M EETINGS THAT S HAKE, R ATTLE, AND R OLL Annual 4-H Leader Volunteer Training An EEO/Affirmative Action employer, University of Wisconsin-Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX and American with Disabilities (ADA) requirements.

Welcoming New Members and Creating a Welcoming Environment Three Parts of a Meeting Club Assessments Evaluation Questions and Answers 4-H Meetings that Shake, Rattle, and Roll Annual 4-H Volunteer Training Agenda

S ECTION 1. W ELCOMING NEW MEMBERS AND CREATING A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT

W ELCOMING NEW MEMBERS AND CREATING A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT Do you remember when you were part of a new group? How did you feel? Were you: Excited? Ready to learn new things? Nervous to meet new people? Worried that you wouldn’t know what was going on?

G ET A CQUAINTED A CTIVITY / ICE B REAKER : A CROSS THE L INE ACTIVITY Everyone should stand on the one side of the line When you hear a statement that applies to you, step over the line Look around to see who has stepped across the line and who has not After everyone looks around you can step back over the line to hear the next statement

G ET A CQUAINTED A CTIVITY / ICE B REAKER : A CROSS THE L INE A CTIVITY D ISCUSSION Let’s Discuss: Did anyone learn something new about someone? What did you learn about someone that you have known for a while? How might knowing these things help you in connecting to others in the 4-H Club? How will this make a more welcoming environment in your club?

G ETTING B ETTER A CQUAINTED = A M ORE F RIENDLY C LUB E NVIRONMENT Get acquainted activities: Help us discover how we are alike and different Provide starting points for conversations Help everyone to feel welcome Provide opportunities for everyone to take responsibility for creating a welcoming environment Helping others feel welcome is the responsibility of everyone. What are some things that YOU can do to help everyone get better acquainted and feel welcome?

G ET A CQUAINTED A CTIVITY / ICE B REAKER : D OT A CTIVITY Everyone should close your eyes when instructed to do so. During the activity there must be no talking. You will feel something placed on your forehead, don’t be alarmed, it is not permanent. Wait for further instructions.

G ET A CQUAINTED A CTIVITY / ICE B REAKER : D OT A CTIVITY D ISCUSSION Let’s Discuss: How did you feel when you found your group? Did those that had a group try to help those without a group, and if so, how? How can we apply this to your 4-H club?

W ELCOMING NEW MEMBERS AND CREATING A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT Let’s Discuss: Why is it important to create a welcoming club environment? What are the risks of not having a welcoming environment at your 4-H club meeting? What do you currently do in your club to welcome new members? What are some new ideas that you can use at future 4-H Club meetings to create a welcoming environment?

S ECTION 2: T HREE P ARTS OF A M EETING B USINESS, E DUCATION AND R ECREATION

T HREE PARTS OF A MEETING Let’s Discuss: What happens at your regularly scheduled club meetings?

T HREE PARTS OF A M EETING : B USINESS Members brainstorm ideas Members make decisions Club activities and events Leadership for committees and club Finances and fundraising Other decisions Decisions can be made using parliamentary procedure, building consensus, or other strategies The group should decide on how decisions are made.

T HREE PARTS OF A M EETING : B USINESS During the business section, members benefit by: Expressing themselves in a group Listening to the viewpoints of others Making decisions Working together and building consensus Learning about others Gaining experience in working with other from different ages and groups Developing leadership skills

T HREE P ARTS OF A M EETING : E DUCATION Members learn about their community, other member’s projects, special emphasis topics, and other experiences Members can give demonstrations, illustrated talks, work on project books, or work on their projects Opportunities for guest resource speaker or educational tour Use of Special Emphasis programming

T HREE P ARTS OF A M EETING : E DUCATION During the education section, members benefit by: Experiencing new project ideas Gaining knowledge through hands on learning Exhibiting or demonstrating what they have learned in a project area Sharing 4-H experiences past the 4-H club level Exploring new ideas and ways of doing things Gathering information about the community, the people in it, and how they fit in Considering new career options Learning to learn

T HREE P ARTS OF A M EETING : R ECREATION Recreation should be part of every meeting Provides cooperation and encourages interaction Can be at the beginning or the end of the meeting Recreation could include: Group games Team building games Ice breakers Hikes Parties Nutritious snacks

T HREE P ARTS OF A M EETING : R ECREATION During the business section, members benefit by: Socializing and friendship skills Building teams and working together Gaining leadership skills Developing an understanding of how other are similar and different than themselves Making everyone feel welcome and included in the group Building a sense of belonging Having Fun!

