Building Blue Ribbon 4-H Record Books

Laura CashVolusia County 4-H Extension Agent I

lcash@co.volusia.fl.us386-822-5778

Why do Record Books?

Record Books are part of a project – they are a complete record of all you have done during the 4-H year in a chosen project. Completing at least one Record Book per 4-H year is encouraged.Record Books teach Life Skills, for example: organization, time-management, record-keeping, communication, critical thinking, self-discipline, and planning. Record Books may be required by your club – see your club’s by-laws.Record Books earn recognition – pins, ribbons, certificates, and possibly area, state and national awards and scholarships.

FYI – Some Important Items

Record Books are due July 1st of each year.You may turn in as many Record Books as you’d like.Each Project Book should be in a separate Record Book. However, if you are doing more than one Project Book in a certain area of study, or you are adding to a previous year’s study, you may use one Record Book.Record Books will be graded by the 4-H Agent and returned on Awards Night. Youth that complete Record Books should attend Awards Night to receive their ribbons, pins and certificates.

What’s the Difference?

A Project Book is the workbook that you acquire from the 4-H Office.A Record Book is the entire package:1. Green folder (3-ring binder, 4-H folder or

simple folder)2. Tabs, Table of Contents, Photo Page3. Project Book4. Attachments: Project Story, Pictures & Extras

To begin . . .

The first step is to find a Project Book.

There are many available in the 4-H Office. If you have questions, call 386-822-5778!

Go to http://volusia.org/extension/proj-book-list2.pdf or http://volusia.org/extension/cloverbud%20project%20list.pdf to find complete listings. Most are free!

Next . . .

During the 4-H year, work in your project book! Don’t procrastinate (wait until the last minute)!

Hints:Keep up with it – put items in a folder!Take pictures!Collect brochures from field trips and workshops!Print out information from the Internet!Write a bibliography – include magazines and books that

you used for your project!Include ribbons or certificates!Don’t forget receipts and hand-outs!

Assembling the Record Book . . .

In your green folder, put the Photo Page first.You can pick one up in the 4-H Office, print one from the website or make one of your own.Include a picture of you working on your project, with your name, name of the project, club name, and signatures from you, your leader and a parent.

Photo Pages - Samples

Level 1 4-H PHOTO PAGE Age 5, 6, & 7 – Non-Competitive

Place any photo of you & your project

(or having fun at a 4-H activity) here!

NAME: ___________________________________AGE (on Sept 1st): ________ 4-H CLUB NAME: _________________________________________________ PROJECT: ________________________________ # of yrs in project: ________

Put each 4-H project in its own separate folder.

______________________ ________________________ MEMBER SIGNATURE PARENT SIGNATURE __________________________ CLUB LEADER SIGNATURE

Note: Level 1 does not receive county medals.

Level 2 4-H PHOTO PAGE Ages 8, 9 & 10

Place any photo of you & your project

(or having fun at a 4-H activity) here!

NAME: _____________________________AGE (on Sept 1st): ________ 4-H CLUB NAME: __________________________________________ PROJECT: __________________________ # of yrs in project: ________

Put each 4-H project in its own separate folder.

______________________ _______________________ MEMBER SIGNATURE PARENT SIGNATURE __________________________ CLUB LEADER SIGNATURE

Photo Pages

Level 3 4-H PHOTO PAGE Ages 11, 12 & 13

Place any photo of you & your project

(or having fun at a 4-H activity) here!

NAME: _____________________________AGE (on Sept 1st): ________ 4-H CLUB NAME: __________________________________________ PROJECT: __________________________ # of yrs in project: ________

Put each 4-H project in its own separate folder.

______________________ ________________________ MEMBER SIGNATURE PARENT SIGNATURE __________________________ CLUB LEADER SIGNATURE

Level IV 4-H PHOTO PAGE Ages 14-18

Place any photo of you & your project

(or having fun at a 4-H activity) here!

NAME: _____________________________AGE (on Sept 1st): ________ 4-H CLUB NAME: __________________________________________ PROJECT: __________________________ # of yrs in project: ________

Put each 4-H project in its own separate folder.

______________________ _______________________ MEMBER SIGNATURE PARENT SIGNATURE __________________________ CLUB LEADER SIGNATURE

Next . . .

The Table of Contents follows the Photo Page.It can be hand-written or typed.Examples:

Table of ContentsI. Project ReportII. Project StoryIII. PicturesIV. Project BookV. Attachments

Table of Contents1.Project Report2.Project Book3.Project Story4.Pictures

What About Tabs?

Tabs divide the sections of your Record Book.You can buy tabs or make your own.Make sure that you write the names of the sections on the tabs.

Be creative!

Project Report – Record Sheets

Go to: http://volusia.org/extension/selection.htmfor the Project Reports. You can also print out the Score Sheets and Photo Pages.

They are listed by age (as of September 1st):Level I, Cloverbuds: 5-7 years oldLevel II, Juniors: 8-10 years old

Level III, Intermediates: 11-13 years oldLevel IV, Seniors: 14-18 years old

Project Reports

More . . .

How Do I Complete a Project Report? Let’s Start With Cloverbuds

Cloverbuds are non-competitive so they do not receive scores. They have “Review Sheets” rather than “Score Sheets.”They receive Participation Ribbons (Blue Ribbons), certificates and a year pin for their Record Books.The 4-H Agent comments on the Review Sheet and checks off what has been done.The 4-H Agent is primarily concerned that the Cloverbud is learning how to complete Project and Record Books, beginning to keep records and is involved in the 4-H club’s projects.Parents and/or Leaders may assist the Cloverbud in the completion of the Project Summary, Project Book and attachments. If you have questions, call 386-822-5778 or contact the 4-H Agent at lcash@co.volusia.fl.us.

