Activities, Contests and Events

The FUN starts here!

Joining a community or project club is how most 4-Hers begin their 4-H experience. While the local club can meet most of the needs of younger members, involvement in 4-H activities at a broader level is usually important to keeping older members interested. One or more 4-H activities, contests or events are available most months at the 4-H Unit, regional or state levels. The whole 4-H family is welcome to attend nearly all 4-H events. Most 4-H activities require advanced registration. There are fees to participate in some 4-H activities, but most are free.

Please remind members of upcoming events during the business portion of club meetings. Encourage participation but also help 4-H families understand 4-H activities are optional. Faithfully attending club meetings is the only activity expected of all 4-Hers.

New volunteers are encouraged to focus most of their time and energy on their club while more experienced volunteers are asked to help plan and conduct one or more 4-H Unit activities each year. The monthly newsletter and 4-H web sites are great sources of 4-H event information.

Here's a small sample of activities 4-H commonly offers:

Resident and Day Camps - Camping is one of the greatest experiences 4-H provides. Hikers A variety of resident (overnight) camps are available as are day camps. Most camps are conducted for specific age groups and in some cases special interests. The guidelines of the American Camping Association are used for all Maryland 4-H camping programs. 4-H camps are well planned and inexpensive, since most of the staff are volunteers. Scholarships based on need are often available.

Workshops and Field trips - A wide variety of workshops and field trips are offered throughout the year. Some of the activities are seasonal while others focus on project areas. Most workshops have a limited number of openings with registration by phone or mail-in form. Since workshops often fill quickly, 4-Hers should be encouraged to register early. Most of these events are very inexpensive and often free. The 4-H newsletter is a good source of information or call your local 4-H Office.

Contests - When competitive events are held, there are usually three age groups - Junior/ages 8-10, Intermediate/ages 11-13 and Senior/ages 14-18. Ages are as of January 1st of the current year. In some cases winners of local contests advance to regional or state contests. Public Speaking is a good example of a 4-H contest. Usually held in the winter, this contest has three categories (Prepared Speech, Extemporaneous Speech and Radio Spot) and three age divisions within each category. Each speaker is judged and awarded a ribbon. When ribbons are awarded the following color code is used: blue is excellent, red is very good and white is good. In many cases, those who are judged best in their category and age group advance to the regional contest with regional winners advancing to the state contest.

Fairs - Local, county and state fairs provide 4-Hers the opportunity to exhibit their skills and handiwork. As a rule, 4-H exhibits are the end result of project work. Typically, members of the 4-H Unit hosting the fair enter exhibits in the 4-H department with 4-Hers from other 4-H Units exhibiting in the open youth department. Achievement ribbons are usually awarded along with small cash premiums. The rules and requirements of fairs vary. It is important to know the fair rules and to follow them exactly.
Most fairs publish a premium book (sometimes online) that is available several weeks to several months prior to the fair. CD ROM

Most events require a Health Form (MEP 323) for each youth and adult. This form provides a brief medical history and authorizes medical personnel to perform routine health care. A health form is required of 4-H members and volunteers engaged in action-oriented 4-H events such as camp and fieldtrips. Health forms are not usually required for club meetings or routine county events when the risk of injury is low. Health forms travel with the 4-Hers and volunteers during the event and are kept on file at the 4-H Office following the event. Health forms are considered valid for a period of up to six weeks. Copies of this form are available from the 4-H Office, on the CD-ROM and to download from the Maryland 4-H web site.

Every member participating in a 4-H activity should have a signed Behavioral Expectations form on file in the 4-H Unit office. It's a good idea to periodically review with members the expectations Maryland 4-H has for their appropriate behavior and the related consequences.

Volunteer Quick Reference

Learning Check

One of the best ways to keep older 4-Hers active is to engage them in a variety of 4-H activities. Camping is one of the greatest experiences 4-H provides. Not every 4-Her will be a camper, but those that enjoy this activity tend to stay in 4-H longer. Serving as a member of a camp staff develops leadership skills and helps the older 4-Her learn to work well with younger members. Encouraging your older members to participate in a variety of county, regional and state 4-H activities will likely keep them as active members of your club. If you have older members in your club, what 4-H activities do they seem to like best?

County and State Fairs are also very popular 4-H activities. As a rule, 4-H exhibits at fairs are the end result of project work. To enter an exhibit in the Maryland State Fair, the 4-Her must have been enrolled in a related project. Many county fairs also follow this rule. In most cases, a 4-Her will enter exhibits in their local fair in the 4-H Department, but in the Junior Department in other fairs sponsored by other counties or states. Fair rules vary greatly. It is important for 4-Hers to know the fair rules and to follow them exactly. What have you done to increase the number of exhibits by your members?

Most events require a health form for every youth and adult participating. The health form provides basic medical information about the young person, the family's insurance provider and telephone numbers of contacts and gives medical personnel the authority to provide routine medical care in the event of an accident or sudden illness. Health forms travel with the 4-Her to the activity and are considered current for up to six weeks. When should you require a health form for a club activity?

Online Learning Community

Engaging older members in activities and events will keep them interested and active in 4-H. Share your thoughts about 4-H activities with other volunteers by clicking Online Learning Community to post a message. Respond to one of the above questions/comments or create your own. You must post a message to complete this lesson.

Password: 4-H Vol

Congratulations!

You have almost completed Quick Start (assuming you have also completed the other nine lessons in this unit). The only task left is the post-test. Please click Post-Test and complete the 30 multiple choice questions. Thanks!

Successful Meetings is the second unit in the online training series.

For more information, contact Lisa Dennis

Last updated: 06/14/2009