August 2009

Sunday, August 30th - Jr. Leader's Meeting 2:00 p.m. Extension Office

Monday, August 31 - 4-H Premium Checks Ready to Be Picked Up!!

Back to School!!!

September 2009

Monday, September 7 - Labor Day (Extension Office Closed)

Thursday, September 10 - 4-H Leader's Meeting/Extension Office 6:30 p.m. Pick Up 4-H Materials/New Forms

Saturday, September 26 Taste of Crawford County/4-H Fundraiser 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lincoln Trail College Gym

Monday, September 28 - 4-H Cardinal's Club Meeting, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Robinson City Park (Ext. Ofc. if rain)

Monday, September 28 - Youth Committee Meeting** (see inside) 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Extension Office

Best of Luck to All of Our Crawford County Football Teams High School and Jr. League!

Those two words seem so inadequate when it comes to thanking all of the people who helped before, during, and after fair week to make the 2009 4-H Fair so much fun and successful. I have told many of you several times, and I will continue to tell everyone that our fair and 4-H program could not be what it is without all of us working together. Our 4-H families and volunteers are the best! I always invite you to let me know if you have ideas and suggestions that might help make our 4-H program/fair even better. It is definitely a combined effort and I encourage adults and 4-H youth to let me know if there are changes you feel would help our programs. Again, my hat is off to all of you for your dedication, hard work, smiling faces, and support. I am really looking forward to beginning another 4-H year!

It will be Sunday, August 30, at 2:00 p.m. in the U of I Extension Office. Reminder postcards recently went out to all current Jr. Leaders. I encourage all 4-H'ers who are in the 8th grade or above to join this group. You will still be a member of your 4-H club, but will help to plan the fun events that are offered to all county 4-H members. Also, you will be eligible to go on any trips that the Jr. Leaders take. (We went to Chicago the first weekend in August.) If you can't come to the meeting this Sunday but are interested in joining the Jr. Leaders, send me an email so that I can better determine who our members will be for the upcoming 4-H year. My email is dtedford@illinois.edu or give me a call at 546-1549 and leave a message if it's after the office is closed. If you are currently a Jr. Leader, invite someone to be a member. If parents bring you, they can run an errand while our meeting (which usually lasts about an hour) is going on.

4-H'ers who still need to pick up their Auction Checks: Stephanie Ayres, Lisa French, Garret L. Hayes, Kaitlyn Knollenberg, Karch Knollenberg, Kurt Knollenberg, and Jane Worthey.

I thought you might like to know what some of the 4-H'ers who have already picked up their checks will be doing with their auction proceeds. Several will be adding some money to their savings accounts for future use. Then there are others who will be using their money to buy a new school wardrobe. Saving for the future & college funds was definitely on some minds, and with the rising cost of college that isn't a bad idea. A trip to Montreal, Canada was probably the most unique way of spending that hard earned auction check. A few were going to begin investing in a CD (not the music kind)!

No matter what the auction money will be used for, everyone was in agreement that they appreciate the buyers who support them. THANKS AGAIN BUYERS…we REALLY do APPRECIATE YOU…we know our auction wouldn't happen without YOU!

I will be disappointed if I hear from a buyer or award/trophy sponsor that they have not received a thank you note from you. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send those thank you notes! Remember thank you notes should be sent to not only the buyers of your auction animals, but to those who sponsored your trophy and/or award. CHECK OUT THE GREEN SECTION OF THE 4-H HANDBOOK FOR SAMPLE THANK YOU NOTES!

The tractor driving contest was held on Monday, July 20, of fair week with eight 4-H members completing a written test, safety violations, along with maneuvering a tractor pulling a wagon through an obstacle course. All participants proved to be tough as they tried their tractor driving skills through a course set up with golf balls on top of poles. Kurt Knollenberg won the contest followed by Jake Draves, Karch Knollenberg, and Collin Meese.

Thanks to all of the participants and to those who came to watch. And a HUGE THANK YOU to the Holscher brothers, Kurt and Ross, for organizing the event, and supplying the tractor, wagon, and gas. Other 4-H'ers who showed their skills were: Andrew Ochs, Chris Jones, Zach Murray, and Austin York. Way to go guys…next year let's see some girls get involved!!

Congratulations! Four $500 scholarships were awarded by Rich Kocher, 4-H and Extension Foundation Chairman. Their names were announced at the beginning of the annual 4-H auction. The recipients were Jillian Baker & Karlie Conrad (Robinson High School), Thomas Dart (Oblong High School), and Derek Seaney (Hutsonville High School). We wish all of the 2009 4-H graduates the best of luck in everything they do!

Before starting the new 4-H year, check out this resource online www.n4hccs.org and click on "Projects Online". More than (40) 4-H projects have additional activities, interactive games, background information and links to other websites. It's a great tool to find out more about the 4-H projects you might want to do this year.

