Dear 4-H Family,

Can you believe that November is already here and Christmas is just around the corner? We want to give a big welcome to our new 4-H'ers and families – it sounds like we have a great crop of new 4-H'ers! We are glad you joined 4-H and hope you have a great experience. We look forward to working with you in the upcoming year!

We'd like to congratulate all the 4-H'ers on their awards and accomplishments as they were recognized at Achievement Night on November 13^th. Keep up the good work!

The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays remind us that we have so much in which to be thankful. It is our hope that your family will take time from the rush of the season to enjoy each other and the blessings around you. We are grateful for our wonderful 4-H families and volunteers!

Cartha Gustafson

Community worker, NFP

4-H & Youth

Clark County

Jessie Crews

Extension Unit Educator

Youth & Family

Clark County

We had a great trip to Arthur, IL to eat in an Amish Home in October. Our next meeting will be a get-together on December 7, 6:30 PM at the Extension Office. We'll be having dinner and doing a Christmas craft to take home. All attending should bring along $3.00 to defray costs. Here are several dates for you to put on your calendars:

December 7 - Federation Meeting, 6:30 PM

January 24 - 4-H Federation Ski Trip (Let us know if you are interested!)

January 25 – Federation Meeting

January 30 – 4-H Carnival, Casey Community Center

Thanks to the many 4-H'ers who helped with National 4-H Week. You did a great job! Remember, Federation is open to any 4-H'er eighth grade and older. If you can come to one meeting, or all the meetings, we welcome you to attend.

Makayla Wycof, Secretary; Logan Swalls, Officer-at-Large; Katie Goekler, Reporter; Jessica Zellers, Vice President; Diane Gorrell, Recreation. Teresa Gorrell, Recreation; William Rhoads, President; Landen Crews, Past

President; Mitch Morecraft, Treasurer.

WHEN: Monday, November 30, 6:30 – 8:30 PM, Casey First Christian Church

WHO: All Club Presidents, Vice Presidents, Secretaries, Treasurers, Reporters, and Recreation Officers.

WHAT: A Party to learn about the responsibilities of your office and meet other 4-H Officers.

We'll have refreshments and games!!

The holidays will soon be here! Don't miss this opportunity to come to the Santa's Workshop.

MARSHALL – Wednesday, December 2, 3:15-4:30 PM, at the Extension Office. (Register by Mon. Nov. 30)

CASEY – Thursday, December 10, 3:15-4:30 PM, at the

Casey First Christian Church. (Register by Tues. Dec. 8)

You'll be making Christmas goodies and a craft and enjoy some games and refreshments too! Space is limited to the first 20 participants to pre-register, please call 826-5422 before the above mentioned registration dates. Cost is $5.00 per participant. Non-4-H friends are welcome to attend! Give them a special invitation to participate in a fun 4-H program!

The 4-H Carnival is set for Saturday, January 30 at the Casey Community Center at Roosevelt Jr. High School. It's not too early to begin making plans now!

We will once again be holding the 4-H Royalty Contest, so each club should select one prince and princess contestant (up to 6th grade) and one king and queen candidate (junior and high school age). The candidate who receives the most carnival ticket votes will be crowned royalty. Reserve your booth space and location along with your booth theme by January 22^nd. Otherwise, it will be a first come, first served basis.

4-H'ers 15 – 18 years of age by September 1, 2009 are welcome to complete an application for the state award selection process. State award winners are selected in each curriculum area with the winner receiving a trip to National Club Congress. Completed applications are due January 5^th. Please contact the Extension Office if you'd like help with your application.

Winter is quickly approaching and that means the Ski Trip is not far away! Clark County 4-H plans to ski on Sunday, January 24. The Ski Trip is open to all Federation age 4-H'ers as well as any younger 4-H'ers who are accompanied by a parent. Moms, Dads, brothers, sisters and friends are also welcome to ski if parents provide the transportation and are willing to assist with overseeing the skiers if they are younger than Jr. High age.

We'll be skiing at Paoli Peaks in Paoli, IN. The cost will be $35 and includes a snowpass, skis or snowboard rental and a group lesson. If you are at all interested in attending, please contact the office so we can send you final details as soon as we receive them. The registration deadline will be January 13.

The 2010 Illinois Citizenship Washington Focus trip will be held July 10 – 17. 4-H'ers from across the state travel to Washington to visit the US Capitol, many of the memorials, Arlington National Cemetery and much more. Participants stay at the National 4-H Center. Cost for the trip will be approximately $1050 depending on the number of participants. On-line registration and an initial payment of $350 are due by December 15. Contact Jessie or Cartha for additional information about this exciting opportunity!

