Sangamon-Menard 4-H Judging Teams

Both the Sangamon-Menard 4-H Livestock and Horse Judging Teams have been active since early in the year, meeting weekly to prepare for contests. Their hard work and dedication are paying off!

The Horse Team, pictured below, recently participated in the Regional Hippology Contest, and participants placed as follows: Intermediate Placings: Alexandrea Hemberger 1st -State Qualifier, Lana Nickelson 3rd-State Qualifier Junior Placings: Olivia Holloway 2nd -State Qualifier, Sarah Kate Hemberger 3rd-State Qualifier, Kylee Furbeck 5th-State Qualifier, and Kristina Hemberger 7th.

Lana, Kylee and Olivia gained additional experience competing at the State Hippology Contest, held April 14 at the U of I.

There are 15 youth involved on the Sangamon-Menard 4-H Livestock Judging Team. They have been practicing their livestock judging skills since January at weekly practices, and have already competed in five contests this year in preparation for the State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest at the U of I in June. At contests, they have teams that compete in both Reasons and Questions divisions. At least one team has placed in the top 5 each time they have attended a contest, and many of the team members have also received individual recognition for placing in the top 10 at the contests!

Check out pictures and some of the results on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/LMS.4H.

Calendar

May

1 Horse Lease & Ownership Papers Due

1 Sangamon County 4-H Horse Show entry due

1 4-H Scholarship Applications Due

1 Horse Bowl/Hippology Horse Judging Practice

3 4-H Federation

7 Dog Obedience/Showmanship, 6:30pm, Kinner Kennels

8 Horse Bowl/Hippology Horse Judging Practice

9 Shotgun at Lefthanders

12 4-H Day with the St.Louis Cardinals

12 Sheep/Goat Tattooing, Springfield

14 Dog Obedience/Showmanship, 6:30pm, Kinner Kennels

16 Rifle at Lefthanders Gun Club

15 Horse Bowl/Hippology Horse Judging Practice

21 Dog Obedience/Showmanship 6:30pm, Kinner Kennels

22 Horse Bowl/ Hippology Horse Judging Practice

23 Illini Summer Academies Registration Deadline

28 Memorial Day – Office Closed

29 Horse Bowl/Hippology Horse Judging Practice

June

1 Swine Nomination Deadline/Sang. Co

1 Registration Deadline for Public Speaking Contest

4 PQA Certification, Springfield Office, 6:30 pm

7 Dog Obedience/Showmanship –Lincoln

8 Final PQA Certification Opportunity, Lincoln, 9am

10 Sangamon County 4-H Horse Show

13 Shotgun at Lefthanders

9 State Jr. Horse Show Entries due to Dept. of Ag

14 Dog Obedience/Showmanship -Lincoln

16 4-H Public Speaking Contest

18 State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest

20 Rifle

21 Dog Obedience/Showmanship -Lincoln

24-27 Illini Summer Academies

July

1 State Fair Jr. Livestock Entries Due to Department

of Agriculture

Important 4-H Exhibitor Information!

4-H exhibit information for this Summer's Menard and Sangamon County 4-H Shows will be posted to our Extension website, http://web.extension.illinois.edu/lms/, as soon as it is available. An e-mail message will be sent to all families accessible through e-mail. We have some addresses that bounce back to us, so if you are not receiving notices about the 4-H newsletter etc., please contact us if that is the case.

The main 4-H Leader of each club will be given a hard copy, and a hard copy can be viewed at the Extension Office as well. These books replace the individual Project Exhibit Requirement Sheets that have been used in the past. In addition to exhibit requirements, Show Books will contain information about rules and activities taking place throughout the 4-H Shows. Several changes have been made, so PLEASE READ ALL SECTIONS CAREFULLY!!

In an effort to relieve some of the responsibility of 4-H Leaders in obtaining entry information from club members and getting exhibit tags passed out before the 4-H Show, and to have accurate exhibit information for judge's books and set-up, the following guidelines will be followed. (Exception to this will be livestock in Menard County. Watch for information on entries in the 4-H section of the Menard County Fair Book, Menard 4-H Livestock entries will have an earlier deadline than listed in the Jr/Open sections of the Fair Book).

• The office will send registration forms directly to 4-H members.
• Pre-registration will be REQUIRED by approximately ONE MONTH PRIOR TO the SHOW, deadline date will be listed in the correspondence. Preferably entries would be made in person at the Extension Office, but will be accepted by mail. Entries will not be accepted after the publicized deadline.
• If an exhibit is brought that is not pre-registered, the exhibitor will not be eligible for premium money, trophies, or selection for State Fair.
• Exhibitors will be given exhibit tags to complete if entries are made in person.
• If entries are mailed in, it will be the exhibitor's responsibility to verify by phone or e-mail that the entries were received, and they will need to arrive early at check-in to complete and attach their exhibit tag.
• Conference judging is encouraged, but not required, for most general project exhibits. If you will not be present for conference judging, you are asked to write a paragraph and attach it to your project. Tell how you did your project and what you learned from completing it. The judge has the option of reducing an exhibitor's rating by one level if the information is not included. This is a change in wording from past years when the 4-H Exhibit Report form was required for exhibitors ages 10 and older.

