4-H Community Worker

Dear 4-H Families,

I hope everyone had a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful, warm fall that we had. Now that we have had our first dose of blustery winter weather I hope that you are staying warm and able to enjoy this winter holiday season. This time of year is very busy as 2010 comes to a close and we look toward planning for a new year. Please take the time to look over the newsletter, especially the upcoming dates, for opportunities to participate in many 4-H activities.

With winter upon us and the weather on occasion being unpredictable, we may have to cancel an event so please call the extension office if you have any doubt if the event has been cancelled or if the office will be closed. If the office is open we will let you know, however, if the office is closed due to the weather there will be a recorded message indicating a cancelled event for the day. The Winter Weather Preparedness information from the National Weather Service has an informative website that helps you plan for winter weather issues. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ilx/?n=winter

I hope that everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday season. We look forward to another positive year in 4-H with our 4-H families.

Sincerely,

Kelly Sadowski

4-H Community Worker

Happy Holidays from the Extension Staff:

James, Brenda, Kelly, Pam, Mary, Norma, Doris, and Rosa

Upcoming Office Closings

· December 24, 2010--December 31, 2010

We will re-open regular hours on January 3, 2011. As a reminder, our regular business hours are Monday-Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm.

· January 17, 2011-Martin Luther King Jr. Day

4-H Club News

Club Programming Reminders

As your club moves forward in planning this year's program of work there is something that needs to be taken into consideration. Risk Management.

There are a few activities that are not approved by the state and risk management. Examples of these are skiing, tobogganing, paint ball, laser tag, battle of the barns and others are just a few which insurance does not allow or cover. If your club has events that you're are not are covered please contact Kelly at the Extension office and she will be glad to work through the risk management portion of the event, select low or high risk consent forms and help ensure that the members have a safe and wonderful experience.

Enrollment Deadlines

A big THANK YOU goes out to all the clubs that have brought in member enrollment forms with the program fee. We appreciate you getting these to us in a timely manner. Your program fee provides for curriculum, publications, insurance, and programming. 4-H is such a value for the quality of programming and the opportunities for your club members.

NOTE FOR EVERYONE! When writing out a check to us for anything, be it for enrollment payment, 4-H program payment, etc. please REMEMBER to write out the check to either University of Illinois Extension or McHenry County Extension. We received many checks for enrollment that were made out to 4-H Foundation or leader's name/club name which could not be deposited and delaying enrollment entry.

Animal News

Project Enrollment Deadlines (IMPORTANT)

The following projects have a January 1st enrollment deadline:

· All Beef Projects

· Dairy Market Steer

Possession of Animals

The following animals need to be in the 4-Her's possession as of January 1st.

· Beef cows

· Dairy Cows

· Dairy Goat Milking Does

Reminder: There will be no replacement of any animal that dies after the possession date. However, it is permissible to have more than one animal.

Project Enrollment Possession of Animals

January 1

All Beef Projects Beef Cows January 1

Beef Market Steers February 1

Beef Calves and Heifers May 1

Dairy Market Steer Project Dairy Market Steers February 1

March 31

Horse Project Must be owned or leased May 1

Dairy Project Dairy Cow January 1

Dairy Heifers May 1

Dairy Calves June 1

Dairy Steer Calf Project Dairy Steer Calf June 1

Poultry Project Poultry May 1

Sheep Project Ewe lamb/Ram lamb/

Yearling Ewe/Market lamb May 1

Swine Project Barrows May 1

Goat Project Dairy Goat Milking Does January 1

Dairy Goat Kids & Yearlings May 1

Rabbits, Cats, Dogs Rabbits, Cats, Dogs May 1

All other general projects need to be enrolled in by March 31^st to be eligible to show at fair.

