Can someone compare and contrast Girl Scouts and 4-H?

[Aspasia]

We did Girl Scouts this last year, and it was okay. But I'm also interested in 4-H and I definitely don't want to do both, just for schedule reasons. I know that 4-H is different from GS, but I wonder if any if you would be interested in explaining those differences to me.

[Samiam]

4-H is generally a project-based, a specific project. For example, it might be chickens...so eggs, hatching process, raising chickens. The child keeps a log of the process, and can turn that in at the fair for awards. Other projects I've heard of are dog training, horses (don't have to own one, usually the group gets the uses of horses from an horse place that agrees to help), goats, and there are other projects not farm-related, almost like a science fair type thing, and then there's the baking part. Anyhoo, usually a "group" is all about a similiar project, so a Chicken Group...everyone is doing the chicken thing. We have an Outdoor group here...we gather once a month and do outdoor activities, ie hiking, etc, and not really "project-based" or fair-oriented.. Also multi-ages in one group.

Girls Scouts covers much broader scope in any given year. You said you did GS, so I won't go into the rest.

[bettyandbob]

My dd switched from girl scouts to 4 H. We decided to make the switch when she had on one or two years of juniors. She I'd every animal badge offered. She did not want to work on other stuff. Although she d earn stuff the whole troop did together. When she wasn't interested in other stuff, I said maybe scouts was not the right club. She joined a club with a farm animal focus, based at a park near my home. She learned how to care for cows, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, etc. She also joined a dog focused club. Yes, she was in 2 different clubs . She was in those clubs for about 3 years. She showed a goat at the fair one year. She really enjoyed going in depth with animals in those clubs.

 

Other 4h clubs are going to have different focus'. Some are more general. Each club is different.

 

You should go to the local fair this summer to get an idea of what clubs are in your area and what the focus is.

[duckens]

I wanted to emphasize that 4H doesn't just have to be farm animals. When I was a kid, my sister belonged to "City Cloverettes." She refinished furniture, learned to sew, baked pies, and did a talk on cats.

 

Our 4H group is very science based. We have melted styrofoam, set up a solar system that has size/distance ratios accurate, learned the science of pancakes, tie dyed tshirts, specific gravity, and did pinewood derby. The Speech Contest is recommended every year.

 

We are in Clover Kids, so dd6 is taking a Coral Reef Diorama and a stepping stone. No animals.

 

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We have not done Girl Scouts, but we did do Frontier Girls independently last year. For Frontier Girls, dd6 learned a whole lot about a lot of different subjects: volcanoes, amphibians, Egypt, fire safety, cooking, gardening, etc. That is the value of a badge program. Because she learned so much the past year, we are continuing this next year. However, we work independently on badges. We are not part of a group. I know that GS has a similar path called "Juliets."

 

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4H has evolved into a Communications Program. When my sister was in 4H, she would submit a project with a little write-up. If her project was good, she earned a blue ribbon. Today, the write-up is just as important as the project. Judges ask questions like, "Why did you choose this project? What did you like about it? What was the most challenging part? What did you learn from this project? What would you do differently next time?" Members need to present themselves well in speech and writing. If you are homeschooling, this is a good opportunity for your child to have practice public speaking.

 

Even though dd6 is only in Clover Kids, she participated in the Communications Contest. At that age, the kids make a poster on whatever subject they want. Dd6 chose Snow Leopards. The judges are VERY GENTLE with the Clover Kids. They don't want to scare the kids off. They really want the kids to come back next year and do another poster, or even a talk (age 8+).

 

This will be our first year taking anything to fair, but we are assured that, again, the judges are very gentle with the younger kids.

 

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Once one reaches the 4H age, there are specialized clubs within 4H that one can join. So, if we continue with 4H, dd will still be part of our regular club, but she may also join the "firearms and archery group" or the "cooking group" or any other specialized group within driving distance.

 

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Please feel free to PM if you have any other questions, or if I have been unclear.

[Aspasia]

Oh, so we don't have to actually own the animals? I always thought we did, and that has been one of the things that made me think we were limited in our 4-H options (most of the clubs around us seem to be farm-oriented). Okay, this just became interesting.

[Aspasia]

I wanted to emphasize that 4H doesn't just have to be farm animals. When I was a kid, my sister belonged to "City Cloverettes." She refinished furniture, learned to sew, baked pies, and did a talk on cats.

 

Our 4H group is very science based. We have melted styrofoam, set up a solar system that has size/distance ratios accurate, learned the science of pancakes, tie dyed tshirts, specific gravity, and did pinewood derby. The Speech Contest is recommended every year.

 

We are in Clover Kids, so dd6 is taking a Coral Reef Diorama and a stepping stone. No animals.

 

-------------------------------------------------------

We have not done Girl Scouts, but we did do Frontier Girls independently last year. For Frontier Girls, dd6 learned a whole lot about a lot of different subjects: volcanoes, amphibians, Egypt, fire safety, cooking, gardening, etc. That is the value of a badge program. Because she learned so much the past year, we are continuing this next year. However, we work independently on badges. We are not part of a group. I know that GS has a similar path called "Juliets."

