A 



By 



ELLSWORTH O. LYON 



For the past several weeks talkfesting has 

 been a part of county and district programs 

 of Rural Youth. We now look toward the 

 state Talk Fest to be held in the Sherman 

 Hotel, Chicago, Nov. 19. This activity, em- 

 phasizing whole-hearted participation in the 

 spirit of good sportsmanship, has always 

 stimulated clear thinking and top-notch 

 speaking. The same high quality of past 

 years is anticipated for the state Talk Fest 

 this year. The state committee has planned 

 also for a Rural Youth conference to be 

 held on Tuesday afternoon following the 

 Talk Fest which will be held in the fore- 



day" session during the last week of Sep- 

 tember. 



Wabash held its county Talk Fest in 

 "Back to School" fashion with Charles 

 Newkirk as the teacher. 



Clark's "school days" meeting was held 

 Sept. II with "schoolmarm," Sue Magill, 

 as teacher. This group gave $25 to the 

 State 4-H Memorial Camp. 



Macoupin demonstrated a number of pro- 

 gram ideas through dramatic sketches at 

 the October meeting. 



Logan, with a great increase in member- 

 ship is now sponsoring a new membership 

 drive. Congratulations Logan — You're oo 

 the beam! 



Will County is planning a big Rural 

 Youth dance for Wednesday night, Nov. 13, 

 according to secretary, Edna Mae Schmidt. 

 For its September meeting the young men 

 and young women divided into separate 

 groups. The young women heard Miss 



The beard of directors of the McLean County Farm Bureau Is to b« commended for Hs 

 practice of including a representative of the county's Rural Youth organization on the 

 board of each of Form Bureau's organization to familiarize them with board procedur*. 

 Wayne Lage (second from right, front row) sits in with the Farm Bureau board. Left to 

 right, standing: Assistant Farm Adviser E. G. Mossbacher, C. B. Keighin, George Staley, 

 Charles Richardson, A. B. Culp, C. Ray Ward, Franic Kraft, James Smith, Farm Adviser O. 

 Lloyd Welsh. Seated: Chris Warsaw, Ernest Schirch, Clarence R. Ropp, Lage and L 



Parke Kerbaugh. 



noon and the second conference for Wednes 

 day morning. The Talk Fest and the con- 

 ferences with planned recreation should make 

 the youth section of the annual meeting of 

 the lAA helpful to Rural Youthers through- 

 out the state. So Rural Youthers, to Chi- 

 cago! 



The big project in Rural Youth over the 

 state is raising money for the State 4-H 

 Memorial Camp near Monticello in Piatt 

 county. Richland was possibly the first 

 county in the state to sponsor a money- 

 raising activity among Rural Youth for this 

 camp. Although carrying the name of "4-H 

 Memorial" the camp will be used by Rural 

 Youthers and other organized groups in 

 Illinois as well as by 4-H. 



Franklin began a good fall program with 

 mixers, singing, consideration of ways of 

 raising money for the 4-H State Memorial 

 Camp in Piatt county, rehearsals for the 

 county Talk Fests, and purchases of Rural 

 Youth pins and necklaces. 



White Rural Youthers are joining with 

 Home Bureau in raising funds for the State 

 4-H Memorial Camp. 



Stephenson got into the swing from sum- 

 mer to fall activities by holding a ".school 



12 



Lucille Gingerich, home adviser, speak on 

 the theme, "Color In The Home," and the 

 young men heard Mr. Bonesta speak upon 

 the theme, "Electrical Equipment for the 

 Farm." 



Nice going Ogle! According to Secre- 

 tary Harriett Schnulle, $50 was realized from 

 the sale of soft drinks at the Farm and 

 Home Bureau and 4-H picnic held this fall. 



Montgomery is making plans for a basket- 

 ball team. A donation of $}5 has been 

 given toward the 4-H State Memorial Camp. 



Edgar joined with the Paris Chamber of 

 Commerce in sponsoring a Fall Festival in 

 Paris on Oct. 29, 30, and 31 by giving a 

 square dance demonstration and assisting in 

 leading the street dancing. 



There mav be a shortage of meat but 

 DeKalb, Kankakee, and St. Clair each spon- 

 sored a successful banquet to "kick-oflF" the 

 fall program. 



Plans are already under way for La Salle's 

 Christmas Formal Dance to be held Dec. 

 28. Luceille Gleim and Vince Werner are 

 co-chairmen for the event. 



Whiteside's new county officers are: presi- 

 dent. Joe Beese; vice president, Lois Carl- 



son; secretary, Jean Martin; treasurer, Mary 

 Slaymaket; Athletic Directors — Corliss 

 Cobb and Allan Wilson. 



Livingston's president, Christine Ryerson, 

 was married to the Rural Youth treasurer, 

 Kenneth Falkers. Mike Kieswetter is the 

 new president and Virgil Sancken is the 

 new treasurer. 



Best wishes to Hazel Grimm, Bonnie 

 Jean Switzer and Mary Parks of McDonougb 

 who were married recently. Sorry we do 

 not know the names of the bridegrooms. 



Miss Margie Wollmer of Rushville and 

 Karl Luthy who were married late in the 

 summer are now residing in Sugar Grove. 



Edgar reports the following weddings: 

 Jean Keefer and Joe Ewing, Alta Brenneman 

 and Geo. Brown, Pat Krabel and Joe Brooks. 

 Betty Wallace and Toe McGinness, Jack 

 Sturgeon and Pat Griffin, Hester Black and 

 Alden McDaniel. 



LETTERS TO 

 THE EDITOR 



PROUD TO BE FARMERS 



Just picked up the Record and saw 

 some answers to the faults city cousins 

 find in farmers. Just glad that I'm a 

 farmer's wife and have more to do than 

 to sit around and think up faults of our 

 city people. They may think they're 

 better than we are, but let them prove 

 it. I don't know why city people look 

 down on farmers. We couldn't get 

 along without the city people, and how 

 long could they get along without us? 

 You would think by the way they treat 

 a farmer and the way they talk about 

 them that they could get along just as 

 well if all farmers were banished from 

 the earth. 



1 say just let them talk. We are 

 proud to be farmers. I much prefer to 

 rear my two boys, two and four, out 

 here on the farm where young people 

 don't sleep till noon and come home at 

 two and three o'clock in the morning. 

 I had a friend say to me one time, 

 "Well, what is it to farm? Anybody 

 can farm, but you have to know some- 

 thing to barber!" Her husband is a 

 barber. If you ask me the farmer 

 knows a lot more than a barber. If he 

 didn't, I pity the farm and the city folk. 



Let the city people talk while we pro- 

 duce. We have broad shoulders and 

 can take it. Give a man enough rope 

 and he will hang himself. 



— Mrs. L. J. Eaton 

 Moultrie county 



Farmers produced 3S per cent more io 

 1944 than in the period 1935-39, and 50 

 per cent more than in the prosperous years 

 of 1909-14. 



I. A. A. RECORD 



