Publications
The First Three Club Meetings
4-H Volunteer Leaders’ Series
 Printer Friendly (PDF)
Planning •
Who Will Do What? •
The First Meeting •
The Second Meeting •
The Third Meeting
The 4-H meeting is one of the major tools 4-H leaders use to
help boys and girls develop and learn. The 4-H meeting offers the opportunity to
participate in democracy in action, to develop friendships, exchange ideas,
explore new ideas and areas of interest, and develop life skills. The 4-H
meeting is often the first contact 4-H members have with the 4-H program. For
many youth, the experiences in the local clubs are the major involvement they
have with 4-H. Thus, the experiences in the local club "make or break"
the 4-H experience for most youth.
A 4-H club meeting is a place where members can have fun and
learn. No 4-H meeting should be so concerned with education that it lacks the
sounds of laughter and friendly conversation.
Planning
The
4-H club leadership team should meet several weeks prior to the first 4-H club
meeting and plan the first three club meetings in detail. Leadership team
members and resource people they invite to assist will be responsible for
conducting the club meetings until the club officers are elected and installed
during the third club meeting. At the fourth meeting the club president and
other officers will take over and run the meetings under adult leader
supervision.
The first few club meetings should focus on acquainting 4-H
members and their parents with 4-H and in getting the club off to a good start.
Parent involvement is necessary for a successful club, so parent participation
should be encouraged from the beginning.
Who Will Do What?
During
the leadership team planning meeting, a list of responsibilities for the first
three club meetings should be developed and the list divided among leadership
team members. You will need people to do the following:
1. Contact prospective members and parents concerning the club
meeting. Encourage parent participation.
2. May need to run a radio spot and/or newspaper article about
the club meeting.
3. Secure and arrange the facilities for the meeting.
4. Secure the needed printed and human resources for each
meeting.
5. Plan and conduct different parts of each club meeting. The
club officers will not take over until the fourth meeting so leadership team
members will be responsible for conducting the first three meetings.
Suggested outlines for your first three club meetings are given
below. These outlines can be modified to fit your club situation. The important
thing to remember in planning the meetings is to make sure they are well
organized, that people on the program understand their responsibility and
prepare themselves to carry it out and that the meeting is enjoyed by all in
attendance.
The First Meeting
All
information publicizing this meeting should indicate that parents are to attend
with their children.
Display – Before the meeting begins, a display of 4-H
project books and other 4-H items and information should be set up.
Welcome and Get Acquainted – The member of the
leadership team who will be presiding during the meeting welcomes everyone and
introduces the get-acquainted activity.
Suggested Get-Acquainted Activity – Give each person an
index card or small piece of paper. Instruct them to write their first and last
name in large letters in the center of the card. In the corners of the card
instruct them to write the following:
1. Upper Left – Where they work or go to school
2. Upper Right – Hobbies or what they like to do for fun or
relaxation
3. Lower Left – One thing they expect to do in 4-H
4. Lower Right – Facts about their family
Once they have completed the card, instruct them to find a
person they don’t know and discuss the information on the card with them.
After a few minutes, have each pair join another pair (group of four people).
Each person then introduces their partner to the other couple.
Order of Business Skit – This skit can be presented by
4-H members from an existing club. If this can’t be arranged, the members of
the leadership team can present the skit. The fact sheet entitled "4-H Club
Meeting Agenda" should be used in planning this activity.
Hand out to each family present a fact sheet entitled "The
4-H Mission in Arkansas" and "4-H Club
Meeting Agenda." Each handout should be discussed. Parents
should be asked to help their children learn the opening ritual by the next
meeting.
4-H Projects – 4-H members take projects which teach
life skills and useful information. There are 42 major project areas from which
a 4-H member can choose. Most project books are available at a moderate fee.
However, certain project books may be available free of charge. The county
Extension office will have information on cost and how to order.
Refer to the 4-H project book display and encourage them to look
at it before leaving. Have two 4-H members of existing clubs discuss their 4-H
projects. They should tell what they have done in their project, what they have
learned and how the project work has helped them develop as individuals.
