1. Texas 4-H Recordbook Tutorial
Welcome to the Texas Agrilife Extension Service’s 4-H & Youth Development Online tutorial called “For The Record!” This tutorial will walk you through all of the components of a recordbook and give you a better understanding of what to include in each section. My name is Cheryl Newberry and I am the Extension Program Specialist for 4-H. I will be your host today for this training. By now I hope you have completed the pre-test and the overview and are ready to learn all the basics of recordbooks. Let’s get started!
Texas 4-H Recordbook Tutorial
Presented by
Cheryl Newberry
Extension Program Specialist—4-H

2. “For The Record” Forms Member Achievement Plan (M.A.P.)
Record Improvement Guide (instructions for the completing a 4-H Recordbook)
Texas 4-H Report Form
Texas 4-H Recordbook Scoresheet
Texas 4-H Clover
There are several components of the record keeping system. The first component is the Member Achievement Plan – also known as the MAP – this document is used to keep track of a 4-H project throughout the year. Many counties require a Member Achievement Plan to be completed and turned in to participate in an event or activity or to receive recognition for project completion at the end of the 4-H year. Contact your local County Extension Office to find out more about the Member Achievement Plan.
The Record Improvement Guide is the second component of the system. This guide provides all of the instructions for completing a record book.
Next is the Texas 4-H Report Form. This is the document used to complete a record book. We’ll discuss this document more in detail in a few moments.
The next component of the system is the Texas 4-H Record book score sheet. This is the form used when judging record books to evaluate whether or not the record book has met the requirements outlined in the Record Improvement Guide.
Last, the Texas 4-H Clover is the document that is published at the beginning of each 4-H year that includes information on the record book categories, the 4-H Project Selection Guide, 4-H opportunities in each project area and more.
To help you as you proceed through this program, it would be helpful to have a copy of the Record Improvement Guide and the Texas 4-H Report Form so that you can follow along with the slides.

3. Recordbook Objectives
There are 5 Recordbook Objectives which are:
Attain a broad knowledge of 4-H projects and activities and the way they improve family and community life.
Acquire life skills essential for becoming an active, skilled, productive, and responsible citizen.
Adopt and apply the latest practices and research findings to everyday living.
Use all 4-H training and experiences in choosing and preparing for a job.
Develop leadership skills that promote positive youth development.
As with any 4-H endeavor, there are objectives that are targeted for learning. Record books also have objectives that need to be incorporated into the report form. The 5 objectives are:
Attain a broad knowledge of the 4-H projects and activities and the way they improve family and community life.
Acquire life skills essential for becoming an active, skilled productive and responsible citizen.
Adopt and apply the latest practices and research findings to everyday living.
Use all 4-H Training and experiences in choosing and preparing for a job.
Develop leadership skills that promote positive youth development.
As you can see, these are broad objectives that many of your 4-H experiences will address. You’ll just have to spend some time figuring out which objective or objectives fit your learning experiences.

4. Tips in Meeting Recordbook Objectives
Your goal is to eventually meet all the objectives through your project work.
Beginning 4-Hers will not be able to achieve all objectives.
Objectives do not have to be listed in a recordbook in their entirety, however, they must be noted.
The objectives will be revised annually to address issues affecting youth development.
There are a few things to remember about the Objectives. As a new 4-H’er you won’t meet all of the objectives the first year you do a record book. As you grow in your 4-H projects, you will gain more knowledge and have more experiences that will address the objectives.
When referencing objectives in section I under learning experiences and knowledge gained, you do not have to list the objective in its entirety. Simply referencing the number of the objective is fine.
Objectives may be revised occasionally but that information will be distributed if changes are made prior to a new 4-H year beginning.

