Oklahoma Home & Community Education

Award Book Guidelines

Material originally prepared by:

Janice Cranor, Osage County Extension Educator

FCS/4-H

Edited November 5, 2013 by:

Madaline Kropff, Craig County Northeast District

State OHCE Awards & Report Chairman

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Purpose for OHCE Awards Books

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Identify the Group’s goals and projects. Report how they were completed.

Report the Group’s participation in community service and leadership activities.

Reflect and analyze where you have been, what you have accomplished, and the impact or differences that you have made.

Definitions of Citizenship

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Citizenship is the relationship between you and others. Activities which help foster greater understanding of community needs and responsibilities as a citizen.

1. The way you think, feel, and act toward your family, other OHCE members, your community, schools, church groups, and other people in your community.

2. Activities which contribute to the welfare of your local group, individuals in your community or the community as a whole.

3. OHCE shows good citizenship by working with people to carry out the duties and responsibilities of a good citizen. Citizenship activities can include helping an individual, or a group, or carrying out a project individually.

4. Positive role model for younger people.

5. Doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Definitions of Leadership

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Helping an individual on a one-to-one basis.

Helping several individuals with a project in a group situation.

Helping individuals change behavior or improve a lifestyle.

Serving as a catalyst in the community to get a project developed and implemented.

Serving as a chair or officer for an event.

Award Categories

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Each COUNTY may enter ONE County Report Book in EACH of the categories listed below.

LOCAL GROUPS may enter ONE Local Group Report Book in EACH of the categories listed below:

Leadership DevelopmentResource ManagementSpecial State ProjectCultural EnrichmentHealthy LivingMembershipFamily IssuesOHCE Week (Refer to Special Criteria for this award)

A County Award Book

A group or committee, consisting of county OHCE members, do a county project. The chairperson or member of that group/committee compiles all the

information to form an award book according to the criteria. The award book is then given to the county vice-president.

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Types of Award Books

Local OHCE Group Award Book

The chairperson or a member of that group will gather all the information and compile it into an Award Book according to the criteria. All award

books of a local OHCE group go to that group’s Vice-President. After all of that group’s award books are given to their vice-president, she/he will

then give all of them to the county vice-president.

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County Vice Presidents

The county vice-president needs to set a deadline to receive all award books from the local OHCE

groups and county.

The vice-president has to have all award books, photos, life stories, and member nominees to the

state awards chair BEFORE February 1. Contact your local FCS Educator for assistance.

If the award books do not meet state deadline, they will not be judged!

Things to consider before you plan your projects

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Make sure your project relates to the state OHCE goals in your handbook! (Can also be found at ohce.okstate.edu) Projects related to state goals are important because if we all work

toward the same goals, we can make a bigger impact in our state and communities!

Make a plan as to how your group can accomplish those goals

Designate a chairperson(s) for the project

Assign someone to take pictures of the project along the way and put it into the newspaper.

Assign someone to actually write the report, which needs to be received by the State Awards Chairman by February 1st.

Things to Keep Record of…

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Goals and objectives Projects designed to reach the goal (Action taken) Knowledge and skills learned or taught Community Service provided Partners and community support In-kind contributions Size, scope, growth & impact (Including how many members

participated in the project)

Photographs News clippings or News forms Results of the project Other related materials such as correspondence

Actions to report

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Volunteerism (Members and partner participation) Citizenship and Leadership of the Community Service project Presentations, exhibits, news articles, displays, etc. Workshops & trainings that the group provided People reached by the project and/or changes made by

participants Public policies implemented or changed as a result of the project Campaigns, publicity, and promotions

Steps to a Quality OHCE Report

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Refer to the criteria for each report before writing!! Reinforce how your project accomplished a state goal Keep good records Allow plenty of time to write your report Show growth and impact. Also, show the differences your

project made or the changes that occurred as a result Make the overall look of the folder neat and easy to read Be creative! Make the story memorable!

Criteria, Criteria, Criteria!

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1. Securely arrange records in a 3-brad paper folder with pockets

2. Put a label on the front of the folder in the top right hand corner.

3. Use standard sized, 8-1/2” X 11” white paper

4. Report should be typed on typewriter or a computer: Double spaced Times New Roman font, Size 12 1” left hand margin (So typing will not be covered by the

folder) Use one side of page only

Where Award Books Come Up Short

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1. Failure to follow criteria

2. Failure to show relationship between your project and a state goal

3. Reporting on a project that made little difference in your community

4. Poor participation from local or county OHCE members

5. Lack of focus in project work (Getting off track in your reporting)

6. Failure to show growth or impact

7. No future plans for the project

8. Disorganization due to a lack of good record keeping

9. Overall neatness! (Worth up to 10 points!)

Cover (Folder Front)

Place 1 white, typed label on the front of a new, 3-brad paper folder in the upper right hand corner

A County Report Group label should include: Name of Submitter, County, District, and Award Book Category being entered.

