Fergus/Petroleum County 4-H Leaders Council | Meeting Minutes
June 10, 2026 | Sheriff’s Complex, Lewistown, MT
Call to Order: The Fergus/Petroleum County 4-H Leader’s Council meeting was called to order by President, Corry 
Arntzen at 5:31 pm on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Attendees participated in the Pledge of Alliance and 4-H pledge.
Introductions / Attendance / Roll Call: 
• Corry Arntzen – Christina Busy Bees, President
• Karly DeMars – Christina Busy Bees, Secretary (Virtual)
• Gisele Yaeger – Christina Busy Bees, Treasurer
• Amber Arntzen - Christina Busy Bees, 4-H Foundation Representative
• Nicole Tholt – Winnett Shamrocks, State Leaders Council Rep, Ambassador Leader (Virtual)
• Cassie Yaeger Christina Busy Bees
• Judi Martin – Snowy Mountain Trailblazers
• Annie Bergum – Winifred Mustangs
• Virgil Tholt – Winnett Shamrocks, Ambassador (Virtual)
• Cody Ream – MSU Extension
Secretary’s Report / Approval of April Minutes: Nicole Tholt moved to approve the minutes from the April 15, 2026
meeting as submitted. Gisele Yaeger seconded the motion, and the minutes were approved unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report
• Ending Balance as of 06/07/2026: $134,830.14 (all accounts)
o Leader’s Council account (as part of entire account) $80,283.12; reports submitted are strictly for Leader’s 
Council and do not include the established sub-accounts. 
o The Leader’s Council CD expired in May, so we have invested the funds into the two endowment accounts
identified during the April meeting. 
• Amber Arntzen moved to approve the Treasurer’s report and file for audit; Cassie Yaeger seconded the motion. 
Consensus approval of Treasurer’s Report was passed, and the report will be filed for audit.
Correspondence: None
Announcements:
• Fair Entry deadline is June 15. Email reminders have been sent. There is no grace period for entries.
• Food Safety Training – Individual food safety certification training has been sent to families and club leaders. The 
last Food Safety training course will take place on June 30 at 11 AM.
• Animal Quality Assurance Trainings will take place at 2 PM at Small Animal Barn on June 15, 18 and 30. Extension 
office will email members that are not currently qualified and need the training.
Reports:
• County Ambassadors (Virgil Tholt): Farm Safety Day went well. The Ambassadors have an upcoming meeting to 
plan responsibilities for the fair. They hosted a t-shirt design contest but received very few submissions; however, 
the Extension Office does have one design on file. Planned fair activities include the dance and pig-kissing contest, 
as well as the Cloverbud Pet Parade. A meeting date has not yet been established.
• State Leaders’ Council (Nicole Tholt): A meeting is scheduled for July during Congress. No additional 
information has been shared at this time.
• Montana 4-H Foundation (Amber Arntzen): The annual meeting will be held on Thursday, July 9, during 
Congress. Counties and tribal reservations are required to designate one delegate to attend the meeting.
UNAPPROVED 6-10-26
Reports (continued):
• Extension Office (Cody Ream):
o Senior Camp was held as a day camp and included mindfulness activities and a nature walk.
o The Junior Camp registration deadline has been extended through the weekend.
o Fair updates were provided.
o Registration for Tween Camp is now open.
o Cloverbud Camp went well.
o The office is interviewing an applicant for the 4-H Program Assistant position.
• Livestock Committee (Cody Ream): The committee is gathering awards and sponsorships. Exhibitor packets will 
be mailed out this year rather than picked up in person. A committee is also working on fair and sale preparations 
to ensure all details are accounted for. The next Livestock Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 22.
• Horse Committee (Cody Ream): The committee is working to get another leader registered. The State Horse 
Show will be held in Lewistown this year, and volunteers will be needed. Amy Kelly is the state specialist for all 
animal projects and resides in Lewistown. The Performance Show, Ranch Horse Show, and Speed Events will take 
place on Saturday, while 4-H horse activities will run Thursday through Sunday.
• Small Animal Committee (Cassie Yaeger, Nicole Tholt): The committee is securing plaques, buckles, and gift 
certificates for awards. The next meeting is scheduled for July 10. Setup will take place on Sunday, July 19, 
followed by a pizza party.
• Static Committee (Corry Arntzen): The committee is working with the Fair Board to utilize the same display area 
in the Trade Center. Pre-fair indoor interviews will be held on July 14, with food and horticulture interviews taking 
place on July 20. The indoor auction is scheduled for Thursday, July 23.
