Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet

2018-2019 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet

Officer Candidate Application Checklist: Requirements of candidates per the Bylaws of the Constitution of the Florida 4-H Council ARTICLE II Section 1. Nominees to fill the State Council offices shall be required to meet the following minimum requirements: a. Shall have been an active 4-H member for at least three years, including the current 4-H year. b. Shall be an officially seated voting delegate to the Council. c. Shall have approval from parent or legal guardian. d. Shall have approval from county 4-H agent. e. Shall have served and fulfilled all obligations as a member for at least one term (one 4-H year) on the State Executive Board and attended the required minimum of two State Executive Board Weekends. f. A maximum of two persons per county shall be eligible to run for a state council office. Have read and understand the officers job duties and responsibilities outlined in the State 4-H Council Constitution and Bylaws (online) http://florida4h.org/youth_/council/ Have read and understand the Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet in its entirety. Have attended the Officer Candidate Orientation webinar on either May 2, 2018 at 6:00 pm EST May 3, 2018 at 8:00 pm EST May 4, 2018 at 3:00 pm EST (a parent/guardian is required to sit in on one of these calls) Have created a 1-2 page 4-H Resume. The resume should include an objective, education summary, awards and honors received, and an experience section. The section on experience should show, job experience (if the candidate has job experience), officer experience, leadership experience, and skills and accomplishments gained through the 4-H program. Have answered the following three essay questions (200 words each). Why are you running for state office? Tell us about the most successful event, program, or workshop/class you ever led. What contributed to your success? What did your planning process look like? What challenges did you face? Tell us about a time you had to deal with conflict. What was the conflict? How did you resolve the issue? Have met with your agent to discuss why you are running, what has prepared you to be a State Council Officer, what your campaign platform will be, and how being a State Council Officer will affect your 4-H participation at the county level Have 4-H Agent Approval 2 P a g e

All applications must be submitted online by June 1, 2018. This includes your agent recommendation and non-agent recommendation. No late applications will be accepted. Please submit application via the Qualtrics Link (to be emailed separately) Questions can be sent to Grace Carter Leadership/Citizenship Coordinator 2142 Shealy Drive PO Box 1110225 Gainesville, FL 32611 grace.carter@ufl.edu A complete State Council Officer Application must contain the following: Essays Resume Head Shot Agent Recommendation Form Non 4-H Agent Adult Recommendation Form Introduction to State 4-H Officers State Council Officers consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, Parliamentarian, Sergeant-At-Arms, and Historian. The first five are elected by State Council voting delegates at their annual meeting during Florida 4-H University, and the last three are appointed by the Incoming State Council President with input from the other incoming officers. Interviews occur immediately following elections. The applicants are personally informed of the final decision after the interview process is complete, and the three appointed officers are officially announced Tuesday night at 4-H University. Introduction to State 4-H Council The Florida 4-H Council is composed of two voting delegates from each county that has paid its council dues. The annual meeting of the 4-H Council is held at Florida 4-H University; this is generally the only meeting during the 4-H year. During this meeting, the business of the Council is conducted and new officers are elected. The State 4-H Council Officers then represent the voice of youth on various statewide advisory boards, committees, and planning teams throughout the year. Introduction to Executive Board The Executive Board of the State 4-H Council is the working group of youth leaders representing the District Councils (4 senior 4-H member per district). The Executive Board is composed of eight State 4-H Officers, District Representatives, and up to thirty Executive Board Appointees. They meet three (3) times a year (October, January, and March). The Executive Board consists of eight different committees. The events committees are: Constitution and 4-H Day at the Capitol, Intermediate State, Florida 4-H Legislature, and Florida 4-H University. The standing committees are: Communication and Council Support, Entertainment, State Service Project, and Ways and Means. 3 P a g e