“My 4-H Cloverbud Project Summary”

There are Project Books especially for Cloverbuds, but they may complete other ones as well. Include the name of the Project Book inside the Record Book. On these lines, for example, the 4-H’er may write: “Fishy Science,” “Cloverbunnies,” “Bug Out,” “Birds,”or “The Money Trail.”Only one project is required, but there is no limit to how many can be submitted. Each Record Book should only include one Project Book.

All 4-H’ers should do a demonstration at the club level and/or the county level. Examples would be showing how to correctly hold a rabbit, how to prepare a smoothie or introducing a parliamentary procedure. Exhibiting something made should relate to the project – preserves in the fair, entering a photograph of a chicken in County Events, or modeling a sewing project in Fashion Revue. It could also be an Exhibit Board made to accompany the Record Book. The “Project activity sheets or workbooks” means the Project Book.

Cloverbud Project Summary, page 2

The idea is to fill up the space allotted!Samples:Favorite project activities – Washing the chickens and rolling them up like burritos, picking out fish at the pet store for our tank, making my own piggy bank, planting okra in the garden, visiting the nursing home, and making pizzas.This year I learned to – Sew a straight line, identify beetles, complete a Record Book, train my dog to sit, make a motion, eat foods according to the food pyramid, say the 4-H Pledge, clean out my rabbit’s cage, and identify five species of birds.Next year I want to learn about – horses, gardening, bicycle safety, fishing, and cooking.In my club I got to – collect food for the needy, have meetings, go on field trips, be in a parade, work in our project books, hatch chicks, raise butterflies, bake cookies, go on a hike.

Cloverbud Project Summary, pages 3 & 4

The 4-H’er can draw pictures or include photographs on this page. Include captions for the pictures.There can be additional pages added on at the end of the Record Book – just put a tab for “Attachments” or “Photos.”Don’t forget to put that in the Table of Contents! Scrapbooking materials may be used but are not required. Be creative!

Cloverbuds earn year pins, certificates and participation ribbons for their Record Books.

I enjoyed making new friends, learning the 4-H Pledge, taking care of the animals, helping others, making my own pillow, our holiday party, singing in the Share-the-Fun Talent Show and earning a ribbon in the fair. (Include community service, educational programs and fun activities too!)

Ribbons: Juniors, Intermediates & SeniorsJuniors, Intermediates and Seniors receive ribbons based on their scores: a Blue Ribbon for a score of 90-100; a Red Ribbon for a score of 80-89; a White Ribbon for a score below 80.Purple Ribbons are awarded in addition to Blue Ribbons to those Record Books with a score of 100 or more OR that are the highestscoring Blue Ribbon Record Book in a category and age group. For example -Six “Horse” Record Books scored as follows:

Youth #1, Junior: 92 Blue RibbonYouth #2, Junior: 97 Blue and Purple RibbonsYouth #3, Junior: 95 Blue RibbonYouth #4, Intermediate: 95 Blue RibbonYouth #5, Intermediate: 100 Blue and Purple RibbonsYouth #6, Senior: 93 Blue and Purple Ribbons

Pins and Certificates:Juniors, Intermediates & Seniors

For completing and submitting a 4-H Record Book, a 4-H’er will receive a year pin.If the Record Book is a Blue Ribbon Record Book, the 4-H’er earns a project pin as well.4-H’ers receive certificates for their Record Books.

Junior Level Fill in name, address, club, date submitted, 4-H age, project name, parent’s name, leader’s name and years in 4-H.

The 4-H’er should sign here, along with the leader and a parent, verifying that the 4-H’er completed the Record Book. Parents, leaders and other 4-H’ers may assist, but the work should be representative of the youth submitting the Record Book.

Each Record Book should have its own Project Report. Follow the Instructions provided here on the first page. If you have questions, call 386-822-5778.

Juniors, page 2

Fill up the space provided!This section should include details, for example: “I want to learn about the plants that monarch caterpillars eat and about their life cycle,” “I want to learn how to prepare yeast breads, make some for my club and enter some in the fair,” “I want to learn how to correctly show my cavy, how to groom him and how to prevent illness,” “As the Secretary for my club, I want to learn how to take notes, write letters, practice parliamentary procedure and help my club by being on a committee.”

For “Project Highlights,” include everything the 4-H’er did during the 4-H year related to this project only. Additional pages may be added.

I want to learn about my market swine: how to groom him, house him, worm him, feed him and show him in the fair.

I will provide opportunities for the 4-H’er to attend workshops, set aside time in the club meeting to work in the project book answer questions, and have guest speakers at our meetings.

I will keep the pig on our property, assist in the care of the animal, provide veterinary care, transport my child to meetings, workshops and the fair.

6/1/20-- Bought my market swine. 2 hours8/16/20-- Attended 4-H Grooming & Showmanship Clinic 2 hours9/20/20-- Attended FSF Educational Seminar 7 hours9/22/20-- Attended VCF Livestock Meeting 1 hour10/11/20-- Attended VCF Barn Work Day 3 hours10/11/20-- Attended Ethics Training 4 hours10/31-thru 11/9 – Volusia County Fair 5 days9/20– thru 6/20-- Worked in my Project & Record Book 12 hours6/20– thru 11/20-- Groomed, practiced showmanship, fed, wormed 200 hrs2/20/20-- Gave Illustrated Talk about swine diseases 5 hours4/20/20-- Entered Game Board in CFF about swine 4 hours3/20/20-- Club went to farm to mend fences and clean 8 hours

9/24/20--

10/10/20--

9/26/20--

Juniors,page 3“What I Learned” should reflect the goals on page 1 and include other things the 4-H’er learned while completing the project.

This section should not be passed over –4-H’ers will make mistakes and have unforeseen problems during the time they work on their projects. These experiences teach and are valuable for the 4-H’er.

Youth are proud of their accomplishments, whether they earn a trophy, a ribbon or praise from their club leader. This section is included so that the 4-H’er can write about his/her successes.

