MASONCOUNTY
4-H HANDBOOK
Introduction
Welcome to the MasonCounty 4-H program! This book was designed to help inform members and leaders what to expect from 4-H in MasonCounty.
4-H is one of the many programs offered by the Michigan State University Extension (MSUE). Involvement in 4-H can help kids EXPLORE new ideas, EXPERIENCE a variety of new opportunities and friendships, and build skills designed to help them ACHIEVE.
MSUE’s commitment to the young people and parents who seek community-based learning opportunities and to the volunteers and organizations who become our partners in positive youth development is that 4-H:
- Helps young people EXPLORE their interests through fun, engaging, hands-on learning experiences led by committed adults in their local communities.
- Gives youth and adults opportunities to EXPERIENCE the benefits of working together to reach common goals.
- Helps young people ACHIEVE through knowledge, success and friendships that last a lifetime!
In 4-H we are committed to helping young people:
- Connect with positive adult mentors and make new friends in safe learning environments.
- Take the lead in what they do and how they develop.
- Set the pace of their learning.
- Recognize, understand and appreciate diversity.
- Become active citizens through their service and leadership.
Table of Contents
The MasonCounty 4-H Program…………………………………………………………….3
MasonCounty 4-H Office Contact Information……………………………………………...3
MSUE Anti-Discriminatory Policy…………………………………………………………….3
4-H Age Policy…………………………………………………………………….……………3
4-H Participation Fee…………………………………………………………….……………4
Insurance……………………………………………………………………………………….4
General, Project, Activity & Resource Leader Job Descriptions…………………………5
4-H Middle Manager………………………………………………………………………….10
How do I become a 4-H Leader?...... 10
Club Structure………………………………………………………………………………….10
Club Officers……………………………………………………………………………………11
Club Requirements……………………………………………………………………………11
Club Fundraising………………………………………………………………………………10
4-H MottoPledge…………………………………………………………………………..12
Role of 4-H Youth Member’s Parents………………………………………………………12
Role of the 4-H Youth Member………………………………….…………………………..12
4-H Project Areas…………………………………………………………….……………….13
Teen Leader Guidelines……………………………………………………………………...13
Opportunities in MasonCounty 4-H…………………………………………………...…….14
Regional, State and National Opportunities in 4-H………………………….……………..15
Resources………………………………………………………………………………………27
References……………………………………………………………………………………..28
Appendices:
A. Financial Guidelines for 4-H Clubs
B. 4-H Cloverbud Program Policy
C. Volunteer Code of Conduct
D. Parent Information Survey
E. Youth Interest Survey
F. 4-H Fall Awards Nomination Form Sample Only.
The MasonCounty 4-H Program
The MasonCounty 4-H Program operates out of the Michigan State University Extension office located in Scottville. There is a full-time Program Associate and a part-time 4-H Secretary. The 4-H Program is overseen and directed by the MasonCounty 4-H Advisory Council. Council members are elected at the November meeting and can serve up to two,three-year terms. Teen leaders,ages 14 and up, are also welcomed to serve on the Advisory Council. Teen leaders renew their term each year.
In MasonCounty all 4-Her’s belong to a club. Currently, MasonCounty has 50 clubs, and approximately 420 youth members. There are about 180 4-H Leaders. Leaders can be General club leaders, Project club leaders, Activity club leaders or Resource leaders.
MasonCounty 4-H Contact Information
MasonCounty4-H Program
MichiganStateUniversityExtension
102 South Main St. Suite 4
Scottville, MI49454-1250
Phone: 231-757-4789
Fax: 231-757-2977
Email:
Web Site:
MSUE Anti-Discriminatory Policy
It is the policy of the Michigan State University Extension that all programs, including
4-H are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status or family status.
4-H Age Policy
4-H youth members are required to be between the ages of 5-19 on January 1 of the current year.