Duties of Officers per The Bylaws of the Constitution of the Florida 4-H Council Section 2. Duties of Officers. a. The President shall preside over all meetings of the Council; appoint all standing, advisory, and special committee chairpersons and members; make special appointments as provided in the Constitution and Bylaws, serve as an ex-officio member of all committees; and perform other duties as provided by this Constitution. The President or someone he or she appoints shall be an ex-officio member of the Florida 4-H Foundation. The President shall be responsible for the writing and presenting of the Council s annual report to the Council s advisor. b. The Vice-President shall serve in the absence of the President, and shall perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and as required by the work of the Council. c. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings and compile them at the end of his or her term as well as preserve the minutes of the previous year, call the roll, record all activities of the Council, attend to the correspondence of the Council, and perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and as required by the work of the Council. d. The Treasurer shall care for the monetary matters of the council. He or she will prepare and submit semi-annually, an itemized statement of disbursements and receipts from the account of Florida 4-H Council General to the state council president and state council advisor. He or she shall also perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and as required by the work of the Council. e. The Reporter shall be responsible for the publication and distribution of the Council Newsletter at least quarterly on all Council Meetings and activities as shall be established, sending a copy to each County Reporter through appropriate means. He or she shall also perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and as by the work of the Council. f. The Sergeant at Arms shall be responsible for the opening exercises at all meetings and shall also care for the 4-H effects of the Council and shall properly arrange for their display. He or she shall perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and the work of the Council. g. The Historian shall keep a scrapbook record of all State 4-H events and of all Council meetings and activities. He or she shall be responsible for submission of the year s scrapbook to the State Headquarters by the first day of 4-H University at the end of the officer s term. He or she shall perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and the work of the Council. h. The Parliamentarian shall advise the President on Parliamentary Procedure and shall perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and the work of the Council. 4 P a g e

General Responsibilities of the State 4-H Officers 1.) Being a Florida State 4-H Officer is a great honor. With this honor comes a very serious responsibility. State Officers are representatives of the Florida 4-H Program, and thus have a duty to be actively involved in all facets of the Florida 4-H Program, particularly the Florida 4-H Executive Board and Florida State 4-H Council. 2.) Actively involved consists of, but is not limited to, their local 4-H club, county, and district programs. This includes attending meetings on a regular basis. 3.) As an Executive Board member, officers are required to attend the three weekend sessions over the course of the 4-H year. These meetings are held in October, January, and March. Dates are listed on page 6. 4.) Officers are also required to attend 4-H Day at the State Fair, Leadership Adventure Weekend, 4-H Day at the Capital, Legislature, Intermediate State, and 4-H University. The events, dates and locations are listed on page 6. 5.) Officers could be asked to participate in county and district council meetings, events (outside of their own county and district,), county fairs, 4-H state committees, and University of Florida events. 6.) Florida State 4-H Officers need to keep their county agent, the council advisors, and current state council president informed of all your activities in and outside 4-H. 7.) Florida State 4-H Officers assist with the planning and implementation of Executive Board Weekends. Executive Board is only one of the many aspects of the responsibilities as an officer. Officers will be asked to chair one of the eight Executive Board Committees and serve on another. 8.) In the role of a Florida 4-H State Officer, officers may be called upon to speak on behalf of the Florida 4-H program before a variety of audiences including local, district, state, and out-of-state-events. Officers are the voice of 4-H ers across the state. 9.) Those elected as a State Officer are expected to work in partnership with their agent and/or other adult volunteers, who may be able to participate in Executive Board meetings and attend other functions with them. Agents and volunteers can also assist the officer with preparing talks, workshops, media contacts, letters, and many other tasks that officers are asked to do. 10.) An officer who cannot attend an event or meeting is responsible for notifying the 4-H President and the State 4-H Officer Advisor as soon as they are aware. 11.) It is mandatory for elected and appointed officers to participate in officer training. Officer training will be held August 4 th -9 th, 2016 at 4-H Camp Cherry Lake. There is no cost to officers, except some snacks/drinks and paraphernalia purchased at off campus activities. Two additional mandatory training weekends are held in December and April. 12.) In order to ensure continuity from one year to the next, each Florida State 4-H Officer will maintain a State Officer Notebook. This notebook will contain various materials received during the 4-H year, minutes of meetings attended, and other suggestions and ideas learned from their experience as a State Officer. This notebook will be passed along to the State Officer s successor during the Officer Training week. 13.) All State Officers will abide by the Florida 4-H Code of Conduct and Florida State 4-H Council Executive Board Code of Conduct. 5 P a g e

