• August 10 – Illinois 4-H Club/Group Award Application
• August 15 – 4-H Leader of the Year Nomination (Deadline)
• August 31 – 4-H Project Records – Standards of Excellence & Achievement & My 4-H Project Record forms to 4-H leader (4-H Leaders may have earlier deadlines)
• – 4-H Records – Standards Awards Checklist – Please turn in on time!!
• – 4-H Records – Illinois 4-H Award Applications (county/state competition)
• – Mosbacher 4-H Educational Scholarship Application
• – George E. Holder 4-H Scholarship Application
• – Club Progress Award Application
• – IL 4-H Standards of Excellence for 4-H Groups
• – 4-H Alumni Award Nomination
• September 25 – National 4-H Week – Promotional Challenge of 4-H sign up

Oh, the Places you'll go…in 4-H Work Session! August 6, 2009

Want to go to National 4-H Congress? Travel the world? Win awards? Let 4-H take you there, by filling out 4-H project records & learn more about the Illinois 4-H Award Application! This hands-on workshop for parents, leaders and older members will get you excited about the possibilities! "Today is your day…register online: https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=3189

Illinois 4-H Club/Group Awards – due August 10

Tell everyone what your 4-H group has been doing the past year! Complete the Illinois 4-H Club/Group Report Form (90231) and include club /group project details, goals set and met, and the learning that took place over the past year. Clubs may submit forms for the state 4-H award at the McLean County Extension office. Club members should help to complete the form and a youth contact signature is requested. State 4-H Award recognition is provided for the top ten clubs/groups in each program category, provided the minimum number of points is awarded. Recognition may include a club patch, certificate and cash reward. Submit forms by August 10 to the Extension office for signatures and approval. Forms are available though the Extension office or online at: https://my-s.extension.uiuc.edu/documents/895072109070907/90231.pdf

4-H Leader's Celebration – August 31 6 pm, Extension Office

Flier: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mclean/downloads/18952.pdf

4-H leaders and project leaders are invited to attend this special appreciation event. The new state 4-H director Denise Legvold will be the keynote speaker. Please come to enjoy a meal, a night of thanks, and recognize some of McLean County's finest volunteers. Please encourage ALL of your leaders to attend!! Notification will go out to milestone leaders by mail soon! RSVP online at: https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=3227

4-H Records Judging September 3, 12-4 pm & 5-9 pm

Interested in learning more about 4-H records? Want to see a completed application? No other way to learn, than by helping serve as a 4-H records judge on Wednesday, September 4th. Judges are needed from 1-4pm and 5-9pm to evaluate local records. You may not judge in areas where your children are submitting records. No prior experience needed! If you have other leaders or parents interested please contact us as soon as possible or sign up online at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/county/survey.cfm?sID=122

4-H Premium Disbursement Policy

In order to meet the state guidelines for premium disbursement:

1. Checks should be picked up by 4-H Organizational leaders in mid August. Leaders will be notified when checks are ready.
2. All checks MUST be signed for by the 4-H member or parent/guardian.
3. Signature sheets MUST BE RETURNED TO THE EXTENSION OFFICE.
4. Please return all unclaimed checks and the club signature sheet to the Extension office by September 15.
5. Checks are VOID 60 days from printing.

ALL*of these forms are available online at the following link:

http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mclean/4hyouth1728.html

Exception – 4-H Standards Checklist – that is club specific and has member names, so it will not be available online.

4-H Leader of the Year Nominations – (Enclosed)

Commitment, caring smiles, encouraging words, these are just a few words that describe past 4-H leaders who have received the Roberta Ropp Memorial 4-H Leader of the Year Award. Please nominate a leader(s) you think deserves recognition for their dedication to 4-H! Application must be filled out completely for consideration. Deadline for consideration is August 15^th. This award is presented at the August 31 4-H Leader's Celebration.

4-H Standards Checklist – (Enclosed)

4-H Organizational leaders are asked to check a Yes or No for 4-H members indicating if club members have achieved the standards of excellence for the appropriate age group. All forms must be received by August 31. This is how we determine who receives First year outstanding, service achievement, project achievement, and other awards prior to the Recognition of Excellence Banquet and to help prepare you for your club achievement nights.

4-H Project Records & Standards Awards Forms – Available online.

4-H members received project goal sheets when they enrolled in 4-H for different age groups along with one or more of the My 4-H Project Record Forms and the Standards of Excellence & Achievement Form. They should be filled out and turned into club leaders before August 29. 4-H leaders are to review and make positive comments for members. Enclosed is the "4-H Achievement Standards" check list for your club. These are due back to us by August 31 so we may include your 4-Hers in the awards recognition event. Check out the 4-H Recognition of Excellence site for more information: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mclean/4hrecognition/index.html

Forms can be downloaded from: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mclean/4hrecognition/719.html

Scholarships Available

The Mosbacher 4-H Educational Scholarship and George Holder Scholarship applications are available online: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mclean/4hyouth536.html Deadlines for both scholarship applications are August 31.

