The 2008 Franklin County 4-H Fair was a huge success. But none of it would have been possible without a lot of help and donations. On behalf of all 4-H members, I would like to thank:

ˇ Mike Thomas of Smell That Smoke B-B-Q and his crew (Rob, Robert, Barb, Janice and Stuart) for the best B-B-Q ever.

ˇ Benton Evening News for wonderful coverage of the fair.

ˇ Rend Lake College for all of their support.

ˇ Farm Bureau and Country Financial Agents for a free meal and homemade ice cream.

ˇ US Bank for sponsoring prizes and materials for fun night.

ˇ A huge thank you to all the volunteers; committee members, superintendents, 4-H Leaders and parents who helped in so many different ways.

ˇ Farm Credit Services for providing free watermelon, and paper products for the B-B-Q and trophies.

ˇ Southern F.S. for donating water tanks for the livestock.

ˇ Heartland Rehabilitation for sponsoring medallions for the Horse Show and trophies for the Goat Show.

ˇ Kampers LP Gas for donating bottled propane.

ˇ Calvary for Christ for a great flag service.

ˇ River City Construction for shop fans.

ˇ F.B. McAfoos for use of tractors for the Tractor Driving Contest.

ˇ Shannon and Jay Webb for being ringmen at the Auction.

ˇ Tracy Fletcher, Tammy Head, Leslie Prior for Fun Night and Parade of Clubs.

ˇ Thank you to the many individuals and businesses who donated money to the 4-H program, Benton/West City Chamber of Commerce, H&R Block, Hamilton County Telephone, Trader Farms, Thomas Printing, Rhino Lining of Southern Illinois, Flowers by Dave, Crocker Insurance, Ace Four Seasons Hardware, Southern Illinois Bank, David Clark of Clark Farms, Debbie Jackanicz and Crosswalk, Erwin Builders, Kimmel-Chaplain Pharmacy, McKinney's Western Store, Snider Insurance Agency, Dr.'s John and April Spence, Barb Waterbury, Hoffman Seed, Dahlgren Building Center, Independent 4-Hers, Mudrunners, Sesser F.F.A, Benon F.F.A., Waltonville F.F.A.

ˇ A huge Thank You goes to the buyers who purchased animals at our 4-H Auction: Peoples National Bank, K & S Bit, Morton & Johnson Funeral Home, Magnum Steel Works, Kash Family Farms, Jeff Donoho Insurance, F. B. McAfoos, Luke's Place, Suchomski Equipment, Judge Overstreet, Asgrow-Dekalb Seeds, West Frankfort KC's, Bill Murry, Anderson Crop Insurance, Fred's Meat Shop, Dahlgren Building Center, Banterra Bank, Hickory Hill Farms, Herrin Security Bank, Judge James Hanson, Duward Bean, Heartland Rehabilitation, Jackanicz Middlefork Farms, Farm Credit Services, Big O Garden, Ralph Smith, Franklin County Farm Bureau, Saxe Farms, State Bank of Whittington, Sesser Animal Hospital, Sierra Bravo, Southern F.S., Franklin County Soil & Water District, Lloyd Electric, Shannon Webb, Brian & Melissa Drew and office, Dr. Roger Clark, Flowers Farms, Trisler Seed/Clark Farms, Gary Harrell, P & S Grain, Pioneer Seed Dealers of Franklin County, Mike Brachear Country Insurance, Diversified Services (Toni Morhet), Krista Compton Country Insurance.

Matthew Androvandi-Grand Champion and Reserve Beef Female, Grand Champion Steer

Seth Sickmeyer-Sr. Beef Showmanship

Fallon Dublo-Jr. Beef Showmanship, Champion Draft Horse

Hannah West-Jr. Cat Care

Hayden Richardson-Jr. Dog Care, Woodworking II, Model Rockerty

Jessie McAfoos- Sr. Dog Care, Dog Obedience, Photography III, Interior Design, English Pleasure

Caleb Suver- Grand Champion Gilt and Reserve Champion Barrow

Gavin Suver- Grand Champion Barrow, Woodworking III

Mathew Shurat- Reserve Champion Gilt, Microwave A, Woodworking I, Small Engines

Mallory Newbury- Reserve Champion Steer

Michael Browning- Grand Champion Corn, Soybeans and Small Grains

Sammy Bauman- Reserve Champion Small Grains, Sr. Sheep Showmanship

Sadie Payne- Reserve Champion Corn, Soybeans and Pygmy Goat

Chelsea Jackanicz- Grand Champion Dairy Female

Basil Killion- Sr. Dairy Showmanship, Reserve Champion Dairy Female

Brody Bauman- Metal, Wood, 3-Demensional, Dairy Foods, Cooking 101 Sr., Microwave D, Meats and Other Proteins, Leather, Electricity III, Bicycling

Kayla Roach- Microwave B, Exploring Food Heritage, Sr. Trail Class, Walk-Trot, Western Pleasure, Fashion Revue, Clothing Decisions II

Nathan MacDonald- Outdoor Meals, Computer Generated Art

Brianna Risley- Sports Nutrition, Nature, Citizenship, Sewing III

Haleigh Zimmerman- Food Preservation

MacKayla Tindall- Breads & Cereals, Clothing Decisions I

MacKenzie Tindall- Fruits & Vegetables

Logan Fravel-International Foods, Clay, Natural Resources II

Trey Jackanicz- Small Pets

Zack Bryant- Grand Champion Lamb Wether, Jr. Sheep Showmanship

Haley Ing- Cooking 101 Jr.

