A Resource for 4-H Club Officers

A Resource for 4-H Club Officers

As a 4-H Club Officer, you not only represent your 4-H club, you also represent the 4-H program in the county, unit and state. Your skills and abilities, standards and ideals, appearance, speech, and smiles represent Illinois 4-H ers. Club officer responsibilities include: Conducting business meetings in a concise progressive order to ensure every member has a voice. Cooperating with your co-officers and fellow club members in order to work together to make your club a vibrant well run club. Ensuring all club members feel welcomed and included in each meeting and club function. Creating club meeting environment so all members feel safe and included. Greeting everyone attending the club meeting. This includes members, family members and program participants. Arriving early for each meeting. Attending officer training sessions. Tips for Being a Good Leader Be a team player Be thoughtful of others Be helpful Be reliable and responsible Be honest Be fair Celebrate success Look for ways to make ideas work Have a positive attitude and speak positively Take responsibilities seriously Don t gossip HAVE FUN!

President As president, you are the presiding officer for your 4-H club. It is your responsibility to plan the agenda and run the 4-H club meeting efficiently following Parliamentary Procedures. You will need to lead by example as your fellow officers and 4-H members will look up to you for direction and advice. Duties of the President Plan the business part of the meeting with other officers and leaders before the meeting. Create an agenda. Check on meeting arrangements and seating of the meeting place. Conduct (preside over) meetings, according to parliamentary procedure, in a courteous, respectful and tactful manner. Call the meeting to order (start) and adjourn (end) the meeting on time. Maintain order; be polite but firm. Keep the meeting moving. Provide opportunities for all members to be heard, and encourage everyone to participate. Remember the meeting is about ALL club members. Appoint committees when directed by the club or leader, and help define the responsibilities of the committee. Seek help from your leader when needed. Greet everyone and make sure everyone feels welcomed and included! Check on the progress of committees. Help plan a program for each month. Make guests feel welcome. Delegate responsibilities so every 4-H member has a job at some point. Work with the other officers to plan, carry out, and evaluate the meetings and programs. Cast the deciding vote in case of a tie vote. You may vote when the vote is by ballot. Appoint a temporary secretary if the secretary is absent. Arrange for someone else (usually the vice president) to preside if you cannot attend. Notify the leader and vice president several days prior to the meeting if you re going to be absent. Greet everyone and make sure everyone feels welcomed and included! Helping Your Group Plan a Meeting Get to know more about each person in the club. Provide a service to the community. Learn something more about the community. Learn more about (good character, a topic in safety, boy/girl relations, nutrition, health, etc.).

Vice President The vice-president is next in rank to the president. As vice president, you will take the place of the president if he/she resigns or is not present at the meeting. One of your most important jobs is acting as chairman of the program committee.. Duties of the Vice-President Know the duties of the president and parliamentary procedure so you can conduct a meeting in the absence of the president. Serve as chairman of the program committee to help plan group meetings and activities. Arrange each program so it is wellbalanced and announce the program at each meeting. Introduce program speaker/participants. Thank all program participants. Check the arrangement of chairs, tables, etc. before the meetings. Work with leaders and other officers on committees and other group activities. Greet everyone and make sure everyone feels welcomed and included! Thanking Those Who Presented the Program Express thanks for one or two of the following: Thought Preparation Useful information Special news to the group A long journey to your meeting Introducing the Program Participants Include the following: Presenter s name A little about his/her background The title or subject matter of the presentation Guidelines for Program Chair Follow these steps for planning a program for your club: 1. Survey members to identify interests and program ideas. 2. Select planning committees. 3. Plan the program and activities based on club goals and members interests. 4. Make a talks and demonstration schedule. 5. Prepare a program schedule (include talks and demonstrations) and distribute to membership. 6. Secure outside resources if needed. 7. Coordinate responsibilities with committee members. 8. Prepare a printed copy of the club program for the members. 9. Evaluate.

