B‐BSR‐14 Provincial Participant Fee Refund Policy

Refunds for the Provincial Participant Fee will be granted as follows:

Full refund of provincial participant fee less a $10.00 administration fee if written request is received by 4‐H Ontario within seven (7 days) of registration date.

50% refund of provincial participant fee if written request is received by 4‐H Ontario within 30 days of registration date and less than two (2) club meetings attended

No refunds after 30 days of registration date.

Exceptions may be granted under extraordinary circumstances providing the request is submitted in writing to 4‐H Ontario and clearly identifies the reason for the exception.

Refund requests should be sent to database@4-hontario.ca Please submit the date of registration, name on credit card used, member name and reason. Please note, refunds may take at least 30 days to be processed.

Frequently Asked Questions Related to Online Registration 

 

Our 4-H Association offers a participant fee subsidy program related to the provincial 4-H participant fee; how do we administer this program? 

4-H Associations who host participant fee subsidy programs are responsible for communicating and organizing such programs directly with the 4-H youth and families in their Association. It is the responsibility of the 4-H Association to organize the program as they best see fit.  

 

Our 4-H Association charges a local participant fee in additional to the provincial 4-H participant fee, how do we organize this? 

4-H Associations who charge a local participant fee in addition to the $95 provincial participant fee are responsible for communicating and organizing such fees directly with the 4-H youth and families in their Association. It is the responsibility of the 4-H Association to secure the additional fees in a manner as they best see fit. 

 

I registered online and my 4-H Association offers a participant fee subsidy program that reduces the participant fee by $10. When will I receive the $10? 

4-H Associations who offer participant fee subsidy programs are responsible for communicating and administering the wage subsidy programs to the 4-H youth and families in their Association. Please connect with your local Association about the timelines associated with their participant fee subsidy program.  

 

I registered online and my 4-H Association charges a $10 local participant fee in addition to the provincial participant fee. How do I pay the extra $10? 

4-H Associations who charge additional fees are responsible for communicating and organizing such fees with the 4-H youth and families in their Association. Please connect with your local Association about the timelines and processes associated with additional fees.

With 4-H Ontario’s decision to only collect the provincial fee through their centralized online registration, what processes or adjustments should Associations put in place to collect or disburse fees to their participants?

Collection of fees:

• Some associations plan to collect fees at Sign up Nights via cheques or e-transfers

Disbursements of fees:

• Some associations will be disbursing funds to participants upon completion of their projects at their awards night via cheque. They require participants to complete at least one project to qualify for reimbursement.

Why did 4-H Ontario change the administration of membership fee reimbursements and overages?

4-H Ontario did their best to assist associations in administering their different fee structures through the new online registration system; however, the complexity of different fee structures made it challenging to reconcile finances each month. This ultimately put 4-H Ontario at an audit risk and the organization, and its staff are obligated to mitigate any audit risks. In addition,  vigorous research was done prior to making this decision and it was identified that similarly structured organizations are only responsible for administering their provincial fees.

 

Frequently Asked Questions Related to COVID-19 Processes 

If masks are no longer required, do I have to continue completing activity plans for my in-person club?

Yes, volunteers are required to submit activity plans at least 14 business days prior to the start date of the in-person activity. 4-H Ontario continues to monitor pandemic measures and our associated processes.

 

I am hosting a 4-H activity at my local church, do participants need to wear their masks to participate?

4-H Ontario no longer requires masks to be worn during in-person 4-H activities; however, 4-H associations are to follow the requirements of their local public health unit, and this may include wearing masks for in-person activities. Venue/facilities such as churches, community centres and company boardrooms may have compliance measurers that need to be followed. These compliance measures may include wearing a mask.

 

I am a volunteer and want to host a club meeting at my local community centre. The local community centre does not require people to wear masks but I am not comfortable hosting an activity where masks are optional. Can we make masks a requirement for our club meeting?

4-H Ontario encourages volunteers and participant families to have respectful conversations about masking prior to the activity and make decisions that best support the needs of the group. 4-H Ontario continues to encourage clubs to offer their activities in a hybrid format to keep their activities safe and inclusive.

 

My child is participating in a dairy club and the meeting takes place in a volunteer’s barn. My child is only comfortable attending if they can wear a mask, can they wear a mask?

