July

1 Quality Assurance and Ethics Deadline for Livestock

1 Clean Menard County 4-H Food stand

4 Independence Day – Offices Closed

8 Sangamon County 4-H Show Set-Up

10 Sangamon-Menard 4-H Clothing Show

11-13 Sangamon County 4-H Show

11 Sangamon-Menard 4-H Dog Showmanship Show

11 Sangamon-Menard 4-H Cat Show

12 Sangamon-Menard 4-H Dog Care and Obedience Show

14 Sangamon County 4-H Livestock Auction

15-20 Menard County Fair and 4-H Show

21 Menard County 4-H Livestock Sale

22 Clean Menard County 4-H Food stand

22-27 State Fair Junior Horse Show

August

4-17 4-H State Fair Food stand Open

8-17 Illinois State Fair

6 Junior Rabbit Show

7 Junior Poultry Show

7 Performance Cow Judging

7-8 Junior Beef Heifer Show

8 Junior Pygmy Goat Show

8 Junior Meat Goat Judging

8 Junior Sheep Wether Show

8 Junior Swine Barrow Show

9 Junior Beef Steer Show

10 Junior Breeding Sheep Show

10 Junior Breeding Swine Show

11 Club/Group Award Applications Due in Extension Office

11 Junior Dairy Goat Show

12 Sangamon-Menard Non-Livestock Projects Judging

12 Sale of Champions-Junior Show

13-15 Junior Dairy Cattle Show

16 Bicycle Rodeo at State Fair

24 Dog Obedience & Showmanship at State Fair Grounds

Join us for good old-fashioned family fun at the 2008 Family Fun Night. This year's event will be held on Sunday, July 13, in the Extension facilities on the IL State Fairgrounds. Sangamon & Menard families are invited to join in the FUN! 4-H clubs from Sangamon and Menard counties are invited to enter a team in the Tug-of-War contest for cash prizes. There will be a Style Show featuring models from the Sangamon and Menard sewing project, and games for youth of all ages. This year we will be recognizing our 4-H leaders as part of Family Fun Night activities.

The schedule is as follows:

4:00 -6:00 pm Family BBQ

4:30-5:30 pm All clubs wishing to compete in the Tug-of-War must check in and be weighed at the scales in the Extension Building. There will be two classes: Lightweight=600 lbs. maximum (per club) with each person weighing 120 lbs. or less; Heavyweight=800 lbs. maximum (club total)

6:00-8:00 pm 4-H leader recognition, followed by Style Show and games

Those of you who have attended Family Fun Night in the past are aware that "water activities" have become very popular. This year, for risk management reasons, all water activities (balloons, squirt guns, buckets etc.) will not be allowed on the fairgrounds. We ask for your cooperation and understanding on this risk management issue.

The Sangamon-Menard Food Demonstration Contest will be held Sunday, July 13, 12:00 p.m. in the U of I Extension Building on the IL State Fairgrounds. 4-H Food Project members in both Sangamon and Menard counties who would like to participate in the contest need to register by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday July 8. Participants can register on the Sangamon-Menard website at:

http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/sangamonmenard/

or by calling the Springfield

office at 782-4617.

Food demonstrations must relate to the project area in which the member is enrolled.

Applications are currently being accepted for 4-H scholarships in Sangamon and Menard Counties. The deadline to apply is September 1, 2008. Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of interest to pursue a higher education, 4-H background, scholastic record, leadership abilities and community service. Details on the scholarships being offered, criteria for qualifying, and applications are available on our website at

http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/sangamonmenard/index.html

or may be requested by calling Sharon at 632-7491.

A new scholarship not yet available on the website is the Brian Bell Memorial Scholarship which is co-sponsored by 4-H and FFA. Applicants must be both a 4-H and FFA member in Menard County. Contact Sharon at 632-7491 for details.

This is a reminder for Sangamon County 4-H members who will be selling livestock at the 2008 Sangamon County 4-H Livestock Auction about the changes taking place this year. The main changes are that this year you and your family will be responsible for taking your picture with the animal you will be selling at the 4-H Livestock Auction. Pictures can be taken at home on the farm, in the show ring at the 4-H Show, or in front of a back drop that will be provided at the 4-H Show. Also this year the plaques will be available at a table the evening of the livestock auction. As families pick up the number of plaques they need, a tally will be kept and the cost of the plaques will be subtracted from the member's livestock check. The plaque, picture sleeve (size 3 ½" x 5") and engraved plate will be provided and members will assemble their own plaques with the picture they have taken themselves. We recently sent a letter to livestock members in regard to these change. If you did not receive a letter or would like more information on these changes please e-mail Sharon at slounsbe@uiuc.edu or call the Extension office at 632-7491.

Saturday, May 31

9:00 a.m. 4-H Aerospace Show - Menard Fairgrounds

Tuesday, July 8

6:00 p.m. Set-Up & Clean-Up for Show

Thursday, July 10

6:30 p.m. Sangamon-Menard Clothing Judging

Friday, July 11

4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Early General Project Check In

6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Swine Weighing

7:00 p.m. Cat Show – Illini Room

7:00 p.m. Dog Showmanship – Outdoor Arena

Saturday, July 12

7:30 a.m. Auditorium doors open

8:00 a.m. Dairy Cattle – Outdoor Arena – East Side

8:00 a.m. Swine Show – Indoor Arena

9:00 a.m. All "General Projects" in place

9:45 a.m. General Projects Judging

12:00 p.m. Rabbit Show – Outdoor Arena – West Side

2:00 p.m. Poultry Show – Outdoor Arena - East Side

2:30 p.m. Goat Show – Indoor Arena

5:00 p.m. Beef Weighing

5:30 p.m. Sheep Weighing

6:30 p.m. Dog Care & Obedience – Outdoor Arena

Sunday, July 13

10:00 a.m. Beef Show – Outdoor Arena

12:00 p.m. Food Demonstrations

1:00 p.m. Sheep Show - Indoor Arena (Round Robin Showmanship to follow)

