September 1 Start of the New 4-H Year

September 12 4-H Leaders Meetings

September 15 4-H County Award Applications & Secretary Books due

September 20 Federation Meeting

October 2-8 National 4-H Week

October 11 Junior High Meeting

October 16 Macon County 4-H Achievement Night

November 7 Junior Leader Meeting

November 14 4-H Leaders Meeting and Dinner

Dear Macon County 4-H Friends,

The start of September also brings the start of the new 4-H year. I am very excited about the great 4-H opportunities and events coming up, and I hope you are, too! This year, the theme for Macon County 4-H is:

Macon County 4-H

Growing Fun and Friends!

Our focus is to follow the 4-H model of exploring and learning by doing, while focusing on having FUN and making new FRIENDS! Remember the theme as you have your first club meeting of the year. Make sure you are including some fun, interactive activities in your meetings. Also, invite one of your friends who is not in 4-H to see what it's all about!

Do not forget the word GROWING in 2005-2006. We will be making some changes to our 4-H Show this summer. Look at this as an opportunity to GROW. Changes can be fun!

Also, as you are choosing your projects for the coming year, I want you to consider QUALITY, not QUANTITY. Try to set a goal of exhibiting more of the projects that you enroll in at the 4-H Show than you did in 2005 This does not mean to take more projects, it means to actually open the project books for more projects. It is more important to spend time with your projects and learn something new than it is to take more projects and never open your project books. Think about it.

Best wishes for a great start to our year of Growing 4-H Fun and Friends!

In 4-H Spirit,

Amy Leman, Unit Educator

4-H Youth Development

In the summer of 2006, Macon County 4-H will be starting a new and exciting tradition. Our general projects 4-H Show will be held July 17-21, 2006. The location will still be at the Macon County Fairgrounds. All non-livestock projects will be judged during that week. This will give all 4-H members an extra month to get their projects ready (but that doesn't mean wait until the last minute to get started!). Show books will be available the same time as in the past, but enrollment deadlines will be pushed back (more details to come).

Livestock shows will be held in conjunction with Piatt and Champaign Counties. For 2006, Macon County will host the Horse show, Piatt County will host the Rabbit, Poultry and Dog Obedience shows, and Champaign county will host the Swine, Beef, Goat and Sheep shows. The locations will rotate in the future between the 3 counties. Superintendents from all 3 counties will be meeting to work out the details. For now, just mark your calendar and get excited for a great summer with 4-H!

Macon County 4-H is offering an award for your 4-H activities. Both individuals and clubs are eligible to apply for the Macon County 4-H Citizenship Award. You do not have to be enrolled in the Citizenship project to apply–all you have to do is show how you have worked to better your community in relation to 4-H. Applications are available at the Extension Office and are due September 15.

Do you or your families have 4-H project books around your house that are not being used, or that maybe have never been opened? Instead of throwing them away or letting them collect dust, think about returning them to the Extension Office to be used by other 4-H members! Although these project books are made available to 4-H members free of charge, the Macon County Extension Office must purchase them for 4-H use. Help us keep the costs down so we can provide more quality programming for Macon County youth.

When you sign up for your new 4-H projects, remember you may register for up to 15 projects for the year. If you would like to register for more than 15 projects, you must submit a written proposal of how you are going to accomplish activities in each project throughout the year. Please call Amy at the Extension Office with questions about this policy.

Turn in your Books! The top two club secretary books will also be honored at Macon County Achievement Night. Make sure you get your book finished and turned into your club leader. They are due September 15.

Now is the time to showcase all the hard work you have done in your projects by filling out your 4-H records AND win a trip to an Illini Basketball game!.

In order to meet your Standards of Excellence and receive your medal, 4-H members should turn in or have your leader check your "Project Plan" sheets and "My 4-H Activities" form. Your Project Plan sheets are the ones with green across the top.

Once you have recorded on your 4-H Project Plan sheets what you have done for each of your projects, it is time to apply for county awards. The applications for 8-14 year olds are simple: you answer 3 questions and turn in all your 4-H Project Plan sheets. 4-H members who are over the age of 14 must complete the State 4-H Award Applications as their 4-H records. All 4-H members are eligible for county awards. The winners in each category will receive a trip to a U of I Basketball Game. Winners will be announced at the Macon County 4-H Achievement Night, Sunday, October 16^th at 3:00 pm (location to be determined).

