November 2015
100% increase in 4-H Records in Sangamon County!
Thank you to all members who submitted records for the 2014-2015
4-H year. Sangamon County had a 100% increase in participation from
last year. It was great to read about so many awesome things that our
4-Her’s are doing and we are looking forward to seeing even more
submitted next year! Remember to start early…
Sangamon-Menard 4-H Officer
Training Where leadership is learned! Saturday,
November 14th 9:00-11:30 a.m. Sangamon County
Extension Office. Please register online, or by
contacting the Extension Office by November 11.
In this issue:
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Local News pg 1-5
Clover Spotlight! pg. 3
2016 4-H Shows pg. 5
Educators Corner pg. 4
Metro VOM pg. 6
State News pg 7-8
Calendar pg. 8
Join the party! Check out some of the
great opportunities 4-H has to offer
teens at the “4-H Teen Kick-Off Party”.
Food and Fun included, of course.
FREE and open to youth currently 8th grade to High School. Saturday, November 14th 12-1:30 p.m.
Sangamon County Extension Office (700 S Airport Dr., Springfield). Please register online or by calling
the Extension Office by Nov 11.
Exotic Animals 4-H SPIN Club:
From the creepy crawly to the cute and cuddly,
youth ages 8-18 as of September 1, 2015
can explore exotic and endangered species through
this 4-H special interest club. Participants will have the
opportunity to see, pet and hold a variety of exotic animals, as well as learn about their physical
characteristics and how they survive. There will be a $20 annual 4-H Program fee for youth not already
enrolled in 4-H for the 2015-2016 4-H year, and free of charge to youth that are currently
enrolled. Space is limited! Slots will be filled on a first-come first-served basis. Meeting dates will be
December 13 &20 and January 3, 10, 17, & 24 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Sangamon County Extension
Office. Register online http://web.extension.illinois.edu/lms/sangamon4h/ . For questions contact
Sharon Lounsberry at slounsbe@illinois.edu or call 782-4617. The new Exotic Animals Special Interest 4-H
Club will be led by volunteer, Lacey Claborn, former 4-H member and owner of Wild Times Exotics.
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/lms/4h.html www.facebook.com/LMS.4H
Menard County Extension Office ● PO Box 138, 420 S. 7th ● Petersburg, IL 62675
Phone: 217/632-7491 ● Fax: 217/632-2425 ● E-Mail: menard_co@illinois.edu
Sangamon County Extension Office ● 700 S. Airport Drive ● Springfield, IL 62707
Phone: 217/782-4617 ● Fax: 217/524-6662 ● E-Mail sangamon_co@illinois.edu
November 2015
**New State Award Application and New Award Opportunities!**
We have NEW ways to celebrate Illinois 4-H members. No matter who you are or how you came to 4-H, Illinois
4-H believes in you and wants to celebrate your success! That’s why we have new awards, new applications, and
new prizes!
Let’s start with the new award categories which represent all aspects of 4-H work: Community Service,
Communications, Leadership, Personal Growth, and Project Mastery. Do you have lots of work in both
Community Service and Leadership—no problem! Members can apply in one or more of the five award areas.
Members are only allowed to submit ONE Project Mastery award application. For example, a member can apply
in Communications, Leadership, and Project Mastery (let’s say in Woodworking), but cannot apply in both
Project Mastery for Woodworking and Project Mastery for Natural Resources.
Twenty state winners will be selected. Winners may choose one of three prizes: Trip to National 4-H Congress in
Atlanta, GA in November 2016; OR Scholarship to another national 4-H conference or event to which the
member is eligible to attend; OR $1,000 College scholarship.
How do you apply? The application is available at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/lms/sangamon4h under the
Awards tab. The application focuses on your work for the last three years of 4-H, school and community
activities. The application includes two essays one which describes the mastery in your award area and the
second on the impact you’ve made in your award area.