County and State Fair Information

McHenry County Fair 2011 Dates:

v Dog Show: July 23rd

v Cat Show: July 17th

v Clothing Judging: July 20th

v Fair Set up: July 28th

v General Project Judging: August 1

v Visual Arts Judging: August 1

v Foods/Crops/Horticultural: August 2

v Animal Check in: August 2

v Fair Starts: August 3

v 4-H Night at Fair: August 4

v Auction: August 6

v Last Day of Fair: August 7

v Records due to Extension Office: August 23

Requirements to Exhibit

The following requirements must be met to be eligible to exhibit at the McHenry County Fair.

v Enrolled in project by deadline according to project showing.

v Attendance Policy—4-Her in his/her second year and beyond must attend at least 4 club meetings by June 1, with exceptions of excused absences of illness, school or church activity.

v 4-H members in their first year of membership must attend one third of club/group meetings after registration in order to show in the McHenry County Fair's 4-H show.

v Any member enrolled in animals need to take Ethics on-line. Last day for online participation July 1

v Swine Project Members ONLY- PQA Training prior to May 1, 2011

2011 Illinois State Fair Dates Announced

4-H Recognition Banquet

Thank you to all who attended the 4-H Recognition potluck. We appreciate all the effort to come and bring great food and celebrate the accomplishments of many of our 4-H members. Also recognized were Volunteers for their many years of service and clubs for their participation. We recognized the top treasurer and secretaries. At this banquet you can see the impact that 4-H has on its youth and the many good things they are doing in their 4-H development.

News from Across the State

Speaking for Illinois 4-H

Illinois 4-H offers older 4-H members an opportunity to give back to the 4-H program by assisting local Extension staff with reporting to elected officials and stakeholders, recruiting volunteers, and identifying and speaking to potential funders. To be listed on the state SFI4-H roster, members must attend annual training provided by the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team. If you would like more information visit the State 4-H website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sfi4h.cfm

Junior High Leadership Conference (JLC) Returns

The theme for the 2011 JLC is EXTRA! EXTRA! LEAD ALL ABOUT IT! Workshops will focus on the value of community service, geo-mapping, wind power, communication and writing skills, photography, and local government. The State 4-H Youth Leadership Team plans this event. If you would like more information you can visit the website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/events/juniorleadership.cfm.

Purchase an Illinois 4-H License Plate

Show your support of Illinois 4-H by purchasing your own 4-H license plate or purchase one to give as a gift. A portion of every license plate sold will go to support 4-H programming in all 102 Illinois counties! Visit the website at www.4hfoundation.illinois.edu.

Here is the link to the Illinois Leader December 2010/January 2011newsletter for more information from State 4-H office:

http://my.extension.uiuc.edu/documents/8101811101110/December%202010-January%202011.pdf

Volunteers

Illinois 4-H is pleased to announce the introduction of a variety of 4-H volunteer courses. These are web-based volunteer orientation and training sessions for new and experienced 4-H leaders. For three of these courses, 4-H volunteers will need to register with University of Illinois Extension to proceed with the courses. Volunteers should to go http://web.extension.illinois.edu/4hc/?register. Leaders will be asked to provide a valid email address, create and confirm a password, and then enter some contact information for the database including first and last name, organization (club/group) as well as address, city, zip, and county. This information will be used to send notification of a person's completion of a course to the local Extension office and State 4-H office. The system will also allow volunteers to print a completion certificate. For the other three courses, you may go directly to the web address listed for the topic.

Below are courses now offered online:

o Come to Order, Please! – Parliamentary Procedure

o You're on (Public Presentations: Plan, Prepare, Practice, and Present)

o 4-H Volunteer Orientation

o Working with Committees

Horse Committee News

Horse Orientation:

Horse Orientation is scheduled for January 25, 2011 at 7:00pm at HAHS, Woodstock, IL. You will receive your Horse Packet with all the information needed for the upcoming year.

