Publication Date: February 2005
Updated Online: December 2006

Where can a 4-H club be started in Nova Scotia?

A 4-H Club can be started in any community where there are a group of boys and girls 9-21 years of age who wish to become members, and parents or adults who wish to assist in a leadership capacity.

Who would be contacted if you wanted to start a new 4-H Club?

Contact the Regional 4-H Specialist in the County Agricultural Office in the region in which you live. The 4-H regional offices are located in Truro, Sydney, Pictou, Kentville, Bridgewater, and Lawrencetown. (See back page for office phone numbers)

The 4-H Specialist will discuss the details of the 4-H program with you, determine the extent of interest, local leadership potential, and community needs of the youth, and answer any questions you may have.

A meeting date would then be set when prospective members and their parents and other interested persons in the community could meet with the 4-H Specialist. At this time, the 4-H Specialist would outline the 4-H program, would display project material available, would learn what the interests of the members would be in 4-H, and learn from the adults present how much community support a 4-H club would receive.

What materials would be required by a new 4-H Club?

Registration Forms (1 for each member and leader)
4-H Awareness Booklets (1 for each family)
Project manuals (one for each project)
Project newsletters and record sheets (one for each member and leader for each project - these arrive in January each year).
Secretary & Treasurer Record Books
4-H Parliamentary Procedure Guide

From whom can these materials be obtained?

These materials can be obtained from the 4-H Specialist . Periodic newsletters are also sent to 4-H families from the 4-H Office.

At the initial meetings of a new 4-H club, what decisions should be made?
1. Decide on a name for the club.
2. Decide on what projects the club will offer.
3. Decide on who the leaders of the club will be.
4. Elect club officers as follows:
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Club Reporter
Committees as required
5. Decide on a regular time and place for meetings. General club meetings are usually held once a month.

What projects are available to 4-H members in Nova Scotia?

Your 4-H Specialist can provide you with a “Project Selection Guide” which gives a brief outline of all the projects in 4-H. There are over 40 projects from which to chose. Below are a few of the different options:

Homemaking Projects - Sewing, Foods, Crafts, Cake Decorating, Heritage

Livestock Projects - Dairy, Beef, Light Horse, Sheep, Swine, Goat, Poultry, and Rabbit.

Non-livestock Projects - Woodworking, floriculture, garden, junior leader, first aid, outdoorsman, photography.

What are the requirements for project completion?

The requirements vary with the project. Basically, however, the member is required to participate in the club Achievement Day program with his/her project, to complete a record sheet (including cost, materials, and activities), and to participate actively in club activities throughout the year. The detailed descriptions of the requirements for each project are listed in the project newsletters.

How many members are required to register for each project?

There is no minimum size for a project group, however, a group of at least 3-5 members is recommended.

What do 4-H’ers expect from their club leaders?

“We want a leader we can be proud of.” The club leader should set a good example.

“If the leader doesn’t have the know-how, he/she should either be able to find it or have someone else teach it to us.” The leader needs to know what he is teaching, but doesn’t need to be an expert or be able to call in guest speakers to teach certain topics.

“We want a leader who is patient with us, someone who is willing to idle their motor, when he/she really feels like shifting gears!” Leaders need patience - learning is sometimes slow.

“Someone who is fair with us but knows how to control us.” A leader must be understanding; one who earns respect and co-operation.

“We love a leader who can laugh with us about funny things that we do, or that just happen.” A good sense of humor can replace scolding and harsh words.

“We like leaders who are not “old fogies” but who keep up with the times.

“We like to have a lot to say about what our club is doing and have our leaders accept suggestions from us. A leader should be a person of whom we are not afraid to ask questions, one who is not in so much of a hurry that he gives us the feeling we’re wasting his time.” Leaders need to listen, then help individuals.

“A leader should tell us the things we do right, not just the things we do wrong.” Giving deserved praise encourages learning.

“When he praises us in front of the club he doesn’t compare us to others who aren’t doing so well. He helps us see how we have improved over what we did before and where we still could do better.” A leader should help members “to make their best better.”

“A good leader tries to equalize the load to be carried by members. When we have big jobs like demonstrations, exhibits, or big projects, he/she sees that the work is divided equally and helps us get the materials we need.” Leaders should “even up the load” fairly and effectively.

“We like to be with a leader who is a happy person. They don’t have to be laughing all the time, but we know by the things he/she says and does that he is interested in lots of things, us included. They help us to be happy, too.” Leaders must be motivated persons who are interested in helping kids.

What is the 4-H leaders role?

