April 6 - 4-H Foundation Scholarship Application Deadline
April 7 - Swine, Sheep & Goats Weigh-In
April 12 - 4-H Livestock Committee Meeting, 7 p.m.
April 16 - 4-H Foundation Meeting, 6 p.m.
April 21 - Livestock Judging at SIU-C
April 24 - 4-H Public Presentation/Food Demonstration Contest, 7 p.m.
April 28 - 4-H Livestock Fitting Clinic, Hatfield's Farm
April 30 - 4-H Dog Obedience Class - 1^st Session
April 30 - Pork Quality Assurance Training, 7 p.m.
May 1 - Wayne County 4-H Enrollment Deadline
May 1 - 4-H Horse Ownership/Lease Papers Due
May 5 - 4-H Day with the St. Louis Cardinals
May 7 - 4-H Federation Meeting, 6 p.m.
May 14 - 4-H Legislative Ambassadors, Hamilton County, 6 p.m.
May 19 - Midwest Goat Producers Open & Fun Goat Show, Oblong, IL
June 1&2 - Hunter Safety Course
June 10-13 - Southern IL 4-H Camp

It's time to start thinking about the Illinois Leadership Convention scheduled for June 28-30. There are several exciting changes to offer this year's attendees - the first being a move back to the U of I campus. Delegates will stay in college dormitories and experience a portion of college life during the event. Workshops for this year's event will focus on leadership skills that youth need to excel in their local community and school activities.

Registration materials are available now from the Extension Office or on line at: http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/events/annual004.html.

4-H members that received $75 scholarships from the Wayne County 4-H Foundation to attend this year's ILC are Emily Hatfield, Jenna Richardson, MaCallie Walker & Felicia Johnson. Clinton Hayes and Amy Lane are alternates.

Change can be fun and exciting... well get ready for both. Several changes are in store for this year's 4-H Show. Those changes will all be listed in the Wayne County 4-H Showbook. The 2007 Showbooks will be available after April 16.

Be sure to read it carefully and check your newsletter every month to see updates and revisions. Great things can happen when we all work together!

Remember, you must be enrolled in all the projects you wish to take before May 1 ... No exceptions will be made this year.

The 4-H Judging Contest at SIU-C will be Saturday, April 21, in conjunction with SIU's Ag Industry Day. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m. and the contest will begin at 9 a.m. Please note the new location - the Beef Evaluation Center (Bull Test Station). This year's contest will be combined with the FFA contest with separate scoring and awards. Lunch will be provided at the SIU Ag Industry Day and a Livestock Evaluation clinic will be held in the afternoon following lunch.

The Wayne County 4-H Public Presentation & Cooking Demonstration contest has been set for Tuesday, April 24 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Extension Office. All 4-H members interested in giving a talk or demonstration are encouraged to do so. Several categories are offered in this contest (complete list of contest categories and rules in Showbook). You could even give a speech that you wrote for a class at school! Each time you speak in front of an audience, you gain so many skills that you will carry with you through the rest of your life. Please contact the Extension Office by Friday, April 20 to let us know the topic of your presentation.

Hamilton County 4-H will host a Livestock Fitting Clinic on April 28 at the Hatfield's Farm north of McLeansboro. All participants will learn about showing and fitting animals for the fair, animal nutrition and daily care. Experienced 4-H'ers will be on hand to demonstrate showmanship techniques and answer questions. Participants will learn about beef, swine, sheep, goats, rabbits and poultry. Lunch will be served following the workshop. This workshop is free and open to any youth wanting to learn about livestock. Please contact the Hamilton County Extension office at 643-3416 by April 21 to pre-register.

The popular 8-week dog obedience class will be held on Monday evenings, 6-7:30 p.m., starting April 30 and running through June 25, except May 28, which is Memorial Day. It will take place in the 4-H arena of the Wayne County Fairgrounds. Interested individuals should call the Extension Office at 842-3702 to register or Mary Murphy, class instructor, at 599-5018.

Youth Pork Quality Assurance Certification is required for any exhibitor showing junior barrows, open barrows, or Premiere barrows at the 2007 Illinois State Fair.

