Dear 4-H Families:

Is it really May?!?!?! The past few months have really flown by here at the Extension Office. They say time flies when you are having fun, and I must be having fun, because I don't know where the time has gone.

Each 4-H family should shortly be receiving their 2001 fairbook. Please be sure to read your fairbook -- especially the general rules on pages 4-H/7 through 4-H/10. In addition, read the information in the divisions in which you are planning to exhibit. At the Extension Office, we spend a lot of time working on the fairbook so that it has all of the information you need. Check the fairbook first and then call us if you don't understand or can't find something.

Finally, CONGRATS to the Class of 2001! The staff at the Extension Office wishes you much happiness and success in your future endeavors.

There is lots of information within this newsletter. Take some time to read through it and mark your calendar for dates that pertain to you, your 4-H club, or your projects. If you have questions, don't hesitate to call. We will do our best to answer your questions. If we don't have the answer (which sometimes we don't), we will try to get you an answer as soon as possible. Our office hours are 8:00 a.m. till 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number is 630/653-4114.

Sincerely,

Deanna K. Roby
Unit Educator, Youth Development

May 2001
15	Performance Showcase Tapes due to State 4-H Office
18	Registrations due for IL 4-H Leadership Convention
19	Dog Show & Public Presentations Contest @ Fairgrounds
20	Fox Valley Spring Rabbit Show, Yorkville
21	7:00 p.m. Clothing Committee meeting @ Extension Office
23	7:30 p.m. Horse Committee meeting @ Extension Office
28	Extension Office Closed
30	Registrations due for Overnight Horse Clinic
June 2001
6	State Fair Jr. Horse Show Entries due to Extension Office
8	Fair Entries DUE Overnight Horse Clinic @ Fairgrounds
9	Overnight Horse Clinic @ Fairgrounds
10	Overnight Horse Clinic @ Fairgrounds
16	State 4-H Meats Judging Contest
18	4-H Foundation Golf Outing, West Chicago
19	State 4-H Judging Contests for dairy, horse, livestock, poultry, forestry & horticulture
20	Applications due for State 4-H Youth Leadership Team
22	State 4-H Dairy & Livestock Quiz Bowls
23	Rabbit Tattooing & Poultry Testing @ Fairgrounds, 10-2 DuPage 4-H Horse Show @ Fairgrounds 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Contest
26	State Fair Livestock Entries due to Extension Office
29	Deadline to sign-up as Junior Supt./Promo Booth IL 4-H Leadership Convention
30	IL 4-H Leadrship Convention
July 2001
1	QA&E Participation Deadline IL 4-H Leadership Convention
4	Extension Office Closed
11	State Fair Jr. Horse Show
12	State Fair Jr. Horse Show
13	State Fair Jr. Horse Show
14	State Fair Jr. Horse Show
15	State Fair Jr. Horse Show
19	Fair Set-up, 7:00 p.m. @ Fairgrounds
23	Fair Check-in & Judging (see fairbook)
24	Fair Check-in & Judging (see fairbook)
25	Fair Check-in & Judging (see fairbook) DuPage Co. Fair begins
26	DuPage Co. Fair Confirm State Fair Participation by 4:00 p.m.
27	DuPage Co. Fair State Fair Registration Forms due
28	DuPage Co. Fair
29	DuPage Co. Fair Exhibits released @ 8 p.m
August 2001
1	Fair Clean-up, 4:30 p.m. @ Fairgrounds
10	DuPage Co. @ IL State Fair
11	IL State Fair begins State Fair 4-H Dog Show
19	IL State Fair ends
25	Cloverbud Fair, 9:30 a.m. @ Fairgrounds

We welcome the following youth to the DuPage County 4-H Family. Congratulations and thanks for joining the 4-H program! We wish you much success in your 4-H career.

Laura DeLaCruz	4-H Clovers
Michael Andre	4-H for Him
Bridget & John Sheehan	Friends Forever
Laura Chemler	History Hunters
Davida Smith	History Hunters
Janie Soderling	History Hunters
Christine & Kari Stevenson	History Hunters
Courtney Turner	History Hunters
Anna Banks	Horseplay
Anncatherine Brady	Horseplay
Kasey Lutz	Horseplay
Sera Saso	Horseplay
Edward Kohley	Just Say "Nay"
Emily Laffey	Just Say "Nay"
Danielle & Jene Ziganto	Just Say "Nay"
Allison Anderson	Warrenville All-Stars
Cody Hoffman	Wayne
Nathan Mydlarz	Wings Like Eagles

Just a quick thank you to the wonderful volunteers who made this year's clothing show and fashion revue a success! Volunteers who helped out on April 7 included: Chris Pelej, Jenna Pelej, Drinda Heiden, Donna Sagen, Krystal Campbell, Vi Poling, Carol Bohnert, and Barb Mittelstadt. Additionally, we had several 4-H members helping the adults that day. We appreciate their help as well.

