Do 4-H clubs start in fall and run until spring/summer?
A 4-H club can start and stop whenever it likes. It can run year round or be active for only a few months of the year. While fall to spring is the traditional time frame for many 4-H clubs, it is not mandatory. With busy schedules and fun outdoor projects, maybe a summer club is an idea that would work in your community. Some clubs get their project work done in the summer when school is out and do their club programs during the fall and winter. The choice is yours.
Do 4-H members have to wear uniforms?
4-H clubs may choose to have a uniform. Many clubs choose not to have uniforms; others choose a casual uniform like matching t-shirts and still others choose a more traditional formal style of uniform. The bottom line is that the members of the 4-H club have the right to take a vote and determine if they will have uniforms and should they decide to have a uniform what they will look like.
Do all 4-H members live on farms?
In Manitoba, approximately 60% of 4-H members and leaders live on a farm. Of the other 40%, approximately 30% live in rural areas and 10% live in town and urban settings. The 4-H projects reflect this diversity of lifestyle and offer everything from photography to beef to camping projects.
Do 4-H project meetings have to occur weekly?
4-H project meetings should be scheduled to meet the needs of the volunteers and the members. Regular meetings are encouraged as a time management technique. A rule of thumb for effective project meetings is the younger the 4-H member the shorter and more frequent the meeting times. The minimum requirement for any 4-H project is just 12 hours. How much time and how much you wish to learn in a project is very flexible and can be designed to fit a busy 4-H member's schedule. Calculating how much time you will require to complete a project and blocking time for accomplishing those goals through the 4-H year provides an opportunity for development of valuable time management skills.
Do all 4-H clubs have to do fundraising?
The club determines how much money they require to operate and how those monies are raised. Some clubs choose to fundraise; others set membership fees to offset the costs; and still others choose a pay-as-you-go philosophy. Club programming and council contributions are the two main needs for funds. Different levels of 4-H councils ask for contributions to offset their programming costs. For example, Manitoba 4-H Council has a mandatory fee per member. This fee helps to provide liability and accident insurance, youth protection program, member and leader travel and conference programs, 4-H Banner, website, scholarships, support to the 4-H Museum in Roland and the 4-H Endowment Fund Foundation.
Do all 4-H members have to do community service?
Community service is encouraged within the 4-H program. Our pledge states "for better living in our club, our community and our country". Community mindedness is also one of the pillars of character development that the Quality Equation program promotes. However, these decisions are left to each individual club's discretion.
Does every club need a club executive?
The 4-H program encourages the teaching of meeting management to the 4-H members. Electing an executive of 4-H members and running your business through an executive is a proven method of teaching meeting management and getting the business of the club done. However, your club may have a different method they would like to try - that includes participatory decision making and/or group consensus building. A club is not obligated to have the same slate of executive officers. Some examples of officers are president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, scrapbook convenor, historian, news reporter, Banner scanner, etc. Your executive should be set and administered in a fashion that best suits the needs of your club
Does every member have to do a green sheet "My 4-H Record"?
Yes. Every member must do a green sheet (My 4-H Record). The green sheet has been used to reduce and to offer consistent expectations of record keeping for all 4-H members. The 4-H program believes that record keeping is a valuable skill for 4-H members to learn. The green sheet is the minimum record keeping requirement in the completion of every 4-H project. Some projects have additional records that are very specific to that project topic and some members do two projects. We do not believe that record keeping should be a "make work project" - so if you encounter similar record requirements in a project book and on the green sheet - simply fill out one of these records and make a note on the other one where to find the information. You do not have to write it out twice.
Does every member have to do a speech or visual presentation?
Participation in the 4-H Communication program provides 4-H members with valuable life skills. However, there are no communications participation rules set on a provincial or regional level. If you have communications participation rules, they are set and administered by your district 4-H council or your club. If the current communications participation rules are not suitable for your club and/or its members, then you have the right to present your concerns to your district 4-H council and/or your club.
If there is not a 4-H project manual can I do that project?
The choices are limitless for 4-H projects. If a 4-H project manual is not available on your chosen topic, take "Create-A-Project" or one of the "Creative" manuals in a project series (like Creative Sewing, Crafts Basket or Beef It Up). These project manuals are designed to help an individual or group of 4-H members create a project on their topic choice. 4-H members have created projects on astronomy, autobody, home decor, videography . . . The choices are limitless! AND the new project manuals are written for members as young as 10 ... It's not just for senior members.
If you are in the 4-H beef project, you must solo feed a beef animal(s) and halter break it to show?