4-H Clubs that have a treasury are required to complete an audit and turn it in to the local extension office each year. Each club received a Treasurer's book last fall, please complete the information and turn it in to the Extension Office. If your club has no checking or savings account, please attach a note to the inside of your club's Treasurer's book stating there is no account (make sure your club treasurer signs the note). The Extension office is required to file a 990-N e-postcard for ALL 4-H Clubs. All club audits for 2008-2009 must be received by October 30, 2009 – no exceptions. A fact sheet is available online from National 4-H at:

http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/library/fs-electronic_filing_v2-08.pdf

If you brought a project to the fair, you may come to the Extension Office during office hours (8-12 a.m. & 1-4:30 p.m.) to pick it up. There is also a $5 bill attached which is given to you by the First National Bank. PLEASE SEND A THANK YOU NOTE TO THE BANK!!!

"CELEBRATE 4-H" from November 1-7, 2009. Crawford County 4-H Week will be November 1-7. We are challenging clubs and all 4-H members to promote 4-H! Some examples include: brochures, fundraisers, bake sales, business displays, poster displays, wearing 4-H t-shirts to school during 4-H week, articles in student newspapers, writing letters to the editor of local papers in support of 4-H, blogs about 4-H activities, proclamations by local governments for your club, talking to students at schools, and sending thank you notes to 4-H leaders and our local Crawford County Board members to inform them about what you are doing in 4-H, just to name a few!

The purpose of 4-H week is to spread the word about 4-H across the county. Today's national 4-H is a community of more than 6.5 million young people, 540,000 volunteers and 3,500 professionals. As a member of this community, you are in the best place to promote 4-H! If you have ideas on how to promote 4-H and wish to share, please contact Debbie.

"BIOFUEL BLAST" National Science Experiment Day - In early October 2009, millions of American youth will explore one of the most important issues facing our nation today -- biofuels. Be part of this opportunity to explore, discover - and have a blast – experimenting with alternative fuels with the Biofuel Blast National Science Experiment!

We are hoping to have a science day at some of our local schools the week of October 5, the details have yet to be determined – there will be opportunities for 4-H members to participate!! If you are interested in getting involved contact Debbie. For more information go to: http://4-h.org/nysd/

(S = Superior A of E = Award of Excellence)

Karleigh Alderson Sewing & Textiles II A of E

Jacob Blankenbeker Woodworking IV S

Niki Collier Visual Arts - Wood A of E

Kaycee Culp Photography - Photo Editing A of E

Haley Dart Visual Arts - Heritage Arts A of E

Avery DeDoming Visual Arts - Fiber S

Heather Duzan Entomology II S

Stevie Johnson Photography 3 A of E

Courtney Maddox Natural Resources I A of E

Heather Moore Intercultural Intercultural-Indiv S

Austin Musgrave Health Keeping Fit I-First Aid A of E

Taylor Musgrave Visual Arts - Glass/Plastic S

Jevon Pearse Aerospace Model Rocketry A of E

Rhiannon Pearse Woodworking II A of E

Bethany Rinard Food with an International Flavor S

Andrew Shea Child Development II S

Mickey Shook Visual Arts - Nature A of E

Jolena Visner Visual Arts - Glass/Plastic A of E

Rachel Walls Breads & Cereals A of E

Amanda Weck Microwave Magic A of E

Way to go Crawford County 4-H'ers!! You represented our county very well! 20 of the 26 4-H'ers who had county projects chosen for the State Fair made the trip to Springfield and had their projects judged on our county day, Saturday, August 15. I want to thank all of the family members who made it possible for these 4-H'ers to experience the judging process on the state level. If it weren't for your efforts, these youth would not have been able to take their projects. Thanks to all of the 4-H'ers who brought projects to the county fair and to those of you who went on to the state fair. Keep up the good work. Congratulations!

On Saturday, August 1, 16 Jr. Leaders and adults left from the Extension Office and headed to Chicago. Their first stop was for breakfast at McDonalds in Charleston, arriving at Matteson south of Chicago around 11:30 a.m. Checking into the hotel and dropping bags off, the caravan drove a mile to the train station stop and boarded the Metra into Chicago. About an hour later, they arrived at the Museum Campus stop and divided into two groups….one going to the Shedd Aquarium and the other to the Field Museum of Natural History. The group going to the Shedd found they had a two hour wait in a very long line, so they opted to go to the Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower)…a 103 story skyscraper. Both groups had a chance to walk Michigan Avenue among the tall buildings, busy sidewalks, and noisy traffic. Everyone ended up meeting at Navy Pier for dinner, some walked all the way there while some rode the water taxi on the Chicago River to Navy Pier. Everyone enjoyed seeing the city skyline as the sun went down and all of the lights came on in the skyscrapers. To catch the 10:20 Metra train back to Matteson, everyone voted to pay $5.00 each for a chance to ride in a limousine back to the train station. Let's just say that 16 people in a limo is okay for a few blocks, but not exactly how we would want to travel for a long distance. Sunday morning, the group ate breakfast at the hotel, then stopped in Champaign for lunch, before heading south back to Crawford County. This was a trip of "firsts" for some: first time to Chicago, first time to ride a train, first time to see a skyscraper, first time to see Soldier Field, first time to ride a water taxi, first time to see a segway, first time to see Lake Michigan, first time to put their feet in Lake Michigan, first time to eat the famous Chicago pizza, first time to go on a Jr. Leader trip! If you didn't get to go on this trip, that's too bad, but hopefully you can come along to wherever we go next!

