Points to Look for in a Good 4-H Meeting
October 11, 2023 - Michigan State University Extension
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Effective 4-H club meetings are one of the ways you can have a significant impact on the members of your club. A successful 4-H club is one that meets regularly and has meetings that are both educational and fun. The most effective 4-H meetings are those that have a balance between educational programs such as presentations and special activities (40 to 60 minutes), business meetings (15 to 20 minutes) and recreation or social time (15 to 20 minutes). Use the 4-H Club Meeting Wheel as a guide. Not every meeting needs to contain all three parts or fit within the suggested time frame. Involving young people in planning and conducting meetings is an important part of both successful 4-H clubs and positive youth development.
Use the following checklist to evaluate your 4-H club meetings. Work toward being able to answer “yes” to all of the questions. The ones you answer with a “no” are the areas you will want to work on improving.
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Do all of the officers and leaders create meetings agendas and understand responsibilities beforehand? |
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Does the president call the meeting to order on time, keep moving down the agenda and close the meeting on time? |
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Do all members use correct parliamentary procedure when appropriate? |
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Is the business part of the meeting short and concise? |
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Are guests introduced and made to feel welcome? |
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Is there an educational program in addition to the business meeting and recreation time? |
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Are the meetings run by youth? Is the educational program of interest to everyone? |
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Is there an opportunity for members to get to know each other? |
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Are all announcements short and to the point? |
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Do officers avoid doing all the talking? |
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Do volunteer leaders avoid doing all the talking? |
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Do all or most of the members have an opportunity to talk at least four times during the meeting? |
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Is the recreation suitable for the meeting place and the group? |
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Do members, officers and leaders treat each other in a courteous and respectful manner? |
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Are volunteer leaders given a chance to voice their opinions? |
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Are all members given a chance to voice their opinions without feeling judged or ridiculed? |
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Is there fun, learning and fellowship at the meeting? |
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This 2023 version of "Points to Look for in a Good 4-H Meeting" is adapted from the document of the same name in the 2009 version of the Michigan 4-H Club Development Guide.