This It a scene from the fInalM of the llll- 

 noU farm Bureau Safe Driving contest held 

 on a rainy day In November, 1947 during 

 the lAA annual meeting In St. louls. The 

 ttate policeman (left) I* checking the 

 driver's ability to drive In a zig-xag course 

 pasf a row of posfs sef up for that purpose. 



By ELLSWORTH D. LYON, Director 



Young People's Activities 



CAMPING is big business, says Miss 

 Thelma Patterson, a leading au- 

 thority on camping activities who is 

 assisting the University of Illinois 

 in setting up the University camp- 

 ing program. Camping, she says, should 

 be a part ot a total program to meet the 

 needs of the inai\:dual. Included in the 

 list of needs are: leadership develop- 

 ment, love of outdoor living, responsible 

 community sharing and adjustment, re- 

 spect for the rights of others, and the 

 ability to take part in specific programs 

 and see them through. 



The 1949 Rural Youth state camp is 

 being planned with this in mind. To 

 help prepare leaders and the responsible 

 committee of Rural Youth members who 

 will assist the campers, a pre-camp train- 

 ing program was sponsored by the Uni- 

 versity over the week-end of May 21 on 

 the grounds of Memorial Camp. 



Memorial Camp near Monticello will 

 ring out from July 31 to Aug. 6 with the 

 happy voices of Rural Youthers from all 

 over Illinois. They are entering into a 

 program planned for and by youth in 

 which each camper finds much to meet 

 his needs. We hojje that any member of 

 a county Rural Youth group who can 

 plan his summer to include the week of 

 camping at Memorial Camp will realize 

 that he can be a better Rural Youth mem- 

 ber and a better citizen by attending. 



Rural Youth groups often consider it 

 a good investment in better county or- 

 ganizations if they send one or more 

 leading members to the state camp. Many 

 campers come paying their own way so 

 that they might enjoy the experience of 

 group living outdoors. By whatever 

 method they are privileged to come this 

 year Rural Youthers will have an enjoy- 

 able outing. 



The lAA has shown considerable in- 

 terest in the camping program of the 

 University. In addition to financial con- 

 tributions, the lAA has always shared in 

 actual camping responsibilities by supply- 

 ing personnel as speakers and counselors. 



Skilled Drivers' Program 



The lAA skilled drivers' program for 

 Rural Youth is under way again. The 

 driver short course, which is mainly a 

 summer and fall program, is ready. The 

 vacancy in the lAA department of safety 

 has been filled by John Lake. Lake is a 

 graduate of Iowa State with a major 



Rural Youth 



in safety. He is ready to ser\'e Rural 

 Youth groups and the skilled drivers' pro- 

 gram, as well as to instruct in youth 

 programs of safety. 



Counties are now preparing for the 

 activities which will enable the members 

 of our Rural Youth groups to become safe 

 operators of automobiles. The four-unit 

 short course has been revised. It com- 

 bines various helpful needs which have 

 been included in former issues of "Your 

 Safety." Counties may obtain the de- 

 sired quantities of the short course by 

 writing either the department of safety or 

 the department of young people's activi- 

 ties. The written examination will be 

 sent only in quantity to county youth 

 leaders. 



The facts indicate strongly that the 

 counties which sponsored actual skilled 

 driving contests received the greatest 

 value from the Rural Youth skilled driv- 

 ing activities. Because of this fact we are 

 stipulating that each county wishing to 

 send contestants to district skilled drivers' 

 contests must first of all sponsor actual 

 driving tests in their counties. The re- 

 port of the county driving test will be 

 certified by the person in the county who 

 is responsible for the Rural Youth pro- 

 gram, using an official card supplied by 

 the department of safety. 



County News 



Cooperatives continue to be of in- 

 terest to Rural Youth. From the recent 

 Lee county report we quote: "Mr. Hill 

 of the Lee County Service Company was 

 present and he along with Wilbur Ran- 

 som and Eddie Bernadin led a discussion 

 on cooperatives. Rural Youthers learned 

 what cooperatives are, how they are man- 

 aged, and their advantages and disad- 

 vantages." 



St. Clair county is cooperating in the 

 Rural Youth community service achieve- 

 ment program. They served the Pro- 

 gressive Grange at New Athens by pre- 

 senting entertainment for this particular 

 Grange's chapter. The program con- 

 sisted of selections by the quartet, dance 

 demonstrations by the square dance team, 

 and by special piano solos. 



Will reports a discussion by the entire 

 Rural Youth group upon the possible ac- 

 tivities in which they might engage to 

 further community building through the 

 Rural Youth community service achie\e- 

 ment program. Possible projects listed 

 were: Securing a building in which com- 

 munity meetings can be held, providing 

 recreation and entertainment at orphan- 

 ages and old people's homes, conducting 

 recreational classes, building up picnic 

 area facilities, instruction on keeping farm 

 accounts, promoting a 100 per cent X-ray 

 drive, and helping raise the 4-H camp 

 fund quota. A committee was appointed 

 to investigate these projects and repojt 

 back their recommendations. 



One of the big banquets of the spring 

 season was the Rock Island skyway ban- 

 quet. Dr. George B. Arbaugh, dean of 

 Augustana College, spoke on "Skyways 

 are Happy Ways". 



Lake Named lAA 

 Safety Director 



JOHN A. Lake, 26, of Athens in 

 Menard county has been employed as 

 director of safety and public health for 

 the Illinois Agricul- 

 tural Association. 

 He succeeds W. W. 

 Whitlock who re- 

 signed to do similar 

 work for the Illinois 

 Farm Supply Com- 

 pany. 



Lake grew up on 

 a farm, attended ru- 

 ral school at Fancy 

 Prairie, and high 

 school at Elkhart. He 

 worked on the home farm until Septem- 

 ber, 1943 when he joined the army air 

 forces. He spent the next two years be- 

 fore his discharge training in the south. 

 He was graduated from Iowa State Col- 

 lege in March with a degree in general 

 engineering. His major study was safety 

 engineering. Lake is married to the 

 former Lois Sanborn of Madrid, la. 



John A. lake 



JUNE. 1949 



25 



