Components of a Virtual 4-H Club Meeting

Download this tip sheet: Components of a Virtual 4-H Club Meeting (PDF)

A virtual 4-H club meeting will have many of the same components as a face-to-face meeting. You may just need to think a bit differently about how you will incorporate certain aspects.

Ice-breakers

Sometimes it is hard to start a meeting when not everyone is comfortable or familiar with the online format. Ice-breakers offer a fun way to check in with individual members, provide a team-building exercise, or take a break and refocus the group. Ask a youth member to choose an ice-breaker ahead of time.

US flag and 4-H flagThe Pledge

The pledge is a great way to signal the beginning of the meeting. When the group is ready to begin, they should keep the format as they normally would by starting with the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-H Pledge. Ask a member to lead each of the pledges. Post a picture of the flags on your screen.

Post a picture of the flags on your screen.

Screen sharing feature.

Agenda

Using an agenda can help keep everyone on track to move through meeting items. When the agenda is created, add approximate time frames and ask a youth to be a timekeeper. Agendas can be sent out ahead of time with the Zoom link for the meeting, posted in the chatbox, or shared via the screen sharing feature.

Chew and Chat

Virtual meetings should be kept to less than an hour. Socializing is an important part of the 4-H meeting. Invite youth to bring their own snack and save the last 10 minutes to visit as a group.

Voting

As part of your business meeting, you may have items to vote on in order to make decisions. Club officers should follow their regular routines (ex. president should invite a motion to be made, secretary should still record results, etc.) but the actual vote may look a little different.

  • Round robin: The president would simply call out one person at a time and each member would state their vote verbally.
  • Chat box: Each member can type their vote into the chat box. Youth who call in and don’t have access to the chatbox can text their vote to someone to post in the chatbox or simply speak to vote.
  • Poll feature: The meeting host can set up a poll question allowing youth to vote anonymously.
  • Reactions feature: Members can click on the bottom menu bar and “raise” their hand icon to vote.

Type your vote into the chat box.

Set up a poll question.