A Note From Kelly Sadowski

Dear 4-H Families,

Wow, where does the time go. Our McHenry County 4-H fair is quickly approaching. I hope you are all enjoying working on your projects that you will be bringing to fair. Thanks to all our clubs that got their fair registrations to us in a timely manner. It is always so exciting to see the effort, ideas and presentations of the 4-H members during general project day. The livestock shows are fun and informative. You should be proud of all the learning that went into your project area. 4-H members are truly the "cream of the crop" of youth in McHenry County. Good luck with all your projects and we will see you at the fair.

As all of you know, the University of Illinois Extension is still going through some restructuring. Soon we will have our Youth Educator on board to help us with expanding our programs. Starting July 1st Diane Glozier will be in McHenry County office as an office assistant. Diane is also working three days at the Lake County Extension office and will be part-time in McHenry so please give her a warm welcome when you are in the office. She will be able to help with 4-H questions and such. Diane's work schedule in McHenry will be Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00am-4:30pm. We would also like to give Rosa Borjon a big thank you for all she has done in McHenry County for our 4-H program. Her last day in McHenry is June 30^th as she will be going to the DeKalb Extension office. We wish her the best of luck and will miss her. As always, please call me with any 4-H questions or Diane Glozier at 815-338-3737.

Kelly Sadowski

4-H Program Support

McHenry County Fair

What is 4-H and why is it Part of the Fair?

4-H is a national organization which helps young people gain knowledge and skills to become productive citizens. It provides an inclusive environment for members to build positive relationship with members. It also helps youth meet the diversities and challenges of today's society.

The 4-H program is a voluntary, non-formal, educational program offered to all boys and girls regardless of race, color, national origin, place of residence, or disability. The Illinois 4-H program is conducted by University of Illinois Extension, McHenry County 4-H programs are directed by professional Extension Staff, and a great group of trained, dedicated volunteers who work with 4-H members.

Members learn independence and generosity within their clubs and see opportunities for self-determination and the service to others. 4-Her's learn about citizenship, leadership, cooking, visual arts, mechanics and technology, horticulture, agriculture, and many other subjects through hands-on instruction with lots of encouragement. Each member selects 4-H projects according to individual interests and abilities. 4-H projects offer a practical, but challenging, individual planned course of activity on a specific subject.

Each summer, 4-Her's bring their projects to the McHenry County 4-H Fair for evaluation. Evaluation helps members assess their knowledge, skills, and attitudes in order to build on strengths. This is the way that members show their mastery of their learning experience in their particular project area. The fair showcases the youth's skills and abilities through their ratings and awards received by meeting the standards for the project requirements on project exhibited.

Preparing for 4-H Fair/Show Exhibits

4-H Fair or shows are often the highlight of the 4-H year. Fair allow 4-H members to:

· Display project and participate in educational experiences critiqued by an adult expert

· Demonstrate new knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes

· Showcase recognition

· Practice life skills of teamwork, cooperation, communication, sportsmanship and club pride

Youth Responsibilities

· Establish a timeline to work on their 4-H projects

· Set realistic goals on what they want to accomplish

· Read the rules and regulations outlined in each section of the fair book (online) that applies to what they are showing

· Pay close attention to dates, time, deadlines, and specific requirements of each project

· Members need to do their own work

· Prepare for conference judging on general projects (why you selected project, skills learned, what was easy, what was difficult, etc.)

Parents Responsibilities

· Encourage and help members obtain materials and resources to complete project

· Answer questions, demonstrate skills and offer guidance

· Should not do the work for the 4-H member

· Be familiar with exhibit guidelines and judging schedules (look in fair book online)

· Offer encouragement while youth prepare for conference judging

· Provide support to your child

Clubs Responsibilities

· Parents and youth to monitor 4-H building

· Parents and youth to work the 4-H food stand

· Parents and youth to set up fair grounds or take down fair grounds

Club Banners

4-H club banners add a lot of color and club spirit to the 4-H Building during the fair. We ask that club banners be covered with plastic and include a pole for hanging. Please bring banners to the 4-H Building on Monday, August 1 by noon.

