TIPS for COMPLETEING a Qaco 4-H RECORD BOOK

Junior and Intermediate Guidelines

TIPS FOR COMPLETEING A QACo 4-H RECORD BOOK

4-H records are a written description of your achievements in 4-H and in your community. They document the knowledge and skills that have been learned; they also record your experiences in leadership, citizenship and community service. Even though they may seem like a waste of time now, record keeping will become important when you become an adult, as records are essential for any adult to be successful. Also, as you become older, it is nice to look back at what you have accomplished and how you grew to be a proficient citizen.

There are several requirements for completing a QACo 4-H Record Book that include the following components:

· Standard 4-H Cover

· Title Page (4-H member develops, including portrait photo)

· Table of Contents (4-H member develops)

· QACo 4-H Summary Record (Form)

· 4-H Story (4-H member develops)

· Photographs (4-H member develops)

· 4-H Correspondence-Optional (4-H member develops)

· 4-H Newspaper Clippings-Optional (4-H member develops)

· QACo 4-H Project Records (Form)

(Senior 4-H members (ages 14-18) are required to complete a 4-H portfolio which consists of an essay on the current essay topic and a resume. Tips for this completion are separate from this document. Seniors may also elect to add the components of a regular Record Book along with their portfolio.)

Record Book forms are available in paper form from the University of Maryland Extension, Queen Anne’s County Office. Forms are also available online at: www.extension.umd.edu/queen-annes-county.

If you have any questions, contact the University of Maryland Extension, Queen Anne’s County at 410-758-0166 or email Sally Rosenberry at or Chris Johnston at .

Standard 4-H Cover (You can use the same cover year after year)

The standard 4-H cover is available from the 4-H Office for $2.50 each. All information should be securely fastened in the cover and tabbed dividers should be used to separate sections.

Title/Photo Page (4-H Member Makes Their Own)

A portrait type photo of just yourself (head and shoulders only) should be mounted on plain white paper. Use rubber cement or any other neat process (no tape) to mount. (Do not use a tab on this page.) Under the picture include:

· Your complete name

· Age (as of Jan. 1st of the year of your current records)

· Post Office address, state, zip code and COUNTY

· List ALL Clubs that you are enrolled in

Table of Contents (4-H Member Makes Their Own)

The Table of Contents lists all forms/categories included in the Record Book. Make sure the table of contents lists each project form that is included, (i.e. Market Swine Record, Food and Nutrition, etc.) Example: 4-H Summary Records

4-H Story

4-H Project Pictures

4-H Correspondence (optional)

4-H Newspaper Clippings (optional)

4-H Project Records

1. Market Swine

2. Food and Nutrition

Queen Anne’s County Summary Record

(Form) placed on top of all previous years summaries

The 4-H Summary Record form is to be completed by all 4-H members. Complete a new form each year and place it over the old summaries. This way you can look back at your accomplishments of all your 4-H years. The Summary Form includes: personal information; 4-H Projects Carried; 4-H Presentations; 4-H Activities; Community Service/Service Learning;Leadership;4-H Recognitions Honors, and Awards; Community, Religious, School, and Other Activities; and Work Experience(Seniors Members only)

Personal Information – Fill in the year; # years in 4-H; County; name, address; birth date; age (as of Jan. 1st of the year of your current records); parents name; names of all 4-H Clubs that you belong to; name of 4-H leader.

Signatures and dates are required from: 4-H Member, Parent and Leader.

4-H Projects – Fill in the year, name of the project (what projects you are registered for – not the name of your animal); how long you have carried that project; something you have learned from that project; and whether you have completed that project. (To complete a project, the 4-H member must exhibit the project, do a project communication and complete the record form for each project area.)

4-H Presentations – These are your “Communications”. Fill in the date, title, level (club, county, state, etc.), and how many times you did it. Presentations/Communications include: demonstrations, visual presentations, speeches, oral reasons in judging, and herdsman at county fair (if you talk with the general public about your project).

4-H Activities - These are 4-H activities other than classes and workshops. Included would be: club meetings, quiz bowls, judging events, skills events, achievement banquet, public speaking, club activities, etc. Fill in the activity, date, level and award/responsibility.

Community Service/Service Learning – Fill in the date, type of service, # helped or items made, hours spent, level and involvement (what you did). Community Service/Service Learning Activities include gathering donations for a cause, making items for a group in need, and volunteer time as a 4-H member.(nursing home, soup kitchen, etc.)

Leadership – Fill in the year, elected office, duty (i.e. if you were the club secretary you took notes, read club minutes and corresponded with members and the leader), level and time spent in position. You should also include committee assignments here and Junior Leadership (helped younger 4-Hers with project, camp counselor or CIT, etc.) If you are not involved in this area, please note, “none at this time.”

4-H Recognition Honors, and Awards – Fill in the year, what recognition honor or award you received and at what level. This can be project awards, team awards, show awards (may state “various placings”), camp awards, Record Book awards, etc.

4-H Classes and Workshops – Fill in the year name of class or workshop, and who sponsored the class or workshop. Examples would be, Quality Assurance Classes, Holiday Workshops, Fitting and Showing Workshop, Record Book Workshops, etc.

Community, Religious, School and Other Activities – Fill in the date name of activity/event, and who sponsored it. These are non-4-H activity involvements that include, but are not limited to: sports, church, youth groups, animal associations, scouts, etc.

Work Experience – Senior Members – Fill in the date, type of job employment, responsibilities and your position title.