CONGRATULATIONS to our sewing and textiles, clothing decisions, and knitting project winners! Additionally, all of the models in the fashion revue did a superb job! Trophy winners, State Fair delegates and alternates include the following:

Sewing & Textiles 1, Champion–Felicia Wimberly
Sewing & Textiles 1, Reserve Champion–Rachel VanDiepen
Sewing & Textiles 2, Champion–Laura Terpstra
Sewing & Textiles 2, Reserve Champion–Maureen Crinion
Sewing & Textiles 3, Champion–Laura Tabbut
Sewing & Textiles 3, Reserve Champion–Emily Storm
Clothing Decisions 1, Champion–Victoria Wang
Clothing Decisions 1, Reserve Champion–Natalie Seewald
Clothing Decisions 2, Champion–Monica Crinion
Clothing Decisions 2, Reserve Champion–Sarah Walker
Knitting, Champion–Heather Fitzhenry
Knitting, Reserve Champion–Alexandra Reinbold

State Fair Delegates – Sewing & Textiles: Felicia Wimberly, Laura Terpstra, Laura Tabbut, Victoria Wang, Monica Crinion, Emily Storm, Rachel VanDiepen, Sarah Walker, Laura Kunda

State Fair Alternates – Sewing & Textiles: Tabitha Barr, Bethany Duckworth, Courtney Creiger

State Fair Delegates – Fashion Revue: Monica Crinion, Sarah Walker, Maureen Crinion, Jessica Storoe, Felicia Wimberly

State Fair Alternates – Fashion Revue: Laura Tabutt, Bethany Duckworth, Natalie Seewald

Congratulations are in order for the 2001 DuPage County Horse Bowl Teams. The senior contestants took first place in the regional competition on April 7. This enabled them to attend the state competition in Springfield on April 28. Senior team members included: Katie Magill, Elise Spencer, Esther Peters, and Jenna Sabo. The senior team was coached by Nelda Joy. The junior contestants took 2nd place at their competition. Because the point different between the 1st and 2nd place teams was less than 10 points, they too were eligible to compete in Springfield on April 28. Junior team members included: Tim Younglove, Danielle Swanson, Emily Younglove, Lynette Oostmeyer, and Amanda Bieske. The junior team was coached by Laura Younglove.

At the state competition on April 28, the senior and junior horse bowl teams both placed 3rd in the competitions. For the seniors, Katie Magill placed 3rd in the individual points for horse bowl and Elise Spencer placed 7th. For the juniors, Tim Younglove placed 3rd in the individual points for horse bowl. Additional activities happening that weekend included horse judging, horse public speaking contests, and hippology contests. DuPage County was well represented there too! Following are the results for our 4-H'ers: Junior Team placed 5th in judging, consisting of Bill Franke, Colin Kendziora, Kyle Kendziora, and Tim Younglove; Senior Team placed 3rd in judging, consisting of Kristine Joy, Katie Magill, Jenna Sabo, and Elise Spencer; Katie Magill placed 2nd in the senior hippology contest and 5th in the individual demonstration contest; Elise Spencer and Esther Peters placed 1st in the senior team demonstration; Emily Younglove placed 3rd in the junior speech contest; and, Bill Franke placed 5th in the junior speech contest.

Again, congratulations and thanks to all of you for representing DuPage County 4-H so well!

Many thanks to the wonderful volunteers who helped make this year's mini fair a success! We certainly couldn't do it without their help and support. This year's volunteer superintendents included: Sandra Jozef, Linda Pacini, Terrie Carso, Tim & Carol Toman, Jan Stecyk, Steve Yourek, Mary Lamesch, Joan Lamesch, Sharon Pape, Janelle Bussiere, and Laura Kochel. They did a superb job!

