TEXAS 4-H AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT MANGEMENT GUIDE

MEMBERSHIP UNITS - 4-H SPECIAL INTEREST

MANAGEMENT GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS
Management Overview	Program Development
Membership Units	Volunteer Development
Risk Management	Collaboration
Curriculum	Resource Development
Diversity	Recognition
Interpretation
MEMBERSHIP UNIT SECTIONS
Membership Unit - Complete Section
Organizing 4-H Membership Units
Defining Membership Unit Types
Leadership Opportunities in 4-H Clubs
4-H Club Bylaws
Planning and Conducting a 4-H Club Meeting
Parliamentary Procedure
Community and School Clubs
4-H Clover Kids
4-H Project Clubs
4-H Enrichment Curriculum
4-H Speciali Interest

4-H SPECIAL INTEREST

4-H special interest groups are organized or coordinated by Extension professionals, and taught by volunteer adult or youth leaders. These groups consist of youth who are at least 9 years old or 8 years old and in the third grade on August 31. Youth are eligible until December 31 of the calendar year they turn 19. Also included may be 4-H Clover Kids members in kindergarten through second grade (ages 5 to 8 years). Clover Kids may not participate in any competitive events associated with any 4-H club or group.

Special interest groups are not taught by a teacher in a classroom setting. While they may use the same materials, special interest groups are led by volunteers.

Enrollment in Special Interest Groups

Counties are to use the group enrollment form or individual enrollment forms to enroll youth in a Special Interest Group. When offering a special interest project, use the following criteria to differentiate between a special interest group and a project group:

• If 51 percent of those enrolling are non/new 4-H members, count this effort as a special interest group.
• If fewer than 50 percent of those enrolling are non/new 4-H members, count this effort as a project group. Enroll the new members in a special interest group.

Educational Experiences

The participants take part in a series of six or more sequential learning experiences. The lessons are specific in nature, are 20 to 60 minutes long, and occur over a period of 1 to 6 weeks.

A special interest group in usually developed around one subject or 4-H project area. It is an excellent method of providing information and experiences to help solve a critical issue identified in a county. Special interest group leaders can be recruited in cooperation with other youth service agencies or organizations.

The group mayor may not have a formal organizational structure. At the conclusion of the project, the members should be offered the opportunity to participate in another special interest group, become an organized 4-H club, or join an existing 4-H club.

Why Have A Special Interest Group?

1. To provide 4-H participation opportunities to a wider youth audience.
2. To reach a new audience.
3. To teach youth needed life skills.
4. To recruit new members and volunteers and move them into 4-H clubs.
5. To create awareness of 4-H and Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
6. To provide youth enrolled in a special interest group the opportunity to accomplish the following educational goals of 4-H:
   • Acquire knowledge in certain areas of agriculture, natural resources, science,
     technology, communications, family and consumer sciences, and community development.
   • Acquire positive self-concepts.
   • Learn to respect and get along with people.
   • Learn and practice leadership skills and fulfill leadership roles.
   • Learn about and practice good citizenship.
   • Develop accepted practices for mental, physical, emotional and social health.
   • Explore and evaluate career and job opportunities.
   • Encourage the productive use of leisure time.
   • Develop an active plan for attaining personal goals.

Staffing

The special interest group helps a 4-H volunteer to develop as an individual and leader in the 4-H program and the community. Extension agents can look to the following sources for volunteers:

• Parents/supporting adults and volunteer leaders
• Resource persons with special skills
• Teen leaders who have demonstrated knowledge of the subject matter
• Recruit instructors by using a parent/supporting adult interest survey
• Advertise in the media.

Marketing

Extension agents have to find a market for the special interest group. Agents have to seek out an audience and the leaders to help reach that need. The special interest program can be marketed by:

• Using an interest survey to determine what the audiences' needs are.
• Moving a curriculum enrichment class into a special interest group.
• Finding a resource person with a special skill to volunteer to teach a group.
• Collaborating with other youth service agencies/organizations to reach an existing group that is not already involved in the 4-H program.

