Washtenaw County 4-H Youth Development	Club Standards Award
Category	Club Standard	Bronze	Silver	Gold	
					
	Points Possible for each category	
1		
	5
	
10	

Budget	Club develops budget/plan and completes financial reports as required by the Treasurers Record Book	

Budget/plan achieved annually	

(Achieve Bronze) and financial reports reviewed by youth at 4-H meetings	(Achieve Silver) Washtenaw County 4-H Youth Development Annual Summary Financial Report submitted to 4-H office by due date	

Community  Service	

Community Service	
Participate in a club community service project	(Achieve Bronze with 60% club participation) and submit a summary to the Washtenaw County 4-H Office	(Achieve Silver with 80% club participation) and complete the 4-H Cub Community Service Award Application	

Reenrollment 	
Reenrollment	All retained club members are enrolled in 4-HOnline and paid by January 1st	All retained club members are enrolled and paid December 1st. 	All retained club members are enrolled and paid by November 1st. 	

Youth Leadership	
Club structure includes elected youth officers and structured meetings	

Elected Youth Officers annually	

Elected officers using Parliamentary Procedures or Club Based Decision Making Process	(Achieve Silver) and meetings include an agenda predetermined by the youth and "should" include these 3 components business, learning and fun activities	

Awards	
Public acknowledgement of 4- H individual achievement	
Hold an annual 4-H Club awards program	(Achieve Bronze) Have at least 25% of eligible youth* complete a (County or State) 4-H Award application	(Achieve Bronze) Have at least 50% of eligible youth* complete a (County or State) 4-H Award application	

Program	

Have a well-planned program	
Have at minimum 6 meetings in a program year (Sept-August)	(Achieve Bronze) Have published annual 4-H club calendar (meet more than 8 times)	Meet more than 10 times. Invite an outside speaker to a meeting or take a fieldtrip to learn more about a 4-H project area	

4-H Events	Youth members participate in 4-H Activities outside of
regular 4-H club meetings	
20% of club members participate in at least 1 event/activity	
40% of club members participate in at least 1 event/activity	
60% of club members participate in at least 1 event/activity	
Training 	Trained Youth Leadership	4-H Club offers an in-club training	(Achieve Bronze) 1 or more 4-H Club member attends county 4-H training	(Achieve Silver) 1 or more 4-H Club members attends state 4-H training	
Club Membership	4-H Clubs have adequate youth to leader ratios	For every 10 youth there is 1 certified volunteer	For every 10 youth there are 2 certified volunteers	For every 10 youth there are 3 or more certified volunteers	
Committee Involvement	Youth members are involved with other county 4-H councils and committees 	At least 1 member visits at least 1 relevant committee and attends at least 2 meetings 	2 or more members visit 50% of the relevant committees and attends 50% of the meetings	(Achieve Silver) At least 1 member holds either an officer position on a committee or attends more than 75% of a committee’s meetings	

Total Points 				

4-H Club Name:	
Overall Total		

Club Leader Signature:		Date:	
Program Coordinator:		Date:	

Must complete at least 8 categories
Points needed to achieve	Bronze	8	
Points needed to achieve	Silver	40	
Points needed to achieve	Gold	80	

Category	Purpose	Description	

Budget	4-H (and Its Money) Is Publicly Owned: 4-H clubs or groups are public groups, open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, political beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or family status. Since 4-H is a public organization, it is “owned” by the public, not by individuals the way a private company is owned.
Therefore, the money groups receive from dues and fund-raising events is owned by the group, not by any one member or leader of the group. The public calls for a higher standard of accountability and integrity for public groups. For this reason, it is extremely important that all 4-H groups show the source of any money they have raised and how it is disbursed. Under U.S. Department of Agriculture and Michigan State University guidelines, the county MSU Extension office is required to keep track of all 4-H financial transactions. (Source Michigan 4-H Treasurer’s Record Book (4H1203))	 Budget: Written amount of money raised and spent by the club annually.
Monthly Treasurer's Report: A sample report can be found on page 28 of the Michigan 4-H Treasurer's Record Book(4H 1203)
Due Date: October 2019	

Community  Service	Through its pledge of “hands to larger service,” 4-H has historically given back to the community by encouraging young people and adults to volunteer. In 4-H, service is commonly defined as the voluntary action of an individual or a group of individuals without pay. Service to the community – through food drives, raking the yard of an elderly neighbor, adopt-a-highway programs, teens teaching younger youth, teens mentoring children or youth determining community needs and helping solve community problems – helps young people learn caring, leadership and citizenship. 	Community Service: The voluntary action of an individual or a group of individuals without pay  Summary: A one page summary of the community service conducted including the Who, What, Where, When, and Why so that it can be shared in the monthly 4-H Newsletter.
4-H Club Community Service Award Application:  Contact Extension office to learn more	

Reenrollment
	
The Michigan 4-H Mission Statement can be seen above, under “Club Membership.” In order to accomplish our mission, membership retention of both youth and adult membership helps Michigan 4-H reach its annual goals for growth. 4-H enrollment should be representative of the demographics of the community. Setting membership goals can help achieve the desired retention and growth of the programs.	Retained Club Members: Any 4-H member who was enrolled in the 4-H club the year before.
Participation Fees: The state fee for enrolling in 4-H. The fee is $20 per member. If there are 3 or more youth in a family the maximum fee is $60. 

This is only pertaining to retained members. If there are new families to 4-H they can enroll in 4-H any time. If they are wanting to participate in the Youth Show, they must enroll by June 1st at the latest. 