Will be Saturday, September 26 from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Trail College Gym. All county 4-H'ers…we need to pull together and help with this event! The money raised will go towards the required $20 participation fee for each county 4-H member. We will be serving all of the drinks at the event, so we will be VERY busy. If your 4-H club would like to have a food booth, let me know as soon as possible. This event is open to all county organizations and/or individuals who would like to make some income for their group. 4-H clubs do not have to pay the $25 booth rental. I will need older 4-H'ers to help pick up ice that morning. Parents and 4-H members…I am asking for your assistance in 2 hour work rotations. The first shift will be from 9:30 – 11:30 and the next shift will be 11:30 – 1:30. I am asking the Jr. Leaders to come around 8:30 to help get the booth set up. If you are willing to help, please call and let me know as soon as possible. If your club meets before September 26, please ask all members to come and help. We will need people to make sure the tables are kept clean, trash emptied, and drinks poured. This is the first event held to raise money for the 4-H fee we are required to collect this year, so please come and support our county 4-H program! If you have any questions, please call Debbie at 546-1549.

ATTENTION – 4-H FAMILIES, "After Fair Meeting"

We are always looking for new and better ways to improve our 4-H Fair/Show! Please plan on attending the meeting on September 28 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. to let us know about any ideas or suggestions you might have. If you are unable to attend, please submit your ideas in writing. We look forward to your comments!

The 4-H Fair always gives you the opportunity to see neat projects and think about what you would like to take next year. The new Clovers (project listing newspaper) will be here soon and you can check out the offerings for this fall. Check out the new projects and/or curriculum resources listed below.

• Bicycle 1 & 2: Bicycling for Fun, Wheels in Motion, and Helper's Guide
• Cloverbud: Exploring Farm Animals; Vegetable Gardening A—See Them Sprout and Helper's Guide; and Veterinary Science 1—From Airedales to Zebras and Helper's Guide
• Foods & Nutrition: 4-H Cooking 301
• Horticulture: Vegetable Gardening A-D—See Them Sprout, Let's Get Growing,Take Your Pick, Growing Profits, and Helper's Guide
• Leadership: Leadership Skills You Never Outgrow 1: for Grades 3-6
• Veterinary Science: Veterinary Science 1-3—From Airedales to Zebras, All Systems Go, On the Cutting Edge, and Helper's Guide
• Video: Filmmaking (available online only)
• Wind Energy: Power of the Wind and Facilitator's Guide

Be watching in next month's newsletter for information about possible Hunter Safety programs. As you might remember, last year it was announced that Illinois 4-H may add Shooting Sports to the 4-H project listing. With all of the hunting sports in our area, this might be a great opportunity for the youth of our county to learn about the conservation and safety side of hunting. More information will be forthcoming as the program unfolds.

TRAVEL TO ANOTHER COUNTRY…4-H'ers have a unique opportunity to increase their cultural understanding and acceptance of others by participating in 4-H International Exchange programs. Through traveling or hosting, individuals and families learn about other cultures and perhaps gain a better understanding of their own culture. 4-H offers several international exchange opportunities.

Travel opportunities await 4-Hers 12 – 18 years of age (varies by program) to destinations in Australia, Costa Rica, Finland, and Japan. Hosting opportunities include both short term (approximately one month normally June – August) for inbound youth 12-18 years of age and year-long opportunities (10-11 months) for inbound youth 15 – 17 years of age participating in the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) and Japanese High School Exchange. Contact Lyle and Katie Crane, Crawford County Exchange Coordinators, or Debbie at the Extension Office for more information. It's not too early to begin planning for this two years in advance!

September means it's time for the new 4-H year! That also means it's time to organize OR reorganize clubs for the new year. As always, we are looking for volunteers to organize and lead new 4-H clubs. All it takes to organize a club is six interested youth and one dedicated leader. Please contact the office if YOU would be willing to start a new 4-H club in your area of the county. Call Debbie for more information if you want to learn more!

The Cardinals & Cloverbuds 4-H club will hold it's first meeting on Monday, September 28, from 3:30-4:30 at the Robinson City Park. This Club is for Cloverbuds (5-7 year olds) as well as 4-H age youth 8 -18 years of age. Call Debbie for further information.