going to say", don't opt out. Post your comment. This is your chance to get to help influence some of the features we are going to look/ask for in a new system, and it's sure better to know this NOW before it's a done deal, rather than trying to negotiate changes after the ink is dry!!

Posted by Becky at 01:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)