Welcome to York 4-H! We are excited to welcome you to our 4-H Community and help you learn more about our association.
Learn about an available project near you
WHAT IS 4-H?
4-H is a grassroots organization of leaders building leaders. 4-H can be found all over the world and is based on the “Learn To Do By Doing” philosophy. The four H’s stand for Head, Heart, Health, and Hands.
4-H participants range from ages 9-21 and the Cloverbud Program is for ages 6-8. 4-H participants learn about different subjects through hands-on activities and mentorship from adult volunteers. The Cloverbud Program focuses on multiple areas to give the participants a look into the world of 4-H.
In 4-H participants are encouraged to step outside their comfort zone, try something new, build new friendships, get involved in their community and interact with their environment. These values are highlighted in the 4-H pledge, which is we say at the beginning of each meeting and event.
4-H clubs and activities are designed to help develop leadership skills including public speaking skills, communication, decision making, parliamentary procedure, meeting management and networking. It also gives the participants the opportunity to learn about different subjects. 4-H offers a safe environment and fosters personal growth and development.
4-H encourages team collaboration, peer-to-peer support, and independent learning. Leaders guide participants through activities and provide them with the freedom to make mistakes and assist one another in the learning process.
HOW DO 4-H CLUBS WORK?
4-H clubs must have a minimum of six 4-H participants and two trained and screened leaders. The leaders choose a topic to teach the participants through hands-on learning. The participants spend 12 hours or more exploring the theme during the meetings. 4-H participants may join as many clubs as they wish for a membership fee of $100.00 per year.
4-H CLUB MEETINGS
4-H clubs typically get together for six two-hour meetings. The meetings can be in many forms- tours, guest speakers, demonstrations, activities, etc. Some clubs require more time and effort than others. 4-H meetings have a formal meeting time and hands-on learning time. During meetings, 4-H’ers discuss club issues and opportunities while learning parliamentary procedure. After club business finishes, participants move onto the hands-on activities focused on the club project topic. 4-H youth MUST participate in at least two-thirds of all club meeting time and participate in the club achievement program to successfully complete the project.
THE CLUB EXECUTIVE
Each 4-H club consists of at least five positions. The roles are President, Vice President, Secretary, Press Reporter, and Photographer(s). Club participants vote to elect their peers to these positions. The executive roles provide leadership opportunities for the participants.
As the President, the participant chairs 4-H meetings. Participants vote using motions and communicating with the leaders regarding agenda items, amongst other duties. At the end of the 4-H year, there is a 4-H Awards Banquet where the President is expected to speak about what their club has done over the past year.
As Vice President, the participant fills in if the President is not able to attend the meeting and will be assigned other tasks that may include introducing and thanking guests and participants.
As the Secretary, the participant is expected to take notes on what the discussions at each meeting, take attendance, and provide a report at the next meeting. At the end of the year, each club Secretary has an opportunity to enter for the Secretary’s Award, presented at the Awards Banquet.
As the Press Reporter, the participant is expected to write at least two reports on what the club is doing or what they have done and submit them to either a local paper, the York 4-H newsletter, the York 4-H website, or to the 4-H Ontario website. At the end of the year, each club Press Reporter has an opportunity to enter for the Press Reporter’s Award, presented at the Awards Banquet.
As the Photographer, the participant(s) is expected to take photos at all meetings and events. They can submit them to the York 4-H newsletter to show what they have done and to 4-H Ontario if they would like. At the end of the year, each club Photographer has an opportunity to enter for the Photographer’s Award, presented at the Awards Banquet.
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Follow us on Twitter: @York4H1
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For more information about 4-H and 4-H opportunities visit: www.4-HOntario.ca
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