CONGRATULATIONS to our 2001 Mini Fair! Trophy winners, State Fair delegates and alternates include the following:

Food Demonstrations

Champion

• Bethany Duckworth

Reserve Champion

• Angela Schwarz

State Fair Delegates

• Bethany Duckworth
• Angela Schwarz

State Fair Alternates

• Rachel Tschetter
• Sarah Calvino

Aerospace

Champion, 8-12 yrs. old

• Alec Hub

Reserve Champion, 8-12 yrs. old

• Benjamin Kowalyshen

Champion, 13-19 yrs. old

• Bethany Duckworth

Reserve Champion, 13-19 yrs. old

• Andrew Kunda

State Fair Delegates

• Bethany Duckworth
• Andrew Kunda
• Beth Maguire
• Nathan Tschetter

Models

Champion

• Katie Twomey

Reserve Champion

• Benjamin Kowalyshen

Collections

Champion, 8-10 yrs. old

• Amanda Borow

Reserve Champion, 8-10 yrs. old

• Aubrey Kreuzer

Champion, 11-13 yrs. old

• Carolyn Andre

Reserve Champion, 8-10 yrs. old

• Danielle Swanson

Champion, 14 & older

• Jessica Storoe

Reserve Champion, 14 & older

• Rachel Horvath

Bicycle Safety

Champion

• Mike Kasanda

Reserve Champion

• Eric Kasanda

State Fair Delegates

• Mike Kasanda
• Tricia Foertsch
• Richard Kochel
• Becky Sorenson

State Fair Alternates

• Weien Wang
• Natalie Borow

Small Pet Care

Champion Guinea Pig

• Carolyn Andre

Reserve Champion

• Kelly Mittelstadt

Champion Hamster Care

• Becky Sorenson

Reserve Champion

• Kim Bergner

Champion Small Pet Care

• Alex Hub

(gerbils, chinchilla, mouse & others)

Reserve Champion

• Garrison Miller, II

Champion Small Pet Care

• Angela Schwarz

(reptiles, turtles, amphibians, birds, fish)

Reserve Champion

• Justine Estrada

Cat Care

Champion, shorthaired

• John Kersting

Reserve Champion

• Brian Dolan

Champion, long haired

• Stephanie Mirsky

Reserve Champion

• David Pilesk

Flower Arranging

Champion Flower Arranger

• Rachel Tschetter

Reserve Champion

• Katie Twomey

Madge Mittman Award

• Rachel Tschetter

State Fair Delegates

• Rachel Tschetter
• Katie Twomey

State Fair Alternate

• Jenny Schubert

It's time to think about summer camp! Now is the time to make plans and register. Camp Shaw is located along the Kankakee River in Manteno, Illinois. At Camp Shaw there is Rock Creek, a limestone canyon, hiking trails, open meadows, and rolling forest lands. It truly is a natural beauty! Of course, Camp Shaw has cabins for campers, a dining hall, shower houses, and activity areas. Campers may choose from activities in seven program areas. Those program areas include: recreation, crafts, nature, adventure, farm, pool, and garden. Each area conducts a variety of activities daily. There are also special events and theme days planned for the five-day camping experience. 4-H Camp Shaw is not only for 4-H members. Anyone with an interest in camping, making new friends or the outdoors can participate.

Camp Shaw brochures were distributed to 4-H leaders earlier this year. Contact them for your copy or call the Extension Office. Youth may attend camp any week they choose (don't pick a week that conflicts with the Fair). Cost for attending camp is $155. Transportation to and from camp is the responsibility of each camper and their family. If you need further information about Camp Shaw, please contact the Extension Office.

Are you ready for a little fun this summer? How about fun and learning combined?! Then plan now to attend the 2001 Illinois 4-H Leadership Convention in Champaign. This exciting event for teens will run from Friday morning, June 29 through Sunday morning, July 1. All high school youth, including incoming freshmen, are encouraged to attend. 4-H membership is not required – so bring along a friend who isn't in 4-H!

You'll attend 2-3 exciting workshops or tours of the University of Illinois campus and participate in a 1/2 day community service activity. Workshops sessions will focus on a variety of topics, including conflict resolution, teamwork, games for leaders, teen issue discussions, media and violence, trust building, and more. A special appearance by The Happiness Club from Chicago is scheduled. The Happiness Club is a 60+ teen member musical dance troupe that focuses on character building topics.