Secretary Your job as secretary is important! The notes you take are the official record of your 4-H club. It contains a record of business transactions for each meeting, membership, committees, officers, leaders, and attendance. Use the Secretary s Record Book to keep the minutes and attendance. Make copies of the Secretary s Worksheet for the 4-H club meeting. Using this worksheet will make note-taking easier. A completed Secretary s Record Book is to be turned in to the Extension office at the end of each 4-H year. This book can be downloaded from the Illinois 4-H website at: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/volunteers/support_clubmeeting.cfm Duties of the Secretary Sit near the president. Record all business brought before the club including elected officers and motions. Minutes should be neat, legible, and typed or written in ink. Keep an up-to-date listing of club membership and check attendance at each meeting. Make P is members are present and an A if members are absent. Read the minutes of the last meeting; make corrections if necessary. When called upon by the president, state any unfinished business left from previous meetings. Read correspondence the club receives. Maintain a record of all officers and any committees. Inform the president if you will be absent so an acting secretary can be appointed. Your Secretary Book will be needed at the meeting; so, give it to someone who will take it to the meeting. Give your records to the club leader at the end of the year. Complete the Suggested Constitution and Bylaws for 4-H Clubs form. These are included in the Secretary Record Book. Write all necessary business letters and letters of thanks for the club. Inform absent officers or committee chairs of action that concerns them. In the absence of both the president and vice president, call the meeting to order and preside during the election of a temporary chair who will then run the remainder of the meeting. Sign your name at the end of the minuets. The person who is presiding when the minuets are approved also signs at the end of the minuets. Greet everyone and make sure everyone feels welcomed and included!

Treasurer The financial records help the club work within its budget and, thus, be able to reach club goals. Use the Treasurer s Record Book to keep track of club finances, inventory, and audit information. A completed Treasurer s Record Book is to be turned in to the Extension office at the end of each 4-H year. This book can be downloaded from the Illinois 4-H website at: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/volunteers/support _clubmeeting.cfm Duties of the Treasurer Handle all club financial transaction activities. Keep an accurate record of all money received, its source, and all money paid out. Show who the money was paid to and what it was paid for. Prepare a summary of income, expenses and current balance to present at each meeting Complete the financial summary report in the Treasurer s Record Book at the end of the year Arrange for an audit of the Treasurer s Record Book and all bank records. Give the completed, audited Treasurer s Record Book to my leader. Greet everyone and make sure everyone feels welcomed and included! Recording Transactions 1. Write the check number and date check is written in the appropriate columns. 2. In description of transaction column, write to whom the check was written. 3. In payment/debit column, enter the check amount, subtract that amount from the remaining balance, and then enter the new balance. 4. The T column is used at the end of the month to reconcile transactions with the bank statement. Place a check mark in the box when the amount appears on the bank statement. 5. Fee if any is used column to record cost for cashing a check. 6. For deposits, in Description of Transaction column record where the money came from. Record the deposit amount in the deposit/credit column. Then add the deposit amount to balance and record the new balance. Making Deposits 1. Date the deposit slip. 2. When depositing cash only, fill in the amount of bills and coins and put in the total. 3. When depositing only checks, draw a line through the currency and coin rows. Then list each check amount in the proper space and record the total of all checks. 4. When depositing both cash and checks, list both on the deposit slip. 5. All deposits need to be recorded in the checking account register. 6. Keep a duplicate of the deposit slip. Keep the duplicate with the bank receipt. Guidelines for Writing Checks 1. Use ink. 2. If you make a mistake, start a new check. 3. Date the check when it s written. 4. Enter the name of whom the check is written immediately after pay to the order of. 5. Begin at the extreme left in writing the amount. Be sure the written amount is the same as the numeric amount. If the check is less than one dollar, write only and then the amount. Fill in the rest of the space with a line. 6. Sign the check and have the designated adult co-sign the check.