Special Committee Reports
• Food booth: see Old Business discussion
• Nomination Committee: n/a
• Awards Committee: n/a
• Scholarship Committee: n/a
Unfinished Business
• Food Booth Updates: Two co-managers have agreed to serve as temporary county employees (Mindy Henderson 
and one additional individual). Extension and Corry are working on the menu and volunteer shift sign-ups; 
currently, 83% of shifts have been filled, with 49 spots still available. The Extension Office will reach out to 
members regarding remaining openings. A new nacho cheese machine will be purchased. Discussion was held 
regarding refrigerator and freezer needs.
- ACTION/REMINDER: Each club will need to provide two pies for the food booth. Reminders will be sent 
to club leaders with a schedule. 
.
• County 4-H Camps: Extension is developing future camp opportunities with tentative plans including:
o Cloverbud Camp: Held on June 8 with 20 participants. The planning committee that organized and led the 
camp did a fantastic job.
o Junior Camp (Camp Maiden): Scheduled for June 22–25 at Camp Maiden; counselors are actively planning
but need more registrations to come in to make sure the camp can move forward.
o Tween Camp (Grades 6–8): Scheduled for August 10–12 in Fort Benton.
o Senior Camp: Completed, with two youth participating.
• Fair Preparation is underway. The following reminders were shared:
o Fair Entries: The fair entry deadline is June 15.
o Pre-Fair Interviews: – Scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, and Monday, July 20 (Foods and Horticulture). 
Information will be included in the pre-fair packet.
o Livestock tags will be mailed out 
New Business: 
• Fair Help Needs: A list of volunteer needs will be developed to solicit assistance throughout fair preparations and 
fair week.
▪ Pre-Fair Interview Scheduling: Teresa will begin scheduling interviews as soon as fair entries close. She may 
reach out for assistance.
▪ Pre-Fair Exhibitor Materials: Assistance will be needed to prepare and mail pre-fair exhibitor materials. The 
target timeframe is the week of July 7.
▪ Pre-Fair Interview Setup Day: Volunteers are needed on July 13 to set up tables and chairs at the Trade 
Center. Setup will begin at 9:00 a.m.
▪ Pre-Fair Interview Day: Volunteers will be needed on July 14 to assist with interview activities.
▪ Trade Center 4-H Display Setup: Setup is scheduled for July 16 at 5:00 p.m.
▪ Trade Center Exhibit Sitters: This role was not filled in 2025. Volunteers are needed to serve as 4-H 
advocates in the Trade Center, helping promote 4-H and monitor indoor exhibits. A Signup Genius will be 
created to coordinate coverage.
▪ Premium Payout and Thank Yous: Premium payouts will occur on Saturday, July 25, in the Pavilion and will 
be coordinated by Gisele. Corry will oversee thank-you notes.
• Premium Payout Deadline: Premium payouts will be available through the Extension Office 
following July 25. The date listed in the fair book will remain in effect, with August 14, 2026, being 
considered as the final deadline for pickup.
▪ Fair Week Coverage: Additional volunteer gaps during fair week will be identified and communicated.
▪ Trade Center Exhibit Pickup: Exhibit pickup is scheduled for Sunday following the fair. Details are included 
in both the fair book and exhibitor packets.
• Review of the 4-H Fair Schedule: The fair schedule published in the fair book was reviewed. No changes were 
identified during the meeting.
• State 4-H Horse Show Concessions/Fundraising Opportunity: The Leaders Council has been approached about 
providing concessions for the State 4-H Horse Show, scheduled for September 11–13 at the Fergus County 
Fairgrounds. (This is also the same weekend as the Chokecherry Festival, but may be an opportunity for out of 
town families to participate in concession shifts)
▪ The opportunity could provide additional fundraising revenue for the program.
▪ There is potential for Friday shifts to be covered by the Extension Office.
▪ Action Taken: Nicole Tholt moved to pursue the concessions fundraiser opportunity, Cassie Yaeger
seconded the motion, and the motion passed unanimously. Additional information will be shared as it 
becomes available.
Date of Next Meeting: August 24, 2026 at Sheriff’s Complex 5:30 PM
Adjournment was moved by Nicole Tholt and seconded by Cassie Yaeger. Meeting adjourned at 6:31 pm.
Meeting minutes submitted by Karly DeMars, Leader’s Council Secretary