Did you know that the East Central Region has a Youth Leadership Team? It is a group of high school 4-H youth that meet to get to know people from across the region and to plan activities /events that benefit the region. The group will meet face to face a couple of times per year with additional meetings by teleconference. If you are interested, give Jessie or Cartha a call for more information

Lookin' for a way to have some after school fun and learn some new skills at the same time? We'll be planning some exciting project workshops for the upcoming year on the following dates immediately after school:

January February

12 – Casey First Christian Church 9 – Casey First Christian Church

14– Marshall, Extension Office 16 – Marshall, Extension Office

More details will follow in the January newsletter! If you have some special workshops you would like to suggest or if a parent would like to offer to lead a workshop, please let us know! Non-4-H friends 3^rd grade and older are welcome to attend.

Dates have been set for the new-year Generation to Generation Workshops. These workshops are open to area youth to attend and bring along your Mom or Dad, Grandma or Grandpa or any interested adult to learn these skills with you or to share their expertise with the group. As a matter of fact, it's a pre-requisite that 4-H'ers have an adult to attend the workshop. (An adult can be shared with several youth.) The Generations Workshops have tentatively been set for January 26 - Photography and April 19 - Dog Workshop. Watch for details in the January newsletter.

Mark your calendar now! 4-H'ers from across Illinois are invited to come to the "Great 4-H Debate" to be held February 12 and 13 in Springfield to debate bills and learn about the legislative process. The program is for all high school age 4-H participants. During the two-day event, youth will meet and work with state legislators and lobbyists, and experience the passage of bills while sitting in the chambers of the Illinois House of Representatives. There will be plenty of time to meet other youth and have lots of fun. Watch the January newsletter for final details.

The Clark County Farm Service Agency has Youth loans available. The project must produce enough income to meet expenses and debt repayment. The youth must be recommended by a 4-H club leader or county extension agent. Youth loans can be made to persons who have reached the age of 10, but have not reached the age of 21. A maximum loan of $5,000 with a 7-year repayment term can be made. The interest rates may vary. For more information and/or an application, please contact Fred Pinkstaff, Farm Loan Manager at 217-382-4123, Ext. 2.

The Clark County Youth Council is comprised of volunteers from various areas of the county who act as a governing body of 4-H. They meet every other month to provide direction to the youth program. Officers and members of this year's council include:

Chairman – Jerry Parsley

Vice Chairman – Aaron Crome

Secretary – Jennifer Williams

Executive Council Representative – Darlena Wallace

Foundation Representative – Randy Davison

Michael Brandenburg, Carrie Lewis

Ashlee Crouch, William Rhoads III

Lila Johnson, Barb Zellers

Jessica Zellers

BEEF WEIGH-IN - FEBRUARY 6^th - 4-H'ers interested in exhibiting beef and dairy market animals should take note that the Beef Weigh-In will be held February 6^th at the Martinsville Fairgrounds. All market beef and dairy steers or heifers to be exhibited at the 2010 4-H Fair MUST be present on this date. More details will follow in the January newsletter.

HORSE BOWL & HIPPOLOGY - This program is open to any 4-H'er interested in learning more about horses (you don't even have to own a horse!) Horse Bowl is similar to scholastic bowl with all questions relating to horses. Hippology is a variety of stations or displays with questions about horse care, equipment, etc. Practices for Horse Bowl and Hippology are held each Monday at 7:00 PM at the home of Coach Ruth Stewart in Martinsville. If you are interested in joining but practice nights would be hard to attend, you may still be a part of the team! Please ( Cartha at the Extension Office at 826-5422 or Ruth Stewart, 382-4544, and we'll get you the info you'll need to study. Competitions will be held in March and April.

GOAT CLINIC – An exciting Goat Clinic will be held Saturday, February 27 at 9 AM at the Clark County Extension Office. Watch the January newsletter for exact details. It will be a hands-on workshop that 4-H'ers can learn more about raising and showing goats. Information will also be presented on the health, nutrition and common diseases. Steve and Marlene Terrell will be leading the workshop along with Dr. Christi Stone, DVM. You won't want to miss this one!

UPCOMING LIVESTOCK DATES - MARK YOUR CALENDARS…

q Feb. 6 – Beef Weigh-In

q Feb. 8 – Poultry Clinic (tentative)

q Feb. 27 – Goat Clinic

q Feb. 20 – 4-H Tack Auction

q April 19 – Dog Clinic

q April 17 – Swine & Sheep ID Day & State Fair Goat Weigh-In

q May 1 – Horse Ownership & Lease Papers Due

q Feb-June 1 – Quality Assurance & Ethics Training, 1 time training/All St. Fair Exhibitors

June (Date TBA) – Pork Quality Assurance Training for State Fair Exhibitors

We're very excited about the upcoming 4-H Shooting Sports coming to Clark County!!

