District 4-H Events Planning Guide – Suggestions for Team Planning a Successful Event

(To be used in conjunction with the Guide to Planning County and District Events)

  1. Past Events Evaluation Meeting – district meeting called and conducted by previous year’s chair. Best if face-to-face.
  1. Preplanning: decisions to be made (can be done at evaluation meeting)
  2. Date, Location, Chairman, host County
  3. County responsibilities
  4. Agree on the role for adult volunteers and the District Council.
  1. Notify families of date and location - done by each county
  1. Establish name of contact person at the facility (done by facilities chair)

Learn the equipment, rooms and room sizes, available, location for judges orientation and permission for providing refreshments and concession stand. Determine availability and suitability of PA system, podium for auditorium, rooms with screens and piano .

  1. Organizational Planning Meeting – needs to be face-to-face meeting – schedule enough time - this is a major event for 4-Hers and we need to take the time to provide a professionally managed program. (Each agent should bring a copy of the Guide to Planning County and District Events – can be found at state 4-H website under Faculty and Staff.
  2. Reaffirm date, location, responsibilities
  3. Discuss educational activities that could be held in addition to the competitive activities.
  4. Establish budget – facilities cost, awards, judges’ gifts, refreshments for judges. What will be used for events awards and is there an inventory from the previous year?
  5. Brainstorm for names of good judges
  6. Review events rules and policies, make needed revisions
  7. Role of district council – will they be involved as emcees for STF and FR, conduct the opening assembly, conducting the awards ceremony?
  8. Will there be a district council meeting held?
  9. Will there be installation of district council officers? Who will manage this ceremony?
  10. Develop list of guests to invite – who will extend the invitations
  11. Review agenda for the day
  12. Review list of competitive events (STF, FR, demos, etc.). Which projects will be combined for each room Will chair have authority to make revisions based on actual numbers registered?
  13. How will posters and photos be handled (judged?) for these two contests?
  14. Review and agree upon scoring and placing issues
  15. Discuss opening assembly and judges orientation
  16. Establish deadlines
  1. Counties conduct their county events and send all blue ribbon winners registration information for District Events.
  1. Chair sends counties at least 4-6 weeks in advance: map to location, days’ agenda, copy of room monitor guide, list of equipment to bring, letter to participants all counties can use to enhance consistency.
  1. A minimum of two weeks before District Events, counties provide district chair list of all blue ribbon presentations and participants (4-Her’s name, county, category and presentation title). Counties provide chair with names of their judges and room monitors.
  1. Chair assigns presentation rooms, schedules participants for each room, prepares written program with details of the program and room participant lists and sends copy to all counties to be checked for errors.
  1. Pre-events Day (Follow up by Chair)
  2. Contact each person for status of their tasks
  3. Get names of judges, room monitors and guests from counties that have not yet responded.
  4. Re-affirm all arrangements with the facility
  5. If possible, tour facility, get facility map
  6. Equipment needs – will facility provide? Is rental needed?
  7. Working status of PA System, piano, podiums, tripods
  8. Location to display photos and posters
  9. Location for assembly, STF, FR & Awards Ceremony.
  1. Pre-event Tasks
  2. Assign presentation topics to rooms of sufficient size.
  3. Make room signs – schedule & participants, name of room monitor
  4. Assign room for district council meeting
  5. If LCD is being used, is there a screen in the room?
  6. Make road and facility directional signs
  7. Print program – if possible include a facility map. Include timed agenda with locations, rooms with location and names of participants in order of go. Put facility map on back of program or as a handout at registration time.
  8. Make judges’ packets – per packet: one pre-printed score sheet for each participant, 2 pencils, note pad. (If available provide a calculator.)
  9. Make room monitor packets: Monitor tasks, copy of program, Copy of participant list including: blanks for score, ribbon, placing, and “Qualify for state”. Instructions on scoring & placing, judges gifts, stop watch, calculator.
  10. Purchase refreshments
  11. Sign certificates
  12. Arrange certificates by room and in order of go
  13. Prepare large envelope for each county: For score sheets & awards from county winners not present for awards ceremony.
  14. Print evaluation forms
  1. Day of event (some of this can be done the day before if facility is available)
  2. Check all rooms – unlocked, condition, etc.
  3. Put up directional signs and room signs
  4. Prepare registration area – sign in sheet (ES237 need), programs
  5. Provide table for person who will be taking program corrections from participants.
  6. Area to turn in photos & posters
  7. Set-up judges & monitors’ orientation room – judges packets, sign in sheet, refreshments
  8. PA for assembly is ready and functioning
  9. Should agents & staff arrive early for a briefing?
  10. Set up tally room – certificates and stickers, other awards, calculators, extra pencils, summary score & placing sheet for participants separated by category.
  11. Duplicate of room summary sheet in case it needs to be re-done for legibility for the awards MC.
  12. Chair serves as go to person – do not take on any other assignments.
  13. During competition check status of each room
  14. Provide copies of task lists for persons who are in charge of: STF, FR, Tally room, Judges’ orientation, assembly, awards ceremony, and officer installation.
  15. Check with PA person on PA condition
  16. If stage is scheduled for both STF and FR rehearsal – let 1st group in use know when to vacate the stage for the next group
  1. Conducting the opening assembly *Allow 15-20 minutes (Start assembly 10 min after judges’ orientation has begun.
  2. Notable official, CED or person to give welcome
  3. MC – council president of host agent or district council president
  4. If officer, provide an agenda of items to be covered. Go over this with him/her before event begins.
  5. Host agent should give any housekeeping and behavioral rules; provide the objectives of district events
  6. Officer(s) lead pledges and any recreational activities
  7. Introduce special guests present (DED, State 4-H Leader, RSA, Commissioner, foundation persons – county & State)
  1. Conduction judges’ orientation – person assigned allow 30 minutes
  2. Short welcome & introductions : Name, county, what they do
  3. Review days’ objectives and the role of the judge
  4. Review points and ribbon system
  5. Judges questions for contestant – provide several examples
  6. Briefly review each section of score sheet, what is meant by appropriate attire, cooking, etc. Allow for any questions judges may have on scoring.