4-H Wristbands

4-H youth wristbands are available in the extension office. The bands are for 4-H youth ages 8-19. Wristbands will be grouped by club and will be sold to club leaders or a representative from the club. Full payment for the wristbands is expected at this time. Wristbands will be $2.00 each member. The club decides how the club will receive money from each member or if the club will pay a part or all of the cost.

It is the FAMILY'S responsibility to make arrangements for picking up the wristbands from the leader if you do not attend your club meeting.

Cloverbud members are free to get into the fair. Remember, we go by the child's age as of September 1, 2010.

Fair Passes for Leaders/Parents

You may purchase a season pass or a single day pass in advance through the McHenry County Fair Office in building D or pay individually at the fair gate. They also offer a weekly rate.

Project Release Time

Project release time has been set between the McHenry County Fair Association and the Extension Office to allow proper loading of livestock and release of the 4-H Building. If a family cannot pick up their child's projects on Sunday evening it is encouraged to make other arrangements with friends, relatives or other 4-H families.

Sunday, August 7:

4:00 pm - Dairy Cattle, Swine, Poultry

5:00 pm - Auction Beef Cattle and Auction Sheep

5:00 pm - 4-H Building (5-7 pm)

6:00 pm - All other livestock (rabbits and cavies & non auction livestock)

(Dairy exhibitors with rabbits or cavies may remove these animals starting at 4 pm with the approval of the divisional superintendents.

All 4-H'ers are responsible for cleaning their animals' pens and/or stalls upon release.

Youth Fair Assistance Needed

Youth assistance is needed during the judging of the general 4-H projects on Monday, August 1 and Tuesday, August 2 as recorders, runners, and moving and setting up displays. Please contact Kelly Sadowski at the Extension office to volunteer.

Adult Volunteers Needed

With the decrease in Extension Staff, this year volunteers are needed throughout fair judging and the fair. Some examples are state fair entries, overseeing judging areas on Monday and Tuesday, display set-up, 4-H night, proofing ring books after each judging event, etc. For more information or to volunteer contact Kelly Sadowski at 815-338-3737.

Fair Dress Code for Livestock Showing

Please be sure to read your fair book for 2011. Each department has a dress code for showing animals during the fair. Many of the departments are following the auction dress code which states you must wear a collar and a sleeved top, long pants, and proper footwear. Please check your livestock division for their rules.

State Fair and McHenry County Fair Dates

State Fair Dates

July 1 - State fair livestock entries due to state fair grounds

July 26-31 - Illinois State Junior Horse Show

July 31 - State fair dog entries due to state fair grounds

August 1 - Intent to participate in Filmmaking/Video, Geospatial and My 4-H Project Video

August 12 by 12:00 Noon, deadline for on line registration for Filmmaking/Video, Geospatial and My 4-H Project Video

August 13 - Welding Judging

August 14 - McHenry County Day at State Fair

August 20 - Film Festival-presentation of awards for on-line fair entries

August 21 - Last day of Illinois State Fair

McHenry County Fair 2011 Dates

Dog Fun Match - July 16^th

Dog Obedience - July 23rd

Cat Show - July 17^th

Clothing judging - July 20^th

Fair Set Up - July 28^th

General Project judging - August 1

Visual Arts Judging - August 1

Foods/Crops/Horticulture - August 2

Animal Check in - August 2

Fair Starts: August 3

4-H Night at Fair: August 4

Auction: August 6

Last Day of Fair: August 7

Records due to Extension Office August 23

News From the Horse Committee

The remaining clinics for Horses are:
Grooming clinic with June Pedersen -- June 16, 7 p.m., at the McHenry County Fairgrounds, Country Club Road, Woodstock. Meet at the Hanson Pavilion.

Weeknight Warm-Ups
Weeknight sessions are offered at the horse arena at the McHenry County Fairgrounds in Woodstock to help riders and their horses become acquainted with the county fair horse show site. Weeknight warm-ups DO NOT count as approved clinics for 2011.