At the beginning of the project, the leader and/or parent commits to assist the 4-H’er in the project. This section is included so that the 4-H’er gives credit to those people that helped the 4-H’er during the project’s completion. It is important for youth to acknowledge and thank their parents and leaders for their help.

I learned that I must keep my market swine cool because he can get hot quickly because he does not sweat. I also learned that I needed to watch his feed so that he would not get too fat, but that he would have enough back fat. I know how to measure him and worm him. I know how to stand during showmanship so that I don’t block the judge’s view and how to groom my pig. I learned how to write letters to invite people to the auction and how to keep expense records. I had to work him every day to practice showmanship.

I sometimes did not keep up with my record book and it made it difficult to complete the expense report. I fed my pig too much and he got too fat, or I did not feed him enough and he did not have the amount of back fat he needed to get into the fair. I did not practice showmanship enough so my pig would not cooperate in the show ring. My pig broke his fence and got out so I helped my dad build a new pen. When I had to say good-bye to my pig it was hard but I did it. I needed to watch my pig for diseases like pig pox.

My market swine sold for $4.00 a pound! I was called back for showmanship. My pig was Reserve Grand Champion. My Record Book received a high score. The Junior Livestock Judging team got second place. My leader told me that I groomed my pig well. I learned about a lot of diseases and what to do in case my pig got sick. I was able to help other 4-H’ers measure their pigs.

My dad helped me build a pen for my market swine. My mom took me to the store to buy feed and supplies for my pig. My leader took me to the FSF seminar to learn more about showing. My mom helped me put my Record Book together. My leader took my pig to the fair. My dad helped me worm my pig. My leader had club meetings where we worked on our project books. My dad helped me fill out the slot letter and the fair forms. My mom proofread the thank-you letter I wrote to my buyer.

Juniors, page 4

The 4-H’er is here given the opportunity to reflect back on the project and to analyze the job he/she has done. This will help the 4-H’er to plan ahead for next year’s projects.

What projects does the 4-H’er want to try next year? Has he/she made plans?

Citizenship = Helping OthersThis should be Community Service activities related to the project as well as assisting others in the club with the project. Examples include: weeding the butterfly garden at Deleon Springs, donating dog or cat food to the Humane Society, taking notes for the Secretary if he/she cannot attend a meeting, donating clothes to a community center, participating in a beach clean-up, planting pine trees, donating food to the needy, and helping club members with taking care of their animals. The above can all be directly related to specific projects: Sewing, Cooking, Dogs, Marine Science, Forestry, Entomology, Officer, Animal Science. Notice the reference to family/friends.

I will start working on my Project Book and Record Book earlier and take more pictures. I will give an Illustrated Talk about my project next time. I will make an Exhibit Board to go with my Record Book. I will be more careful about the amount of food I give to my market swine. I will read more and do more research about my animal. I will keep better records. I will write more letters to invite buyers to the auction. I will spend more time practicing with my pig. I will buy more pigs and show them in more fairs.

I think I would like to raise another market swine, but I may start breeding swine. I would like to go to more shows and learn more about pigs. I would like to participate in County Events by giving a talk, taking pictures of my project animal and making a poster. I also want to participate in Consumer Choices. Our club is talking about camping and I’d love to go on a camping trip. I am going to run for an office in my club and start attending County Council meetings. I am planning to go to Summer Camp too.

I went to Barn Work Day and helped set up the barn for the animals. The club went over to our leader’s house and we cleaned the barn and mended fences. I showed my club how to properly groom their pigs. We donated animal feed to a family that was in need. I gave some extra fencing to another 4-H’er. I helped at an Ask-Me-Booth at the fair.(The citizenship activities written here should relate to the project. You may include other community service projects on your Clover Award application.)

(This section is included to list trophies, ribbons, etc., but it does not receive points on the score sheet.)

My Illustrated Talk about my market pig earned a Blue Ribbon and I competed at District Events where I earned a Red Ribbon. My Game Board about swine breeds won first place at the Central Florida Fair – I got a trophy! My pig earned third place in his weight class.

Juniors, page 5

This is me feeding my market swine after we brought him home.

This is a picture of me showing my market swine at the fair.

This page is for photos and/or drawings. You may include more than two – the more the better! If you choose to include more pages, you can add stickers and other scrapbooking items. Place them in a separate section under “Photos”or “Attachments.” You can insert ribbons, brochures, handouts from seminars, bibliographies, magazine articles, newspaper articles – anything showing you involved in your project or items you collected while completing the project.

Captions are very important. They explain the photo and the circumstances when the photo was taken: where, when, why!

Juniors, page 6The 4-H story page is included in the Junior’s Project Report. The story may be hand-written or typed in 12 point double spaced font. It should be at least one page, but can be longer.

Stories are graded with consideration to the age of the youth: content, spelling, grammar, neatness, length and legibility.

The previous sections of the Project Report can serve as an outline.

SAMPLE PROJECT STORY

This was my first year showing a market swine and I had a lot to learn! My dad took me to Mr. Watson’s farm in June and we picked out my pig. He cost $100. I liked the runt – he was so cute, but Mr. Watson said that I should go for quality over cuteness. My pig is a Hampshire cross.

I researched the different breeds and their characteristics. I also learned about skeletal structure and muscling by reading different hand-outs my mom and I picked up from the 4-H Office, by going to workshops and seminars, from talking to other 4-H’ers and my leader, and from going on the Internet.

There was so much to do. When I got home with my pig he was scared and it took a few weeks for him to get used to me. My leader told me to go slow and it worked! I had to work with him about two hours a day: feeding him, practicing showmanship, getting him used to being groomed and brushed, having him stand still to measure him, worming him and cleaning his pen. I learned that pigs don’t get shots, but that you squirt the medicine in their mouths about every six weeks.

There were some other things I had to learn and do, like putting sunscreen on my pig! I had to use SPF 50 so he wouldn’t get sunburn! Did you know that pigs don’t sweat? He had to stay cool or he could die. Pigs also burrow! The first pen we put him in he dug out of and he was running around the yard! While he was running around, he got hurt so I had to put antibiotic stuff on him. We bought hog wire and put it under his pen so he couldn’t dig out again.