Horse Lease/Ownership Papers Required. As part of the packet you will receive lease/ownership papers for all animals (horses and ponies) that you might use/exhibit at 4-H shows, McHenry County Fair, Illinois State Fair Junior Horse Show. These papers (GREEN SHEETS) are due into the Extension Office on or before April 30, 2011, NO EXCEPTION! We must have these papers on file. Also included with the ownership/lease paper should be one photo of each side of each animal. Pictures are mandatory for all horse and ponies, grade, and registered animals. PHOTOCOPIES OF THE PICTURES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. We need original photos.

Horse Bowl: Practice sessions for 2010/2011 Horse bowl teams will begin soon. The dates TBA. During a 4-H Horse Bowl contest, four-person teams compete by answering questions in a quiz bowl format. Teams are divided into Junior (ages 8-13) and Senior (ages 14-19) categories. Team members meet regularly to study horse reference books with their coaches in order to prepare for the spring contests. You DO NOT need to own a horse to participate. Come out and make new friends and learn about horses.

Hippology Contest:

The annual McHenry County Hippology Contest will be held from 1 to 3 pm on Saturday, February 19, 2011, at the Extension office, (McHenry County Farm Bureau building), 1102 McConnell Rd., Woodstock. The event tests a 4-Her's knowledge of horses, including breeds, colors, anatomy, nutrition, diseases, tack and more. Participants will take a short written test and do "stations" looking at displays and answering questions. Ribbons will be awarded in three age divisions. This counts as a committee-approved clinic.

· Reminder: Horse project members must attend two approved clinics each year in order to show their horses at fair.

Horse Clinic: Fine Tuning your show appearance with Dale Timmermann: April 2nd 2011 at 2:00pm Address: 29550 W. Roberts Rd. Island Lake, IL 60042

Kane County is hosting the Regional Horse Judging Contest. This event will take place the end of March or early April. Look for more information to follow.

IMPORTANT Dates to Remember!

Poultry Clinic

Date: January 15, 2011, from 1-3pm at the Extension Office

All 4-H members enrolled in Poultry should try to attend this clinic. Valuable information will be given to help you in your project area and provide help for showing/judging at fair. Please register at the McHenry County web site so that we know how many are in attendance so that we can plan accordingly. https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=5251

Beef Weigh-In Scheduled

Date: Saturday, February 5, 2011

Place: McHenry County Fair Grounds

Time: 8:00am to Noon

Snow date: Saturday, February 12, 2011

All beef animals and market heifers to be shown in the McHenry County Fair must weigh-in and receive tattoo.

(PQA) Pork Quality Assurance Clinic Announced

Monday, February 28, at the McHenry County Fairgrounds at 7:00pm.

Snow Date is March 7, 2011

There is a $5.00 charge for members to cover the cost of the presenter and program.

ANY 4-H members planning to exhibit and sell swine at either the McHenry County Fair or the Illinois State Fair MUST attend a training to become certified in Pork Quality Assurance. 4-H PQA must be done on an annual basis. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Reminder: All 4-H members enrolled in Beef, Swine, Dairy, Sheep, Goats, Poultry, Rabbit, Horse & Pony project areas MUST to take ethics. This requirement is done online and needs to be completed by July 1. The website will be available from February 1 to July 1. The site is http://web.extension.illinois.edu/qaec/ Before exiting the ethics website REMEMBER to print a copy of the certification to prove completion. Those who have previously taken the QAEC training are maintained on the approved list and will not need to be re-certified. It is suggested that anyone showing for the first time at state fair take the PQA clinic.

Dog Orientation

This year's Dog Orientation will be held at the McHenry County Fairground in building D at 10:00am on January 22, 2011.

All youth enrolled in dogs are required to attend. NO EXCEPTIONS. Youth are required to attend two dog clinics in order to show at the 2011 4-H fair. This orientation will count as one clinic ONLY if you stay for the entire program, and you must sign in.

