GEORGIA 4-H

Reporter
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CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations! It's really an honor to be selected by your friends in 4-H to serve as a 4-H officer. With honors come certain responsibilities. As you assume your 4-H office, much of the responsibility for the success of your club will depend on you and the other officers.
  You are now a member of a team that includes the other officers and leaders of your club. This leadership team can make the difference between a "fantastic club" that everyone wants to be part of and a "hum-drum club" that most people could care less about! Which kind of club do you want? The choice is yours -- the success of the club depends on your leadership team.
GOOD OFFICERS ARE ... Enthusiastic, tactful, loyal, honest, friendly -- that's one way to describe good 4-H officers. They let the members of the club help decide what the club will do and give everyone a fair chance.
Officers of 4-H Clubs are representatives of the local club and of the entire 4-H program of the state. Can you answer "yes" to these questions?
_____ Do I know the duties of my office?
_____ Am I willing to improve myself so I can be a better officer?
_____ Am I friendly? Do I work well with other members of the club and they with me?
_____ Do I willingly accept responsibilities assigned to me?
_____ Do I enjoy doing more than just what is required of me?
_____ Am I willing to give credit to others for work well done?
_____ Am I prompt in arriving at meetings?
_____ Does my appearance inspire confidence and respect?
_____ Am I kind, tactful and courteous?
_____ Do I use "please" and "thank you" when I should?
_____ Am I always fair in my decisions?
_____ Do I appreciate my parents and 4-H volunteer leaders for their time, effort and devotion to club work?
_____ Will I attend a 4-H officers' workshop if it is offered for our club or county?
_____ Will I participate in a county 4-H council?
YOUR JOB AS
REPORTER

You are responsible for letting others know about your club -- the fun you are having, the work you are doing, and the help you are giving.

For your club to obtain the support, respect and good will of the people in the community, it is important for you to keep them aware of the good work done by your club.

Newspaper editors like news stories about 4-H work because their readers like to know what boys and girls are doing. Everything that happens at your club meeting is not news. It is what made the meeting different from every other meeting that is really news.

Promptness is important. to be news, a 4-H event or activity must be recent; important; close to the place of publication or the readers, listeners or viewers; unusual; interesting; and seasonable.
  As your club's Reporter, you will ...
  • Learn to write interesting news articles.
  • Submit articles and announcements on time!
  • Write announcements of meetings and special events for the newspapers and radio stations.
  • Write a news story immediately after each meeting and special event for the newspapers and radio stations.
  • Follow the procedure for submitting newspaper or newsletter information as directed by your club leader or county extension agent.
  • Serve as chairman of the publicity committee.
  • Collect news items concerning your club and make a notebook for a permanent record.
TIPS TO THE
REPORTER

Use these pointers and put your club "in the news"!