You'll be able to learn skills and information that you can share with your club, county, and others when you return home. Enjoy fantastic speakers and entertainment, a 50-60's theme banquet, a pool party, and other planned activities – all being lined up for the weekend. We'll be staying at the Chancellor Hotel & Convention Center, just a 1/2 block from the University of Illinois campus.

Contact the Extension Office for your copy of the registration materials. Deadline for registrations to be returned to the Extension Office is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 18.

Special Invitation – Leaders & Parents! Chaperones are needed for this event as well. You can also attend workshop sessions and gain new tools to bring back to your county and club. Have fun meeting and sharing with other adults. Contact the Extension Office if you are interested.

The DuPage County 4-H Foundation will be having it's second annual golf outing on Monday, June 18 at the Prairie Landing Golf Club in West Chicago. Cost is $125 per player and includes 18 holes of golf, golf cart, range balls, use of practice holes, lunch, and $10 towards merchandise in the golf shop. If you would like to join the group for lunch, the cost is only $25. At the conclusion of the event, there will be a silent auction and several door prizes. The day will begin at 8:00 a.m. with a shotgun start. Registration is due by June 4. Proceeds from this fundraiser benefit 4-H Youth Development in DuPage County, including scholarships, sponsorships to educational conferences and county awards. For more information, contact the Extension Office.

The DuPage County 4-H Foundation is again sponsoring a raffle. Check with contact leaders for tickets and detailed information regarding this major fundraising endeavor. Additional tickets are available from the DuPage County Extension Office. Each 4-Her selling 40 or more raffle tickets by July 9, 2001, will get a free pass to ride on the carnival rides. Passes will be good on Saturday, July 28, from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Ride passes can be picked up after 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 28 at the 4-H Office in the 4-H Building at the Fairgrounds.

The DuPage County 4-H Foundation is currently taking orders for Clover, the 2001 4-H bear. Cost of the bear is $10. Clover is a green bear with the 4-H clover and several white clovers on his fur. Order forms for the bears were distributed to 4-H leaders at the May 8 leader's meeting. Contact your leader or the Extension Office for an order form. It is hoped the bears will be delivered in time for the DuPage County Fair.

The Illinois 4-H program is offering older 4-H members and recent 4-H alumni an opportunity to play an active part in Illinois 4-H programming as part of the State 4-H Youth Leadership Team (YLT). 4-H members and alumni, ages 16-21, will be selected to assist with state 4-H events, offer teen programming suggestions and become involved in their own way on the state level.

The YLT will be comprised of 15-20 members selected through an application and interview process. Terms are for 2-year and a member may be selected for a second term (four years maximum). Three face-to-face meetings will be held each year, along with several teleconferences, to keep members involved and informed. YLT members will be required to actively participate in various statewide programs throughout the year.

An application for the 2001-2003 team can be obtained at the following website: http://www.4-H.uiuc.edu/staff/fieldstaff.html#teen_opportunities or by calling the Extension Office. Applications are due by June 20 to the State 4-H Office.

Judging contests for dairy, horse, livestock, poultry, forestry, and horticulture will be held on Tuesday, June 19 at the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana. A rocket launch, horticulture demonstrations, and horticulture speaking contests will also be held on June 19 for all those interested. Additionally, on Saturday, June 16 a meats judging contest will be held in Champaign-Urbana. The Dairy and Livestock Quiz Bowls will be held on Friday, June 22 in Champaign-Urbana.

Interested participants MUST be enrolled in 4-H for the current year. Members may not participate in more than one contest program area, except Meats Judging, Dairy Quiz Bowl and Dairy Judging, where they are encouraged to participate in both, or Livestock Quiz Bowl and Livestock Judging, where they are also encouraged to participate in both.

For further information and registration deadlines, contact the Extension Office.

The Illinois State 4-H Forestry Contest will be held at Illini Grove on the U of I campus in Urbana on Tuesday, June 19 from 11:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m. There will be an optional orientation session beginning at 10:00 a.m. that day. The events in this contest include: tree identification, tree fruit identification, tree measurement, and compass traverse. Judging event equipment will be provided. For more details about the contest, contact the Extension Office. Registration deadline is Monday, June 4.

The 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation program is designed to teach youth about the fundamentals of wildlife management in both the urban and rural setting. Although it is a competitive event, its main focus is education. Saturday, June 23 has been selected as the date for the 2001 state contest. It will be conducted at Lake of the Woods (Champaign County Forest Preserve), near Mahomet, Illinois. A registration form, with participants' names, needs to be sent from the unit office to the Champaign Extension Center by June 13, 2001. A contest schedule and map will be sent to counties upon receipt of their registration.

