4-H Advisory Council: Serving Youth

The County 4-H Advisory Council is a diverse group of people with an opportunity to fulfill the desire to serve the youth of their counties.

A 4-H council is composed of 10 to 25 business and professional people, adult and youth volunteers, parents, and representatives of civic organizations from all areas. Each member is a volunteer contributing time, energy, and other resources to help build better citizens through the 4-H youth development education program.

The County 4-H Advisory Council helps interpret 4-H to the people in the county. Members share the needs of the youth of the county with the Extension staff, who assist in developing educational programs to meet those needs. Council members work as a team to help gather resources needed for educational programs.

A council helps with many activities in support of 4-H youth development. This extensive list of activities includes the following:

• Conducting public awareness campaigns for 4-H;
• Making public appearances;
• Arranging for 4-H'ers to tell their 4-H stories to civic organizations and clubs, businesses, and private organizations;
• Identifying and recruiting other volunteers;
• Conducting fund-raising campaigns;
• Getting spaces for exhibits, and
• Providing recognition for 4-H members and volunteers.

An advisory council member can expect from your Extension staff -- Historically, the county 4-H Advisory Council was initiated by the Extension agent with 4-H responsibility, with the help of one or two potential members. These core members then recruited other key people to help organize the local 4-H Advisory Council.

Advisory council members can rely on their Extension agents to continue to work with them and to assist council committees, as needed, in implementing the council's program.

The State 4-H Advisory Council will help you -- The State 4-H Advisory Council, on request, offers these types of support to counties:

• Counsels with Extension agents and prospective council members regarding the value and purpose of a council;
• Helps recruit council members;
• Visits a county, in support of a new council;
• Participates in council programs, when requested, and
• Provides recognition for county councils.

Each council will want to develop and implement a plan of work and will have the opportunity to make an annual report to the State 4-H Advisory Council.

Meetings

Your council determines the number and frequency of meetings. Most councils meet three or four times annually, with committees meeting more frequently.

Membership

To maintain an active council, with new members added each year, membership in a newly organized group can be divided into three parts. One third of the members will serve one year; another third of the members will serve 2 years, and the rest of the members serve the remainder 3 years. As other members are added, their memberships will be for 3 years.

Officers

Members of a 4-H advisory council elect a chairperson, vice chairperson, and a secretary-treasurer. These officers usually serve one year and perform those duties usually associated with the office. For example, the chairperson presides at all meetings and over executive committee sessions, with the vice chairperson presiding in the absence of the chairperson and performing other duties as requested. The secretary-treasurer keeps minutes and other records for the current year. Permanent records are kept in the county Extension office.

Committees

Committees may be appointed as needed but should include:

• Program Committee -- arranges programs for regular meetings and develops a plan of work for the year.
• Finance Committee -- plans fund-raising campaigns.
• Membership Committee -- determines tenure of members and suggests new members. The committee recruits new members.
• Public Information Committee -- provides ongoing, positive relationship with media and seeks opportunities for news coverage of 4-H activities, events, and projects.

Publication 998
Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brown, Director

Copyright by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved.

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