5. Texas 4-H Report Form Sections of Texas 4-H Report Form
Personal Information Page (page 1)
4-H Project Experiences (pages 2-4)
4-H Leadership Experiences (page 5)
4-H Community Service (page 6)
Other 4-H Projects (page 7)
4-H Recognition and Awards (page 7)
Non-4-H Activities (page 8)
4-H Recordbook Check Sheet
The Record Improvement Guide and the Texas 4-H Report Form will be the focus of the remainder of this program. We will be reviewing both of these documents and how to complete a record book successfully.Let’s take a look at the sections of the Texas 4-H Report form.
The personal information page is the first page of the Texas 4-H Report Form. We’ll come back to that a little later with more details.
4-H Project Experiences encompass pages 2, 3 and 4 – this is a summary of your growth in your 4-H projects, your learning experiences and the knowledge you’ve gained while participating in the project. You may list up to four projects in this section.
Next is 4-H Leadership Experiences on page 5 – this is a summary of your elected or appointed leadership, volunteer leadership and 4-H promotion leadership.
4-H Community Service is the next section and is to be recorded on page 6. This section is where you will list ways in which you have been of service in your community.
Other 4-H Projects that you have been involved in which are not reported under your 4-H project experiences are reported on page 7. If you have only 4 projects, report only 3 under your 4-H Project Experiences section and put at least one project in this section so that you don’t lose points.
4-H Recognition and Awards is also reported on page 7 – this is your opportunity to list all of your 4-H awards you’ve received. Be mindful that if you have lots of 4-H awards, you will need to prioritize and put the most important and meaningful awards here.
Non-4-H Activities go on page 8 – this is where you list things such as church involvement, school involvement or other youth organization involvement.
The 4-H Record book check sheet should also be included in the front of your recordbook. This check sheet will help you to make sure you have completed all portions of the recordbook. This check sheet has a column to check off at each level – county, district and state. As your book advances from one level to the next, it will be reviewed to be sure all components are included before it is judged.

6. Texas 4-H Report Form– Personal Information Page
Recordbook Category
Pertinent Information
Date/Year of Birth
Current 4-H Age (4-H Age is based on August 31of the current 4-H year)
Signatures
The first page that should be seen in the record book is the personal information page. This page is where you will identify what recordbook category you are entering. You have the opportunity to report information about your top four projects. The project you list FIRST in section 1 – should be the category you are entering. Other personal information is also included on this page such as your name address, date of birth, current 4-H age and county, residence and race/ethnicity.
This page is also very important because this is where all signatures are to be recorded. The 4-H member, a parent or guardian, their 4-H club manager or project leader that is NOT your parent or guardian, and the County Extension Agent must all sign this form for the record book . Don’t forget this important step!

7. Texas 4-H Report Form– Section 1
4-H Project Experiences/4-H Project Summary
What is your project?
How did your project change or grow?
List the recordbook category entered as your first project.
Current 4-H year’s experience should always be listed first.
This page should include, but not limited to, such things as: items bought, items made and/or raised, places visited, profits/losses, and number of people taught.
Let’s look a little more in detail at the sections of the Texas 4-H Report Form. Section 1 is the 4-H Project Experiences and 4-H Project Summary. The first project you list in this section is the project that should be listed on your personal information page – the category you are entering. You want to list your strongest 4-H project first and then up to three other strong projects. The more these projects can support or relate to one another, the stronger your overall recordbook will be!
You may report the last four years of project work in this section. If you are a younger 4-H’er and haven’t been in 4-H for four years yet, report on the years you’ve been involved.

