Youth Officer Duties

Youth Officers

Becoming a youth officer in 4-H is a fantastic opportunity to grow as a leader and make a real impact in your community! As an officer, you'll help plan and run club meetings, take on important roles, and work with your team to organize fun events. You'll learn how to lead, communicate, and solve problems while gaining valuable skills that will help you in the future. Plus, it’s a great way to build confidence, make new friends, and be a part of something exciting!

Holding an office leads to increased:

planning and organizing skills
teamwork, leadership, and social skills
communication and public speaking skills
self-responsibility
decision making skills
record keeping and management skills

Responsibilities

As an officer, you will manage the planning and implementation of the club’s programs and business. You will be a guardian of the club’s legal, financial, social, and educational responsibilities. Officers are responsible for ensuring that the club is inclusive and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or ability.

The general duties of holding an office include:

Learn and act upon the duties of your office.
Be an active member of the board of officers.
Attend officer executive board meetings.
Attend club meetings and activities.
Lead in planning meetings and events.
Give your opinion on issues, but also listen to what others have to say.
Actively represent 4-H in your community.
Let the officer advisor know if you are unable to attend a meeting.
Evaluate 4-H club meetings and your 4-H club.

Club officers and officer advisors have an important responsibility to their club, the University of California, and the public. The club has educational goals for its membership, service and membership goals for the community, and fiscal and legal responsibilities to the University of California.

President

As president, you will help provide leadership to your team of officers. You will work with the other officers to set club goals, organize activities and plan programs for the year. The president leads the monthly club meetings, makes sure that officers give reports on club business and engages all members in club committees and activities.

General Duties

Lead the team of club officers to set and manage annual goals using the GPS goal management system, plan activities and organize events.
Meet with club officers and the officer advisor before each club meeting to plan the agenda.
Lead the monthly club meetings.
Lead the business part of the club meeting.
Make sure that officers have reports and activities ready for your club meeting.
Ask the vice president for programs to lead the meeting when you are unable to attend.
Communicate with officers and the officer advisors regularly.
Appoint members to participate on club committees, choose members that have a spark for that activity as well as members who want to learn more about it.
Ask for adult volunteers to advise and coach committees.
Become familiar with parliamentary procedures and consensus methods of making decisions.

At Club Meetings

Fill out the business section of your 4-H Club Meeting Planner.
Begin and end the meeting on time.
Follow the planned meeting agenda.
Appoint an alternate recording secretary if the elected one is absent. All leaders have times when they have to shift gears on the fly.
Guide the meeting. During discussions focus on addressing and resolving issues and concerns, not your own opinions.
Appoint committees as needed, encouraging participation so that each member can serve on a committee at least once a year.
Have members approve, by budget approval or specific request, all expenses paid by the treasurer.

End of Year

Appoint a committee of members and adult volunteers to review the treasurer’s records. This review process ensures clear, accurate and complete financial records.
See that the club officers give their completed books or yearend reports to the club advisor by the due date set by the club.
Remember to thank the club officers and the advisor for their cooperation and support as you leave the office.

4-H Officers Manual: https://ucanr.edu/sites/UC4-H/files/167443.pdf

Appendix I: Parliamentary Decision Making

Appendix II: 4-H Club Business Meeting Agenda

Appendix V: 4-H Club Meeting Planner

Appendix VI: Annual 4-H Club Planner

4-H Club Program Planning Guide, https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2019-10/312196.pdf

Robert’s Rules of Order (available at your local bookstore)

Vice President - Program

The vice president for programs has several duties including the creation and distribution of an annual club program calendar. Perhaps the most important part of this officer’s job is to lead the program of every club meeting. You make sure that club members learn something new, experience something different and build their skills during the club meeting. This club officer position can be combined with the vice president for membership’s role, or can be done separately to allow more club members to participate as a club officer.

General Duties

Work with the team of club officers to set and manage annual goals using the GPS goal management system, plan activities and organize events for the program year. Fill out the Annual 4-H Club Planner.
Arrange activities, speakers and events for the program part of the club meeting. Think of presentations that will increase members’ competence and love of learning.
Lead the program part of the club meetings.
Distribute the club program calendar and annual program plan to all club members and their families.
Learn the duties of the president and lead meetings when the president is absent.

