Are you excited about 4-H? I sure am, because March 3-8 is Cumberland County 4-H Week! This year we have planned activities for everyone to enjoy. Look inside this newsletter for reminder dates and times. The window display will be judged on Monday and the results will be given during the dance at The Stockyards in Greenup on Monday evening. Be sure to take part in all of the activities, and lets have FUN! And good luck to each of the royalty candidates.

I want to thank those that helped with the beef weigh-in. The weather cooperated and we weighed in 15 steers and 1 heifer.

We are working hard on getting the fair books done. Those should be done and passed out at your club's March meetings. Remember, only one copy per family is provided at no charge. Please keep these books for your knowledge and for future reference.

Be sure to pay attention to the dates in this newsletter. There are several things coming up, so be sure and get the dates down so you won't miss out! If you have any questions or concerns, please call the Extension Office.

Theme: "4-H, We See, We Hear, We Speak"

Saturday, March 1
Window Display Assembling Day

Sunday, March 2
Movie Night 6:30 PM, Kristin & Houston Moses'

Monday, March 3
Window Judging
6:30 PM Dance at the Stockyards in Greenup

Tuesday, March 4
Tell your friends about 4-H day. (Pass out stickers)

Wednesday, March 5
Send your club leader a "Thank you" note for their hard work.

Thursday, March 6
7:00 PM Federation Meeting at the Extension Office

Friday, March 7
Wear your 4-H Apparel to School Day!

Saturday, March 8
6:30 PM Leaders' Banquet at Town & Country in Neoga

Be sure to tune into 101.3 WMCI to listen to Cumberland County's 4-H Federation Officers during 4-H Week!

March 1
Lance Moses - Cumberland County Clovers

March 2
Matthew White - Hurricane Hustlers

March 3
Dalton Grissom - Cumberland County Clovers
Cynthia Stephens - Springpoint Rebels Cloverbud Leader

March 6
Alex Holkenbrink - Springpoint Rebels

March 8
Kristin Moses - Hurricane Hustlers

March 12
Corinne Swingler - Springpoint Rebels Leader

March 27
Brittany Deters - Roslyn Rangers
Justin Deters - Roslyn Rangers

Send in information about your club's activities and happenings!

When: Saturday, April 12, 2008 8:00-10:00 AM

Where: Cumberland County Fairgrounds

PREMISE ID'S MUST BE PRESENTED AT THE WEIGH-IN!

It can certainly be a challenge in today's fast-paced world to eat together as a family. Research has made it clear that eating together as a family has many benefits. Consider the following:

• Meals cooked at home generally are more nutritious than those bought ready-made or when eating out. Families who eat together have been found to eat more nutritiously, and children learn to make healthier food choices.
• Mealtime provides a great time for families to listen to one another, talk about their day and reconnect with each other. A feeling of support and connection to one another is made available.
• Mealtime is a great occasion to create family traditions. Eating provides an optimal time to engage all of the senses and build unforgettable memories.
• Mealtime provides an opportunity to teach our children important life skills like learning the five food groups, passing down recipes, setting a table and cleaning up afterwards.
• Eating together regularly helps children feel more positive about themselves and their family. Teens have been found to do better in school, have stronger relationships with peers and are less likely to smoke, use drugs or alcohol or become depressed.

Consider these ideas to strengthen family mealtime:

• Make and keep family meals a priority for your family. Establish family meal times, whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner–at least five times a week.
• Keep it a positive time where you enjoy each other. Avoid dealing with family conflicts or issues that will turn into complaining and fault-finding.
• Ban distractions like TV and phone calls. Consider putting on music that still allows easy communication and listening to one another.
• Look for ways to involve everyone–from planning the menus and shopping for ingredients to preparing the meal and cleaning the kitchen.

The earlier you start making family mealtime a priority, the earlier your family will reap the benefits and know that this is a habit they will not want to break.

- Patti Faughn, Extension Family Life Educator

March 6, 2008 7:00 p.m. at the Extension Office

We will be celebrating 4-H Week! If you have never been to a meeting, come see what the Cumberland County Federation has to offer!! You won't be disappointed!

