Club Resources

A 4-H Club is an organized group of at least five youth from three different families, who meet regularly with adult volunteers or 4-H staff for a long-term, progressive series of educational experiences. The purpose of a 4-H club is to provide positive youth development and foster educational opportunities to meet the needs of young people.

Club membership is open to all youth between the ages of 5 and 18, as of December 31 of the prior year. To be a part of a club, members are required to officially enroll in 4-H. 4-H clubs conduct regular meetings at various location.  Members participate in service learning projects, give presentations, serve as club officers, and complete educational projects.

CURRENT RICHARDSON COUNTY 4-H CLUBS

PURPOSE OF A 4-H CLUB

The purpose of a 4-H Club is to provide positive youth development opportunities to meet the needs of young people to experience belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity - the Essential Elements - and to foster educational opportunities tied to the Land Grant University knowledge base.

STRUCTURE OF A 4-H CLUB

• Enroll at least five youth members from at least three families.
• Is advised by adult 4-H staff or volunteers who have been screened and trained in accordance with the Nebraska 4-H Policy and Procedure Handbook.
• Conduct a minimum of six regular club meetings (virtual or face-to-face) per year, with many holding 9-12 regular meetings throughout most or all of the year, and often supplemented by project meetings, camps, fairs, and other 4-H learning activities.
• Selects youth officers or youth leaders to provide leadership to the club.
• Meets in any location - a home, community center, military installation, library, public hosing site, school, afterschool program, and/or other places.
• Helps youth and parents/guardians adapt in cases of mobility - linking them to 4-H programs in other counties and states.
• Meets interests and needs of youth in same-age or cross-age groupings and using single project or multiple project formats.

4-H CLUB QUALITY STANDARDS

• Club meetings are held at least six times a year.
• Club officers are elected.
• 75% of club members complete a 4-H project each year.
• New leaders attend new leader orientation.
• Club planning is done by club members and meetings are run by club officers.
• Sequential and varied learning experience matching all skill levels of club members is provided.
• Each member of the club does an in-club demonstration or presentation every year.
• Club financial audits must be submitted to the Extension Office at the end of each year.
• Yearly service learning projects/community service projects are completed.

CLUB OF EXCELLENCE CRITERIA

To receive the designation as a Nebraska 4-H Club of Excellence, clubs must:

• Have at least five members from at least three different families.
• Recite the 4-H Pledge at meetings.
• Meet at least six times per year.
• Choose/elect youth officers.
• Have youth serve in leadership roles.
• Have one club project, related to curriculum, which they do together.
• Have adult role model involvement.
• Be facilitated by organizational and project leaders who have successfully completed the volunteer screening.
• Have members who perform a presentation or public speaking at the club level or above.
• Complete one community service project.
• Have members who participate in county, district, or state events.
• Celebrate member and club achievements.

If the club meets all the requirements, they will get a certificate and a seal the first year and an additional seal in subsequent qualifying years.

4-H CLUB BEST PRACTICES

• Use experiential learning - learning by doing - as a primary teaching approach.
• Shows evidence of fostering the Essential Elements of 4-H Youth Development.
• Includes planned opportunities to learn and apply life skills such as leadership, citizenship, community service and public speaking.
• Provides experiences to develop in-depth knowledge about science, engineering and technology; leadership and citizenship; healthy living; agriculture literacy; and college and career readiness.
• Provides programs, curricula, and procedures that are based in research and are developmentally appropriate.
• Provides participants and volunteers access to resources of land-grant universities and to county, state, and national 4-H opportunities.
• Fosters youth-adult partnerships that encourage active involvement and participation by youth and adults.
• Provides safe and healthy physical and emotional environments.
• Offers projects in a wide range of subject matter areas relevant to the Land Grant University knowledge base to meet youth needs and interests.

CLUB & OFFICER RESOURCES

• About 4-H
• 4-H Club Meeting Agenda
• 4-H Club Meeting Kit
• 4-H Club Officers & Duties
• 4-H Club Officer's Guide
• 4-H Club Reporter's Handbook
• 4-H Club Secretary's Record
• 4-H Club Treasurer's Handbook

CLUB LEADER RESOURCES

• Starting a New Club
• Club Leadership Change Checklist
• Club IRS Tax Exemption Information
• Club Leader Training
• Nebraska 4-H Project Listing
• 4-H Curriculum