Jennifer McCollom- Microwave C

Karley Hall- Fiber, Glass/Plastic, Theater Arts, Oral Interpretation & Demonstration

Stuart Thomas- Flower Arranging, Photo Editing

Brent McDonald- Computers, Health

Samantha Marshall- Child Care II

Cole Hutchens- Electricity I, Pebble Pups

Wade Hutchens- Electricity II, Forests of Fun I

Chase Ragland- Photography I

Brooke Sweet- Paper, Sewing I

Christopher Walter- Campcraft

Danielle Roach- Floriculture I & II, Photography III

Casey Parr- Chalk, Carbon Pigment, Heritage Arts, Animal Science, Halter Mares, Halter Geldings, Catalog Race, Barrel Race, Horsemanship, Pole Bending, Sr. Horse Showmanship, Egg & Spoon, Grand Champion and Reserve Chickens & Ducks

Justi Curry- Dairy Doe, Rabbit Meat Pen

Afton Tucker- Reserve Champion Dairy Doe, Eggs

Sadie Fletcher- Grand Champion Pygmy Doe

William Renner- Grand and Reserve Champion Meat Doe, Grand Champion Wether

Ryan Lowery- Reserve Champion Market Wether

Kaitlin McWorter- Jr. Horse Showmanship, Jr. Trail

Rachel Miller- Halter Pony

Katie Bennett- Jack & Jennets

Jodie Mabry- Gaited Horses, Illustrated Speech

Sawyer Bauman- Mules

Morgan Phelps- Sewing II

Hannah Sickmeyer- Fashion Revue

Joelle Keener- Original Speech

Cortne Fletcher- Food Demonstration

Bobbie Bauman- Grand Champion Ewe, Reserve Champion lamb wether

Tommy Newbury- Reserve Champion Ewe

Federation End of Year Party is August 12, 3:00 p.m. at South Sandusky Beach. Please let me know if you will be attending, I will be grilling out.

Federation members will also be making a DVD of fair photos. If you have any please let us know so we can make copies or download from your camera. All photos are welcome; we would like to have a good mix of photos of anything that went on during the week.

Joelle Keener is hosting for the Japanese Exchange again this year. The Keener family will be having a party on August 9^th at 5:00 p.m. for all Franklin County 4-Hers to meet Haruka. Please come out and enjoy the fun and see what hosting is all about (maybe you can next year).

Yes, it is that time of year again! All 4-Hers are asked to turn in records on one 4-H project to the Extension office. Choose the project that you did the most work on, or the one that you want to win with.

Remember, you must be an Achievement Member to be able to sell an animal in next year's auction. This means you must complete the first 3 standards of excellence. These standards are:

1. Enroll in, exhibit, and fill out records for at least one project, and turn in to the Extension Office.

2. Attend at least 2/3 of your club's meetings.

3. Give a talk or demonstration during the 4-H year.

You should submit your records to the Extension Office no later than August 30, 2008. If you have already won a medal in a particular category, you will not be eligible to win that medal again, but you can win a Blue Award in the project area. 4-H Award medals will be awarded in curriculum areas, not in specific projects. These curriculum areas are listed below.

Achievement – Includes all 4-H projects, leadership, community involvement over the course of the 4-H member's "career" in the 4-H program.

Animal Sciences – Includes Beef, Cat, Dairy, Dog, Goat, Horse & Pony, Poultry, Rabbit, Sheep, Small Pets, Swine, Veterinary Science and any related county projects.

Community Involvement & Global Awareness – Includes Citizenship, Intercultural, and any related county projects.

Environment & Natural Resources – Includes Camping & Outdoor Living, Conservation, Entomology, Forestry, Geology, Natural Resources, Sportfishing, and any related county projects.

Food, Nutrition & Health – Includes all Foods & Nutrition projects (and food safety), Health, and any related county projects.

Home & Family – Includes Child Development (including safety), Intergenerational, Family Relations, Clothing & Textiles, Consumer Education, Interior Design, and any related county projects.

Electronics & Technology – Includes Aerospace, Bicycle, Computer Science, Electricity, Geospatial (GIS/GPS), Robotics, Safety (mechanical-oriented safety), Small Engines, Tractor, Woodworking, and any related county projects.

