1. oklahoma 4-h club management
Welcome to the Family
oklahoma 4-h club management
Revised 10/2017
Oklahoma 4-H Volunteer Management System

2. This section would be great for a county educator or club leader to present to new families enrolling in our program. Laying a strong foundation and providing good information upfront grows a stronger 4-H club, member and family. Retention and experience are great for the program.
This investment of time and energy pays great dividends.
Posted at
Parent Orientation
Oklahoma 4-H Volunteer Management System

3. 4-H Parents Pledge
I pledge my Head to give my child the information I can, to help him/her see things clearly and to make wise decisions.
I pledge my Heart to encourage and support my child no matter whether he/she has success or disappointments.
I pledge my Hands to help my child’s club; if I cannot be a leader, I can help in many equally important ways.
I pledge my Health to keep my child strong and well for a better world through 4-H, for my child’s club, our community, our country and our world.
Georgia 4-H, 1982

4. Parent’s Role in 4-H Project Work
Guide and support work without doing it the work
Encourage follow-through and completion
Give praise and encouragement
Aide in selecting, financing and managing
Assist in gathering tools and supplies
Handout/Brochure – Being a 4-H Parent (Unit 1 Section 6 Volunteer Core Competencies)
Supplemental materials for a later time include the two sections of Unit 1 4-H Volunteer Core Competency Unit 1 Section 5 “Project Work and Unit 1 Section 6 “Roles in 4-H”
Key concept for the orientation - Assist volunteers and parents in understanding their role and the need for supporting in the child’s interests and project work.
4-H is a family affair, not an extension of an adults childhood. There are lots of opportunities for adult involvement in leadership and programming at the club and county level.
Parents should:
Guide and support work without doing it the work – “Learning by Doing”
Encourage follow-through and completion – life skills of self-responsibility, self-motivation and self-discipline
Give praise, encouragement and honest constructive feedback – developing resiliency
Aide in selecting, financing and managing project work
Assist in gathering tools, supplies and resources

5. Parent’s Role continued…
Encourage journaling 4-H experiences
Provide support and transportation
Serve on committees to plan and implement club activities or project meetings
Assist organizational, project and activity leaders
Become a project or activity leader
Attend PVA meeting and volunteer continuing education
Become a certified 4-H volunteer
Encourage journaling, a more modern term for “record keeping.” Journaling is a term coined “for the practice of keeping a diary or journal that explores thoughts and feelings surrounding the events of one’s life.” It can include things accomplished, learned as well as goals. All of this can later be organized into a county medal form or eventually a record book.
As a volunteer or educator don’t focus on record keeping it can be a turn off. Focus on the FUN of learning and benefits of participating. The outcome being the child is learning a skill(s), as well as life skills. Remain Focused on “Learn by Doing.”
Provide social, emotional and physical support and transportation
Serve on committees to plan and implement club activities or project meetings. Great learning opportunity.
Assist organizational, project and activity leaders. Become or help people serving in these roles. Learn, mentor and assume primary lead at a later time.
Become a project or activity leader, it can be a great training ground for becoming an a organizational/club leader.
Attend Parent-Volunteer Association/Leader meetings and participate in volunteer continuing education.
Become a certified 4-H volunteer – for your protection and for the benefit of the youth we serve. It will increase your knowledge and understanding of 4-H.

6. Philosophy of… Learn by Doing 4-H Events
4-H events provide an opportunity for education, evaluation and recognition.
4-H Activities
4-H Activities provide an opportunity for education, participation and fellowship.
Learn by Doing
Handout: 4H.VOL.108 Understanding 4-H Events and Activities
Purpose for 4-H Activities and Events
Activities and Events are an Extension of Project Work
Most activities and events provide an opportunity to share the knowledge and skills being learned through an individual’s project work. Project work that has taken place over an extended period of time.
Educational Purpose
The objective of any 4-H activity or event is education which encourages life skill development.
“Learn by Doing”
An activity or event provides an opportunity to learn by doing at many levels…
As an individual, the member is learning by doing through decision making, preparation and self-responsibility.
At the local club level members learn by doing in planning, preparing and doing a project/service.
At the county level members may serve in a leadership role and assist with the actual planning and implementation of the activity or event.
Determine if your child is developmentally ready for competition. Prepare them by helping them understand how to use the feedback in a constructive way that improves their life and those around them.
Method for Evaluating project work
Established standards for knowledge and skills assist the member in identifying areas of growth and areas requiring greater attention. Through self, peer and competitive evaluation members are encouraged to continue developing skills and to reset goals.
Develop Leadership Skills
As members and volunteers develop skills and acquire knowledge they become valuable resources in the planning, conducting and evaluation of activities and events.
4-H events provide an opportunity for education, evaluation and recognition.
Examples: Public Speaking, Fabric and Fashion, Share the Fun, Food Show, Meats Contest, Dog Show, etc.
4-H Activities provide an opportunity for education, participation and fellowship.
Examples: Camp, tour, exchange trip, picnic, service project, etc.
Oklahoma 4-H Volunteer Management System