News from the 4-H Foundation

Crandall's Fundraiser: McHenry County 4-H Youth Foundation would like to thank everyone for attending and helping at the Crandall's Fundraiser dinner. It was a huge success. We sold 348 tickets. It was fun to see all in attendance enjoying good food and even better company. We are excited about the turn out and hope to another dinner in the future.

String Tie Affair: It is that time of year again and the String Tie Affair, formally known as the Green Tie affair is right around the corner. Save the date of March 19, 2011. It will be held at Donley's Village Hall in Union, IL. More details on the event will be forthcoming. At this time I would like the clubs to begin thinking of basket ideas that will be on the silent auction that night. Here is a list of basket ideas, if you choose one on the list or have a different idea please contact Rachel Nicolai at 815-943-4211 and give her your idea. We ask that you contact us so that we can have a wide variety of baskets with no overlapping of themes. If you have any questions about the String Tie Affair please contact Rachel Nicolai at 815-943-4211 or Paula Weidner at 815-943-7031.

Basket Idea List:

Baking/Cooking
Beach
Bears
Blackhawks
Camping
Car/Auto Care
Cats
Chocolate
Christmas
Coffee
Cubs
Dogs
Fishing/Hunting
Game Night
Gardening
Grilling/BBQ
Horses
Jelly and Jam
Manicure/Pedicure
Italian Cuisine
John Deere
Movie Night
NASCAR
Birthday Party
Picnic
Sewing
Soup Cuisine
Sox
Wine and Cheese
Tea Time
Puzzles
Ice Cream Sundae
4-H
Tail Gating
Packers

Family Game Time in January

Sunday afternoon-January 16th, 2011

2:00-4:30 pm

Extension Office Auditorium

$10 per family donation to the Foundation

Bring your favorite game/board game to share with everyone. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.

4-H Foundation Cookbooks

The McHenry County 4-H Youth Foundation Cookbooks are still available to help support our 4-H Extension. Inside the cookbook are hundreds of wonderful prize winning and delicious recipes from McHenry County club members and friends.

The Cookbooks cost $10 and are available at the Extension Office, 1102 McConnell Road. Bundles of 6 cookbooks are also available for a slight discount. Make checks out to the McHenry County 4-H Youth Foundation

Ambassadors

Ambassadors are a group of youth ages 4-H age 12 and older who are interested in learning communication skills, leadership skills, leadership and community service experiences. Through the program youth will increase the awareness of 4-H in McHenry County.

Monthly meeting are held with programs which are selected by the youth. The last meeting was on communication. The next program is January 17th at 7:00pm at the Extension Office with a program on Entrepreneurship. Any 4-Her 12 years or older is welcome to attend.

Miss Rinn, owner of the Blossom Shop, will be the guest speaker for the evening. Youth will learn what an entrepreneur is; identify personal talents, strengths, and resources. Hannah will share her experiences in 4-H as an 11 year member, ambassador, and director of McHenry Foundation in helping her select her career.

For more information please contact Judy Corson at 815-338-5798.

Special Interest Clubs and Opportunities

Creative Quilters

If you enjoy sewing and having the opportunity to explore your creativity, then Creative Quilters is for you. Join us once a month on the fourth Monday at 6:30pm at the Extension Office.

Project for the January 24th meeting will be constructing a patch work ironing mat. For more information please contact Judy Corson at 815-338-5798 or Cindy Harris at 815-344-4815.

Tech Team Club Meetings

Starting in January and February 2011, Tech Team meetings we will be teaching the fundamentals of how to use the BASIC programming language which will include writing a simple BASIC program. Please join us at the Extension office in Woodstock. Friends and family are welcome to attend! Our regular meetings are the 4th Saturday of the month from 9:00am-10:30am. Even if you have not attended a meeting in a while, come on out and join us this month!

Sewing Workshops

Sewing workshops will be back this year starting in January 2011. The first workshop of the year will be Tuesday, January 11^th at 6:30pm at the McHenry Extension Office.