You have to be careful when you feed your pig. The feed should be about 20% protein – don’t give a pig table scraps. I didn’t know that at first and I would feed him bread and other things. I was treating him like a pet instead of as an investment. Scraps have chemicals in them, so now I only feed my pig swine rations. I kept receipts from the store for my record book. I put all kinds of things in a folder so I would have it for when I was ready to work on my record book. My leader gave us that hint and helped me assemble the record book. My mom and my leader were always taking pictures of us with our swine! It sure helped when we all sat down to finish our record books though.

Something else I learned that is very important - never go by yourself to take care of your pig. One day I didn’t wait on my dad and my pig, when he was big, squished me in the pen. Safety first!

In September we went to the Livestock Meeting with everyone else. It was exciting to think that the fair was almost here! On Check-In day, we had to wait in line to get in. My pig got in. There were a few that got sent home and I felt bad for those kids. Every day we went to take care of my pig and then the show came. It was crazy with all of the pigs running around the ring and all the kids trying to get their pigs to behave. You could tell who had worked with their pigs and who hadn’t! I was called back for showmanship! My mom and dad were taking pictures and I was so proud. And then my pig got Reserve Champion – that was great! At the Auction, he sold for $4 a pound. I was very upset when I had to tell him good-bye, but I had to do it. Market swine are not as hard to take care of as sheep and not as expensive as steer, so I think I will continue to work with them until I get a little older.

Junior Project Story continued . . .This sample story is longer than the typical story. It is a prompt – its purpose is to give the Junior 4-H’er ideas. A Junior’s 4-H story can be a few paragraphs to more than a page.

Intermediate Level

Just like in the Junior Level Project Report, remember to put the youth’s 4-H age (as of September 1st of the current 4-H year – not necessarily the current age of the youth).

Parents, Leaders and friends may certainly help the 4-H’er with proofreading, ideas and suggestions, but the Intermediate 4-H’er should complete the Project Report himself/herself. The Project Report may be hand-written or typed.

Follow the “Instructions” included here, but remember to ask questions if you need help – call us at 386-822-5778!

Intermediate,page 2The Intermediate 4-H’er is between 11 and 13 years of age. Their goals should therefore be more specific and detailed than a younger child’s. Examples: “I want to learn how to use a serger, make an entire outfit, learn how to identify and care for specific materials, and serve on the Fashion Revue committee.”“This year, I will be participating in Livestock Judging, along with raising a market steer, so I will be learning more about the cuts of meat, the shapes, smoothness and finish on an animal, the terminology and how to present oral reasons.”“I will be studying Marine Ecology this year. I want to learn about the Florida marine ecosystems, including the plants, fish and mammals that live in them, and what I can do to help protect them.”“My goals for this year are: learning about careers related to horses, working with my horse so that she is more comfortable entering the ring and going on to Regionals in Speed Events.”

List all the activities you have done related to THIS project.

I want to learn about recipes from around the world. As part of this project, I’d like to learn about how healthy other countries eat. Also, I plan to enter some ethnic baked goods in the fair, do a demonstration and teach a workshop.

The club will have a holiday party and the 4-H’ers are doing the cooking and decorating. We will have a guest speaker come to talk about nutrition . I will make sure the 4-H’er has the forms needed to register for the fair.

I will buy the supplies that my daughter needs to prepare her recipes. I will make sure her items are transported to the fair. I will offer whatever assistance she requires.

9 – 6/20-- Went shopping for supplies 20 hours10/24/20– Attended Xtreme Cuisine workshop 6 hours10/28/20– Turned in baked goods to fair 2 hours11/25/20– Cooked special foods for holiday dinner 5 hours12/13/20– Brought food for needy to neighborhood center 1 hour1/4/20– Taught a cooking workshop at Jr. Congress 1 hour2/10/20– Gave Demonstration at County Events 6 hours3/15/20– Taught a cooking workshop for 4-H 4 hours4/15/20– Entered foods in fair 6 hours5/12/20– Gave demonstration at District Events 8 hours9-6/20– Worked in Project Book and Record book 40 hours

9/1/20--

9/5/20--

9/1/20--

Intermediate,page 3

This section should include the new skills developed during the project and new knowledge gained through research and experiences.

4-H’ers should not write, “I didn’t have any problems with this project.”Questions, problems and difficulties arise while we learn. An important part of the 4-H youth development program is teaching young people to recognize these setbacks as learning opportunities and how to grow from them.Success means different things to different people. What is included in this section might be a listing of all the ribbons, trophies and premiums received in the project and/or it may be the personal accomplishments that the 4-H’er values.

This section is included so that the 4-H’er recognizes those that helped him/her!

My project book is called, “Foods with an International Flavor.” I prepared dishes from Mexico, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, Japan and France. For each country, I learned about: the people and their languages, geography, history and food production. I then cooked a complete meal for my family from the included recipes. I also researched about the health of the people in the country based upon their diets. I learned that I enjoy cooking and that I may be interested in a career as a chef. I learned that I enjoy teaching too!

I couldn’t always find the ingredients in my grocery store! I had to go to specialty stores, leave out ingredients or substitute others. I didn’t have the same tools and dishes that people in other countries have – but it’s nice to have a modern kitchen. Sometimes I cooked the food and we didn’t like it! When you cook, you have to watch what you are doing. I messed up a few recipes because I burned them or I left ingredients out. You may have to do it over again to get it right.

My family really liked the Japanese dinner I prepared. We even set the table like I saw in a magazine. We drank tea and the food was excellent! I entered “Lebkuchen” (Christmas Honey Cookies) in the fair and I earned a red ribbon. I taught two workshops. One was at Jr. Congress. I taught them how to make antipasto and then we ate it! For County Events, I did a demo about how to cook “Appelsinfromage” (Orange Sponge Pudding). I earned blue and purple ribbons at County and District Events.