8. Texas 4-H Report Form – Sample of Section 1
Sample of one way to format Section 1 – 4-H Project Experiences (page 2)
Things to include in your 4-H project experiences and 4-H project summary are: Items bought, items made and/or raised, places visited, profits/losses, and number of people taught. There are a variety of ways to format this section. You may choose to use a table, a bulleted list, or paragraph format. It’s up to you to determine what will best showcase your involvement in the projects. We sometimes refer to this as the “size and scope” of your main 4-H projects. This is your chance to tell us about the big picture of your projects and show how you have grown through the years.
# Served = the number of individuals served a complete dinner or luncheon plate
4-H Events Include: Burger Ranch, Fish Camp, Goat Workshop Luncheon, Volunteer Recognition Luncheon and more.
Food Service Events Include: HEB Camps, various banquet type events, etc. not sponsored by 4-H.
Charities include: Annual Welcome Meal to Mentally Challenged at Down Home Ranch, meals to homeless, and BBQ dinners at Down Home Ranch Yam Bake Fundraiser and more.
Family Meals include: preparations of 3 meals per week for a family of 6.
$ Saved = savings of low-cost home cooked meal versus fast food or higher cost meals at home and was calculated based on a $3 average for a complete meal for my family of 6.

9. Texas 4-H Report Form—Section 1
4-H Project Experiences/4-H Learning Experiences and Knowledge Gained (page 3 & 4)
What have you done and what have you learned?
This page should include such things as, but don’t limit yourself to, workshops, contests, tours, research, computer learning programs, study of written material, interviews, etc.
Do not list items where you were a teacher or instructor.
Knowledge Gained means what did you learn from the experience (How to give injections; the parts of a presentation; the importance of food safety in health)
The next part of section 1 is the 4-H learning experiences and knowledge gained. This two page section – pages 3 and is where you answer this question: What have you done and what have you learned? Remember that you should not list items where you were a teacher or instructor in this section – those items should go under the leadership section. Here we are looking for the workshops, contests, tours, research, independent study, books, interviews, or other learning experiences that you have had in that project.

10. Texas 4-H Report Form—Section 1
4-H Project Experiences/4-H Learning Experiences and Knowledge Gained
What have you done and what have you learned?
Everything a 4-H member does in 4-H is at some level. A member should code each experience - local (L), county (C), district (D), regional (R),state (S), national (N) and international (I).
Make sure you tie the learning experiences back to the objectives! (Example: Obj. 3)
The key is to remember for pages 3 and 4 is to list BOTH What you DID and what you LEARNED! This is not the place to list leadership in your projects! Save that for the next section! It is important to label these items as to the level at which you participated in these experiences.
It is also important that you note the objective (1-5) that these learning experiences address. You do not have to type the whole objective. Just list in parenthesis at the end of the statement the objective number. For example: (Obj. 3)
Using a chart with columns works well in formatting these pages or you can simply list the level of participation at the beginning of each bullet and the objective at the end of each line.

11. Texas 4-H Report Form—Example for pages 3 & 4
Highlights: Texas Food & Nutrition Advisory Team Retreat; SpecTra; Tours of Schlitterbahn Food Services, Renaissance Hotel, Sysco, Randalls, Webb Farms, Central Market, White Egret Farm. Best web-site:
What I learned in Food & Nutrition:
– learned various ways to transport food safely & how it applies to catering and food service at a outdoor park (Obj. 1,2 &3). Learned about restaurant preparation of gourmet foods and garnishes (Obj 3&4). Explored careers: Food & Beverage Director & 2 Restaurant Owners (Obj. 4). Strengthened leadership while planning County Food Show, Food Camp, District Food Workshop and District Food Show Community Service (Obj. 5). Used 6 Pillars of Character from Teen Retreat at Burger Ranch Program (Obj. 2&5). Conducted numerous mock Nutrition Quiz Bowls throughout the District (Obj. 1&5).
– *** list learning experiences for each year ***
Here are some examples of how pages 3 & 4 could be completed. Note that we have used only the first letter to designate the level at which participation happened.
Also notice at the bottom of the screen that each statement is followed by the objectives that were addressed. Don’t forget this important part!