7. 4-H Clubs Meet regularly Fun and enjoyable for members and families
Have an educational emphasis
Are run by youth officers, supervised and instructed by a caring adult
Provide opportunity for developing communication skills
Provide recognition and peer support
A 4-H Club is…
A group of members who learn leadership and cooperation through fun and educational programs. The 4-H club is an extended family.
The club require family support and involvement. Families help with refreshment, serve on committee, help with activities, stay informed, support their child as well as other club members, etc.
Clubs encourage:
Decision-making skills – youth participate in meetings making motions, asking questions, serving on committees, etc.
Cooperation in groups – participate in activities of the club
Leadership development – engaging in the meeting, serving on committees, developing into officer material
Communication skills – show-n-tell, discussion, reporting, speech, demonstration, etc.
New ideas – exposed to diversity of ideas, lifestyles, people, cultures etc.
Knowledge and skill development – small groups of youth and adults within the club form project groups and learn about a particular subject.
Pride in group efforts – celebrate accomplishment
Self-confidence – surrounded by people who care about you and your best interests
Oklahoma 4-H Volunteer Management System

8. Enrollment 4-H year – September 1 – August 31
Youth and CB Enrollment Card
Includes: Code of conduct, Photo Release/Survey/Evaluation Participation, Permission to contact Youth, Signature of Parent/Guardian, Health Form…
Volunteer Application/Volunteer Enrollment
Project Enrollment
Enrollment– Illegal for anyone other than the legal guardian of a child to sign enrollment. That includes “electronic” signatures online.
New members – ask if family (youth or adult) were enrolled in 4-H in another county or state. The family profile will be transferred to the new count. This keeps the enrollment history of the child and volunteer.
On September 1 each year all enrollment goes inactive. It is the start of a new program year.
Parents who want to be a certified 4-H Volunteer will complete the application and enrollment in 4HOnline.
Project Enrollment – youth should be strongly encouraged to enroll in no more than 5 project areas. The five things they want to spend quality time conducting project work. As a club, use the enrollment card data to determine what project groups and project leaders are needed to meet the needs and interests of the youth in your club.
Cloverbuds do not have projects. This is a time for exploring and learning. CB’s are not to focus on developing a project area.
Oklahoma 4-H Volunteer Management System

9. Project Work
Continue with slides as part of Parent Orientation or use the section as a review for club leaders.
Project Work is the gateway to the child and the 4-H program.
Oklahoma 4-H Volunteer Management System

10. 4-H Project Work…
A teaching tool for developing desirable character traits and project skills.
Provides real life experiences in making decisions.
Age appropriate and flexible for individual development.
Concerned with the optimum development of the individual.
Teaches desirable habits and attitudes
Teaches one to help one’s self, which leads to helping others
Resources to assist in developing project groups and guiding youth in project development.
4H.VOL.101 Leading a Project Group
4H.VOL.102 Understanding Boys & girls
4H.VOL.103 Teaching Techniques
4H.VOL.106 Planning a Lesson
The term “4-H Project Work” is in reference to a single subject. (i.e. Horticulture, Foods, Safety, etc.) It is the big picture or long-term goal of what a member wants to learn.
The term “project” is in reference to the individual parts or short-term goals of the “4-H project.”
Developing subject matter skills - A skill is a learned ability to do something well.
Life Skills Development - Life Skills are the way one applies learned skills to real life situations. Remember that the intangible can have greater impact than the tangible.
Project work is not about “competition”. Project work is much like being an athlete or musician, the child is constantly learning, practicing and setting goals. The best of their best is “exhibited” at a competitive activity or event in an effort to seek feedback on their “mastery” of knowledge and skills.
Oklahoma 4-H Volunteer Management System

11. Selecting a 4-H Project
Interests, needs and capabilities of the member
Opportunity for sufficient challenge and growth
Family situation
Availability of adequate financing
Availability of equipment and space
Availability of leadership for the project
4-H volunteers who are actively involved in counseling new members and their families in selecting projects have a greater opportunity to teach about the 4-H program, as well as having quality time to get acquainted with the family.
There are key points to successful project selection.
Determine the interests, needs and capabilities of the member not the family or parent. It is easier to motive young people when it is something of interest.
Ask…Is the child going to be challenged to grow and learn? Is the child going to grow from the experience because it is new?
The project should be appropriate for residence, space and resources. A child living in the city who loves horses can easily be enrolled in the horse project without physically having a horse. There are lots of things they can do while learning about horses - speeches, demonstrations, breeds, judging, physiology, etc.
No project is important enough that it puts a financial burden on a family.
A child enrolled in wood science needs access to equipment and tools. Just as a child enrolled in an animal science project should have easy access to feeding, housing and working the animal to truly have an educational experience that develops life skills.
Does the family have access to resource people who can provide guidance? Is there a potential project leader? Sometimes young people tend to listen to other adults more than their own parents.

12. Guiding Project Work needs…
Project Leaders
Project Groups
Curriculum
Goal Setting
Journaling/record keeping
Project Leaders – volunteers with subject matter knowledge or who have the desire to learn with the kids.
Project Group – meets outside the regular club meeting and focuses on learning about a specific project area.
Curriculum – Use 4-H curriculum to guide project development. It has been specifically designed for teaching basics at a particular age/stage of development. The materials are research based. Look to Oklahoma curriculum first, then look to other states for additional 4-H resources before seeking other reliable sources. “Reliable” is the key.
Goal Setting – This is what the child wants learn or do in the project area. “Why do you want to enroll in the dog project?” Learn about breeds? Train my dog basic obedience? Teach my dog agility? Train my dog to for pet therapy. Etc…
Journaling – Encourage the child to write down or list things they accomplished, learned, mistakes and what they learned from the mistake, reflection of feelings/perception, etc. Great reflection tool.
Oklahoma 4-H Volunteer Management System