In reaction to most US packers requiring PQA, the Illinois State Fair is mandating this certification for its exhibitors in these swine classes. Proof of PQA Certification will be part of the Illinois State Fair entry forms due July 1 every year.

• It is encouraged (not mandated) that youth 9-13 years of age be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the class.
• The parent or guardian cannot become certified by accompanying their child at a Youth PQA class; bust must attend an adult PQA Level III program to become certified or have a veterinarian certify them at there farm during a routine visit.
• Youth 19 years of age or older must become certified through the adult PQA Level III education program.
• Youth 9-13 years of age must re-certify annually by attending a Youth PQA education program.
• Youth under 9 years of age cannot be certified in Youth PQA, but may sell a pig under their parent or guardian's Adult PQA Level III certification.

A PQA training session has been scheduled for April 30 at 7 p.m. at the Extension Office. Please call the office if you plan on attending this session at 842-3702.

The next Wayne County 4-H Federation meeting will be held on Monday, May 7. Following the business meeting, members will adjourn to Brookstone to play bingo with the residents. Hope you can join us for this fun activity!

The next meeting of the 4-H Legislative Ambassadors will be May 14, 6 p.m., in Hamilton County. HOPE bags are running low, so Ambassadors will be packing bags and are in need of the following items: towels, shampoo, and toothpaste. Any 4-H Clubs and/or other groups or organizations wishing to make donations of needed items may drop them off at the Extension Office. Also, Ambassadors will accept monetary donations to purchase needed supplies. Ambassadors are available to make presentations to groups about the HOPE bag project if requested.

Your next chance to enroll in a Hunter Safety Course is June. One has been scheduled for June 1 & 2. It will be held at the Fairfield Gun Club. Friday's class will run from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday's class will be all day from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Don't forget to bring a sack lunch. Remember you must attend class on both days for certification. The class is limited to 40 participants, so call the Extension Office early to register!

Any youngster planning to exhibit beef, sheep, swine, dairy or horses at the Illinois State Fair MUST complete Quality Assurance & Ethics training via the internet by July 1 if they have not already done so. Once completed, you do not have to repeat the process. Horses have an earlier deadline of June 9. The website address is http://qaec.outreach.uiuc.edu

4-H Camp for Grades 3-6

4-H Camp is an experience you'll never forget. Make new friends as you enjoy swimming, hiking, canoeing and team games. Learn new skills as you try your hand at Visual Arts, Recycling, Horticulture, Forestry or Woodworking. And, each evening offers special activities like campfire singing, outdoor movies, and board games. Cost is $140.

4-H Youth Camp runs June 10-13 and is held at WOW Little Egypt Camp near West Frankfort. All Southern Illinois kids ages 8 to 11, or in grades 3 through 6, can attend. You don't have to be a 4-H member to come to camp. Space is limited, so register early!

Registration material is available online at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/regions/4h/camp/

4-H Camp for Grades 7-8

4-H Junior High Camp is the place for summer fun. This camp offers just the right mix of traditional camping activities and plenty of free time to hang out with friends. Besides the traditional camp fun of swimming, boating, hiking, fishing, and team games, this camp features visual arts and horticulture activities. A unique GPS experience also awaits participants. Cost is $100.

Jr. High Camp runs July 1-3 and will be held at Camp Wartburg, Waterloo, IL. It is for all youth in grades 7 and 8, regardless of 4-H membership. Space is limited so register early!

Registration material is available online at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/regions/4h/camp/

If you are planning to show a bucket calf this summer at 4-H Fair, you will need your project manual/record. Please call or stop by the office to pick yours up. Remember, the judge will need to review this during judging.

Talented 4-H members and clubs are encouraged to submit a VHS videotape or DVD of a performance for consideration in the Illinois State Fair 4-H Performance Showcase, scheduled for Sunday, August 12. Tapes/DVD's should be submitted to the State 4-H Office postmarked by May 15.Contact the Extension Office at 842-3702 for more information and an application form.

