Attention: Project Leaders, Junior Leaders, and Organizational Leaders, interested parents, and 4-Hers 12+:

Please mark your calendar for May 1^st – Enrollments are due. On that evening at 6 pm we are having a 4-H program titled:

YAP + Project Work = Vibrant 4-H Clubs

YAP = Youth and Adult Partnerships

I would really like to encourage all of you to attend this event on May 1. Youth/Adult Partnerships are present in some form in most clubs and are really what makes 4-H so vibrant. This meeting can help remind us of what we are doing right and give us new ideas to make things even better.

Last fall, I attended the North Central Volunteer Forum, a 10 state convention for 4-H leaders/volunteers. Not many of you are able to attend something like that, so we are bringing part of it to you. This is your chance for a free workshop and meal. PLEASE JOIN US!!!!

Alisa Clary, 4-H leader

Thank you to Alisa Clary & Kathy Weinzierl for assisting with the planning and input for this meeting. These partnerships exist in all 4-H clubs, but do you use them to your best ability?

ALL Volunteers are invited to attend: Project Leaders, Junior Leaders, and Organizational Leaders, interested parents, and 4-Hers 12+ in any 4-H club.

Amy Leman, Extension Educator in Macon County along with one to two youth will present on Youth and Adult Partnerships and how they can enhance 4-H clubs. An RSVP must be completed by phone or online to ensure enough food & materials. Activity kits for the Consumer Savvy, Financial Champions, and Entrepreneurship projects will be demonstrated and available for check out in the future by 4-H clubs. Location: U of I Extension - McLean County, 402 N Hershey Rd, Bloomington IL

Agenda:

• 6 – 7:30 Supper & YAP Introduction
• 7:30 – 7:45 Showcase Donor Plea, Extension Partners, and Great 4-H Debate Feedback
• 7:45 – 8:15 Consumer Science Kits for Groups by ISU Business Class
• 8:15 – 8:30 Announcements/Questions

We will have information for 4-H Club leaders to pass out at their May meetings, please send a representative from your club.

Register online to receive materials: www.mcleanextension.org

Link to register online: https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=1685

Thanks,

Theresa Chambers

The McLean County Horse Bowl team (Nina Schenk, Rachel Riddle, Shelbi Mason, Rachael Fulop and Emily Newmister) did quite well at the state competition coming in 3rd place! Nina Schenk earned a 7th place ribbon for High Point for Horse Bowl.

Two of the girls also placed for the state Hippology contest. Nina Schenk came in 5th place and Rachael Fulop earned a 10th place ribbon.

Congratulations to the team! Thank you to coaches Jill & Bill Schenk for the patience and time they have given to support the girls in participating in Hippology. Thank you to these girls for their studying and hard work to prepare for the contest to represent McLean County!

We are currently looking for a Senior Hippology coach for next year, if you are interested please contact the Extension office.

The excitement is building for the 2008 Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing China this coming August. To help celebrate this upcoming world-wide event Illinois 4-H along with U of I Department of International Studies is sponsoring a Passport to the World Camp: Countdown to the Beijing Olympics: Sports and Games around the World. The camp will be held at 4-H Memorial Camp near Monticello on Wednesday afternoon, July 23 – Friday afternoon, July 25. As a current member enrolled in the 4-H Passport to the World project you are receiving this special invitation to attend. The goal of the camp is to increase your knowledge of sports and games from around various countries/regions around the world. As a participant you will:

• Meet and visit with Erik Henriksen, member of the 1980, 1984, and 1988 US Olympic Teams and Bronze medalist in Sprints, 500, and 100m.
• Participate with fellow teammates in an Olympic/World Sports Challenge
• Participate in sports and games popular in Japan, Russia, Brazil, West Africa, China, and Europe.

Learn new games and recreational activities you can teach to your 4-H club, friends and/or classmates!

I encourage you to check your summer schedule, visit with your parents, visit with your friends and make plans early to attend this action packed fun-filled camp! Registration is open to the first 75 participants who register by June 30^th. Registration fee is $115/participant and covers meals, lodging, insurance, T-shirt, and program fees. You can find more information and registration materials at: http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/opps/camping.html. Additional information will be sent once we receive your registration.

The 4-H Show Committee is seeking nominations for new directors in several areas for this year's McLean County 4-H Fair. Available positions for the coming year are in four areas: Environment and Natural Resources; Food, Nutrition and Health; Horses; and Small Animals.

The Show Committee meets about eight times a year and coordinates the exhibits and activities that take place at the fair for 4-H members. Show Committee directors supervise the superintendents, whose task is to make the showing/judging run smoothly during the week of the McLean County 4-H Fair.

Those submitting names for consideration will be asked to provide some details about the background and other qualifications (including 4-H experience) of the nominees, and reasons they believe the individual being nominated would make a good candidate to serve on the Show Committee. Nominations are reviewed by the Show Committee with a final approval from Extension Council.

Show Committee nominations must be submitted by May 15. Nomination forms are available at the Extension office or on the website at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mclean/downloads/11060.pdf

Premises Registration is voluntary to exhibit livestock (beef, dairy, horses, swine, sheep, goats, poultry and rabbits) at the Illinois State Fair/county fair.

Choosing to register your premises puts you on the frontline of controlling and preventing the spread of animal disease. A disease outbreak can't be predicted but it can impact every segment of animal agriculture. Participation ensures that you have the information you need, when you need it most, to protect your animals and your investment. Registering a premises involves obtaining a seven-character alpha-numeric "identifier" for the farm, ranch veterinary clinic or other site where livestock or fowl are handled, housed, managed or processed.

If an exhibitor wants to register their animals an application form can be found on-line at www.agr.state.il.us/premiseid. Exhibitors who register on-line will receive a premises registration number immediately. An application can also be obtained by calling 866/299-9256. If completing application and returning by mail, it may take up to 4 weeks to receive the number.

Click here to read about the latest upcoming programs and events in 4-H!

The dog obedience training will begin on April 14th.

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 14 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.

We want to see what great things 4-H youth members are doing today in science, engineering and/or technology projects. Your stories will be used to share the great work already going on in 4-H around science, engineering and technology through newsletters, online stories and press coverage. Please note that there is a system in place to connect with the parents and county 4-H Extension agents prior to interviewing or writing stories on the youth chosen.

Below is a 10-minute survey link to pass along throughout your states to help us find their great stories. We ask that survey responses are complete by Friday, April 11^th.

4-H Member Science, Engineering and Technology Project Survey

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.

Given the nature of the approximately 6.5 million 4-H members, which is summed up in the 4-H Pledge, it is our hope that every one of the approximately 90,000 4-H units in the U.S. will unite with us as participants in this community service, and plant at least a dozen native trees in their areas during the current 4-H year.

We hope everyone will stay with the project every year until we reach our ultimate goal. We hope clubs will accept this invitation and adopt the project so members can enjoy the satisfaction of joining with millions of fellow 4-Hers to make a big difference in the world.

http://4hmilliontrees.org/

4-H Day With the Cardinals tickets are SOLD OUT! Even though the deadline is not until April 7, we have no more tickets to sell to anyone. Please do not send any more orders in from your county as we do not keep a waiting list. With well over 3,000 people attending, we do not have the capability of keeping nor managing that kind of a courtesy list. As in years past, those not receiving tickets are to have their orders and checks returned to them via surface mail!

We convey our apologies to families have/will not receive tickets this year. The planning committee wishes we could accommodate EVERYONE, but we only have the number of tickets to sell that the Cardinals Organization graciously provides us!