Getting Involved

Member Criteria
All youth participating in the 4-H Program must be enrolled as Cloverbuds or 4-H Members through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County for the current 4-H project year.

Cloverbuds must be 5 years old before January 1st of the current year and enrolled in Kindergarten. 4-H members must be 8 years old, but not have reached their 19th birthday before January 1st of the current year.

At the end of each 4-H project year all 4-H members are eligible for a Certificate of Participation or a Certificate and Pin of Completion. Cloverbuds are eligible for a Certificate of Participation. All certificates are based on the discretion of the 4-H club leader or parent of independently enrolled members. Members that qualify for a Certificate of Completion will be given preference over one who just participates in an activity or project when being selected for special recognition, such as awards, trips, etc

Club Criteria
A 4-H club will consist of at least five members and one adult leader who are enrolled in the Chenango County 4-H Program through Cornell Cooperative Extension. Members may be any combination of Cloverbuds (ages 5-7) and/or 4-Hers
(ages 8-19).

Clubs must:
- Plan and adopt a program for the year, required on an annual basis
- Organize and elect officers (suggested, but not required)
- Apply for a Club Charter

Applying for Club Charter

Once a club has met all of the above club criteria they may submit the "Application For A Club Charter" that is printed in the front of the Club Secretary's Handbook to the 4-H Office.
Once a club has received a Charter, it is not necessary to ever apply for one again.

Club Seal of Achievement
In order to receive a Club Seal of Achievement for a club charter, a 4-H Club must:

Be a 4-H Club unit recognized as such and enrolled for the current 4-H year through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County.
Apply for and receive a "4-H Club Charter"…Having met all of the above 4-H Club Criteria.
Hold at least six regular business meetings during the current 4-H year with the club secretary keeping minutes in the official 4-H Club Secretary's Handbook provided by the 4-H Office.
Have every member enrolled with the Chenango County 4-H office and participate in at least one 4-H project.
Have put on an exhibit of its work to parents or others…Such as set up a display of its projects or activities at the Chenango County Fair, participate in a community fair, set up a window display in a prominent place in the community, or hold a special club exhibit program for the members' families, etc.
Have at least six out of every ten club members (60%) satisfactorily complete the current 4-H project year…Based on the 4-H club leader's discretion.

4-H Honor Club
In order to qualify as a "4-H Honor Club," a 4-H club must:

Have met all of the above criteria for a "4-H CLUB SEAL OF ACHIEVEMENT"
Have completed at least one Community Service Project during the current 4-H year… for which a blue "Community Service Award Report Form" has been filled out in the 4-H Office.
Give back to the county wide 4-H program by participating in at least one of the county-wide 4-H fundraising events… Fall Kit Sale (beginning in September), Spring Cookie and Candy Sale (beginning in March)k OR volunteering at a county organized event… such as the Chenango County Fair, Public Presentations, Clothing Revue, Holiday Workshop, etc.
Promote the 4-H Program by participating in at least one of the two National promotions during the year… National 4-H Week in October and/or National Volunteer Week in April.
Have at least one member participate in the County Public Presentations Event
Have a General Organizational Leader who has completed the Leader Certification Program. Workshops are held before each regularly scheduled 4-H Leaders' Association Meeting.

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Volunteer Opportunities
There are several types of volunteer roles that contribute to the success of the Chenango County 4-H program. Some volunteer positions are tied to a specific local club and some help out at the county level. Below is a general description of the most common volunteer opportunities. Contact the 4-H office for more details about these or other volunteer positions.

Organizational Leader
The organizational leader establishes and maintains a club structure that supports 4-H Youth Development activities for school age youth within a defined area. He/she works with the project leader, activity leader and youth in planning the club program; arranges for meeting facilities; complies with Cornell Cooperative Extension procedures; ensures that all enrollments, program registrations, and reports are filled out and turned in to the county 4-H office; keeps the 4-H Educator staff informed about activities, accomplishments and problems. An organizational leader may also act as a project leader.

Project Leader
The project leader provides instruction and guidance to 4-H members when doing a project. The key component of the project leader's role is teaching; the "classroom" is wherever the members meet in order to work on their project(s). Project leaders may also assist with project-related activities on the county level and guide members in the selection of projects and the completion of project reports.

Activity Leader
The activity leader is responsible to help members plan for and participate in one or more specific activities the club has included in its yearly plan. These include such things as community service, public presentations, special celebrations, trips, etc.

Resource Leader
Resource leaders are volunteers who are selected by Cooperative Extension staff to aid, train and work with 4-H club leaders or members on a short-term basis. They have a specialization in a certain program area and have undergone training or have completed a certification program. Resource leaders often teach workshops or serve as evaluators at fairs and contests. Some examples of resource leaders are: Master Sewer, Master Gardener or SAREP instructor.

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