The Steps in Starting a 4-H
Club
There are four major steps in starting clubs.
All are vital to the goal of establishing an on-going
club. The steps are not mutually exclusive; two can
occur at the same time or overlap into the next step.
The process of completing these steps takes time. You
must take this into account and allow for the time
necessary to make starting and maintaining clubs a
priority. Recruitment is only one part of the awareness
and interest step in this process.
Needs Assessment
Needs assessment can be formal, informal or both. The
thoroughness of your assessment will vary with the size
of your planned expansion program.
A county assessment of its resources, social
structure and local economics should be done on a
regular basis (i.e., every 3 to 5 years). It is a good
tool to help staff gain an overview of the county
situation.
An extensive assessment may include the following
county information:
- Population, age distribution, family size and
family structure
- Geography
- Community groups
- Income levels
- 4-H statistics from previous year
- Past supporters of 4-H program
- Programs and participants of other youth
organizations
- Facilities available for meetings
- School districts
Much of this information may already be available in
the county office and much of it is useful for all NDSU
Extension county staff members. Additional information
can be obtained from the county superintendent of
schools, other youth organizations and the latest census
data.
To determine the concentrations of existing clubs and
those areas needing attention, indicate the existing
clubs on a large county map. You can also include other
county data on the club map.
If you have a lot of experience in the county, you
can depend somewhat on your personal background in
completing a needs assessment. However, updated
information and outside observations are periodically
necessary to ensure that your perception of county needs
is accurate.
You may wish to involve your county 4-H council or a
special study committee.
Some type of community assessment is essential to
reaffirm the need for a 4-H club in a targeted
community. Keep in mind that a community can be a city
block, a small town or a broad rural area.
Investigate the 4-H leadership potential in the
community. Do 4-H alumni live there? What are the
interests and skills of school teachers? Review past 4-H
enrollment records and talk with past and present 4-H
members and leaders, youth organization leaders and
church leaders.
If you decide to establish a new 4-H club, develop a
plan and time table before you undertake the awareness
and interest step. If there is no need for a 4-H club at
this time, compile and file the information for future
reference.
When specific interest in a 4-H club is evident
before you conduct a needs assessment, the needs
assessment step may not be necessary. When this interest
does exist, you can begin with the awareness and
interest component.
Awareness and Interest
Recruitment of youth, parents and potential leaders
is the first step in increasing awareness and interest.
Select a few volunteers to increase the community
awareness of 4-H. In small communities, you may choose
to complete this task by yourself. If you are
undertaking a major county effort, it is helpful to
establish an awareness team.
The awareness team is a group of individuals
committed to do information meetings. This group can be
very important in heightening the awareness of 4-H and
developing interest in starting clubs. If you use an
awareness team, be sure to provide them with an
orientation, training and support materials.
Develop an awareness strategy based on county and
community needs. Use techniques that work best in the
community--posters, flyers, personal appearances and the
local media. 4-H promotional materials may also be
helpful.
Establish a timeline for the group to use in
conducting the awareness strategy. Keep in direct
contact with all group volunteers and provide the
necessary resources for them to get the job done. Remind
them that personal contact is the most effective means
of generating interest in the 4-H program.
Because the basics of organization through a school
can be adapted to meet most of the other organizational
procedures, it will be helpful for us to look at this
method in depth.
Prior to any contacts with youth or parents, contact
the school administration. Your first contact should be
the superintendent. They should be informed of the
purpose and educational value of a 4-H program. Explain
the ways 4-H functions through adult volunteer leaders,
with training and resources of the NDSU Extension
Service. Seek advice on procedures, contact persons, and
ways to build support.
After visiting with the superintendent, you will want
to contact the principal of the school through which you
are planning to work. The principal will want to know
the same information that you presented to the
superintendent. They will need to know what expectations
you have from the school's administration. It will help
you in gaining approval and endorsement of your efforts
if you ask advice of the principal about how to promote
the program. Ask for permission to use the school as a
communication vehicle.
With the approval and support of the school
administration, you can do an information survey. If no
previous 4-H contacts have been made with youth, use the
survey found below. This will give you a guide to areas
of interest and activities of the potential 4-H members.
Simultaneously, you may wish to contact parents. A
promotional brochure can be attached to a letter to
parents and sent home with each child in your school.
The youth-interest survey might be combined with an
interest survey of parents and should be returned to the
school within two or three days. Those who are
interested will respond immediately. If you wait too
long, the surveys will be lost. Have surveys returned to
the classroom. Provide a self-addressed envelope to the
classroom teacher or plan to personally pick up the
surveys.
Additional promotion within the school may include a
presentation in the classrooms and/or PTA or PTO
meeting. These presentations should be well prepared,
short and lively. A 4-H Ambassador, enthusiastic older
4-H member or adult 4-H volunteer might be an ideal
person for this assignment.
Some counties have had success in distributing 4-H
promotional literature to students during enrollment
days at their schools. Teen leaders can be used to hand
out literature at that time. A 4-H display can also help
promote 4-H.
