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Missouri 4-H

4-H Clubs

The purpose of a 4-H club is to provide positive youth development opportunities designed to meet the needs of young people to experience belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity.

Any youth age 8 to 18 by Dec. 31 of the current year may become a member of a 4-H Club. Youth ages 5 to 7 may participate in our Clover Kids program. Members are required to enroll. All Missouri 4-H clubs are required to be chartered.

4-H Clubs conduct regular meetings usually somewhere in the community, like a club leaders' home, a library, school, community center, etc. Meetings can also be held virtually. Members participate together in-service learning projects, serve as club officers, give presentations, and complete projects. Missouri 4-H offers these types of clubs:

COMMUNITY CLUBS (ANNUAL)

  • Represents a geographic area like a community or neighborhood.
  • Youth enroll in subject matter projects of interest, usually meet monthly, select youth officers who lead the club, carry out club responsibilities, participate in service to the community, and receive recognition for their work.
  • Use meetings to develop group process skills, leadership ability, and communication skills.
  • Project evaluation is often carried out during or leading up to the county fair.
  • Organized and supported by at least two certified volunteers.

COMMUNITY CLUBS (SEASONAL)

  • Maintain a broad, traditional 4-H focus but on a more compressed time frame.
  • Activities often rotate between socials, service learning, hands-on workforce development/ entrepreneurship experiences, and project development work.
  • Two certified young adult volunteers often guide these clubs.
  • Youth voice is prominent, but club officers are optional.

SPIN CLUB (ANNUAL)

  • Focus on a specific topic or project interest area.
  • Meet for most of the year.
  • Led by a topic expert and another certified volunteer.
  • May be age restricted dependent upon the subject matter.
  • Officers are optional at the club’s discretion in pursuit of their learning objectives.
  • Common examples include robotics, equine, and shooting sports.

SPIN CLUB (SEASONAL)

  • Meet after school varying from a short period of time to a full 4-H program year.
  • With over 100 different project topic areas there can be multiple, grade specific focus on a single project.
  • A SPIN Club that meets intensely (often weekly) for a narrower time frame.
  • Example: A veggie gardening club that meets in the spring only
  • These take on the focus of community or SPIN clubs but are tied to the geographical site and/ or age restrictions of a particular school or afterschool.
  • Often these are partnerships with a classroom and use curriculum meeting Missouri State Learning Standards.
  • Usually led by a 4-H certified teacher and another certified 4-H volunteer/employee.

A self-directed learning experience.

Youth taking part in a 4-H planned education experience as part of a school or afterschool program.

  • These programs vary from short periods of time to a full program year.
  • Youth participate in projects that supplement their existing lessons, usually in alignment with Missouri State Learning Standards.
  • A self-directed learning experience not managed by Missouri 4-H.
  • Youth join a nationwide digital 4-H platform that provides over 200 topics of interests.
  • Some topics provide opportunities to earn digital badges and connect with other peers.
Community clubs SPIN Clubs School or Afterschool clubs Independent Members School or Afterschool Enrichment Clover by 4-H
Individually Enrolled Individually Enrolled Individually Enrolled Individually Enrolled Group Enrolled Virtual
How old do I need to be to participate? Ages 5-18 for annual clubs; usually 13-18 for seasonal clubs Ages 5-18; sometimes learning goals make it a more narrow age range Often based on school grade(s) K-12 Ages 8-18; usually for those with limited access to local clubs Usually based on school grade(s) K-12 Ages 5-18
How do I enroll? Yearly ind, MO 4-H member enrollment in 4-H Online Yearly ind, MO 4-H member enrollment in 4-H Online Yearly ind, MO 4-H member enrollment in 4-H Online Yearly ind, MO 4-H member enrollment in 4-H Online N/A Set up a personal account in the nat’l Clover by 4-H platform
Annual dues? $25 annual Missouri 4-H dues + county dues (varies) $25 annual Missouri 4-H dues + county dues (varies) $25 annual Missouri 4-H dues + county dues (varies) $25 annual Missouri 4-H dues + county dues (varies) N/A N/A
Annual fees? Most special events & projects have out-of- pocket costs Sometimes; usually for supplies and equipment None usually N/A Sometimes; no direct cost to the youth Mostly free but a few opportunities have a small fee
How often do we meet together? Usually monthly for annual clubs and weekly for seasonal clubs Varies, but most common is weekly for several months in a row Varies, but most common is weekly for several months in a row Self-directed Usually weekly for a month or two Self-directed
Where do we meet? Usually a local public building like a library or fair building At a site related to the interest (e.g., bowling alley for a bowling club) School or afterschool classroom/ facility N/A School or afterschool classroom/ facility Optional; some activities have online connection components
Will I have access to county, regional, state and national 4-H opps? Yes Yes Yes Yes No; would need to individually enroll to access most opportunities No; would need to individually enroll to access most opportunities
Comparison of 4-H club types and participation eligibility

How to become a chartered 4-H club/council/group using 4HOnline:

  • Once you are approved as a volunteer, you can charter the 4-H group.
  • Log into 4HOnline using your profile and click the orange button – Continue to Family.
  • At the bottom of the next page are two boxes – Member Reports is the first one and Register a Member in an Event is the second box.
  • In the second box, select yourself as the member then use the dropdown menu to select "New 4-H Group Info Sheet".
  • For clubs: Use the name your club selected earlier but include: County, Delivery Mode and the words 4-H Club (Eagles of Macon County Afterschool 4-H Club).
  • For 4-H Councils, use the name "4-H Council," list the county and select "Community" as the delivery mode.

Once the 4-H group is approved, then your group will receive its charter. 4-H Charters are issued by the United States Department of Agriculture and signed by the Secretary of Agriculture's designated representative. This is the only document that officially recognizes a 4-H groups and authorizes its use of the 4-H Name and Emblem for the conduct of 4-H Youth Development programs. Your 4-H club will receive an approval letter from the 4-H State Office (Missouri 4-H Center for Youth Development). Keep this letter in your 4-H group files.

Your 4-H group will complete the annual charter renewal process. As the club leader, you will be asked to complete an annual charter checklist that will determine if the club will be re-chartered. How to submit the 4-H Charter Renewal Checklist through 4HOnline:

  • Once you are approved as a volunteer, you can charter the 4-H group.
  • Log into 4HOnline using your profile and click the orange button – Continue to Family.
  • At the bottom of the next page are two boxes – Member Reports is the first one and Register a Member in an Event is the second box.
  • In the second box, select yourself as the member then use the dropdown menu to select "20-21 4-H Charter Renewal Checklist".
  • For clubs: Use the name your club selected earlier but include: County, Delivery Mode and the words 4-H Club (Eagles of Macon County Afterschool 4-H Club)
  • For 4-H Councils, use the name "4-H Council," list the county and select "Community" as the delivery mode.

Your group will not receive a new 4-H Charter, but will receive notification that your charter renewal application has been approved. If you need a copy of your club's charter, contact the MU Extension 4-H county office.