Lori and Bill Rhoads, 4-H Volunteers, have recently attended two weekend trainings in Monticello and Sparta, IL to train as instructors for the Shooting Sports to be begun here for Clark County 4-H'ers. These trainings are very intensive and Bill & Lori will be our official instructors here in Clark County. Lori will be our coordinator and also trained in the discipline of Shotgun. Bill has been trained in the disciplines of Shotgun and Air Rifle. Be watching for more updates in the upcoming newsletters

PUT 4-H CAMP ON YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST!!

Summer will be here before you know it – and that

means 4-H Memorial Camp is just around the corner!

Where can you go for 5 days of fun and adventure in the out-of-doors. There is non-stop action including swimming, canoeing, rock wall climbing, volleyball, leather tooling, ceramics, softball, fishing, basketball, archery, just to name a few.

WHEN: June 27 – July 1, 2010

WHERE: Allerton Park near Monticello, IL

COST: $130 for 4-H'ers, $110 for siblings

$160 for non 4-H'ers, $140 or siblings

We have 50 spots for Clark County youth ~ take a friend!!

MINI CAMP – JUNE 3-5 ~ Please call 4-H Camp directly to sign up, but let us know if you are planning to go!

CASH THOSE PREMIUM CHECKS – Premium checks for the 2009 4-H Fair were mailed to you in September. Please remember that checks must be cashed by November 17^th!

2010 4-H FAIR DATES – The 2010 4-H Fair dates have been set for July 24-28 at the Martinsville Fairgrounds. The IL Jr. Horse Show will be held on July 27-31.

Thanks again to Casey Achievers and Moriah Go-Getters 4-H Clubs for promoting National 4-H Week with window and school displays. They looked great!

Our 4-H'ers did a G-R-E-A-T job speaking out about 4-H during National 4-H Week. Landen Crews, Teresa Gorrell, Mitch Morecraft, and Logan Swalls did an excellent job presenting 4-H to the Clark County Board at their monthly meeting. A big thanks to Diane Gorrell for baking cookies for the County Board, newspapers, and WMMC too! 4-H'ers Landen Crews, Diane Gorrell, Teresa Gorrell, Mitch Morecraft, William Rhoads, Skyler Schmidt, Makayka Wycoff, Hannah Jones, Katie Goekler, Brandi Rhoads, Abi Snyder, spoke to the North Elementary School in Marshall. 4-H'ers Teresa Gorrell and Makayla Wycoff made PSAs at WMMC Radio Station. Thanks for your support of 4-H!

Have you turned in your BBQ MONEY? We still have a few 4-H'ers on the list! Remember Santa Claus has the list too!

CLUB GRANTS of up to $200 are available through the Clark County 4-H Foundation for Community Service or worthwhile club projects. Clubs will need to write a proposal explaining the project and specific breakdown of expenses. Call Jessie for more information.

BE A 4-H AMBASSADOR! Join a team of dedicated 4-H youth and adults to show pride in 4-H across the state. This is your chance to promote 4-H at the Legislative Connection and the IL State Fair. If you are a 4-H member, volunteer or alum who is dedicated to making a positive difference in your community, the 4-H Ambassador program is for you! Call the Extension Office at 826-5422 for more information and an application.

o NATIONAL CLUB CONCRESS – Landen Crews will be traveling to Atlanta, Georgia over Thanksgiving to attend the 4-H National Club Congress. He was a State Award winner in the 4-H Achievement area and a blue award winner in the Engineering and Technology area. In order to qualify, a 4-H'er must fill out a state award application, place in the top 10% of their category, and pass an interview process. Congratulations Landen!!

o 4-H PREMIER LCP AWARD - The 4-H Premier LCP Award is sponsored for older 4-H members to reward members exhibiting outstanding leadership, citizenship, cooperation, and professionalism during the past 4-H program year. Applicants must be juniors or seniors in high school or college freshmen. Ten Illinois 4-H members will receive a trip to the Young Leaders Conference sponsored by the Farm Bureau. Completed applications are due by December 1.

o HORSE HONORS NIGHT TO BE HELD – There will be a Horse Honors Night on Saturday, November 21, 7:00 PM at the Clark County Extension Office. Our "horse kids" have accomplished a lot this year and we'd like to award their achievements. All horse and pony project members and families are invited to attend the meal and recognition banquet. Please RSVP to the Extension Office at 826-5422 of your intention to attend. The meal will be provided by the horse committee (compliments of Lisa Dashiell). Please plan to attend to support the program.

o CHECK OUT THE 4-H HOUSE – 4-H House Cooperative Sorority at the University of Illinois provides women a place to reside and to be a member of the University's Greek system. It's also an affordable housing option for campus. The application can be found online at www.4hhouse.com. To become a member of 4-H House, at least five years of 4-H club work must be completed. For information contact Katherine Chenoweth at (217) 344-4784 or email kchenow2@illinois.edu.

