November

November 7 4-H Achievement Night, World Shooting & Recreational Complex - VENDOR MALL, Sparta, 7:00 p.m.

November 11 Linus Blanket Workshop, Randolph County Farm Bureau, Sparta, 9-11:00 a.m.

November 14 4-H Foundation Trivia Night, St. John Lutheran Parish Hall, Chester, doors open at 6:00 p.m., trivia begins at 7:00 p.m.

November 17 4-H Federation Meeting, Extension Office, 7:30 p.m.

November 19 4-H Officer Training, Ruma Village Hall, 6:30 p.m.

November 28 Lighted Christmas Parade, Sparta, 6:00 p.m.

December

December 4 Fill Up Mrs. Mum's Car! 4-H in Lighted Christmas Parade, Chester, 7:00 p.m.

December 10 Patriots 4-H Club Sparta Pizza Hut Fundraiser, 4-8:00 p.m.

December 12 Robotics Workshop, Chester Public Library, 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

December 17 4-H Ag Committee Meeting, Extension Office, 7:30 p.m.

December 18 Deadline for 4-H Handbook Cover Contest Entries

January

January 18 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl, Steeleville Elementary School, 10:00 a.m.

Achievement Night is always one of the highlights of the 4-H year. This year's program will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta. PLEASE NOTE: The program will be held in the Vendor Mall. Instead of turning left to go to the main building upon entering the Shooting Complex, go right to the Vendor Mall. Signs will also be posted.

· 4-H members who submitted 4-H project records will be recognized. Scholarships will be awarded for events such as the Discover Chicago trip, 4-H Camp, Illini Summer Academies, and Southern Illinois Leadership Convention. Scholarships are awarded for outstanding 4-H project records.

· TROPHIES will be given to 4-H members who received an orange trophy ribbon at the 4-H shows this summer. Trophies will also be awarded for winners at the 4-H Livestock & Small Animals Shows and to the top exhibitor in each class at the 4-H Horse Show.

· Local businesses donate a large amount of money to sponsor trophies for Achievement Night. Trophy sponsors have been invited to attend the program and present the trophies they are sponsoring to the 4-H recipients. We hope that everyone will make an effort to attend and receive their trophy. If you cannot attend, please arrange for someone to accept your award. Also, please be sure to thank your trophy sponsor. Contact information for your trophy sponsor will be provided at Achievement Night.

· CLOVERBUDS (during the 2008-09 4-H year) will be asked to come together and lead the 4-H pledge to open the program. Cloverbuds will also receive recognition during the program.

· 4-H members who completed their last year of 4-H enrollment during the 2008-09 4-H year will be honored.

· 4-H FEDERATION FOOD DRIVE – Families attending the program are asked to bring a canned good or non-perishable food item. The Federation will be donating the food to local food pantries.

· REFRESHMENTS – Light refreshments will be served following the program. Each family is asked to bring a snack food item (cookies, brownies, fruit, chips, veggies, dip, etc.).

We hope to see everyone at Achievement Night to celebrate the many accomplished members of Randolph County 4-H!

Enjoy a night of fun with friends and family at a Trivia Night & Silent Auction sponsored by the Randolph County Extension and 4-H Education Foundation. The Trivia Night will be held on Saturday, November 14 at St. John Lutheran Parish Hall in Chester. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Trivia begins at 7:00 p.m. The cost is $10 per person/maximum of 8 per table. Prizes will be given to the top 2 teams! Bring your own snacks. Drinks will be available for purchase from a 4-H club. Proceeds will benefit local youth scholarships and programs. Club leaders have received flyers for members to use to promote Trivia Night. Please help spread the word! Contact the Extension Office to reserve a table.

4-H members in the county are challenged to collect food during the month of November to fill up County Extension Director Julie Mumbower's convertible. The loaded car will be driven in the Lighted Christmas Parade in Chester on December 4. Donations will be accepted at the Extension Office. We hope to have a carload of food to donate to a local food pantry. We also would like to see several 4-H members join us in the parade to walk by the car and represent Randolph County 4-H. The parade begins at 7:00 p.m. Please contact the Extension Office if you would like to walk in the parade.

