4-H Volunteer FAQs

Someone Wants to Be a 4-H Volunteer Leader – Now What?

Every 4-Her comes with the potential for a parent, guardian, grandparent, or friend to become interested in becoming a 4-H Volunteer Leader. As a matter of fact, that’s how many 4-H Volunteers get involved – and that’s good because each of those 4-Hers need a ride, guidance, support, and understanding to be successful – and that wouldn’t happen without the partnership of 4-H Volunteer Leaders and Extension Staff.

4-H Volunteer Leaders come from all walks of life. Many didn’t have any experience with 4-H growing up, so they probably have questions about what’s involved. Here are some FAQs to help answer some of those questions.

What are the requirements to be a 4-H Adult Volunteer Leader?

• Must be 18 years of age or older and be a Registered Volunteer through MSU
• Must be 21 years of age to chaperone 4-H'ers and be a Registered Volunteer through MSU

What roles and responsibilities can a 4-H Volunteer Leader have?

Some roles available in 4-H include:

• Club Leader
• Assistant Club Leader
• Organizational Leader
• Project Leader
• Activity Leader
• Resource Volunteer
• Local 4-H Volunteer Leader Association Officer
• State MVLA 4-H Volunteer Leader Association Officer
• Subject Matter Expert

Some 4-H Volunteer Leader Responsibilities include:

• Having 4-H Club meetings and teaching 4-H pledge and motto
• Preparing 4-Hers for contests and project work
• Helping 4-Hers with community service projects
• Supervising 4-Hers and setting a good example
• Praising and encouraging 4-Hers
• Respecting the confidence of the public and 4-H
• Following guidelines and policies established by the University Extension Service, State 4-H Program, and County 4-H Program
• Providing feedback, suggestions and recommendations to Extension staff
• Communicating your limitations
• Being considerate, respecting others' competencies, and working as a member of a team
• Becoming a subject matter expert to support specific project areas
• Being patient
• Respecting deadlines
• Helping or Leading when needed
• Participating
• Fundraising

What training opportunities are available for 4-H Volunteers?

• Club training
• County training conferences
• Area training conferences
• MVLA North and South Fall Forums – normally held in August
• MVLA Annual Leadership Conference - normally held in February
• Volunteer Conference of Southern States – normally held at Rock Eagle, Georgia in October
• Project Specific training

What types of recognition are available to 4-H volunteers?

• MVLA Outstanding Volunteer Leader Awards
• Where available, county Scholarships to attend Conferences, Forums, and Training
• Where available, trips
• Where available, local Volunteer Recognition Banquets
• Recognition in media
• State Legislative Awards
• Community Service experience recognition through local civic organizations and workplace reviews
• Praise and appreciation
• Thank You Notes
• Smiles from 4-Hers

Where can I get information about specific 4-H projects?

• The County Extension office and specifically the 4-H Youth Agent
• Other County Extension Staff
• The State 4-H office
• The Extension Project Specialist
• Another Volunteer Leader who is a Subject Matter Expert.
• The Mississippi 4-H Volunteer Leaders’ Association (MVLA)

4-H project-specific manuals may be requested through the County Extension office.

What do Volunteer Leaders need from 4-H Extension Staff?

4-H Volunteer Leaders’ level of experience range from the eager and motivated ‘new to the organization’ Volunteer to the wise and ‘seen it all’ Volunteer and the ‘somewhere in-between’ Volunteer. Each has specific needs and support requirements – but they all care about 4-H and the opportunities it provides for youth.

So, what do 4-H Volunteer Leaders need from Extension Staff?

• Timely and proactive information about everything – project work, competitions, rules, deadlines, opportunities, etc. A monthly newsletter mailed, emailed, and posted online is a great communication tool.
• Contact information – who can we talk to to find out more information
• Ideas – how can we make/keep 4-H fun and interesting for our 4-Hers
• Fundraising & Financial Support Ideas – how can we reduce the financial burden for 4-Hers, their families, and Volunteer Leaders for 4-H activities
• Organization – work with 4-H Volunteer Leaders to set up County Volunteer Leader meetings where information, ideas, and plans can be shared
• Leadership – work with Volunteers to plan county-wide activities for all 4-Hers
• Training – work with new Volunteers on 4-H Club organizational strategies and support established Volunteers with Club needs
• Publicity – work with local media outlets to share 4-H achievements
• Frankness – help 4-H Volunteers succeed by sharing opportunities for improvement
• Fairness – ensure all 4-H Volunteers have the same opportunities
• Recruit, recruit, recruit Volunteers – actively pursue bringing more Volunteers into the program to bring in new ideas and experiences and reach more youth
• Recruit, recruit, recruit more 4-Hers – reach out to more youth, youth-at-risk and often over-looked youth to build the 4-H program and provide opportunities for more young people
• Encouragement – Encourage 4-H Volunteers and 4-Hers to get out of their comfort zone and attend trainings and participate in other opportunities.
• Recognition – Create opportunities to recognize 4-H Volunteers for their contributions to the program
• Honesty - Ask for help if you need it and admit a mistake if you make it
• Support MVLA and encourage participation – 4-H Volunteer Leaders and Agents can learn from ready-made workshops and learning opportunities at the MVLA Annual Conference and Fall Forums, in addition to making contacts, sharing ideas, and making new friends
• Smiles and Laughter – Teamwork, leadership, and dealing with young people and adults can get pretty tense at times. Find and create opportunities to find the joy in challenges and share that with your 4-H Volunteer Leaders and 4-Hers
• Patience – Take a breath as the new 4-H Volunteer Leader asked the hundredth question or the experienced 4-H Volunteer Leader questioned why you did it differently from the ‘way we’ve always done it’

4-H Volunteer Leaders do appreciate your efforts and your presence is critical to having a long-term successful 4-H program! Thank you!