FOR THE 2016 STATE 4-H AWARD SELECTION PROCESS, ANY 4-H member who was 15-18 years of age on
September 1, 2015 and is currently enrolled in 4-H may apply in any of the award areas; County nomination is
NOT required. Applications must be submitted to the local Extension office by Jan. 6, 2016. 4-H appeals to a
wide range of teens, and the award system does, too. Consider applying this year and celebrate all you’ve
achieved!
TRAINING WORKSHOP for new application: November 19th 6:30-7:30 p.m. Springfield Office
Cloverbud Interest Meeting for NEW Cloverbud Club in Springfield!
Tuesday, November 10th 5:30-6:30 pm, Sangamon County Extension Office. The purpose of the Illinois
4-H Cloverbud program is the same as that for older youth - positive development of youth to become
competent, caring, contributing citizens! The Cloverbud 4-H Program is open to youth ages 5-7 years
old by September 1 of current year. The Cloverbud program provides fun and educational experiences
which help children learn to get along with others, explore new interests, try new things, build selfconfidence and prepare for a full 4-H club experience when they turn 8 years old!
Express Yourself! Public Speaking Skills! Come learn about public speaking on
January 30, 2016 with volunteer Susie Risser 10-12 a.m. at the Sangamon County Extension Office.
Register online or by contacting the office. Open to all youth 8-18.
***To participate in Public Speaking Contest remember to sign up for the project by March 1, 2016
4-H Festive Foods!
Celebrate world-wide holiday traditions through food!
December 8, 6 -7:30 p.m. Springfield Extension Office OR December 15, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Petersburg
Extension Office. Cost: $5 per participant, paid by cash or check on day of program. Register online or
by contacting the office, space is limited. Open to all youth 8-18.
pg. 2
November 2015
Your 4-H adventure can be featured too!
Submit articles, photos,
stories, videos, etc. to
Kathryn Long
kelong@illinois.edu
Clover Spotlight!
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The Pleasant Plaines Clovers 4-H Club had quite the adventure at Tractor Supply Company when
members brought their own petting zoo!
Illiopolis 4-H Club served their community by weeding the pathways and landscaping around their
local veterans memorial during National 4-H Week.
Six members of Abe Lincoln Shooters participated in the State Shoot on October 3 in
shotgun. Pictured above with leaders Don and Claudia Pitchford, participants included:
Seth Shroyer, John Greifzu, David Kloppe, Aaron Fishburn, Scott Wheat, and Landon
LaRue. (right) William Sanderlin competed in Air Rifle on Oct 17 and placed sixth!
Island Grove 4-H Club continued their “Beautify New Berlin” project by changing the
spring flowers to mums for the fall.
*** Thank you to everyone who submitted photos for the National 4-H Week contest!
To see more, visit www.facebook.com/LMS.4H!!!
Winner of the drawing: Pleasant Plaines 4-H Club!
pg. 3
November 2015
INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTICS! Join us on Saturday,
November 7th from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Logan County Extension
Office for an Introduction to Robotics Workshop and Spin Club
Interest Meeting! Bob Smith, Illinois State 4-H Robotics Educator, will be leading a fun, informative
session where participants will be able to build and program a robot. Interested individuals also will
learn more on how they can participate in a 4-H Robotics SPIN Club. Parents are encouraged to attend
with their children. Pre-registration is required, register online. If you are interested but unable to
participate on November 7, please register to receive further information. If you have questions about
this opportunity, please contact Leslie Starasta at 217-732-7970.
Educator Corner ~ Carissa Akpore
Helping Members Develop Leadership Skills
Society has the responsibility for helping its young people to develop an array of skills related to
productive citizenship. Leadership skills are an important subset of the youth development skills that
are necessary to nurture. Studies show that young people who engage in youth development and
youth leadership experiences demonstrate higher levels of academic achievement, community
involvement, self-efficacy, self-advocacy, and self-determination, and are able to transition to
adulthood more successfully than their peers who do not have these experiences.