12. Texas 4-H Report Form Section II - 4-H Leadership Experiences
Promotion Leadership: How have you told someone about 4-H?
Volunteer Leadership: How and what did you do to lead or teach others in 4-H?
Elected/Appointed Leadership: What did you do to help?
Section II of the Texas 4-H Report Form is the 4-H Leadership Experience. There are three distinct categories of leadership to report to. First is Promotion Leadership. This refers to what you have done to tell others about 4-H. Examples might be an exhibit, a radio Public Service Announcement, an interview on TV, or a speech presented to potential 4-H members, volunteers or donors. This section should only report to the last four years of your leadership experience.
The second category in the leadership section is Volunteer Leadership. This is where you report things where you volunteered to assist or coordinate an event or activity. For example, volunteer leadership might be leading the pledges at a club meeting or volunteering to coordinate the parade float committee.
The third category of leadership is elected and appointed leadership opportunities. This section is where you list offices held and committees to which you were appointed. The most important thing to remember is that there should be no duplication from one section to another in the three leadership categories. Leadership falls into one of these three, not into multiple categories!

13. Texas 4-H Report Form Section III - 4-H Community Service
Ask yourself: “What did I do to help other people because of 4-H?”
Leadership
“Y” Yourself
“P” Provided Primary Leadership
“M” Member of a Group
Section 3 of the Texas 4-H Report Form is where you will record 4-H Community Service efforts. Ask yourself “what did I do to help other people because of 4-H?” Community service items should not be listed under any other sections. Sometimes 4-H members will duplicate things in the leadership section and the community service section. Decide for yourself which section you think it best fits and use it only one time.
It is required for you to note which level of leadership you had in your community service involvement. Did you do the community service project by yourself, did you provide primary leadership or were you a member of a group who performed the service? Use the letters noted on the screen to code each community service activity. You only need to list ONE of the levels of involvement. If you say you gave primary leadership to a service project, it is understood that you were also a member of the group so only list one level of involvement!
Also remember that this section should focus on the last 4 years of service just like the other sections already reviewed.

14. Texas 4-H Report Form Section IV - Other 4-H Projects
List any 4-H project(s) not listed in Section I.
If a 4-H member has been involved in only four projects, list the fourth project in Section IV. This will prevent the loss of points for not including information in this section.
Section 4, page 7, is where you will list any other 4-H Projects you’ve participated in. You may list projects that you were only involved in for a short time here. Maybe you didn’t enjoy the project so you didn’t continue. That’s okay. Record in this section the projects, the number of years involved, and a brief statement about what you learned in that project. If you have 4 or less total projects, be sure to save at least one project to list in this section. This section is worth 5 points so don’t leave it blank!!! If you are a brand new 4-H member and you only did 1 or 2 projects, it might be better to list all of your projects in section 1 and just put a note in this section that you are a first year member and will be adding other projects in the future.

15. Texas 4-H Report Form Section V - 4-H Recognition and Awards
Highlight 4-H recognition and/or awards.
The keyword is 4-H.
Emphasize recognition received during the past 4 years.
Section 5, page 7, is the 4-H Recognition and Awards Section. This is your opportunity to showcase all of your important accomplishments, especially the last four years. You are, however, not limited to only telling about achievements from the last four years. You may include things from throughout your 4-H career. The key word for this section is 4-H awards...not things you have won in other organizations. Include awards that are meaningful to you!

16. Texas 4-H Report Form Section VI - NON-4-H Activities
List leadership, community service, awards and recognition from other activities such as school, church and other community organizations. (Example: FFA, NHS, and Clover Kids)
Clover Kids involvement should be reported in this section
Section Six, page 8, is dedicated to non-4-H activities. This is where you may list leadership, community service and recognition from other activities such as school, church, and other community organizations. If you were involved in 4-H Clover Kids, this is the section where those activities should be reported. Clover Kids involvement is not to be reported in any other section!

17. 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio
“Here is my 4-H life.
Look at what I have done!”
The next section of the record book that we will review is the 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio. This is the segment of your record book that showcases YOU! This is your opportunity to tell the reader about your 4-H experiences and all that you’ve done and learned. Creative writing is a bonus when preparing your 4-H story and photo portfolio.