Sessions will be held June 14, 21, 28 and July 5, 12, 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Horses must be loaded by 8:30 p.m. and ready to leave. Cancellation due to weather conditions may occur. For information, call Suzanne Langan, (815) 790-4460, (815) 790-4460

Guest speakers at weeknight warm-ups include:
June 21 -- Dressage with Polly Hall
June 28 -- Patterns with Suzanne Langan
July 5 -- Showmanship with Emily Northup and Lisa Kucharski
July 12 -- Trail with Bill Kmoch
July 19 -- Rain date (if needed) or more trail with Bill Kmoch

McHenry County Horse Committee Pre-Fair Play Day, 8:30 a.m. July 9 at the McHenry County Fairgrounds in Woodstock. This show offers English and Western classes, gymkhana games and speed events. This is NOT an approved clinic. Here is the link for more information: http://www.mchenrycountyfair.com/pdf/MCHCPreFairPlayDay.pdf

Also, for more information on the 2011 Open Horse Show at the McHenry County Fair click here: http://www.mchenrycountyfair.com/2011book/Dept42-Horse.pdf

News from the Dog Committee

Dogs

No Classes the week of July 5, July 6, July 7

Thurs. July 7th @ 6:30pm 4-H Building - CGC Clinic

Registration required - Entered Dogs Only

Sat. July 16th @ 9:00am Fun Match - Cary, IL

Entered Dogs Only

Last week of classes July 12, 13, 14

Sat. July 23rd @ 9:00am Dog Show - Cary, IL

Entered Dogs Only

4-Her's must attend two (2) clinics

If you have any questions, please contact Lisa A Lillie @ 815-210-1260

Window Display Contest

This year's theme is "Come See What's Growing At the Fair". Please consider participating in our county window display to help promote 4-H and our county fair. If your club would like to participate in the contest contact Kelly Sadowski at the extension office by July 15th. We need to know where your window display will be located. Judging will take place the last week of July so your display needs to be up by the 20th. Thank you for this fun way to help advertise the fair and promote 4-H.

Cake Decorating Workshop

The advanced cake decorators of the Keepers of the Clover will be conducting a two hour workshop on beginning cake decorating on June 21, 2011, at the Farm Bureau auditorium. The class is from 1:15-3:15pm. The class is for beginners only and limited to the first 20 4-H members who call the extension office. Covered will be the basic simple shell, rose buds, leaves and perhaps drop flowers if time permits. We will also teach you how to make a parchment bag if you bring the parchment triangles. This class will be taught be 4-Her's helping beginning 4-Her's. Needed will be a batch of buttercream icing, a shell tip, a rose tip, a leaf tip and a drop flower tip besides all your table coverings, bags, knives ect. If you have any questions on any of these, we can get back to you.

Keepers of the Clovers

Club Volunteer opportunity:

The Master Gardeners and Extension have a booth at the Woodstock Farmers Market. The Farmers Market is every Saturday from 9:00am to 12:00pm. The Master Gardeners provide information and answer peoples gardening/plant questions for people attending the farmers market. They often have people asking 4-H related questions. We would like to have 4-H volunteers at the Woodstock Farmers Market as many Saturdays as we can starting on the 1st weekend in July. Please contact Mary Johnson at jajmcjwood@ yahoo.com she is the Master Gardner contact or you can contact Kelly Sadowski at the extension office.

Shooting Sports

Once again it is time to start thinking about starting a Shooting Sports Program in McHenry County. 4-H Shooting Sports includes Archery, Rifle, and Shotgun. In order to add Shooting Sports to our program opportunities we need to have at least 2 adult volunteers (over the age of 21) complete the weekend training to become a Coordinator or Trainer. We need at least 1 Coordinator and 1 Trainer in order to offer Shooting Sports in our County.

We have a possibility of 1 adult volunteer but to make the program work I will need at least 2 adult volunteers. Anyone interested please call me at 815-338-3737 or email at ksadowsk@illinois.edu.

News from Foundation

Please make sure that your club has signed up to help work the food stand. Please contact the extension if you haven't signed up yet. The only way that we can make the food stand work is with the help of our club volunteers. All money made from the food stand goes to help support our 4-H program. Paula Weidner will be contacting club leaders with further information. Thank you for your help with this.

