Starting the 4-H season off right: Suggestions for the year’s first meeting
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EmailBuild excitement for the new 4-H year for 4-H members, club leaders and parents excited to spring into action with their 4-H club!
A new 4-H year has started and that means it is time to start thinking about the goals and plans for educational, inspirational and recreational activities for Michigan 4-H clubs! No matter what project youth are participating in, animal science, arts, environmental and outdoor education, food, health, and well-being, global and cultural education, or one of the many other programs offered through 4-H, it is important to start the year off right!
Michigan State University Extension has resources for volunteers to help lead and manage their 4-H club. There are many tips and tricks are available on the 4-H Club Development website. A good start to the 4-H year will allow youth members, club leaders and parents to be clear about expectations and plans for the group and be excited for what will take place.
Get to know youth and adults and share about 4-H!
Clubs transition from year to year. There may be members new to 4-H, youth trying new project areas, and members who have left or transitioned to different activities. Clubs can also look different. Many club members may attend the same school, but could be in different grades. Or there could be youth from several different schools enrolled in one club. Youth may be similar ages or be a wide range of ages. The same unique attributes of the club are true for parents and club leaders – new adults may become involved as others conclude their club involvement.
Because of this, during the first meeting of the year, it is important to make sure everyone knows each other with a fun icebreaker activity. These get-to-know you games are fun and can be used with youth, adults or both. There are several different categories of icebreakers to be tried:
Pick one or two that will work best with the group and time you have for the meeting and learn new and exciting things about everyone in the club!
It can also help to start off meetings with check-in questions or ice breakers throughout the year to allow continued connecting and relationship-building.
Teaching the 4-H pledge and the background of 4-H can also be a great start to the 4-H year. You can even use the pledge to get an idea of what youth want to learn and do for the year.
Prepare a list of activities for the year
The 4-H year goes fast and there is a lot to do in a short period of time. Preparing a list of club activities for meetings is important to ensure youth are learning the life and technical skills of their 4-H project area. This will also help club leaders make sure supplies needed for various activities are ready for meetings ahead of time, avoiding the last-minute rush for materials or the question of “What are we doing at this meeting?”
An example list of club activities for the year might include:
- Field trips to educational locations related to the project area (e.g., a local dairy farm, a high school play, a museum, state park, botanical garden, etc.)
- Quiz bowls or skill-a-thon competitions
- Presentations by senior club members to younger members
- Skills clinics (e.g., showmanship, grooming animals for fair, how-to for art projects, cooking demonstrations, etc.)
- Meetings with professionals in the project area (e.g., a veterinarian, orchestra member, personal trainer, park ranger, Extension specialist etc.)
- Interactive lesson plans (e.g. Animal Science Anywhere, 4-H Backpack to Adventure, Healthy Youth Activities, etc.)
- Preparing for the county fair
- Community service projects
- Year-in-review reflections with club member stories, pictures, posters, etc. of their favorite activities and learning moments
The possibilities are endless! Some of these ideas may take place over multiple meetings or be repeated with different topics, for instance, trying several different lesson plans. Asking club members for suggestions is another great way to fill the schedule of events, incorporate youth voice, and have at least one activity everyone is really excited about.
Create a calendar
Once you have your activities picked out, it’s time to plan when and where it will all happen! Parents will certainly play a large role in these decisions to ensure youth can attend as many events as possible. Some events, like a county fair, cannot be changed, so schedule events to help prepare for this accordingly. For example, having a showmanship clinic before the fair will be much more beneficial than after!
Other activities will be much more flexible and can happen whenever it works best for the whole group. Setting-up tentative dates will help everyone plan ahead. It is still helpful to confirm club meeting dates and times at least a week before.
It will also be helpful to have several activities that can be changed or modified, as plans do not always work out exactly as anticipated. For example, if a big thunderstorm happens the day a state park visited was scheduled, a new lesson plan can be covered inside, instead. Having a back-up plan and being flexible is key even when you create a calendar for the year.
Ready to go!
These tips, along with knowing the club and what has worked well before, will help ensure your 4-H club starts off on the right foot and is ready for a successful 4-H year!