4-H Club Progress Award & IL Standards of Excellence for 4-H Groups Form

Clubs fill out these two forms to assess what the club has accomplished this year. The club progress award relates to the club's achievement of goals and growth in the club. The Standards of Excellence is a checklist for clubs to achieve each year. Clubs that complete these forms may be awarded patches to be placed on the club banner for their achievement. http://urbanext.illinois.edu/4hplanning/downloads/clubstdex.pdf

4-H Alumni Award Nomination Form

We have many 4-H alumni that have given back to the county over the years. Please nominate a dedicated 4-H alumnus for this prestigious award. Application must be filled out completely for consideration. Due August 31!!

4-H Activity Calendar

Please update your calendars! We have set dates well into 2008 and will update the calendar periodically on our website.

Club Audits – Important!

4-H Clubs that have a treasury are required to complete an audit and turn it in to the local extension office each year. Starting for the 2007-2008 4-H year the Extension office is required to file a 990-N e-postcard for ALL 4-H Clubs. All club audits for 2007-2008 must be received by October 30^th, 2008 – no exceptions. A fact sheet is available online from National 4-H at: http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/library/fs-electronic_filing_v2-08.pdf. If you have questions please contact us.

2009-2010 Calendar

More details about events will be in the NEW Year packet that is given out at the 4-H Leader Celebration on August 31.

National 4-H Week - Promotional Challenge of 4-H

National 4-H Week is October 4-10, 2009. We are challenging clubs to promote 4-H! Some examples include: websites, brochures, lemonade stand fundraisers, bake sales, a float in a school parade, donation drives, community gardens, business displays, poster displays, wearing 4-H t-shirts to school during 4-H week, mall kiosk, articles in student newspapers, writing letters to the editor of local papers in support of 4-H, blogs about 4-H activities, proclamations by local governments for your club, talking to students at schools, school booths, and meeting with local legislators to inform them about 4-H, just to name a few!

The purpose of 4-H week is to spread the word about 4-H across America. Today's 4-H is a community of more than 6.5 million young people, 540,000 volunteers and 3,500 professionals. As a member of this community, you are in the best place to promote what you love – 4-H!

Have your 4-Hers report on what your club accomplishes! If you have ideas on how to promote 4-H and wish to share, please contact us.

National Youth Science Day – Have a Blast with 4-H – October 3 & 7, 2009

On October 7, 2009, millions of American youth will explore one of the most important issues facing our nation today -- biofuels. Be part of this opportunity to explore, discover - and have a blast – experimenting with alternative fuels with the Biofuel Blast National Science Experiment! We are hoping to have a science day on October 3 the details have yet to be determined – there will be opportunities for clubs to participate!! If your club is interested in getting involved contact Theresa ASAP! For more information go to: http://4-h.org/nysd/

Looking for a unique fundraiser?

Lonestar Steakhouse has started a community outreach program called Take Steak. You can work with us to pick a day, Monday thru Thursday, where you distribute flyers for your participants. The flyers are then brought in to us and collected. 10 % of all sales (pre tax) are then given back to the organization by way of check. That is just the basics. If you are interested in more info, please contact either Mike, John, Heather at the 309-663-7827, or e mail Mike Johnson at: lonestar.bloomington@steakco.com

Nickelodeon's The Big Green Help, "Keeping it Green" shows how 4-H is bridging old ideas with new, to teach youth environmental stewardship and connecting youth to science-related issues. The green theme also can showcase 4-H beyond the environmental focus and is a direct connection to the organization as a whole. Materials are available at www.4-HBrandNetwork.org.

4-H Million Trees Project – Good Service Learning Opportunity!

Members of the Pacifica (California) 4-H Club launched the 4-H Million Trees (4HMT) project, a large-scale service-learning project with the goal to plant 1,000,000 trees across the United States to beautify America, absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, and combat global climate change. www.4hmilliontrees.org

Virtual 4-H Filmmaking Studio & Workshop

The Virtual 4-H Filmmaking Studio & Workshop, located at www.4-H.org/curriculum/filmmaking. developed in collaboration with Montana State University. The Filmmaking Studio and Workshop is the online place to find tools and resources about video production and "how to make your own film". On the home page of the site, you'll find the main Filmmaking Workshop—an 11 module "virtual workshop", geared toward youth interested in making Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) films. The workshop discusses SET as a primary topic area and delivery mode, but the learning modes and principles apply across mission mandate areas—SET, Healthy Living, and Citizenship.

This is a BETA release and feedback is encouraged, via the "Give Feedback" button on the home page. Additional resources will be added and tweaked over time, so stay tuned. Happy Filmmaking!