Encourage judges to give an oral summary of things done well and areas where improvement is needed. (Summary should not point out a specific individual or presentation for improvement.) Judges should comment on general things they observed.

  1. Distribute judge’s packets and room monitor packets as they arrive. Check their name as they receive their packet on check sheet or have them sign in. Ask them to check their packets to make sure what they need is included.
  2. Review role of room monitor; ask if there are any questions or if other agents have anything to add.
  3. Dismiss 5-10 minutes before 1st scheduled presentation.
  1. Conduct of events competitions – room monitor or leader
  2. keep on schedule
  3. if contestant is not present ask next contestant if they would like to go early or wait for their assigned time
  4. remember the youth is more important than finishing early – they may have a parent, grandparent, etc. who is planning to attend.
  5. Only judges may ask questions – limit to no more than 2 per judge – remind judges if they ask questions of one they should ask for all (youth sometimes feel they are at a disadvantage if they are not asked questions when others are).
  6. Control the entrances and exits of audience – should be allowed only during break between contestants
  7. Do not let presentation begin until judges are ready
  8. May want to establish a signal for judges to use when they are ready
  9. Check if youth want to be introduced or will introduce him/herself
  10. Lead applause if audience does not respond
  11. Provide contestant with positive reinforcement as they remove their equipment
  12. Check with next youth to see if they have everything they need.
  13. Provide positive reinforcement and smile for next contestant while they wait to begin
  14. Be prepared to assist presenter if problem develops
  15. Presenter drops piece of equipment and it spills on floor, breaks, etc.
  16. Posters do not stay on tripod – hold them for youth.
  17. Role of monitor is to help youth have a positive and learning experience regardless of what happens. **If there is a problem with your location that will negatively impact the presentations check with events chair for a solution before you begin.
  18. Present gift to each judge and ask audience to thank the judges.
  19. At conclusion ask judges if they have any constructive comments and suggestions for the contestants then dismiss room so judges may confer
  20. Answer questions judges may have but do not provide comments about the merits of specific demonstrations
  21. Ask judges to average their scores, then confirm on agreement of ribbon and overall placing.
  22. If they agree on a blue ribbon the score MUST reflect a blue.
  23. They must agree on 1st place – if any – and any other placing used in your district, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.
  24. Double check each judges score and final scores BEFORE judges leave
  25. Bring judges packets and placing summary to tally room – put score sheets in each county stack.
  1. District Council Meeting (if one is held)
  2. Designate a specific time and location
  3. Schedule council members who are also competing first in their demonstration rooms
  4. Counties should designate these on their registration summary
  5. Council advisor should have no other role than working with the council throughout the day.
  6. At council meeting, in addition to usual agenda
  7. Practice officer installation
  8. Review officer role at awards and closing ceremony
  9. Remind delegates of assignments for clean up, etc.
  10. Other potential roles of council members
  11. Provide refreshments to judges during competition
  12. Operate a concession or other fund raiser to help pay for cost of program.
  13. Have change wars and announce winning county at awards ceremony
  1. Officer Installation – council adult advisor and president in charge
  2. Ceremony should represent the importance your district puts on district council
