Dear 4-H'ers, leaders and parents,       2008 Fruit Receipt

CRAFT DAY FEB 16
Craft Day will be held Saturday, February 16 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the lower level community room of the Courthouse. The following crafts will be offered and you need to call the office at 377-4277 by Monday, FEB 11 to register for your two (2) choices.

Tin Punch craft
You will be making a tin punch decorated can. You can do any design you choose with a nail and hammer and then you can add a tea light for decoration. Tarena Stortz & Tracey Robson are leading.

Leather coaster
You will be using leather tools to design a leather coaster. This will stir your interest so maybe next year you may want to do the leather project. Nadine Brown is the new leader for this project.

Scrapbooking
You will be using a paper bag to do some scrapbooking. Come learn a new technique. If you have some scrapbooking supplies, you may want to bring them along for your personal design. Kitty Charlesworth and Patty Patterson are the leaders.

Light bulb rabbit
We will be using recycled light bulbs to make this craft into a cute Easter bunny. You will be painting on this project so wear your old clothes. Sherry will be your leader.

Clay modeling
You will be making a pin to wear or some animals out of modeling clay. Amanda Heimbuch will be helping you design some fun things.

So call now and let us know what TWO projects you would like to do for craft day, Feb 16. We could also use junior leaders and leaders to lend a helping hand. Call and let us know if you can help, 377-4277. Remember to register by FEB 11.

FRUIT SALES
The Dawson County 4-H Fruit Sales will begin on Wednesday, February 13th after school. Your leader or your parents will be getting your material to you or you can stop by the office and get your own. Leaders or parents: please pick up your kids's or club's material for the fruit sale at the office on Feb 11, 12,or 13. If you cannot pick up your fruit information please call. It is GATE weekend the 8 & 9 and Sherry will not have the forms ready until Monday the 11. PLEASE DO NOT SELL EARLY!
ANYONE WHO SELLS EARLY WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR TOP PRIZES!

If you are new to 4-H this year, the Dawson County 4-H has conducted a fruit sale each year as a money making project and we ask each of the kids to sell as many boxes as they can. The money generated from this helps pay for camps, helps pay for craft day, day camp, and pays dues for 4-H'ers and leaders.

All receipts and order forms will be dated with the current year. Please use current year material. If you need extra forms, they are available at the Office. Stop by and pick more up or call and we will mail them. I hope to email the receipt to you also so you have one to work with. It will also be available on the web, so your customers can look at it while you talk to them -- www.dawsoncountymontana.org. Click on the 4-H page and the receipt is on the bottom of the page.

This year we are selling the beef sticks and the string cheese sticks again. The beef sticks are like a jerky stick. Each member should try to sell 5 boxes of fruit, beef or cheese--this is your fair share! Let's try our best and make some money for yourself and 4-H.

One credit is counted as a 18 or 20 pound box and sells for $20 or $18. Two credits are counted for the $25 boxes. One credit each is counted for the string cheese and beef sticks. Prize money is paid out after all money is turned in. For each small box of fruit sold the 4-H'er gets $1, and for each $25 box sold you receive $2. You get $1 for apple & pear boxes, string cheese and beef sticks.

Number of credits to be sold in order to receive prizes or trips:
Sell 3 credits, get a free day camp. (Cloverbuds eligible for this)
Sell 25 credits, get free 4-H camp-Ekalaka (regular 4-H'ers only)
Sell 30 credits, get $10 plus one free camp

Sell 20 credits and go to Congress free (or you will need to pay $25 towards your expenses to go) 14 & older by 10/1/07
Sell 35 credits and get a free Jr Hi Camp
Sell 10 credits, get free horse clinic($20 value, 15 boxes if $30)

Some of these credits may change after our committee meeting next week. So these are estimates for now.

The top eight sellers over 20 credits will be awarded these prizes:
1st - $40 5th - $20
2nd - $35 6th - $15
3rd - $30 7th - $10
4th - $25 8th - $5

DO NOT TURN IN HALF BOXES SOLD TO THE EXTENSION OFFICE. You can sell half boxes but you have to find people to take the other half. Please write plainly and double check your figures on the order forms. Boxes are missed by not carrying them to the bottom line.

FAMILY PRIZE - $40 to the family selling the most fruit. (A family is classified as 2 or more 4-H'ers) The top individual can’t claim family prize. This prize was designed to go to a separate family.

CLUB PRIZE -$50 to the club averaging the most boxes per member. The fruit rep also sponsors a pizza party for the top club.

ADDED PRIZE - $25 cash prizes will be awarded to the top sellers from the fruit company. One prize for each 4,000 pounds of fruit sold. Last year we awarded this to the top 6 sellers.

ANYONE WHO SELLS EARLY WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR TOP PRIZES!

Turn your orders into your leaders by MARCH 7. Leaders please turn your orders into the Extension Office by MONDAY MORNING, MARCH 10. The fruit man is calling me THAT AFTERNOON! The contest ends when the order goes into the company. (If you get a late order, call and we will order it, the fruit man is good about letting us order late.)

It is Dawson County policy that there will be no charge for delivery of fruit. You are responsible to deliver the fruit you sell and please do it in a timely fashion. All fruit should be delivered within 4-5 days. The 4-H Council will put an ad in the paper and it is expected to come out in the Wed/ Thurs paper, Feb 13-14. We will try to do some radio ads also. Would you be interested in helping do the radio ads? Call us at 377-4277 and let us know.

The fruit is expected to be delivered to MDU on Friday, March 28.

Thanks to those who are helping with craft day on Feb 16 remember it starts at 1:00 pm. Register by Feb 11.

Miscellaneous Information:
Junior Leader Notice
If you are interested in serving as a camp counselor for Camp Needmore in Ekalaka this summer June 10-12, you must send in an application by March 10 to the Dawson County Extension Office. No late applications will be accepted. Enclosed is an application for those eligible. We can usually send 2 junior leaders.

Citizenship Washington Focus
Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) is a 4-H leadership program for high school youth ages 15-19 from across the country. Every summer thousands of young people stay at the National 4-H Center near Washington DC to participate is this week long program. The estimated cost per person is $1,500. Registrations are due by Feb 1. The 4-H Council along with the Montana 4-H Foundation will contribute some to help off-set fees. Delegates must be 15 years old or older by Oct 1, 2007. There is one scholarhsip available, the Susan Kay Dufner Memorial scholarship of $750 is awarded to only one Montana 4-H’er to attend. They must send in an application and three letters of reference by Feb 1, 2008 to the state office. Applicants for this scholarship must be 17 years or older by October 1, 2007.

Enclosed is a calendar for you to keep posted on the refrigerator to keep up with 4-H events.

Sincerely,


Sherry Corneliusen                     Bruce Smith
4-H Assistant                             County Agent      2008 Fruit Receipt
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