Applications will be accepted beginning January 4, 2010. Positions will remain open until filled. Specific job descriptions available upon request. For more information please visit: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/4hmemorialcamp/jobopp.html

Beef Weigh-In has been set for February 6, 2010. The weigh-in will be held from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at the Effingham County Fairgrounds in Altamont. All animals must have a halter on at weigh-in.

Premiere steers for State Fair must be weighed, tattooed and have an Electronic Identification Number on or between February 1 and March 15, 2010. Each 4-H'er may nominate 10 steers. Carcass requirements will include: All carcasses have a quality grade of at least low Select; have a maximum yield grade of lower than 4.0; and a maximum hot carcass weight of 900 pounds.

Contact Wes Wise for more information.

Lit'l Bit Country 4-H Club invites all Effingham County 4-H members to a skating party on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Silver Star Skating Rink in Mattoon. (Lit'l Bit Country will be donating proceeds from this skate night back to 4-H to help purchase trophies.)

Cost: $4.00 /skater to Lit'l Bit Country.

Rental: $1.00 for skates, $2.00 for in-line, or bring your own.

Snack Bar available and a play area for smaller kids.

Bring a friend and join the fun!!!!!!!

Please RSVP with estimate to Janet Haarmann so Silver Star has enough staff on hand.

Illinois 4-H is rolling out the National 4-H Shooting Sports Program. The three disciplines under this group project are shotgun, archery, and rifle. As a prevention education program, positive youth-adult interaction and peer leadership are emphasized. It creates an environment for family communication and quality time together and promotes the highest standards of safety, sportsmanship and ethical behavior.

To begin a shooting sports program, a Volunteer Coordinator is required. This position oversees the volunteers of all three disciplines. All volunteers must be at least 21 years of age, go through the background screening and are appointed through the Extension office. They must be certified and demonstrate competency by completing a three-day training session.

We are currently working with the Effingham County Sportsman Club to get this accomplised in our county. Stay tuned to future newsletters and we hope to get it started in our county soon!

Effingham County 4-H is excited to announce that we have a new 4-H club forming in our county! We would like to welcome the Trailblazers 4-H Club to our 4-H Family! Lisa Zumbahlen is the key leader and has been very busy in getting her kids prepared for the new 4-H year. WELCOME and we wish you the very best and a very successful new year!

This contest provides youth interested in 4-H dairy an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of dairy related subjects in a competitive setting where attitudes of friendliness and fairness prevail.

Each team must have 4 members. Junior teams are ages 13 and under and senior teams are ages 14 and over.

The contest will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2010. Teams should check in at the Hawthorn Suites, 101 Trade Centre Dr., Champaign, IL at 8:30 a.m. The contest will last from 9:00 a.m. to approximately 2:00 p.m.

February 20-21, 2010 is the date for the Illinois 4-H Jr. Leadership Conference for 4-H members who are in the 7th or 8th grade. While learning new things to take back to your club, delegates also have a great time meeting other junior high 4-H members from across the state. Workshops, special activities, a speaker, and loads of fun will keep participants happy and motivated to go home and try all the things you will learn. For more information, visit the State 4-H website at

http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state4h/events/juniorleadership.cfm

SPIN Groups or Special Interest Groups are just that, a group that meets at least 6 times with one interest or topic. If you have suggestions for SPIN groups, please let us know! If you know of an adult(s) who has a passion for a special interest or hobby and who would like to share their knowledge and skills with others, please let us know.

Grants of $50 to $250 per year are available to local 4-H clubs for carrying out worthwhile projects. 4-H members and clubs have the opportunity to demonstrate their concern for community improvement and community health or safety by carrying out a specific project. Applications are to State 4-H Office by January 30, 2010. Contact the Extension Office for t grant application in both areas.

The Quality Assurance & Ethics Certification website should be available February 1, 2010. ALL State Fair & County exhibitors in beef, sheep, swine, horse, dairy, meat goat and poultry exhibitors are required to complete QA&E via web site. Certification need only be done once. This certification is NOT the same as PQA. To be certified visit: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/qaec/

In 2002, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency created the Green Youth Award. The Green Youth Award is an annual awards program that recognizes the outstanding and innovative efforts of youth in Illinois who are working on environmental and conservation friendly projects.

To be eligible for a Green Youth Award, projects must involve one or more of the following categories: waste reduction, prevention or reduction of pollution in the air, water or land; restoration, preservation or enhancement of natural areas; and energy or water efficiency.

Youth currently enrolled in K-12 public, private or home schools and who have participated in an environmental project may apply for the award. Clubs and other organizations such as Scouts and 4-H are encouraged to apply as well.

For additional information on the Illinois Governor's Green Youth Award, please contact Toni Leigh at (217) 557-7826.

Papers Due May 1, 2010.

You must have a copy of your Horse Lease/Ownership papers on file at the Effingham County Extension office no later than May 1. If you turned one in last year, we will have it on file. However, if you exhibited at the State Fair Jr. Horse Show, we had to send them your copy and you will need to get another on file.

The Illinois State Treasurer's Office supports your pursuit of higher education at an Illinois college or university through the Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship Program. We have already awarded $100,000 in scholarships to rural and urban students seeking degrees in a broad array of agriculture-related fields, from crop and livestock production to agri-business, engineering, communications, economics and animal science.

This year we will select 10 additional recipients to be honored at the Illinois State Fair.

You will need to fill out the application and submit it with the required materials, including a goal statement and essay explaining your choice to pursue an ag-related career. Winners will receive a notification letter by Friday, May 29, 2010. For more information visit: http://www.treasurer.il.gov/programs/cultivate-illinois/scholarships.aspx