Dear 4-H Families:

It just doesn't seem possible that another 4-H year is complete and a new 4-H year has started. We would like to thank all of our 4-H members, leaders, volunteers, and families for a great year. We hope the coming year is educational and fun for everyone!

The newsletter is intended to be a resource and communication tool for 4‑H families and volunteers. We will compile a newsletter quarterly this year (fall, winter, spring & summer). We certainly don't ask that you read the entire newsletter from cover to cover. However, we do ask that you skim the article titles and read those that pertain to you, your 4-H club or projects. If you or your 4-H club have items you would like included in the 4-H newsletter, please contact the Extension Office. We can't list items for sale or endorse something but we can always include informational articles from 4‑H members or clubs.

In this era of cutting expenses, Extension is trying to do more of that. Thus, this will be the last hard copy of the 4-H newsletter you will receive. With the Winter 2009 issue, the newsletter will only be available online at our website. If you do not have computer access, please let us know. Otherwise, please make sure to include your email address on the enrollment forms once you receive them or drop us an email with the email address you would like us to use for this communication.

As many of you know, the past two years have been difficult ones for Extension programs across the state. Funding and staffing have been uncertain. Please be patient and understanding when the need for change arises – we will do our best to keep things on an even keel and as they have been in the past, however that may not always be possible with less dollars and staff. We know we are not alone in this challenge … it's been that way for many of you as well.

As always, if you have questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Deanna K. Roby, Unit Educator, 4-H Youth Development

Doris Braddock, Community Worker, 4-H Youth Development

For our last newsletter, the winners of the prizes were Paul Braddock and Dave Klussendorf! They were eligible to choose a prize from the 4-H prize vault. Thanks to everyone who called in! We appreciate the participation in this contest during the past 4-H year.

In June, several Kane County 4-H'ers participated in the State 4-H Judging Contests held in Champaign‑Urbana on the University of Illinois campus. Matt Drendel participated in the dairy quiz bowl and earned a spot on the 2009 Illinois team; Chayna DeNicolo participated in the horse judging contest and placed 7^th in the reasons portion of the event; and, Carolyn Gehrke participated in the horticulture speaking and demonstration contest, placed 2^nd and will be a delegate to the national competition. Congrats to everyone and thank you for representing Kane County!

Seven college-bound Illinois 4-H members were recognized as 4-H Legacy of Leadership Scholars during the annual 4-H Family Event at the Illinois State Fair on Saturday, August 15. The statewide scholarship program is coordinated by the Illinois 4-H Foundation and the University of Illinois Extension State 4-H Office. The 4-H Legacy of Leadership Scholars each received a $1,000 college scholarship. From Kane County, Carolyn Gehrke received one of the seven scholarships. She is a 10‑year member of the Westdel 4-H Club and she has a long list of 4-H accomplishments and leadership roles. Carolyn is continuing to work on obtaining an associate's degree in arts and science at Elgin Community College. Carolyn's scholarship donor is Dorsey Dee Murray of St. Charles, IL. Congratulations Carolyn!

Here in Kane County, we have a pretty special group of volunteers. One of our volunteers was recognized during the Illinois State Fair for his accomplishments as a 4-H volunteer.

Nick Hankes has been a long time volunteer and supporter of 4-H and Extension programming in Kane County. He is a 4-H alumni, parent, and 35-year volunteer. Nick currently serves as chair of the county Extension Council; a 4-H Foundation board member; a Blue Ribbon Sale Committee member; president of the 4-H Fair Committee; and a fair superintendent. He has been instrumental in securing funding and continued programming with the Kane County Board and other governmental officials. Nick is very deserving of this recognition and we greatly appreciate his active involvement and support of 4-H and Extension programming in Kane County.

Congratulations to the following 4-H members who were selected to represent Kane County as
4-H Ambassadors for the coming year.