For Club Meetings

Work with a program committee to plan the program for each club meeting.
Fill out the program section of your 4-H Club Meeting Planner.
Contact presenters or speakers immediately after plans for a program have been made.
Confirm in writing with the speaker the date, time and place of the meeting, along with your name and phone number.
Arrange to make available any audio-visual equipment that you might need for the presentation.

At Club Meetings

Greet speakers at the door, and introduce them to the other club officers and community club leader before the meeting.
Before the presentation, introduce the speaker to the club.
Say the title of the presentation and give some background
information about the speaker.
At the end of a presentation, thank the speaker and ask the audience to say a few things about what they learned.
Ask the correspondence secretary to write a thank-you note to the speaker.

End of Year

Think about ways to improve your club program in the future and share with the officer team.
Suggest activities, speakers and presentations for next year.

Steps to Planning a Program:

Survey the members’ interests.
Prioritize ideas and select one.
Establish a planning committee.
Plan the program
Coordinate responsibilities.
Celebrate and evaluate the completed program.

More Information https://ucanr.edu/sites/UC4-H/files/167443.pdf

Appendix I: Parliamentary Decision Making

Appendix V: 4-H Club Meeting Planner

Appendix VI: Annual 4-H Club Planner

Robert’s Rules of Order (available at your local bookstore)

Vice President - Membership

The vice president for membership, which can also be combined with the duties of the vice president of programs, is responsible for doing outreach. Outreach is reaching out to people in order to get them interested, excited and involved in 4-H and your work.

As the club officer in this role, it is your job to do your best to make sure that the community surrounding your club is aware that the club exists, understands what your club does and knows how to get involved. You will basically be promoting 4-H and your club to youth, parents and other people that might be able to help your club in reaching its goals. This is what persistent resourcefulness is all about – engaging people and resources to help you.

General Duties

Join with club officers to identify goals, activities, and events for the club year.
Form a membership committee.
Chair the membership committee and lead them in creating yearly plans for recruiting new members and adult volunteers.
Take notes on all outreach efforts.
Learn the duties of the president and the vice president for programs (in case that isn’t already you) so that you can lead club meetings in their absence.

During Club Year

Plan outreach displays and public presentations by 4-H members.
Send out media releases informing the public about your club.
Sample releases may be obtained from your UCCE county office.
Personally invite potential members to attend your club meetings and help them join the club.
Greet and host guests who attend your club meetings.
Introduce guests to club members during the meeting, when called upon by the president.
Answer questions about 4-H and your club.
Keep a club guest book.
Keep a record of the membership committee’s outreach activities, such as personal invitations you or others have made, lists of personal contacts, presentations, displays arranged and public events sponsored.
Keep copies of flyers, newspaper articles, media releases, letters and other items that document the committee’s efforts.

End of Year

Work with the officer advisor to complete the 4-H Outreach Methods Documentation form.
In cooperation with the community club leader, submit completed 4-H Outreach Methods Documentation form to the UCCE county office.

More Information https://ucanr.edu/sites/UC4-H/files/167443.pdf

Appendix I: Parliamentary Decision Making

Appendix VI: Annual 4-H Club Planner

Appendix VII: 4-H Outreach Methods Documentation

Appendix VIII: 4-H Outreach Methods Documentation

Secretaries

The secretaries duties can be done by one, two or three people. Think about sharing the responsibilities with 4-H members in your club to give more people a chance to try doing something different and new that they might not have tried before. If there is more than one secretary, you probably want to figure out ahead of time what each person will be doing. The secretary’s, or secretaries’, main job is to make a secretary’s binder and keep it updated with important club documents.

Recording Secretary

General Duties

Take minutes for each meeting. Minutes are notes about the who, what, when and how of the club meeting. If there is ever a dispute later, your minutes will be important in determining if an issue was brought up and fully discussed.
It is important to keep accurate, legible minutes.
Create and keep updated a secretary’s binder for the program year. Your binder sections should include: annual goals and annual program plans; annual club planner; the club roster and attendance; meeting agendas; meeting minutes; committee reports; correspondence; and outreach methods documentation.

