Starting with this newsletter, the 4-H Courier will become a bi-monthly newsletter; meaning you will only get one every other month. I don't think this will change things that much, if anything it will make me be more organized and prepared for programs and activities 2 months in advance! Not to worry though, if we do plan a workshop or program and it doesn't make it in the newsletter you will be sent something in the mail.

Check out the whole newsletter because there will be a lot of information regarding the 4-H Fair and upcoming summer programs. You don't want to miss out on anything!

Elaine Evers

Community Worker 4-H & Youth

July 8 – Fashion Review

July 14 – 4-H Horse Show

July 15-17 – 4-H Fair

August 8-17 – Illinois State Fair

August 14 – Jo Daviess County Conference Exhibit Day at State Fair

May

12 – Dog Obedience Classes Begin

6:00 p.m. Pati Wiedel Farm

16 – Federation Work Day @ Elizabeth Fairgrounds 5:00 p.m. – Dark

26 – Office Closed – Memorial Day

June

2 – Federation Elections 7:00 p.m.

Elizabeth Community Building

3 – Auction Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m.

Area Vocational Center, Elizabeth

10 – Primera Foods Corp. Factory Tour

11:00 a.m. Stockton

12 – State to State Informational Meeting

Mt. Carroll Naaman Diehl 7:00 p.m.

17 – State Judging Contests

Champaign

20 – FAIR REGISTRATIONS DUE

21 – Equine Showmanship Clinic

10:00 a.m. Location TBA

July

4 - Office Closed – Independence Day

8 – Fashion Review 5:00 p.m.

Elizabeth Community Building

12 – Carroll County Horse Show Milledgeville

12 – Hippology Testing Date

Extension Office 10 a.m.-Noon

13– Fair & Food Stand Set Up Day

2:00 p.m.

14-17 – 4-H FAIR!!

Premera Foods Corp. Tour

Tuesday, June 10 11:30 a.m. IL Rt 78, Stockton

Federation invites you to come and tour their facility and learn how the eggs get from the farm to your house or restaurant.

RSVP by Thursday, June 5 to the Extension Office then meet at the factory that morning for the tour.

Monday, June 2 at 7:00 p.m.

Elizabeth Community Building

All 4-H'ers ages 14-18 are eligible to apply to be a Federation Officer for the 2008-2009 4-H year. Every year, those that would like to hold an office with Federation must first apply and then be elected.

There are 7 positions open and new members are welcome every year. Those that are currently Federation Officers must re-apply and run for a different office. The applications can be found at the back of this newsletter and are due back to the Extension Office by Friday, May 23^rd.

WE Need Your Help! This year Federation choose to help out the Elizabeth Fair Board by building a loft in the Poultry barn to store the Poultry and Rabbit cages as well as paint some new trash cans. Work will begin at 5:00 and supper will be provided. Please bring your hammers, paint brushes, work gloves and willingness to work. Please call the office and let us know if you plan to attend so we know how many people we need to feed!

On Monday, May 5 14 4-H'ers representing 21^st Century, Pleasant View, Chelsea Busy Bees, Scales Mound 4-H and Top Notchers attended the Federation Meeting. All together these 5 clubs donated over 200 items and $120 to the Safe Haven Humane Society. The staff and volunteers at Safe Haven were so grateful for the generous donations. The results of the club contest are:

Top Notchers – 79 points

Pleasant View – 71 points

Chelsea Busy Bees – 67 points

21^st Century – 30 points

Scales Mound – 24 points

Thank you so much to the 5 clubs that donated supplies and toured the facility.

Congratulations to Laura Dittmar and Lisa Foley for winning the 2008 Federation College Scholarships. We wish you the best of luck next fall at college.

For those of you that ordered the kits provided by Midwest Dairy Company, they will be arriving in the office in the next 2-3 weeks. I will let you know when they get here.

Once again Federation is sponsoring the Club Barn Display contest at the 4-H Fair. If your club would like to participate, please let me know by June 20^th and the Superintendents will be sure to section off the space for you. There is no theme established for the Barn Displays this year, just use your imagination. The awards will be 1^st place - $50, 2^nd - $40, 3^rd - $30 Participation $10.

Members of a California 4-H Club launched the 4-H Million Trees project with the goal to plant 1 million trees across the United States. This club is challenging the 90,000 4-H clubs across the United States to join together and help them by planting a dozen native trees during the next 4-H year.

This project is supported by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Director of Youth Development with the National 4-H Headquarters. If your club would be interested in meeting this challenge go to www.4hmilliontrees.org to register your club and your pledge. The Arbor Day Foundation is offering 4-H clubs 12 small trees, delivered, with a $12 annual membership to help the clubs achieve this goal.

