Hive, what to do about this? 4H content... UPDATE in post #1

[Um_2_4]

UPDATE for those interested: So we joined and the kids are THRILLED! It is a small group (<30 kids including primary members) and all homeschoolers, so they run it kind of like a co-op in that all meetings are one day a week. And to our surprise, there is another Muslim family involved ! We are doing archery, sewing, needlecraft, arts & crafts, and computer programming. I am so glad that that thread pushed me to keep digging for info :)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

So inspired by the other thread I finally got contact info for a homeschool 4H group nearby! YAY!

 

I got an email with info about times and groups.

DS12 and DD10 are interested in the Archery. DS in the Bird (pet variety) group (although he has no idea what they do there???) and the Strategy Games group (what's that?). DD in the sewing and maybe Arts & Crafts (what is that? like paper crafts? They have sewing, needle crafts and arts & crafts as 3 separate groups?). Sadly no rocketry or Robotics or marksmanship (what DS REALLY wanted).

 

But well, my welcome to HS groups around here has been less than warm (for those who do not know me I am a hijab wearing American Muslim Mom). So I would like to go and feel it out iykwim. 

 

Are activities usually centered around western holidays, will that be an issue? For some reason I thought 4H was less like Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts in that manner.

 

We will skip the food group so we don't have to explain dietary restrictions.

 

I need to email the  director some questions about specifics (like Archery equipment, we have none), so should I ask to try it out? How do 4H groups usually handle new comers who are not sure???Should I maybe call her instead?

 

Any other tips for new 4Hers? Is there a 4H list of what each group is? 

Edited October 26, 2016 by Um_2_4

[FaithManor]

You should be able to get the contact information for the group leaders. I would call, introduce yourself, let them know your concerns,state that you are very excited about the prospect of joining and then see what kind of response you get. You can attend meetings as a visitor and so can your children so try each club before committing.

 

The 4H secretary at the extension office should be maintaining a list of current clubs and a description of their areas of emphasis. That said, you can do projects outside of the club so even if it is a sewing club, your student is welcome to pursue science prokects or woodworking or whatever and there should be a resource leader list of volunteers with specific expertise who can be contacted for help. However, I realize from posters on this board that my county is 4H heavy and very organized. It is quite robust, but many of you do not have access to as much support. So my "shoulds" are the ideal and necessarily the reality for each state and county.

[FaithManor]

As for religious holidays, most of our local clubs do not meet or have activities on thr National Holidays or Easter, etc. We do not host anything remotely religious and would be in BIG trouble if we did because the organization is sponsored through state and county funding, nor can wr do anything that smacks of discrimination. So for us and.again the clubs in our county you would not find activities related to religious holidays. However, I cannot speak for 4H in other areas. I would suspect that officially they are not supposed to, but in practice who knows.

[Wheres Toto]

So inspired by the other thread I finally got contact info for a homeschool 4H group nearby! YAY!

 

I got an email with info about times and groups.

DS12 and DD10 are interested in the Archery. DS in the Bird (pet variety) group (although he has no idea what they do there???)

our animal groups usually do presentations on proper care of the pets, maybe breeding and dealing with problems.  They may do meetings that are training sessions or just have speakers come in.  Most of the animal clubs, you bring your animal to at least some of the meetings.

and the Strategy Games group (what's that?). My son did a Strategy games class in a G&T program.  They started with some card games that taught simple strategy, moved on to games like Chess and Risk.   I think his was Fantasy & Strategy Games so they also did some D&D.

 

DD in the sewing and maybe Arts & Crafts (what is that? like paper crafts? They have sewing, needle crafts and arts & crafts as 3 separate groups?). Sadly no rocketry or Robotics or marksmanship (what DS REALLY wanted).

 

But well, my welcome to HS groups around here has been less than warm (for those who do not know me I am a hijab wearing American Muslim Mom). So I would like to go and feel it out iykwim. 

I'm sure it may vary based on leadership and area of the country, but 4-H is completely secular and inclusive.   There is no mention of God in the pledge, no restriction allowed based on religion, race, creed, etc.   Hijab would not be an unusual thing in my county but I'm in a pretty diverse area of the country.

 

Are activities usually centered around western holidays, will that be an issue? For some reason I thought 4H was less like Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts in that manner.

All activities are supposed to be completely inclusive so no religious holiday activities.   We do march in a St. Patrick's Day parade and visit nursing homes around the winter holidays.  Both are county-wide and optional.  

 

We will skip the food group so we don't have to explain dietary restrictions.

I'm not sure how they can do a food group - my club has 1 allergic to tree nuts, 1 allergic to peanuts, 1 allergic to eggs, 2 gluten free, 1 allergic to milk, 2 who are vegetarian, and 2 who follow Jewish dietary guidelines.

 

I need to email the  director some questions about specifics (like Archery equipment, we have none), so should I ask to try it out? How do 4H groups usually handle new comers who are not sure???Should I maybe call her instead?

I have had people come and try out my club and we've tried out some clubs ourselves.  Our county office encourages club leaders to contact interested people right away, invite them to come to a meeting and provide them with information about the requirements, fees, etc.  Our Archery and shooting clubs do have equipment newcomers can use until they decide how active they want to be.    Most of our contact is through email.

 

Any other tips for new 4Hers? Is there a 4H list of what each group is? 

I'm not sure what you mean by the list.  Do you mean a description of the groups - like what the Arts & Crafts club would be?  If your county doesn't have a list with that information (mine does), you would probably need to ask the leader.  There isn't a master list for all of 4-H because each leader has a lot of discretion in what they do in their club.

 

Hope this helps.   We are really enjoying our time in 4-H.

[Plink]

4-H is a very eclectic organization.  Even within the same county, some groups meet regularly and have a great sense of community, while others only have business meetings a couple times a year and show at fairs.  Some are extremely welcoming of newcomers, and others are insular and closed (even though they technically won't ever say so).  It is all dependent upon the leaders at each particular club.

 

Getting involved in all those projects at once seems overwhelming to me.  I'd visit each group and see which one you click with.  I'm sure you will find something that works well with your family's interests and schedule.  

[IfIOnly]

Def. Call each club leader and ask how the club works and meeting time etc. It's nice for the leaders to have a heads up and meeting places and times change and the directory may not be updated. I've had several clubs tell me they're too full over the years as well. Re holidays: yes some are observed but we just opt or go along with the few times it comes up like a Halloween craft or Christmas tree ornament sewing project. We don't celebrate Most holidays either. I hope you have a great year with 4-H! It's a great program.

Edited October 7, 2016 by ifIonlyhadabrain

[Bambam]

Ask about ages too - especially for Archery. We haven't been in 4-H for 3 years now, but I seem to remember a minimum age as of August 31 for that school year. I cannot remember what age it was though.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Bambam

[Um_2_4]

Updated in post 1

[FaithManor]

Yay!!! I am so happy you found a good fit. Have fun!

[magic]

I am glad you decided to join.  I am sure you will all enjoy it.

[IfIOnly]

I'm so happy for your family! :)