Clubs have found that it is best if the leadership role is shared, and that it is easier to recruit leaders if their jobs are defined. These are the main leadership roles:

(1) General Leader:
This person is responsible for the general organization and administration of the club. This does not mean that the general leader will do all these jobs himself; it does mean that he is responsible for seeing that they are done. Most clubs have found that the general leaders job is full enough without having to teach a project as well. In more detail the job of the general leader includes:

(a) Organization
- getting the club started at the beginning of the club year.
- seeing that there are sufficient leaders and that they have an opportunity to attend training meetings.
- club registration and the ordering and distributing of project material.
- election of club officers and helping them carry out their jobs.
(b) Administration
- keeping files for the club. This will involve things like the secretary’s books as well as sorting out and filing material which the club receives.
- keeping other leaders informed of club activities when required
- seeing that the member and leader forms are filled in and they are aware of opportunities available to them.
(c) Club meetings / activities
- seeing that program planning is carried out.
- working with committees to carry out the club meetings and activities.
- seeing that the Achievement Day is planned.
(d) Evaluation
- seeing that the club evaluates the progress it has made from time to time.

(2) Project Leaders
The job of the project leader is to teach a project to a group of members. There should be at least one project leader for each project that the club is offering.

(3) Assistant Leaders
Many general club leaders have found that one or more assistant leaders are a great help. An assistant leader may take over some of the jobs listed under the general leader. Project leaders may use an assistant too, particularly for a large project group.

(4) Junior Leaders
Senior members may act as junior leaders and may take the Junior Leadership project. They may assist in any area of club work.

How many 4-H meetings should be held in a Year?

This is at the discretion of the individual club. One meeting a month is suggested. However, this is your 4-H club and It is a decision that your club can make. Since there are different types of clubs, there are many ways in which meetings can be arranged. The most common meeting patterns are:

(1) One regular meeting at which both business and projects are covered. Generally this will suit a club carrying only one project, although extra project meetings may occasionally be necessary.
(2) Two meetings a month: one for business and perhaps some project teaching, and one for projects only. This will be better for clubs with more than one project group since each project can arrange its own meeting place and time for the second meeting.
(3) Large clubs with a number of different projects may find it best to hold all their project meetings separately with each project arranging its own schedule. Since it may be difficult to transact business with a large number of members, much of the business may be carried on by the executive and committees. Meetings of whole club may be held every two months, for example. These meetings will give general direction to the business of the club (such as approving executive decisions and appointing committees). Many clubs also have a social evening as part of the meeting. Project groups may take turns to provide a program of demonstrations and recreation. The important point is to work out an arrangement to suit your club.

What would be the agenda for a typical 4-H club meeting?

Every 4-H meeting should have variety. Nothing kills 4-H spirit like having the business part of the meeting drag on for the entire time available. It is important that a recreation or educational program be included along with the business meeting.

A suggested meeting outline is as follows:

Opening : 4-H pledge and perhaps an activity 5 min.
Business Meeting 15-20 min.
Program - project session or special program / guest speakers 30-45 min.
Recreation 30 min.

What is the function of the County 4-H Leaders Council?

You, as a 4-H leader or senior member, are automatically a member of the County 4-H Leaders Council. The leaders council promotes 4-H club work, and plans and co-ordinates 4-H activities within your county.

All leaders in the club should try to participate in county council meetings and activities on this level.

What are the activities undertaken at the club level?

Club activities could include: public speaking, demonstrations, Achievement Day, parties, dances, fundraising events, sports, tug-o-war, community service projects (such as food bank drives, adopt-a-grandparent, area cleanup, etc.).

What activities are available to 4-H club members at the county, regional, and provincial levels?

County Activities - (varies with each county) include:

Public speaking, demonstrations, dances, woodsman competitions, workshops, tours, skating parties, winter carnivals, fundraising, leadership training, conferences, and exhibition programs.

Regional and Provincial Activities:

Provincial 4-H Weekend, Provincial 4-H Show, Chat-a-Rama and Rendez-Vous (Weekend programs for older 4-H members), public speaking rallies, leader conferences, etc.

How is the 4-H program financed?

Club level - the club is self-supporting. A $3.00 per member membership due must be paid to the County Leaders Council annually. An additional membership fee may be set by the club if desired. Operating expenses and financing for special events must come from club funds. A sponsoring organization may assist a club in special programs.

County Level - The County 4-H Leaders Council undertakes fundraising activities to finance county events and programs.

Provincial Level - The Provincial 4-H Program is financed by the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture. The NS 4-H Council holds one fundraiser per year that also earns money to finance special events and opportunities at the provincial level (provincial weekend, national award trips, etc.)

How Do I Get More Information?

County Contacts

Yarmouth, Digby, Annapolis
4- H Specialist for the Western Region
Lawrencetown, 584-2081

Lunenburg, Queens, Shelburne
4-H Specialist for the South Shore Region
Bridgewater, 543-01616

Hants, Kings
4-H Specialist for the Valley Region
Kentville - 679-6027

Colchester, Cumberland and Halifax East Hants
4-H Specialist for the Central Region
Truro- 893-6586

Pictou, Antigonish, and Guysborough
4-H Specialist for Eastern Region
Pictou - 485-7161

Inverness, Victoria, Cape Breton and Richmond
4-H Specialist for Cape Breton Region
Sydney - 563-2001