At Club Meetings

Sit next to the president.
Stand up and read minutes of the last meeting when the president calls for them to be read. Make corrections to the minutes if club members tell you they are needed.
Take minutes for all club meetings.
Record all motions and the names of the people who make and second those motions. In parliamentary procedure, motions are requests for a decision to be made at a meeting. As needed, the secretary reads the motion aloud to the group. Note changes to a motion. Enter the final motion and membership vote in your minutes.
Record the names of officers elected, committees appointed and other business conducted during the meeting. Make note of the meeting’s guest speakers and any demonstrations, entertainment or activities that took place during the meeting.
Record the treasurer’s report in your minutes of the meeting.
Keep lists of topics that are talked about and require further discussion at the next meeting (“old business”). When asked by the president, share the nature of any old business that needs attention. If there is no old business, state that to the president.
Collect and file all committee reports in your binder.
If you have to miss a meeting, make sure that the secretary’s binder gets to the meeting. The corresponding secretary or someone picked by the president will take the minutes.

End of Year

Give the community club leader a completed secretary’s binder, including minutes from all club meetings. You may need to collect documents from the other officers (e.g., outreach methods documentation) to finish your binder.

Correspondence Secretary

General Duties

Collect and write all correspondence for the club.
Send thank-you notes to guest speakers and to people who make donations to the club. Work with the treasurer to make sure you are informed of any donations so that you can send a thank-you in a timely manner.
File all correspondence in the secretary’s binder.

At Club Meetings

When called on by the president, read aloud to the club members any letters, cards or thank-you notes received by the club.
Report on any letters you have written on behalf of the club since the last meeting.
During the meeting, make notes of any letters, notes or cards that club members decide they want you to write and send out.

End of Year

Make sure you have filed all correspondence for the club in the secretary’s binder.

Attendance Secretary

General Duties

Keep attendance records for the club.
As requested, assist the community club leader or volunteer enrollment coordinator with enrollment.
Update the member roster.
File attendance records and member roster in the secretary’s binder.

At Club Meetings

Take roll at each club meeting and keep a record of who attended each meeting.
This can be done in a fun way by using one of the Healthy Living roll call activities.
Check with the Healthy Living Officer for each month’s “Roll Call for Health”. Other methods include calling each name, passing around a sign-in sheet or taking attendance as members arrive. The method that works best will depend on the size of your club.

End of Year

Make sure you have filed all attendance records and the member roster for the club in the secretary’s binder.

More Information https://ucanr.edu/sites/UC4-H/files/167443.pdf

Appendix III: 4-H Club Meeting Minutes

Appendix IV: 4-H Club Meeting Minutes Sample

Cornell University Cooperative Extension Choose Health Officer Guide,

http://4h.ucanr.edu/Programs/Clubs/Officers/

Treasurer

As the treasurer, you help plan the club’s budget for the year, keep all the banking and financial records for your club and help make sure that your club’s money is used responsibly, ethically and fairly.

Being in charge of the club’s finances is a big responsibility, and if you have limited experience creating a budget and managing large sums of money, it could be difficult at first and with effort and persistence it will get easier over time. Managing money is a life skill that all successful people learn. Seeking other help is also an important skill—ask questions when you need to. Your officer advisor, club officer team, the 4-H Treasurer’s Manual and maybe even last year’s treasurer will all be available to assist you.

General Duties

Meet with your team of club officers and officer advisor(s) to develop a club budget for the year.
Account fully for all money that is received and/or spent.
Pay all bills authorized for payment by the club budget or by club members.
Maintain financial records including copies of all invoices, bills and cash receipts relating to the funds and property of your club. Save your receipts, they are important!
Keep accurate, up-to-date records in the ledgers or on a computer using accounting software.
Balance (“reconcile”) the ledger reports with monthly bank statements. Balance refers to the money paid versus the money your club has.
Keep an inventory of club property and equipment.
Participate in the annual treasurer training.

At Club Meetings

Provide current ledger reports at all club meetings.
Report on all bills paid and all money received since the last meeting.
Report on sub-account balances. Sub-accounts are the smaller accounts in one account that help you keep track of club money. For example, you might have a club account, and sub-accounts like “conference funds,” “shore cleanup fund,” and “funds for fair” to track how much money your club spends on each of those things out of the total.
Tell the membership the present club balance.
Ask if there are any bills to be presented by members or adult volunteers to you for payment.
Ask the club to take action on all bills that require a motion to pay – that is, the expenses were not included in the approved club budget.