Workshops will be held twice a month until fair time when youth are constructing fair projects and extra help is needed. Topics for workshops will be determined on January 18th with the input from youth and parents on skills youth are interested in learning.

The January 18th meeting youth will learn the skills of sewing on a flat and shank button. Youth are asked to bring an assortment of buttons both flat and shank, hand sewing needle, and scissors. Youth will design a pillow using buttons to express individuality on the design of the pillow.

Registration will be on line for the first meeting on the McHenry County Extension web site. https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=5252

Interior Design

Winston Churchill once stated "We shape our buildings, and our buildings shape us". How true that is. Our new interior design book "Design Decisions" is outstanding in helping youth select their style. Each personal style is also a reflection from his/her personal space at home.

On January 25^th at 6:30 pm at the Extension Office youth will have an opportunity to express their suggestions on skills they would like to work on, an understanding of the new curriculum, review new fair requirements, and work on a small project this evening. Registration for this meeting will be on the McHenry Extension web site. https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=5254

For more information please contact Judy Corson at 815-338-5798 or Cindy Harris at 815-344-4815.

Upcoming Workshops

Communication Mini Fair

One of the most important skills that 4-H members can learn is to speak in front of a group. In 4-H, members have many opportunities to practice this skill. Besides doing presentations at the club meetings, members have the opportunity to participate in the Public Presentation contest. This contest is open to all youth interested in presenting in the following categories: horse presentations, food demonstrations, formal speech, illustrated speech, oral interpretation, original work, speak of horticulture, horticulture demonstrations, artistic floral design.

McHenry County's Communications Mini-Fair will take place at the Extension Office on Saturday, February 12, 2011, beginning at 9:00am. Registration will be on line at the McHenry Extension web site. https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=5255

Jump-A-Jack-Thon

Look forward to more information coming on this fun activity. For now save the date of February 27, 2011, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the extension office. Thanks to Milk Center Club for providing this fun time.

Knitting Workshops

A beginners and advance knitting class will be starting on February 19, 2011, with more information coming soon. Youth wanting to participate can give feedback on what projects they want to do and what specifically they would like to learn. Registration will be on the McHenry County web site by mid January 2011. A $5.00 commitment fee is required for some supplies and to help cover cost of running program.

Project Day

Project Day will be held on March 5, 2011, at the McHenry County Fairground starting at 9:00am. We have some excited classes available for you to participate in. Look for more information coming in January with a registration form.

International Night

Save the date for March 18, 2011, at 7:00pm in Building D on the McHenry County Fairgrounds. Clubs can start thinking about which country they would like to learn more about. Remember that the Extension Office has kits on many of the countries that could be of interest. The kits have information in them to help you learn about your country.

There will be a meeting at the Extension office for clubs participating in this event on January 20, 2011, at 7:00pm. At least one member and one adult from each club need to be present at this meeting. Registration and choosing your club country will be online shortly following the meeting.

Leader/New Parent Meetings

Leader Meeting

There is a scheduled Leader Meeting on January 27, 2011, at 7:00pm. We will be discussing helpful hints for achieving goal standards, an open discussion on what is working or not working in your club (how can we help?) and the newsletter or getting information to our 4-H members. Please plan on attending as we need your input and helpful hints.

New Parent Meeting

There is a discussion meeting scheduled for February 17, 2011, at 7:00pm at the Extension office for parents of new 4-H members to ask questions and find out more about fair and fair exhibits. Please plan to attend. This is your opportunity to express any concerns and ask any question you may have about the 4-H program. Registration will be on line at the McHenry County web site. https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=5258

4-H Newsletter Deadlines and Guidelines

The McHenry County 4-H Newsletter is written every other month by the 4-H Community Worker including articles from committees, superintendents, special interest groups, and McHenry County Foundation. For 2011 we are also asking that your club reporter send us information on what the club is doing and participating in, providing us a fun overview of their activities.

