It is the time of year to be thinking about a new 4-H fair book and with that comes the need of a new cover design. There are not many rules in this contest. Your design should be on a plain white 8 1/2" x 11" inch piece of paper. Colors are okay, but a black and white copy will be judged! The words "2010" and "Christian County 4-H" should be included in your design. The winner will be awarded $25 4-H bucks redeemable from the 4-H Mall or Source Book. Entries are due to Jodi by December 21, 2009.

The winner will have their cover design published on the 2010 4-H fair book and noted on the inside cover. Limit of 1 entry per 4-H member. All entries will be recognized with a prize.

A Photography Workshop is planned for November 12, 2009 and will begin at 4:30 p.m. and wrap up about 6:00 p.m. Bring your camera and we will work through some of the experiments in the manual. Our plan is to help you learn how to take a better picture. This could be the first of several photography workshops if there is interest in having more. There is a $5 fee for 4-H members to cover expenses and $10 fee for non-members.

A Christmas Crafts Workshop will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2009 from 8:30–11:00 a.m. We will have a variety of Christmas crafts available to help young people get in the holiday spirit. For no more than $10, you will be able to choose several craft activities to build personalized gifts or decorations for the holiday. Most of the activities will be $1, but a few will be a little more expensive. Sign up is required by November 30, 2009. We ask that payment be made with registration. There will be a limit of 40 and minimum of 12 to hold the event, so sign up for what is sure to be a day of fun and creativity.

The Taylorville Christmas Home Tour is back this year, so it would be a great opportunity for moms to go on the home tour while the kids are making crafts at the Extension office.

A 4-H Cooking 101 workshop series will be presented on Thursdays, January 7, 14 & 21, 2009 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the University of Illinois Extension office, 1120 North Webster, Taylorville. We will be working our way through the 4-H project book and are encouraging participation in all 3 classes for $15 or $7.50 a session to cover the cost of supplies. If you attend all three classes, you should be able to go home with the experience and knowledge to complete a meal for your family.

Preregistration is required, class size will be limited to 20, and there must be 7 youth signed up by December 30 in order to hold this event. It is sure to be a fun and educational evening for boys and girls!

We are gearing up to offer 4-H Shooting Sports as a group project in Christian County, and R. D. Elder, a farmer and avid hunter from the Mt. Auburn area, has agreed to be our shotgun coordinator and received training in late October.

Sport shooting and archery are favorite pastimes for many families. In fact, approximately two thirds of the homes in the United States have firearms, so teaching safe responsible use of firearms and archery equipment is vital to preventing accidents in the home or in the field.

The Illinois 4-H Shooting Sports program is a youth development education program that uses a prevention education model strongly emphasizing positive youth-adult interaction and peer leadership. The program enhances family communications and quality time together.

If this is an area your family enjoys and you would like to be involved in making it happen in Christian County, let Jodi know.

The University of Illinois Extension 4-H Shooting Sports Program will provide instruction in the safe handling of firearms and archery equipment. The program teaches a variety of life skills that include: self-responsibility, decision-making, self-discipline, goal setting, teamwork, safety and others.

We will continue to search for other volunteers to complete the requirements set by the State 4-H program for archery, air, shot gun, and overall program coordinator. If you have a desire to share your knowledge in this area, please contact Jodi at 287-7246 or email her at heberlin@illinois.edu.