Fees

It may be necessary to charge a fee to pay for an instructor and/or class materials. Money handling procedures outlined in the County Management Guide should be followed.

Advantages of Special Interest Groups

1. Provides 4-H learning experiences without formal group organization.
2. Allows for flexibility of subject and structure.
3. Involves new audiences in the 4-H and youth development program and may assist in
   reaching affirmative action goals.
4. Develops new volunteers.
5. Provides opportunities for youth to learn about subject-matter of their choice without having to belong to a continuing type of 4-H organization.
6. Allows the Extension Service to cooperate with other agencies in providing education for young people.
7. Provides a method for the Extension Service to help solve critical youth issues.
8. May appeal to the non-competitive individual because exhibiting and competition may not be emphasized.
9. Serves as a means of reaching larger numbers with less staff time.
10. Provides information and project experiences in a relatively short time and in an informal group organization.
11. Allows teens and adults to serve as instructors or coordinators without having to accept the responsibilities of a full time leader.
12. Promotes volunteer teaching.
13. Provides opportunities for developing youth and teen leaders as organizers and teachers with only a short-term commitment for the youth.

Disadvantages of Special Interest Group

1. Educational experiences are likely to be limited to specific subject-matter areas, neglecting the total youth development objectives of 4-H.
2. Supervision, training and coordination of many special interest groups may require additional agent time.
3. Continuity of special interest groups is limited and staff must initiate new experiences for additional youth involvement.
4. Follow-up efforts are sometimes difficult and time consuming.
5. Opportunities for group process is limited.

Special Interest Group Model

1. A special interest group usually develops around one subject or 4-H project area, or around planning and conducting a group project. It provides 4-H membership for a short time.
2. A special interest group should include a minimum of six educational experiences of at least 20 to 60 minutes each. It is recommended that these educational experiences be conducted over a period of 1 to 6 weeks.
3. To ensure that all members of the group have a good opportunity to learn, a variety of teaching methods should be used. Research also shows that retention of knowledge is better if learning is spread over a period of time.
4. A 4-H short-term special interest group is conducted when there is group of youth interested in a particular project or subject matter area. It is useful for attracting new audiences and introducing them to 4-H.
5. A short-term special interest group meets at the discretion of the special interest group leader and group members.
6. The group should have a definite beginning and ending. Following the end of the special interest group members are invited and encouraged to participate in another special interest group, activity, or organized 4-H club.
7. A well planned short-term special interest group can provide a good number of experiences that are the strengths of the 4-H program: group interaction and cooperation; leadership; community service; learning-by-doing education; setting goals; decision making; reinforcing that learning can be fun; enhancing self-esteem; adult role models, etc.

Leadership

1. A short-term special interest group is led by a 4-H special interest group leader who is responsible for organizing the group and coordinating or teaching the subject matter. There should be one leader for every ten 4-H members enrolled.
2. It is strongly recommended that boys and girls 13 years of age or older serve as teen leaders and those with 1 or more years of experience serve as junior leaders.
3. Use a variety of teaching techniques.
4. 4-H special interest group leaders should be recognized.

Planning

1. Special interest group activities should be planned by the group leader or by the leader and the group together. The use of resource people knowledgeable in the subject matter area would be a great asset in planning and conducting educational expenences.
2. A copy of the plan for the short-term special interest group should be distributed to all group members.
3. Use of the Member Achievement Plan (MAP) is an excellent tool to track progress through the project and can be turned in upon completion of the project.
4. Each member in the special interest group should be encouraged to:
   • give a demonstration
   • accept leadership responsibilities
   • show or exhibit work
   • conduct a community service project
5. 4-H members should have leadership opportunities in the project group by presenting part of the program, by serving as chairman, by contacting resource people or in other ways.
6. 4- H members should receive certificates or other recognition for completion of projects and for specific skills developed.

Community and County Involvement

The short-term special interest group is encouraged to conduct at least one community service activity.