Being in the 4-H beef project may mean solo feeding a beef animal(s). However, 4-H members may indicate in their record book that they are feeding their animal(s) in a pen of animals and average the feed consumption and costs amongst all animals in the pen. Being in the 4-H beef project may mean halter breaking animals and participating in a traditional beef show. 4-H beef members may also choose to:
- feed to finish their steers and market them on the commercial market when acceptable finish is achieved
- have the animals penned for evaluation or comparison judging
- have a farm tour of the members herd as the achievement program
- use the new Livestock Evaluation System of 4-H beef judging (ask your ag rep about this)
- host a skill-a-thon (outlined in the Quality Equation binder) to showcase members' skills rather than evaluation of animals for achievement
- choose other creative options that the club develops
The 4-H beef programs' goal is to develop skilled young beef producers. Therefore, the 4-H program encourages achievement practices that most closely represent beef industry practices.
Can members can get a school credit for their 4-H participation?
Manitoba Education and Training offers a credit for a S.I.P. (Student Initiated Project). Some 4-H members have accessed a credit through this program. They must meet all the requirements of the S.I.P. – this usually requires additional work beyond the 4-H project. A Community Service S.I.P. has recently been introduced which offers a good fit to 4-H members whom volunteer in the community. Check out S.I.P. options with your school principal. Just being a 4-H member does not get you a school credit – however there are school credit programs that you can access and use some of your 4-H work to cover the requirements.
Can senior 4-H members can shadow a 4-H leader to gain leadership skills?
Senior 4-H members can work as assistants to 4-H project and head leaders in the traditional “junior leader” role. The “Leadership in Action” project offers this opportunity and so much more. Senior 4-H members can expand their leadership skills by: - being a head leader - teaching, planning and/or coordinating a program/project - serving as a volunteer in a community or school organization - serving as a mentor - being an ambassador on a certain topic. The choice is endless and members are not restricted to leadership roles in 4-H. Senior members may get a 4-H “Leadership in Action” project credit for their roles in Student Council, Sunday School, municipal or town councils, volunteer organizations, recreation groups, and so on.
The head leader makes the decisions for the club
The head leader is a volunteer whose role is to help the club manage their program. The 4-H members are the ones that should be making the decisions for the club. 4-H members can determine who votes on issues. Most of the time only 4-H members are allowed to vote. Sometimes members may choose to have parents and/or leaders vote on an issue. Members can then make a motion giving voting privileges to specific people. 4-H members can, also, make motions that determine who has speaking privileges at meetings. Members can, if they choose, vote on who they want to be their head leader. 4-H clubs are to be run by 4-H members and the role of the volunteer leader(s) is to mentor and support members in doing this. It is important that 4-H members take this responsibility seriously
There must be eight members to have a 4-H club.
The recommendation is that you need at least two families to start a 4-H club. If you only have one family, that makes the program a family activity. We request that you have a minimum of two families so that it can be a community-based activity and you must have at least one leader.
You have to own a horse to be in a 4-H horse club.
You do not need to have a horse to be in a 4-H horse club. The first unit is designed for members that may or may not have a horse. Future units do require access to a horse but the member can make arrangements to borrow a horse and/or two members can use the same horse.
You must attend a certain percentage of meetings to achieve
Many people think that the entire 4-H program has meeting attendance rules. This is a myth. There are no meeting attendance rules set on a provincial or regional level. If you have meeting attendance rules, they are set and administered by your district 4-H council or your club. If the current meeting attendance rules are not suitable for your club and/or its members, then you have the right to present your concerns to your district 4-H council and/or your club.
You must have a club business meeting each month
Many clubs do this but they don’t have to. Your club can determine what works best for you. How many meetings do you need to get the business done? If you can do it in 4 meetings rather than 8 – that is how many meetings you should be having. Having your club assess how many meetings are right for them, teaches a valuable management tool
You will not achieve if you cannot attend your club achievement
Of course, 4-H members are encouraged to attend their club achievement. It is your day to celebrate your year’s accomplishments. However, sometimes circumstances arise that makes it extremely difficult or impossible for a member to be in attendance. If this should happen contact your district ag office staff and your head leader to see what kind of compromise can be worked out. These decisions are made on an individual club basis. However, it is the 4-H member’s responsibility to bring the matter up prior to achievement.
Your business meeting must be on a set date
It doesn’t have to be on a set date – like the second Tuesday of the month. Some clubs are changing the dates to accommodate members who are participating in other activities. For example, the largest club in the province has monthly business meetings but it is on a different day of the week each month. i.e. In October, it is on the first Monday. In November, it is on the first Tuesday. In December, it is on the first Wednesday. And so on. It allows those Tuesday figure skaters to only miss one business meeting and still be an active part of their 4-H club rather than having to make a choice between figure skating or 4-H.