PREMIUM CHECKS

Please distribute your members' checks to them as soon as you can. Tell your Club members to cash their checks soon. Each year we void out several checks that are not cashed.

CLUB INFORMATION

Please complete the enclosed Club Information Sheet and return it to me by December 1^st. If you want an electronic copy that you can complete and e-mail back to me, jus let me know and I'll e-mail you a copy. Again, please complete and return to me by December 1^st, 2008.

CLUB RESOURCES

We have Secretary Books, Treasurer Books, and Flag sets available to any 4-H Club that needs them. Just let me know what you need.

PERMANENT RECORD BOOKS & FOLDERS

If you have a 4-H member that needs a Permanent Record Book, contact the me and I'll get you copies of the book. These are used by 4-H members to keep track of what they have done, what they have accomplished, and what they have earned during their 4-H career. I also have green 4-H folders provided by the state 4-H Foundation available to 4-H members. Again, just let me know how many your Club needs.

ENROLLMENT SHEETS & CLOVERS

Beginning this 4-H year, we will be charging for the actual cost for 4-H manuals/books that are ordered. We will bill the 4-H Clubs whose members' order books. It will then be up to your 4-H Club to either just pay for the books or collect the money from the 4-H member who ordered the books. To make sure Club leaders are aware of what books have been ordered, leaders must sign the project selection sheet for each member. If a member brings his project selection form to the office and it is not signed by the Club leader, we will not accept the form.

Enrollment Sheets and Project Selection Sheets are now available from the Extension Office. They are also available at our website. We also have Clovers available. Stop by the Extension Office and pick up enrollment and Clovers for your 4-H Club members.

On some of the earlier 4-H Enrollment Sheets, Cake Decorating was omitted from the list of projects. If a Club member would like to enroll in Cake Decorating, just write "Cake Decorating 1" or "Cake Decorating 2" under the Visual Arts Classes. Remember, Cake Decorating 1 is for 4-H Members who are aged 12 and under while Cake Decorating 2 is for 4-H Members who are 13 years old and older. Cake Decorating is a County Project, so there are not any 4-H project manuals available.

BUILD CHARACTER

A new resource for Illinois 4-H leaders is available on the Illinois 4-H web site. It is a new Helping You Help Youth fact sheet titled "Build Character." This fact sheet helps to define character building and why it is important. It also includes practical tips on how to include character building in your club/group and lists a variety of character building 4-H projects that a club/group may wish to enroll in for the 2008-09 4-H year. The fact sheet may be downloaded atwww.4-h.uiuc.edu/opps/L90501p.pdf.