• Joshua DeDina
• Scott Dienst
• Tyler Fabrizius
• JC Gillett
• Joe Gorenz
• Buddy Haas
• Katie Horton
• Leah Horton
• Cassie Koukol
• Katie Kull
• Michael Long
• Gabie Mahlmann
• Chassidy Mangers
• Lauren Ott
• Tyler Ott
• Patrick Overmyer
• Kari Pitstick
• Veronica Riva
• Brittany Roy
• Larisa Sica
• Dana Taylor
• Carolyn Thompson
• Whitney Thompson
• Jake Urben

September 1, 2009, kicked off a brand new 4‑H year. 4-H is an excellent program! Let's share it. Recruiting new members and leaders is most effective when it is done friend-to-friend, family‑to‑family. Give someone a personal invitation to visit or join your club. Remember, 4‑H is open to all youth between the ages of 8 and 18, regardless of race, color, national origin, place of residence, or handicap. Youth must turn 8 prior to September 1, 2009, or be in the third grade to be eligible to participate; youth who have turned 19 prior to September 1, 2009, are not eligible to participate. Cloverbud members must be between ages 5 and 7 by September 1, 2009.

Last year locally, we implemented a program fee for 4-H community club members, Cloverbuds, and special interest groups. The fiscal situation for our office and across the state continues to be a concern for the Extension organization. We did receive our monies from the state legislature, but our funding sources are continuing to dwindle and our expenses for managing a countywide program keep increasing. Thus, we will continue with the 4-H program fee. This program fee will help us cover the cost of medical insurance for members and volunteers, mailings, and other items associated with 4-H program management on a countywide basis. It will not change the policy of charging for publications and other events and activities (i.e. project day, team tournament, etc.). The program fee will be assessed annually.

For the 2009-10 4-H year, the program fee for each 4-H and Cloverbud member is $20; however, there will be a $60 cap for 4-H families. The program fee must be paid when you submit your 4-H enrollment to your club leader. Youth will not be officially enrolled until this payment is received. Checks for the program fee should be made payable to: University of Illinois Extension.

We regret that this has become a necessity, but we hope that you understand the need for this program fee. It is crucial to the continuation of Extension and 4-H programs in Kane County. This year, a small portion of the fee collected will be sent to the Illinois State 4-H Office to help offset the cost of statewide programs. If you have questions or concerns about this program fee, please contact Deanna at the Extension Office.

We will be re-enrolling last year's members and enrolling new members in 4-H during the next couple of months. Your re-enrollment materials should be available from your 4-H club leader during the month of October. Here are a few things to remember and be aware of:

• The enrollment form for individuals who were members last year (i.e. 2008-09) will be pre‑printed. Be sure to check all of the information on the form for accuracy. Make any changes in colored ink (NOT BLACK). Be sure to have your parent sign the enrollment form – especially as it pertains to 4‑H Foundation, photo releases, and the youth behavior guidelines. New members will have to complete the information form and project list.
• Project enrollments don't carry over from year to year. You have to enroll in projects each year. So, you need to make project selections to enroll in for the current year (i.e. 2009-10). All returning 4-H members must be enrolled in at least one project by December 1 (you can still add/delete projects after this date). By enrolling in December, that gives the Extension Office staff an opportunity to update all of your information (i.e. address, phone number, email address, age, grade in school, etc.) and get new members added so they can receive information from the Extension Office. Currently, we are operating with the information in last year's database.
• The final project enrollment deadline (April 1, 2010) is the final date in which youth can add projects to be eligible for exhibiting them in the 4-H portion of the 2010 Kane County Fair. Youth can add projects after April 1, but they would not be eligible to exhibit those projects in the 4-H portion of the Fair.
• When selecting projects, be sure to watch the age recommendations on the level you are selecting. Projects are designed for specific age groups. They are written to support that developmental level of children. If it's time to move up a level, do so – especially if you have been in that project for several years. This is especially true in the Food and Nutrition project area – Exploring Our Food Heritage is a 3-year project, not 4 or more. You may not enroll in multiple levels of a project area (i.e. Woodworking I, Woodworking II, and Woodworking III). Pick the project level that best fits your age and abilities.
• Project books are ordered for the entire club and not by individual members. Ordering project books is handled by a volunteer in your 4-H club – it may or may not be the leader of your club. To let that volunteer know which project books you need, clearly mark the circle on the project selection form. This should be done for each project you are enrolled in and want the book for. The 4-H/Extension Office submits book orders to the State 4-H Office, orders are filled on campus, and then sent to the local Extension Office to be picked up by the volunteer submitting the order.
• Enrolling in projects does not automatically sign you up to participate in the 4-H portion of the Kane County Fair. In the spring, a pre-printed fair entry form will be distributed to 4-H members at a club meeting. The fair entry form will match your project enrollment (i.e. the exhibit opportunities you are eligible to sign up for are the ones related to the projects you are enrolled in). The fair entry form must be returned to the Extension Office by Friday, June 4, 2010. The 2009 fairbook was available to 4‑H families online. It is still available at: www.extension.uiuc.edu/kane On the home page, scroll down to the Quick Links section and look for Kane County 4-H Fairbook. Keep in mind the rules and exhibit guidelines may or may not change for 2010 (changes for 2010 will be posted in early March 2010).
• It is the responsibility of the 4-H member (not the club leader) to complete the necessary paperwork to enroll in 4-H and projects and to meet the established deadlines. Please note, your 4-H leader may set earlier deadlines for the club so that they can meet deadlines at the 4-H/Extension office.

If you have questions, please don't be afraid to ask your 4-H leader or contact the Extension Office. There are no stupid questions. We would much rather you ask than be disappointed come fair time.

Each year, the Illinois Clover is revised. Be sure to read it carefully when you receive your copy. The State 4-H Office has included information about projects and much, much more.

With the start of the new year, the State 4-H Office has announced several changes in project offerings for the coming year. Below is a summary of those changes:

Revised Projects/Publications

Leadership 1

New Projects/Publications

Bicycle 1, 2 and Helper's Guide

Exploring Farm Animals (Cloverbuds only)

4-H Cooking 301

Vegetable Gardening A, B, C, D and Helper's Guide

Veterinary Science 1, 2, 3 and Helper's Guide

Filmmaking (available online only)

Wind Energy (group project only)

Discontinued Projects

Bicycle Adventures 1, 2, 3 and Helper's Guide

Breads & Cereals

Dairy Foods

Fruits & Vegetables

Horticulture 1, 2, 3 and Helper's Guide

Veterinary Science (The Normal Animal, Animal Disease, Animal Health & Our World)

National 4-H Week will be held October 4-10. This year's theme is "Celebrate 4-H." We encourage each of you to promote 4-H in some way during this week. Some suggestions might be wearing a 4‑H t-shirt or pin, obtaining a flyer for your school or church bulletin, talking to neighbors, friends, and relatives about your experiences with 4-H, or any other creative idea you might come up with. 4-H Clubs are also encourage to promote 4-H in some way … in the past, local clubs have done window displays in their community. This year, Westdel 4-H will have a window display at Books At Sunset in Elgin. If you are in the area, be sure to check it out! If you need help with promotional materials, contact the Extension Office. 4-H is an organization that has something to offer everyone. Let's spread the word!

4-H Fun Night is scheduled to be held during National 4-H Week on Tuesday, October 6, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles. We will be on the kitchen end of the 4-H Industrial Building. The purpose of this event is to bring 4-H families together from across the county to share a night of fun and to introduce 4-H to the general public. It is a fun fair type of activity with clubs encouraged to prepare a game and offer a small prize to participants. Invite your family and friends to visit the event.