SPECIAL CONTEST! 4-H members can guess the number of food items it will take to fill up Julie's car and win a great prize! Guesses can be sent to the Extension Office or emailed to yeater@illinois.edu. Please include your name and 4-H club.

Patrick Sheridan, a member of the Scotland Raiders 4-H Club, was one of seven Illinois 4-H members who competed in the National 4-H Engineering Challenge at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana on October 4-6. The event drew sixty-one contestants from eleven states. Patrick placed fifth in tractor in individual competition. Competitions were held in 4-H project areas related to aerospace, bicycles, computers, electric energy, lawn tractors, small engines, tractors, robotics, and welding. The Illinois team brought home second place in the National 4-H Engineering Bowl just one point behind the winning Indiana team. Contestants and accompanying adults spent a day on educational field trips at Purdue University and Indianapolis. Included were workshops in the Departments of Electrical Engineering Technology, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, and Aviation Technology as well as guided tours of Subaru of Indiana Automotive, and the Caterpillar Engine Plant in Lafayette showcasing engineering and technology skills in manufacturing. Congratulations Patrick! We are proud of you!

Kick off the new 4-H year on the right foot with 4-H Officer Training on Thursday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ruma Village Hall. The hall is located at 207 Main Street in Ruma (next to Mary's Restaurant – parking in back). Youth Development Extension Educator Debbie Simmons-Gray will lead the training. Being an officer in your 4-H club is an important responsibility. All 4-H club officers are asked to attend officer training to learn more about their role as a club officer. Each club is also asked to have at least one leader present. Participants should RSVP by November 16 to the Extension Office (443-4364) or email yeater@illinois.edu.

A FREE sewing workshop! Join the Randolph County Homemaker's Education Association (HEA) in a community outreach project to make homemade security blankets for children who need a hug at local police stations, crisis prevention centers, and hospitals. The Linus Blanket Workshop will be on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 (Veterans Day Holiday) from 9-11:00 a.m. at the Randolph County Farm Bureau. The Farm Bureau is located at 1403 Hillcrest Drive in Sparta. Linus blankets (or security blankets) were inspired by the popular Peanuts comic strip character. Youth ages 10 and older are invited. Making the blankets only requires sewing straight seams. HEA members would be more than happy to teach anyone who would like to learn to sew. 4-H membership is not required. Participants should register by calling the Extension Office by November 9.

Come out and support the Patriots 4-H Club on Thursday, December 10 from 4-8:00 p.m. at the Sparta Pizza Hut. Present a coupon and 20% of each sale will go to support the Patriots 4-H Club. Coupons will be available from club members and at the Extension Office.

Explore the exciting world of robotic technology at a robotics workshop sponsored by the Randolph County Extension Office. The workshop is scheduled for Saturday, December 12, 2009 from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Chester Public Library. Participants will work in small groups to build and program a robot using Lego Mindstorms kits. 4-H membership is not required to attend. However, robotics is a 4-H project so 4-H members interested in robotics might want to make plans to attend. Lunch will be provided. The fee for the workshop is $12. Contact the Extension Office to register by December 9. Space is limited.

Your design could be seen by all Randolph County 4-H families! The 4-H Handbook is distributed in the spring and contains the guidelines for showing 4-H projects. The contest is open to all Randolph County 4-H members and is sponsored by the 4-H Federation. A special prize will be awarded to the winner. Please follow the following guidelines carefully:

• Use white typing or construction paper.
• Paper must be 8 ½ inches x 11 inches in size.
• Leave a ½ inch margin all the way around the paper.
• Draw design using dark pencil or black marker or ballpoint pen
• Designs should be drawn in black and white ONLY!
• Design should not include copyrighted material such as cartoon characters.
• Designs should not include a 4-H clover. The 4-H emblem is a federally protected emblem and should not be reproduced. Anyone wishing to include a clover in their design should use a plain four leaf clover.
• The design should be 4-H related.
• Your name and club name should be posted on the BACK of the paper.
• Entries are due in the Extension Office by December 18, 2009.