6 Skills to Teach Today’s Youth to Become Tomorrow’s Leaders
Self-Confidence – This is one of the most important skills for a future leader, but it can’t be taught. Kids learn
self-confidence not just through praise, but also by having opportunities to learn things and do a good job.
Decision Making – Good leaders have to be able to make good decisions. Giving youth the opportunity to make
decisions for themselves is therefore very important. When children are supported to make responsible
decisions, it helps them manage their own behavior and relate more effectively to others.
Problem Solving – Problem solving is another important skill for good leaders to have. Helping kids learn how to
identify their options can help them ensure they are making healthy decisions for themselves.
Teamwork – The ability to work together with others as part of a team is not simply a skill needed at school, it is
a vital skill used in all areas of life. Although we envision leaders as being above their peers, they also need to be
able to work well with others.
Money – Being able to manage money, on a personal level as well as on a business or corporate level, is
important for youth to be a leader someday. High-powered leadership positions almost always have some sort
of financial or budgeting aspect to the job.
Passion and Motivation – Passion and motivation aren’t really skills, but they are important
for future leaders nonetheless. Encouraging these traits can be accomplished by helping
them to pursue and develop their interests when they are young, so that they learn what it
feels like to do something because they want to, not because they have to. A supportive
learning environment can go a long ways in shaping the future generation of leaders.
pg. 4
November 2015
---2016 4-H Shows--Important Deadlines and Dates for 2015-2016 4-H Year:
Please mark these important dates on your calendar to be sure that you are able to fully participate in shows!
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Oct 1, 2015: Beginning of New 4-H year
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Dec. 1, 2015: 4-H’ers re-enrolled as Club Members
March 1, 2016: Deadline to add/drop projects to be eligible to exhibit at 4-H Show
May 2016: 4-H Show Registrations mailed to members by May 1, 2016
June 1, 2016: 4-H Show Registration due to office
Sep 1, 2016: 4-H Records due to leaders
(Must be ages 8-18 for 4-H or ages 5-7 for 4-H Cloverbud by September 1, 2015 to enroll)
*** Some projects, especially animal projects, have addition requirements and deadlines. These will be
posted in the 4-H Newsletter in advance.
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Unit 16 Horse Show, tentatively June 12
Clothing Show Saturday, June 25th Sangamon County Extension Office
General Project Show Saturday July 9 Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin
(including Animal Science Displays, Fashion Revue, and Public Speaking)
Sangamon County Livestock Shows July 9- 10 Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin
Unit 16 Dog Show tentatively July 30, Logan County Fairgrounds
State Junior Horse Show July 24-31
Illinois State Fair August 11-21, 2016 Illinois State Fair: There will be an assigned day when our
counties will show at the 4-H Show at the State Fair. Date will be released in early summer.
Sangamon Livestock Superintendents’ Meeting: Dec 1 at 6 p.m. Sangamon County Extension Office
Menard Livestock Superintendents’ Meeting: Dec 3 at 6 p.m. Menard County Extension Office
(ALL) Superintendents’ Meeting: January 28, 2016 6 p.m. Sangamon County Extension Office
Unit 16 4-H Horse Committee Forming – It takes a strong group of volunteers willing to
provide leadership to hold the 4-H Horse Show. Horse enthusiasts willing to share their time, talent
and resources to plan, prepare for, and assist at the 2016 Unit 16 4-H Horse Show are asked to contact
Kathryn Long kelong@illinois.edu and provide your name, address, phone #, and e-mail address to be
part of the Horse committee. Names and contact information are being gathered now so that
volunteers will receive notification when the first meeting date is set, and any new volunteers to the
program have time to complete the required 4-H volunteer screening. The first meeting will be
February 1, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at the Sangamon County Extension Office.
