New Leaders Tip 3: Planning and Conducting 4-H Club Meetings

Program Contact

Amy Alder, 4-H Program Manager
Phone Number509-962-7565 Email Address • amy.alder@wsu.edu

Adapted from Missouri 4-H’s “Letters to New Leaders” series. They are originally posted at these links: Letter 1 (PDF), Letter 2 (PDF), Letter 3 (PDF), Letter 4 (PDF), Letter 5 (PDF), Letter 6 (PDF).

Engaging Youth as Club Officers and Committee Members

Youth Officers

Club officers are an important part of the 4-H club leadership team. Being an officer gives members an opportunity to develop and practice their leadership skills and responsibilities. Club officers typically include a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, but there are many other positions possible depending on the needs of the club. Officer positions are elected by club membership.

Each club member should have the opportunity to be a club officer or committee chair. Large clubs may have junior and senior officers or set terms for only half the 4-H year.

Committees help clubs run smoothly by planning and supervising club activities. Committee members may be both youth members and adults.

See our page Supporting Youth Officers for more details on how to engage with youth officers in your club. Youth officers themselves may find the information on the page 4-H Club Officers helpful in learning their roles and responsibilities.

Creating a Sense of Belonging in 4-H Clubs

Teaching youth and adults about 4-H traditions is an important part of creating a sense of connection and belonging within the club and the organization at large. Information on the 4-H Pledge, Motto, and Colors, as well as some 4-H history, can be found on our reference page.

4-H clubs often start each meeting by reciting the 4-H Pledge and the Pledge of Allegiance and close the meeting with the motto, said in unison. Tabletop and freestanding (two sizes) flag sets, motto banners, gavels and their sounding block, and a set containing all of these are available through Shop 4-H.

Running the 4-H Meeting

The business portion of a 4-H club meeting should have an agenda in a common structure and be planned and run by youth officers. Adult volunteers and parents attend in a guiding and supporting role, but do not run the meeting.

A typical agenda may include a Call to Order, Pledges, Roll Call, Minutes from Previous Meetings, Treasurer’s Report, Officer and Committee Reports, Old or Unfinished Business, New Business, and Adjournment. For a detailed script for reference on how this could look in a 4-H meeting, see our page Parliamentary Procedure in a 4-H Business Meeting.

See our page on Youth Friendly Parliamentary Procedure on how to teach youth to use this process to run their 4-H meetings.

Setting Club Goals

It is helpful for club officers to set a few primary goals for the 4-H year. These goals are statements of what the members want to achieve as a club and should meet the needs and interests of individual members. Leaders and members should also set their own individual project goals.

Examples of some club goals might be:

• Learning how to make a club space more welcoming to new members
• Exploring new 4-H club structures or meeting planning styles
• Deepening leadership opportunities for youth officers
• Encouraging more participation and a wider variety of types of engagement from club members
• Learning how to reframe or navigate conflict to come to productive or restorative resolutions
• Documenting our reflections on the 4-H year and sharing that with others
• Planning and carrying out a community service project that can be replicated by others and sharing the plan with other groups
• Recruiting and retaining new members

Creating a Program Plan and Club Calendar

To help meet the established club goals, club leaders should work closely with youth officers to plan 4-H events throughout the year. Building the Youth-Adult Partnership is an important part of creating opportunities for youth to develop leadership skills and environments where they can thrive. Youth-led planning helps ensure youth are invested in the club and want to take part in activities. When youth have ownership of their clubs, they are more likely to meet club goals.

Keeping a club calendar is one tool youth can use to keep track of opportunities and lessen confusion about what is happening when. If calendars are kept up-to-date, whether printed or virtual, families are more likely to be able to plan around 4-H activities.

All members should have a say in choosing specific activities or helping to plan activities that align with their interests. Suggestions for activities could include educational presentations, project work time, preparation for contests and fairs, community outreach, and a variety of social opportunities with 4-H families or other clubs. To deepen understanding and inspire youth in their project areas, consider including field trips, tours, or museum visits to sites that are related to 4-H members’ interests.