By 

 EUSWORTH D. LYON 



The new state Rural Youth committee 

 elected at the Rural Youth Conference held 

 in Chicago Nov. 19 has held two meetings: 

 the first at the Sherman Hotel immediately 

 following elections, the second on Dec. 5 

 at the lAA office. The committee listed 

 the following items as worthy of attention 

 for Illinois Rural Youth. Farm and Home 

 Week, District Short Courses, Sports Festi- 

 val, State Camp, Rural Youth Tours, Con- 

 servation school at Lake Villa, Talk Fests, 

 lAA Short Course, lAA Annual Meeting, 

 AFBF Midwest Farm Bureau Training 

 School, AFBF Annual Meeting, Community 

 Service program, Leisurecraft and Counseling 

 Camp, Reporting of News, Skilled Drivers' 

 Clubs, and Adequate Recognition of Exten- 

 sion Personnel in the County. 



DuPage has just organized a new group 

 in the northern port of the county. Mary 

 A. Brummel of the south group reports, 

 "We have just started square dancing and 

 find it a lot of fun." 



Powell Cunningham reporting for his 

 group writes, "Plans are progressing to- 

 ward the purchase of a public address sys- 

 tem by the Ogle County Club." A county- 

 wide dance was included in the December 

 activities by the three groups. 



The newly elected reporter, LeRoy Wet- 

 zel, sent his first report as follows: "Coles 

 County Rural Youth held its first post-war 

 meeting Nov. 1 at Charleston. The group 

 has been dormant since 1941 but is now 

 breaking out of its shell and stretching 

 its arms and legs. It has found itself heir 

 to $25 in folding money from the old or- 

 ganization. The group now has 20 delegates 

 attending a series of recreation schools in 

 Charleston led by Duke Regnier, University 

 Extension Specialist." 



DeKalb held its annual Christmas party 

 Dec. 17 at the Eagles Hall. An exchange 

 of gifts and refreshments added zest to the 

 evening activities. 



A skit, Christmas the American Way, was 

 presented for Macoupin by Maxine Denby, 

 Jerry Boston and Genevieve Boente at the 

 December meeting. 



Franklin's Christmas party was held at 

 the home of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Cox. Mr. 

 Cox is county Farm Bureau organization 

 director. 



Jefferson's Christmas party was planned 

 with the children's home at Mt. Vernon in 

 mind. All gifts were exchanged and then 

 taken to the home. Edwards' Christmas 

 party was planned in a similar manner with 

 gifts going to the Carmi Orphanage. 



Important features of Wayne's Christmas 



party were carolling, a "Historv of Christ- 

 mas Bells", and Rural Youth slides. 



Shelby, revived in April '46 and sponsor- 

 ing an active program, held a pie social in 

 November which added $152.00 to the treas- 

 ury. President Don Kull and his group are 

 to be commended for their active program. 



Clark has just planned a membership drive 

 to be headed in January by two teams. This 

 is its first big project for the new year. A 

 dinner will be served by the losing side 

 in April. 



The Illinois State Rural Youth committee Is shown at work In Chicago. Left to right: 



Burnell Henert, Lee county; Ruth Huser, secretary, Tazewell; Edwin Dew, Ogle, chairman 



for the day; Ellsworth Lyon, lAA director of young people's CKtIvltles, and Ray Farris, 



Clark. Marcella High, Christian county, was absent when picture was taken. 



McHenry's new county officers are Nor- 

 man Johnson, president; Paul Swanson, vice- 

 president; Betty Norman, treasurer; and 

 Betty Nelson, secretary. 



Hank Imig's Mason County group pepped 



up two of its recent meetings to the tempo 

 of a one-act play given by members and a 

 speech by Merrit Ackland, fieldman for 

 Country Life Insurance Company. Add to 

 these activities a membership drive and the 

 annual banquet planned for Feb. 13 and 

 you know why some groups succeed. 



McLean's educational feature for Novem- 

 ber was a demonstration skit on parliamen- 

 tary procedure. It was given before an audi- 

 ence of nearly 100 and according to secre- 

 tary Alice Wright was instructive, amus- 

 ing, and interesting. 



A snappy news item from Stephenson 



reads: ' C3ne of the most interesting Rural 

 Youth meetings of the year was held at 

 the Stephenson County Historical Museum 

 in Freeport on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Sixty 

 members attended. Mr. C. K. Carpenter, 

 retired Methodist minister of Baileyville, 

 gave an interesting talk on the history, of 

 Stephenson county naming places of interest 

 on the farms of some of the members." 



Ellsworth D. Lyon, lAA Director of Young 

 People's Activities, points out important tips 

 for Toikfesters to Lewis Neal, Champaign 

 county (left) and Melvin La Vole, Iroquois 

 (center) and advises that Rural Youth 

 groups begin now to prepare for 1947 

 Talk Fest. 



Montgomery's recent community service 

 activity consisted of preparation of T. B. 

 Christmas seals for mailrng. 



In addition to their Christmas "party 

 Edgar Rural Youthers discussed "Highway- 

 Safety." 



Stephenson is now sponsoring a roller 

 skating party once each month. 



Knox Rural Youth have been teaching 

 square dancing for the Silas Willard school 

 and now rate a s.tanding invitation. 



St. Clair's Rural Youthers and friends 

 enjoyed a square dance Hoe Down at Shiloh 

 Grange late in November. 



Recent annual banquets have been held 

 in Woodford, DeWitt, Edwards, McHenry 

 and Wayne counties. 



Kankakee visited the county courthouse 

 offices and were told of the activities of 

 the various county officials. 



Christian will hold a panel discussion, 

 January 16 on the theme, "School Reor- 

 ganization. " Christian and Montgomery 

 have recently exchanged monthly programs. 



We expect to hear more from Randolph 

 soon. They are planning a benefit show. 



McDonough held a box supper early in 

 November and cleared $89.00 and later in 

 the month created interest through a home- 

 coming meeting. Their banquet will be 

 held January 25. 



The wedding bells have been ringing so 



much in Schuyler that a young married 

 folk's club has been started. Recent wed- 

 dings were: Elizabeth Jones and Joe Vin- 

 cent; Rayetta Morgan and Byron Ross; 

 Armagene Aden and Robert Croxton. George 

 Mathews of the Prophetstown Tampico War- 

 riers, Whiteside county, reports three wed- 

 dings: Jean Martin and Bud Hartshorn; 

 Edith Anderson and John Massey; Mary 

 Nelle Satterfield and Leamon Hill. 



"Graduations" through marriage have cul- 

 minated in great interest in forming a Young 

 Married Couples' group in McHenry ac- 

 cording to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lottig. 

 One meeting has been held at the residence 

 of Home Adviser, Mrs. Sweeney. 



From La Salle county comes word that 

 "Vince Werner and Luceille Gleim are now 

 Mr. and Mrs." 



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L A. A. RECORD 