pg. 5
November 2015
Dominique the November “4-H Metro Volunteer of the Month”. Dominique is a senior at
University of Illinois-Springfield Pursuing Bachelors in Communication, Minor in Marketing. He
also is a University of Illinois Board of Trustees Student Representative and Big Brother Big Sister
Capital Region Mentor. Dominique has been a UIS/4-H leader doe a
year.. He volunteers faithfully as a 4-H leader for the 4-H Scholastic
Achievement Program at UIS held every semester. Last semester,
Dominique did something rather interesting for his group. He led a 6week track entitled “Mad Money”. In these sessions students learned
about financial management and business. Students also developed
their own business plans and were able to start their own bank
account up for completing the program. 4-H is proud to honor
Dominique as the September volunteer of the month. Here are a few
fun facts about Dominique:
*What is your occupation? I am a full-time scholar and community organizer.
*How long have you been volunteering for Extension & in what ways? I have been a 4-H
volunteer for one year.
*What is your Favorite Color? My favorite color is green.
*What do you like to do in your free time? I like to travel in my spare time and get together with
my friends.
*What do you like to do with your family? I like to joke around with my family and come together
to get some food.
* What is a goal you would like to achieve? I would like to continue to impact lives and make a
difference in the world. First I would like to start by expanding my efforts in The Gambia Africa.
*Why do you choose to volunteer your time with 4-H? I choose to work with 4-H because the
organization works with grammar and high school students. I believe during those years, students
are most impressionable. It’s important to support students whom that are that young and show
them they can be successful in life.
* In your opinion what is the importance of being involved and volunteering? I believe it’s
important to volunteer because everyone has something to contribute to others lives. So often people
neglect the power of their influence on the world. Being a part of 4-H is just one way our impact on
others can be a positive one.
*Is there anything else you would like to share? There is a quote from Mother Teresa I would
like to share in-which she says "I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the
waters to create many ripples." It’s important to know that we may not be able to change the entire
world, but if we try our impact can still be felt in the world.
pg. 6
November 2015
Introducing the 2015-16 Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team! We are so
excited to be able to introduce the 22 4-H members and recent alumni who make up our Illinois State
4-H Youth Leadership Team. These young adults will be helping at various events throughout Illinois
over the next year, planning the Jr. Leadership Conference, and helping teach the Speaking for Illinois
4-H program. Team members are selected via application, references, and interview and serve for a 2year term. Congratulations to our two Sangamon County Youth Leadership Team members: Jayla
Clay-Lewis and Thara Galbreth!
2016 Illinois 4-H Jr. Leadership Conference: You and your friends can get away from home
and have fun meeting new kids your age at a statewide Illinois 4-H conference! The Illinois 4-H Junior
Leadership Conference will be Feb. 27-28 at the Hawthorne Suites in Champaign. The conference is planned by
teens on the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team who know what YOU want in a 4-H conference. Planned
specifically for 7th and 8th grade 4-H members, the weekend will be full of fun, hands-on workshops and teambuilding activities that help develop skills in young leaders. Registration will open in mid-November and
information will be online http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/events/juniorleadership.cfm. Get ready to
start your 4-H leadership adventure now by planning to attend!
Scholarships Available: Be your own researcher and earn $500 The Illinois Soybean
Association and DuPont Pioneer Hi-Bred are offering $500 Clover Challenge Grants to 4-H members
who wish to challenge themselves in project areas that connect them with soybean, corn, or small
grain industries. This is not limited to only 4-H members enrolled in crops – it also includes 4-H
members involved in foods & nutrition projects. Research may relate to but is not limited to
production practices, processing, crop and/or crop-byproduct utilization (nutrition related exploration).
The deadline for application submission is February 16, 2016 and projects must be completed by
August 31, 2016. More information is available for the Clover Challenge Grant opportunity at the
Illinois 4-H Foundation site: http://4hfoundation.illinois.edu/grants/clover. If you have questions,
please contact Pat McGlaughlin, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development, patm@illinois.edu.
The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to Springfield!