18. 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio What should be included in a 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio?
Title: “My 4-H (Recordbook Category) Story and Photo Portfolio”
Information about yourself, your family, and your community.
When and why you joined 4-H.
Tell about the recordbook category in which you are submitting your recordbook. (What have you learned in 4-H?)
What needs to be included in your 4-H Story and Photo portfolio?
First, the title should be stated as follows. Let’s pretend that our record book is entered in the sportfishing category. The title should read “My 4-H Sportfishing Story and Photo Portfolio.” The project you list FIRST in section one of the Texas 4-H Report Form and on your personal information page is the project that should be in your title.
The contents of your story should include interesting information about yourself, your family and your community. Again, use your creativity to tell your story! Your story should also explain when and why you joined 4-H and details about the record book category in which you are submitting your record book. This is your opportunity to tell about experiences that may not be included in your Report form or to be able to elaborate on some of your learning experiences. Your story should paint a picture that tells how your major project has impacted your life.

19. 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio What should be included in a 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio?
Explain how 4-H has helped you become a better leader and citizen.
Highlight other 4-H projects and activities – be sure to show how you incorporate these activities into your main project.
Explain how being a 4-H member has helped you set goals (tell what the goals are) and develop new interest.
Describe how 4-H has influenced your future plans or career goals.
Other things to address in your story and photos are your leadership and citizenship involvement. It will be important to showcase the leadership and citizenship you’ve accomplished that relate to your major projects.
It will also be important for you to explain how your other 4-H projects have tied in with your main project. What did you do to incorporate your learning within different projects and how did your projects build upon one another? Not all 4-H projects will relate to one another, and that’s okay. But if there is a connection or overlap, point that out in your story.
It is also important for you to explain how 4-H has helped you to set goals and what new interests you have developed as a result of 4-H. Has 4-H influenced your future career plans? If so, tell us how and why.
The pictures you include in your 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio should show growth in your projects, community service, and leadership. The pictures should relate to your main project as well as other projects you have been involved in. Captions with the pictures help to describe what the picture is and gives you an opportunity to relate that experience to one of the 5 record book objectives. The pictures may be interspersed throughout your story or on separate pages following the story.

20. 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio What are the requirements?
Maximum of 10 pages for the 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio.
Length:
Text --Minimum of 3 pages of double-spaced type and a minimum of a 10 point font or equivalent or it may be handwritten.
Pictures -- Minimum equivalent of 3 pages of pictures. Each picture should have a brief caption that explains the actions and lesson learned.
Remaining Four pages is up to your discretion.
Story and photos may be combined.
Now that you have an idea of what to include in the 4-H Story , let’s look at the basic requirements for this section.
A maximum of 10 pages is allowed for the 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio.
A minimum of 3 pages, double-spaced type with a font size of no smaller than 10 point font is required for the story.
The story may be hand written if desired.
The requirement for pictures is equivalent of 3 pages of pictures and each picture should have a brief caption that explains the actions in the photo and lesson learned. Your pictures should reflect how you are meeting one or more of the 5 recordbook objectives.
Once you meet these minimum requirements, the other four pages may be used for story text or pictures.

21. 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio
Photography Recordbooks
Six (6) additional pages of pictures
Pictures must have been taken in photography project
Insert at the back of your recordbook
If your recordbook category is Photography, then you have some extra pages you can add to your recordbook. Photography recordbooks can include up to six more pages of pictures but they must be from your photography project. Showcase some of your great work and techniques you learned in the photography project.
You may place these pages right behind your 4-H Story and photo portfolio if you are a junior or intermediate. Seniors should place photography pages after your resume’.
Remember, Photography must be your FIRST project you list in section 1 in order to be able to add the 6 pages of pictures to your recordbook!