This month the Southside 4-H Club is in the spotlight. Each month one of the 4-H clubs in the county will receive special recognition in an edition of the 4-H newsletter. The Southside club welcomed two new members at the October meeting. Members discussed going bowling and plans for celebrating Christmas. The Southside 4-H Club is led by Jane Schupbach and Kathleen Blair. The club meets at Jane Schupbach's home in Sparta.

The Ruma Roadrunners 4-H Club participated in Operation Santa, an effort to provide homemade Christmas stockings for American troops stationed all over the globe. The club made 56 stockings for the project. Members also wrote letters to the troops. The club received a donation to help with shipping the stockings and a donation to support Operation Santa.

The third annual Southern Illinois Leadership Convention (SILC) was a huge success! Jade South from the Wine Hill Toppers 4-H Club and Abbey Wahl and Kristen Braun from the Ruma Roadrunners 4-H Club attended the convention on October 10-12 in Carbondale. Tammy Wahl, Stephanie Wahl, and Victoria Wahl from the Ruma Roadrunners 4-H Club were members of the planning committee. The dates for the 2010 convention are October 9-11.

Discover Chicago – Kelby Burns, Hannah Ehlers, and Hadley Ehlers from the Wine Hill Toppers 4-H Club and Michaela Stewart from the Country Crusaders 4-H Club attended the Discover Chicago trip on October 10-12. Kent Burns, Diane Ehlers, and Charlene Stewart attended at chaperones. They were part of a group of 22 youth and adults from Randolph County who went on the trip.

4-H and NASCAR – National 4-H Week got off with a speedy start on October 4 as the 4-H emblem made its debut appearance in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The 4-H clover was featured on the 'TV panel' (or back) of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet driven by Jeff Gordon at Kansas Speedway.

Friends and family members would be very happy to find this item in their Christmas stocking! More than 150 of your favorites from 4-H foods project books are available in Favorite Recipes of Illinois 4-H Through the Years, a cookbook available from the Illinois 4-H Foundation. The cookbooks are $15.00 plus shipping. Orders can be placed at http://www.4hfoundation.illinois.edu. Order forms are also available at the Extension Office. Proceeds from the cookbookk will support current 4-H foods project resources and training for 4-H volunteers.

Other great 4-H holiday gifts can be found at www.4-Hmall.org.

The Illinois 4-H Foundation is sponsoring grants of $50 to $250 for 4-H clubs. Clubs can apply for the 4-H Community Health Improvement Program grant given to assist clubs in establishing and operating health or safety-related projects. Clubs can also apply for the 4-H Community Improvement Program grant to establish and operate projects that help make their community a more pleasant place in which to live. Applications are available at the Extension Office and must be submitted to the local office for review before being sent to the State 4-H Office. Applications are due to the State 4-H Office by January 30, 2010.

Mark your calendars for Monday, January 18 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday) for the 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl. 4-H members will be tested on their knowledge of beef, sheep, swine, goat, dairy, and horse. Participants will be tested on feed and equipment identification and take a written test. Test questions come from the 4-H livestock project manuals. The Quiz Bowl will be held at the Steeleville Elementary School starting at 10:00 a.m. 4-H members do not have to be enrolled in 4-H livestock projects to attend.

The purpose of this award is to reward 4-H members exhibiting outstanding leadership, citizenship, cooperation, and professionalism during the past 4-H program year (September 1 through August 31). Although all members can apply, the program is designed to recognize and promote achievement in the agricultural industry. Applicants must be 4-H members who are at least 17 years of age by December 1 and cannot have reached their 19^th birthday of September 1 of the year they submit the application. Applications are available at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state4h/members/recognition_awards.cfm and also at the Extension Office. December 1 is the deadline for applications.