The Challengers 4-H Club will host grounds clean-up/planting at the Extension Office for Make a Difference Day on Saturday, October 24, from 9:30 a.m. till 12 noon. All 4-H clubs from Kane County are invited to bring their gardening tools (shovels, rakes, forks, gloves, and trimmers) and work together to make the Extension grounds beautiful. On this day, volunteer workers will focus on weeding, trimming, roughing up the mulch, and planting in the specified areas. If you plan to attend, please let us know that by Wednesday, October 21. Hope to see you there!

Girls completing grades 4-6 are invited to Science Siesta! - a special pajama party at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago on November 6 & 7. Friday evening will start out by meeting women who are actually scientists. They'll talk about their jobs and then get us involved in the work they do. You'll have the choice to learn more about an African Plant Explorer, an Urban Ecologist or a Vet Detective and the things their jobs entail. Other fun activities are planned throughout the evening, including time to explore the museums. The registration fee is $30 which includes evening snacks, breakfast and materials needed for the activities. You'll have the opportunity to meet girls from eight counties throughout the northeast region of the state. Only 120 girls will get to attend the Science Siesta! Registration is due by Friday, October 9 or when the limit of 120 is reached. For more information and registration materials, please call the Extension Office.

The annual 4-H project day is scheduled for Saturday, February 27, 2010, at the fairgrounds in St. Charles. On this day, a variety of project related workshops are scheduled for 4-H members and Cloverbuds. We are looking for volunteers – youth or adults – to share their talents by teaching a workshop or two. If you are interested in teaching a workshop, contact Doris at the Extension Office.

Camp Shaw is looking for a few good men and women! The annual Camp Shaw Fall Improvement Day will be held on Saturday, October 3rd. The hours will be from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. You are invited to come out and lend a hand - come out, spend time with friends, and help us make improvements around camp. There are plenty of things to do....painting, cleaning, trail maintenance, picking up sticks - there are jobs for young and old alike! We need your help!

Lunch will be served to all volunteers - please RSVP if you are able to attend to (bgchair@campshaw.org) so that we can make sure to have enough food prepared to feed all of our generous volunteers.

PLEASE NOTE: Youth ages 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

For more questions or more information, contact Ty Arseneau, Improvement Day Coordinator, via email at bgchair@campshaw.org or call 815-933-3011.

This award is sponsored by the Illinois Farm Bureau and Affiliates for older 4‑H members in Illinois. The purpose of the award is to reward members exhibiting outstanding leadership, citizenship, cooperation, and professionalism during the past 4-H program year (September 1, 2008-August 31, 2009). Although all members can apply, the program is designed to recognize and promote achievement in the agricultural industry. Applicants must be at least 17 years of age by December 1, 2009. Each county may select two winners who are then nominated to the state level selection process. County winners will receive a certificate; state winners receive a trip to the Illinois Farm Bureau & Affiliates two-day Premier 20 Leadership Conference (scheduled for April 21-23, 2010). For more information or an award application, contact the Extension Office. Applications for the county selection process are due Friday, November 13.

These awards recognize youth in middle and high school grades who have demonstrated exemplary community service. Anyone who is in grades 5 through 12 may apply. Youth must also have engaged in volunteer activity that occurred at least in part after September 1, 2008. Each county may pick one middle school and one high school honoree. Local honorees are forwarded to the State 4-H Office for consideration. State honorees are then forwarded on for national consideration. Local honorees receive Certificates of Achievement. State honorees receive $1,000, engraved silver medallions and an all expense paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C. in May for recognition events. National honorees receive additional $5,000 awards, engraved gold medallions, and crystal trophies for their organizations. Applications are available at the Extension Office and must be completed and returned to the Extension Office by 4:00 p.m. on October 30.