Youth Leadership	The 3rd Guiding Principal of Michigan 4-H is "Youth are actively engaged in their own development." For volunteers and youth in clubs, this means:
•	Young people have leadership roles in their clubs and in their county 4-H program.
•	Young people set project or activity goals and personally assess the results at the end of their project.
•	Youth determine what the club does and then have opportunities to lead meetings and experiences.
•	Youth think for themselves and are not afraid of their answers and choices
(Source Guiding Principles for Positive Youth Development Michigan 4-H Youth Development)	

Elected Youth Officers Annually: Must at least elect a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary
Agenda: For tips please consult the Keys to a Successful 4-H Club guide 4H1605	

Awards	

Recognition in 4-H is the acknowledgment and affirmation of the personal growth of an individual or group.
	Eligible Youth: Registered youth at least 11 years old by January 1, 2019
Awards: Applying for County Medals, Club Community Service, I Dare You, Key Club, 4-H State Awards, Mark of Excellence or Other similar award. (See 4-H Office for Award Application and Deadlines). Being a teen mentor for Horse Protégé or Livestock Mentoring also counts. 
* If 4-H club has no eligible youth they can submit Angel Award, Friend of 4-H, or Leader of the Year nominations. Must submit at least two for a gold award. 

Program	

As participants become more involved in the club activities, they adopt the 4-H organization as their own. Be sure to review the Michigan 4-H club model with the club, emphasizing the importance of regular meetings. Be prepared to support and recognize the efforts of the club and then withdraw as the primary support person. Strive to make them realize that their club is a part of the larger 4-H program throughout the county, state and nation.	Committees: Setting goals and program planning need input from the total club to complete the goals set by the club. For new clubs, committee and organizational details need to remain simple and clear. Committees are an excellent way to involve more members in the decision-making process and in organizing the club’s activities.

Published Annual Calendar: This is just a calendar of meeting dates and events that the 4-H Club is planning on doing during the program year. It doesn't have to be publicly published calendar, but it should be made available to all members of the club and the Washtenaw County 4-H Office.	

4-H Events	Many parents and 4-H volunteers notice improvements in their children’s interest, knowledge and social skills after they attend 4-H Events. Findings from the first-of-its kind research project reveal how young people benefit from the programs and life-changing experiences offered by 4-H. In fact, according to the study: Contribution/Civic Engagement 4-H'ers are nearly 4 times more likely to contribute to their communities. Academic Achievement 4-H young people are nearly 2 times more likely to participate in Science, Engineering and Computer Technology programs during out-of-school time. Healthy Living 4- H’ers are nearly 2 times more likely to make healthier choices 	4-H Events: 4-H Capitol Experience, 4-H Exploration Days, 4-H Great Lakes & Natural Resources Camp, 4-H Renewable Energy Camp, 4-H State Shooting Sports Tournament, 4-H Volunteer Workshops, 4-H Animal & Veterinary Science Camp, State 4-H Goat Expo, MI 4-H Equine Educational Expo, 4-H Horse
& Pony Show, 4-H Rabbit and Cavy Expo, 4-H Poultry Palooza, Michigan 4-H Dairy Conference, Kettenun Center Workshops, 4-H National Youth Science Day, Washtenaw County 4-H Exchange,	

Training

	The 5th Guiding Principal of Michigan 4-H says, “Youth Develop skills that help them succeed.” This means that youth are able to learn from various educational activities to help them develop skills that they will use to be successful adults. 
	 Club Training: Some sort of training is planned for the entire club’s benefit. May be planned by anyone involved in the club. Can be anything related to the club’s specialty or club’s benefit. Examples include (but not limited to): officer training, parliamentary procedure training, demonstrations that include group involvement, etc. 
County Training: Any 4-H training that is offered in Washtenaw County and is advertised in the newsletter. Being either a mentor or mentee in Horse Protégé or Livestock Mentoring counts. Other examples of county trainings include: officer training, embryology training, treasurer training, adult and youth partnership training, camp counselor training, and attending a committee meeting with guest educators (i.e. horse association having a farrier speak). 
State Training:  Any 4-H training or conference that is held in Michigan. Attending a National 4-H event/conference also counts. Examples include: Capital Experience, 4-H Exploration Days, Kettunen Center Workshops, 4-H Camps, etc.	

Club Membership
	The Michigan 4-H Mission Statement says, “The vision of Michigan 4-H Youth Development is to mobilize volunteers and communities to meet the needs of youth. Our mission is to created nonformal, educational opportunities to help youth thrive in a complex world.” In order to meet the needs of our youth we need volunteers. 	Youth: 4-H members age 8-19
Cloverbud: Young 4-Her age 5-7
Certified Volunteer: An adult over the age of 20 who has completed the volunteer selection process and is enrolled in 4-H Online for Washtenaw County. 

Committee Involvement	

The 7th Michigan 4-H Guiding Principal says, “Youth grow and contribute as active citizens through service and leadership.” This means that youth have opportunities to become involved in their communities and have significant roles to play. This allows youth to grow their leadership skills and other important skills. 	Committees:  A committee is considered any county wide 4-H group that meets on a regular basis. Available Washtenaw 4-H committees include: Horse Association, Livestock and Dairy Committee, Small Animal Committee, Still Project Committee, and Advisory Council. 
Relevant Committee: This means any committee that is relevant to your club. For example if your club only specializes in horses, relevant committees include Horse Association and Advisory Council. 
Officer Position:  These positions include youth president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, corresponding secretary or member at large. If a youth serves as a mentor for Horse Protégé or Livestock Mentoring this also counts.