On Sunday, April 6, the Timeless Clovers 4-H Alumni Association will host a 4-H Family Movie afternoon at the Princess Theater in LeRoy starting at 1 pm.

All 4-H Cloverbuds, Members, Leaders, Volunteers, and Fair Volunteers are invited to attend this special showing of Charlotte's Web.

Doors open at 12:30, and the movie will start at 1pm. Don't miss this FREE event for 4-H families!

Click here for more!

The Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Conference is an annual, fun-filled day intended for girls in grades 5 through 10, and their parents and teachers. The conference is held on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal, IL.

The Bone Student Center on the ISU campus serves as Conference Headquarters. The BSC is located at the corner of College Avenue and University Street. Most workshops are held in other campus buildings within a short walk of the BSC.

Some of our goals are...

• to act as mentors and role models for women and young people by providing support, encouragement, and assistance in the development of their careers in science and mathematics (science and mathematics are defined to include all fields in the physical, biological, behavioral, medical,technological, and social sciences)

• to create an atmosphere of active communication, support, and assistance among women pursuing careers in science and mathematics

• to foster further development of their professional skills

• to strengthen the partnership between teachers/counselors and parents in providing a supportive learning environment for young women and encouraging students to pursue the limitless career opportunities that await them

For Registration Information:

http://www.eyh.ilstu.edu/girls/registration.shtml

"Oh the places you'll go...in 4-H!" is a workshop being planned by 4-H volunteers: Alisa Clary, Kathy Weinzierl, Cathy Otto, Jeanie Wager and Extension staff to explore the possibilities in 4-H.

Participants will meet McLean County 4-H members whoare really "going places" in 4-H - including some of this past year's National 4-H Congress attendees. These members will share about their experiences and be available to answer questions. Attendees will also leave with an understanding of the new 4-H records implemented this 4-H year and also have more information about the State Award Application process, scholarship opportunities, and travel opportunities through 4-H.

This event is open to 4-H members ages 12 and older, parents, junior leaders, project leaders, and organizational leaders.

We hope to see you there - this is not an event to miss.

Click here to look at the flier.

Click here to register online to be eligible for door prizes - including Meal Tickets for this year's fair.

4-Hers enrolled in dogs will have the opportunity again this year to participate in a weekly training program. Trainers will be the fair superintendents with the help of some of the older 4-Hers. A beginner's class will be from 6-7 p.m. 4-Hers that have been through previous classes or that have experience showing dogs will have a class from 7:15-8:15 p.m.

Classes will be offered every Monday night starting April 21 through July 14 at the Interstate Center in the Mini-Expo. There will be no class on May 26 for Memorial Day.

Registration will be April 7 at 6:00 p.m. at the Interstate Center in the Mini-expo. The cost will be $10. Both the 4-Her and the dog should be present for registration.

At this time, superintendents will need to see proof of current rabies vaccination and will check your lead and training collar.

If you do not have a lead or a training collar, they will recommend what is needed and will have them available if you choose to purchase the equipment at that time.

If you have any questions, please contact Jody Hughes at 663-8306(ext. 218) or jlhugh2@ilstu.edu.

Due to the shut-down of the state fairgrounds until late May, the two Springfield-area Sheep Weigh-in/Tattooing locations for Saturday, April 26 AND Saturday May 10have been changed to:

Landon Kirby Farm, Athens, Illinois.(15 minutes from the fairgrounds right off route 29; they are hoping to place signs on Rt. 29 directing people to the location)

Contact personis changed toEd Whitcomb, 217/415-2924.

The sheep weigh-in's scheduled McLean County have not changed.

Illinois and Missouri 4-H members, parents, volunteers and alumni will gather at Busch Stadium on Saturday, May 17, 2008, for the seventh annual 4-H Day With the Cardinals. The Cardinals will be playing the Tampa Bay Rays in a 12.10 p.m. game. Tickets for the game will be $21.00 each, which includes a specially designed t-shirt featuring the 4-H Clover on the back and the Cardinals emblem on the front. In addition, May 17 is Kid's Plate Day at the ballpark, so all fans 15 and younger will receive a 10" dinner plate featuring Albert Pujols.

For more information: http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/events/event053cards.html

As of today over 1100 tickets have been reserved!!!

Affordable Fashion Challenge

The Ecology Action Center will be having it's 3^rd Annual Affordable fashion challenge on April 11 & 12. Good for 4-Hers who are taking the recycled garment project and/or who are interested in construction & re-construction! J

For more information & application: http://ecologyactioncenter.org/events/afford-fash-challenge.shtml

American Sewing Guild

On April 12 the Central Illinois/Peoria Chapter of the American Sewing Guild will sponsor a program by Nancy Nix-Rice, an image consultant from St. Louis. The program, Style on a Shoestring, will be held in Bloomington.

We would like to invite you to attend. I have attached a flier for the program. Please feel free to copy, post, or include the information from the flier in 4-H and extension newsletters. The student rate for the program is $40 which is the same rate as ASG members. Anyone who joins the American Sewing Guild at the program will receive a reduced rate for joining ASG.

You will find information about the ASG at their website at www.asg.org.

For further information please contact me, Peg Wier, membership chair, at 309-369-3229 or pegwier@yahoo.com.

You may also contact Pat West, chapter president, at 309-925-3395.

State Fair Changes...

GENERAL 4-H PROJECT CHANGES

All action oriented events will take place on the first weekend of the fair–Fri., Aug. 8 & Sat., Aug. 10. These events will be made "competitive events" and "Top Winners" will be named.

CONFERENCE JUDGING HAS RETURNED!

All McLean County State Fair projects will be conference judged on August 15. This means that exhibitors will take their own projects to the fair, conference judging and bringing their projects home the same day.

Friday, August 8

ALL Counties: Formal Speech, Extempore Speaking, and Demonstration Public Presentations

Saturday, August 9

ALL Counties: Illustrated Speech and Original Works Public Presentations, and Bicycle Rodeo

Sunday, August 10

ALL Counties: Oral Interpretations, Food Demonstrations and Fashion Revue (McLean)

Friday, August 15

All other projects conference judging for McLean.

THERE WILL BE NO FOOD SKILL-A-THONS FOR 2008

All food exhibits will be either educational displays or food products. Food classes will also be conference judged.

CHANGES REGARDING ANIMAL EXHIBITS

• Quality Assurance & Ethics Certification will be required for POULTRY junior exhibitors. Deadline for certification is July 1, 2008.
  • Quality Assurance & Ethics Certification website should be available on Feb. 1, 2008. The new web address is http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/qaec. ALL horse exhibitors must complete the certification by June 9, 2008 and ALL other species by July 1, 2008. Exhibitors only need to take the training once.
• Jr. Market Lamb Show is being moved to Friday, August 8, 2008. Jr. Breeding sheep will show on Sunday, August 10, 2008.
• Beginning with the 2008 Fair, all Jr. Exhibitors will need to pay entry fees for any/all animals entered. Fees will be due with class entries–June 9 for Horses; July 1 for all other livestock; Aug. 1 for Dogs. Fees are allocated as follows:
  • Beef, Dairy, Horses–$10 per head
  • Sheep, Swine, Goats–$2.50 per head
  • Dogs–$2.00 per dog
  • Poultry, Rabbits–$1.00 per head
• Premises Identification Numbers will be required for all animal entries. In the Jr. Department, this includes the following species: Beef, Sheep, Swine, Rabbits, Poultry, Dairy, Goats, and Horses. Contact our office if you need assistance.
• State Fair Dog Show is scheduled for Sunday, August 24, 2008.