Reporter As club reporter, you have been elected to a critical position with important responsibilities! You will write and report what the public learns about your 4-H club. As the reporter, you will have an impact on what people in your community think about your club. Duties of the Reporter Take accurate notes at each meeting, and write a news story after each meeting. Tell 4-H news in an accurate and interesting way. Include photographs with some of the articles. Submit news articles to the newspaper. Collect news articles about my club for the permanent record. Greet everyone and make sure everyone feels welcomed and included! Suggestions for a Good News Story The first paragraph is the most important. It sums up the rest of the article and should capture attention. Report 4-H news so others can know about 4-H and its members. Make people the subject of your first sentence; then describe what the people did. The first paragraph tells who, what, when, where, why, and sometimes how. Decide which of these points is important and start the sentence with that point. After the first sentence, tell more about each of the points in the first sentence; who is involved, what will happen, when it will happen, why or how it will happen. A press release can be either in the present tense, about an event in the future, or past tense, about an event that has already happened. Type and double space your story; this makes it easier to read. Use simple language in brief sentences. Include only those details that are necessary to the article. Paragraphs should be short. Use common and concrete words. Don t use jargon that others will not understand. Remember, people reading your article may not be familiar with 4-H. Be accurate. Double check that all names are spelled correctly. Report only recent news. Old items are not new, so they aren t news. At the top of the article, in the upper left corner, write the name of the group, then below that, your name, the 4-H office you hold (reporter), telephone number or e-mail address, and For Immediate Release. Ask yourself, What should my neighbors know about our 4-H club? This is your opportunity to show how your club is contributing to the community.

Historian The role of historian is essential to your club! You are responsible for taking photographs at your club s events and activities. As historian, you will put together a book of photographs and important memorabilia to preserve your club s memories from the year. This book tells the story of your club for the year. Duties of the Historian Collect memorabilia from 4-Hers about events and activities of the club. Take photographs that show the events and activities club members participated in. Work with the club reporter to gather newspaper clippings and stories. In an orderly manner, create the historian book by compiling the memorabilia, photographs and newspaper clippings/stores. Arrange for the display of the historian book at appropriate occasions. At end of the 4-H year, turn historian book into club leader. Greet everyone and make sure everyone feels welcomed and included! Guidelines for Historians The cover of the historian s book should be durable. Pages need to be securely fastened in the book. Items put into the book should be in good condition. Remember, the historian s book tells the story of your club for that year. The historian s book should be accurate and neat. Be Sure Your Book Has: Title page Club name Year Your name Group members, officers, leaders A photocopy of your club charter News clippings/reporter s write-ups Pictures Club goals for the year Ribbons (only if a group award) Special correspondence Anything else your club feels is important to include

Meeting Checklist for Officers Check yourself. How are you doing as an officer? How efficient are your club meetings. Is your club inclusive and meeting the needs of your members? Good Average Needs Improvement Meetings are well planned. An agenda is planned before the meeting. The meetings have variety. Programs are a part of the majority of club meetings. Meetings begin and end on time. Guests are introduced and made to feel comfortable. All members are greeted at the beginning of the meetings. New members are welcomed and included in the meeting. There is opportunity for members to get to know each other. All members are included in discussions. Officers and members show respect and cooperate with each other. Club meetings include business, learning and fellowship. Parliamentary Procedure is followed. Group building is a part of club meetings. Programs are of interest to the majority of club members. Club officers avoid doing all the talking. Club leaders avoid doing all the talking.

Members are given a chance to voice their opinions without being judged. I pledge HEAD HEART HANDS HEALTH my Head to clearer thinking my Heart to greater loyalty my Hands to larger service my Health to better living for my club my community my country and my world. The HEAD represents: 1. Thinking, planning and reasoning. 2. Gaining new and valuable knowledge. 3. Understanding the whys. The HEART represents: 1. Being kind, true and sympathetic for others. 2. Accepting the responsibilities of citizenship. 3. Acquiring the values and attitudes to live by. 4. Learning how to live, work and play cooperatively with others. 5. Developing positive attitudes. The HANDS represent: 1. Learning new skills 2. Improving skills already have. 3. Being useful, helpful and skillful. 4. Respecting work and taking pride in accomplishments for self and others. The HEALTH represents: 1. Practicing healthy living physically, mentally and relationally. 2. Enjoying life. 3. Using leisure time wisely. 4. Protecting the well-being of self and others. Portions of this document were adapted from University of Florida IFAS Extension, Florida 4-H Officers Handbook Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, 4-H Officer Training made easy Facilitator s Guide. University of Illinois U.S. Department of Agriculture Local Extension Councils Cooperating University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. The 4-H Name and Emblem are Protected Under 18 U.S.C. 707. January, 2014