University of Illinois Extension's 4-H program has received approval to become involved in the National 4-H Shooting Sports Program. As the program evolves, 4-H members will have opportunities to test their shooting, hunting and sportsmanship skills in county, regional, state and national competitions. 4-Hers in the national program have demonstrated high achievement in the field, in the classroom and on the target range - but personal development for young people and adult leaders is the real objective. The program will strive to make every child a winner and to adhere to the 4-H motto to "make the best better." We are currently in the planning stages. In order to bring Shooting Sports to the county, we need a coordinator and volunteers in Archery, Shotgun and/or Rifle to take a weekend training. The training will be offered in March 2010. If you are interested, please contact the Extension office. We will have an organizational meeting after the first of the year.
The Fayette County 4-H Program held its annual Achievement Night on Saturday, October 10, at the Fayette County Fairgrounds. The awards ceremony was followed by a social hour. Everyone enjoyed visiting, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, and sipping hot chocolate. More than 65 were in attendance for the program as 4-H members and clubs were recognized for their accomplishments and several leaders were recognized for anniversary years. A big thank you to Colton Sphar, Crystal Smith for helping set up and Jackie and Lane Chandler and Caleb Harpster for helping tear down. Congratulations to all the members and leaders for their accomplishments over the past year! The following members and leaders were present to accept their awards at the ceremony. Check our website for a complete program listing of all recognized members, leaders and clubs.
1st YEAR MEMBERS:
(*Outstanding 1st year award form)
Kenley Durbin* - Caprine Kids
Noah Eddy* - Ramsey S & S
Grant Wells - Shafter Friends
Tessa Philpot, Kennedy Ray - St James Hornets
5th YEAR MEMBERS:
Nathan Elam - Shafter Friends
11th YEAR MEMBERS:
Brady Howard - Southside Kids
LEADER RECOGNITION
Tara Moreland of the Ramsey Senors & Senoritas was acknowledged for having served her first year as leader with the Bronze Clover Certificate. Two leaders were recognized with Silver Clover Certificates for having served five years, Jackie Chandler and Sara Frutiger of the Caprine Kids. Mike Black of the Southside Kids and Jennifer Doedtman of the Loudon Bunch have served for ten years and were presented with Gold Clover Certificates. All club leaders are receiving the Favorite Recipes of Illinois 4-H Through the Years book as an appreciation gift from the Extension office. Thanks for all you do!
4-H Club Officers & Jr Leaders
(* book turned in for judging)
Historian:
Colton Sphar – Loudon Bunch
Junior Leader:
Brady Howard – Southside Kids
Angel McDonald – Ramsey Senors & Senoritas
President:
Trishia Buzzard – Loudon Bunch
Nathaniel Elam - Shafter Friends
Brady Howard – Southside Kids
Recreation:
Kenley Durbin - Caprine Kids
Kennedy Ray - St James Hornets
Maisie Howard - Southside Kids
Activity Chair:
Coltan Harpster - Caprine Kids
Reporter:
Shayna Bueker - Caprine Kids
Madison Howard - Southside Kids
Secretary:
Kayla Black – Southside Kids*
Brandon McDonald – Ramsey Sr. & Senoritas*
Treasurer:
Deanna Keller - St James Hornets
Jacob Rau - Vandalia Shamrocks*
Vice President:
Angel McDonald – Ramsey Senors & Senoritas
Clifton Durbin - St James Hornets
Best Kept 4H Officers Books
Secretary:
Kayla Black, Southside Kids
Awards for Best Kept 4H Livestock Records
CATTLE: Nathan Elam
GOAT: Coltan Harpster
HORSE: Trishia Buzzard
SWINE: Nathan Elam
STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE 4-H MEMBER AWARDS
Project Achievement:
Lane Chandler, Kenley Durbin, Caleb Harpster, Coltan Harpster, Noah Eddy, Seth Eddy, Faith Moreland, Madison Howard, Maisie Howard, Tessa Philpot, Kennedy Ray, Egan McClary, Isaac Rau
Service Achievement:
Angel McDonald, Brandon McDonald, Kayla Black, Deanna Keller, Jacob Rau
Leadership Achievement: Trishia Buzzard, Brady Howard
CLUB STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Ramsey Srs & Senoritas
4-H CLUB SUPERIOR PROGRESS AWARDS
Ramsey Senors & Senoritas
Southside Kids
OUTSTANDING CLUB and COUNTY AWARDS
PARTICIPATION AWARD:
Maisie Howard, Seth Eddy, Madison Howard
OUSTANDING CLUB MEMBERS:
Brady Howard, Faith Moreland, Shayna Bueker, Egan McClary, Colton Sphar
OUTSTANDING CLUB & COUNTY MEMBERS:
Brandon McDonald, Angel McDonald, Trishia Buzzard
2009 OUTSTANDING 1ST YEAR 4-H MEMBER:
Darien Beck – Ramsey Senors & Senoritas Congratulations on your first year, Darien. Keep up the great work!