Jr. Jr. Livestock – Out of 550

Nick Girot – 388

Devin Koester - 341

Jr. Livestock Individual – Out of 550

1. Logan Smith – 487
2. Kelley Koester – 481
3. Corey Wachter – 470
4. Kourtney Speer – 464
5. Jordan McLane – 456
6. Neil Girot – 455
7. Shannon Speer – 451
8. Kyle Hubb – 450
9. Austin Wachter – 449
10. Sam Eden – 447
11. Val Girot – 442
12. Codie Geisz – 441
13. Ryan McLane – 421
14. Morgan Smith – 341

Jr. Livestock Team – Out of 1650

1. Top Notchers #1 – 1432
2. Top Notchers #2 – 1362
3. Shooting Stars – 1318
4. Chelsea Busy Bees – 897

Sr. Livestock – Individual – Out of 550

Allison McLane – 472

Jr. Jr. Dairy – Out of 400

Nicholas Girot – 268

Devon Koester – 251

Jr. Dairy Individual – Out of 400

1. Kourtney Speer – 336
2. Brian Holland – 334
3. Ryan McLane – 334
4. Austin Wachter – 332
5. Tim Holland – 331
6. Codie Geisz – 330
7. Corey Wachter – 325
8. Alan Myelle – 321
9. Kyle Hubb – 321
10. Shannon Speer – 319
11. Logan Smith – 312
12. Kelley Koester – 311
13. Pat Holland – 307
14. Morgan Smith – 298
15. Jordan McLane – 290
16. Ryan Tracey – 283

Jr. Dairy Teams – Out of 1200

1. Top Notchers #1 – 980
2. Top Notchers #2 – 974
3. 21^st Century – 972
4. Shooting Stars – 945

Sr. Dairy Individual – Out of 400

1. Allison McLane – 338
2. Val Girot – 325
3. Neil Girot – 314
4. Elizabeth Myelle - 314

Tuesday, June 3^rd 7:00 p.m.

Area Vocational Center, Elizabeth

If you are planning on selling animals at the 2008 4-H Fair Auction you need to attend this meeting. Some of the items on the agenda will be details to plan the auction and mailing letters to buyers. If you cannot attend, contact Auction Secretary/Treasurer Sue Meusel at 815-845-2360

Remember: It is not too early for you to personally contact your prospective buyers to invite them to the sale.

Congratulations to Ellen & Peter Bonvillain, Emily Curtiss and Katie Kruger for representing Jo Daviess County at the State Horse Bowl Contest. You worked hard to earn a spot at the State Contest. A big thank you to Elaine Elliott for coaching the team and the other volunteers that traveled down with them.

Tuesday, June 17

Several judging events will be taking place at the state level on Tuesday, June 17 at the University of Illinois Campus in Urbana/Champaign. These judging events are open to all 4-H'ers interested in participating as a team or individual.

Contests are available in the following areas:

Dairy Judging

Livestock Judging

Poultry Judging

Horticulture Judging

Rocket Launch

Horse Judging

Electricity Skill-A-Thon

Other opportunities that take place on a different day are:

June 14 – Meats Judging

June 28 – Forestry Judging

Saturday, June 21 10:00a.m.

Mark your calendars for this date. More details and a flyer will be coming in the mail soon.

7:00 p.m.

Mt. Carroll Naaman Diehl

In June of 2009, 15 4-H'ers from Washington and Phillips County Colorado will be traveling here to Illinois to meet all the 4-H'ers in Jo Daviess and Carroll County.

We are looking for 15 4-H'ers from our counties to host these Colorado 4-H'ers while they are here and then in 2010 travel to Colorado and see those same 4-H'ers.

For those that are interested in this program and want more information, come to a meeting in Mt. Carroll on Thursday, June 12^th. The meeting will cover more of the details. You must be 14 by June 1, 2009 to participate.

This new 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.

The event is only open to 4-H members who are 14 as of 1/1/08. Delegates from this event will be selected to advance to the 2008 National 4-H Engineering Competition. For more information or registration materials contact the office or on the internet at http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/events/event051.html

Congratulations Codie Giesz of Top Notchers for submitting the winning cover design. The theme for the 2008 Fair Book will be "Light The Way to the Jo Daviess County 4-H Fair"

Sunday, July 13 2:00 p.m.

All 4-H'ers, Federation members, leaders and Superintendents' help is needed to set up the Community Building for the Fair and Food Stand. More hands makes light work

Please be sure to turn in your postcards by May 31^st to let me know if you will be able to help this year or not. Thank you to those that have turned in your postcards already.

Attention all 4-H'ers. Do you need leadership opportunities in your project areas? Sign up to be a Jr. Superintendent at the fair and help with keeping the books, assigning the ribbons and arranging the projects. Jr. Superintendents are needed in all general project and animals areas.

Every year for the Fashion Revue class of the Clothing Judging, a committee of 4-H'ers plans the decorations and theme for the Fashion Revue.

We are looking for volunteers to select the theme and decorate. Please call the office or let me know if you are interested in this leadership opportunity.

The BBQ tickets are ready for you all the begin selling! Be sure to be at your next club meeting to pick them up and begin selling them to your family and friends.

Tickets sales have been declining in the past few years meaning Federation has not made as large a profit. Remember the profit from the BBQ goes to help pay for the fun activities and scholarships that Federation offers to all 4-H'ers every year such as:

• Lock-In
• Ski Trip
• College Scholarships
• Public Presentation Savings Bonds
• Window Display Contest
• Barn Display Contest
• Conference Scholarships
• Other programs, parties and contests

Available after May 10^th

NEW THIS YEAR! You can choose to not get a paper copy of the 4-H Fair Book instead download the pages you need from our County website! It is fast & easy. Just go to our county website at web.extension.uiuc.edu/jdc/4hyouth-jodaviess.html and click on the link to the 4-H Fair Book. Call or e-mail me ASAP to let me know if you do not want a copy of the 2008 Fair Book.