Scholarships

Henry Marlowe-I Dare You Award
The Henry Marlow Award is offered to recognize a 4-H youth based on leadership, scholarship, physical fitness, and character. Any youth who is a current 4-H member, 15 years of age as of September 1, 2010, is eligible to apply for the award by the deadline of August 26 at the Extension office. This award receives a plaque and "I Dare You" book. Applications are available online at the McHenry County Extension website http://web.extension.illinois.edu/mchenry/downloads/28197.pdf

This Award will be presented this fall.

Sally Harrison Award
This Award is presented to a 4-H member who shows enthusiasm throughout the 4-H program. The Award focuses on the following qualities: community service, enthusiasm for 4-H, and cooperation. Must be a current 4-h member, 16 years of age by September 1, 2010, and complete an Award application. Applications are available on the McHenry County Extension website. http://web.extension.illinois.edu/mchenry/downloads/28199.pdf

The applications for the two awards are due to the Extension Office by August 26. NO EXCEPTIONS! The recipients will receive a monetary award and plaque.

4-H Night

Attend 4-H Night and Support the 4-H Program

4-H Night is scheduled for Thursday, August 4, at 7:30 pm. in the Hanson Pavilion on the McHenry County Fairgrounds. During this special event, 4-H youth will be honored for their fair accomplishments.

Youth will receive plaque information in the show rings and in the 4-H Building (plaque stickers will also be on entry tag).

Please join us in recognizing our 4-Hers for the 2011 fair.

Other Club News

End of Year Records

It's hard to believe that it's that time of the year to start thinking of finishing the year. Leaders towards the end of July look for a package with the end of the year information. 4-H members must submit their goal sheets to the leader in order to complete the Recognition Program.

Items due to the Extension Office by August 23 include:

· Club Secretary Book-must have in order to start new year

· Club Treasure Book-must have in order to start new year

· Club Bank statements-receipts

· Participation Award

· Progress Towards Goals

· Progress Towards Standards

· Illinois Award Applications

· Club Recognition for Progress

· Club Standards

· Clover award for club

Calling all Club Reporters WE NEED YOU!

We would like our club reporters to be sending us information on the activities that their club is doing. It would be fun to read in the newsletter about all the things that clubs are doing. So if you have had a fun event please let us know. It would be great to have pictures too! Thanks in advance. We look forward to hearing about the great things our clubs are doing.

Other 4-H member opportunities

Below are other 4-H opportunities offered to 4-H'ers:

Eco Fair 360 on July 8-10 at Walworth county Fairgrounds. Click here for more information: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/mchenry/downloads/28190.pdf

Vintage Wings & Wheels Museum's 4th annual Agriculture event: (Note from Jillian Georglieff)

4-H Leaders:

My name is Jillian Georgieff and I am the Educational Coordinator for Vintage Wings & Wheels Museum in Poplar Grove, IL. We are a not-for-profit museum that focuses on preserving and interpreting the history of transportation. On Sunday, July 17th, we are celebrating our fourth annual Vintage Wheels of Agriculture event. Highlights of the event include tractor pulls, feed races, a tractor parade, a petting zoo, and horse-drawn wagon rides. The event will run from 10am to 4pm. This year, we have decided to honor 4-H groups as part of the event, highlighting the benefits of 4-H and 4-H clubs in the stateline region. All 4-H members who attend the event will receive free admission and we are also offering an essay contest for any 4-H member who wishes to participate. The essay contest contains three categories based on age; winners will be announced at a special recognition presentation during the event. Each first-place winner will win a cash prize, while second and third place winners will receive certificates of honor. I have included a document with this letter that further outlines the rules and guidelines of this essay contest. I hope you will encourage all your 4-H members to participate in the contest and attend our event. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.

Jillian Georgieff, Educational Coordinator
Vintage Wings & Wheels Museum
5151 Orth Rd., Suite A1
Poplar Grove, IL 61065
815-547-3115
jillian.vintagemuseum@gmail.com
www.poplargrovewingsandwheels.com

Click here for the link for rules and guidelines for the essay contest: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/mchenry/downloads/28191.pdf

Calendar of Events