by Suzanne Wilson | Aug 16, 2013
It’s time for our 4-H clubs to start the new 4-H year. If your 4-H club took time off for the summer break the first club meeting can be a little crazy. Everyone will want to catch up and share their summer adventure stories. Why not take advantage of this excitement and make it part of a club meeting. There are several factors that will determine your options. The age of your club members, socio-economic factors, and family dynamics should all be considered. Be mindful of everyone’s family circumstances. Set ground rules so everyone is treated with respect. As the 4-H club leader, it is important for you to create an environment where your members feel safe sharing experiences and ideas.
4-H is Like a Roller Coaster
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by Suzanne Wilson | Dec 5, 2012
Here are activities to help members get to know each other, break up cliques, and decrease disruptions during meetings.
Birthday Line-up
Have members line up in a straight line by their birth date without talking to each other. Depending on the age of the club members you can make it easy using only the month and day or if you really want to challenge them include their birth year!
Once the line is completed have the youth whisper their birthday to the leader. If anyone is out of order simply announce “Out of Order” and try again. When they get the correct order have them announce their birthdays.
The values of this activity:
– teaching the group to work together
– youth demonstrating leadership
As they end the activity have the line of members fold in half so that the youngest is standing next to the oldest, second youngest is next to second oldest, etc. The first pair of members sits down together followed by each succeeding pair.
The 4-H Chant Challenge
As members arrive at your 4-H meeting, randomly put them in groups of 3 to 6. While waiting for others to arrive, these groups work independently to create a 4-H chant, song, or rap. Tunes for the chants can be offered such as “Call Me Maybe” (Carly Rae Jepson), “We’re All in This Together” (High School Musical), “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (Nursery Rhymes), and “We Will Rock You.” You may select songs that your group is familiar with or let them select their own.
The goal is to create lyrics to share how great 4-H is for kids and families. Through the process, the club members will connect and have a great time. Actions to the lyrics are welcome, too! Don’t forget to include any parents and family members in the groups!
Be sure to have a video camera ready! You won’t want to miss the fun as 4-H members share their chants with the entire club! This can go into a county-wide event for even more fun.
The 4-H Club Pennant Challenge
As clubs grow they develop an identity – help them share what their club is all about! Have the club member’s work together to develop their own 4-H Club Pennant – just like sports teams. National 4-H Week is a great time to have 4-H clubs present colorful banners that tell a story about their club. They can be displayed at the county 4-H office – this is a great way for the public to learn and ask questions about the 4-H program. Photos of club banners can be used on Facebook or other web pages as the profile picture.
Material for felt banners or pennants is inexpensive and easy to use with stencils for quality artwork. They can also be done on poster board and laminated. Set guidelines that include proper display and use of 4-H clover and prohibit use of copyrighted or other protected materials. Have a standard size and shape for all clubs that includes enough room for basic information. Be ready for an explosion of creativity!