February 2008 Secretary's Notes
On Thursday, February 7, 2008 the monthly meeting was held. The meeting was called to order with Presley Hatfill starting the American Pledge and Melissa Koester the 4-H Pledge. Roll call was taken with 9 members present and 4 adults. The Secretary's Report was read and approved by Lance Moses and Jason Koester. The treasurer's Report was given by the treasurer. It was approved by Jason Koester and Melissa Koester. Old Business was opened. Reviewed were the federation trip, the constitution, 4-H week, and county line signs. Old business was closed with motions made by Jodi Koester and Houston Moses respectively. New business was opened. Up for discussion was 4-H week dates and times, 4-H BBQ, Project Workshops, and Club Visits in March. New business was closed with motions made by Michelle Niebrugge and James Cox. The meeting was adjourned with motions from Presley Hatfill and Lance Moses. We decorated cards for the nursing homes in the area as our recreation. The next meeting is scheduled for March 6 at 7p.m. at the Extension Office.

- Michelle Niebrugge, Secretary

Youth Pork Quality Assurance demonstrates the dedication of America's youth pork producers to assuring consumers that they are purchasing pork that is safe, of high quality and produced in a responsible manner. All youth Exhibiting swine at the county and state fair are required to participate in the National Pork Council's Youth PQA Plus Program.

Youth must be certified by July 1, 2008 to exhibit at the fairs.

The PQA ID is required on entry forms.

We have set two dates-one will be "testing only" and the other will be an educational class. Training will be as follows:

• April 15, 2008 Testing Only Meeting for Ages 12-18
• April 17, 2008 Educational Classes for Ages 8-11 or older youth who do not want to take the test out option.

These meetings will be held at the Extension Office in Toledo. They will both begin at 6:30 p.m. Watch the mail if you are one of these individuals!

Monday, March 10, 2008
Clark County Extension Office, Marshall, IL

If you are interested in learning more about raising and showing poultry and rabbits, this will be the workshop for you to attend! Mark Jacobs of Tuscola, a Rabbit and Poultry Judge ill be leading these informative hands-on workshops.

You may attend one or both of these sessions.

Poultry Workshop 6:00 p.m.to 7:30 p.m.
Rabbit Workshop 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

There is no charge for the workshops. Please pre-register by calling the Clark County Extension Office at 826-5422 by March 7!

When: Saturday, April 12, 2008 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Where: Cumberland County Fairgrounds

PREMISE ID'S MUST BE PRESENTED AT THE WEIGH-IN

To be nominated to show at the Illinois State Fair you MUST have your sheep electronically tagged at a designated site throughout the state. Coles County will be offering this weigh-in in our area on May 3, 2008 from 10:30 a.m. - Noon at the Coles County Fairgrounds There are other sites available if you can not make it to Coles County. The cost is $2.00 per EID tag, which must be paid on the weigh-in day. Please call the Extension office with any questions or if you need more information about other weigh-in sites.

The Illinois 4-H Leadership Convention is now the Illini Summer Academies!

Come explore college programs and career opportunities with University staff, professors and graduate students in the areas of:

• Leadership
• Aerospace Engineering
• Horticulture
• Applied Health Sciences
• Veterinary Medicine

The Illini Summer Academies are open to Illinois high school students ages 14-18 by September 1, 2008.

Some Academies have additional age restrictions.

June 26–28, 2008
University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana

For more information & to register, visit: http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/events/annual004.html
Academies will fill on a first-come, first-served basis.
Space is limited!!

Registration will close when an Academy is filled or May 23, whichever occurs first.

There are scholarships available to attend this awesome experience! If you are interested, please call the Extension Office at 849-3931 to get your registration form!

