4-H Club Leader’s Guide
Table of Contents
I. OVERVIEW…………………………………………………………….. / 1-12So You’re a New 4-H Club Leader—Welcome………………………… / 1-4
Purpose of 4-H…………………………………………………………….. / 4
Goals of 4-H……………………………………………………………….. / 4
4-H in Action: Tools of Informal Education…………………………….. / 4-8
The 4-H Club Meeting……………………………………………. / 5
The 4-H Project……………………………………………………. / 5-6
Record Keeping…………………………………………………… / 6-7
4-H Activities and Events………………………………………… / 7
Additional 4-H Experiences for Learning………………………. / 7-8
Summary…………………………………………………………… / 8
Life Skills Through 4-H…………………………………………………… / 8-11
What Are Life Skills? ...... / 8
Life Skills Are Learned …………………………………………… / 8-9
General Life Skills and Project Learning……………………….. / 9-11
Life Skills and Leadership Roles ……………………………….. / 11
Resources………………………………………………………………….. / 12
II. 4-H PROCEDURES…………………………………………………… / 13-20
4-H Youth Program……………………………………………………….. / 13
CE Office…………………………………………………………………… / 13-14
County 4-H Council/Advisory Board …………………………………… / 14
Affirmative Action………………………………………………………….. / 14-16
Types of Action……………………………………………………. / 15-16
Membership Requirements………………………………………………. / 16-17
Primary Members ………………………………………………… / 17
Volunteer Requirements ………………………………………………… / 17
New Volunteers…………………………………………………… / 17
Current Volunteers……………………………………………….. / 17
Insurance and Liability……………………………………………………. / 17-20
Accident Claim Forms ……………………………………………. / 18
General Liability Insurance………………………………………. / 18-19
Medical Treatment Forms………………………………………... / 19
Liability Waivers…………………………………………………… / 19
Facility Use Agreements…………………………………………. / 19-20
4-H Uniforms………………………………………………………………. / 20
4-H Enrollment Procedures……………………………………………… / 20
III. CLUB LEADER………………………………………………………. / 21-26
Volunteer 4-H Position Description……………………………………… / 21-22
Timeline (Based on September-June Club Year)……………………... / 22-24
Parent Involvement……………………………………………………….. / 24-25
Jobs to be Considered for Assistant Club Leaders……………………. / 25-26
IV. TEAMWORK…………………………………………………………... / 27-33
Definition……………………………………………………………………. / 27
Cooperative Extension Team……………………………………………. / 27-28
Team Working …………………………………………………………….. / 28-30
A Supportive Style of Leadership ……………………………………… / 30
Teamwork on the 4-H Frontlines………………………………………… / 31-33
V. GROUP DECISION MAKING………………………………………... / 35-37
The Problem Solving Process…………………………………………… / 35-37
Some Basic Guidelines for Leading Discussions……………………… / 37
VI. CLUB MANAGEMENT ……………………………………………… / 39-55
Program Planning…………………………………………………………. / 39-42
Sample Club Calendar……………………………………………………. / 43
Choosing a Meeting Site…………………………………………………. / 43
Successful 4-H Club Meetings…………………………………………… / 44-48
4-H Club Meeting Outline………………………………………………… / 49
Effective Communication…………………………………………………. / 49-50
Club Record System………………………………………………………. / 51
Evaluating Your 4-H Club………………………………………………… / 51-55
A Quick Look at Our 4-H Club…………………………………… / 53
I Believe Our 4-H Club Will Be Stronger If……………………… / 54-55
VII. CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS…………………………………. / 57-60
Purpose……………………………………………………………………. / 57
Who Writes the Constitution and By-laws……………………………… / 57
Communication…………………………………………………………... / 57
Language and Wording…………………………………………………… / 57-58
Summary…………………………………………………………………… / 58
Sample 4-H Club Constitution…………………………………………… / 58-60
VII. BUDGET AND FUNDRAISING……………………………………. / 61-63
Fundraising in 4-H…………………………………………………………. / 61
Ways to Make Money……………………………………………………... / 61
Guidelines………………………………………………………………….. / 61-62
Procedures for Audit Committees……………………………………….. / 62-63
IX. WORKING WITH OFFICERS, COMMITTEES AND JR/TEEN LEADERS………………………………………………………………….. / 64-70
Working with Officers……………………………………………………… / 64-67
Meet With Your Officers…………………………………………... / 65
Officer’s Duties…………………………………………………….. / 65-66
A Short Guide to Parliamentary Procedure…………………….. / 66-67
Working With Committees………………………………………………... / 67-69
Working With Teenage Volunteers – Jr/Teen Leaders……………….. / 69-70
Suggested Job Guidelines for Teen Volunteers……………….. / 69-70
Teen Leaders May Assist New Members………………………. / 70
X. RECRUITING AND TRAINING PROJECT LEADERS…………… / 71-86
Job Description—The 4-H Project Leader……………………………… / 71
The Successful 4-H Leader………………………………………………. / 72
Recruitment—Care and Feeding of the 4-H Team……………………. / 72
Systematic Approach To Leadership Development…………………… / 73-76
Awareness of the Mission of 4-H Youth Development………... / 73
Choosing to Share Leadership Roles…………………………... / 73
Defining and Distributing Leadership Jobs……………………... / 73-74
Inviting an Adult Volunteer to Consider a Job………………….. / 74-75
Matching the person with the Job……………………………….. / 76
Providing Necessary Training…………………………………………... / 76-77