Children, who are 5-8 years of age on January 1 of the current year, are considered Cloverbuds and are restricted in some of the activities they can participate in. Please refer to Appendix B for the full 4-H Cloverbud Program Policy.
Adults 20 years and older can apply to be a 4-H Leader. Leader applications are reviewed by the MasonCounty 4-H office. Being a leader is a privilege and not a right, and the 4-H office makes the determination about who can be a 4-H leader. Background checks are run on all applicants. An applicant with a record of Criminal Sexual Conduct will not be allowed to be a 4-H Leader. We are further required to run random background checks on approved leaders, regardless of how many years they’ve been a leader.
4-H Participation Fee
There is a $10 participation fee for 4-H Youth members, families with 3 or more children are charged $30 per family. Scholarships from the MasonCounty 4-H Advisory Council are available. Clubs may also choose to generate funds for their members through fund-raising efforts and sponsorships. Re-enrolling members have a deadline to re-enroll by. Please check with the 4-H office for this year’s current deadline, it is generally in the beginning of February. Those re-enrolling after the deadline are charged a $5.00 late fee, but are still allowed to participate in MasonCounty 4-H.
Insurance offered through 4-H
Accident and liability insurance are two types of insurance that are offered through 4-H. Supplemental accident insurance is recommended for any young person or volunteer participating in 4-H. This coverage only covers costs not provided for by a person’s primary insurance. If an individual does not have health insurance, this type of policy will provide some support for costs associated with care in case of an accident (up to the policy limits).
Supplemental accident insurance can be purchased from American Income Life Insurance Company. The cost is $1.00 per youth member, per year, however the entire club must participate in this insurance.
MSU provides liability coverage for staff and volunteers when they are performing duties on behalf of MSU Extension and MichiganStateUniversity. The resources below will provide you with detailed information about this coverage.
MSU Faculty Handbook- The University will support its faculty, staff and volunteers when they perform assigned duties on behalf of the University. You will find this on the Web at:
Univ+Pol+-+INDEMNIFICATION.htm.
MSU Extension Administrative Handbook, pp. 121-122- This reiterates much of what is above and includes a few more details about liability coverage. This can be found on the Web at:
General, Project, Activity & Resource Leader Job Descriptions
The following job descriptions are designed to give you an idea of what each type of leader can expect to be responsible for. Not all clubs will have each type of leader. Many clubs simply have a general leader. Clubs are encouraged to recruit additional leaders, teen leaders, and parents as they see fit. In clubs where there is only 1 leader, that leader will need to fit all the leader job descriptions. All leaders are required to sign the Mason County Code of Conduct. A copy of the Code of Conduct may be found in Appendix C.
General Leader Job Description
The general club leader is responsible for maintaining their 4-H club.
Requirements for each club include:
Turning in Re-enrollments and New Member/Leader forms by the deadline.
Turning in Financial Statements and Club mintes by the deadline.
Notifying the office of any member/leader changes.
Additional jobs:
Notifying members about 4-H events and announcements.
Letting members know about planned projects and 4-H project areas.
Holding meetings for educational or project work purposes.
Making sure each member/leader is notified of meeting dates, times and places.
Provide recognition when members have met goals, or achieved success in accomplishments.
Oversee and communicate effectively with any project, activity or resource leaders in your club.
Communicate any needs, concerns, problems or other issues with parents and with the 4-H office.
Nominate youth members for awards.
Encourage youth to become teen leaders.
Participate in county, regional or state trainings as needed.
A club’s general leader should have:
An interest in youth, and an understanding of their development.
A desire to help youth learn by doing.
The ability to communicate ideas and skills so that youth may learn.
The ability to share decision-making and responsibilities with other leaders, and youth members.
The willingness to maintain relationships with parents.
Enthusiasm, patience and understanding.
Length of Commitment:
One year, you must re-enroll annually.
Resources Available:
Support and assistance from other club leaders (including teen leaders).
Support and assistance from parents of members.
