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4-H Youth Development Home »  4-H Community Clubs

4-H Community Clubs

These Tools will Assist in Strengthening the 4-H Club Meetings

Effective 4-H Club Meetings

Are the 4-H Club meetings meeting the needs of the 4-H members? Here are some ways to make sure your clubs have all the vitality they can have.

  • Adobe Acrobat Document Effective 4-H Clubs Checklist (2 pages, 99 KB)
    Microsoft Word Document Effective 4-H Clubs Checklist (2 pages, 206 KB)
    This tool provides input to club members and leaders as they work to make their 4-H clubs the best. Members and leaders can complete the checklist, discuss the results, and establish plans to improve their 4-H club meetings and events.
  • Word Icon Essential Element Book Mark (2 pages, 300 KB, 2 per page, front and back of the handout) - Front and back of a handout featuring the four essential elements, with brief descriptions of the critical components of each element. The handout is appropriate for a range of audiences, including 4-H volunteers. Consider laminating the handout to encourage participants to keep it as a reference piece.

Lesson Plans to Use In Your Club Meetings

  • Strengthening the 4-H Club Experience: This series of lessons has been developed for youth or adult leaders to teach during a club meeting to help strengthen the 4-H club experience for members and leaders. Each activity plan includes hands-on activities and is approximately 20-30 minutes in length. 4-H club members, leaders and parents are the target audience for all lessons.  Each lesson is designed to be taught by 4-H Youth Development staff, volunteer leaders or youth leaders.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Conducting Business (6 pages, 103 KB) An activity plan to help 4-H clubs learn simple parliamentary procedure and why using this technique will help their club become more effective.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Creating a Welcoming Environment (7 pages, 151 KB) An activity plan to help 4-H clubs evaluate how welcoming their club is to parents, guests, leaders and members. The group will brainstorm ways they can create within their club a more welcoming environment.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Fund Raising for Your Club (8 pages, 103 KB) Most 4-H clubs organize fund raisers -- but why? In this activity plan 4-H clubs will learn how to identify needs for monetary resources in their 4-H club, how to select a fund raiser, how to conduct a fund raiser, and what to do when you are done.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Getting Ready for Speeches and Demonstrations (7 pages, 193 KB) An activity plan to help 4-H clubs learn about the different types of demonstrations and speeches. Also includes information about how to present an effective demonstration and speech.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Handling Club Money (8 pages, 120 KB) An activity plan to help 4-H clubs learn about the importance of accuracy and accountability when handling money . . . particularly your club’s money.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Helping Clubs Communicate (5 pages, 84 KB) An activity plan to help 4-H clubs learn about all types of communication, and why it is vitally important to communicate within a 4-H club and improve current club communication methods.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document How to Have Fun (6 pages, 106 KB) In this activity, participants will learn why socializing is an important part of the 4-H experience and how they can make their club a more social environment.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Leading Club Recreation (4 pages, 84 KB) An activity plan to help 4-H clubs learn why it is important to include recreation in 4-H club meetings and learn a variety of recreational activities that can be easily included in any 4-H meeting.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Making the Most of Your Projects (7 pages, 98 KB) An activity plan to help 4-H club members learn how to select a 4-H project, how a 4-H project progresses through the year, and how they can show others what they learned in their project.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Record Keeping Is Fun (5 pages, 91 KB) In this activity plan, club members learn why 4-H has record books. Youth explore the life skills that they can learn by keeping records and explore ideas on how to improve their current record books.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Recruiting for Your Club (5 pages, 88 KB) Let’s join 4-H! An activity plan to help 4-H clubs brainstorm ideas for increasing membership and learn about tried-and-true methods for finding new members.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Risky Business: How Prepared Are You? (6 pages, 115 KB) In this activity plan, 4-H youth and adult leaders will learn strategies for identifying and managing risks when planning or participating in programs and events.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Risky Business: Plan for Safety First (5 pages, 338 KB) In this activity plan, 4-H Clover buds (grades K-2) will identify safety hazards and learn how to make the areas where they work and play safe.
    • Adobe Acrobat Document Welcoming New Members and Families (5 pages, 88 KB) An activity plan to help 4-H clubs explore what it is like to be a new family and brainstorm what can be done to support new families in their clubs. Includes a sample mentoring program.
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