How can I get a 4-H group organized?
Have a meeting with the young people who are interested and the adults who are willing to help. Publicize it through the school or any place young people and their parents can be reached.

What do we do at the first meeting?
Get acquainted and have fun with a group mixer and refreshments. Talk about and demonstrate projects the group might like. Give this part some thought beforehand, and talk with the 4-H agent or an experienced 4-H leader. Also discuss when, where, and how often the group meets.
What about officers?
4-H clubs may have officers and whatever committees they need to run their own business. 4-H has materials available for presidents, vice-presidents, secretaries, treasurers, news reporters, recreation leaders, health and safety chair people and song leaders. The club may have more or fewer, depending on its needs. It is a good idea to wait until the second or third meeting to elect officers so members know each other.

Who names a club?
The members of the club do, with their leader’s guidance.

How often do 4-H clubs meet?
Some clubs meet every week for a month or two and some meet once or twice a month all year long. This depends on the group and what it wants to do. 4-H clubs may organize any time of the year. Sometimes members have to be enrolled in a project by a certain time to be eligible for a specific activity. Check this with your county 4-H agent.

Should 4-H clubs have dues?
This depends on their need for money. There are no state or national 4-H dues. If a club wants money for some activities, it usually charges dues or conducts money-making activities. Dues cannot be used to keep someone from joining 4-H.

Where do 4-H clubs meet?
Any place large enough that is convenient for the members of the group. Some clubs meet in leaders’ or members’ homes or garages. Some meet in a central place such as a school, church, or community room.

How big should a club be?
This depends on the age of members, the places they have to meet, and the leadership available. The ideal club is big enough to have fun together, but small enough for everybody to feel a part of the group. The average club in Delaware is typically 10 to 20 members, with two or three leaders.


4-H Leaders

What is a 4-H leader?
An adult or older youth who works voluntarily with a group of 4-H members.

Are there different kinds of leaders?
Yes. Some teach members how to do things and are called project leaders. These leaders usually have a special interest or skill, such as photography, computers, clothing, or gardening. Others who help a group get organized and run their meetings are called organizational leaders. Activity leaders coordinate a designated activity of the 4-H club, such as Family Night, tours, community service, club exhibits, recreational events, public speaking, and fund raising.

Can the same person be a project and an organizational leader?
Sure, if they have the time and interest. Sometimes big clubs delegate these jobs and have several project leaders to meet all the interests that 4-H members have.

Who are junior leaders?
Anyone 13 years of age or older may be a junior leader. These teens assist organizational, project, and activity leaders in guiding the 4-H club or by leading a club or project group on their own. Junior leaders also give leadership to county 4-H events.

How many leaders should a club have?
That depends on the size of the club, how old the members are, time available by the adults, and how varied member interests are.

Where would I learn how to be a leader?
Your primary resource is the Cooperative Extension office in your county- the office secretary, the Extension 4-H agent and other Extension agents can help you. Your name will be put on a 4-H leader’s mailing list. You will be invited to training meetings, where you will be given the materials you need to organize a 4-H club. Ask for the name of an experienced leader near you with whom you can talk or call on when you have questions. The Delaware 4-H Leader Handbook is an excellent resource of written information to guide the 4-H leader. In addition, county and state 4-H leader training sessions are held throughout the year.


4-H Projects

What are 4-H projects?
4-H projects are learning experiences for 4-H members. Currently, more than 40 projects are available from Cooperative Extension of the University of Delaware and Delaware State University.

What does a 4-H project cost?
It varies. A member enrolled in foods might use supplies found in the typical kitchen to practice the skills he/she is learning at no additional expense. A member who buys and keeps a quarter horse might invest hundreds of dollars. Discuss costs with members as they select projects, and make sure the projects are realistic to individual family situations.

Are 4-H members expected to do their own project work?
Yes, with help and support. 4-H is a learn-by-doing program. Leaders, junior leaders, and parents may tell or demonstrate to members how, but 4-H’ers are expected to learn how to do things themselves.

What is an exhibit?
An exhibit is an object or display designed to help youngsters feel they are capable and have accomplished something. Ideally, exhibits motivate youngsters to learn and to have fun in a 4-H project. An exhibit is not an end in itself, nor does it measure the learning that takes place in the process. A first-place blue ribbon is only one measure of success. Self-recognition and self-satisfaction for having completed a project are also important rewards.

Are projects done individually or as a group?
Both. Some projects including conservation or biking are more fun when done as a group. Others, like sewing a pair of shorts or making cookies, are individual endeavors.


4-H Leaders and Parents Work Together

How can parents support their 4-H’er?
4-H parents make sure that their 4-H’er gets to meetings and has supplies/materials for projects. 4-H parents give support and engender confidence by teaching their child to accept both defeat and success. 4-H parents assist with club projects and activities.

How can parents help 4-H leaders?
Recognize that leaders are unpaid volunteers. Help in any way you can. Attend a 4-H meeting, or offer to hold meetings in your home.

How can leaders get parents to help with 4-H clubs?
Ask them. And ask the youngsters to ask their parents to help. Think positively. People who expect help usually get it. And be specific about the jobs the club needs help with. Offer a choice of jobs, because people have different abilities and levels of availability.


4-H Meetings

What do 4-H clubs do at meeting's?
At club meetings, 4-H’ers usually do four kinds of things: project work, business meetings, recreation or social activities, and special-interest programs.

Do they do all of these things at one meeting?
Sometimes. If there is no business to conduct, members work on projects for awhile and play a game or two. Sometimes the whole meeting is devoted to one thing. For example, everyone brings her/his dog and practices obedience training; the club elects officers and plans the program; members have a roller skating party or tour a local bakery.

Who plans the program for the club?
Members of the club. If the club is small, the whole group may make the plans. If the club is large, ideas come from everyone and a committee puts a program together.

When do clubs meet and how long do meetings last?
This depends on the group. Many clubs meet for an hour or two after school, in the evening, or on Saturdays. The most important thing is to have a regular meeting time, one that members and their families can remember.

For more information on 4-H clubs, contact the Cooperative Extension office near you:

New Castle County....................831-8965
Kent County..............................730-4000
Delaware State University...........857-6434
Sussex County..........................856-7303