County, regional and state trainings.
Educational materials from the MSUE office.
Rewards:
Satisfaction of watching youth learn and grow.
Respect and friendship of other club leaders.
Respect and gratitude from project members, teen leaders, and parents.
Recognition of accomplishments by club and county.
Opportunity for continued personal growth and learning.
Opportunity for increasingly responsible leadership roles.
Out-of-pocket expenses are deductible from income tax.
Project Leader Job Description
The project leader is responsible for meeting the club’s project needs. There may be more than 1 project leader. In addition to supporting the club’s project needs, project leaders should assist the general leader in meeting the club requirements.
Additional jobs:
Letting members know about planned projects and 4-H project areas.
Leading meetings that are designed todiscuss or work on club projects.
Making sure each member/leader is notified of meeting dates, times and places.
Provide recognition when members have met goals, or achieved success in accomplishments.
Provide project assistance to all youth members and teen leaders.
Be knowledgeable about the projects that are being worked on.
Helping members establish goals and plan for their project work.
Encourage members to complete their project work as planned.
Encourage parents to provide appropriate project support at home; informing parents and members of your expectations relating to meeting attendance, behavior, project materials and equipment needs etc…
Communicate any needs, concerns, problems or other issues with parents and with the 4-H office.
Nominate youth members for project awards.
Encourage youth to become teen leaders.
Participate in county, regional or state trainings as needed.
A project leader should have:
An interest in youth, and an understanding of their development.
A desire to help youth learn by doing.
The ability to communicate ideas and skills so that youth may learn.
Time and energy to devote to the project; a desire to continue personal learning in the project area.
The willingness to maintain relationships with parents.
Enthusiasm, patience and understanding.
Length of Commitment:
One year, you must re-enroll annually.
Resources Available:
Support and assistance from other club leaders (including teen leaders).
Support and assistance from parents of members.
County, regional and state trainings.
Educational materials from the MSUE office.
Rewards:
Satisfaction of watching youth learn and grow.
Respect and friendship of other club leaders.
Respect and gratitude from project members, teen leaders, and parents.
Recognition of accomplishments by club and county.
Opportunity for continued personal growth and learning.
Opportunity for increasingly responsible leadership roles.
Out-of-pocket expenses are deductible from income tax.
Activity Leader Job Description
The responsibilities of the club activity leader are very similar to that of the project leader, except that where project leaders work with members on their projects, activity leaders work to plan and carry out the club’s activities. Activity leaders should also give support to the general leader and ensure that club requirements are met.
Additional jobs:
Including youth members in planning club activities.
Letting members, leaders and parents know about planned activities.
Leading meetings that are designed to plan or implement activities.
Making sure each member/leader is notified of meeting dates, times and places.
Be knowledgeable about or researching the planned activity or activities. Encourage members to attend club activities.
Encourage parents to provide appropriate support for the activity.
Communicate any needs, concerns, problems or other issues with parents and with the 4-H office.
Participate in county, regional or state trainings as needed.
Encourage youth to participate in county, regional or state events and activities.
Nominate youth members for awards.
Encourage youth to become teen leaders.
Anactivity leader should have:
An interest in youth, and an understanding of their development.
A desire to help youth learn.
The ability to communicate ideas and plans so that youth are excited about participation.
Time and energy to devote to planned activities; a desire to continue personal learning through club activities.
The willingness to maintain relationships with parents.
The ability to share decision-making with youth and teen leaders.
Enthusiasm, patience and understanding.
Length of Commitment:
One year, you must re-enroll annually.
Resources Available:
Support and assistance from other club leaders (including teen leaders).
Support and assistance from parents of members.
County, regional and state trainings.
Educational materials from the MSUE office.
Rewards:
Satisfaction of watching youth learn and grow.
Respect and friendship of other club leaders.
Respect and gratitude from project members, teen leaders, and parents.