Personal Development – Includes Communication (public presentations), Photography, Visual Arts, Recreation, Theater Arts and any related county projects.

Plants & Soils – Includes Plant & Soil Science, Crops & Soils, Horticulture, and any related county projects.

Since some categories have more than one medal allotted to them, there is a better chance that you may win one, so be sure to apply by turning in your completed records.

If you wish to apply for more than one award, you should send a cover letter with your records stating the awards you are applying for and with what records. (Example: If you are applying for an Animal Science Award, state which record you are using such as "swine", "beef", "goat", etc.)

4-H records should include the following items: My 4-H Activity Sheet, Project Goal Sheet for appropriate age, and any additional information that you wish to submit. To receive consideration for medals you should include a short 4-H story about your project and the growth of that project. If you are applying for more than one award then you should have a 4-H story for each award category.

The My 4-H Activity Sheet is a very important tool for grading your records, so you want to be sure to do a thorough job completing this sheet if you are applying for awards.

To be eligible to win the Outstanding 4-Her Award, a 4-Her should be 16 years or older, meet all 9 Standards of Excellence for 2 years (listed on page 5 of the Handbook), and must submit a 4-H Story. We have only had a couple of applicants the last two years, so take the time to apply for this award.

Don't be unprepared for your future! Check out a great leadership event for Illinois high school students and all other teens not yet 19 by September 1, 2008.

The Southern Illinois Leadership Convention is for all Illinois teens who meet the age requirement. The convention is October 11-13 at Touch of Nature Environmental Center just south of Carbondale, Illinois. In addition to fun outdoor events like trust walks, dances, trivia night, a dutch auction, and team games, the convention features workshops on important topics such as time and stress management, mentoring younger youth, working with people with special needs, communicating and speaking in public, personality traits, appreciating diversity, making meetings fun, and sacrifices and rewards of leadership. Cost is $140 if registered by August 29 and $160 if by September 6, which includes lodging, meals, and all program activities.

Space is limited, so sign up early. Call the office, 618-439-3178, for details. Convention attendees do not have to be 4-H member, so bring a friend. You may also go to http://web.extension.illinois.edu/regions/4h/silc/ for more information and to access registration materials.

Some scholarships are available for 4-H members who need help with the fee. If you need dietary or disability accommodations to participate in the Southern Illinois Leadership Convention, contact the Extension office.

If you'll be in the fifth, sixth or seventh grade this September, join us for the Discover Chicago trip October 11-13.

Discover Chicago is three jam-packed days of fun learning in one of our nation's largest cities. You'll learn about geography, history and science as you explore famous attractions in Chicago.

You'll get to:

• Build a robot, walk through a human heart, land an F-14, and explore a coal mine at the hands-on Museum of Science and Industry.
• Dine on a medieval feast while watching brave knights show off their skills at Medieval Times.
• View the city from the John Hancock Center.
• Experience nature, science and history at Chicago's elegant and exciting Field Museum.
• Eat at the popular Rainforest Café.
• Come face to face with marine life at Shedd Aquarium.

Cost for the trip is $295 and that includes admission to all attractions, lodging at the Embassy Suites Hotel, charter bus transportation, meals and insurance. The registration deadline is August 29, but space is limited. Your friends who are not 4-Hers can attend, too.

We're also taking applications for adult chaperones. The fee for chaperones is the same as for youth.

For more details, contact the Extension office by phone, 618-439-3178, or e-mail: bauman1@illinois.edu

If you need special dietary or disability accommodations to participate in this program, please indicate when registering.

Please attend a meeting on September 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the Extension office to give your input on the fair and changes for next year.

A yellow hose on a bright pink carabineer was lost and a pair of disposable contacts was found. If you have any info call 439-3178.

Casey Parr placed 1^st in Horse Reasons at the State Judging Contest. Casey also was one of the top 5 individuals in the Superior Young Producer Award Contest and received a $1000 scholarship. To enter the contest you have to exhibit a horse at the 2008 Illinois State Junior Horse Show.

Karley Hall of Thompsonville, a 1^st year member of the Hilltoppers 4-H club was one of the elite group of 4-Hers selected to perform on stage at the Illinois State Fair. She will be performing a vocal solo titled: "A Part of Your World", on August 10. Karley was one of only 15 performers selected out of 57 entries.

October 8 has been set for Achievement Night at 6:00 p.m. Please hold the date. This is during National 4-H week October 5-11. Remember to get the word out about 4-H.

We still have some auction plaques at the office that need to be picked up and taken to your buyers.

All checks received from the fair need to be cashed by August 31, 2008. They will not be good after this date.

August 12- Federation End of Year Party

August 15- Franklin County Day at State Fair

August 30- Records Due

September 1- Closed

September 4- Fair Evaluation Meeting 7:00 p.m.

September 22- Record grading 6:00 p.m.

October 8- Achievement Night 6:00 p.m.

October 11-13-Discover Chicago

October 11-13- Leadership Convention