If a county/unit is interested in working with a group of youth in this program, there should be one or more adult volunteers willing to work with each team. Youth may participate at the state level in one of two divisions, according to their age. The senior division is for youth at least 14 years of age as of Dec. 31, 2000 and not older than 19 as of Jan. 1, 2001. The junior division is for youth younger than 14 years of age. Youth in the senior division can compete as an individual or as a member of a 3 - 4 person team. A senior team may be made up of youth from different counties, but they need to be identified as a team prior to the state contest. Participants preparing for the state contest should study the Eastern Deciduous Forest region in the national manual. The Eastern Deciduous Forest region's species list and table showing management practices will be used in Activity III and IV. Training materials for this program are available from Dave Shiley, Champaign Extension Center, 217-333-4901.

These websites come to us through various sources. Extension-related sites should be okay for youth and adults. Other sites may not be. We are not endorsing or promoting any of these sites, just relaying potential sources of information that are available. As with anything on the World Wide Web, please be cautious and use your best judgment.

U of I Extension Urban Programs:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu

DuPage County 4-H/Extension:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/dupage

Illinois 4-H:
http://www.4-H.uiuc.edu

National 4-H Council:
http://www.fourhcouncil.edu

Helping Leaders Be 4-H Savvy:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/4hfacts/

The Extension Office has videos available that clubs and schools can use for project or club meetings. We also have worksheets that accompany them for follow up activities that are suitable for various age groups. These can be borrowed from the office for 3-5 days depending on requests. Please call ahead and reserve a date if you're interested. Titles include:

An Electronic Field Trip to -

• A Pig Farm
• An Orchard
• A Horse Farm
• A Beef Farm
• A Veterinarian
• Clinic

Why Can Horses Run So Fast?

Yams in Space

Why Can a Cow Eat Grass?

Wood You Take Care of Me?

Wool You Keep Me Warm?

Now Ear This? (corn)

From Moo to You

How Do You Grow A Fish Sandwich?

Chickens, Piglets and Lambs, Oh My!

What's Bugging You?

Collecting Bugs – Pinning and Mounting

Embryology

"Gofer Conservation" is a puppet kit with 3 scripts and puppets geared for older children to use for a puppet show for other children. The script titles are: "The Flood,""Who Owns the Land," and "Keeping Things Clean Is Everybody's Responsibility." This is available on loan to clubs and schools.

Secret Agent Worms takes youth through four missions and two spy adventures to discover the reasons behind the disappearing earth! This science kit is available for clubs and schools but the consumable pieces have to be replaced for $25.00. The kit contains a teacher's guide, activity sheets, all the needed materials, a poster, bookmarks, stickers and a reading book.

Animal Possession Deadlines

4-H livestock and other animal exhibitors must have owned and personally cared for their project from the latest starting date for the project. Listed below are the animals and their latest starting date:

Beef, Performance Cow	January 1
Dairy, Cows	January 1
Goats, Milking Doe	January 1
Beef, Steer	February1
Goats, Kids & Yearling	May 1
Horse & Pony	May 1
Poultry	May 1
Rabbits	May 1
Sheep, Wethers	May 15
Beef, Heifers	June 1
Dairy, Calves	June 1
Sheep, Breeding	June 1
Swine, Barrows	June 1
Swine, Breeding	June 1
Swine, Gilts	June 1

If you have questions, please contact the Extension Office.

Purebred Papers Needed for Fair

If you are planning to bring purebred animals to the 2001 DuPage County or Illinois State Fair, you will you need to have registration papers indicating the animals are actually purebreds. Registration papers should be in the youth's name, and not the family, farm or parent name. One final note -- please be sure your purebred animals have the appropriate tattoos/markings before they leave the breeders possession. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call the Extension Office.

Poultry Testing Scheduled

If you are involved in raising chickens either for show or sale, you must be able to prove that an inspection for pullorum-typhoid has been done on the flock that the eggs or chicks come from. Results of the inspection should be negative for pullorum-typhoid. If the chicks come from your own flock, they will need to be tested. If you bought chicks/eggs from a hatchery, you should obtain paperwork from that hatchery stating the flock they came from has a negative pullorum-typhoid test result. Also, the bill of sale needs to show the name of the hatchery.