Months Newsletter Arrives:

· September/October

· November/December

· January/February

· March/April

· May/June

· July/August

DEADLINE FOR ARTICLES DUE TO THE EXTENSION OFFICE IS THE 5^TH OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING MONTHS:

· October

· December

· February

· April

· June

· August

Articles are to be received as they are to be printed.

Articles are to include writers name, email, and phone number.

A complete article should be in one newsletter with a reminder and date in the following newsletter so families have information 3 months ahead of time as much as possible.

Articles should be sent to Kelly Sadowski at ksadowsk@illinois.edu

McHenry County Extension Unit prints many newsletters. Each area is given a schedule which that department has due in order to produce a quality newsletter for all.

Families and Club Leaders are asked to share family names who do not have access to a computer and need a hard copy of the newsletter mailed to them. ONLY one hard copy of the newsletter will be mailed to that family. If the family needs another copy, we ask that that family contact the club leader to obtain another hard copy or by going to a public computer (i.e., library) to print out additional copies. Please contact Rosa at 815-338-3737 or email at borjon@illinois.edu with those names.

Calendar of Events

JANUARY

11 Sewing Workshop 6:30pm, Extension Office

15 Poultry Workshop 1:00 pm, Extension Office

16 Family Game Night 2:00pm, Extension Office

17 Extension Office Closed

17 Ambassadors 7:00pm, Extension Office

18 Sewing Workshop 6:30pm Extension Office

20 International Planning 7:00pm, Extension Office

22 MCYTT 9:00am, Extension Office

22 Dog Orientation 10:00am, Fairgrounds, Bldg. D

24 Creative Quilters 6:30pm, Extension Office

25 Home Furnishing Workshop 6:30pm, Extension Office

25 Horse Orientation 7:00pm, HAHS, Woodstock, IL.

27 Leaders' Meeting 7:00pm, Extension Office

FEBRUARY

5 Beef Weigh-In 8:00am, McHenry County Fairgrounds

8 Sewing Workshop 6:30pm, Extension Office

12 Communication Mini Fair 9:00am, Extension Office

12 Snow date – Beef Weigh-In 8:00am, McHenry County Fairgrounds

15 Sewing Workshop 6:30pm, Extension Office

17 Parent's Night 7:00pm, Extension Office

19 Knitting Workshop 9:00am Extension Office

19 Horse Hippology 1:00pm, Extension Office

20 Ambassadors 5:30pm, Extension Office

21 Home Furnishing Workshop 6:30pm, Extension Office

21 Key Applications Due, 4:30 pm, Extension Office

22 Horse Committee 7:00pm, Extension Office

26 MCYTT 9:00am, Extension Office

27 Jump-A-Thon 2:00pm, Extension Office

28 PQA Plus Training 7:00pm, McHenry County Fairgrounds

28 Creative Quilters 6:30pm, Extension Office

MARCH

1 Dog papers due! NO EXCEPTIONS, 4:30 pm, Extension Office

4 Project Day Set-up, 5:00 pm, Fairgrounds

5 Project Day 9:00am, McHenry County Fairgrounds

7 Snow Day - PQA 7:00pm, McHenry County Fairgrounds

8 Sewing Workshop 6:30pm, Extension Office

10 Horse Nutrition Clinic, 7:00pm, Extension Office

15 Sewing Workshop 6:30pm, Extension Office

18 International Night 7:00pm, McHenry County Fairgrounds

19 String Tie Event TBA Union, IL

21 Ambassadors 7:00pm, Extension Office

22 Horse Committee, 7:00 pm, Extension Office

26 MCYTT 9:00am, Extension Office

26 Dog Clinic, 10:00am, McHenry County Fairgrounds

28 Creative Quilters 6:30pm, Extension Office

29 Home Furnishing 6:30pm, Extension Office

31 Last day for project add/drops, 4:30 pm, Extension Office

TBA Regional Horse Bowl

TBA State Dairy Bowl