· Clothing and Food Demos for both counties will be Thursday, July 12 at the Extension Office in Springfield.

· Aerospace Show – Both Sangamon and Menard members will exhibit together at the Sangamon County Fairgrounds in New Berlin, on Sunday July 15. Watch for changes in wording of the exhibit requirements in the Show Book.

· There will be a Small Pets/ Animal Science Show on Friday, July 13, at the Sangamon County Fairgrounds, open to both Sangamon and Menard members enrolled in Cats, Small Pets, Vet Science, and any large animal species where the member decides to exhibit an Animal Science display board, rather than a live animal. Watch for details in the Show Book.

These are just highlights of changes, be sure to read full details in the 4-H Show Books. There will be a separate Show Book for each county, and the information about shows that are held jointly will be duplicated in both books.

4-H Show Entry Orientation Opportunity

Tuesday, June 12th, we are offering an evening opportunity for 4-H members to make 4-H Show entries and receive their exhibit tags in person. The Extension Office in Springfield will remain open until 8:00 p.m.

That same evening, there will also be a 4-H Show Orientation from 6:30-7:30 pm. This orientation will provide new members and others who may have questions with an opportunity to learn to fill out their 4-H show entry forms, see an example of the conference judging format, and learn the routine that will be used to exhibit their projects during the 4-H shows.

Those interested in attending the Orientation presentation should register online at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/lms , or call the 4-H Office at 782-4617 by June 8th. This will be a good opportunity for members to learn what to expect when exhibiting their 4-H projects at the Show. Bring all your questions to this Show Orientation. Hope to see you there!

"X" Factor Premium Info/ONE PREMIUM PER CLASS

As always, the premiums for our 4-H shows this summer will be based on the "X" factor. What the "X" factor means is: number of 4-H members eligible for premiums times the amount allowed to members by the State (this is subject to money being allotted by State of Illinois General Assembly), divided by the total number of "X's" accumulated from county shows. Legislation allows payment of premiums AFTER receipt of funding. AG PREMIUM FUNDING RULES ALSO ALLOW US TO PAY JUST ONE PREMIUM PER CLASS.

4-H Scrambles/Tug O' War

We wanted to give you advance notice that there will be a Pig Scramble for ages 8-18, a chicken scramble for ages 5-7, and a Tug O' War Contest, all on Sunday July 15, at the Sangamon County Fairgrounds in New Berlin. These events are part of Family Fun Activities that are open to 4-H members in Sangamon and Menard counties. 4-H Clubs may want to discuss putting a team together for the Tug O' War at their next club meeting. 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)

ADVANCE REGISTRATION WILL BE REQUIRED FOR SCRAMBLES! Tug O' War Teams should notify the 4-H Office of their intent to participate ahead of time, but official registration will be the day of the event when they weigh-in. We encourage spectators as well as participants to put the date on your calendar and watch for details in the 4-H Show Book.

Sangamon County 4-H Show Swine Nomination Form

Sangamon County 4-H Show swine exhibitors must complete and return a Swine Nomination Form to the Extension Office by June 1. Please nominate any animal that you may plan to exhibit during the Sangamon County 4-H Show in July. An animal may not be exhibited at the county 4-H show if it is not on your nomination sheet. Please contact the Extension Office if you are unfamiliar with the universal swine ear notch system or if you have other questions. The form was sent previously as an attachment in an e-mail from Sharon Lounsberry to families that have provided us an email address . The form can also be found on our county website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/lms/sangamon4h/2064.html .

Sangamon 4-H Horse Show

This year's Sangamon County 4-H Horse Show is scheduled for Sunday, June 10 (rain date June 24), 8:00a.m., at Carter Stables. Spectators are welcome at this family fun day. Come out and show your support of the 4-Hers, and see what the 4-H program has to offer youth age 8-18 who have a love of horses!

Foods Demonstration Opportunity

4-H Food Project members in both Sangamon and Menard counties are invited to whip up one of their favorite recipes or how-to demonstrations for the 4-H Food Demonstration Contest.

The Sangamon-Menard Food Demonstration Contest will be held Thursday, July 12, 6:30 p.m. at the U of I Extension Building by the airport. Food demonstrations must relate to the project area in which the member is enrolled. Contestants should sign up by Monday July 2 on the Sangamon-Menard website at: https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=5685 , or by calling the Springfield office at 782-4617.

State Fair Jr. Livestock Entry Information

The 2012 Illinois State Fair Premium Books are now available on-line at the State Fair website: http://www.agr.state.il.us/isf/premium/. The 4-H exhibit information is available in the Jr. Livestock Premium Book.

Entries for the 2012 Illinois State Fair Junior Livestock Shows will be turned directly into the Illinois State Fair Entry Department by the participants. Entries do not get turned into the Extension Office. There are two ways in which you can do this; hand deliver it to the State Fair Entry department in the Emerson Building on Main Street from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or mail your entry to: 2012 IL State Fair Entry Department, P.O. Box 19427, Springfield, IL 62794-9427. If you have problems obtaining or filling out the forms, you can get assistance by calling the State Fair Entry Department at 782-0786. Please check entry deadlines once the book is available. No late entries will be accepted. To avoid any problems we recommend making copies of your entries so that you have them in your possession when you go to check your animals in.