Decision Making
One of the final questions raised at the information
meeting is "Should we start a new 4-H club in this
community?" The answer to this question should be based
on written and verbal feedback generated during the
meeting. The final decision should rest with the meeting
participants and with the adult volunteers who agree to
take leadership roles. As an Extension staff member, you
should be prepared to answer questions and coordinate
efforts in the desired direction.
Often the information meeting ends with a definite
interest and a tentative commitment of leadership. Plan
to make follow-up contacts before the planning meeting
for the potential club to answer questions and build
leader commitment. Be sure to encourage this
"behind-the-scenes" volunteer work.
If the group does decide to start a club, help them
set dates for a planning session and a club
organizational meeting. If the group is large, it is
possible that more than one club may be started.
If the people who volunteer to act as club leaders
are inexperienced, they should begin working with a
group of about 8 to 12 members. Larger groups are more
difficult to work with.
If the group decides not to start a club, refer any
interested families to other clubs. Whatever the reasons
the group has for not starting a club, be sure to
carefully document them for future reference. Keep this
information with your county assessment data.
Club
Ownership
Meet with the prospective leaders and a few older
members for a planning session to prepare all aspects of
the organizational meeting. Work with the group to help
them understand the elements of effective meetings, and
the type and length of programs to be offered. You also
need to finalize who will work with different age levels
and who will serve as the organizational leader. Other
topics for the organizational meeting include get
acquainted activities, preparations for elections, name
for the club and best meeting times and places. Allow
the leaders the freedom to determine the final agenda
items.
Volunteers for the new club should provide primary
leadership at the organizational meeting. You should
attend the meeting to lend support as needed. Make sure
that the agenda is followed, that the meeting moves
rapidly and that everyone is involved. The group might
brainstorm and choose a name for the club. They should
also determine the time, place and frequency of future
club meetings. Officers may be elected. Leaders should
describe the club study program and the date, time and
place of the next meeting. Arrangements should be made
so that parents are kept informed of club plans and are
invited to attend meetings.
When a group has confirmed its membership, leadership
and basic structure, everyone who will be involved must
complete enrollment forms. Some counties issue a formal
charter to document that the club has the authority to
use the 4-H club name and emblem. All new clubs must
sign an affirmative action statement and have it filed
at the Extension office.
It is important that in subsequent meetings each club
include youth leadership and a group decision-making
process. Adult leaders need to establish a "shadow"
leadership style by helping officers or teen leaders set
agendas and learn the steps of an effective meeting. At
the actual club meeting, the leader should stay in the
background while the officers conduct the meeting.
Setting goals and program planning need input from
the total club. Each club should set up committees to
complete the goals set by the club. Committees are an
excellent way to involve members in the decision-making
process. Nurture the feeling of club ownership among
members, leaders and parents.
The leader's role in planning depends upon the age
and experience of the members.
Younger members, who are still new to the
decision-making process, will need more structure than
older members. Giving several suggestions from which to
choose will be more effective than asking them to
initiate all of their own ideas. Ask parents to help
identify several program ideas from which the 4-H'ers
can choose.
Older club members are able to identify interests and
activities much more readily. They need the opportunity
to practice this skill in determining alternatives. Set
a general framework and let the members make plans
within this framework.
Expect some changes as the year progresses because
planned programs need adjustments to accommodate new
interests and circumstances. Some clubs make plans for a
year; others plan for several meetings, evaluate, and
then plan more.
Plan goals you can attain in a short period of time.
Members (especially younger ones) will gain a quicker
sense of achievement.
As participants become more involved they adopt the
4-H organization as their own. Be prepared to support
and recognize the efforts of the club and then withdraw
as the primary support person.
Strive to make them realize that their club is a part
of a larger 4-H program throughout the county, state and
nation.
Keep in touch with the new club. Develop maintenance
systems to support new and ongoing clubs.
Leader orientation and training should be conducted
on a regular basis. Include topics pertinent to new
leaders. For most new groups, periodic personal contact
with the organizational leader is critical. If a new
club is struggling, you may need to make more frequent
contact.
Club mentors-experienced leaders trained to help
leaders of new 4-H clubs-can help you with the
responsibility of supporting new clubs. With training
and materials, these individuals can be a valuable link
to newly formed clubs. Regular contact by someone acting
on behalf of the 4-H staff in a volunteer role can bring
a great deal of reassurance to new adult leaders.
Investments Pay
Off!
Starting 4-H clubs is a time-and-energy-intensive
process. A club that is founded on the needs and
interests of youths and that has committed adult
leadership and community support has the greatest
potential for providing meaningful experiences over an
extended period of time.
It is important to realize that each club will "look"
different from all others in some way. Differences are
due to different leadership styles, personalities,
community needs, individual needs and available
resources. This diversity and the flexibility is
required to keep 4-H relevant. You have the challenge of
creating and guiding clubs to provide experiences that
will most effectively achieve the 4-H mission.
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