Project Planning…………………………………………………………… / 78-80
Characteristics of Youth………………………………………………….. / 80-81
How to Teach a Manual Skill……………………………………………. / 81-82
Some Suggested Formats for Project Meeting………………………… / 82-85
4-H Leader Safety Awareness…………………………………………… / 86
Parent Involvement……………………………………………………….. / 86
XI. RECORD KEEPING………………………………………………….. / 87-90
Objectives………………………………………………………………….. / 87
More Than Just a Record Book………………………………………….. / 87-88
Goal Setting………………………………………………………………... / 88-89
Applications and Interviews………………………………………………. / 89-90
XII. INCENTIVES AND RECOGNITION……………………………….. / 91-94
Purpose, Definitions and Assumptions…………………………………. / 91
Incentives…………………………………………………………………... / 91-92
Recognition………………………………………………………………… / 92-93
The Scope of California’s Incentive & Recognition System…………... / 93-94
APPENDIX
A. Project Leader’s Organization Kit
B. Project Organizational Form
C. All Reasonable Efforts Report Form
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SO YOU’RE A NEW 4-H CLUB LEADER—WELCOME!!!
Congratulations! You’ve just said “Yes”—
● “Yes—I will lead this 4-H club.”
● “Yes—I will work with others to make 4-H available for youth in my community.”
● “Yes I would like to become part of the larger 4-H system which spans our state and nation.”
● “Yes—I want to invest some of my energy and time—so that my family and my children may have 4-H experiences.”
● “Yes—I expect to learn new skills and grow personally as I provide leadership to this 4-H club.”
Think of your “Yes” as the first step in a journey of discovery, of leadership and of service.
● Where would you like this journey to go? What will you accomplish?
● What do you expect to do and learn on your journey?
● With whom will you travel; with whom will you share ideas and support?
● What tools and resources will you need?
● Will you become a different person as you travel?
The setting for the journey is your 4-H club. This club provides the primary 4-H experience for each of its members. Your leadership is a primary ingredient in the success of the club. As club leader, you are responsible for three major functions:
1. Adult volunteer leaders provide friendship, ideas and long-term support to 4-H members and their club. You coordinate the efforts of this leadership team.
2. Your county Cooperative Extension office and county 4-H programs provide the larger setting for your 4-H club program; you maintain contact and keep communications flowing between the county and your club.
3. Your community is proud to support 4-H; you see that your club and its activities are known to the community.
As you do these three things, you and your team will provide 4-H experiences for learning to 4-H youth; you will be teachers, guides and helpers to young men and women.
Your companions in the journey are the members of your club and their parents.
4-H is a family affair. Parents participate with their children in 4-H meetings and provide project support and guidance at home. Participation in 4-H strengthens families.
The 4-H Club Leader’s Guide is intended to be a tool kit, a set of resources for your journey. It is for your use as a club leader and sharing with members of your leadership team or parents.
● It is written in small pieces (units and modules) to make helpful information easy to find, easy to read and easy to share.
● The Table of Contents will help you know where to look for what you need. In the Table of Contents, you will find helps for:
Ø starting a new club
Ø understanding 4-H
Ø understanding teamwork and organizing for 4-H leadership
Ø involving parents in 4-H
Ø planning the club program
Ø holding effective meetings
Ø solving problems within your group
Ø providing project leadership
Ø planning for fun and recreation
Ø knowing when you have done it well
Ø celebrating with your club
Ø finding program resources
This 4-H Club Leader’s Guide is not intended to be read in sequence from beginning to end. Look for the parts where you or your team members need help. Read and share those parts first.
This 4-H Club Leader’s Guide has been developed around some very important ideas. These ideas are like handles to help you take hold of 4-H. They include:
● Youth development—4-H members are front and center; 4-H exists to provide learning and experiences for 4-H youth!
● Lifelong human development—the importance of growing and learning throughout one’s lifetime.
● Informal education—learning by doing and by discovery, especially in areas of interest to oneself.
●Life skills—those feelings about self and skills for coping which are basic to survival, productivity and human community.
● Helpership—an interpersonal relationship of support and guidance; “doing with” rather than “doing for.”
● Teamwork—doing it together; a team is more than the sum of the parts of the team!