NOVEMBER

16 – Youth & Project Committee Mtg, EO

21 – Horse Honor's Night, EO

27 & 27 HAPPY THANKSGIVING –

Office Closed

30 - Officer Training, EO

DECEMBER

2 – Santa's Workshop, Marshall, E.O.

7 - Federation Meeting, EO

10 – Santa's Workshop, Casey First Christian

Church

24 – January 2 – HAPPY HOLIDAYS –

Office Closed

JANUARY

12 – 4-H "Funshop", Casey

14 – 4-H "Funshop", Marshall

18 – 4-H Leader's Meeting

24 - Federation Ski Trip

25 - Federation Meeting

26 – Generations Workshop

30 – Carnival, Casey

FEBRUARY

1 – New Member Party

6 – Beef ID Day, Martinsville

8 – Poultry Clinic (tentative)

9 – 4-H "Funshop", Casey

12 & 13 – Great 4-H Debate

15 – Youth Committee

16 – 4-H "Funshop", Marshall

20 – Horse & Pony Tack Auction

20 & 21 – Jr. Leadership Conference

22 – Federation Meeting

27 – Goat Clinic

MARCH

5-7 – IL Horse Fair, Springfield

13 – Volunteer Banquet

15 – Leader's Meeting

20 – Reg. Horse Bowl & Hipp. Contest,

(Tentative)

22 – Federation Meeting

29 – Dog Obedience to begin

APRIL

17-18 – St. Horse Bowl & Hippology Contest, U of I (Tentative)

Job Shadowing

17 – Swine & Sheep ID Day

19 – Dog Clinic

19 – Youth Committee

26 - Federation Meeting

MAY

4-H Foundation Meeting

JUNE

15 - State Livestock Judging Contest

St. Jude Benefit Trail Ride –TBA

Horse Camp, M'ville Fairgrounds

Relay for Life, Casey Fairview Park

Kidpower Day Camp

4-H Camp, Monticello

JULY

13 – Clothing Judging

July 24-28 4-H Fair, Marshall

27 – 31 – IL St. Fair Jr. Horse Show

AUGUST

13 - 22 – IL State Fair

4-H Records Due

SEPTEMBER

11 – 4-H BBQ

The Clark County 4-H program is seeking volunteers to serve as County Project Leaders for different project areas. Let Cartha or Jessie know if you would be interested in this role!

We'll list your phone number in the newsletter occasionally so if members

have a question about their project, they can give you a call.

If you are interested, we'd be happy to have you assist in planning a

project workshop or support members in the project area in any other

way possible.

Many 4-H'ers at Achievement Night received recognition for meeting the Standards of Excellence. As you plan for the upcoming year, keep the following Standards in mind.

8 -11 Years Old (Standards to be reached)

1. Select project and make report to leader of what he or she did.

2. Attend at least 2/3 of the club meetings after joining.

3. Share project experiences by giving a talk or demonstration

4. Exhibit a project at the 4-H Show.

12 - 14 Years Old - Do the four things listed above and

1. Serve on a local club committee or hold a club office.

2. Take part in a community service activity or in a learning activity in the

community related to member's project.

3. Assist leaders with a special club activity, tour or program.

15 - 18 Year Old - Do the seven things listed above and

1. Participate in one or more 4-H learning experiences at the county, regional,

or state level.

2. Provide leadership for a project, an activity, or for a 4-H group.

3. Assist in conducting programs at the county level or beyond.

16 and Over

Key Club Award - Meet all ten standards listed above for two years.

As we start a new 4-H year, clubs will have new officers. With these positions come new responsibilities and leadership roles. We hope all officers will attend the Officer Party, but so that everyone will know the responsibilities of each office, below is a brief description of each office.

The President keeps the meeting running smoothly. Calling the meeting to order on time and conducts the meeting in an orderly fashion. The president appoints committees.

The Vice President will be prepared to conduct the meeting in case the president is absent. He/she also introduces speakers and other guests.

These are two club officers whose office requires them to pay close attention to what is discussed and decisions that are made.

The club Secretary is responsible for taking minutes and attendance at each meeting. An accurate record of motions made and who made them is necessary for the minutes. The secretary keeps records of talks, demonstrations and business conducted. They also write thank you notes on behalf of the club.

The Treasurer handles all club money and keeps accurate records in the treasurer's book. They report at each meeting how much money the club has; and completes a financial summary at the end of the 4-H year to be audited.

The club Reporter attends meetings and reports business minutes to local newspapers keeping people informed about 4-H activities.

The Recreation Leader has one of the biggest jobs, to arrange activities or games at each club meeting, and plans special parties and events with the help of leaders.

Committees are essential to any group or club, including

4-H. Aside from getting everyone involved, committees allow individuals who do not work well alone the chance to become part of a team and learn about responsibility.

All of these offices and jobs are very important, but another job that is just as important even if you are not an officer, is to attend and participate at your club's meeting.