4-H Record Book Tips
February Tips!
Start your record book at the beginning of the 4-H Year!
- Write goals for the new year at the BEGINNING of the 4-H year!
- Try to write 3-4 goals for each project that you are taking!
- Examples
- Teach my Market Lamb to brace when prompted to
- Learn how to blow-dry my steer without my parents hands-on help
- Learn a new baking or cooking technique
- Hit the bullseye with my bow at every meeting
- Teach my dog a new command
- These goals are important for you later in the year when you hit a "lull" in your projects and want a challenge
- Also, think about how exciting it will be when you hit your goal(s)!!
- Examples
- Try to write 3-4 goals for each project that you are taking!
March Tips!
Each 4-H project has unique and specific guidelines for project completion.
Here's some basic Completion Criteria for you to think about!
- Complete a minimum of seven activities found in your project book
- No they don't have to be in order, unless your book specifically tells you!
- Pick and choose your projects but don't do all the easy ones this year because you
don't want to be stuck with only hard ones next year!
- Maybe do 2 easy ones, 3 somewhat difficult ones, and 2 hard ones!
- Split up your projects over the 4-H year!
- Try to do ones that you can do indoors now and save the outside ones for when the weather is nicer
- Don't save all of your projects for the night before interview day! I have done this and it is not fun for you or your parents!
- Pick and choose your projects but don't do all the easy ones this year because you
don't want to be stuck with only hard ones next year!
- Complete a minimum of three learning experiences throughout the year!
- This can include demonstrations, taking a tour, job shadowing, and even exhibiting at the fair can be included! :)
- No they don't have to be in order, unless your book specifically tells you!
April Tips!
Writing your "My 4-H Story"
"My 4-H Story" is supposed to be a story all about your 4-H year whether is about a trip you went on, an experience you had over the summer, fun things you did with your animals, or even different tricks you learned when working on your project.
Here's a couple tips to you help you write your "My 4-H Story":
- Personalize it
- Write your story as if you are talking directly to the reader
- The story should have four parts and be no longer than two side of one page
- Write about yourself
- Write about your projects
- Share any experiences you had with your club members
- Write about fun things that happened during your school year
- Write what new things you have learned and how they helped you
Your "My 4-H Story" does not have to be just about your 4-H projects. It can be about anything that happened during your year! Make it fun to write and fun to read!