4-H Members who are ages 15 to 18 by September 1, 2005 are also eligible for consideration at the State level. Winners at this level will receive a trip to National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Georgia.

Applications for 4-H Awards are available at the Extension Office or on this website. Applications can be filled out for each of the following categories:

¨Achievement

¨Animal Sciences

¨Community Involvement & Global Awareness

¨Environment & Natural Resources

¨Food, Nutrition & Health

¨Home & Family

¨Mechanics & Technology

¨Personal Development

¨Plants & Soils

For more information about 4-H Records, call Amy at the Extension Office. We would love to sit down with you to help you get started!

Don't forget the first 4-H Federation meeting of the new year

Tuesday, September 20

6:00–8:00 pm

Macon County Extension Office

Federation is open to all 4-H members, who are of age to be in high school, and 2005 promises to be a GREAT year to get involved!

At this meeting, we will be putting a plan of activities and events for the year. Think about what YOU want to help 4-H accomplish–either for all 4-Hers in Macon County or just cool stuff for high school youth to do. Come give us your opinions as we come up with ideas for the new year! You also don't want to miss out on the opportunity to duct tape one of your peers to the wall. . . .

For more information on Federation, call the Extension Office at 877-6042.

This is our year for fun and friends Macon County 4-H. Don't miss the first leader's meeting of the year:

Monday, September 12

10:00-11:30 am or 6:00-7:30 pm

Macon County Extension Office, Clover Room

Learn about new projects and ideas to help make 2005-06 the best year ever!

Congratulations to these Macon County 4-H members who exhibited at the Illinois State Fair:

Static Exhibits

Daniel Andrews Mt. Zion Eagles Passport to the World–Individual A of E

Taylor Brunner A & O Producers Woodworking II A of E

Hayley Bunselmeyer Maroa Livestock Clothing and Textiles A of E

Eric Burgett Austinets Computer Science A of E

Breanne Carico Leadership Pride Citizenship A of E

Hannah Carlson Austinets Child Development S

Rebekah Carlson Austinets Health A of E

Katherine Chenoweth Willow Creek Leadership A of E

Rachel Corwin Decatur Discoverers Intercultural S

Rebecca Corwin Decatur Discoverers Entomology S

Heather Costerisan Mt. Zion Eagles Foods & Nutrition A of E

Rachel Crose Forsyth Fantastics Clothing and Textiles S

Hannah Cunningham Decatur Discoverers Intergenerational A of E

Mandy Dunakey Willow Creek Visual Arts A of E

Paige Elsea Homesteaders Clothing and Textiles A of E

Sabrina Ferrill Mt. Zion Eagles Electricity A of E

Andrew Gibbons Greenhouse Explorers Woodworking A of E

Evan Hall Leadership Pride Photography A of E

Miles Henderson Macon County Foods and Nutrition S

Benjamin Kunzeman Mt. Zion Eagles Aerospace A of E

Evan Leeper Willow Creek Crops S

Jarred Leeper Willow Creek Crops A of E

Courtney Loerzel Austinets Foods and Nutrition A of E

Nathan Loerzel Austinets Horticulture A of E

Brogan McKinney Homesteaders Animal Science A of E

Zachary New Homesteaders Visual Arts A of E

Kaleigh O'Brien Mt. Zion Eagles Journalism A of E

Breah O'Laughlin Mighty Meridians Interior Design A of E

Alex Philips Austinets Electricity A of E

Alyssa Philips Austinets Theatre Arts S

Natalie Ramirez Maroa Livestock Visual Arts A of E

Jackson Riggen Austinets Photography A of E

Philip Riley Forsyth Fantastics Computer Science A of E

Andrea Rohde Leadership Pride Visual Arts A of E

Allison Ruwe Macon Co. Roundups Animal Science A of E

Sarah Starshak Mt. Zion Eagles Horticulture A of E

Natalie Stoerger A & O Producers Visual Arts A of E

Dylan Sturgell Leadership Pride Photography S

Holly Weis Forsyth Fantastics Foods & Nutrition A of E

Laciana Williams Macon Co. Roundups Visual Arts A of E

Rebecca Williamson M-Team Electricity A of E

Action-Oriented Classes

Hayley Bunselmeyer Maroa Livestock Food Demonstration A of E

Jonathan Chenoweth Willow Creek Citizenship-Club S

Katherine Chenoweth Willow Creek Citizenship-Club S

Patricia Chenoweth Willow Creek Citizenship-Club S

Mandy Dunakey Willow Creek Citizenship-Club S

Austin Durflinger Willow Creek Citizenship-Club S

Evan Hall Leadership Pride Illustrated Speech A of E

Katie Malone Maroa Livestock Food & Nutrition A of E

Megan Thompson Willow Creek Citizenship–Club S

Conference-Judged

Keith Owens Austinets Natural Resources A of E

Jacob Taylor Mission Possible Bicycle Safety A of E

State Tractor Driving Contest

Congratulations to Brandon Barringer, A & O Producers, for representing Macon County in the State Tractor Driving Contest held in Bloomington in August.

Congratulations to our Macon County 4-H members!

English & Western Division 5

Costume Class–Open–Pony or Horse–13 to 14 year 3rd Place Natalie Stoerger A & O Producers

English or Western Trail Class–10 to 14 year 1st Place Brandon Barringer A & O Producers

Pattern Riding–Pony or Horse–10 to 14 year 2nd Place Brandon Barringer A & O Producers

Reining–Pony or Horse–any age 2nd Place Brandon Barringer A & O Producers

Hunter Horse Division 2

Hunt Seat–Flat Horses–10 to 12 year 2nd Place Taylor Yuhas MC Roundups

Hunter Showmanship–10 to 12 year 1st Place Taylor Yuhas MC Roundups

Stock-Type–Hunter Under Saddle–10 to 12 year 2nd Place Kim Stout MC Roundups

Traditional Hunter Under Saddle–10 to 12 year 2nd Place Kim Stout MC Roundups

Versatility Class

Pattern Riding 1st Place Brandon Barringer A & O Producers

Versatility Class–Pony or Horse–any age 2nd Place Brandon Barringer A & O Producers

Western Horse Division 6

Conformation Stock Horse 4 years & Older 3rd Place Dana Daugherty Leadership Pride

Western Horsemanship over 56 in–-10 to 12 year 2nd Place Taylor Yuhas MC Roundups

Western Pleasure over 56 in–10 to 12 year 1st Place Kim Stout MC Roundups

Western Pony Division 4

Champion 1st Place Brandon Barringer A & O Producers

Western Pony Conformation Mare or Gelding 1st Place Brandon Barringer A & O Producers

Western Pony Pleasure not over 56 in 3rd Place Tyler Barringer A & O Producers Producers

JR denotes Junior; LL denotes Land of Lincoln

Cattle

JR Shorthorn Heifer 05/01/04-06/28/04 First Place J.C. Walker Long Creek Critters

JR Shorthorn Heifer 09/01/04-11/20/04 Second Place Kristen Walker Long Creek Critters

Reserve Champion Heifer First Place J.C. Walker Long Creek Critters

Champion Division 4 Showman J.C. Walker Long Creek Critters

Reserve Champion Division 7 Showman Kristen Walker Long Creek Critters

LL JR Shorthorn Heifer 09/01/04-11/20/04 Second Place Kristen Walker Long Creek Critters