2009 OUTSTANDING 4-H MEMBER OF THE YEAR:
Continuing to serve as an excellent role model for the younger members, Trishia Buzzard, of the Loudon Bunch, brought home this award for the second year. She had an award application score this year of 644 points. Outstanding job Trishia! We are very proud of you and glad to have you as a member.
2009 ACHIEVEMENT NIGHT ATTENDANCE AWARD:
Ramsey Srs & Senoritas
2009 4-H Window Display Contest
1st Place – St James Hornets, Davis Auto Center, St. Elmo
3rd Place – Loudon Bunch, Loudon Township Building
2nd Place – Ramsey Senors & Senoritas, Ramsey Library
4th Place – Southside Kids, Brownstown Library
If you were unable to attend achievement night, your leader has your premium check. Please cash those as soon as possible.
As the year is in full-swing now, I encourage members to get friends involved in 4H. Bring a buddy to a meeting with you, let them check out your copy of the Clover to see all the projects available, tell them about the fun of the fair and reward of community service. We could reach so many more youth in our community if only more of them knew what we know! This is where the fun starts!
There are several scholarship and award possibilities for those members that are high school-aged. Contact the Extension office if you'd be interested in applying.
If you are interested in representing your club as a youth leader in a new county club, notify your club leader or the Extension office. The meetings would be once a month, include pizza and fun outings, and you would have a voice in the planning of events, fundraisers and community service projects.
GENERAL:
Enrollment and project selection forms for all returning members are due by the first of December. (New members have until March 1.) However, the sooner they're turned in the better, as one project manual order will be placed per club, when all forms are received. If you are unsure about showing a project, go ahead and sign up for it. If you decide later not to show it, that's fine.
A few clubs still haven't turned in their Treasurer's book. It's a state mandate that copies of these be filed in the Extension office each year, so please get those in as soon as possible.
A request to all clubs: Please send your meeting reports to the Extension office so that I may get your news into the newsletter. We'd all like to know what clubs are up to!
LIVESTOCK:
As many of you noticed last year, the Pygmy goat class had been moved to a county-only status. This meant there was no premium paid for those classes. State 4-H is in the process of correcting this for the 2009-2010 year. So if you are planning to show pygmy goats, mark both the pygmy and meat goat classes on your project selection forms for now.
Livestock Records are required for members showing beef, dairy, goat, horse & pony, poultry, rabbit, sheep and swine. They will be checked at the fair to see that they are sufficiently started and then turned in, completed, at the end of the 4-H year. Every member will get a livestock record book for each species project they enroll in. By the way, several members have still not turned in their 2009 record books. If you sold at the 4H auction, records must be in before collecting your auction check.
Anyone planning to show a steer this year must call the Extension office by December 18 to let us know. Steer weigh-in should fall on February 6 next year, though I will let you know for certain after the next livestock committee meeting.
Reminders for the year:
- Weigh-in is mandatory for all market animals. This includes steer, barrows, sheep wethers, market ewe lambs, and goat wethers. Each member is limited to weighing 4 animals per species.
- All wethers must be banded or castrated before weigh-in.
- Goats in the commercial class must be a cross between a dairy breed and a meat breed. The dairy class will be made up of only dairy goats (purebred or cross of two dairy breeds), and the meat class will be made up of only meat goats (purebred or cross of two meat breeds).
- Hauling fees for the auction will be paid upfront by 4H members, and not held out of checks.
11/1 ramsey wranglers, 7pm @ Roberts' house
11/4 Southside Kids mtg, 7pm @ black's garage
11/6 ramsey srs & senoritas mtg, 3:15pm @ legion
11/7 Sefton clovers mtg, 8am @ btown school
11/9 Shafter friends mtg, 7pm@ Wollerman's shed
11/10 Vandalia shamrocks, 6pm @ Ext office
11/11 st james hornets mtg, 8pm @ st elmo school
Golden harvestors mtg, 7pm @ st peter city hall
11/12 Livestock Committee MTg, 7pm @ ext office
11/26-27 Thanksgiving - office closed
11/29 loudon bunch wrkshp, 5pm @ township bldg
12/1 ALL enrollment/project forms due
12/6 loudon bunch mtg, 5pm @ township bldg
12/8 deadline for lcp award applications
12/18 Candy-making workshop(details to come)
12/23 deadline to notify office of showing steer
12/24-1/1 Happy Holidays - office closed
1/14 livestock committee mtg, 7pm @ ext office
1/18 martin luther king holiday - office closed
1/25 club Leaders' Meeting, 7pm @ ext office
2/6 steer weigh-in, 9am-noon @ Fairgrounds
3/26-27 livestock camp, Effingham
3/11 livestock committee mtg, 7pm @ext office
4/24 weigh-in market animals, 9-noon @ fairgrnds
5/01 horse & dog papers due w/pictures
5/31 memorial day - office closed
June Horse Camp, Clay County
7/10-17 Fayette county fair
8/13-22 Illinois state fair