Tattoos for Sheep & Meat Goat Wethers (State Fair)

Tattooing sheep and meat goats will be done at centralized locations this year. NO TATTOOING WILL BE DONE BY COUNTY EXTENSION STAFF. An electronic identification tag ($3 each) will be used on each animal. The owner will be charged for the tag. Dates and locations available in our area include: May 5 — 9 am—Noon; McLean County Fairgrounds, Bloomington OR May 12 — 10—11:30 am; Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, or May 5 – 9am-Noon; Western Illinois University, Macomb. Animals that need to be tattooed include live and premiere wethers for the State Fair Jr. Show.

2012 State Fair Ticket Reservation Form

Reduced price State Fair parking passes & admission tickets are available through the Extension Office on a pre-order/pre-pay system. Please mark below what will be needed. You may bring this in beginning in June and we will know ticket prices at that time (last year $4.00 for parking and $2.00 per admission ticket (age 13-adult), $1.00 per admission (ages 5-12) — However, these prices are subject to change!)

My family would like to pre-order ________ admission tickets—AGE 5-12 (good ANY day of State Fair)

My family would like to pre-order ________ admission tickets—AGE 13-adult (good ANY day of State Fair)

Name _______________________________________________ Phone Number ___________________________

We would also like to pre-order parking passes for the following dates: (Indicate NUMBER of passes needed)

________ Friday, August 10th ________ Saturday, August 11th ________ Sunday, August 12th

________ Monday, August 13th ________ Tuesday, August 14th ________ Wednesday, Aug. 15th

________ Thursday, August 16th ________ Friday, August 17th ________ Saturday, August 18th

________ Sunday, August 19th

Please make checks payable to: University of Illinois Extension (this order form MUST be returned in June in time for us to place an order for tickets)

Illini Summer Academies

The Illini Summer Academies return this year to the U of I campus in Champaign and will be held Sunday, June 24 to Wednesday, June 27. High school students age 14-18 by 9/1/2011 are invited to attend this four day event.

U of I graduate students & professors will be teaching these Academies on the U of I campus. Attending the academies will provide teens with opportunities to explore the U of I campus and college life, visit Campustown, study potential careers, and meet youth from across the state.

Each Academy will offer 15 hours of interactive activity and study in a specific field of interest. Academy descriptions and details, and Illinois 4-H Foundation scholarship info, are available on the State 4-H website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/events/summeracademies.cfm. 4-H Federation also has $25 scholarships available by Contacting Amy Rebbe at the 4-H Office—782-4617 or arebb2@illinois.edu.

Summer Employment at State Fair

4-H State Fair Food Stand- The 4-H Foundation is hiring teens ages 14-19 to fill shifts at the 4-H Food Stand on the State Fairgrounds, August 6-19. If school start-dates hinder availability, it is most important that workers be available August 6-12. Interested individuals should contact Sharon Lounsberry at 632-7491.

Illinois State Fair Junior Department-The 2012 State Fair Jr. Department Job Application and Job Listings can be found online at : http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/fairsandexhibits.cfm.

There are openings for youth ages 14-15 (limited); 16 and over (many) and adults as judges, project assistants, livestock crew, superintendents, and set-up crew.

Thank You!

The Sangamon-Menard 4-H Federation recently completed their fundraiser, and would like to thank the 4-H Clubs and individuals who participated. A special thanks and congratulations to our top seller in each county: Caitlyn Knoles from Rock Creek 4-H club in Menard County; and Abby Johnson from Miracle Workers 4-H Club in Sangamon County. Each top seller will be receiving a check for $50! Everyone's support in raising funds to help cover the cost of project manuals is much appreciated!

Special Accomodations

If you are a person who needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in any of the listed programs or events, contact Sharon Lounsberry at phone 217-632-7491, or Amy Rebbe at 217 782-4617.

Illinois 4-H State Fair ONLINE

Can't get enough of the Illinois State Fair? Then you should check out State Fair Online-- an opportunity for 4-H members to submit a short video or map exhibit on the internet that shows the broader public what 4-H youth are learning and how they are impacting their communities. State Fair Online entries are divided into 2 classes: an open class in which participants can share a video of something they learned in any state offered 4-H project they are enrolled in, or the delegate class which is qualified by county selection process. These classes are open to any 4-H member who was 10 years old by Sept. 1, 2011. There is a free lunch celebration and recognition at the annual 4-H Film Festival and Map Gallery at the State Fair on August 11^h. For more information, visit: https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/4hstatefaironline/index.cfm ,

or contact Dr. Lisa Diaz lbdiaz@illinois.edu. Videos must be posted to the Illinois State Fair Online website by August 1. If you would like to participate in State Fair Online and do not have the equipment to make the video, the Sangamon County Extension Office has a FLIP video camera available for check-out. Please contact Amy Rebbe at 782-4617.