After chickens have been tested, you will receive a piece of paper stating that everything is alright/negative. At a later date, you will get another copy in the mail. We suggest that you keep the originals, and take copies to any shows/sales you participate in.

For DuPage County 4-H'ers, poultry pullorum typhoid testing will be done on Saturday, June 23 at the DuPage County Fairgrounds from 10:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. For the test, there will be a 25-cent charge per bird. Please call the Extension Office at 630/653-4114 by June 20 with your name and the number of animals you would like to have tested.

Upcoming Horse Events

Listed below are several upcoming events that 4-H'ers, parents, interested adults, and volunteers may wish to participate in. For more information about any of the events listed below, check with the contact person (if listed) or call the Extension Office.

May 19, 2001: Bits-N-Reins 4-H Club, Fashion Show/Tack & Attire Sale, Ogle Co. Extension Office, Oregon. For more information, call 815/393-4038.

May 27, 2001: Will County Open Horse Show, Francis 4-H Field, New Lenox. For more information, call 815/485-5927.

June 3, 2001: Ogle County 4-H Team Tournament, Diamond G Ranch & Western Store, Rochelle. For more information, call 815/393--3037 or 815/393-4830.

June 8-10, 2001: Overnight Horse Clinic, DuPage County Fairgrounds, Wheaton. Registration materials were mailed to 4-H members in the horse and horseless horse projects.

June 16, 2001: Kane County Team Tournament, Fox Valley Saddle Association, Elgin. Entry fee for the day is $20 per rider. Entries due to the Kane County Extension Office by June 6. For more information, call 630/584-6166.

June 23, 2001: DuPage County 4-H Horse Show, DuPage County Fairgrounds, Wheaton.

June 23-24, 2001: Bits-N-Reins 4-H Club 16th Annual Open Horse Show, Diamond G Ranch & Western Store, Rochelle. For more information, call 815/562--4050.

July 1, 2001: Will County Open Horse Show, Francis 4-H Field, New Lenox. For more information, call 815/469-9130 or 815/485-5529.

July 11-15, 2001: IL State Fair Junior Horse Show, State Fairgrounds, Springfield. Entries for this event will be due to the Extension Office by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6.

July 29, 2001: Will County Open Horse Show, Francis 4-H Field, New Lenox. For more information, call 815/469-3007.

Overnight Horse Clinic Scheduled

This year's DuPage County 4-H overnight horse clinic is scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 8, 9, and 10. A mailing about this clinic was sent to each member enrolled in the horse or horseless horse projects. Check your mailbox to get all of the details. Registrations for the clinic are due to the Extension Office by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30. The Horse Committee has many fun and educational activities planned for this exciting weekend!

4-H Horse Show Scheduled for June

All 4-H members enrolled in a horse project are encouraged to participate in the 2001 4-H Horse Show scheduled for Saturday, June 23, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton. All entries need to be made on the fair entry forms available from your club leader. Horse show details can be found on pages 28-31 of the DuPage County Fair Book. NOTE: There have been a few changes made in this year's book so read the Fair Book carefully.

Rabbit Cages For Sale

Gerry Calay of West Chicago has 5 small rabbit cages she would like to give away. They are table models made out of wood. Additionally, she has five floor standing cages to give away. If you are interested in obtaining them, contact her at 630/231-8409.

Fox Valley Spring Rabbit Show

This show will be held on Sunday, May 20 at the Kendall County Fairgrounds in Yorkville. It is an American Rabbit Breeders Association sanctioned show. All judges will be licensed by ARBA. All 4-H youth are encouraged to come and show their rabbits. You do not have to be an ARBA member to participate. Pre-registration is not required – you can register the morning of the show. However, you must arrive and have your rabbit registered by 8:00 a.m. Entry fee is $2.25 per rabbit. Fur is $1.00; you may not show your rabbit in the fur category only. All rabbits must be tattooed in order to show. This is a great opportunity to learn and prepare for shows and fairs this summer. For more information or to ask questions, contact Lea Kloster at 630/513-5351 or email her at telmark45@prodigy.net

Rabbit Tattooing Scheduled

Members who plan to exhibit rabbits at the DuPage County Fair and/or the Illinois State Fair should be aware that tattoos are NOT optional. Tattoos can be applied any time (there is no deadline date) prior to arriving at the fair. Permanent tattoos must be in the rabbits LEFT ear abiding by American Rabbit Breeders Association rules. Rabbit tattooing will be done on Saturday, June 23, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds from 10:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. Please call the Extension Office at 630/653-4114 by June 20 with your name and the number of animals you would like to have tested.

