Fall is here and the new 4-H year is underway. 4-H Clubs will be receiving information at the Achievement program on Sunday, November 4, to start enrollment, have records returned, etc. If you turned in your 4-H records and do not receive them back at your next 4-H meeting, please contact the Extension Office soon. Don't wait until time to turn in records next September. In this year's items for 4-H members, we have put together a 3-ring binder with records included. This will provide a place to keep all records together. 4-H leaders will have additional copies if more are needed or you can contact the Extension office as well. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU USE CURRENT 4-H FORMS. Another reminder is for the 4-H member to do the records in their own handwriting. It's great for parents/leaders to help, but the records should be done by the 4-H member and be done in as neat of handwriting as possible. If you make mistakes and have to mark out or make corrections, remember to do it neatly. If you find that you have too many corrections, you can always get a new form and re-copy it. One suggestion might be to keep the records throughout the year on one copy and then re-copy it at the end of the year so that it is neatly presented.

Why do I need to do records, you might ask? As adults can tell you, life is all about keeping records. You have to keep a record of checks that you write do you don't have overdrafts. You have to keep records of income and expenses for tax reporting purposes. Medical records can prove helpful to maintain health. In doing homework for school you are in a sense keeping records because as many may know, if homework isn't kept track of, the grades reflect that lack of responsibility in doing or turning in your homework. Keeping track of 4-H expenses and income and recording that information provides beginning training for something that has to be done your entire life. So just remember that it's not a matter of something that is being forced on you to be mean, but to train and educate you for your future.

November 8, 2007

Toledo Village Hall 7:00 p.m.

Meetings are generally held the 2nd Thursday of each month at the Toledo Village Hall.

Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to see many of you on Sunday afternoon at the Lillyville Parrish Hall for the 2007 4-H Achievement Day program. Please come and celebrate the accomplishments of both individuals and 4-H clubs.

The recently elected 4-H Federation officers will be installed and Cumberland County 4-H will be off to the opportunities of the 2008 4-H year.

I recently spoke with Tonya Eich, former Community Worker, and she tells me that she is doing well and enjoying the challenges of teaching Vocational Agriculture at the Shiloh High School near Hume Illinois.

Ryan Staley, a former Crawford County native and completion 4-H member, will be joining our extension staff here in Cumberland County on November 12^th. Ryan and his wife Jennifer, agriculture teacher at the Windsor High School, currently live near Sullivan Illinois. I hope all offer a friendly Cumberland County welcome to Ryan when the opportunity avails itself.

Another bit of news is that a new 4-H club has been established here in Cumberland County. The "Boots & Saddles" 4-H club will meet at the "Reininlane Ranch" located just northeast of the "seven mile" curve. Further information may be found elsewhere in this newsletter.

Sincerely,

Don O. Frederick, County Director

The Illinois 4-H Foundation offers 4-H clubs small grants for community project expenses. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., provides funds in support of 4-H Community Improvement projects. COUNTRY Insurance & Financial Services supports the 4-H Community Health Improvement projects.

Grants will be funded in the amount of $50-$250 per club for the 4-H Community Improvement projects. While individual clubs may apply and be considered in both categories, they can only be awarded funds in one of the two granting categories.

If your club is interested in either of these grants, please contact the Extension Office for more information and applications. All proposals are due to the State 4-H Office by January 4, 2008. Therefore, we will need applications returned to the Extension Office no later than January 2, 2008.

The Illinois Farm Bureau is offering an award for 4-H members who are at least 17 by December 1, but have not reached their 19th birthday by September 1, of the year the application is submitted. Two applicants per county can be selected for state competition. Any 4-H member can apply, but the program is designed to recognize and promote achievement in the agricultural industry. Applicants who are selected at their county level will receive the LCP Award. Those with the highest cumulative point total will be awarded the State 4-H Premier LCP Award presented at the Illinois 4-H Leadership Convention. The final award is the opportunity to attend the Illinois Farm Bureau & Affiliates two-day Premier 20 Leadership Conference (April 23-25). Applications are due by December 15, 2007. For more information or an application, please contact the Extension Office.

Mark your calendar now! 4-H'ers from across Illinois are invited to converge in Springfield to debate bills and learn about the legislative process. The Great 4-H Debate is for all high school age U of I Extension 4-H youth development program participants who are interested in learning about how Illinois state government works.

During the two-day event, youth will:

• meet and work with state legislators and lobbyists
• experience the passage of bills through the legislative system
• have the opportunity to debate, amend and vote on bills while sitting in the chambers of the Illinois House of Representatives

Besides all the work, participants will meet new friends from across the state of Illinois and have fun at the dance Friday night.

Details for the conference are being finalized now and registration materials will be available at your local Extension Office by November 26. Registration fee for the conference will be between $60-$75. This conference is open to youth in the East Central, West Central and Southern Extension regions.

For more information about the conference and to register, contact your local Extension office.

If horses are your thing (or even if you would just like to be in a club that does a lot of horse-related stuff); check out the new group coming to Cumberland County. Western, English, or Draft, it doesn't matter. The Cumberland Boots 'N' Saddles will be horsemanship oriented (but is open to 4-H'ers with other interests besides horses). You don't have to own a horse, or be interested in showing a horse. The focus of this club is learning, good sportsmanship, teamwork, and safety, with great emphasis on project completion and the development of strong youth leadership through 4-H principles (and having fun with horse related activities). If you are looking for great educational and recreational opportunities, please check us out.

For more information, call Kandi Lane at 217/849-5233 or Jennifer Ronna at 217/345-0479.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, November 17th at 6:00 p.m. at the Reininlane Ranch.

