Warren County
4-H Record Keeping Guide, Terms, and Definitions
Definition of Terms
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Local: your 4-H Club
County: involves other Warren County 4-H’ers
Area: involves 4-H’ers from neighboring counties
State: involves 4-H’ers from all counties in Iowa
Project: a year-long plan in a particular subject area which includes a variety of learning activities.
 Nearly 50 4-H projects are listed in the “4-H Pick Your Adventure Now” (Project Hot Sheets).
 A 4-H member may enroll in one or more project.
 Remember that a 4-H project is what you do all year long and a fair exhibit is the part you take to fair.
(EXAMPLE: A Project is Food & Nutrition which could include teaching others to make bread or roll out a pie
crust or delivering nutritious meals to the shut-ins. An Exhibit is the actual items you take to the county or state
fair such as pies, cakes, cookies, etc.)
Citizenship/Service - helping or working for the benefit of others or the community for no pay with the goal to
benefit someone else.
Club Citizenship examples:
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host a meeting
lead pledges
serve on a committee
work with club on community service or fund raising project
4-H’ers for 4-H donation
National 4-H Week promotion
County Citizenship examples:
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herdsmanship at the county fair
hosting the exhibit building at the fair
cleaning show-rings and wash-racks
picking up trash at the fairgrounds
pre- and post-fair clean up
work at fund-raisers
Citizenship examples:
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help a new 4-H member with a project
help others at a workshop related to your project
recycle articles related to your project
take and show your project to residents at the elderly care center, a day care center, preschool, or library
plant flowers, bake a cake, decorate tray favors for others
volunteer at a community event related to your project
make a gift for someone related to your project
care for animals, yard, garden, etc. (or for friends or neighbors while they are away)
make a donation of time or gifts to charity, care facility, food pantry, or needy family
volunteer to babysit
make and donate bird feeders
prepare a display for a community event
serve on a committee to plan a community event
4-H/4-H Warren County Record Books/Record Keeping Terms and Definitiions.Revised 6.2013
Communication - writing, talking to, or showing others to share ideas, knowledge, or skills.
Club Communications examples:
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answering roll call
club presentations
making posters to promote a club fund-raiser community service project
County Communications examples:
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working exhibit
4-H poster contest
share-the-fun act
educational presentation
speaking part at a 4-H event
public service announcements on the radio to promote 4-H
Project Communications examples:
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any of the county communications examples related to a project area
write a report dealing with a project area
create a display or poster related to a project area
talk about or show your project to a class, or to non-4-H friends, community club, radio, etc.
interview an expert in your project area
write 4-H newsletter articles or local newspaper article
take photos or make a scrapbook of your project to show others
Guidelines for submitting record books:
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Complete record book in an organized manner
Complete and demonstrate competency in at least one project record
Submit current year records
Livestock project area records must include worksheets and financial records
Submit record books to Extension Office by deadline
Helpful Hints for Good Record Keeping
The following are guidelines for good recordkeeping - they will be used by those who evaluate your records.
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Provide documentation of what you have learned and done in 4-H projects and activities for all the years you have
participation in the project.
Your goals are logical for your maturity and your years of participation in the project area.
You have demonstrated and described new knowledge gained, attitudes, and/or skills learned.
Show evidence that your projects and activities are related to your project goals.
Show evidence of personal growth as related through your participation experience.
Show evidence of your 4-H leadership experiences.
Describe your leadership roles within the project area given.
Evidence of other club and county leadership roles you have had.
Describe and document 4-H experiences other than in your project area.
Describe and document 4-H experiences related to citizenship.
Describe and document 4-H experiences related to community service.
Show evidence of understanding your strengths and weaknesses.
Show evidence of a self-evaluation of your goals and accomplishments.
If a livestock project, provide a financial report including livestock worksheets.
The definition of a scrapbook is more than a couple of pictures, show programs, sale bills, newspaper clippings of results,
and ribbons. These items should be in a scrapbook, not a project record book.
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4-H/4-H Warren County Record Books/Record Keeping Terms and Definitiions.Revised 6.2013