Independent 4-H’ers
To remain in good standing, Independent 4-H members are required to:
- Have one or more adults as advisers for their 4-H activities. Advisers who are not parents/grandparents must complete initial volunteer training, and enroll as a 4-H volunteer annually.
- Enroll with the Extension Office as a new independent member each year in October.
- Send a Plan of Work to the Extension Office with your enrollment, with specific goals and objectives for the year.
- Send at least three (3) Reports of Activities to the Extension Office each year on the form provided:
Guidelines:
- Participate in a community service activity and do a public display, or 4-H demonstration during the year, and describe these in the progress reports.
- Participation in June Jamboree is encouraged.
- Complete a Project Record Sheet for each project. The purpose is to encourage members to do their own work, develop responsibility, learn record-keeping skills, and state on paper what they have learned. The record should be in the member’s own words, though leaders and parents may give advice and help younger members complete it. Send in a copy of the completed project record by the due date in late October. The exact date is announced in the newsletter each September.
- The number of projects each 4-H member works on during the year depends on the type of project and the maturity of the 4-H member. Advisers should use good judgment in encouraging members to broaden their horizons while helping them to succeed. Each member must complete at least one project. If it is a large animal project, one may be enough. If a project is short-term members are expected to do more than one. A rough guide follows:
- Ages 5 – 8: Two projects
- Ages 9 – 11: Four projects
- Ages 12 – 13: Six projects
- Ages 14 – 18: Eight projects