● 4-H is a family affair—members and parents learn together through 4-H.
● Communication—the key to helping 4-H happen.
Your 4-H club team (the group with which you work) and the 4-H system (the larger 4-H family which supports your club team) are guided by these important ideas. The ideas matter because they tell use “why 4-H” (our basic mission) and “how to help
4-H happen” (ways 4-H has chosen to accomplish this mission).
So you are a new 4-H Club Leader! You have said “Yes” to beginning a journey. You will share this journey with the members of your club and their families. You have a strategic role to play in 4-H. You have a new kit of tools to use along the way.
The journey is up to you—
How much of yourself will you invest?
How will you involve others in the journey?
What do you need to know?
To what use will you put these tools?
What do you want most for your club; for 4-H members?
What do you want for yourself along the way?
4-H Club Leaders who have started the journey before you have found many kinds of satisfaction and rewards—
● the joy of watching boys and girls become secure and skillful young men and women.
● the strengths which emerge as a family learns and shares together.
● the excitement of personal growth—new skills, deeper awareness, caring, a richer set of relationships—the good feeling of investing self where the payoff matters.
(From: Welcome to Leadership in 4-H!!!—Faye Caskey, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development Specialist, University of Minnesota)
PURPOSE OF 4-H…
The purpose of 4-H is to help youth develop into responsible, self-directed, productive citizens of the world, and to improve the well-being of youth and society through the use of research based, learn-by-doing educational experiences.
GOALS OF 4-H…
The goal of the 4-H Youth Development Program is to provide educational programs that lead to positive development of youth in California into capable, responsible and productive adults.
This goal is accomplished by providing educational programs that:
● Enhance individual youth development and well-being through acquisition of life skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills.
● Further the knowledge and skills related to the production and wise use of food and fiber; and the conservation of the world’s natural resources.
● Develop an understanding of and responsible participation in community affairs by youth.
THIS IS 4-H IN ACTION: TOOLS OF INFORMAL EDUCATION
Informal learning is learning by doing.
In 4-H, informal education happens cooperatively, individually and competitively.
The 4-H member learns through participating in the club meeting, working with the projects, attending events and activities, community service, or taking part in a special experience. The member learns by evaluating the work which has been done. 4-H provides a variety of experiences for learning and growing; these experiences are the tools of informal education.
The 4-H Club Meeting
At a meeting of a 4-H club, members share good times, become friends, participate in democratic decision making, and discover the variety of learning experiences available to 4-H’ers.
4-H meetings belong to 4-H members. The club meeting is conducted by officers and junior leaders. As members meet together, they come to know and care for each other. As they make decisions together, the meeting becomes a laboratory for cooperation. Through participation in 4-H meetings, members are encouraged to explore other types of learning experiences.
Each 4-H club meeting is unique. Clubs range in size from half a dozen to 40 or more members. A club may meet in the homes of its members, in a school building, or at a church or community center. Most clubs hold monthly meetings; 4-H members also participate in project group meetings and other club or county events. Some clubs meet weekly with each week of the month devoted to a particular purpose. Most clubs encourage parents to attend meetings; some clubs invite specific parents to visit each month. The meeting of your club will reflect its uniqueness and strengths.
The 4-H Project
The project is a key source of knowledge-based learning in 4-H. A project is a “semi-structured educational experiences in an interesting area chosen by the member.”
“Learning by doing” is the 4-H project way!
Enrollment for projects is done at one of the first club meetings in the fall. Enrollment materials are provided by the County Extension Office. Each member chooses one or more projects. New members should be encouraged to choose only one or two projects in the first year; experienced members who complete work easily may enroll in more projects. It is essential for parents to assist with project selection and with planning for project leadership. Parent support of project work is an important ingredient of a 4-H member’s success.
If several members indicate interest in a project area, a project group may be formed. The leader of a project group may be a parent or a resource person from the community, experienced in the project area. The project group meets as often as its leader and members choose. The project group helps members learn about the project and supports the member trying new project-related experiences. A member who enrolls in a Self-Determined Project may seek a parent or a resource person from the community to enroll as a volunteer project leader.
In most projects, each member receives a manual for the project and each project leader receives a leader’s guide. These materials are often developed at the University of California by subject matter specialists. County Extension staff, community resource persons and project leaders also contribute to the content of the 4-H member’s project learning. Some project manuals and materials can be obtained from the County Office, most materials are available through the UCCE 4-H Catalog or the 4-H Source Book, which are available from the County Office.
California 4-H offers its members more than 80 project areas from which to choose. While the roots of these projects are in the skill areas of agriculture and home economics, we all know “4-H ain’t all cows and cookin’!” Projects have been developed to meet the wide range of interests of contemporary youth. They include topics such as: Child Development, Aerospace and Computers. In addition, members interested in a particular topic not offered as a 4-H Project, may explore their interest through the Self or Group Determined Projects.