Set-up & Clean-up Days Planned

This year's fair set-up is scheduled for Thursday, July 19beginning at 7:00 p.m. All clubs should have at least TWO representatives to assist with this major project. Remember – many hands make light work. 4-H Superintendents and Junior Superintendents will have an important meeting immediately following set-up in the 4-H Building. Superintendents not associated with a 4-H club may pick up fair passes at the meeting on July 19. All other Superintendents may pick up their fair passes from the 4-H contact leader.

Fair Clean-Up is scheduled for Wednesday, August 1, 4:30 p.m. at the Fairgrounds. The DuPage County Fair Association provides financial support to the DuPage 4-H program for this major clean-up effort. All clubs are asked to provide at least four (4) representatives to help with this major effort. Dinner will be served to participants after completion of clean-up. After dinner, State Fair discount tickets and car passes will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis!

Fair Entry Deadline Approaching

4-H leaders must turn in entries for the 2001 DuPage County 4-H Show to the Extension Office by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 8. That means that you need to let your 4-H leader know what you are planning to exhibit prior to that day. All entries will be processed through your 4-H club leader – please do not contact the Extension Office to make your entry. There will be no exceptions to the June 8 deadline. Please mark your calendars accordingly!

Project Check-In and Judging Times

4-Hers and parents are reminded to check the Fair Book on page 4-H/9 and 4-H/10 for information about check-in times, location, and conference judging. Please make special note about check-in deadlines. Some projects may be checked in on a different day and/or time from past years.

Admission to the Fair

Volunteer leaders and 4-H members age 10 and older will receive an armband for the 2001 DuPage County Fair. This armband will be your ticket to the Fair, allowing free entry at all times during the Fair. Club contact leaders will distribute the armbands. Only ONE armband will be issued to each 4-H member. Parents may purchase season passes from the Fair Association Office or at the gate.

Attention Clothing Exhibitors

All 4-H members judged on April 7 MUST bring their garments and/or displays to the 4-H Building on Monday, July 23, between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. If the garment(s) and/or display is not on display at the Fair, PREMIUMS will not be issued. Don't forget to bring your ribbons. Each article of clothing should be on a different hanger.

Junior Superintendents Needed

4-H members, 13 and older, are encouraged to assist with the 4-H Fair by serving as Junior Superintendents. Responsibilities include: helping with project check-in and set-up for the specific area of assignment; helping make sure that projects are not disturbed during the fair; helping with check-out and clean-up on Sunday; and, helping the Superintendent with any other responsibilities. If interested, complete the form at the end of this newsletter and return it to Deanna at the DuPage County Extension Office by Friday, June 29.

Awards Program at Fair

All families are invited to attend the "Best of 4-H" program at 3:00 p.m. and the Fair Awards program at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 29 in the Program Tent. These programs will honor 4-H'ers and Open Class Exhibitors for outstanding fair exhibits. Fair trophies will be presented at this time. 4-H members should look for the "special" PINK forms attached to projects indicating the 4-Her is to receive an award at this recognition event.

Fair Security

The security of 4-H Fair Exhibits is the responsibility of members, parents, leaders and staff. In order to maintain project safety, clubs have been assigned to watch the 4-H Building for 2-hour blocks of time. Club support for security during the fair is essential. A security schedule will be given to the contact leaders at the May Parent/Leaders Meetings. Please check with your contact leader for the day and time your club is scheduled. Contact leaders are asked to recruit club members and parents to provide security. Each club should plan to have at least six people per shift, including one adult. Thank you in advance for your help in keeping our building and treasured projects secure.

State Fair Delegates Board

A State Fair Delegate board will be located in the 4-H Building during the Fair. ALL State Fair delegates and alternates will be required to confirm their participation as a delegate by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 26. If your name appears on the board, stop at the 4-H Office on the Fairgrounds to fill out a registration form. All State Fair registration forms must be completed and turned in to the 4-H Office at the Fairgrounds by 5:00 p.m., Friday, July 27.