IL 4-H Shooting Sports coming soon! (2011 4-H year)

Youth development will be the number one goal of the Shooting Sports Program. The program is an excellent way to provide life skill development and to establish a caring relationship with an adult mentor. The program is an active program, attractive to both youth and adult audiences. 4-H curriculum will be designed to assist young people in personal development, personal environmental ethics, and lifelong vocational and avocational activities. The program will help to promote self confidence, responsibility, teamwork, self esteem, decision-making and the identification of realistic personal goals. If you are interested in being a part of the program in McLean county, please contact the Extension office.

Favorite Recipes of Illinois 4-H Through the Years…

Remember snickerdoodles, wheat bread, funny cake, or chocolate crinkles? Do you remember these goodies from your 4-H experience? These and many more recipes from 14 University of Illinois Extension 4-H foods project books can be found in a new "favorites" cookbook available through the Illinois 4-H Foundation.

More than 150 of your old favorites from 4-H foods project books such as You Learn to Bake, ABC's of Food, Adventures in Cooking, It's Fun to Cook, Milk and Eggs, Meat in Your Meals, Pastry in Your Meals, and Yeast Breads in Your Meals are included in this 8 ½" x 11" spiral bound cookbook. Recipes are listed by 4-H project book, alphabetically, and by food category for easy reference.

Watch for more information on this exciting cookbook coming. Website: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/4hfoundation/. Proceeds from the cookbook will support current 4-H foods project resources and training for 4-H volunteers.

Back to School Party and Supply Drive

It's back! The Back to School party is back! Sponsored by ISU's Extended University, and other community partners. The group will give out 5000 backpacks for eligible students in McLean County in grades K-8. If your club collects school supplies and can show how much is collected, we will put your club name in for a drawing for a special educational opportunity at ISU in the next year. Flier and information: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mclean/4hyouth2795.html

4-H CAMPaign

You can help improve the facilities at 4-H Memorial Camp! Construction has started on the kitchen at 4-H Camp. This is a great opportunity for your 4-Hers to support Camp. There are several ways your club can get involved with this CAMPaign!! http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/4hmemorialcamp/campaign.html

Mosbacher Scholarship

Current 4-Hers who have completed high school and will attend an accredited college/university or technical school this fall may apply for the Mosbacher Scholarship. These awards are given to encourage graduating senior 4-Hers to continue their education beyond high school by awarding cash scholarship grants. Applications are due August 31 and will be mailed to 4-H members or can be downloaded online.

The form can be found online at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mclean/scholarships/

Holder Scholarship

The George E. Holder 4-H Scholarship is given by the Elizabeth Davis Holder Foundation held at the University of Illinois Foundation. The scholarship has been offered for the McLean County 4-H program to honor college students (present/past 4-H members from McLean County) enrolled in their second year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. One student will receive a $1,200 scholarship. To receive this award is both an honor and a financial aid to the recipient. Applicants must be McLean County 4-H members/4-H Alumni entering their sophomore college year and enrolled full-time and attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The form can be found online at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mclean/scholarships/

National 4-H Council Grants portal

National 4-H Council is pleased to announce our new grants portal! This portal will be a one-stop resource, housing a wide variety of funding opportunities and related forms (applications, reports, etc.). The site can be found at http://grants.4-H.org. You will need to register to begin using the system and to review the benefits this new software provides (attached is a brief instructional guide on how to register and apply for grants).

You must have your Club FEIN number in order to create an account. Grants that are being offered are also on this page: http://4-h.org/programs_mission_mandates.html

Fall Program Planning – Have one meeting at HCC!

IMPORTANT – opportunity! Heartland Community College – Use of Facilities by 4-H Clubs

Through a great relationship with HCC I am excited to announce that 4-H clubs have been given the opportunity to schedule a meeting at their facility for special programs/speakers. Have you ever wanted to have a speaker come, but they wanted to show a Power Point or needed an overhead projector? Want to use a computer lab to have your 4-Hers learn about Geospatial/Robotics project activities? Would you like to have an Extension Staff member teach your 4-Hers a workshop? This is a one or two time per year opportunity for your club to use an HCC classroom or computer lab for a 4-H meeting. IF your club would like to schedule a meeting at Heartland Contact Lisa Sleevar at 309-268-8016. You will need to contact her 4-6 weeks in advance.

When Electing Officers in your club….

If your club Reporter or Secretary is interested in being an "author" on the 4-H Club Chatter Blog, please pass along their email. They can then post their own articles on to the 4-H Club Chatter blog. It's really easy and fun! All posts will be monitored. Articles posted may be put in an Extension newsletter if there is space. If you have club reporters or other members that are into blogging send their names to the Extension office!

The website is up: http://mclean4-hclubchatter.blogspot.com/