/ZutJ youth 



Tinkering with electricity, a hobby, 

 led JUNIOR DITMER into a new part 

 time job this winter and spring. After 

 the Adams County Electric Cooperative 

 was formed, many farm homes in Dit- 

 mer's community of Coatsburg needed 

 to be wired. Rigging up the W. E. 

 Leslie farm at Fowler took young Dit- 

 mer seven days and included the house, 

 barn, garage and cow barn. Three 

 way switches and 37 outlets were pro- 

 vided for the house. Total cost of 

 labor and materials for wiring — 

 1167.00. 



Ditmer is 20 years old and is a mem- 

 ber of the Adams County Rural Youth 

 Group. He expects to continue wiring 

 until oats sowing. The Adams Elec- 

 tric Coop, will furnish power for ap- 

 . proximately 1500 farms in Adams, 

 Brown, and Schuyler Counties. 



Parent night has been a successful 

 type of Rural Youth activity in a num- 

 ber of counties this winter. DeKalb 

 County reports that one of their best 

 meetings was their Parent Night held 

 recently. Good reports have been re- 

 ceived from Woodford County's Fam- 

 ily Night and Box Lunch Supper Feb- 

 ruary 9 at Eureka. A one act play 

 "Who Gets The Car Tonight.'" di- 

 rected by Nelson Smith and Tilman 

 Blunier, was one of the high lights 

 of the evening. Margaret Sharp con- 

 ducted an old fashioned Spelling Bee 

 as part of the recreation. Rural Youth 

 won from their parents 7-1. The Bu- 

 reau County Parent Night is scheduled 

 for March l6th. A Quiz Box, another 

 type of "BEE", will be conducted by 

 John Sharp and Bert JefTers. 



County Talent Night programs are 

 being planned in several counties. 

 Henry County Rural Youth have spon- 

 sored several of these. On March 15th 

 all comers had a chance to strut their 

 stuflF before the bright lights. 



A novel broadcast from radio station 

 Y-O-U-T-H is reported by Kenneth 

 Ferrill, president, Macon County Rural 

 Youth. These broadcasts will take 

 place as a scries of special meetings 

 to gain new members. The second in 

 the series was held, February 15 at 

 Maroa Gym. During the broadcast. 

 Rural Youth members take the parts 

 of such celebrities as Kate Smith, Jim- 

 my Fiddler and other stars of the air 

 lanes. According to Kenneth the idea 

 has worked in Macon County. 



Practical information on stocks, 

 bonds, insurance, and postal savings. 



AT CHAMPAIGN COUNTY HOME 

 BUHEAU PLAY DAY 



was presented by Charles Lewis, Huetta 

 Byers, and Leroy Smith, Hancock 

 County Rural Youth members, during 

 their regular January meeting. Even 

 though extra study was required to pre- 

 pare material, the group felt it worth- 

 while when seventy members turned 

 out for the discussion. 



You may prevent spring losses of live- 

 stock from poisonous plants by keeping 

 the animals out of the pasture until the 

 grass has made considerable growth. Many 

 poisonous weeds start their growth early 

 and are often eaten by livestock for want of 

 something green. 



Vermilion county farmers used 10,000 



tons of limestone in 1937 and 1},000 tons 

 in 1938, says Farm Adviser Parett. 



$3S0 Prizes Offered 



In Farm Bureau Contest 



As a part of its 20th anniversary 

 celebration, The Nation's Agriculture 

 is announcing its first essay contest. 

 The subject "20 years of Farm Bureau 

 Achievement," may include achieve- 

 ments by the Farm Bureau in county, 

 state and nation. Prizes will be awarded 

 to those who, in the opinion of the 

 judges, do the best job of telling the 

 story of the Farm Bureau from 1920 

 to 1940. 



Contestants are not restricted to a 

 discussion of achievements by their own 

 county or state Farm Bureau. It is not 

 the size and scope of specific achieve- 

 ments that will be compared, but rath- 

 er the method and effectiveness of 

 presentation. If you live in a county 

 which has a Farm Bureau with great 

 achievements to its credit, that fact 



Plai^ Days 



"Country Women of the World" 

 was the theme used by Mason County 

 Home Bureau at its ninth annual play 

 day. With Mrs. Elmer Lamb, county 

 chairman, acting as captain, assisted by 

 chief engineers, ship's musicians, and 

 first mate, the group was taken in fancy 

 to London where the Triennial Con- 

 ference of the Associated Women of 

 the World will open May 30. 



Twelve units presented numbers that 

 portrayed the countries they repre- 

 sented. Fifty people took part in this 

 part of the program, which represented 

 a social period at the Conference. Pan- 

 tomines, stories and music typical of 

 each country were used. Ireland, 

 Spain, Holland, Hawaii, France, Eng- 

 land, India, Switzerland, Germany, 

 Egypt, China, and the United States 

 were represented. 



At the Champaign county play day, 

 progressive games were emphasized. 

 Some of these were shuffleboard, muf- 

 fin pan toss, paper plate toss, chair 

 quoits, and ping pong basketball. In 

 a get-acquainted game, forfeits had to 

 be paid in pennies which were used 

 to defray expenses for the day. 



In a singing stunt, three generations 

 were represented, Mrs. Lydia Shroyer, 

 grandmother; Mrs. Opal Wrather, 

 daughter; Miss Donna 'Wrather, grand- 

 daughter. 



will not mean that your essay will be 

 given greater consideration than an es- 

 say from a member in a county which 

 has done less constructive work. You 

 are at liberty to draw upon the experi- 

 ence of any Farm Bureau, anywhere, for 

 your material. 



THE RULES 

 LENGTH: Two thousand words or less. 

 CONTESTANTS: Any member of a Farm 

 Bureau family except officers or em- 

 ployees of state Farm Bureaus, the 

 American Farm Bureau Federation or 

 the Associated Women of the American 

 Farm Bureau Federation. 

 DEADLINE: Essays will be accepted at 

 any time up to and including July 31, 

 1939. 

 PRESENTATION OF AWARDS. At the 

 1939 A.F.B.F. Annual Convention, Chi- 

 cago. 

 JUDGES: C. V. Gregory, Associate Pub- 

 lisher, Wallace's Farmer and Iowa 

 Homestead; Dr. C. B. Smith, former 

 Assistant Director of Extension, Wash- 

 ington, D. C,; O. M. Kile, Washington, 

 D. C, author of 'The Farm Bureau 

 Movement." 

 MANUSCRIPTS: Must be legible and writ- 

 ten on one side of sheet only. Will 

 become the property of the American 

 Farm Bureau Federation when received. 

 PRIZES 



First prize $1)0.00 



Second prize _ 100.00 



Third prize 50.00 



Next 10 prizes _ 5.00ea 



APRIL 1939 



33 