At our club’s holiday party, our leader let us have a Mexican theme. We cooked and decorated . It was a lot of fun! My family ate all the food I cooked (even if they didn’t like it). My mom especially helped by assisting me with measuring out the ingredients, reminding me to check the oven and by taking me shopping. Of course, she drove me to the fairs so I could enter my cookies, too.

Intermediate,page 4This section prompts Intermediate 4-H’ers to reflect back on the project and to evaluate themselves.

The “What do I want to next year” section encourages the youth to plan – does he/she want to continue with this project, add more projects or go in a different direction? What types of activities and community service opportunities are interesting?

Leadership means leading. This may seem a simple definition, but it should help the 4-H’er decide whether the activity is a leadership activity or a citizenship activity. When a 4-H’er becomes an Intermediate or Senior, he/she should be seeking these roles.

In a leadership activity, the 4-H’er has an idea, makes a plan and implements it –such as teaching a workshop.

For a citizenship activity, the 4-H’er is typically part of a group and is helping –such as contributing to a food drive. Notice that for this age group it is community related – not just for family and friends!

During my project, I felt like I had to rush to study all of the cultures as much as I wanted to. I think I’d like to make this a two year project and learn more about the countries. I had a few problems when I planned my workshops: not enough supplies and learning how to explain things. I will pay more attention to what I am doing in the kitchen and clean up after myself better. I would like to teach my family more about the cultures and to study a few more too.

I plan to keep on working with poultry and horticulture. I want to serve on the Share-the-Fun committee in the County Council. I am planning to run for vice-president in my club. I’d like to keep teaching workshops, go to Jr. Congress and be a camp counselor for Summer Camp. I think I can organize a food drive for my club to help the community food bank during the holidays. There will be a mock legislature next year and I’m looking forward to that!

I organized two workshops this year related to cooking. I taught a nutrition workshop at the 4-H office and we made lunch using fresh vegetables and fruits. At Jr. Congress, I taught other 4-H’ers how to make antipasto. I was the chair of the recreation committee in my club and organized what we would have for snacks at our meetings as well as help plan our holiday party.

As part of Make a Difference Day, my club collected food to donate to the Neighborhood Center. We went door to door and collected a truckload of non-perishable food items! Our club won the county contest because we collected so much! We have a nursing home in our community and we had a special Valentine’s Day party for them. We brought cookies and punch and cards we had made for the residents. At a community festival our club members talked about 4-H and provided baked goods to people attending the festival.

Intermediate,page 5

(This section is not scored. It is included so that the 4-H’er can list the ribbons, trophies, medals, premiums and other awards that the he/she has earned in the project. This recognition could be at the club, county, district, state or community levels, fairs and other contests.)I received blue and purple ribbons for my county and district demonstration. I also received a red ribbon for my cookies in the fair.In the Intermediate Record Book, the

“Project Pictures” and “Project Story”should be in their own sections and listed in the Table of Contents.

For Project Pictures, you should include pictures that were taken during the time you worked on your project. They can be mounted on construction paper or placed in plastic protectors. Scrapbooking techniques are encouraged but not required. Don’t forget the captions explaining the pictures.

For Volusia County Record Books, the stories for Intermediates can be MORE THAN TWO PAGES. They may be hand-written or typed.

Make sure you include your completed Project Book in its own section.

Intermediate StoryThis year, I chose to do the “Foods with an International Flavor” project book. Last year, I did some

canning and baking with my club, and this year I decided to do more cooking. As I worked through the project, I learned a lot of things, like correctly measuring the ingredients, cleaning up after I finished cooking, being careful in the kitchen so I didn’t burn myself or the food, how to comparison shop, and how to replace an ingredient I could not find. I also learned how to speak in front of an audience – I did a cooking demonstration this year at County Events and for the first time, I taught a workshop at Jr. Congress. I participated in several community service activities and served as the recreation officer in my club.

I “visited” Mexico, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, Japan, and Africa while I worked on my project. I cooked the recipes in the project book and I also learned about the countries. I am home-schooled and this served as part of my study of Geography. While I worked in my project, I shared what I learned with my 4-H club and my family. They even let me decorate and set the table like the countries do. I entered Lebkuchen (German) cookies in the Volusia County Fair and earned a red ribbon. From my study of Italy, I learned how to prepare antipasto and I taught 4-H’ers at Jr. Congress how to make it. For County and District Events, I demonstrated how to make a Scandinavian dish called Appelsinfromage. I earned Blue and Purple Ribbons! Not everything I tried worked out that well – we didn’t like Rodkal (pickled red cabbage) and I burned a whole pan of cookies.

Intermediate Story continued . . . As the recreation officer for my club, I organized our games and food for our meetings. Each

month, we prepared things related to holidays. For October I made cookies that looked like fingers and bats! For Christmas, we had a Mexican Fiesta with a pinata and a gift exchange. Everyone brought food and decorations according to the theme. We had the Nutrition Agent come to one meeting to speak about nutrition too. She brought a huge soda can and taught us about how much sugar is in one. For Valentine’s Day, we made cards, made a special punch and baked heart cookies and took them to a local nursing home to share. You have to be careful, though, because some of the residents aren’t allowed much sugar!

I attended the Xtreme Cuisine Workshop at the 4-H Office taught by the Nutrition Agent, her assistant ,and the 4-H Agent. We made pizzas and smoothies with fresh fruits and vegetables. We learned that you should eat foods that are colorful, eat at least 3 cups of diary products each day, and that blueberries are good for your memory. The 4-H Agent took lots of pictures, we wrote about what we learned and we made a banner. She sent our entry to the state and applied for a state award from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences and we won! The chef came in April and cooked for us! He made salsa and great smoothies for us! There were reporters there taking pictures of us and we were in the newspaper!