If you need thank you notes or need help write a note please come by the Extension office we will be GLAD to help you.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, December 1, 1:00 p.m.

We will be holding a candy making workshop and craft day on Saturday, December 1 for all interested 4-H members and/or parents. Invite a friend, grandma, grandpa, or other guest. This event will take place at the Calvary Tabernacle Church on South Missouri Street in Toledo.

There is no charge for the workshop, but we need to know how many supplies to purchase.

Call the Extension Office by Monday, November 26 to register.

Congratulations to Bethany Deters of the Springpoint Rebels. Bethany was the grand prize winner in the Effingham Equity "Agriculture–Farm Life is the Best" photo contest for 2007. Bethany received $100 and also received $100 for her 4-H club.

Contest rules for 2008 have already been sent to the Extension Office. We will include more details in future newsletters, but if you want to get started on photos for next year's contest, call the office and we can send the rules out to you.

We are going to fill military boxes again this year. We are needing current address of soldiers that are serving over seas from Cumberland County. We will be putting the boxes together on November 8 after the 4-H Federation Meeting. Non-perishable items are needed to include in the boxes. Please have the addresses to the Extension Office by November 7 so we can get boxes and address labels made.

Each 4-H member who attends one of the November or December 4-H events is encouraged to bring items on the scavenger hunt list with them.

Events include:

• November 8 - Federation Meeting 7 p.m. Toledo Village Hall
• December 13 - Federation Meeting 7 p.m. Toledo Village Hall , Military Boxes

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

Items need to be in the Extension Office by Friday, December 14, 2007. 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
Feminine Products 15
Boxed Food Items 10 per item
Canned Food Items 10 per item

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 them if you wish to cmoses@uiuc.edu

At October/November club meetings, leaders will be handing out 2007-2008 enrollment forms for you and your parents to complete and sign. If you were enrolled last year, you will receive a form with your information pre-printed on it. You and your parents should check it for accurate information. Don't forget to check "yes" or "no" for the photo release authorization for news media. Return your enrollment forms promptly to your club leader.

Project enrollment sheets and the 2007-2008 Illinois Clovers will also be handed out. Turn in the project enrollment sheet with your member enrollment form. The Illinois Clover has all the projects you can sign up for and gives ideas for things you can do with the project. Check out the projects just waiting for you to explore.

Check out the new projects.

You can see all of the new projects on your enrollment sheets there will a * by the title. If you have questions, please ask you leaders or call the Extension Office.

Kits available this year are:

• Africa
• Brazil (Mini)
• Great Britain (Mini)
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Turkey

If your club is interested in using any or all of these culture kits, please contact the Extension Office at 217/849-3931.

Christmas Trees
Christmas Tree Walks at the Sumpter Township Library (849-2072) (Dec. 6-20 can be put up after November 16) and Greenup Public Library( 923-3616) (all of December and can be put up anytime in November) will take place again this year. Clubs are encouraged to decorate trees for the contest displays. The Sumpter Township Library has a few tree that clubs can use, or you can use your own. Both displays are open to the public for viewing. The public votes with monetary donations for the top displays and the money generated helps fund the library facilities. Prizes are awarded to the top displays. Clubs may contact the libraries for more information.

Nursing Home Doors
Christmas Door Decorating Contest at the Cumberland Nursing Center in Greenup sponsored by the Greenup Nursing Center Ladies Auxiliary Club. The Auxiliary will award $25 to the first place door, $15 for second place, and $10 for third place. Any club wishing to decorate a door should contact Cumberland Nursing Home at 217-923-3186. It is suggested that ideally the doors be decorated the end of November 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. If the doors cannot be decorated the end of November, they should be decorated as soon as possible (first week of December) but doors can be decorated anytime before the 16th of December. Doors will be judged around the 21st.

Military Boxes
Last year , the Federation participated in a Military Box project. This year we are going to do it again. What we want to do is support our military men and women from our area. It has been suggested we send our area service personnel items of need. Please feel free to suggest names of someone you know that is currently serving our country. Also, the soldiers have said they really enjoy receiving letters, so please take the time to write a letter to be enclosed with whatever we decide to send. It is always nice to be able to add a little sunshine to someone's day.

Here is a web site that you can go to get ideas for what to send. http://www.operationmilitarypride.org/packages.html

Candy/Craft Workshop
Come and learn some new recipes to take to your next Christmas party. These will be easy recipes that any one can do. The best thing is that you get to eat them when you are done making them!!!!!. The date will be Saturday, December 1, 1:00 p.m. at the Calvary Tabernacle Church in Toledo.

We are continuing our community service this year in making blankets for Project Linus. We will be setting up a workshop date to meet with a Member of Project Linus and they are going to help us make blankets and collect them. Please look in your December newsletter for the workshop date. Below you can see what a Blanketeer is.

Be a Blanketeer -- How You Can Help

• It's easy to help Project Linus. Simply make a blanket and donate it to your local chapter of Project Linus. Your blanket will be given to a child in need.
• Our volunteers, known as "blanketeers," provide new, handmade, washable blankets to be given as gifts to seriously ill and traumatized children, ages 0-18. It is Project Linus' policy to accept blankets of all sizes, depending on the needs of the local chapters. All styles of blankets are welcome, including quilts, tied com forters, fleece blankets, crocheted or knitted afghans, and receiving blankets in child-friendly colors.

If you have any questions please contact Tonya at the Extension Office.

Mark your calendar for Sunday, January 20, 5-7 p.m. We have reserved the Silver Star Skate Center along with the Coles County 4-H Members. More details will be provided at a later date.