1:30 p.m. Bicycle Judging

4:00 p.m. Family BBQ

6:00 p.m. Family Fun Night

8:00 p.m. Projects Released following Fun Night

Monday, July 14

7:00 p.m. Livestock Sale

4-H clubs are invited to compete for County and State Club Recognition by completing the "Illinois 4-H Club/Group Report" form. The award application documents the club's activities in one of the following curriculum areas as listed in the 2007-2008 Illinois Clover: Agriculture; Community Involvement and Global Understanding; Environment and Natural Resources; Food, Nutrition & Health; Home & Family; Engineering & Technology; and Personal Development.

Club leaders can get copies of the award application from the Extension Office, or off of the web at http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/opps/90231.doc . This form was revised 5/2007, so please don't use old forms you have on hand in your Leader Resource Boxes. Contact the office for additional information. Applications are due to the Extension Office by August 11.

Saturday, May 31

9:00 am 4-H Aerospace Show - Menard Fairgrounds

Tuesday, July 1

8:30 am Clean Food stand

Thursday, July 10

6:30 p.m. Clothing Judging, State Fairgrounds

Friday, July 11

7:00 pm Dog Showmanship, State Fairgrounds

7:00 p.m. Cat Show, State Fairgrounds

Saturday, July 12

6:30 p.m. Dog Care and Obedience, State Fairgrounds

Sunday, July 13

12:00 p.m. Food Demonstrations, State Fairgrounds

1:30 p.m. Bicycle judging, State Fairgrounds

Tuesday, July 15

7:30 a.m. Goats must be in place

9:00 a.m. 4-H Goat Judging

4:00 p.m. Sheep must be on the grounds

5-6 p.m. Market Lambs will be weighed

Wednesday, July 16

7-9 a.m. 4-H general project check-in

7:30 a.m. Sheep Judging

9:15 am-Noon General 4-H Project Judging

6:00 p.m. Open Horse Show

7-8:00 p.m. 4-H Market Poultry Weighing

Thursday, July 17

8:00 a.m. Rabbit Judging

8:00 a.m. Poultry Judging

10:30 a.m. Swine Weighing

6:00 p.m. 4-H Swine Judging

Friday, July 18

7:30 a.m. Jr. & Open Swine Judging

4:00 p.m. Beef Weighing

7:00 p.m. 4-H Beef Judging

Saturday, July 19

8:00 a.m. Jr. & Open Beef Judging

1:00 p.m. 4-H Clothing members model at Women's Activities - tentative

Sunday, July 20

10:00 a.m. 4-H & Junior Horse Show

2:00 – 4:00 p.m. 4-H project checkout

Monday, July 21

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. 4-H project checkout – note time change

11:30 a.m. Livestock Sale Buyer's BBQ

12:30 p.m. 4-H Livestock Sale

Tuesday, July 22

8:30 a.m. Clean Food stand

4-H families are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the 4-H food stands during the Sangamon-Menard 4-H Shows. The items collected during the county shows will be donated to food pantries in each county. The state-wide 4-H Can Make A Difference food drive will also be returning to the IL State Fair. Fairgoers are asked to help 4-H help those in need by donating canned food items this summer!

Exhibitors at the Sangamon and Menard 4-H Shows should securely attach their exhibit tag to their project in a visible location. Put the initials "NC" on the bottom right corner of your exhibit tag if you will not be conference judging, and a "C" if you will be present for conference judging. It is important that these directions are followed. We will only be looking for those exhibitors who have indicated they will be conference judging.

Exhibitors who would like to conference judge, that will be showing livestock, should indicate that on their exhibit tag, and also talk to a staff person at check in.

9:00 am All "General Projects" must be in place

9:45 am

Visual Arts: Chalk/Carbon/Pigment

Clay, followed by Metal

Fiber, followed by Nature

Paper followed by Computer Generated

Heritage Arts, followed by 3-D

Wood, followed by Glass/Plastic

Foods: 4-H Cooking 101

Cake Decorating

Candy Making, followed by Breads & Cereals

and Microwave Magic

International Foods, followed by

Outdoor Meals and Meat & Other Protein Sources

Exploring Our Food Heritage, followed by

Sports Nutrition, Fruits & Vegetables,

and Dairy Foods

Child Care, followed by Do Your Own Thing and Cloverbuds

Computers, followed by Geospatial and Robotics

Consumer Savvy & Financial Champions, followed by

Communications, Health, Leadership and

Walk In My Shoes

Electricity

Vegetable Gardening, followed by Horticulture

Display and Floriculture

Wildlife, followed by Camping, Sportfishing, and Natural Resources

Photography I

Photography II, followed by Photography III

Small Engines, followed by Tractors

Woodworking I, followed by levels II, III, & IV

Small Pets, followed by Veterinary Science, Animal- less Projects

10:45 am Interior Design

Passport to the World, followed by Citizenship, Service Learning, and Theater Arts

Crops, followed by Plant & Soil Science

Forestry, followed by Geology and Entomology

The words "followed by" above indicate that one judge will be judging the projects listed in that group. They will move from one project to the next one listed as they finish each category. The time will depend on how many exhibits there are and how many youth do conference judging. This schedule is tentative, please check the final schedule when you check in your projects.