14.) Florida State 4-H Officers are each assigned to counties outside their own. They will have a responsibility to the counties to enhance the public understanding and image of 4-H through effective communication of programs and activities. Specific responsibilities include: a.) Provide a communication link between the Florida 4-H State program and the county staff, faculty, and 4-H members. b.) Be present at district and county meetings and events (when needed). c.) Make presentations to 4-H and non-4-h groups in their assigned counties d.) Promote 4-H in their assigned counties Calendar of Mandatory Events 2018 August 4 th -9 th Florida State 4-H Officer Training, 4-H Camp Cherry Lake, Madison October 26 th -28 th First Executive Board, 4-H Camp Cherry Lake, Madison November/December 30 th -2 nd Leadership Adventure Weekend, 4-H Camp Cloverleaf, Lake Placid December 2 nd -3 rd Officer Retreat at 4-H Camp Cloverleaf, Lake Placid 2019 January 11 th -13 th Second Executive Board, 4-H Camp Cloverleaf, Lake Placid February 6 th -7th State Fair, Opening Day March 1 st -3 rd Third Executive Board, 4-H Camp Cherry Lake, Madison March 3 rd -4 th Officer Retreat, 4-H Camp Cherry Lake, Madison March/April TBD 4-H Day at the Capitol, Tallahassee June 7 th -8 th Intermediate State, 4-H Camp Cherry Lake, Madison July TBD Florida 4-H University, Gainesville Florida 4-H has the right to add/change events when needed. 6 P a g e

Estimated Financial Expenses All registration and payments for events must go through the officer s respective county agent. At this time, we have funds to pay registration for First, Second, and Third Executive Board Weekends, Leadership Adventure Weekend, 4-H Day at the Capitol, and Intermediate State. Check with your county agent to see if scholarships for other events are available and what the officer needs to do to obtain such scholarships. Travel to and from the event is the responsibility of the officer and/or parents. Uniform Requirements The following will be provided by the Florida 4-H Foundation: Official Florida 4-H Green Blazer 4-H Tie Kelly Green Short Sleeve Polo Shirt Name Tag Officer Official Dress Black and khaki dress pants or skirt Skirt is to be knee length, if it has a slit, it can be no longer than 2 inches White collared dress shirt Black dress shoes or black dress heals with a closed heal (No more than 2 tall) and toe (No boots, sandals, open-toed shoes, or tennis shoes.) Black and brown leather belts Black socks or skin toned hose Official Florida 4-H Green Blazer Kelly Green Short Sleeve Polo Shirt Name Tag 4-H tie Election Process per the Constitution of the Florida 4-H Council Article IV Meetings, Quorums, and Suffrage Section 3. Two-thirds of the officially seated delegates or alternates shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Council provided that at least one-half of the counties with organized 4-H programs are represented. Section 4. Each county shall be represented by two officially seated voting delegates who may vote on each proceeding of the Council. In a voting delegate s absence, his/her county s alternate will assume the voting privileges. Section 5. State council advisor(s) shall serve in an advisory capacity only at meetings of the State Council. State council advisor(s) shall not have voting privileges at any assemblies of the State Council and/or its officers. 7 P a g e

Article V Section 1. Section 2. Section 3. Section 4. Officers: Procedure of Selections Officer Positions. a. The elected officers of the Council shall be: a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Reporter. b. The appointed officers of the Council shall be: a Sergeant-at-Arms, Historian, and Parliamentarian. Elected Officers. a. The election of officers shall be by secret ballot vote of each delegate in the Council assembled. b. To be elected to an office, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast. c. The elected officers shall continue to fulfill those duties, statewide in nature, as directed in this Constitution, for one year or until such time as their successors are designated. d. If the office of the President is permanently vacated, the Vice-President shall become the President. e. If any elected office other than the Presidency is vacated, a committee composed of the remaining elected officers and the state council advisor(s), with the President serving as Chairperson, shall be given the option to appoint a State Executive Board Member to fill the vacated position. f. Candidates may run for only one elected office. Appointed Officers. a. The appointment of officers shall be by a committee composed of the elected officers and the state council advisor(s), with the President serving as Chairperson. b. The Appointed Officers shall continue to fulfill those duties, statewide in nature, as directed under this Constitution, for one year or until such time as their successors are designated by the President. c. There shall be no unreasonable delay in the naming of appointed Officers. d. If any appointed office is vacated, a committee composed of the remaining officers with the President serving as Chairperson, shall have the option to appoint a State Executive Board Member to fill that vacated position. The executive officers shall be the elected and the appointed officers of the Council. 8 P a g e