4-H Story

(4-H Member Makes Their Own)

Your 4-H Story is a narrative of your experiences in 4-H for the current year. You should begin with information about yourself – your age, interests, parents, brothers and sisters, where you live, where you attend school, and when and why you joined 4-H. Tell about your 4-H projects, why you selected them, what you learned, things you’ve tried and found both successful and not so successful. Share a special experience; tell about your leadership experiences such as offices held, committee memberships and some of what you’ve learned. You may want to share your goals and how 4-H has influenced what you would like to do in the future. You can be as creative as you like when you write your story, but please remember that it is not a work of fiction, it is about you and your growth in your 4-H year.

Your story may be typed or hand written (typed preferred). If you choose to use the computer, font size should be 12 point with margins of 1 inch. Stories may be up to a maximum of six pages in length, 1-2 pages is sufficient for juniors, 2-3 pages is sufficient for intermediates and 3-4 pages is sufficient for seniors. Type double spaced. Please sign your story. Please take time to review your story to insure use of complete sentences, grammar and spelling. If you are using a computer, take time to use spell check, but also look it over because spell check is not foolproof!

Photographs

(4-H Member Makes Their Own)

Pictures should be used to illustrate highlights of your 4-H projects and 4-H Activities. Please label each picture with a caption explaining what you are doing in the picture. You are limited to no more than 3 pages, one side only and not “shingled”. Secure photos with rubber cement or any other neat process – NO TAPE is allowed & no page protectors.

4-H Correspondence

(4-H Member Makes Their Own)

(This is optional)

You are limited to a maximum of three pages. Correspondence consists of letters sent to you regarding your 4-H project work or 4-H community service endeavors. Do not include any correspondence that you send out – only use what has come to you.

Newspaper Clippings –

(4-H Member Makes Their Own)

(This is optional)

You are limited to a maximum of three pages. Clippings should be about you and your 4-H activities. Please underline in red, or highlight your name.

Queen Anne’s County 4-H Project Records – (Forms)

4-H Projects are designed so you, as 4-H members, can progress at your own pace through various learning experiences. Project records help you list everything you have done in your 4-H project during the current 4-H year. To complete a project one should do a communication activity, an exhibit, and complete the project record. These tips will help you complete the 4-H Project Record. Remember to complete one for each project area that you carry.

Queen Anne’s County 4-H Project Records – (Forms)

There are ten different project records:

· Queen Anne’s County 4-H Project Record (non animal)

· Animal Records (These are now the same as the MD. State forms.)

Camelids

Dairy

Dog

Horse

Large Animal Breeding

Livestock Market

Poultry

Rabbit & Cavy

Small Pet (Cat, Gerbil, Hamster, Snake, Other)

The Queen Anne’s County 4-H Project Record is a generic form to be used for all projects other than animals. It is used for projects such as public speaking, gardening, crafts, food and nutrition, sewing, shooting sports, veterinary science, rockets, etc.

The Camelids Record is the form to be used for llamas and alpacas.

The Dairy Record is the form to be used for dairy animals.

The Dog Record is to be used for all dog projects.

The Horse Record is to be used for all horse and pony projects.

The Large Animal Breeding Record is the form to be used with all large breeding animals including breeding beef, dairy cattle, dairy goats, breeding meat goats, breeding sheep and breeding swine.

The Livestock Market Record is the form to be used for all market animals including market beef, market dairy steers, meat goats, market lambs and market swine.

The Poultry Record is to be used for all poultry and other fowl projects (including market poultry and fowl).

The Rabbit and Cavy Record is to be used for all rabbit and cavy projects (including market rabbits)

The Small Pet Record is to be used for small pets (cat, gerbil, hamster, snake, etc.).

Queen Anne’s County 4-H Project Record (all non-animal projects)

Fill out the personal information, project area and include your signature and signatures of parent and leader.

Project Journal/Log:

Communications include demonstrations, visual presentations, speeches, oral reasons in judging, and if you talk with the general public about your project at the fair. The communications should directly relate to the project record that you are completing. Fill in the date, topic or title (speech, demo, etc. & its title), location (where the event was held), and placing.

Exhibits include all fairs and shows that your project has been entered in that directly relate to the project record that you are completing. Fill in the date, exhibit (a description of the exhibit i.e. fair, show), location (where the event was held) and placing.

Learning Experiences:

Fill in the date, what you did and something you learned. Include participation in judging, quiz bowl, skills events, workshops, class participation and any other learning experience related to your topic.

Financial Journal:

Fill in the date, description of income or expense and the dollar amount of the income or expense. Total each column (income and expense) and record the totals. Subtract these and determine the amount of loss or profit. Remember to circle either “loss” or “profit”.

Resources:

Fill out the project resources and manuals that helped you learn more about your project throughout the year. These resources can be books, manuals, websites, and even people like your mom, dad, sibling, or club leader.

Life Skills:

Fill in skills for each “H” that you’ve learned and developed that directly relate to the project record that you are completing. Some 4-H Life Skills include:

· Managing – keeping records, wise use of resources, planning/organizing

· Thinking – problem solving, critical thinking, decision making, learning to learn

· Living – disease prevention, personal safety

· Being – self responsibility, self-discipline, character

· Working – teamwork, self-motivation, contribution to group effort

· Giving – community service, leadership

· Caring – sharing, empathy, concern for others

· Relating – communication, cooperation, social skills, accepting differences

(Targeting Life Skills Model, Hendricks, 1996)

Camelids Project Record

On page one, fill out personal information, the goals you set, two things you learned and one thing you would like to improve or do differently next year.

Page two is your “H’s” with examples to help you.

Page three lists your “Project Activities”, “Project Communications” and “Project Exhibits”. Each section explains what you should include.

On page four you fill in Tables 1, 2 and 3 which are: 1) “Alpaca Information”, 2) “Feed Expense” and 3) “Health and Veterinary Record and Expenses”.

On page five, Table 4 lists “All Other Expenses” and Table 5 lists “All Income”.

Page six has two Tables: Table 8, “Training Record” and Table 9, “Daily Care and Routine”.