Intermediate Story continued . . . I took a few field trips for my project. The best one was EPCOT! We learned about

hydroponics and ate lunch in Mexico and dinner in France. The club also went on the Farm Tour and visited Tropical Blossom Honey in Edgewater. We got honey sticks and bought a lot of honey, including orange blossom and tupelo. Tupelo doesn’t crystallize. I used it when I made sopapilla. We visited VoLaSalle Farms too and saw how they raise strawberries and tomatoes using hydroponics. Daytona State College offers a degree in Hospitality Management. You can go to school there to learn how to be a chef. We visited and interviewed one of the teachers.

As a community service project, our club collected food for the United Way’s “Make a Difference Day” and donated it to the Neighborhood Center. We asked our neighbors to help so we filled the back of my dad’s truck with boxes and bags of food! As a fundraiser, we made cookies and other desserts and sold them at the community festival. We earned over $100 for our club. We voted to use the money for camp scholarships. For one County Council meeting, we prepared dinner – we made spaghetti, brownies and salad. Everyone pitched in to help.

My mom said that since I worked so hard on my project this year, that I deserved something special. She gave me a cookbook of my own and a set of pots and pans to cook with! I am already cooking!

SeniorLevel

This page is just like the ones for Juniors and Intermediates. At the Senior level, all forms should be completed by the 4-H’er. Parents and leaders may proofread and offer suggestions. Remember that “Age” is the age of the 4-H’er as of September 1st of the current 4-H year. Even if the 4-H’er has a birthday during the 4-H year, the age as of September 1st is the one that is used for all reports, contests and events.

Senior,page 2

The Senior 4-H’er should be looking towards the future when he/she makes goals for a project: career choices, in-depth studies and scholarship applications. The goals should be specific and detailed.

Parents and Leaders understand that teenagers will be investigating future paths and continuing to hone skills already developed.

It is expected that Senior 4-H’ers will be seeking out leadership roles.

Record Books are graded with an understanding of the ages of the youth preparing them. Seniors should be especially mindful of grammatical and spelling errors, thoroughness and completeness. Senior 4-H’ers will also be preparing resumes, applications and portfolios and it is important that they are done well.

One of the most important things 4-H’ers learn is leadership. For example, I was elected to be the Secretary of the 4-H County Council. It will be my duty to keep accurate records, chair a committee, notify the officers of meetings, learn parliamentary procedure, and attend all meetings. I would like to apply for National Congress this year as well so I will be looking for leadership opportunities.

The 4-H Agent will train the County Council officers and work with them closely throughout the year. She will also transport them to District Council meetings. She will teach Senior 4-H’ers how to complete Award/Scholarship Portfolios and assist in the formation and work of the committees.

My parents will transport me to County Council meetings, make sure I have the supplies I need and help me in whatever ways they can.

5/5/20-- Campaigned and was elected Secretary of County Council 5 hrs.8/16/20-- Attended officer training workshop at Ag. Ctr. 6 hrs.8/30/20-- Planned and participated in Awards Night, Inducted 8 hrs.9/20-6/20-- Attended all County Council meetings, Officer Meetings,

and District VIII meetings 30+ hrs.9/20-1/20-- Chaired the Share-the-Fun Talent Show committee - -

helped get judges, was the emcee, had a silent auction 12 hrs.¼-6/20-- Attended Jr. Congress as a teacher 3 days2/22/20-- County Events Ill. Talk about being a Secretary, District Events 10 hrs.9/1/20-5/20-- Served as voting delegate to District VIII Council and

served on the Community Service Committee – food drive 8 hrs.4/29/20-- Attended Portfolio Workshop 4 hrs.8/20-5/20-- Worked in Project Book: kept notes, gave reports, correspondence 30+ hrs.5/20-- Campaigned and ran for Delegate for County Council 5 hrs.6/20-- Attended Camp Counselor Training and was Summer Camp Counselor 8 days6/20-- Attended 4-H Legislature and Trainings 5 days, 6 hrs.

9/15/20--

9/15/20--

9/15/20--

Senior,page 3The information gained and skills learned should reflect the age – the maturity – of the 4-H’er. Seniors need to go beyond the simple requirements of the project. Research is an important component to a Senior’s Record Book. Teaching is also important at the club, county, district or higher level – through workshops, illustrated talks and demonstrations.

Problems occur and difficulties present themselves as we learn and grow. How does the 4-H’er deal with a crisis, such as the loss of an animal, facing defeat, or having a demonstration go badly? The project is an essential part of the 4-H program! We learn through our successes and failures!

At each Officer Meeting, the 4-H Agent went over the President’s agenda with us and asked for our discussion and input. We also learned which Parliamentary Procedure we were going to practice at the next County Council meeting. It helped by having only one or two to learn at a time and to practice! As the Share-the-Fun Committee Chair, I learned how to run a meeting, create a flyer, seek out donations from local businesses, plan a program and decorate for it. I found out that there are a lot of things that can go wrong: people unable to attend the dress rehearsal, a CD not working, and contestants getting upset. The most important thing I learned was how to be a Secretary. It’s actually a lot of work! Taking accurate notes, writing letters, being a role model, working with others as a team, planning events. I also learned how to be a camp counselor and I loved Legislature! The agent told us we would enjoy it and have to learn ParliamentaryProcedures and she was right! The workshops and Mock Leg we had helped. I also learned how to complete a Portfolio. I submitted it on June 1st and I hope I’ll be awarded a trip to National Congress in Atlanta!

• Don’t procrastinate. After our first meeting, I waited to type up the minutes until the day of the next Council meeting and I didn’t have enough time and I had forgotten some important items. I learned to take a tape recorder and type up the minutes within a couple of days!

• There were difficulties with being the chair of a county event like Share-the-Fun. Some people said they were going to do things and they didn’t. People got sick and couldn’t make it – including a judge. One of the CDs wouldn’t work at dress rehearsal – but we got another for the show. There’s a lot more planning and work involved than I thought.