The Original Sewing & Quilt Expo returns to the Chicagoland area November 12-14, 2009. This year's event will be held at the Schaumburg Convention Center. There are over 200 classes and workshops for sewing enthusiasts. Register for classes by phone 1‑800‑699‑6309 or on the website. The website for this event is as follows: http://www.sewingexpo.com

An event of particular interest to 4-H members at the Expo is the "Sew Sweet" contest sponsored by the American Sewing Guild and Kwik Sew. This is a Fashion and Trunk Show where today's young sewers (ages 9 - 18) can show off their projects and share the fun of sewing and quilting with a live audience. If you participated in the Fair this year, you already have a completed sewing project for this event. The show is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, at 3:45 p.m.. There will be first, second, and third place winners in each of the two age groups (9‑13 and 14-18). In addition, everyone who participates will get a certificate and gifts from the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo. For contest details and registration information, visit the website and click on the "Features and Contests" and click on Sew Sweet. The contest is limited to 50 entrants. Each participant in the "Sew Sweet" contest and an accompanying adult will receive FREE General Admission passes for their day at Original Sewing & Quilt Expo.

Interested in Kane County HCE? Have you heard about the adult version of 4-H? Since 1918 Kane County Association for Home and Community Education (HCE) - a new name, formerly "Homemakers" or Home Bureau, has strengthened individuals and families through continuing education, leadership development and community service. Current members say we promote fun, friendship and continual mental stimulation. Come to check us out! International Luncheon for the country study, Argentina (equivalent of Passport to the World) and new member recognition will be held November 4,2009, at the St. Gall Church Hall in Elburn with registration at 10 a.m. Reservations can be made with Audrey Gleamza at 630-584-7278 or send a check to her at 405 West Main St., St. Charles, 60174. Dr. Catherine Taylor will speak on recent travels to the country of Argentina, a luncheon by Mills Family Catering with an Argentine flare and afternoon entertainment of professional dancing is included for a reservation fee of $15. Reservation deadline is October 16^th.

The Extension Office is a place of information for many individuals and organizations in Kane County. We are here as a resource for our volunteers and 4-H families. We are more than happy to help you in any way we can. However, it isn't always possible for us to get your answer or help you immediately (although, we will try). Additionally, staff members have commitments outside of the Extension Office throughout the state and communities of Kane County. So, please be patient with us as we try to help you as quickly and efficiently as we can. It may be necessary to leave a voice mail message or send us an e-mail. As a reminder, below are the names and contact information for the 4-H Youth Development staff:

Deanna Roby – Unit Educator (full-time)

Phone: 630/584-6166 x. 19

Email: roby@illinois.edu

Doris Braddock – 4-H Community Worker (full-time)

Phone: 630/584-6166 x. 18

Email: dbraddoc@illinois.edu

Ruth Thompson – 4-H & Horticulture Secretary (part-time)

Office Hours: 8:30-4:30 p.m., every day except Wednesday

Phone: 630/584-6166 x. 12

Email: rathomps@illinois.edu

Office hours are 8 a.m. till 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (lunch is 12-1 p.m.). You may want to call ahead if you are coming in to pick up something specific. We can then have it ready for you when you get here.

We welcome the following youth and volunteers to the Kane County 4-H Family.

Congratulations and thanks for joining the 4‑H program! We wish you much success in your 4‑H career and involvement.

Members

A Bit More

Lauren Beaudin

Gwen Klinkey*

Madde Klinkey

Jacob Thompson

Susie Thompson

Central Wranglers

Madison Smith

Fantastics

Kaitlyn Johnsen

Tara Johnsen

Isabel Smoczynski

Go-Getters

Madeline Milnamow

Lincoln Highway

AnneMarie Giese

Laura Giese

Zach Walker

* denotes Cloverbud members

Adult Volunteers

A Bit More

Rina Jarosh

4-Ever Greens

Gretchen Scheel

Dog Committee

Loretta Lazzara

Barbara Runkle

Fair Superintendent

Jillian Martin

Amber Wesner

Fantastics

Darice Augustine

Joseph Cwian

Judith Smith

Fox Valley Saddle N Spur

Johnathan Walsh

The Challengers

Craig Holmberg

New Club

Susan Fox

Denise DeGuzman