  3. Ideas – present outgoing officers with a gift, present new officers with officer pin or something else representative of their office (include cost in your district events budget), have a state officer or other notable person assist with installation.
  1. Awards Ceremony
  2. Have awards pre-sorted by room
  3. Use the room summary form to insure placing and congress winners are accurate
  4. Certificates should be sorted in order of the summary sheet being used by the emcee
  5. Put awards of youth not present in county envelopes
  6. Ask all participants in the room/category to come to the stage – then present awards to that group
  7. Individuals needed – district officers should also be involved.
  8. MC who will do the speaking – preferably an adult who understands the process and is able to re-adjust if a problem occurs. (Best not to have a new agent do this)
  9. Announcing places – do by project category beginning with white ribbons, then red, then blue, then placings if you have them; finally the qualifiers for State Congress (all senior blue ribbon winners).
  10. If allowing for photos, have an adult on stage to arrange participants for a group photo – allow individual photos DURING presentation or AFTER district events have adjourned.
  11. Make any concluding announcements
  12. Thank specific individuals (Ex. – Have club leaders stand, agents stand, etc.)
  13. Announce if any help is needed for clean-up, etc.
  14. Remind people to turn in their event evaluation form.
  15. Turn podium over to Council President for adjournment.
  16. At conclusion of awards ceremony have the person (Council president, host agent, agent chair, etc.) officially close the program. If council President it could be adjourned until 2010/2011, etc. then gaveled to a close.
  1. Evaluation Ideas
  2. Process evaluation: Facility, schedule, time and location, overall organization, etc. Quality of judging experience, STF & FR organization.
  3. Impact Evaluation:
  4. What was learned – knowledge gained?
  5. Skill improved
  6. Mastery – of subject matter presented and presentation skills
  7. Generosity – hospitality and helpfulness of volunteers, agents and other contestants.
  8. Belonging – felt a part of their county and district, helpfulness of others from their county
  9. Independence – were able to give their presentation without help or with minimal help from others. District council played a significant role.
  1. Appropriate Attire
  2. For the Agent: if you consider yourself a professional, dress like one. For men a sport coat and tie, for women a dress, pant suit, etc. At a program where you are recognizing youth and/or adults, jeans are never appropriate. For mote information and guidelines on appropriate attire at 4-H functions review the PPT on the state 4-H website under faculty & staff.
  3. Attire for Council Officers: If you are having officers taking on “up front” roles let them know they need to dress accordingly. After all they (as well as us) are the face of 4-H for those attending.
  4. Attire for judges: ask your judges to dress nicely – t-shirts, jeans or jeans with holes in them, etc. are not appropriate. They need to know that the youth assume they will have well qualified judges and appearance needs to reflect this.
  1. Remember the Little Things Are Important Too.

Dialogue with your counties’ youth attending. Give them your encouragement before they compete. Let them know if they have a question or concern you can help them find the answer. Afterward provide a positive follow-up on an individual basis – both verbally and in writing. Let them know how proud you are. Can you use their presentation elsewhere – ex. at a civic group meeting? Tell their parents and leaders this too.

Youth, no matter how many times they may have competed, will still be apprehensive, nervous and skeptical about their ability. (No matter how many county and district events and other programs we have organized we too are still apprehensive and nervous.) Letting them know you are there for them can be the difference between a positive or negative experience for your members.