• When we first looked at the Portfolio in the workshop, I didn’t know how to fill it out. The agent spent hours helping us figure out what we should put. This was good practice for scholarships and resumes I know I’ll have to write.

• I think that attending the Portfolio Workshop, the Mock Leg workshops and Jr. Congress helped me prepare for 4-H Legislature. I learned how to sponsor a bill and use parliamentary procedure. Being prepared helped me enjoy Leg. more.

First of all, I was elected to be the Secretary for the County Council. I was the Chairperson for the Share-the-Fun Talent Show. I gave an Illustrated Talk at County Events about being a secretary and I was able to go to District Events. Because I earned a Blue Ribbon at District, I can go to Congress in July at the University of Florida. I taught a class about Parliamentary Procedure at Jr. Congress in preparation of the Mock Leg. our county organized a Mock Leg. Event for the district and it went very well! We had local politicians come too! I worked on the bill book. At Legislature in Tallahassee, I was nominated for the Chris Allen Award for Lobbyists – and the bill I supported was passed. I ran for Council Delegate and was elected. That means I report what our county is doing to the District Council. I plan to run for a District office next year!

My parents took me to all of the Officer and County Council meetings. They helped me practice my Illustrated Talk and took me to County and District Events. My mom reminded me about getting my project book done and keeping up with the minutes. They helped me a lot with the Talent Show like driving me around, and painting and decorating (my dad even helped build some props for the stage). I am especially grateful for the times they encouraged me when things were going wrong! They bought me a 4-H show jacket and supplies I needed for my project. The agent taught me about parliamentary procedure and was always there when I called or e-mailed with questions. She helped me plan out the things I needed to do for the Talent Show and when I needed to do them. She took me to many meetings and looked over my book periodically and gave suggestions. She listened to our suggestions.

Senior,page 4The first section of this page asks the 4-H’er to reflect back upon his/her performance. It gives the 4-H’er the opportunity to give himself/herself some advice or suggestions.

The second section provides a place for the 4-H’er to make some plans for the next year. Continue on with this project? Choose another? What can be added to citizenship and leadership projects? What events, shows or workshops sound interesting? What goals does the 4-H’er have?

Leadership and citizenship are important for Seniors. Evaluators for Portfolios, Award Trips, and Scholarships look for youth that are community minded. Stand out! Get involved! Examples of leadership: being a club officer, teaching a workshop, heading up a community service project.

As an officer, I will do my best to be on time, attend meetings, keep up with my book and work hard. On the portfolio we have to list our leadership experiences. I do not think I have tried hard enough to come up with ideas for my club and community. I did some community service with the council and my club, but I should come up with a project and lead it. I need to teach more workshops and serve on more committees – not just sit and listen, but actually help. There are other activities I could do too: game boards, essays, posters. I did not do any this year.

I was elected to the office of County Council Delegate. It will be my responsibility to report what Volusia County 4-H is doing to the District and bring back what was discussed at District Council meetings. I will be a committee chair next year – and I would like to serve as Mock Leg. Chair. I would like to help teach a workshop with the other officers for club officers – teaching them how to fill their positions. We are also planning a more “authentic” election by asking the County Elections Office to come. It will be fun to plan elections next year. I plan on applying for trips to National Conference and National Congress, and of course attending Congress and Legislature.

I learned how to be an officer for the County Council, a committee chairperson and a member of the District VIII Council. Furthermore, I taught workshops and planned events., such as Awards Night. I was a Camp Counselor this summer – and I enjoyed it because the campers in my cabin were great kids. I not only attended the training offered by our camping cluster, but I attended the state training and received a first aid card. At the District level, I served on the Community Service Committee and we planned a food drive. We created a flyer and collected boxes and boxes of food. In my club, I served as Treasurer. I kept a Record Book for that and was in charge of Ways and Means. We planned and held a garage sale and a bake sale at Fashion Revue. We raised $246! This money helps with camp scholarships, club supplies and our year party.

As mentioned above, the district had a food drive for the needy. We plan to expand it next year and have three separate food drives. Because one of the leaders is involved with Habitat for Humanity, and I like to build things, I started helping. I helped build a house in my town! At Jr. Congress, we wrote letters of support for the state 4-H program, and in my club we made Christmas cards and Valentine cards for the troops overseas. My favorite citizenship activity was working with another 4-H club in the district - we had a Jam Fest. We invited local bands to play together and charged $7 – and the proceeds went to the District Council for Community Service projects.

Senior,page 5As with the Junior and Intermediate Project Reports, there are no points given for the section “Awards and Recognition.” That doesnot mean that it should be left blank! The space is provided so that the 4-H’er can list recognition related to this project. Seniors, especially, should record everything about their projects!

Pictures, pictures, pictures! Every aspect of the project should be documented with photos, brochures and more. Captions are essential! The 4-H’er may understand the picture, but the grader may not. More than three pages and/or scrapbooking techniques may be used, but are not required.

The Senior’s story should NOT be a paragraph! The story should relate the entireyear: successes, failures, skills and knowledge gained, leadership roles, citizenship opportunities, events attended related to the project, and awards received. Perhaps a better name for the Senior “Project Story”would be to call it the “Senior 4-H Project Year-End Report.” Almost everything needed to write it is included in the pages of “My Senior 4-H Project Report.” It may be more than three pages.

Don’t forget your Project Book – one per Record Book!

1. County Council Secretary and County Council Delegate Elect2. Chairperson of Share-the-Fun Committee3. Nominee for Chris Allen Award – Lobbyist4. Club Treasurer/Chairperson of Ways and Means Committee5. District VIII Community Service Committee6. County Events – Illustrated Talk – Blue /Purple Ribbons7. District Events – Illustrated Talk – Blue/Purple Ribbons

Sample Senior StoryIt was a very busy year for me. For the first time, I was elected as a County Council officer. I have held several

offices at the club level and I wanted to become more involved in the County Council. According to the Volusia County 4-H Constitution, we are allowed to run for three offices, and only Seniors can run for President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Delegate because they vote at the district level. I gave out candy and pencils and I put posters up in the Auditorium. I ran for Vice-President and lost, but I was elected as the new Secretary.

