How does 4-H work?

4-H is organized into local clubs much like many sports are organized into teams. There are about a dozen clubs in Placer County. Each club operates independently but follows the guidelines set out by the state 4-H program. So, each club has different leaders and projects offered. Clubs generally meet once per month from September through May. Our club, Gold Country 4-H, meets the third Thursday at 6:30 at the Mt. Vernon Guild Hall, so our first meeting is/was Thursday, September 21. Other clubs will meet at other locations on various days of the week.

Club meetings are where you will find out about events your club is involved with as well as specific information about projects and about county 4-H events. They are usually run by the club officers and include a business portion , some activities and a program, as well as opportunities to sign up for the things you want to be involved in. It is helpful to attend so you know what is going on.

Much of the individual instruction and skills knowledge in 4-H occurs through projects. A youth member ages 9 - 19, can sign up for any project offered by their club or at the county level. A project is simply a group that exists for a common purpose and offers at least 6 hours of instruction. Project leaders are generally people with knowledge and experience that they are willing to share with youth. These leaders set the meeting dates and times for their individual projects. For Example, our club has a dairy goat project that meets for an hour and a half about 5 times. We will also take baby goats to care homes, schools and community events in the spring. We sometimes rely on outside experts such as veterinarians or others, and bring them in to speak to the youth. This project tends tod to select meeting dates based on project member availability. But, meeting scheduling is up to the individual project leader and some project leaders will set the date based on personal availability. Some projects will meet monthly for an hour while others may meet only once for 6 hours. An example of a one day project is mosaics. Due to the nature of the project (creating a usable mosaic piece) it is better suited to do one longer session. That leader opens her home on three dates and you can choose when you come. She allows you to do two partial days also.

In order to find out what projects a particular club offers you have to begin the enrollment process. There is no obligation, but it is the easiest way to see what a club offers. Once you select a club, on the screen that follows you can add projects and that will bring up a drop down list.

To find out what is offered countywide, you select or "add" countywide as a club.

When looking at projects, keep in mind that some will work out perfectly but others may meet at a time that does not work for you or it may turn out to be something different than you thought. Another thing that occurs is a child attends the first club meeting and is all excited about projects and signs up for some and then a month goes by and the child does not hear a thing. Some projects do not meet until the spring. For example, the mosaic project is usually held in February so you will not hear until January. Swine project begins in December! But, it is hard to wait when you are a kid!