Finding Information and Resources

Everything you ever wanted to know about being a 4-H volunteer is readily available. The following information will help you learn where to look and whom to ask.

4-H Office - Many of the resources you will need for your club are available free from your local 4-H Office. Smaller items can be mailed but larger, heavier items will usually need to be picked up. These resources include all forms, a wide variety of training materials and guides for members and volunteers, ideas for fund raising and service-learning projects and most other items clubs commonly need. A project manual library is also available. The 4-H Office is a great place to start when you need something. If they don't have it, someone can usually tell you where to find it. Please call or visit whenever you have a question or need help.

Newsletter - Most 4-H Units publish a 4-H newsletter monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly. The 4-H newsletter is one of your best sources of local 4-H information. In it you will find news about upcoming events, training meetings, special activities, club news and more. All 4-H families usually receive the newsletter. Please encourage your members to read their 4-H newsletter. It's also a good idea to cover newsletter highlights as part of your club's business meeting. The newsletter will usually arrive early in the month. Many 4-H Units provide an online newsletter. Maryland 4-H and National 4-H Council also provide online newsletters.

On the Web - There is a wealth of 4-H information on the World Wide Web. Good places to start include the Maryland 4-H page, National 4-H Headquarters and National 4-H Council. You'll find links for all three sites in the column on the left. All states and many counties/cities have 4-H web sites that provide very useful 4-H information.

Source Book - This free annual catalog contains most of the 4-H items you are likely to need. As a 4-H volunteer, you will automatically receive a source book directly from National 4-H Supply, a unit of National 4-H Council. Additional copies are available at the 4-H Office. You can also view the catalog online by visiting www.4hmall.org . Credit card orders can be placed online or by telephone.

Parents - Don't overlook parents as resources. 4-H is not intended to be a babysitting service. Every 4-H parent must be willing to help, as they are able. IMPORTANT: adults who are not MCE Volunteers must not work directly with young people unless an MCE Volunteer is providing direct supervision.

Tips for recruiting parents:
1. Decide what help is needed and the best person to provide it. The more specific you are about the task and time commitment, the more successful you will be in recruiting helpers.

2. Ask in person. If that's not possible, ask them on the telephone. Just asking for volunteers or sending messages home with 4-Hers is rarely successful.

3. Once a parent has agreed to help, tell them exactly what you want them to do and then let them do it. A friendly reminder or advice is OK at first, but no one likes someone looking over his or her shoulder for very long. They may not do the job the way you would have, but there's rarely just one way of doing something.

4. Remember, while it may seem easier to just do the job yourself, if you always do everything others will be happy to let you do it. Then, when you are no longer able or willing to do everything, no one will be available to help or know how to do anything and the club will likely fail.

If everyone does a little, no one has to do it all!
Volunteer Quick Reference

Learning Check

When looking for 4-H resources, a good place to start is the local 4-H Office and the Internet. Usually, the 4-H Educator, Program Assistant or Administrative Assistant can answer your question or at least point you in the right direction. After hours, your best source of information is probably the Internet. A good place to start is your local 4-H unit web page or the Maryland 4-H web page. The new 4-H USA web portal makes finding all things 4-H easier than ever. What source of 4-H information has been the most helpful to you?

National 4-H Supply, a division of National 4-H Council, publishes a free annual Source Book that contains nearly every 4-H item you will need. Use the Source Book as you would any catalog. Orders can be placed online or by phone with a credit card. Encourage 4-H parents to purchase birthday and holiday presents from the Source Book. Have you purchased anything from the Source Book and if so, what was your experience?

Don't overlook 4-H parents as an important resource for your club. If you ask in person and are specific about the help you need, most parents are very willing to help. What has been your experience in recruiting parents?

Online Learning Community

Please share your thoughts about locating 4-H information and resources with other volunteers by responding to one of the Learning Check questions. Click on the Online Learning Community discussion board to post a message. You must post a message to complete this lesson. Password: 4-H Vol

Next Lesson

Click on The Club Leadership Team to go to the next lesson after you've posted a message to the Online Learning Community.

For more information, contact Dan Tabler, Volunteer Coordinator

Last updated: 03/13/2009