Once elected, I found out through Officer Training and experience what the position requires. The 4-H Agent had a meeting in the summer to teach us our responsibilities and to work on Awards Night. All of the old and new officers had to dress up because we were inducted during a candle ceremony during Awards Night. We presented the awards, pins and certificates to the 4-H’ers in recognition of what they had done during the year. Also, officers are supposed to complete Record Books! My primary responsibility was to take notes during the County Council meetings. I found that I could not write fast enough to keep up in the County Council meetings, so I started bringing a tape recorder. I also found out that if I waited for a few weeks to type up the minutes that I had forgotten much of what was discussed. It was helpful to write them up within a few days and then e-mail them to everyone to proofread. At each meeting I had to read the minutes from the previous meeting. A week before the County Council meeting, the officers met to go over the agenda, discuss various issues and learn how to be better officers.

As an officer, I was supposed to lead a committee. I chose Share-the-Fun because it is my favorite – I play the piano. I did not realize how much work goes into a 4-H event like the Share-the-Fun Talent Show! Our 4-H Agent, Program Assistant and the volunteers were there to help, but we did almost everything ourselves: making the flyer for the website, setting up a fundraiser, asking volunteers to be judges, decorating, writing a script, running a dress rehearsal and having the show! It was great – the theme was “Broadway.” However, things do go wrong: a judge got sick, someone could not come to the dress rehearsal and one of the CDs did not work during practice. We had to make decisions about how much money we should spend and who would be in charge of certain things.

At the District level, I attended the bi-monthly meetings and voted for our county when there were things to decide. I served on the Community Service committee and we planned a food drive. Next year, I’d like to expand it because food drives are easy to do and people need help. We also are planning to do some other things – I got a lot

Sample Senior Story continued . . .of ideas from the district to use in our county. Something that was really cool was our Jam Fest. Some of the 4-H’ers participate in bands and we had a show. We charged $7.00 and raised money for the District Council. The money will be used for the T.G Lee Scholarship and other events. Over fifty people came and we’re planning to do it again next year.

One of the best things about being a County Council officer was going before the Volusia County Council in October. They gave Volusia County 4-H a proclamation recognizing National 4-H Week. We were able to shake hands with all of them and give them Clover Awards. They gave us pins. There were a lot of pictures taken! We put cups in the fence outside the office to say “National 4-H Week” and it was on the sign outside.

Because we are supposed to gave an Illustrated Talk or Speech about our project, I chose to do mine about “How to be a 4-H Secretary.” I earned Blue and Purple Ribbons at County Events and Blue and Purple Ribbons at District Events. I can go to Congress to compete at the state level. At Jr. Congress I taught a class on Parliamentary Procedure. I used to think it was hard, but it really isn’t. Roberts Rules of Order make sure everybody gets a chance to speak and that meetings are organized. We held a Mock Legislature event in our county for the Juniors and Intermediates. The President was the Speaker of the House and I read the bills. We had fun writing the bills – some were serious but some were joke bills. The event was successful and helped us practice for Legislature. Since this was my first year, I was a Lobbyist. I was assigned to the Law Enforcement lobby group so I was supposed to persuade the Senators and Representatives to vote for some bills and vote against others. It took me awhile to find my way around the Capitol Building and it was intimidating to speak in front of the committees. But I must have done well because I was nominated for the Chris Allen Award for Lobbyists. On two days we visited the Supreme Court and tried cases. I got to be a Supreme Court Justice and sit in his seat! The best part was being a page. Pages run notes between Senators and Representatives.

Summer Camp this year was great. I attended State Camp Counselor Training at Camp Ocala and received my First Aid card. I also went to Camp Counselor Training with other 4-H’ers from Orange, Brevard and Seminole Counties. Counselor training is fun because we get to do skits and plan out the competitions, activities and campfire. My CIT this year and I got along well and we had five campers from 8-10 years old. They had a lot of spirit and we came in third place in the Olympics. We had the Messiest Cabin one day and ate last. We sang until our throats hurt! This year we completed a community service project at camp by planting trees and lots of shrubs.

Senior Story continued . . . Being active in my club was important to me. I belong to a community club that does everything from livestock to

cooking. I participated in the Volusia County Fair, the Florida State Fair and the Central Florida Fair with my rabbits and used leadership skills in that project. We are proud to represent our county and so we behave well, help others and do our best. As Treasurer, I planned a Garage Sale and our club earned money for various projects. Next year, we are planning to do a booth in the Volusia County Fair to showcase all we do. There are so many ways to have leadership experiences in 4-H: being a camp counselor, a club officer, or a committee chairperson, by attending state level events and by being a workshop teacher. This past year, I was able to do all of those things. I have learned so much - mainly that it is a lot of work. Being a leader requires that you stay on top of things, do your best and always be prepared! Even though it was a lot of work, I still had fun. Decorating for the Talent Show was great – over twenty people came. We listened to music, painted, planned and ate pizza! And even though taking notes was time consuming, I got to go to District meetings and make new friends from other counties. Nothing beats Legislature – that’s where I learned the most about leadership.

Next year, I plan to continue as an officer for the County Council as Delegate. That means I inform our county about what the District is doing and I report to the District about our activities. I am planning to run for a District office and perhaps serve on Executive Boards and help plan state events like Congress and Legislature.

Remember – If you have questions, call 386-822-5778 or e-mail me at lcash@co.volusia.fl.us.

This has been an Elsie Production

2008-2009

If you need more help . . .

If you have further questions about completing your Record Book, please call the 4-H Office and speak with the 4-H Agent. The phone number is 386-822-5778. You can also e-mail your questions – go to http://volusia.org/extension/4h.htm.