 

------------------------------------------------------------------

 

4H has evolved into a Communications Program. When my sister was in 4H, she would submit a project with a little write-up. If her project was good, she earned a blue ribbon. Today, the write-up is just as important as the project. Judges ask questions like, "Why did you choose this project? What did you like about it? What was the most challenging part? What did you learn from this project? What would you do differently next time?" Members need to present themselves well in speech and writing. If you are homeschooling, this is a good opportunity for your child to have practice public speaking.

 

Even though dd6 is only in Clover Kids, she participated in the Communications Contest. At that age, the kids make a poster on whatever subject they want. Dd6 chose Snow Leopards. The judges are VERY GENTLE with the Clover Kids. They don't want to scare the kids off. They really want the kids to come back next year and do another poster, or even a talk (age 8+).

 

This will be our first year taking anything to fair, but we are assured that, again, the judges are very gentle with the younger kids.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------

Once one reaches the 4H age, there are specialized clubs within 4H that one can join. So, if we continue with 4H, dd will still be part of our regular club, but she may also join the "firearms and archery group" or the "cooking group" or any other specialized group within driving distance.

 

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Please feel free to PM if you have any other questions, or if I have been unclear.

 

 

This is very helpful! Thank you so much!

[Word Nerd]

4-H can vary from state to state and even county to county. Our club is mostly farm animal-based, but we still have members who don't have any animals. Most projects in our area don't have a local or county leader except for the popular ones like photography, cooking, clothing, shooting sports, and various livestock projects, so there are more individual activities and fewer group project meetings than when I was in 4-H. There's a focus on communications skills, leadership, and community service.

[duckens]

Look online for club choices for 4H. Google "Join 4H [county state]". Our Extension Office had the clubs and a description listed online, with contact information. I emailed our leaders and asked to attend a meeting or two with my daughter to see if it was a good fit for us.

 

There may not be any more meetings between now and August. Everyone is getting ready for fair. Another way you can connect with 4H/Clover Kids is to attend your local county fair. Our local fair usually has plenty of 4H propaganda in the display hall. They would love for you to give 4H a try.

[Sparkle]

4-H is coed, for one thing. It is a lot of fun, and you don't have to own an animal, as others have mentioned. Different clubs have different focuses. Our club is huge, and is run like a co-op, so the parents are heavily involved. Some of the projects we've had: photography, beading, sewing, archery, soccer, entomology, Vikings, Rubik's Cube, Legos, dissection, Middle Eastern cooking, poultry, rabbits, dog training, glass crafts, PVC crafts, music theory, sign language, nature crafts, card making, scrapbooking, improv drama, cake decorating, woodworking, welding, marbles, hooping, kitchen chemistry...you name it, we've made it into a 4-H project. Kids work on things during the year, and can exhibit at the fair. There are also lots of opportunities for leadership (being a club officer, being on a committee), fundraising, communication, community service, etc.

[Jane in NC]

As someone else mentioned, 4-H programs vary from state to state and even county to county within the state. I would start with a visit to your Cooperative Extension office to see what is happening in your community.

 

We love 4-H! In fact, even though my son has moved on to college, I continue to be a volunteer with my local 4-H program. Initially mu guy was part of a club, but in his teenage years he moved on to leadership positions teaching younger kids things like the annual electric project.

 

4-Hers have the opportunity to work on communication skills via Presentations (Demonstrations), a competitive program. Students give five to twelve minute talks on a variety of topics--anything from making ice cream to the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. The work that one does in a specific area can be recorded in a project book. These written books can be entered into competition. I found that they served as great examples for kids on how to document progress. In fact, my son was said that both the oral and written aspects of his 4-H past have served him well as a college student. But YMMV since these things are always optional within any 4-H program.

 

Where we live, 4-H offers opportunities for teens to earn "clover bucks", essentially funds for future 4-H events. My son rarely paid for overnights or ski trips with these accumulated scholarship funds. Again, every 4-H organization is a little different.

 

By the way, he never did anything with animals. My son's 4-H work included a variety of natural resource projects, electric projects, even sewing.

[AmyontheFarm]

I have 3 in 4H and it's our first year. DS is taking "Field Crops" and "Plowing" DD is taking "Dairy Cattle" and both DD's are taking Knitting. It's been fun for them and for me so far.

[Rosyl]

Oh, so we don't have to actually own the animals? I always thought we did, and that has been one of the things that made me think we were limited in our 4-H options (most of the clubs around us seem to be farm-oriented). Okay, this just became interesting.

 

 

we are in a variety club. The variety club is more than animals. There are art, small engines, robotics, photography, bicycle, outdoors, archery, birds, scrapbooking, electricity and cooking projects. One of the girls this year is doing global gourmet and she has cooked meals form 9 different countries. download a family guide for 4h from your state to see everything 4h has to offer. here is Ohio's http://www.ohio4h.org/4-h-parents-volunteers/family-guide