A Local Group Report label should include: Name of Local Group, County, District, and Award Book Category entered.

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Name of SubmitterCountyDistrict

Award Book Category

County Report Label Example Local Report Label Example

Name of Local Group CountyDistrict

Award Book Category

Page 1

Include the name of the person submitting the report

Complete Address with city and zip code

Phone number including area code

Chairperson or contact person

County

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Page 2

Table of Contents

Use page numbers at the bottom, tab numbers, or color tabs

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Story (1-3 Pages)

1. Objectives (0-15 points) What led you to select this project? What did you hope to accomplish?

2. Action (0-30 points) What did members do in guiding and carrying out this project? What were the involvement and contributions of other agencies or

organizations? What Public Policy/Leadership actions were utilized?

3. Results (0-30 points) How well did the project succeed? What are future plans for the project? What were the numbers of groups and/or members participating?

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Other Important Story Criteria

Local Group story must include local group involvement in the project

County story may include county and local group involvement.

STORIES MUST NOT BE DUPLICATED AND ENTERED IN BOTH

LOCAL AND COUNTY AWARD BOOKS

SUCH BOOKS WILL NOT BE JUDGED

DO NOT USE paper clips or staples!

Secure pictures and other materials so that they will not fall out in transit

All Report Books past the postmark date of February 1st will not be judged!

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Photographs (0-5 Points)

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1. 1-3 pages of photographs (Total of 9 pictures only)

2. Display only 3 pictures on a page

3. Only use the front of each page

4. Photography should assist in telling the story

5. Photographs should be securely fastened and labeled to identify the OHCE member and activities

Photograph Pointers

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1. Use action shots of members and other participants

2. Use High Quality Photos Avoid using scanned pictures High quality is needed for the Power Point presentation at the

district and state awards ceremonies (You want to look good!)

3. Highlight project work, leadership, and citizenship

4. Show the size and scope of the project

5. Secure pictures in a logical sequence

6. Make effective use of white space

Photograph Captions

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Poor

Serving fruits and vegetables

Reading to kids

Here we are getting our certificate for participation

Good

Teaching a group of 15 preschool children the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.

Promoting the value of reading to young children at the local Head Start School by utilizing the “Raising Young Readers” program.

Recognition for having 100% member participation in “Women Walk the World” that raised $1000 for CWC .

Captions should be a mini story!

Newspaper Clippings (0-5 Points)

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1. 1 – 3 pages only or insert a NEWS FORM

2. Include news reports of activities that are related to the project

3. Must show the date of the news clippings and the name of the media source that it was published in

4. With a colored highlighter, underscore the name of the county, local group, or members’ names in the articles

Other Related Materials / Correspondence (Optional)

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1. 1 – 3 pages only

2. Thank you notes and other types of appreciation

3. Agendas, schedules, notes, or reports that assist in documenting your story

4. Letters of recognition, emails, or other evidence of cooperative effort with partnering agencies and organizations

5. Brochures, pamphlets, business cards, tags, etc. that help tell your story!

Paragraph of Project Report (+5 or -5 Points)

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1. Type a short, double spaced paragraph that summarizes your project report.

2. Put the paragraph inside the front pocket of the 3-brad paper folder

3. If you include the paragraph, you will get 5 points!

4. If you do not include the paragraph, you will have 5 points deducted!

Helpful Hints!

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1. Be factual and concise, yet fully represent the project

2. Content is more important than fancy format

3. Don’t repeat just to fill up space

4. Proofread by checking your grammar and spelling

5. Be creative and write an interesting story

6. Show the human interest side of the project

7. Avoid slang, acronyms, and abbreviations

8. Be neat, complete and organized

Award Books Can:

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1. Provide a record of your community involvement

2. Show the human interest side of the project

3. Motivate members

4. Provide leadership opportunities

5. Allow you to share your successes with other groups across the state

Send Award Books to:

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Current OHCE State Awards and Reports Chairman

Check handbook or website (ohce.okstate.edu)

Current Chairman:

Madaline Kropff

26350 S 570 Rd

Afton, OK 74331

(918)257-4504

jmkropff@gmail.com

All Report Books past the postmark date of February 1st will not be judged!

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Other Awards / Contests Available:Check out guidelines on state website!

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1. Member of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Young Member of the Year, and Heart of OHCE (County, District, and State levels)

2. Photography Contest

3. Life Story Essay Contest

4. OHCE Week

5. Local and County Membership Recognition and Recruitment Awards