Illinois 4-H clubs/groups are being recruited to spend one or more days at the State Fair teaching the general public skills they have learned through 4-H. Clubs accepted for this opportunity will receive a $100/day premium, providing they meet the required criteria for the presentations:

• A minimum of 3 youth and 1 adult must be on-site during the assigned time.
• Presentations must be action-oriented – involving the general public in actively learning knowledge or skills that relate to a 4-H curriculum area.
• Youth must be involved in the planning.

Presentation times are available Friday, August 10 thru Sunday, August 19. The application and more details are available from the 4-H website at: http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/events/07fair/07ActionPresent.doc. Applications must be submitted by May 1.

Again this year, Dr. Loy Hosselton has been so generous as to offer to test and inspect your livestock project free of charge. Remember all livestock exhibited must conform to the current year's Illinois Livestock Exhibition Regulations as stated under the general livestock rules of the Wayne County Fair Association. Health papers, as required, must accompany all animals to the Fairgrounds. All you need to do is call Dr. Hosselton at 842-4884 to set up an appointment in early June to get on his schedule. Be prepared to let him know the kind of animal, how many, and directions to your farm. All testing must be completed by June.

The Hamilton County Bandits 4-H Club is sponsoring a Horsemanship Clinic, Saturday, May 19^th from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Saddle Club in McLeansboro (turn south off of Rt. 14 between the fairgrounds and the housing complex). Participants will learn about horse nutrition and health, basic roping skills, proper tack fitting and horse judging. Lunch is available to purchase for $2. Pre-registration is required by calling Connie at 728-4467 or Angie at 925-6569 or Bev at 643-2232. Afternoon session will be canceled if raining.

Randa Rowland of Marion County Extension will conduct a 4-H Horsemanship Clinic on Saturday, April 23 from 1-3 p.m. at the Marion County Extension Office in Salem. Topics to be covered include show ring etiquette; tack, grooming & attire; showmanship; and basic horse care. This clinic is designed to make 4-H'ers feel confident, comfortable and safe in the show arena. Pre-registration is required by Monday, April 23. Call 618/548-1446.

We all know that exercise is important for staying healthy. In fact, kids need about 1 hour of physical activity each day. Now that the weather is warming up, get outside and get moving! Here are just a few fun outdoor activities to try:

• Take your dog or parent for a walk.
• Play at the park. Enjoy the swings and do some pull-ups on the monkey bars.
• Get some people together for a round of kickball or freeze tag.
• Fly a kite, jump rope, or play some one-on-one basketball.
• Go out for an afternoon of in-line skating with your friends.
• Play a game of tennis or badminton.
• Go bike riding.
• Have a no-TV, no-computer day. Go for a hike and a picnic instead.

Keep Your Outdoor Fun Safe

• When heading out for a walk or a bike ride, go with a buddy. Don't go alone.
• Leave the headphones at home. Biking, walking, or running with headphones isn't safe because you can't hear cars or people.
• Wear safety gear. Bikers need helmets, and in-line skaters need helmets, kneepads, and arm guards.

Recipe of the Month

No-Bake Cookies

Makes about 20 cookies
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup instant dry milk
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup water
2 cups dry cereal, lightly crushed
½ cup raisins

Place peanut butter, dry milk, and sugar in a bowl. Add vanilla and water; blend well. Stir in cereal and raisins. Shape mixture into balls. Place cookies in a covered container and refrigerate. Cookies are best if they are eaten soon after they are made.

The Geff Chatters 4-H Club will host an Electricity Workshop on Thursday, May 10 at 6:30 p.m. for all interested 4-H'ers. The workshop will be led by employees of Wayne-White Electric Cooperative. Participants will make a soda can lamp (bring an empty & clean soda can). This will qualify as a project in Electricity II. The cost of the workshop is $10.00 and registration is required by April 27 so that we will have enough supplies on hand for everyone.

There will be a 4-H Petting Zoo at the Family Literacy Fest on Saturday, May 5. It will be held at Northside School in Fairfield. Geff Chatters 4-H Club is coordinating this activity and invites any 4-H'ers with small animals to participate. Call the Extension Office at 842-3702 to volunteer. Help is also needed to man the booth that day.