Sheep

JR Lamb Premiere Second Place Chase Brown Warrensburg

Reserve Champion Jr. Lamb Premiere Chase Brown Warrensburg

Champion Premiere Wether Eric Leonard Willow Creek

JR Premiere Wethers Wether 126 to 131 Second Place Chase Brown Warrensburg

Third Place Eric Leonard Willow Creek

JR Premiere Wethers Wether 137 to 145 First Place Eric Leonard Willow Creek

LL Champion Jr Lamb Premiere Chase Brown Warrensburg

LL Jr Lamb Premiere First Place Chase Brown Warrensburg

Third Place Eric Leonard Willow Creek

LL Champion Premiere Wether Eric Leonard Willow Creek

LL JR Suffolk Wether 129 to 135 Third Place Eric Leonard Willow Creek

LL JR Suffolk Wether 136 to 156 Third Place Chase Brown Warrensburg

LL JR Premiere Wethers Wether 126 to 131 Second Place Chase Brown Warrensburg

Third Place Eric Leonard Willow Creek

LL JR Premiere Wethers Wether 137 to 145 First Place Eric Leonard Willow Creek

Third Place Tim Leonard Willow Creek

LL JR Premiere Wethers Wether 146 to 171 Third Place Chase Brown Warrensburg

Swine

JR Duroc Barrow 262 to 263 Third Place Dustin Guntle M-Team

JR Duroc Barrow 269 to 275 Third Place Tyler Stoutenborough Maroa Livestock

JR Pork Premiere Second Place Dustin Guntle M-Team

Reserve Champion Jr Pork Premiere Dustin Guntle M-Team

JR Premiere Barrow 276 to 300 Second Place Dustin Guntle M-Team

Reserve Champion Barrow Dustin Guntle M-Team

JR Berkshire Gilt 01/19/05-01/27/05 Third Place Jeffery Reed M-Team

JR Duroc Gilt 02/16/05-03/07/05 Third Place Ashley Guntle M-Team

JR Crossbred Gilts Barrow 244 to 278 Second Place Tyler Stoutenborough Maroa Livestock

LL JR Duroc Barrow 262 to 263 Third Place Dustin Guntle M-Team

LL JR Poland China Barrow 256 to 261 Third Place Ashley Guntle M-Team

LL JR Berkshire Gilt 01/19/05-01/17/05 Third Place Jeffery Reed M-Team

LL JR Duroc Gilt 01/22/05-01/25/05 Second Place Ashley Guntle M-Team

LL JR Duroc Gilt 02/16/05-03/07/05 Third Place Ashley Guntle M-Team

LL JR Hampshire Gilt 01/21/05-01/25/05 Second Place Tyler Stoutenborough Maroa Livestock

Rabbit

Mini Rex All Varieties Sr Doe Second Place Kaitlyn Foulks Mighty Meridians

New Zealand Varieties Sr Doe Second Place David Nihiser Mighty Meridians

Third Place Kaitlyn Foulks Mighty Meridians

Congratulations to Jonathan Chenoweth for Best Tractor Display, Brandon Barringer for Champion Tractor Driving Senior and Nathan Loerzel for Champion Tractor Driving Junior at the Macon County 2005 4-H Show.

Why is it that Junior High students always fall through the cracks? Activities for younger kids are boring and who wants to hang out with high schoolers any way? It's time we changed that! Join us for the first Junior High meeting of the year on

Tuesday, October 11

6:00-7:30 pm

Extension Office, Macon Room

Come with your ideas for some new and exciting activities just for junior high aged 4-Hers. Dinner will be served as well, so come hungry! Please RSVP to the Extension Office at 877-6042.

4-H has a system of awards and recognitions for 4-H members. This system is in place to help motivate 4-Hers to work hard and excel in their projects, to provide encouragement to 4-Hers for their efforts, to increase interest and learning and to help 4-Hers become more capable and competent adults. When a 4-H member achieves the standards for his or her age group, the member receives a medal for their work. As 4-Hers get older, they receive other awards, such as a key ring (age 15), a notebook (age 16) and a plaque (age 17-18). In addition, a member who is 16 or over and has met leadership requirements for 2 years may receive the Key Award. Members who have received the Key Award and fill out their State Award applications, are eligible for the I Dare You award.

4-H Standards of Excellence are as follows. Your 4-H club leader keeps track of your progress toward these goals.

4-H Standards of Excellence Goals:

•Project Achievement

(8-11 year olds)

–Establish plans for your project

–Attend 2/3 of club meetings

–Make an exhibit

–Give a talk or demonstration

•Service Achievement

(12-14 year olds)

–Fulfill Project Achievement Standards

–Serve on a committee or hold an office

–Take part in a community service activity

–Assist leaders with a special activity

•Leadership Achievement

(15-18 year olds)

–Fulfill Project Achievement Standards

–Fulfill Service Achievement Standards

–Participate in one or more learning experiences at the unit, regional or state level

–Provide leadership for a project

–Assist in conducting programs at the county level or beyond