4-H Window Display Contest:
4-H Windows will be judged Monday March 3. The following clubs plan to have window displays at the following locations:

Cumberland County Clovers–Gentry Small Engines, Toledo
Hurricane Hustlers – D & M Hardware Building, Greenup
Liberty Hill Rangers – Greenup American Legion, Greenup
Roslyn Rangers–Sav-Mor Pharmacy, Neoga
Springpoint Rebels–Linda Wolke Florals, Sigel
Work & Play–Sav-Mor Pharmacy, Neoga

4-H Movie Night
We are once again having a movie night! This will be at Kristin & Houston Moses' house at 6:30 p.m. We will be watching "Wild Hogs". If you plan to attend, please bring snacks. Drinks will be provided.

4-H Dance
This years Dance will again be held at The Stockyards in Greenup, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The 4-H Royalty will be announced during the dance as well. Clubs are encouraged to bring snack foods such as chips, brownies, veggie tray, etc. Each club is responsible for determining snack options. The drinks will be provided.

Royalty Candidates

King
Houston Moses
Derek Walk
Lance Moses
Tyler Stephens
James Cox

Queen
Valerie Marti
Paige Hatfill
Megan Woolever
Olivia Deters
Dani Will

Prince
Cody Hornbeck
TJ Thomas
Michael Baker
Dalton Grissom
Ty Swingler

Princess
Nicole Thomas
Lacey Hornbeck
Becky Walk
Presley Hatfill
Tara Stephens

Leaders' Banquet
Invitations have been sent out for the Annual Leaders' Banquet. Leaders and Jr. Leaders are encouraged to attend this evening to recognize the volunteers that are important to the Cumberland County 4-H Program.

4-H members requiring QA &EC will have the opportunity to complete it on the web. The website allows exhibitors to move easily between six different modules and will not require downloading software. The web certification is the only approved method for 2008 and future years as approved by the Illinois State Fair Jr. Livestock Advisory Committee. 4-H'ers are required to only take the training once for the State Fair. You must complete this if you are showing beef, dairy, horses, sheep, swine, goats, poultry, cats and dogs!

Not only is this a requirement for the State Fair but also for the Cumberland County Fair. The website is http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/qaec/. It will be available until June 9, 2008 for horses and July 1, 2008 for beef, dairy, sheep, swine, goats and poultry. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 217-849-3931.

Camp will be held on June 8-12 at the 4-H Memorial Camp in Monticello, IL. The camp offers a quality summer camp experience. It is open to all youth ages 8-16 years. You will be able to meet new friends and enjoy programs that everyone is sure to enjoy! If you need a registration form, please call the Extension Office at 849-3931.

All forms must be completed and turned in by May 16, 2008.
However, be sure to turn in your forms quickly as spots are filling up fast!!

Log onto the 4-H Memorial Camp website at http://4hmemorialcamp.extension.uiuc.edu for more information about this exciting camp!

Don't forget to be registering for your Premise Identification Number! This is required to show at the county and state fairs. You may apply online or by mail.

Animals that must have them are beef, sheep, swine, rabbits, poultry, dairy, goats and horses! You may apply for your Premise ID online at http://www.agr.state.il.us/premiseid/

Please contact the Extension Office with any questions you might have.

Are you a new to 4-H camp? Would you rather try a shorter version of the week long program? If so, try the 4-H Mini Camp program especially designed for youth ages 8-12 years. Campers will arrive June 4 at 2:00 p.m. and depart on June 6 at 6:00 p.m. For more information log onto the 4-H Memorial Camp website at http://4hmemorialcamp.extension.uiuc.edu or call the Extension Office at 849-3931.

There will be a meeting for all dog exhibitors at the home of Nancy Moses on Saturday, March 15, 9:00 a.m.

Participants will discuss dog obedience and techniques needed for showing your dog. Bring your project books and your dog for the clinic.

This event is designed to provide 4-H members enrolled in the 4-H electricity project an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of electricity; efficient use of electricity; care, maintenance, and safety of electrical equipment; and electrical tools found on the farm and in the home. The skill-a-thon will cover information contained in the 4-H Electricity project manuals. 4-H members who are 14 years of age as of 1-1-2008 are eligible to participate. This event will be held on June 17, 2008. Delegates will be selected at this event for the 2008 National 4-H Engineering Competition. For more information contact the Extension Office.

