How to Complete Your
4-H Record Book
Equal Access/ Opportunity
Program
1
About the Record Book

Your record book is
your place to
organize
information, keep
track of your 4-H
accomplishments,
and let other people
know what you did
and learned during
the year.
Record Book Cover
2
Title Page and Table of Contents
Title Page
your name
your photo
age
address
4-H club
Table of Contents*
Summary Record
4-H Story
4-H Project Records
4-H Photographs
News Clippings
Correspondence
*Note: Order of items may vary as long as they
match your Table of Contents
3
4-H Summary Record

This form is where you keep track of
general 4-H information that isn’t part
of your individual project records.

TIP: If you fill out your project records
first, all left over information usually
goes in the summary record!
4
Club Attendance and Participation

Jan.
x
Mark which monthly meetings you attended
and add any notes about your attendance
Feb.
x
Mar.
x
Apr.
May
x
Sickabsent
June
x
July
x
Aug.
Sept
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
x
No
meeting
x
x
x
5
Committees & Offices

Did you hold an office in your club or were you
on a committee that worked on a service
project or other project?
Name Membership or Office Held
Description of My Role
Club President
Led all of the meetings during the year
Club Float Committee
Helped put together the club float for the fair
parade
6
4-H Promotional Activities
What did you do to educate people about 4-H
and/or recruit new members during the year?

Date
4-H Promotional Activities
July 15
Set up a table with information about 4-H in the 4-H Building at the County Fair
November 12
Club Display that I helped make was exhibited at the Waterfowl Festival
December 15
I went to my school open house and gave out 4-H flyers to parents and kids who
attended
7
Communication Activities

This is where you can list demonstrations,
illustrated talks, talks to a community group,
school talks, etc. that are NOT included in your
individual project records.
Date
Type of Communication
Event or Location
February 15
Radio Spot – “4-H is Great!”
County Public Speaking Contest
May 2
Talked to Lions Club about how 4-H has helped
me learn new things during the past three years
Lions Club meeting held at
Denny’s Restaurant
8
Awards and Honors
Tell about any awards and honors you received that
are NOT already mentioned in your project records.
Examples include fair awards here for exhibits that
were not part of your main 4-H projects.
Date
Description of Award or Honor
Received From/At
July 16
Recycle craft entry in Fair
County Fair
July 16
Canned peaches entry in Fair
County Fair
October 1
Youth Service Award Certificate
County Council gave it to me for
my service work all over the
county.
9
Miscellaneous Activities

This is a section where you can describe any
important 4-H or non-4-H activities, events, and
learning experiences that are not included in your
project records. Examples include club field trips,
service learning projects, after school activities,
volunteer work etc.
Date
Description of Activity or Event
Location
January 14
Collected canned goods to donate to the food pantry.
I learned that the pantry gives food to 120 families.
St. Peter’s Catholic Church
December
20
Participated in a record book training that taught me
how to organize my record book
4-H Office
10
The 4-H STORY
WHAT Do I Write about in My Story?
This is the most important part of the record
book. It gives you a chance to describe your
experiences and things you have learned
during the past year. HAVE FUN writing it!




Information about you –
family, age, school, hobbies,
etc.
How 4-H helped you or your
family
How you helped others
Your involvement in club
activities



Good and Bad Experiences
Things you learned form
your projects and how they
relate to head, heart, hands,
and health
Skills you have learned from
being in 4-H.
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4-H Story Reminders:


You may receive help typing your story
but YOU should write your 4-H Story.
The story should be in your own words.
Spelling and grammar don’t have to be
perfect.
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Project Records

Fill out a project record for each project
you completed during the year if you
want to be recognized by the 4-H office
for your accomplishments in that area.
13
Communication Events

Record demonstrations, illustrated talks,
exhibits public speaking, or talks to the
community that are about this project.
Date
Communication Event
Location
Rating/How did
you do?
February 10
Demonstration on how to make
cheese from goat milk
4-H club meeting
People liked it and
asked lots of questions
October 20
Illustrated Talk on how to fit your goat
Harvest Festival
Three people asked to
join my club after the
talk
14
Exhibits

This is where you list the things you exhibited
in public about this project. Examples include
fair exhibits, poster displays in a public place,
and project handouts given to the public.
Date
Exhibit
Location
Rating/How did
you do?
February 10
Poster about the kinds of
goats
Winterfare in Salisbury
People said they liked
the poster.
July 20
Showed my goat in the
goat show
County Fair
Earned First Place
15
Learning Experiences
List 4-H activities, events, clinics, and
workshops that helped you learn more about
this project.
Date
Type of Activity/ Event
What I Learned
March 25
Goat Workshop at the Mason Dixon Farm
How to properly groom my
goat
May 11
Club tour of Johnson’s Goat Farm
How to prepare pens that keep
goats safe
16
Financial Journal
This is on page 3.

List your income
and expenses
for this project
during the year.
Date
Description
of Income or
Expense
Income
Expense
May 15
Vet Check
$50.00
All year total
Feed for
Goat
$106.00
July 15
County Fair
Premium
$96.00
Total Income: $96.00
Total Expense: $156.00
Profit (+) or Loss (-) -$60.00
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Resources and Project Skills

Resources: What resources did you use this year?
Include books, internet, volunteers, parents, other
members, and profession

Project Skills: Did you accomplish your project goals
this year? Why or why not? What are the most
important things you have learned or results of your
work on this project?
The Life Skills section is optional, but it will help you
organize your thoughts, prepare for writing your
4-H story, and allow you share extra information
not in your story.

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4-H Photographs:

Pictures should have a
caption explaining
what you are doing.

You may also add
pictures of club
activities or special
4-H event
participation.
In this picture, my horse and I are waiting
to compete at the Riders Fair.
19
News Clippings:

Tell where the clipping
came from and the
date that it was
published.
This clipping came from The
Community Guide on November 1st.
20
Correspondence

This would include any personal letter
of congratulations or thanks to you or
your club for your 4-H or non-4-H
work.
21
Do You Have Questions?
Call the Extension Office
if you have any questions
about putting your record book together.
Record book forms
(type-in and write-on)
are available from the Extension Office
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