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4-H Club
Framework
1. Clubs
need to be organized in age appropriate groups. A county club program
should be organized and managed around three major age components: K to
3rd grade (5- to 8-year-olds), 4th to 6th grade (9- to 12-year-olds), and
teens (13- to 19-year-olds). These components will allow volunteers to
plan age appropriate activities and the club's structure will meet the
developmental needs of its members.
2. Four-H
Clubs are volunteer-led. Parents, other adults, and/or youth should run
them. The ratio of volunteer to youth will vary with the age of the
4-H'er. In the 5- to 8-years-old program, a parent or another adult is
expected to participate with the child. If all parents are not present,
the ratio for the K to 3rd grade club should be 1 parent to 5 children.
The volunteer to youth ratio for the 4th to 6th grade program should be a
1-to-7 ratio and, the ratio for the teen program should be 1-to-10. In
all 4-H clubs parents are expected to take an active role in the club.
3. Adults
and 4-H'ers work together to plan a club calendar. In order to provide
quality experiences for 4-H'ers through out the year, the clubs are
expected to develop an annual plan of work/club calendar that outlines the
age appropriate educational and social activities that will occur during
the year. The club calendars do not have to be developed for the entire
year at one time. Some clubs may find it easier to plan on a six-month
basis. Creating a plan/calendar will increase interest and attendance at
events, allow participants to plan, and improve the quality of the
educational program.
4. Each
club will have a youth leadership structure that is age appropriate. 4-H
clubs are designed to allow members to have opportunities to develop
leadership skills. One avenue to teach leadership skills is through the
elected-officers process in clubs with participants between ages 9 to 19
years. The officer roles could include President, Vice-President,
Secretary-Treasurer, and Reporter. Club follows Clemson Extension Manual,
HE Circular 271, entitled,
Conducting a Meeting: A Guide to Parliamentary Procedure.
In the K to 3rd grade program, elected officers are not age appropriate.
The leadership roles should be assigned to the children for each meeting.
For example, the type of leadership opportunity that a 5- to 8-year-old
could have would include; someone to lead the 4-H pledge, someone to lead
the American pledge, someone to help set up the room, someone to call the
roll, and so on. 4-H clubs provide opportunity for leadership.
5. 4-H
clubs are ongoing units that meet over at least a nine-month period. (The
exception may include special interest or school enrichment clubs). In
order for clubs to provide support for young people they must be organized
with the idea that they will be active for at least a nine-month period.
Ideally an individual club would exist for several years with some being
active for many years. If club leaders and the 4-H'ers elect not to meet
during the summer months or other months in the year, the 4-H staff should
encourage the club member to remain active in whatever countywide events
are taking place. For example, camp, State Congress, and summer fun
activities. Clubs should meet year round.
6.
Clubs meetings
should be held at least once a month. (The exception may include special
interest and school enrichment clubs). These meetings should consist of
both educational and social activities. The length and format of the
meetings will vary with the age group involved. Clubs should be encouraged
to meet more often than once a month in more informal settings and to
attend appropriate countywide events. The length of the meeting will vary
by age group. For the K to 3rd grade program, meetings may only last 1 to
1½ hours while the older 4-H'ers may elect to have programs and activities
that last longer. A basic club meeting will have a beginning where the
4-H'ers will say the 4-H pledge and the American pledge and a
business/informational update, an educational program, and a
recreational/social component.
7. Clubs
can be organized in any safe location during non-school hours. Clubs can
meet in homes, churches, community buildings, schools during non-school
hours, after-school programs, and anywhere else in the community that
would provide a safe location for young people to meet. With the exception
of some school enrichment clubs and homeschool clubs, meetings are not
held during school hours.
8. All
clubs are open to all youth regardless of race, color, national origin,
sex, or disability. We publicize the organization of our clubs through the
newspaper, personal contact, and letters. 4-H clubs are for all boys and
girls ages 5 to 19.
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