GEORGIA 4-H

Vice President
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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
VICE PRESIDENT 		Along with your co-vice president, you are the president's assistant. You preside when the president is absent, serve as co-chairman of the program committee and work with the president and club leader to involve members in planning the yearly program.
As President, you should ...
  • Learn the duties of the president.
  • Learn the rules of parliamentary procedure
  • Preside at meetings when the president is absent.
  • Act as co-chairman of the program committee. (Be responsible for one-half of the programs. The other vice president should be responsible for the other half.)
  • Assist the other officers, club leaders and program committee in planning each meeting in advance, announce plans and assign responsibilities.
  • As program chairman, sit near the front of the room or at the table with the president and secretary.
  • Represent your club in the County 4-H Council.
TIPS TO THE
VICE PRESIDENT
  • Stand when presenting program participants.
  • Try to give each club member a part in one or more meetings during the year.
  • Check before the meeting and make sure each member is prepared for his/her part for the program.
  • Encourage 4-H'ers to be on programs. Help them if they need help in planning their parts.
  • Be polite. Ask club members to volunteer or ask them to help. Don't tell them.
  • Don't just ask friends to be on programs.
  • Help make all members feel a part of the 4-H club.
PROGRAMS WITH POW

Exciting 4-H programs and active 4-H clubs don't just happen! They are the result of planning. As the co-chairman of the program committee, you will want to involve the members of your committee in two kinds of planning:

  • Yearly program planning -- general topics or activities for each month.
  • Monthly meeting and activity planning -- specific details and who is responsible for each part of the 4-H meeting and/or activity.

As you plan, you can use the forms on this leaflet as a guide. After planning, check to see if you can answer "yes" to each of these questions.

  • Does the program involve all the members?
  • Is the program interesting to all ages in our club?
  • Is the plan realistic?
  • Are some fun and work activities included?
  • Did we consider county 4-H events?
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."

4-H YEARLY PLANNING CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

 

 

 

OCTOBER
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

NOVEMBER
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

DECEMBER
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

 

 

 

JANUARY
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

FEBRUARY
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

MARCH
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

 

 

 

APRIL
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

MAY
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

JUNE
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

 

 

 

JULY
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

AUGUST
4-H meeting -- topic and date

Special activities of
club and date

PLANNING GUIDE FOR MEETINGS AND EVENTS

Event _______________________________________________

Date ______________ Time ______________ Location _______________

Job to
be done

 

 

 

 

 Who will do
the job?		 Special arrangements
(how to do the job)

 

Event ________________________ Date ______________ Time ______________ Location _______________

Job to
be done

 

 

 

 

 Who will do
the job?		 Special arrangements
(how to do the job)

 

Event ________________________ Date ______________ Time ______________ Location _______________

Job to
be done

 

 

 

 

 Who will do
the job?		 Special arrangements
(how to do the job)

 

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-06/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