Step 3: Committee Plans Program
The planing committee has a very important job in setting up the framework to provide for a successful club year. It facilitates what will happen and helps other people see ways to become involved. With a positive attitude and an exciting program, the committee can help generate enthusiasm and a willingness to participate that will motivate other club members to become involved.
Before deciding on specific club activities you should first:
- review club survey ideas
- review club evaluations (consider what good ideas from the current
year could be carried over and what parts of the program need improvement)
- gather club membership list with the age, sex, grade level, projects and years in 4-H of each member, county 4-H calendar, school calendars, and list of resource people who may be able to assist club
- review information about the club
- How many club members are there?
- How many boys and how many girls?
- What is the range of ages?
- How many leaders are available?
- What projects and activities are offered to club members?
- What county-wide 4-H activities or events are planned?
- In which county activities or events does the club want to participate?
- Remember that the majority of your members will be a year older
and have different interests than last year.
- Review last year's program
- What did we do?
- What did we like about what we did?
- What was not successful? Why?
- What needed improvement?
- Was everyone involved?
The planning committee may want to complete A Quick Look at Our Club (PDF) as they gather information.
The second task is to set club goals that will help your committee take all the ideas that have been given and focus those ideas into a one-year program.
Identify Club Goals
Goals are statements of what the members, leaders, and parents want to accomplish as a club. The goals should be based on the situation in the club this year. The goals should help meet the needs and interests of each individual involved in the club. Each goal should be emphasized by the club.
Club goals should:
- Be realistic for the ages and experience of the members and for the club resources.
- Meet the needs and interest of club families.
- Promote cooperation through working together.
- Provide individual achievement opportunities for each member, leader and parent.
- Promote improvement over last year.
- Provide community service opportunities.
- Encourage parents and community leaders to become involved in the 4-H Club.
See Sample Club Goals.
The third task is to determine club activities and events. These activities and events should work toward one or more of the established club goals. As you decide what will be included in your club program, take time to summarize the information you have gathered so far. Which activities identified by members will help reach club goals? Are they appropriate for the situation in the club this year? What was learned from last year's program to avoid problems this year?
You may want to emphasize some goals more than others. Be sure to plan several things to help accomplish these goals. As you decide on specific things to do, be sure it relates to one or more of the goals you wish to accomplish. Don't set too many goals. You need to concentrate on just enough goals so that it's a challenge to reach them.
A simple checklist for good club activities is listed below.
Will the club activity:
| ______ | 1. Help reach one or more of the club goals? |
| ______ | 2. Provide for involvement of the entire 4-H family? |
| ______ | 3. Be of interest to all ages? |
| ______ | 4. Add to balance in programming? |
| ______ | 5. Be realistic for our group? |
| ______ | 6. Add to the mixture of fun and work activities? |
| ______ | 7. Compliment or compete with county 4-H events? |
Check out the 4-H Club Calendar Form, Officer List (PDF), Contact List (PDF), and Ideas for a Sample Club Calendar.
