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Dear
Leader:
Now that you've had several club meetings and
the members are excited about their project work, you'd probably like to
know about the many educational 4-H activities available to your members.
Club Activities
Social
Activities
In addition to regular meetings, field trips,
tours and special activity days, some clubs also plan social events such as
holiday parties, potluck dinners, picnics, parents' programs, swimming
parties, skating parties, trail rides or campouts. These activities allow
members to get to know one another better, help them learn to get along
with others, promote team spirit and are fun!
Community
Service Projects
One 4-H goal is to help members become caring,
contributing citizens of their communities. Therefore, every club is
encouraged to work on a community service project of its choosing. Some
clubs share something related to their project areas with older people in
retirement or nursing homes, such as taking pets for the residents to see,
making special holiday favors, holding fashion shows or just visiting.
Other clubs work on environmental projects like recycling, cleaning up
trash, building and maintaining nature paths, or planting flowers and
shrubs. Some clubs provide assistance to those in need with activities like
hosting special events for young or disadvantaged children. As your club
members grow and mature, they may decide on long-term projects to be
developed or repeated over several years.
Recognition
Activities
Many 4-H clubs have special recognition
activities to acknowledge members and leaders for their contributions and
achievements. Usually families and friends are invited to the ceremonies
providing an opportunity to explain the club's activities and goals.
County/Club Activities
During the 4-H year, each county or club has
many activities in which you and your members are encouraged to
participate. It's helpful to know what these are at the beginning of the
year so you can plan accordingly.
Project
Workshops
Many counties or clubs schedule workshops in
various project areas, such as large and small animal clinics, horse
clinics, dog obedience training; or have project meetings for subjects like
foods, clothing, flower arranging, conservation, visual arts or leadership.
Project workshops may also be offered on a regional or statewide basis.
Judging
and Identification Contests
Your county/club may have judging and
identification contests in several areas, such as livestock and horses.
These are contests in which the individual 4-H member identifies and/or
ranks several items in a class.
Public
Presentations
Presentations are informative talks or
demonstrations given by individual 4-H members, or teams, on any topic they
choose. They can be given to a member's own club, at public gatherings, and
at the county/club 4-H demonstration and illustrated talks. Demonstration
contest can include formal and illustrated speeches and demonstrations.
County winners may be selected for the state fair. You might want to invite
older 4-H'ers with experience in giving presentations to help teach this
skill to your club.
4-H
Show/Fair
One of the major activities of the 4-H year is
the county fair. 4-H members have the opportunity to exhibit products made
and skills learned in their projects during the year. Exhibits are usually
judged against an objective standard, not against each other. The best
projects and exhibits may then be selected to be taken to the Missouri
State Fair. Most counties use conference judging for non-livestock projects
at their 4-H shows. In this method of judging, 4-H members discuss their
project exhibits with the judge. They talk about what they did and learned
during the project, and the judge offers positive comments and suggestions
for possible improvements in future projects. Often, this is one of the
4-H'ers' most helpful learning experiences of the year.
4-H
Camp
Missouri has camp programs available for 4-H
members and clubs. Many options are offered at the different camp sites,
and campers can participate in a variety of activities, such as swimming,
canoeing, hiking, archery and crafts. There are camps planned for younger
members and teens, as well as camps counselor-in-training programs for
older youths. Ask your local University
of Missouri Extension
staff when the camps for your county is scheduled.
Regional 4-H Activities
From time to time, many regions offer activities
and conferences for the members in their regions. Examples include: teen
leaders' lock-ins, camps and retreats. For information on specific events
in your region, ask your local University
of Missouri Extension
staff.
State 4-H Activities
State 4-H Teen Conference: This first overnight state event is for 4-H
members 12 and 13 years old. Participants attend workshops to help them
develop their leadership skills, tour the University of Missouri-Columbia
campus, meet other 4-H'ers from around the state and have a great time.
Encourage club members to attend this special event.
State 4-H judging contests: State judging
contests are held annually (spring and fall) on or near the University of Missouri- Columbia campus. These
events give 4-H members the opportunity to test their judging skills
against official standards. Winning teams are determined to compete on the
national level.
State
4-H Congress
Learning about an array of topics, sharing ideas
with others, experiencing college dorm living, participating in the
selection of the state 4-H council and having loads of fun is what state
congress is all about. This event is planned by the state 4-H council and
is meant for 4-H members 14 years and older.
Missouri Youth Forum
Held each summer in Jefferson City, Missouri
Youth Forum helps 4-H members (14 years of age and older) learn more about
state government and citizenship. Participants select a track to learn more
about the legislative or judiciary branches of government or the media, and
take an active role in learning how the process works.
Missouri State Fair
Opportunities at the state fair include project
exhibits in both livestock and non-livestock classes. Entries are selected
at the county level.
Demonstrations offer 4-H members the opportunity
to perform in front of state fair audiences. Individual and team
demonstrations are selected on the county level.
Scholarships
Many counties have scholarships available for 4-H
members. Scholarships are also available through the Missouri 4-H Foundation. For more
information or to apply, contact your local youth specialist.
National 4-H Activities
National
4-H Week
National 4-H Week is the first full week in
October. Counties and clubs may use this week to promote 4-H in their
areas. Promotional literature regarding National 4-H Week is distributed to
the counties.
Citizenship Washington
Focus: 4-H members, ages 15 to 19, have the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C.
for one week during the summer. They stay at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland
while participating in citizenship programs and touring the city.
National
4-H Youth Congress
National 4-H Youth Congress is a conference for
state award winners. It recognizes the nation's outstanding 4-H youths in
project work and 4-H leadership and achievement and provides them with
continued educational development through tours, educational seminars and
meetings with motivational speakers.
National
4-H Conference
National 4-H Conference, held at the National
4-H Center, is usually attended by teen members of the state 4-H advisory
council and their coordinators. During this conference, delegates have the
opportunity to assist with and influence future 4-H programming.
International
Opportunities
The current mission of the 4-H International
Program is to further cross-cultural understanding and international
development through the study and exchange of human and technical
resources. 4-H members and their families have many opportunities for
cross-cultural experiences. 4-H families can host international exchangees
involved with youth groups similar to 4-H in countries throughout the
world. 4-H members can also travel to others countries for varying lengths
of time. Contact the state 4-H office for more information.
As you can see, there are many activities for
your 4-H members to choose from. Encourage your members to participate in
as many activities as possible. The more they participate, the more they
will gain from their 4-H experience.
Good
luck!
Character Counts
Missouri 4-H
recognizes the importance of good character in everything that is done. 4-H
staff and volunteers, as well as 4-H members and their families, know that
a person of character:
· is a good person, someone to look up to and admire
· knows the difference between right and wrong and always tries to do
what is right
· sets a good example
· makes the world a better place
· lives according to the Six Pillars of Character —
Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.
Adapted from Dodd, M.A., Hoglum, L., and
Robinson, M. (1998). Letters to New 4-H Leaders. Oregon
State University
Cooperative Extension Service, Corvallis,
Ore.
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