Nominations from the floor To be an eligible candidate, you must have submitted the officer candidate application by June 1 st, 2018. Additionally, each candidate will need to be nominated from the floor at the first State Council meeting on Monday of 4-H University. Nominations from the floor are taken for all elected offices before any elections can take place. Each candidate will need to have another voting delegate nominate them for the office they are running for. For Example: President: Nominations are now in order for the office of Secretary. Are there nominations for Secretary? Voting Delegate: John Doe from Osceola County, I would like to nominate Clare Clover for The office of Secretary. President: Clare Clover do you accept this nomination? Clare Clover: I do. Speeches Candidates will deliver a campaign speech during 4-H University, in which they will emphasize how they plan to have a positive impact on the Florida 4-H program and its members. Candidates running for President will have three minutes; all other offices will have two minutes. Campaign Guidelines Each candidate may spend no more than $125 for his/her total campaign effort, including donated (in-kind) materials. If, in addition to the candidate s monetary expenditures, campaign materials are donated to the candidate, the candidate must be able to document the value of the donated material (for example, a receipt or bill signed by the donor giving the approximate dollar value of the donation). A record of the monetary and in-kind contributions must be submitted on Monday of 4-H University to be reviewed by the Treasurer and State Council Advisor. The TOTAL must NOT exceed $125. 9 P a g e

Hanging Campaign Material Rules 1. Candidates are not allowed to hang any banners or posters on handrails, doors, painted walls, and most windows. a. Brick surfaces may be used for posting signs. b. In Hume, candidates may use the bulletin boards, the windows in the 1 st floor elevator lobby and the block windows in the stairwell. 2. Candidates may only use blue painters tape to hang items in the residence halls. http://www.scotchblue.com/wps/portal/3m/en_us/scotch-bluebrand/scotch- Blue/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=SE_BlueTape_exact_Painters-Tape 3. No signs are to be hung anywhere on campus except for the residence area. 4. Candidates must take hanging items down immediately after elections. 5. Yard signs are allowed outside of Hume Hall. It is extremely important that you ONLY use painters tape to hang items and you take these items down after they are no longer of use. Standard tape and other methods of hanging can damage the paint and finishes in the residence halls. Sometimes the prolonged use of painters tape can have the same effect, especially if under the sometimes extreme Florida summertime sun. Any damage or required excessive cleaning reported by the university housing staff in this regard will be added to the final bill for our event and may result in the staff no longer allowing us post campaign signs in the future. In the case of a violation of campaign rules by the candidate or their campaign assistants, a candidate may be disqualified. The officer candidate is responsible for informing campaign assistants of the rules. Campaigns are only to be conducted by 4-H members (youth). It is inappropriate for parents, volunteers, and agents to be campaigning. There will be one warning issued to adults violating this policy. In the event of a second warning, the candidate will be disqualified. If you have any questions please feel free to call or e-mail the State Council Advisor at grace.carter@ufl.edu. Items not allowed for campaign: 1. Food or confections 2. Stickers 3. T-shirts 10 P a g e

What Happens at Florida 4-H University? TENTATIVE BE SURE TO CHECK THE SCHEDULE WHEN YOU CHECK IN Monday, July 30 th, 2018 10:00am-1:00pm Registration (You must wait for your county agent to check you in to receive your keys) 4:30pm-5:30pm Officer Candidate Meeting (Turn in your receipts) 6:45pm-8:45pm State Council Meeting Business Meeting Nominations Campaign Speeches (3 minutes for presidential candidates and 2 minutes for all other officer candidates) Town Hall Meeting (Q&A from Participants) Tuesday, July 31st, 2018 2:00pm-3:30pm State Council Meeting Impromptu Speech by Candidates Officer Elections During the Impromptu Speeches. The outgoing State 4-H Officer will ask a question. Each candidate seeking that office will respond to the question. All candidates, except for presidential candidates, will have two (2) minutes to answer the question. The presidential candidates will have three (3) minutes to answer the question. 3:30pm-5:00pm Interviews for Appointed Officers Wednesday, August 1 st, 2018 8:00am-9:30am Prep for Foundation Board Meeting and Banquet 10:00am-11:00am Attend the Florida 4-H Foundation Meeting 2:30pm-5:00pm Instillation Practice 5:30pm-7:00pm Attend VIP/Alumni Dinner 7:00pm-9:00 pm Awards Banquet Feel free to contact Grace Carter, State 4-H Youth Leadership/Citizenship Coordinator at grace.carter@ufl.edu or any of the 2017-18 Florida State 4-H Council Officers with any campaigning or application questions. GOOD LUCK! 11 P a g e