End of Year

Complete the Annual Financial Report.
Update the Annual Inventory Report.
Give all financial records and treasurer’s reports to the club’s peer review committee for the year-end club peer review.
In cooperation with the community club leader, furnish copies of all end-of-year reports to the club, the county volunteer management organization (e.g., council) and the UCCE county office.
Meet with the next year’s treasurer to go over the club finances.
Complete all tasks outlined in the 4-H Member Treasurer’s Checklist (found in the
4-H Treasurer’s Manual).

More Information

4-H Treasurer’s Manual, http://4h.ucanr.edu/Programs/Clubs/Officers/

4-H Policy Handbook – Chapter 9: Financial Management, http://4h.ucanr.edu/Resources/Policies/Chapter9/

Civic Engagement Officer

Your role as the club’s Civic Engagement Officer is to be responsible for all aspects of one or more service projects that your club participates in during the 4-H year. You will give leadership to the project and create a Civic Engagement Committee who will collaborate and delegate responsibilities to club members, advisors, and parents. In addition to promoting community service and service learning activities, you will also help inform your club’s members about the differences between the two. You will work with other officers to provide ways to introduce service projects to your club during club meetings and throughout the year.

General Duties

Meet with other club officers and officer advisor(s) as part of the Executive Board
Form a Civic Engagement Committee including at least two adult partners.
Chair the Civic Engagement Committee.
Work with other club officers to organize a Service Learning training for your club to make sure the members understand the difference between community service and service learning.
With the Civic Engagement Committee, plan, execute, and promote at least one Service Learning project for the program.
Take pictures during the service activity
Write an article about Service Learning for your club or county newsletter.
Encourage members to document their participation on their Personal Development report and or Annual Project Report.
Keep detailed financial records of your club's service projects.
Report on the completion of service learning projects to the 4-H Delivers Story (e.g. what issue did your project address Why was the project important? What did 4-H do? Describe the impact on participants, 4-H clubs/county and the broader community. Why was this project significant? Make sure you take pictures during the service activity.

At Club Meetings

Report on the Civic Engagement Committee’s activities and plans.
Give a training or presentation on Community Service and Service Learning.
Ask for ideas of service activities from the members.
Enlist members to participate in planned service activities.
Encourage members to consider civic-minded topics for Presentation Day entries.

End of Year

Report completed Community Service and Service Learning Projects through a 4-H Delivers Story
Create a full committee report detailing Community Service and Service Learning projects completed or in process.
Transition all record keeping and meeting notes to the new Civic Engagement Officer.

More information

Service Learning Project Planning Guide, http://4h.ucanr.edu/files/255116.pdf

Service Learning Tool Kit, http://4h.ucanr.edu/Projects/Citizenship/service_learning/Toolkit/

Recommended websites:

http://youth.gov/youth-topics/service-learning/what-are-benefits-service-learning

http://character.org/key-topics/service-learning/

Recommended Books:

The Complete Guide to Service Learning: Proven, Practical Ways to Engage Students in Civic Responsibility, Academic Curriculum, & Social Action First Edition by Cathryn Berger Kaye (Author)

Recommended Curriculum:

Level 1: Agents of Change: Service Learning Activities for Middle School Youth

Level 2: Raise Your Voice: Service Learning Activities for High School Youth

Service Learning Helper's Guide: Service Learning Group Activities

https://shop4-h.org/products/service-learning-curriculum-set-of-3

Note: The curriculum guides youth through the service learning phases of planning, executing, reflecting, and generalizing to elevate service activities to learning experiences. Participants learn to identify needs, engage community partners, and have the opportunity to explore civic planning and management as it pertains to community needs. 

Healthy Living Officer

Your role is to lead healthy activities, by suggesting ways to include physical activities and healthy eating in meetings, and write articles for the club newsletter. You'll also work on creating a Wellness Plan for the club. Activities, games and songs help members build club spirit, maintain tradition, friendships and have fun. Being a recreation leader is not all about fun and games though. As the Healthy Living Officer for your club, you can motivate, inspire, ignite sparks and set the general tone for the rest of your club.

General Duties

Plan recreation activities for each club meeting to include each month’s “Let’s Move Activity”.
Practice the games, songs and other activities planned for presentation.
Involve everyone in the recreation activities.
Serve on club committees and organize ceremonies and parties.
Keep a recreation box stocked in preparation for those times when unexpected recreational needs arise at 4-H club meetings, events and activities.
Keep track of your club’s songbooks and recreation supplies.

