'Oedic<Uc Soudcn^ 



Mora ffcan 150 person* froat 

 many of fho 37 Sewfhorn llii- 

 nol« counties sonrod by tko 

 camp p<iriUlp€rt9 In dodlcotloa 

 ceremony In front of 

 ball. 



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SOUTHERN ILLINOIS folks have 

 good reason to claim that their 

 newly dedicated 4-H club camp on 

 West Frankfort city lake in Frank- 

 lin county is the most beautiful in 

 the state. They naturally will receive 

 challenges from other areas where three 

 other Illinois 4-H camps are located, 

 but such counter claims are to be ex- 

 pected. 



The Southern Illinois camp which 

 will serve 28 counties in the area is 

 located on a 100-acre site overlooking 

 a fine lake, and it has many natural 

 features which can be developed in a 

 long-term program. For example, jut- 

 ting into the lake opposite the camp 

 site is a body of land of from 10 to 

 15 acres called Inspiration Point. Plans 

 call for building a bridge from the 

 camp site over to this point. Of course, 

 such improvements cannot be under- 

 taken until the main essentials of a 

 good camp have been attained. 



Modern Dining Hail 



A modern dining hall and kitchen 

 84 feet long and 34 feet wide was com- 

 pleted in time for the first camping 

 period in July. Built on the highest 

 point of the camp site, wide windows of 

 the dining hall permit full view of the 

 lake below. When fully equipped, the 

 building will represent an investment 

 of more than $30,000. 



On either side of the dining hall, 

 ample space has been cleared for sep- 

 arate boys and girls camping areas. 

 It is contemplated that at some time 

 in the future, sleeping cabins will be 

 built in the^fr^areas to replace tents 

 used at the preaent time. 



Some 200 farm boys and girls en- 

 rolled in the first of the four camping 

 periods in July. The camping periods 

 are of four days each. 



A Cooperative Project 



Establishment of the Southern Illi- 

 nois 4-H camp was truly a cooperative 

 project with city and rural groups 

 working together as a well-matched 

 team. The Kiwanis, Lions, Veterans 

 Club, Rotary, and Elks clubs of West 

 Frankfort and the Chamber of Com- 

 merce gave 25 acres of the land for the 

 camp site, and supplied funds for a 

 well, power line, and roads into the 

 camp. At the dedication ceremony late 

 in June the Chamber of Commerce 

 secretary. Lewis Boner, pledged the 

 support of his group and the service 

 clubs to raise $2,000 more in funds to 

 complete the equipment of the dining 

 hall so that it can be used the year 

 around. 



The counties to be served by the 

 camp have been active in fund raising 

 drives with Jackson county leading in 

 the first of July with approximately 

 85.000. Saline county was another 

 high contributor with $2,200. Approxi- 

 mately $7,742 was received from coun- 

 ties at the dedication ceremonies on 

 June 25. 



One of the main ideas behind the 

 camp is to make it one of the best rural 

 area recreation spots in the state. It is 

 contemplated that some day the canip 



By CRESTON FOSTER 



Editor, lAA RECORD 



Establishment of 

 the Southern Illi- 

 nois 4-H Club 

 Camp Was a Truly 

 Cooperative Project 

 With City and Ru- 

 ral Groups Work- 

 ing Together as a 

 Well-Matched 

 Team 



may even be used for agricultural 

 leaders' conferences or any other simi- 

 lar event. 



Counties to be served by the camp 

 are: Randolph, Saline, Johnson, Union, 

 Jackson, Pope, Hardin, Clinton, Perry, 

 Wayne, White, Franklin, Williamson, 

 JeiTerson, Hamilton, Gallatin, Massac, 

 Pulaski, Alexander, St. Clair, Wash- 

 ington, Monroe, Bond, Marion, Clay, 

 Richland, Wabash, and Edwards. 



The Southern Illinois camp is one 

 of the four in the 4-H camping program 

 of Illinois. This program got started 

 in 1946 when Robert Allerton donated 

 250 acres of land in Piatt county along 

 the Sangamon river. This camp is 

 known as Memorial camp. With this 

 one as a starter, the state was divided 

 into four districts to complete the pic- 

 ture for Illinois. 



Trips For All 



Camp Shaw-waw-nas-see, a 75-acre 

 tract along Rock Creek in Kankakee 

 county is the site of the northern district 

 4-H camp. This land was donated by 

 the power and light companies serving 

 northern Illinois. Camping operations 

 have been under way here since the 

 summer of 1946. 



For the western district camp, a 70- 

 acre site has been leased on the shores 

 of Lake Jacksonville in Morgan county. 



Goal of the Illinois 4-H camping 

 program is to give every 4-H boy and 

 girl in the state an opportunity to at- 

 tend summer camp. When that goal 

 is reached more than 50,000 Illinois 

 rural young people will have a place 

 to camp each vear. 



8 



I. A. A. RECORD 



