I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying the Holiday season. I would like to introduce myself. I am excited to be a part of the Cumberland County Extension as the new community worker.

To learn a little about me: My family and I were very active in 4-H in Coles County showing cattle. I graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 2004 and I am very excited to be a part of our neighboring county!!

I plan to attend each of the clubs meeting in the next few months. So please let me know when you schedule your next meeting and I will make sure that I attend them. We have lots of upcoming activities to discuss.

If you have any questions or suggestions on anything please let me know I am here to work with you. Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. We do, however, have an answering machine if you need to reach us after hours. For our email fans you can reach the office at tjeich@uiuc.edu.

- Tonya Eich, Community Worker

Cumberland County 4-H Week will be March 5-10th. Suggestions for the theme can be sent to the Extension Office and will be passed on to the 4-H Federation. The theme ideas will be voted on at the December 8th Federation meeting.

The Extension Office in Cumberland County will be closed December 26-January 2 Christmas Holiday.

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday!

Build service outreach into your club program this year by focusing on the 3^rd "H" as your 4-H club "pledges their hands to larger service." The Illinois 4-H Foundation wants to help your members put those words into action by awarding 4-H Clubs with grant monies to help cover expenses for community service projects. Funding for community related projects are supported by funding from Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., and Country Insurance and Financial Services. The grants are available for either Community Improvement Projects OR Health and Safety related projects. (This is one way your club members can make a valuable contribution in the community in which they live.) Clubs from throughout the state have been recognized for state-award winning efforts that were successful in making their local communities more pleasant, safe, or healthy places. Grants are available from $50 - $250 per club. Note – funding to an individual club will only be awarded in one of the granting categories (community improvement OR health and safety). Applications are available from your Extension office, or at www.4-h.uiuc.edu/events/grants.html. Grants are due January 6, 2006. National 4-H Council also offers competitive grants. For information about those opportunities, check www.fourhcouncil.edu.

www.extension.uiuc.edu/jaspercumberland

Check out the new website for the latest 4-H information and schedules. We hope to have the newsletter posted each month. Check out the entire website for the latest University of Illinois Extension happenings.

Zach Moses is recuperating at home after surgery . He is doing well and would appreciate your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery. His address is below for anyone that would like to send him a card.

Zach Moses
University of Illinois Extension Office
Jasper/Cumberland Unit
P.O. Box 218
Toledo, IL 62468

Cards sent to the Extension office will be forwarded to Zach.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for the cards, flowers, balloons, prayers, food and monetary gifts. Zach will be going back to St. Louis the second week in December for another surgery, but things are looking good for him. He has much less pain than he did prior to his trip to St. Louis. Again, thanks for all of your concerns and thoughtfulness. We are very grateful for the many friends back here in our community.

Harve, Cindy, Lance and Zach Moses

Military Stocking Service Project will be on December 3rd at 1:00 –3:00 pm at the Toledo Village Hall.

Make sure that all of the clubs have turned in all of the items by December 2nd to the extension office.

The Cumberland Nursing Center in Greenup will be decorating doors again this year. It is suggested that ideally the doors be decorated early in the month so that the residents can truly enjoy the holiday season. Decorating the doors provides a sense of home and brings a great deal of joy to those who reside there.

The December 8th 4-H Federation Meeting will be held at the Toledo Village Hall followed by the Candy Workshop. All in attendance will be offered the chance to participate. All of the supplies for the workshop will be provided in addition to a candy recipe book. Members may want to bring an apron to wear.

It's that time of year again. In the event that ANY SCHOOL that serves Cumberland County cancels or dismisses school early due to bad weather conditions, 4-H events will be canceled and rescheduled also. The Extension Office will try to notify radio stations in such an event.

Please note that the 4-H Federation is sponsoring a skating party. Thursday, January 19, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Silver Star Skate Center in Mattoon. Skate rental is $1.00 which will be paid by the Federation. You may also bring your own skates or roller blades.

Club Leaders are reminded and encouraged to send the Extension Office a copy of your meeting locations, dates and times for the upcoming year as soon as they are finalized. When individuals contact the Extension Office interested in joining 4-H, a club program is a great item to have. Clubs also receive points on the Illinois 4-H Standards of Excellence award form for providing the Extension Office a club calendar.