22. 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio What are the requirements?
Text Margins:
Top, bottom and right margins = 1 inch.
Left margin = 1 1/2 inches
These margins only apply to TEXT - borders, artwork or pictures may extend to the edge of the page.
There are specific rules for the margins to use in your 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio.
The top, bottom and right margins are to be 1 inch while the left margin must be 1 ½ inches to allow for hole punching the pages.
These margins only apply to text portions of the section. Borders, artwork or pictures may extend to the edge of the page.

23. 4-H Story and Photo Portfolio What are the requirements?
Paper Type:
Typing paper and bond weight paper are acceptable.
Prohibited
Construction Paper
Sheet Protectors
Tabs
Dividers
The type of paper you can use is limited to typing paper or bond weight paper. Do not use construction paper in your record book. This paper is usually larger than other paper and tends to be less stable for mounting pictures. Do not use sheet protectors on your pages nor is it necessary to use tabs or page dividers to separate the sections. Cardstock paper is okay, as long as it is 8 ½” X 11”.

24. 4-H Resume’ (Senior Members Only)
The 4-H resume’ is a 1- page (front only) summary of:
Skills
Accomplishments
Experiences
Education
Senior 4-H’ers have an additional component in their record book that is required. Senior 4-H members are ages 14 to 19 as of August 31st of the current 4-H year. The 4-H Resume’ is a one page document that should be a summary of the 4-H’ers skills, accomplishments, experiences and education.

25. 4-H Resume’ (Senior Members Only)
Sell yourself
Use active language
Be consistent
Present information in reverse chronological order within categories
Check grammar
Ensure that the resume’ is neat and visually appealing.
These suggestions will be helpful as you begin developing your resume’. You want to sell yourself to the person reading your resume’. A resume’ should showcase your talents and abilities and make a potential employer want to hire you to be a part of their team.
Use active language when writing your resume’. Active language includes terms like coordinated, assisted, organized, and other words that describe your level of involvement in the activity, job or experience.
Be consistent in your resume’. This relates to the format you use and the writing style you use. If you use bullets to give information, do that throughout.
Information should also be presented in reverse chronological order. Start with the most recent thing and work backwards.
Be sure to check your grammar and make sure that the resume’ is neat and eye appealing to the reader.

26. 4-H Resume’ (Senior Members Only)
No photos are allowed on the resume.
No business or letterhead may be used.
Resume’ should not be done by a resume’ service or professional.
Some things to remember about your resume’: no photos are allowed on the resume’. Do not use business or personal letterhead for your resume’. Resume’s should not be developed by professional services. They should be the work of the individual completing the record book.

27. Resume’ Example
Here’s an example from the Record Improvement Guide of a resume’. Notice that the sections are on the left and bolded while the content for each section is tabbed over to make things look nice and neat. This is only one format example. You may use other formats, but remember that this is a professional document and should look clean and neat!

28. Putting Your Recordbook Together
Place the parts of the recordbook in this order when complete:
Personal Information Page
4-H Story and Photo Portfolio
Texas 4-H Report Form
Seniors Only – Resume’
Photography Category Only – up to 6 additional pages of photography project photos
The sections of the record book should be placed in a specific order as they are listed on the Check sheet . Your record book will be complete when you have finished all sections and placed them in this order:
personal information page
4-H Story and Photo Portfolio
Texas 4-H Report Form
and, if you are a senior 4-H’er, the 4-H Resume’
Record books entered in the photography category are allowed six additional pages for pictures taken through the photography project and these should be the last section in the record book.
What do you put your recordbook in? Many counties still provide or sell the green recordbook covers. Other options include a small three ring binder or a paper folder with brads to hold pages in.

29. Contact your local County Extension Agent for more information!
This concludes the tutorial for completing a Texas 4-H Recordbook. If you have further questions, contact your local county extension agent or check out the “For The Record” website at the URL on your screen. The Record Improvement Guide provides all of the instructions for putting together a recordbook. Don’t forget to complete the post-test evaluation for this module so that we can determine if this resource is a benefit to 4-H’ers, agents and volunteers! Good Luck to you as you embark on your record keeping experience!