Exhibit Release Time

With the exception of livestock or Sewing & Textiles exhibitors participating in the Best of 4-H Program, NO projects will be released before 8:00 p.m., Sunday, July 29. The DuPage County Extension Office or the Fair Association will not be responsible for any projects left unclaimed after 10:00 p.m. on July 29. Unclaimed projects will be available at fair clean-up. After that time, any unclaimed projects will be disposed of at the end of the evening. Please make arrangements to have your project picked up if you will not be present at release time. Any person picking up 4-H projects will need a claim check for each project they are picking up.

4-H Foundation Promo Booth at Fair

4-H Foundation will have a promotional booth in the Commercial Building during fair week. The purpose of the booth is to encourage fairgoers to visit the 4-H exhibits and to buy raffle tickets. Volunteers are needed to man this booth from Wednesday through Sunday. Please complete the coupon at the end of this newsletter if you are interested in volunteering to work in the booth.

Open Class Volunteers Needed

Do you have a few hours on one or more days of the DuPage County Fair when you could help in the Home Ec and Annex Buildings? The work isn't hard: watch the exhibits, visit with people and have a chance to see the work of many talented people in our county. Men and women are both welcome and we are sure you would enjoy all the exhibits. The DuPage County Fair dates are Wednesday, July 25, through Sunday, July 29. For more information or to sign-up call the Fair Association office at 630/668-6636.

Open and Junior Class Exhibit Opportunities

The DuPage County Fair takes place from July 25–29, 2001. Why not consider entering some of your handiwork in the Open Class Division? There are many classes offered in various departments, such as Flower Arranging, Needlework, Arts & Crafts, Photography, Painting & Drawing, Clothing and Foods in the Home Ec Division. Vegetables, Grain, Flowers and Plants, Collections, Miniatures, Electronics and Woodworking are some of the departments offered in the Science Division. To get more information about entering exhibits at the Fair, check out the DuPage County Fair Book or call the DuPage Fair Association Office at 630/668-6636. They can answer any questions you may have.

2001 Illinois State Fair Dates & DuPage County Day

Dates for the 2001 Illinois State Fair are August 10-19, at the State Fairgrounds in Springfield. DuPage County exhibit day is scheduled for Friday, August 10. This is opening day of the fair, so it will probably be a busy one! If you plan to stay overnight, make your hotel reservations NOW!

State Fairbooks and Entry Forms

We should shortly be receiving the 2001 Illinois State fairbooks and entry forms. If you need a book or forms, please contact the Extension Office. Listed below please find some dates and deadlines for State Fair entries and shows.

June 6	Entry Deadline for Illinois State Fair Junior Horse Show Exhibitors
June 26	Entry Deadline for Illinois State Fair Livestock Exhibitors (ONLY exception is Dogs)
July 1	Deadline for required attendance at Quality Assurance and Ethics Clinic
July 11-15	State Fair Jr. Horse Show
August 1	Deadline for 4-H Entries and Dog Show Entries to State 4-H Office

State Fair Jobs Available

Adults and older teens are needed to work at the 2001 Illinois State Fair in the Jr. Department. From livestock assistants to dorm security positions, project superintendents to project assistants -- help is needed! Staff is paid according to the actual number of days worked. Depending on the position, some staff are needed before the fair actually starts and/or released before the end of the fair. If you are interested, contact the Extension Office.

Performance Showcase at State Fair

The 2001 Illinois State Fair will again offer a 4-H Performance Showcase. Any and all entries will be accepted. Entries can include the following (but are not limited to): puppet shows, mime, singing, dances, skits, poetry reading, instrumentals, and any other special talents you or your club may have. 4-H members age 10 and above may enter as individuals; younger members may be on stage in a group (5 or more) entry. Submitted tape entries are due May 15 to the State 4-H Office. A tentative date for the performance at the State Fair is August 12.

4-H Canned Food Drive Returns to State Fair

4-H'ers and visitors to the 2001 Illinois State Fair are asked to bring along a can, box, or bag of non-perishable food to contribute to the 4-H House of Food. While at the fair, 4-H members will construct a unique house made out of the donated food products. During the past four years, more than 15 tons of food have been collected through the 4-H efforts.

4-H Foundation Promotional Booth
(Parents and 4-Hers are encouraged to participate)

Name: __________________________________

Address: _________________________________

Phone: __________________________________

4-H Club Affiliation:________________________

Circle day and time you are available:

Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Morning	Afternoon	Evening

Return to the Extension Office (310 S County Farm RD, Suite B, Wheaton 60187) by Friday, June 29.