Club Reporters are also reminded to send in club meeting minutes and activities for the monthly newsletter. The newsletter generally is printed and sent out the last week of each month for the upcoming month. Not to mention it is a great way to share what your club is doing with the other 4-H clubs in the county.

E-Mail To tjeich@uiuc.edu

The 2006 Illinois 4-H Junior Leadership Conference is scheduled for February 18-19, 2006. It promises to be an exciting weekend of fun AND learning - from workshops and outstanding speakers to games and a dance - we have it all! The conference is open to Illinois 4-H members who are currently in 7th or 8th grade. Contact the office for more information. Deadline December 23, 2005

4-H Legislative Connection is tentatively scheduled for March, 2006. Hundreds of 4-H members and Illinois 4-H Ambassadors meet with legislators at the State Capitol each spring. The 4-H Legislative Connection event is scheduled to give 4-H members the chance to display their projects or activities, meet with their state government representatives and learn about the legislative process. The purpose of the event is to educate the lawmakers about the Illinois 4-H program and to give 4-H members a first-hand look at how laws are made. Watch future newsletters for more details.

Illinois 4-H Leadership Convention is tentatively scheduled for June 23-25, 2006 . This special event for high school teens. It includes a weekend of educational workshops and inspiring speakers. Teens from across Illinois gather together to meet new friends, learn skills to take home to their local communities, recognize outstanding 4-H members, and have a great time. This convention is planned by a state committee of teens and is open to all youth in Illinois, ages 14-18 (by September 1 of the year of the event).

High school teens should start planning for an exciting, educational week in Washington, D.C., this summer with the 2006 Citizenship Washington Focus delegation! A bus full of Illinois teens is scheduled to travel to our nation's capitol and surrounding areas July 8-15, 2006. Details are still being finalized with bus companies in an effort to get the best possible rate; therefore we do not have a final registration fee yet. The registration fee will include transportation, lodging, most meals, program costs, dinner theater and more. Cost information, along with the registration packets for delegates (ages 15-18) and adult chaperones will be available at Extension offices by mid-December. Completed applications and the initial registration deposit are due in early spring.

State Fair Jr. Horse Show has been rescheduled for July 11-16, 2006. not confirmed, it is possible that the class registration deadline for the 2006 show will be around June 1 (vs. the previous June 15 deadline).

Also the State 4-H Dog Show 2006 show has been scheduled for Sunday, August 27 in the Exposition Building on state fairgrounds. Entries will be due August 1; Counties with 4-H Dog Shows after that date may request an extension in the entry deadline.

Each 4-H member who attends December 4-H events is encouraged to bring items on the scavenger hunt list with them. Events include:

December 8 - Federation Meeting 7 p.m. Toledo Village Hall followed by Candy Making Workshop

Don't Forget To Bring Items To Your Club Meetings!

Items need to be in the Extension Office by Monday, December 12, 2005. Items should be full size products. Trial size will be worth half of the listed points. The 4-H Club who accumulates the greatest point value will receive a gift to be determined by the 4-H Federation.

Items collected will be delivered to the Neoga and Greenup Food Pantries.

POINTS
Toothpaste 20
Toilet Paper 15
Deodorant 20
Lotion 20
Shampoo 20
Conditioner 20
Toothbrush 15
Tissue 10
Bar of Soap 15
Diapers 30
Baby Wipes 15
Laundry Detergent 20
Dish Soap 10
Canned Meat 15
Boxed Food Items 10 per item
Canned Food Items 10 per item

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN THE OFFICE

Cookbooks for Sale

HEA Cookbooks $10.00

These would be great gift for everyone.

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Official Notice

"The commitment of the University of Illinois to the most fundamental principles of academic freedom, equality of opportunity, and human dignity requires that decisions involving students (clientele) and employees be based on individual merit and be free from invidious discrimination in all its forms.

"It is the policy of the University of Illinois not to engage in discrimination or harassment against any person because of race, color, religion, sex national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, unfavorable discharge from the military, or status as a disabled veteran or a veteran of the Vietnam era, and to comply with all federal and state nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action laws, orders, and regulations. This nondiscrimination policy applies to admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in University programs and activities. Complaints of invidious discrimination prohibited by University policy are to be resolved within existing University procedures." (Revised March 30, 1993)

For additional information or assistance on the equal opportunity, affirmative action, and harassment policies of the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, please contact the Affirmative Action Officer, 123 Mumford Hall, 1301 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801.