Explain that the club will have several project groups. The
formation of project groups will be based on the interests of club members and
project leader availability. A 4-H’er can take projects to work on
individually that don’t have a project group. It is recommended that new 4-H
clubs limit their members to two projects. One of these should be a project that
has a project group.
Conduct "Pick a Project" (CES-641) activity. Each
child should complete this activity with a parent’s assistance. This will help
determine what areas club members are interested in and will provide information
to make decisions on what project groups are needed.
Explain that a 4-H project is something that the whole family
can work on together. Show the slide series "The Family in 4-H" which
can be obtained through your county Extension office if it is requested two weeks in advance and if it is available at the time you need
it.
Conduct a discussion concerning what project groups are needed.
Let members and parents express their ideas.
Parent Responsibilities – Hand out and discuss the fact
sheet entitled "Information for 4-H Parents."
Closing – Ask for questions. Thank everyone for
attending. Announce date, time and place for next meeting. Remind parents to
attend.
Refreshments – Serve refreshments and encourage people
to look at project display.
The Second Meeting
Members
of the leadership team will conduct this meeting. Follow the "4-H Club
Meeting Agenda" fact sheet to carry out the meeting. During the business
session do the following:
1. Name the club.
2. Decide on regular meeting date, time and place.
3. Discuss 4-H club officer responsibilities and explain that
officers will be elected at the next meeting.
Method Demonstration and Illustrated Talk– During the
program section of the meeting have a 4-H member of an existing club give a
method demonstration and one give an illustrated talk. Explain that club members
will be learning to do these type presentations and giving them at club
meetings.
Project Group Formation – Introduce the project group
leaders and let them explain what their project group will be doing.
Hand out a "4-H Individual Enrollment Form" to each
youth between 5 and 19 and let them fill out the card and select their projects.
Explain that it is recommended that new 4-H members select no more than two
projects. One of these should be a project which has a project group.
Explain that 4-H’ers can take projects other than those
offered in project groups. The project groups are to help them learn to do
project work and provide for a group experience in "Learning by
Doing." 4-H’ers can take projects they work on independently with
guidance from a parent, other adult or teen.
Recreational Activity – Get 4-H’ers and parents
involved together in a recreational activity.
Refreshments – Serve refreshments.
The Third Meeting
Members
of the leadership team will conduct this meeting. Follow the "4-H Club
Meeting Agenda" fact sheet to conduct this meeting. During the business
session the 4-H club officers will be elected and installed. Refer to the fact
sheets entitled "Election of Officers" and "Officer Installation
Ceremony." Upcoming 4-H meetings and activities should also be discussed. A
4-H officer training workshop should be held with the newly elected club
officers prior to the next meeting. A date, time and place should be set for
this activity. Refer to the fact sheet entitled "4-H Club Officers"
for information on officer training.
4-H Activities – Show the video "Arkansas 4-H
Activity Tape." This video should be requested at least two weeks in
advance through your county Extension agent. The earlier the video is requested,
the better chance you will have of getting it.
Have the county Extension agent discuss county activities
available to 4-H members, parents and leaders.
Club Workshop – Conduct a workshop to make a club
banner. Have all the materials needed with instructions on how to assemble. This
should be a banner with the club name and the 4-H emblem. It can be displayed
during club meetings.
Depending on the size of the club and age of the members, the
above activity might need to be modified or another activity substituted. The
object is to get all members involved in doing something as a group. You might
consider a simple craft, sewing or cooking activity.
This could also be used as the first meeting of the club project
groups. Each project leader could have a 30-minute activity planned in which the
members of that project group could participate.
Refreshments – Serve refreshments. This is a good
opportunity for 4-H’ers in the foods and nutrition project to get involved in
their project by preparing and serving club refreshments.
Prepared by Treva Sawatski, former 4-H program specialist.
Updated by Beverly Hines, former 4-H and youth development specialist.
| Author: |
Darlene Baker, Ph.D., State Leader - 4-H Youth and
Development |
DR. DARLENE Z. BAKER is state leader - 4-H and youth development, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas, Little Rock.
4HCB2-PD-10-02RV
|