ATTENTION CARDINAL FANS!! We finally have the date for this years 4-H Day with the Cardinals celebration! The exciting day in St. Louis is set for Saturday May 17, 2008. The registration form and schedule is included in this newsletter. The forms need to be postmarked by April 7, 2008.

Don't miss out because this is sure to be a great day for the CARDINALS!

They will be playing the Tampa Bay Rays with the game starting at 12:10 PM.

If you have any questions or need more information please contact Ryan at the Extension Office at 849-3931 or rstaley@uiuc.edu.

There will be 3 different project parties planned this year! Each site will have two sessions on different 4-H projects that can be taken in Cumberland County. PLEASE mark your calendars for these now to make sure that you will be able to attend! We will be working on projects that can be shown at the Miscellaneous Show!! These will be for youth of all ages! There is only a $3.00 fee for each site.

Site #1
Saturday April 5, 2008
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Cake Decorating & Photography
Calvary Tabernacle Church in Toledo
Register by March 31, 2008

Site #2
April 26, 2008
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
GPS with Cache & Electricity
Lillyville Church Hall
Register by April 21, 2008

Site #3
May 10, 2008
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Visual Arts & Natural Resources
Neoga Municipal Building
Register by May 5, 2008

Please call the Extension Office to register for each of these Project Parties!

April 8, 2008

The annual Illinois 4-H Legislative Connection XII event will be held at the State Capitol Complex in Springfield on April 8th. This exhibition showcases the exceptional 4-H project accomplishments of a select group of talented 4-H members from across the state. Everyone will participate in several educational workshops, tour historic points of interest in Springfield, visit with your legislators, take part in photo sessions, and be part of an exciting salute to Illinois 4-H.

Who will attend? Invitations have been sent out for the Legislative Connection to all Illinois State Fair Superior Award winning exhibitors who have not previously attended the event.

If you are someone that has received this invitation, I recommend attending and enjoying the day at the State Capitol. If you are worried about transportation to Springfield, call the Extension Office and we can work out a travel plan. If you have any questions, please contact Ryan at the Office.

If you are a college bound High School Senior and you are going to pursue a career in agriculture, Farm Credit Service of Illinois has just the thing for you! They are offering a "We Understand" scholarship that is worth $750.

Applications are available online at www.usfarmcredit.com/AboutUs/CEILWelcomePage.asp. Applications and information is also available at the Extension Office. The deadline for applying is March 31, 2008.

This event will be held on
Friday March 7, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 8, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

If you are interested or might be thinking about attending the University of Illinois this is for you! This will be held at the U of I College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Department. For more information log on to www.aces.uiuc.edu/ExplorACES

This is a new section to the newsletter to spotlight one of our Federation Members. Each one will be randomly selected and interviewed each month. So keep watching the newsletter to see if a representative from your club is the lucky one!

HOUSTON MOSES

Houston is a member of the Hurricane Hustlers 4-H club and has been involved in the 4-H program for 8 years. He is also a Junior at Cumberland High School. When you see him at the fair he will be exhibiting swine, poultry and beef projects. He is also a member of the Federation and is currently holding the office Treasurer. Not only is Houston very active in 4-H but he manages to find time to be in the Cumberland High School FFA and the Archery Club. All of the offices he has held in both clubs are President, Treasurer, Recreation and Sentinel.

During the summer Houston works on a farm. He is very passionate about agriculture and everything that it has to offer. He is planning on attending Southern Illinois University after he graduates from CHS. When asked Houston says that his dream job is to be a Hunting Guide.

Some of his hobbies include hunting and fishing. He also likes to eat at the "Texas Roadhouse" and enjoy a good steak. Houston was asked "If you had all the money in the world, what would you do with it?" and he said that he would buy a lot of land.

We are very proud of Houston and his dedication to his school and the clubs that he represents. The 4-H program creates leadership and citizenship and Houston uses these skills in his quest for achievement.

Next Month's Spotlight: Jodi Koester

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