T HREE P ARTS OF A M EETING : P IECING IT TOGETHER A CTIVITY D ISCUSSION Let’s discuss: Did all the pieces fit into the pie chart? If anything was left out, where might it fit and why? Are there items that could fit into multiple sections? Why? Take a moment to consider your last 4-H club meeting agenda. What area of your 4-H club meetings are you doing well at? Where do you need to improve? Why is it important to have a meeting that has business, education, and recreational items?

T HREE P ARTS OF A C LUB M EETING Let’s Discuss: How would you describe a great 4-H club meetings? What are some changes your club plans to make in order to support the three parts of a meeting? Who needs to be involved in the planning of 4-H meetings? How can you gather information from members to find out if they think the 4-H meetings are effective and include business, recreation, and education?

S ECTION 3: C LUB A SSESSMENTS

C LUB A SSESSMENTS Benefits of assessing a 4-H Club: Provides a safe environment for members, parents and leaders to voice their thoughts Highlights aspects of the club that could be strengthened Sets a good example for youth about evaluating activities and striving to “make the best better” Decreases frustration levels by providing a formal opportunity for feedback Can be a fun, interactive, and educational experience Involves youth leaders in a decision making process

C LUB A SSESSMENTS : F EEDBACK F ORM A CTIVITY The Four Essential Elements are important for all youth programs Club members should be experiencing belonging, generosity, mastery, and independence How effective is your 4-H meeting?

C LUB A SSESSMENT : F EEDBACK F ORMS A CTIVITY D ISCUSSION Let’s Discuss What things do you think your 4-H meeting is doing well? What areas could be improved on? What are ideas that could be easily started in the 4-H meeting that would make a difference? How do you think members and leaders may answer some of these questions?

C LUB A SSESSMENTS : S TRENGTHS AND W EAKNESSES OF O UR 4-H M EETINGS A CTIVITY 4-H members are the key to making the best better. Their voice helps build on the strengths of the club or committee Their ideas will minimize the weaknesses of the club or committee Listen closely to the instructions on an activity that can make the best better

C LUB A SSESSMENTS : S TRENGTHS AND W EAKNESSES OF O UR 4-H M EETINGS A CTIVITY D ISCUSSION Let’s Discuss: What common things were identified as what is working and strengths of the 4-H meeting? What ideas received the most votes for areas of improvement? What items on either list surprised you? Why? What are the next steps to address the areas of improvement?

C LUB A SSESSMENTS Let’s Discuss: What are the benefits of assessing a 4-H club? How can your club incorporate assessments into your club meetings so all members can participate? How can you involved your officer team in the assessment process? How can you include your younger 4-H members? Based on the results of the assessment of the 4-H meeting, identify steps to take to improve the 4-H meeting experience.

M EETINGS THAT S HAKE, R ATTLE, AND R OLL Let’s discuss the training overall: Why do you think that it is important to have get acquainted activities at club meetings? How else can a welcoming environment be created? What do you plan to enhance in the three parts of your club meeting? What is a new way that you learned today to assess your club that you plan to use?

A DDITIONAL W EB L INKS AND I NFORMATION Wisconsin Community Club Central: 4-H Who wants to be a Parliamentarian? Interactive learning tool from University of Illinois Extension-Urban Extension Website: 4-H Ceremonies. Resources from University of Illinois Extension – Urban Extension Website:

T HANK Y OU Developed by Jill Jorgenson, 4-H Youth Development Educator and Sue Pleskac, Volunteer Leadership Specialist