Recognition of accomplishments by club and county.
Opportunity for continued personal growth and learning.
Opportunity for increasingly responsible leadership roles.
Out-of-pocket expenses are deductible from income tax.
Resource Leader Job Description
Resource leaders typically do not have as many job duties as project and activity leaders. Resource leaders are there to provide guidance and help when needed.
Additional jobs:
Depending on your involvement with the club, letting members, leaders and parents know about planned activities, and projects.
Offering your support and advice on projects and activities.
Be knowledgeable about project areas.
Encourage members to attend club activities.
Encourage parents to provide appropriate support for the projects and activities.
Be available to general, project, activity leaders, members and parents.
Communicate any needs, concerns, problems or other issues with parents and with the 4-H office.
Participate in county, regional or state trainings as needed.
Encourage youth to participate in county, regional or state events and activities.
Nominate youth members for awards.
Encourage youth to become teen leaders.
A Resource leader should have:
An interest in youth, and an understanding of their development.
A desire to help youth learn.
The willingness to maintain relationships with parents.
A willingness to learn, to grow and to teach.
Enthusiasm, patience and understanding.
Length of Commitment:
One year, you must re-enroll annually.
Resources Available:
Support and assistance from other club leaders (including teen leaders).
Support and assistance from parents of members.
County, regional and state trainings.
Educational materials from the MSUE office.
Rewards:
Satisfaction of watching youth learn and grow.
Respect and friendship of other club leaders.
Respect and gratitude from project members, teen leaders, and parents.
Recognition of accomplishments by club and county.
Opportunity for continued personal growth and learning.
Opportunity for increasingly responsible leadership roles.
Out-of-pocket expenses are deductible from income tax.
4-H Middle Manager
Not all our Leaders in MasonCounty are leaders of 4-H clubs. We also have a few “Middle Managers”, and would welcome more! Middle Managers work more closely with the 4-H office. They are in place to give leadership to, or to manage an event, task, program or process. Examples include: being a fair secretary, chairperson for a developmental committee, chairperson for a horse show or other youth show, working with the Advisory Council, coordinating Family AfFAIR, or other county events, etc… Time commitment is usually at least one year, or only the time needed to plan a specific event or activity.
How do I become a 4-H Leader?
The first step to becoming a 4-H Leader is to fill out a 4-H Volunteer Application. The application can be picked up from the 4-H office or a copy can be mailed to you. The application consists of an enrollment form, a questionnaire, a History Background Check, and a Code of Conduct. That sounds like a lot, but it really only takes a few minutes to complete! After your completed application is received in the office, you may get a call from the office asking you more specific questions. Sometimes, we ask applicants to meet with the 4-H Program Associate in person. The 4-H Volunteer Application is kept confidential. It is viewed by MSUE staff only. Having a criminal record does not immediately disqualify you as a volunteer. It is only one piece of information that is used. With the approval of your application you are a leader! We will mail you a letter stating whether or not you are approved as a leader. You will also receive a copy of the signed Code of Conduct. Read this document carefully, it defines the behavior that we want and expect from our 4-H Leaders. A copy of the Code of Conduct is included in the appendix of this handbook.
Club Structure
There are two major club structures that exist in Michigan 4-H, the community club and the project club. A community club includes group-building activities, community service projects, business and educational programs. Project clubs are centered around one or more 4-H projects, in which members participate. Additional club activities such as, group building, service, fund-raising, family involvement and personal enrichment can also be incorporated into either of these group types. Clubs should decide which type of club they wish to be. This can be determined by the general leader, or it can be group decision. Activities and projects should be planned according to what type of club you decide to be. Project oriented clubs should also decide early on what and how many projects they wish to tackle.
The club structure is typically set by the general club leader. Some clubs meet several times a year, and others only meet a few times a year. All clubs are required to hold a minimum of one meeting a year, however it is encouraged that new clubs hold a minimum of 6 meetings a year.