SKL Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I'm considering having my 8yo daughters participate in 4H (in my sister's rural county), as they don't have scout activities over the summer. Due to their ages, one would have to participate as a "cloverbud" and the other could have a competitive project. I'm told they would attend the same meetings and work on related stuff. Please share your thoughts and experiences with 4H. It sounds pretty interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I was in 4-H for 12 years as a member and am now a 4-H mom and club leader. It's a great program, but there is a bit of a learning curve if you're unfamiliar with the organization. The 4-H experience can vary pretty widely by state and even by county, so if you try one club and it isn't what you're looking for, try another. In our county, most project work is done individually, though there are some countywide project leaders and meetings. Your local Extension Agent(s) will help you learn more about what opportunities and clubs are available in your area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 4H can be a great experience. It really depends on how well the club is run. We have been in clubs that were great and very organized and then we have been in others that had no organization or idea on what to do. Check out a few and see what works for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 In my area Cloverbuds meet once a month during the school year. The kids do a project led by the agent. Some of the projects mine have done include making a rain stick, making a floral arraignment, and cooking. The Cloverbuds don't attend the 4h meetings here. I have found my county to be accomodating as far as ages. My 5 year old started participating when she was still 4 as she was there with me anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldilocks Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Try out the meetings. We have a great Clovers leader. The meetings are fun and well organized. The 4-H leader tries hard, but the meetings are not well-run and the success of the projects depend on the parent organizing them - so some are great and some are so-so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magic Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 We are big 4H fans. Our county has 14 clubs and each club has an emphasis on certain activities but does welcome members to be involved in any activities. Our county has one big Cloverbud group that meets once a month and the kids are introduced to various 4H projects. My daughter is in her 4th of 4H and loves it. I am a leader and I also really enjoy it. The first year my daughter had two projects and one got 5th at state, the second year she had 3 projects and one took state grand champion, the third year she had 3 projects and one took state reserve champion and one took third at state. This year she has 5 projects plus the fashion revue (she participates in this every year but is only county level until senior category). 4H has taught her so much. She gives demonstration speeches to her club, visits local schools to talk about 4H, puts on community project demonstrations, has interview judging, keeps record books, and so much more. This year was the first year that she was old enough to participate in some of the state leadership events. She went to a three day camp in the fall and was elected to our county 4H council. The older she gets and the more involved she is, the more opportunities she receives. She has received several state and county awards which count as merit points towards future scholarships. I have really enjoyed getting to know that youth in our club and other 4H clubs in our county. I have worked with them on their projects throughout the year and cheer them on during county and state fair. It is an amazing feeling to watch a youth achieve something that they have worked so hard on. It also motivates me to learn new skills to share with the youth. 4H does take work and dedication but the rewards are amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirstenhill Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Definitely find out more about the specific club you want to join - how it is organized and exactly what they do at the meetings. Also If the club is not super close to home (which it sounds like yours may not be?), find out where/how far away county offices and county-wide activities will be. We joined a club last year, and it was not a good fit for us. There were very few general purpose clubs in our home (urban) county, so we went one county over. The club meetings seemed very reasonable at a 20-25 minute drive, but all the county activities were more like 45-60 minutes from home one way (too far for us). Even club activities outside of meetings were usually pretty far from home for us. Also, our club had no project groups. All work was done individually. Honestly, my kids thought the meetings were really boring, besides a fun game and one student presenting a speech/presentation, the rest of the meeting was just a business meeting. Needless to say, we didn't continue this year. I think 4-h can be great, it just didn't work for us with this club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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