  • Write in the third person. Use Jim Smart or Dot Good or club members instead of "I" or "we."
  • Spell names and addresses correctly.
  • Keep sentences short (no more than 17-20 words). Make each paragraph a complete thought with two or three sentences.
  • The important parts of a news story are the five "w's": who, what, where, when, why. Use your club's activities to explain each "w," and you have your story.
  • Check with the extension office on dates news items are due.
  • Be prompt -- get the story to the editor before his or her deadline.
  • Keep trying; look for unusual and out-of-the-ordinary items.
  • Always work closely with extension agents and adult leaders in writing and getting material.
  • Prepare news stories easy to use.
  • Write neatly; type, if possible, and double space. Never write on both sides of the paper.
  • Write "more" at the bottom of the page if the story continues to a secnd page.
  • Write your name, address, phone number and the date at the top of the page.
4-H LEADERSHIP TEAM As a 4-H officer, you are an important part of the 4-H Leadership Team. Let's see how the team shapes up.
President The 4-H President's job is to help everyone in the club work together. The president presides at meetings, assigns responsibilities to club members, and works closely with the other 4-H officers, volunteer leaders, and county extension agents.
Vice President Georgia 4-H Clubs have two Vice Presidents. The vice presidents alternate taking the place of the president if that member resigns or is not present. The vice presidents' biggest and most important job is acting as co-chairmen of the program committee that plans local 4-H educational meetings and events.
Secretary The 4-H Club Secretary is one of the most important officers in the club. The secretary is responsible for keeping a record of a 4-H club's membership, participation and meetings in the 4-H Secretary's Book. All correspondence of the club is the responsibility of the secretary.
Reporter The 4-H Club Reporter has the opportunity and responsibility of telling others about 4-H work. Writing announcements and reports for the local newspaper, keeping a scrapbook of club publicity, and serving as chairman of the publicity committee are important jobs for the reporter.
Parliamentarian
(Optional office)		 In any club organization, it is important that officers and leaders know some of the rules of conducting a meeting. The Parliamentarian advises the presiding officer on parliamentary procedures so meetings can be conducted in a fair and gracious manner.
Recreational Leader
(Optional office)		 No one likes to sit and listen during an entire 4-H meeting without even opening their mouths. The 4-H Recreational Leader gives each 4-H'er the opportunity to actively participate by leading a song or short recreational activity that is suitable for the club meeting place and available time.
Officers President ________________________________________
  Vice President ________________________________________
  Vice President ________________________________________
  Secretary ________________________________________
  Reporter ________________________________________
  Parliamentarian ________________________________________
  Recreation Leader ________________________________________
4-H MEETING OUTLINE The 4-H meeting program may vary with your individual club. You will work with the other 4-H officers, your 4-H club volunteer leader and your county extension agent to plan exciting 4-H meetings. Everyone with a part in the program should be notified and come well prepared. A well-planned 4-H meeting usually consists of these three main parts:
    Business: 5-20 minutes
    Education or Project Work: 20-60 minutes
    Recreation or Social Activities: 5-15 minutes
  The program content and time will depend on your club's traditions, meeting place and time. This outline will help you plan your meetings.
BUSINESS ...
Call to Order "The meeting of the __________ 4-H Club will please come to order."
Call for Minutes "The secretary will now read the minutes of the last meeting."
Secretary reads minutes.
Approval of Minutes "Are there any additions or corrections to the minutes?" (Pause) "If not, they stand approved as read."
Opening Ceremony "We will now have the pledges and thought for the day." Vice President or another 4-H member leads pledge to the American Flag, 4-H Pledge and thought for the day.
Introduction of Visitors "Our Vice President, __________, (or Reporter, __________) will now introduce our visitors." Officer introduces visitors.
Roll Call "Will the secretary please take the roll?" Secretary either calls roll or simply checks roll.
Committee Reports "We will now have the committee reports. Will the chairman of the __________ committee please report?" (Pause for report, then request other reports.)
Old Business "Is there any old business that needs to be discussed?" (Recognize members who have business to discuss and guide club in discussing and making a decision.)
"Is there any further old business?"
New Business "Is there any new business to be discussed?" (Allow time for discussion and voting if necessary.)
"Is there any further new business?"
Announcements "Are there any announcements?" (Leaders, agents or members may have announcements.)
PROGRAM ...
Introduce Program Chairman (Vice President) "I will now turn the meeting over to ______ to introduce our program." Vice President introduces program participants.
Thank Program Participants "Thank you, ______, for presenting such an interesting program." (Make comments appropriate for the program and thank vice presidents for coordinating program.
RECREATION (If time and facility permit) ...
Introduce Recreation Leader or
4-H Member		 "________, our recreation leader, will now lead us in a short period of recreation."
Recreation leader leads a game, song or activity.
ADJOURNMENT ...
Close Meeting Our next meeting will be [DATE] at [PLACE].
"Is there a motion that we adjourn?" (Handle motion.) "The meeting is adjourned."

NEWS ARTICLE FOR
 
________________________________________ 4-H Club
________________________________________ Date
Write Down:
Who _____________________________________________________________________________________
What _____________________________________________________________________________________
Where ____________________________________________________________________________________
When ____________________________________________________________________________________
How ______________________________________________________________________________________
Why _____________________________________________________________________________________
Decide in what order to place the above information. Where will it do the best job of explaining the Club Meeting?
 
Title ________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

 

Special thanks to Pat Bell, Bill Edwards, Walter Reeves and Walker Robertson for Georgia 4-H publications that included ideas we used in these officer guides. Other ideas were gathered from publications from Oklahoma and Mississippi.
Originally developed by Glenda Gibson Ott, former Extension 4-H Leader
William R. Lambert
Associate Dean for Extension		 Roger C. (Bo) Ryles, Jr.
State Program Leader -- 4-H

G-OG-04/Reprinted September, 2000

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Organization Committed to a Diverse Work Force
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Gale A. Buchanan, Dean and Director