Membership Recruitment and Promotion

1. The short-term special interest group is aimed at reaching new audiences that are hard to reach or are not involved in long-term 4-H projects. These short-term groups can be recruited into ongoing 4- H programs. Members can be recruited by conducting a needs assessment and finding out interests of boys and girls in a community or neighborhood. The short-term special interest group is not aimed at providing more 4-H experiences for youth who are already members of 4-H.
2. A special interest group should be offered to boys and girls participating in a school curriculum enrichment project immediately following the curriculum enrichment project. Boys and girls can be recruited into a short-term special interest group that has been developed on the basis of the particular interest of a volunteer, where the subject has already been planned.
3. Special places to look for membership for a short-term special interest project would be YMCA, YWCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, Scouts, Camp Fire, housing developments, special schools, community centers, juvenile detention centers, libraries, school at-risk groups, city recreation programs, museums, and school or church youth clubs or groups.
4. A special interest group should be widely publicized and promoted through newspapers, radio, T.V., and area schools. The recruitment publicity should be aimed at reaching new audiences but the results and impacts of the educational program should be disseminated throughout the county.
5. It is important to use 4-H and TCE logos on all materials and in publicity, and to make sure participants and their families know they are members of the 4-H organization in their county.
6. 4-H has a positive image. Use it in marketing, communicating and recruiting.
   Belonging to a nationally recognized organization can build self-esteem in youth and their families.

County Procedures for Planning and Implementing a 4-H Special Interest Group

Planning

The county 4- H & Youth Development Committee should review the county situation to determine the target audience to be serviced with special interest groups (county wide, neighborhood, school district, military installations, age groups, etc.). Special interest groups should be offered to 4- H members immediately following participation in a curriculum enrichment project, but they can also be offered at other places and other times.

1. Determine the subjects to be taught.
   • The county 4-H & Youth Development Committee may identify topics.
   • An interest survey of youth may identify topics.
   • An interested volunteer who will teach a certain topic may determine what will be offered.
2. Train the leader in the following:
   • How to organize a special interest group.
   • How to conduct a special interest group meeting.
   • How to recruit members.
   • How to encourage members to give a demonstration.
   • How to involve members in leadership opportunities in the project group by presenting part of the program, by contacting resource people, or in other ways.
   • How to help members complete a Member Achievement Plan (MAP).
   • How to recognize members.
   • How to complete the enrollment form and turn in records and results to the county Extension office.
   • Making youth aware of other aspects of the 4- H program.
   • Encouraging the group to conduct another special interest project, become a 4-H club or join an existing 4-H club.
3. Have a list of meeting dates for each group.
4. Periodically consult the volunteer leaders. Discuss:
   • How have things been going?
   • What are future plans?
   • Are lesson plans adequate?
   • What help do you need?
   • What are youths' reactions?
   • Have you identified any potential leaders/club managers?

Completion

1. Collect enrollment forms.
2. Collect project records.
3. Supply completion certificates.
4. Have a special achievement/completion event and invite parents and friends.
5. Plan for organizing the group into a 4-H club.
   • Announce time, date, and place of meeting to explore possibilities of a 4-H club.
   • Visit with parents or other community leaders about being a club manager.
6. Counsel with special interest group leader and evaluate group.
7. Recognize 4-H special interest group volunteers.

Follow-up

1. For those who wish to organize into a 4-H club, divide into neighborhoods, project interest, or some other agreeable grouping:
   • Assist groups in selecting club managers, assistant managers and officers (have job descriptions for each).
   • Help managers decide with members the date, time and place for regular meetings.
   • Make plans for new managers and leaders to participate in basic 4- H leader training and for officers to participate in officer training.
   • Incorporate the newly organized club into ongoing 4-H programs.
2. For those who do not wish to organize into a 4-H club, make plans for another special interest group to start the following week or month. Plans also could be made to offer a short-term special interest group in a specific neighborhood, housing development, YMCA, etc., once each year. An annual short-term special interest group experience lasting 6 weeks can provide a youth with a lot of good 4-H experiences.
3. Complete records and reports.
   • Compile all information on the Group Enrollment Form.
   • Place information in a special interest project general file "4-H Special
     Interest Groups." Include enrollment lists, contact names, possible projects, evaluation and notes.

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Page last updated: September 14, 2007