• By April Bowman
• Posted Wednesday, October 23, 2013

4-H Clubs Starting

Now that everyone has gotten into the routine of school, 4-H is gearing up to organize new clubs for youth 5 – 18 years of age here in Forsyth County.

1. Youth need positive out of school experiences to help fill free time.
2. Youth are usually looking for some fun, recreational projects to help them occupy that free time.
3. Parents may be looking for a program that assists their children learning some very important life skills including decision-making, communication, problem solving, team work and learning to learn. 4-H offers many learning opportunities!

4-H Clubs can be organized in a variety of locations. A group of interested parents can come together to request a club be organized in their neighborhood. A church group can organize a club.

Let me outline a list of steps that can get you started with 4-H!

1. Get other parents interested: Talk to parents about 4-H. We have brochures that can help you explain the benefits of 4-H to other parents. Most parents will want to know about how 4-H can help their children. Other parents will want to know about how they will need to be involved in order to register their children with 4-H! We can meet with you or a group of interested parents to get the ball rolling.
2. Plan an informational meeting: Once you have a core set of parents and youth who want to learn more about 4-H, set up a meeting and invite those parents and youth! Tell them the meeting will outline the benefits and rewards of 4-H! We can come to your meeting and assist with this orientation. We want to give everyone enough information about 4-H so they can make a good decision for their family.
3. Recruit potential club leaders: We know that not every parent wants to be a 4-H club leader, but there are parents who will say YES if asked. Club leaders work side by side with the 4-H staff and other 4-H volunteers to carry out the club experiences! Make a list of potential volunteers who might like to work with your club. The more adults who agree to assist, makes the work seem lighter. Volunteers may be parents, grandparents, neighbors or people who have a special skill or talent to share. All of our club volunteers are screened to protect your child and our 4-H program using our 4-H volunteer application! You can read the 4-H club leader job description on-line.
4. Ask the kids for ideas: Don’t forget to involve the youth in the planning process. Kids know what they want to do in 4-H! Youth will be encouraged to take a leadership role as a club officer or committee member. When youth participate as officers, they learn to work together, make decisions for their club and get the rewards of seeing their hard work pay off! Youth can join 4-H by completing a 4-H Enrollment Form and returning it to Forsyth County 4-H at 1450 Fairchild Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27105.

To learn more about starting a 4-H club in your area, contact the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Center at 703-2850 or check out their “What is 4-H?”brochure. 4¬H is open to girls and boys ages 5 through 18 without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin or disability.