How to Start a 4-H Club

1. Organize your club at the first meeting. If convenient, you may want a separate session for parents. If not, certainly
invite parents to the first organizational club meeting. Tell the parents that their help is needed. (4-H leaders are not merely baby-sitters!) Encourage parents to attend meetings and to become involved whenever and however possible.

It’s usually best to make specific requests for help from individuals, based on their interests and abilities. However, under no circumstances should adult involvement in the club overshadow member participation!

2. What to do at the first meeting (or shortly thereafter):

A. Describe available 4-H projects to the members (those you’re willing to lead). Ask members to select, or at least begin to think about, projects to be carried by the club.

B. Encourage members to choose or begin to think about a name for the club. (Refer to Selecting a Name for Your 4-H Club.)

C. Devise/approve a basic 4-H club constitution. (Refer to Devising a 4-H Club Constitution.)

D. Ask for nominations and elect officers for the club.
Depending on the size and type of club, typical officers might include: president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, reporter, and recreation leader. You aren’t limited to these positions and also may not need all of them. Many clubs seem to operate fine with a president, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer. (See 4-H Club Officers Make the Meeting.)

E. Ask all members and leaders to fill out the appropriate registration forms, which your county 4-H staff will provide for you. (See Appendix B & C for samples.) Be sure all are complete! You should deliver or send these forms to the county 4-H office as soon as possible. This information is needed for these reasons:

1. Members and leaders are placed on a 4-H mailing list to receive regular 4-H newsletters and other important information.

2. As a tax-assisted organization, certain membership information is required for reports to the government.

3. Some county-wide 4-H organizations participate in or sponsor basic accident insurance coverage for enrolled 4-H members.

F. As members join your club, give them a copy of Wel- come to 4-H! A guide for new 4-H members and their parents. (See Appendix E.) Copies are available from your county 4-H office.

G. Decide on a regular club meeting schedule, which includes date, time, and place.

5. Obtain necessary materials for 4-H project(s), such as member and leader/project guides and project record books if
necessary (from your county 4-H office if available).

6. If you want more members for your club than you have been able to recruit, let your county 4-H staff know. The staff
can write news releases to help recruit additional members, or you can write one yourself. See How to Write a News Re-
lease. Recruiting can also be done through the 4-H newsletter and other methods.