In 1968, the Rural Civil Defense Education Program, conducted by the Cooperative Extension Service under contract with the Office of Civil Defense, was faced with discontinuance of funds; in some cases, the Rural Civil Defense (RCD) leader was absorbed into the regular budgets and in others the work was incorporated into the regular ongoing extension programs. Many states cooperated with the State Office of Civil Defense in community shelter planning and in the home fallout protection survey; in many states the RCD leader developed and conducted training programs for county defense boards. An increasing number of extension subject matter specialists incorporated segments of RCD into their programs, as in the 4-H TV Action Club series and the Home Economics Lesson series. Special activities included an Emergency Preparedness Week, Atomic Easter Egg Hunt, and Builders Short Course. Also used were news releases, radio and TV broadcasts, newsletters, motion pictures, and meetings. Special emphasis was given to engineering aspects of civil defense as it pertains to rural areas. (nl)