Meetings should be flexible. Not every meeting has to include all five parts nor does each club have to follow this order. In fact, effective 4-H groups are those which vary how they do things from meeting to meeting. This variety and flexibility helps keep youth interested and involved.
Part 1: Opening--5 minutes
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
This is often helpful to set the mood for the rest of the meeting. It could include a get-acquainted activity, the Pledge of Allegiance, the 4-H Pledge, a song, and roll call.
Part 2: Business session--15-20 minutes
A business meeting is not necessary at every meeting. Have a business session only when you have definite business to discuss.
This is the heart of most 4-H meetings and may include a variety of activities. They may be identified by the club as appropriate in reaching their goals.
Some possibilities are:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Through recreation at club meetings, members learn to create their own fun, to cooperate, to give as well as follow directions, and to better understand themselves and others. Some clubs schedule recreational activities while waiting for all members to arrive; others prefer having this at the end of the meeting. Simple action games use up excess energy and can teach information or skills. Games also provide an opportunity for 4-H members to lead their club (it is usually helpful to discuss the game or activity details with the member before he/she leads it).
"New Games" or "PLAYFAIR" activities are particularly good at providing interaction among members. They are also easy to lead.
Through recreation at club meetings members learn to create their own fun, to cooperate as well as follow directions, and to better understand themselves and others.
Once again, it is up to your club. If your meeting is right after school, you may want to start with a snack. A Saturday morning meeting might end with refreshments. Some meetings may not need any. Refreshments should not be provided by the leader.
In planning with club officers, a worksheet is helpful. Such a sheet may be open ended or very structured as shown in the next two examples.