What to expect?
Each 4-H club has individual and specific expectations for their members from community service, participation and record keeping requirements but the basic structure of each club consists of General Meetings and Project Meetings.
General Meetings
General meetings are held once a month, led by the youth Officer Team with support from the Club Community Leaders (CCL), for the entire membership. Attendance is taken, events announced, officer reports read, and general club announcements are communicated. Attendance at general meetings is very important to stay informed. At the same time, General Meetings are a great social opportunity for the members and we try to make them fun as well as informative. Our general meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month, September through June from 6:30-8:00pm at the San Luis Obipso AG Department in San Luis Obispo, California. If you would like to participate (and get credit for your record books) in our general meeting events, please arrive at our meetings by 6:30. Our Vice President has some fun activities planned for our 2023-2024 4-H year and we encourage all our members to come and have some fun with your officer team. Our general meetings will immediately follow our events promptly at 7:00.
Project Meetings
4-H offers a variety of projects from Leadership to Market Beef (each 4-H club is different). During the beginning of the program year (July 1- June 30), youth can select which projects they would like to be a part of. Edna usually hosts a Project Showcase at the September general meeting which is an ideal time to discuss project details with leaders and sign up. You MUST sign up through this link to be part of a project. However, if you missed the September sign ups, please contact the Project leader directly. Some projects are more in depth, more expensive and more time consuming than others. Please consider all factors before beginning a project. Project meetings are held outside of General Meetings. An Adult Volunteer will be the Project Leader and will communicate meeting times to you.
County Events & Fairs
4-H holds many County events to get various clubs together and showcase project work. Attendance is always encouraged. In San Luis Obispo County alone there are over 25 clubs. Edna is the largest and oldest in the County. County events provide a unique opportunity for members to meet each other.
Leadership
4-H is a 100% Volunteer run organization. Each club is overseen by the University of California Cooperative Extension at the County Level. At the club level, the person-in-charge is the volunteer adult Club Community Leader. All project leaders are Adult Volunteers cleared by the Extension office. The adult volunteers oversee the member elected youth officer team, providing leadership opportunities for the whole family. To volunteer, send an email to edna4hclub@gmail.com Please consider joining and helping to mold our youth into outstanding citizens for our future generations.
Expenses
Each 4-H club has an annual fee (varies by County) that goes directly to the Extension Office to cover member insurance and operating expenses. The enrollment fee in NO WAY benefits the club. 4-H clubs rely on donations and fundraising to solely support their unit. Because of this, members are sometimes asked to contribute to material fees for projects. For the small and market animal projects, expenses are nearly always on the youth. Often times, the youth recoup these expenses at auction during the fair.
Enrollment
Enrollment is open year-round for Edna 4-H. Regular membership is for those who are 9 years old or in 4th grade by December 31st of the program year. The oldest youth member can be is 19 years old. Beyond that, they must enroll in collegiate 4-H. Children age 5 to 8, can be a primary member. Primary members can do everything a normal member does except for showing a large livestock animal and be an Officer. Some projects have age limits due to the activities in that project. The program year starts on July 1st and ends June 30. During the 2023-2024 program year, the enrollment fee is $95/per year, per member. Limited membership scholarships and payment plans are available. If interested please contact the Community Club Leader at edna4hclub@gmail.com. You may enroll online through the California 4H, San Luis Obispo County 4H or EDNA 4H web sites.
What are your expectations for me?
All members of Edna 4-H are subject to fulfill the expectations set forth by the Community Club Leader (CCL).
Comply with CA State 4-H enrollment requirements including fees
Treat all fellow 4-H members and leaders with respect and kindness at all times
Remember that my attitude and actions represent Edna 4-H at all times
Be attentive, involved, respectful and engaged at project and general meetings
Furthermore, if planning on exhibiting at the Mid-State Fair, the following must be fulfilled:
We highly encourage a complete record book bound in a 4-H binder (or suitable replacement) showing a reasonable amount of effort in the following categories: Table of Contents, Personal Development Report (PDR), Annual Project Report (APR) for each project exhibiting, and a Community Service Project APR form (due date to be given).
At a minimum, to exhibit at the Fair, you must submit a completed and signed Annual Project Report APR form per project exhibiting AND a 4H Story.
Follow any rules/fulfill requirements set forth by my respective project leader(s)
Attend 80% of General Meetings following procedure for excused absences for those working toward STARS
Attend 80% of Project Meetings at least for the project in which I am exhibiting following procedure for excused absences for those working toward STARS
Be in good standing with the club
Exhibit sportsmanlike conduct in all competitions
Provide handwritten heart felt thank you note(s) to your buyer (s) and your Project Leader(s) prior to receiving earnings
Be responsible for reimbursing the club for project specific fair expenses shared by my group prior to receiving earnings.
Ensure that all livestock are treated ethically and properly
If you cannot reasonably fulfill these requirements, then Edna 4-H may not be the right club for you. Volunteers dedicate a large amount of time to facilitate club activities and we want to ensure that members get the full benefit.