NATIONAL 4-H CONFERENCE - 4-H members ages 15-18 can apply to attend this conference at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Delegates attend workshops and discuss issues in teams to suggest future programming for 4-H on a national, state, and local basis. Delegates meet with federal legislators on Capitol Hill to discuss the impact of 4-H and Extension programming in their areas. Sightseeing is limited during the actual conference. Currently, the conference is scheduled to begin Saturday evening, March 28 and end the evening of April 1. The group will be staying one extra day for sightseeing and return on Friday, April 3. Applications are available at the Extension Office and must be postmarked by December 7.

WASHINGTON D.C. - This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime trips that will be remembered for years to come! Citizenship Washington Focus is a weeklong program that will provide participants with many insights into the workings of our federal government as well as visits to many locations around Washington D.C. such as Arlington National Cemetery, Lincoln Memorial, Mt. Vernon, Smithsonian, U.S. Capitol, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and more! Through small group sessions at the National 4-H Center, participants learn about federal legislation, political parties, the Bill of Rights, and how to make a positive impact on your community. Delegates must be 14-18 years of age by May 1, 2010. An initial limit of two delegates per county will be accepted. On-line registration are due by December 15, 2009 and can be completed at https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=3650. The minimum cost will be $1,050. An increase is possible depending on the number of delegates who register. Contact the Extension Office for more information.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL - 4-H members between the ages of 12-19 have the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica, Japan, or Australia in 2010 through 4-H's international programs. 4-H also offers opportunities for families to host an exchange student in their home. Applications for the trips are due in January. Contact the Extension Office for more information.

4-H members 15-18 are encouraged to submit an application for a State 4-H Award. 4-H members can apply in the following areas: Animal Sciences, Community Involvement & Global Awareness, Environment & Natural Resources, Food, Nutrition & Health, Home & Family, Engineering & Technology, Personal Development, Plants & Soils, and Dairy. Winners of state awards will have the opportunity to attend National 4-H Congress or the National 4-H Dairy Conference. Both trips are very worthwhile and memorable experiences. Applications are available at the Extension Office. The Extension Office can also help anyone who would like help filling out the application. Applications are due to the State 4-H Office postmarked by January 6, 2010.

Soda is liquid candy. It's a sweet treat to be enjoyed occasionally, but many people drink a soda or two throughout the day. A 20-ounce bottle contains as much as 16 teaspoons of sugar, which is more sugar than you should consume in one day.

Kids who drink soda on a regular basis take in more calories and are more likely to be overweight. Calories you drink don't seem to register as well as the calories you eat from solid food. So when you add a soda to your lunch, you probably won't make up for it later by eating fewer calories of solid food. A healthier choice is to drink low-fat milk or 100% fruit juice with your meals. Milk and juice give your body important nutrients like calcium and vitamin C.

Twenty years ago, boys and girls drank twice as much milk as soda. Today, kids drink twice as much soda as milk.

Just for Fun . . .

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims

What key has legs and can't open doors? A turkey

What happened when the turkey got into a fight? He got the stuffing knocked out of him

Why did the turkey play drums in his band? Because he already had drumsticks

What type of music did the Pilgrims like? Plymouth Rock

Whole Grain Stuffing

1 cup diced celery

1 cup chopped onion

1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

11 slices whole wheat bread, cubed

3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned), uncooked

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) chicken broth

Instructions

1. Combine celery and onion in a large bowl. 2. Sprinkle with parsley flakes, poultry seasoning, and sage. 3. Stir until blended. 4. Add bread cubes and oats, mix well. 5. Add broth mixture. Mix until evenly moist. 6. Place in greased, shallow casserole dish. Cover. Bake in 325 degree oven for about 1 hour.

Information provided by University of Illinois Extension Nutrition Education Program