At Club Meetings

Arrive early to help the other officers greet members and guests as they arrive.
Start an activity or game before the meeting to give people who arrive early something to do.
Use games, songs and activities to help members get acquainted (also known as “Icebreakers”).
Give directions in a voice loud enough to be heard by everyone. Explain the game or song to the group and make sure that everyone understands what to do. Get all members and visitors involved. Smile, be enthusiastic and stick to your time schedule.
After the meeting, store songbooks and recreation supplies.

More Information

Appendix V: 4-H Club Meeting Planner

Cornell University Cooperative Extension Choose Health Officer Guide, http://4h.ucanr.edu/Programs/Clubs/Officers/

ACTIVITIES SHOULD INCLUDE

Plan ways for members to figure out their spark, or what it is in 4-H that they are passionate about.
Plan activities that allow members to express their inner passions, interests and talents. You can find ideas for activities on specific sparks on the Search Institute website: http://www.search-institute.org/sparks/resources/links
Give chances for club members to ask questions, be listened to and get encouragement for effort and practice.
Build skills that members can use whenever they experience new challenges.
Focus on moments where members show joy and energy.

BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ACTIVITIES

Consider starting the year by setting up a large sheet of butcher paper on the wall during the first club meeting and ask members to draw a picture of what excites them about joining 4-H.
Organize a club fair by having representatives from each project set up a table during a meeting to showcase their projects and recruit new members.
Hold a monthly show-and-tell by having one project share stories and give the club updates on what they are doing or have planned for the coming year.
Plan a regular schedule of how-to demonstrations led by a different member of the club during each meeting.
Work with the vice president for programs to invite guest speakers who can lead club members through activities that will increase their understanding of thriving concepts.
(Check with the vice president for programs for ideas.)

Sergeant at Arms

The sergeant at arms helps the president with club duties and helps keep order during meetings. You should be available to help officers and officer advisor(s) with errands and responsibilities. This role is really important from a youth governance perspective, because you will help make sure that meetings run smoothly.

General Duties

Check on room arrangements for each meeting.
Arrive early to each meeting, set up chairs and tables appropriately, and heat or cool the meeting space as needed.
Make sure that club flags and banners are properly displayed and stored.
Help guest speakers carry and set up their audio-visual equipment.

At Club Meetings

Stand in front of the room while the president calls the meeting to order.
Ask members to stand for pledges, and lead the American flag and 4-H pledges, upon the president’s request.
Help the president count votes during the meeting.
Help the secretary take roll. If a sign-in sheet is used, make sure everyone signs it.
Keep order during the meeting. Politely ask members and adults who insist on talking to stop or step outside.
Hand out and collect items.
After the meeting, clean and put away tables and chairs, if required. Make sure the meeting room is clean.

Hospitality Officer

The hospitality officer’s role is celebrating members. Your duty is to provide birthday treats to help the members celebrate their birthdays and to assist with awards. You will invite members to the stage who had a birthday that month and ask them their names and lead club in singing to them.

You will coordinate with other Hospitality Officers to take turns purchasing the treats before the meeting and submitting a check request with your receipt for reimbursement.
You will welcome members when they arrive and ask them to sign in.
After members have signed in with Greeter, you will help direct members and adults to their seats.

Greeter

Greeters welcomes everyone. Your job is to learn every member's name. You will greet everyone when they arrive, make sure they sign in, stamp their record books and answer questions or bring them to an adult that can help them.

One greeter will stamp record books.
One greeter will help members sign in.
Other greeters will ask members to make and wear a name tag.
You will also help arrange refreshments and drinks.

Club Historian

As a 4-H club historian, your primary responsibility is to document and preserve the club's history through collecting and organizing materials like photos, news clippings, and memorabilia, ultimately creating a scrapbook or other visual record of the club's activities and accomplishments.

General Duties

Keep a record of the club’s accomplishments and activities for the year.
Collaborate with the reporter and photographer to collect pictures, news clippings, and social media posts about the club and its members.
Use creativity to organize a concise scrapbook that tells the club’s story for the year.
Include information in the Historian’s Book that is meaningful and relevant to current and future members.
Work with the treasurer and secretary to gather records and to ensure all members’ names are spelled correctly.

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