January 1,
2016 at 7 p.m. Prairie Capital Convention Center and are offering discounted tickets
to 4-H families! Forms and details are available under the “printable forms” tab on the
website. To order tickets contact Taylor Myers: Toll Free: 800-641-4667 x152 or email
your order to: myers@harlemglobetrotters.com
Join the Illinois delegation for 2016 CWF! We are ecstatic that Illinois will be offering a trip
to Washington, D.C. for the 2016 Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) program!
Illinois will be travelling Saturday July 9 through Saturday, July 19, 2016. We travel
by bus to Washington, D.C., stopping at Gettysburg on the way. Delegates and
chaperones stay at the National 4-H Center during the week. Citizenship Washington Focus includes workshops,
group discussions and work, tours of memorials and museums throughout the D.C. area, and more. Illinois 4-
pg. 7
November 2015
H’ers must be 14-18 years of age by May 1, 2016 in order to attend. Through the generosity of the Illinois 4-H
Foundation, we are able to offer this week’s full program, transportation, Illinois CWF shirt, insurance and more
for approximately $1,000. Registration is open:
web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/events/citizenshipwashington.cfm. (Information on the 2016 program will be
posted shortly.) A deposit of $250 will be due at the time of initial registration. Registration will close December
1, 2015 OR when registration is full, whichever occurs first. Other payments of $350 will be due January 15 and
May 15.
“Livestock on Ice” NEW for 2016: If you enjoy learning more about the Illinois livestock industry,
have dreams of being a veterinarian, or just love exhibiting livestock, you will want to save the date for this NEW
CONFERENCE which is focused entirely on livestock! Tentatively, mark your calendars for February 13 & 14 in
Decatur. More details will be available soon! In the meantime… a few of the workshops we think you’ll enjoy:
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"In the Cooler" Step into the cooler and discover the world of meat science! During this session
participants will glove up and truly get a hands on experience revolving around meat production. You will
explore a variety of different meat cuts, along with what animal they originate from. In a freezing cool
finale, you will put their knowledge to the test in a competition against their peers.
"Sledding through Shots and Sutures" Glove up and come explore the exciting world of wounds,
medicine, sutures and dissection! In this session we will go bananas as we learn more about simple
surgical procedures in livestock!
"Layer Up" Layer up and take your role as a hog farmer. Biosecurity is at the utmost importance, but get
ready to go hog wild! It is time to boot up and go to the breeding barn!
"How to Keep your Cool" How to keep your cool is a jam packed session about the proper way to
promote the livestock industry on social media sites and to the general public. You will leave knowing how
to answer the questions of families walking through the barn at the fair or local news reporters. Learn the
appropriate ways to use social media to promote not only the industry as a whole, but also your individual
farm.
"Brain Freeze" A fast and furious Livestock Quiz Bowl will keep everyone thinking on their feet!
Mark Your Calendar
See newsletter and website for registration and further details
(If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in advertised programs, please contact U of I Extension, 782-4617)
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Introduction to Robotics Workshop Nov 7th 1-3 p.m. Logan County Extension Office
4-H Officer’s Training, November 14th 9-11:30 a.m. Sangamon County Extension Office
4-H Teen Kick-OFF Party, November 14th 12-1:30 p.m. Sangamon County Extension Office
4-H Illinois Award’s Workshop November 19th 6:30-7:30 p.m. Sangamon County Extension Office
Sangamon Livestock Superintendents Meeting Dec 1st 6-7 p.m. Sangamon Co. Extension Office
Menard Livestock Superintendents Meeting Dec 3rd 6-7 p.m. Sangamon Co. Extension Office
4-H Festive Foods Workshop December 8th 6-7:30 p.m. Sangamon County Extension Office
4-H Festive Foods Workshop December 15th 6-7:30 p.m. Menard County Extension Office
Superintendents’ Meeting (ALL): January 28, 2015 6 p.m. Sangamon County Extension Office
4-H International Night April 28, 2015
2016 4-H Show Deadlines and Dates…. refer to pg 5
pg. 8
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. State| County | Local Groups | USDA Cooperating