Yes, all youth and volunteer participants may continue to wear masks if they choose. The decision to wear a mask or to not wear a mask is a personal choice and it is imperative that everyone is treated with respect and consideration. It is important that 4-H’ers have respectful dialogue with all who are engaging in 4-H activities to ensure the health and safety of all participants is honoured.

 

Do I need to provide proof of vaccine to participate in 4-H activities? 

No, youth or volunteers do not need to be vaccinated to be in the 4-H program. However, if a 4-H activity is held at a host venue that requires people to be vaccinated, 4-H youth, volunteers and guests are required to follow the host venue’s requirements. 

 

Do I need to complete a COVID-19 vaccine attestation as part of the online participant registration form? 

No, the COVID-19 vaccine attestation has been removed from the online youth participant registration form.  

 

Do I need to complete a COVID-19 vaccine attestation as part of the annual volunteer participation form? 

No, the COVID-19 vaccine attestation has been removed from the annual volunteer participation registration form. 

 

Do I still need to complete a COVID-19 waiver to participate in 4-H? 

Yes, all 4-H youth, volunteers and guests are required to complete the COVID-19 waiver prior to participating in any 4-H activity. COVID-19 waivers can be found as part of youth online registration form, the annual volunteer participation form and on our website here for guests. 

 

Why did the Ontario 4-H Council remove the vaccine policy? 

Over the course of the pandemic, the Ontario 4-H Council has made COVID-19 related decisions based on the guidelines and requirements of the Ontario Government. The Ontario Government lifted proof of vaccine requirements on March 1 and the Ontario 4-H Council chose to amend their policy requiring vaccination for indoor 4-H activities at their meeting on March 3. 

 

Why did 4-H Ontario remove the COVID-19 attestation form from participant and volunteer registration?  

The Ontario 4-H Council amended their policy that required COVID-19 vaccination for participation in indoor 4-H activities at their meeting on March 3. Now that there is no longer a policy requiring COVID-19 vaccination for indoor 4-H activities, there is no need for youth, volunteers or guests to complete an attestation form.  

 

Do 4-H activities have any capacity limits? 

The Ontario Government has removed capacity limit requirements and 4-H Ontario is not imposing any capacity limits on 4-H activities due to COVID-19. However, if 4-H activities are hosted at a venue, volunteers are responsible for following any venue capacity limits and associated rules in planning and facilitating their 4-H activity. 4-H Ontario encourages volunteers and associations to confirm the venue’s vaccine and capacity limit rules when they are planning a 4-H activity. 

 

I am hosting a 4-H activity, do I need to still complete an activity plan? 

Yes, to host an in-person 4-H activity, 4-H associations/clubs must submit an activity plan at least 14 business days prior to the start date of the activity. All activity plans must be approved prior to the commencement of the proposed in-person activity. An activity plan can be submitted here. 

 

I am hosting a 4-H activity, do I need to read the verbal notice? 

The verbal notice pertained to COVID-19 vaccination and therefor is no longer required. Volunteers are encouraged to remind participants and guests about self-screening in advance of attending the in-person 4-H activity. 

 

I am hosting a 4-H activity, do I need to screen youth, volunteers or guests for COVID-19 upon arrival at my 4-H activity? 

 No, 4-H volunteers are not required to complete screening questions with youth, volunteers or guests upon arrival to their 4-H activity. However, volunteers are encouraged to share COVID-19 self-screening questions, along with any venue requirements (proof of vaccine) with attendees prior to the 4-H activity.  

 

I want to host a community meeting in a community hall that requires proof of vaccine. Some participants and volunteers are vaccinated while some are not. What do I do? 

4-H Ontario encourages club leaders to continue offering hybrid clubs to keep activities inclusive for those who may not be able to participate due to illness or vaccine restrictions in potential venues. Club meetings could have an in-person and online meeting component, as well as self-directed activities youth can do at home. Alternatively, in this situation a volunteer may choose to host their meeting in a different venue that does not have vaccine restrictions so that all club participants and volunteers can join in-person.  

 

Why are you still requiring volunteer conference attendees to be vaccinated to attend the event at the end of March? 

With respect to those who registered for the volunteer conference when registration opened in December 2021, 4-H Ontario chose to host the conference under the intended requirements at that time. This includes abiding by 50% capacity limits and proof of vaccination requirements.