Kural 



Youth 



Activities 



By Ellsworth D. Lyon, Director 



Young Peoples Activities 



ILLINOIS Rural Youth members will 

 soon be visiting Illinois state parks. 

 There scenery is at its best and 

 histor)- has been made. County 

 Rural Youth groups will find the 

 parks of unusual interest to them. They 

 are laid out mainly in areas of abiding 

 historical interest. 



Among these parks is New Salem 

 where Lincoln lived and loved Ann 

 Rutledge. and where he served as store 

 clerk, mill hand, postmaster, and soldier. 

 A large sign at the village entrance tells 

 the town's history and of Lincoln's resi- 

 dence there. From that point on down 

 the ridge to the last house the visitor is 

 frequently reminded of the pioneer life 

 of the 1820 s and the 1830 s. 



It is well to take time to read the 

 various signs from the entrance of the 

 old village to the old C!lary Grocery 

 farthest down the street. The street 

 takes the \isitor past the various homes 

 where the names of the residents are 

 inscribed: Onstott's Cooper Shop. Mil- 

 ler's Blaiksmitli Shop, Hill's Carding 

 Mill, Dr. I'rancis Regnicr's Office, the 

 Rutledgc Tavern, the Herry-Lincoln Store 

 and the Hill- McNeil Store where Lincoln 

 served as postmaster, and the tlrst Berry- 

 Lincoln Store whi(.h now houses the post 

 oflFice. On the bank ot the Sangamon 

 River under the hill upon whiih the 



F. O. Lyon reads about the old village of 



New Salem before entering the state park 



northwest of Springfield. 



John W. Gellerman, New Salem postmaster, 



talks with state park visitors. Note wood- 



carvings on mantel. 



The cast of "The Angell Brats" of Idwards 

 County fiural Youth pose for a picture. 

 Lett to right (standing) : Nona Tribe, Cer- 

 aid Longbons, Joan Rober, Marilyn Wolfe, 

 Allen Goodson, and George Knight. Seated 

 are: Maxine Roosevelt, Lester Piercy, Irene 

 Smith, Wanda Roosevelt, Marjorie Tribe, 

 James Scott, Marilyn Horton, and Dwain 

 Massic. 



o 



• 9 >''q' 



P„ 



town was located, is the Rutledge-Cam- 

 eron Mill where Lincoln worked tor 

 some time. 



The present postmaster, Joiin W. 

 Gellerman, was installed by James W. 

 barley, I'eb. 12, l')il. Gellerman, a 

 whittler of horses and busts ot Lincoln, 

 enjoys visiting with people who come 

 into the post ottice. He likes to talk 

 about Lincoln and pioneer lite. 



Rural ^'outliers visiting New Salem 

 will tind that time spent there will be 

 greatly enjoyed. 



The Illinois I'arm Sports resiival is 

 under way. Activities in the past have 

 grown to such .m extent that it is neces- 

 sary to sponsor pjay-olfs in the various 

 divisions prior to the dates which climax 

 the activities ot the Annual larm Sports 

 I'estival. The statewide volleyball and 

 bowling tournaments were run off at 

 Springfield on March 30. Rural '^'outh 

 supported these activities vvholcliearfedly. 

 Pictures and listings ot winners will be 

 tound on other pages of this issue of 

 the ' RitoRD, ' 



This year there will lie a section for 

 Rural \'outh tolk and square dancing. 

 In 19^0 the culmination of this activity 

 will be shifted to I'arm and Home Week 

 at the University of Illinois but will 

 remain as a part of the Sports lestival 

 activity, ('ounly groups this year may 

 enter a squ.ire claiice or folk dascc team. 



Ldvvards Rural '"I'oiith presentld 'The 

 Angell Brats ". a three-act play. S.iturday, 

 April 2 at the Ldwards county senior 

 high sdiool. before an audience of -4^0. 

 The .sale of tickets netted 523"^. iO and 

 will be used to meet expenses oi the 

 group throughout the year. Mrs. lolm 

 McCue, wile ot the larm adv;ser. di- 

 rected the play with Miss Norir.a i.koi^s 

 assisting. The plav is an annua! event. 



Glenn Niehaus, Montgomery county, 

 who was on the \.\A state committee in 

 19i8, was married March 2>. Glenn's 

 lather, Ld Niehaus. is a proiiiinent 

 leader in Montgomerv county. 



Tazewell Rural 'Mouthers are going 

 strong on educational experiences. On 

 March 17 the group toured the Ke\ stone 

 Steel and VC'ire plant, Peoria, s.iw a 

 colored movie on animal diseases at the 

 March meeting, and learned Ln-Iisli folk 

 dances under tiie leadership ol Miss 

 Moira Barry, exchange teacher. Pekin 

 high .school, from London, Lncl-ind. 



Peoria county heard I. L. Parett, 

 Illinois Agricultur.il .Association division 

 ot general serv ices, at the annu.i! hancjuet 

 .March 30. He spoke of Rur..l 'S'outli 

 .tnd its place on the stace of life, '.ising 

 the words RLiRAL ^'OUI H to provide 

 initial letters of key words which chal- 

 lenge young people: Responsibilitv. L'n- 

 derstanding. Respect. Action, Leadership, 

 ■^ 'earning. Ownership. LUilization of 

 ch.'.racter traits. Truth, 4-H s ( He.i.i, 

 Heart. Hands and Health). 



20 



L A. A. RECORD 



