The Oklahoma 4-H
Record Book
OKLAHOMA 4-H RECORD
BOOK QUIZ
The following questions will test your
knowledge on record book basics! Please
write your answers down to keep track.
Which of these sections is NOT
part of the Record Book?
A. The story
B. The résumé
C. The Oklahoma Report Form
D. Photos
B. The résumé
What age must a 4-H member be
to enter a state Record Book?
A. 12 years old
B. 13 years old
C. 14 years old
D. 15 years old
C. 14 years old
What is the maximum number of
pages allowed for the 4-H Story?
A. 10 pages
B. 8 pages
C. 6 pages
D. 4 pages
C. 6 pages
How many pages of photos may be
included in a record book, excluding
the Photography Project?
A. 2 pages
B. 3 pages
C. 4 pages
D. 5 pages
B. 3 pages
True or False? Photos can be
integrated into the 4-H Story.
A. True
B. False
B. False
How many 4-H projects can be
included in a Level 1 record book?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. All major projects
A. 1
In the 4-H Awards section, can
awards for all projects be listed?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Only if it is a state level award
D. Only if it is a national level award
A. Yes
Which of these is NOT a good
strategy for writing captions for
photos?
A. Start statements with “Here I am at the…”
B. Explain what is going on in photo and
how it affected the project.
C. Explain your role in the photo and what
you learned.
A. Start statements with
“Here I am at the…”
True or False: If you flub up the
guidelines for record books just a
little bit, you’ll be fine.
A. True
B. False
B. False
How did you do?
What is a Record Book?
• A way to compete for awards and
scholarships
• One of those things that kids/parents put
in those stiff green folders with a clover
• A real headache!
A Record Book is also…
• An organized way to summarize a 4-H member’s
project work, leadership and citizenship activities.
• A way to help members learn:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
To set goals and work toward them
To make decisions
To keep records
To utilize available technology
To summarize information
To manage time and resources
To communicate thoughts, feelings
and achievements
The Bottom Line:
• Like all other aspects of 4-H, record books
teach life skills through experiential
learning.
• They reinforce learning and develop understanding.
• They should answer three questions:
• What was learned?
• What does it mean?
• How is it used?
Where to begin?
• Planning is key
• The best place to start is with the established objectives
for your project
– All project objectives are listed in the Summary of Awards
– These reflect the current focus of projects and provide a road
map for all members
– Judges will read the project objectives while judging!
• Set short term goals
– Based on project objectives, what do you want to
accomplish/learn this month or year?
• Early on, set long-term goals
– Where do you want this project to take you?
Tools to Help
• This webpage has all the tools you will
need for all of the state 4-H Awards
Programs:
– http://4h.okstate.edu/awards
– By far the most useful tools are the Awards
Handbook and the Summary of Awards
All 4-H Record Books and Award
Applications Due in State 4-H Office
by noon
State 4-H Awards
Selection Process
All written
material
sorted and
checked
Approximately 100 project,
scholarship and special award
finalists participate in interviews
Record Books Judged
• Review and score written
material
• 3 members on each
committee
Up to 3 finalists and 3
alternates selected per
Level I & Level II project.
Score of 75 or higher
required
Up to 10 interview
finalists selected
from Hall of Fame
Blue Award Group
25-30 Level III & IV scholarship
finalists selected for interview.
Final number is determined by
number of applicants with
multiple entries.
Counties notified
by email regarding
members selected
as project,
scholarship or
special award
finalists
Interviews Conducted
• Interview Committees
review written
materials and conduct
interviews
• 3 members on each
committee
Interviews confirmed and
Interview schedule
completed
Interview
scores are
combined
with written
material
scores and
state winners
determined
State Winners
Announced at
Honor Night
Assembly at
State 4-H
Roundup
Parts of a Record Book
• Oklahoma Report Form (mostly quantitative)
– Section I-A – Project Work
– What have you done in this project?
– 2 pages
– Section I-B – Lessons Learned
– What have you learned in this project?
– 1 page
– Section II – Leadership Experiences
– 2 pages
– Section III – Citizenship Experiences
– 2 pages
– Section IV – 4-H Awards
– ½ page
– Section V – Non-4-H Experiences
– ½ page
• 4-H Story (More qualitative than quantitative)
•
up to 6 pages
• Photo section
•
Up to 3 pages, except for the Photography Project
Oklahoma 4-H Report Form
• Designed to report facts and figures
– Based on linked text boxes
– When the end of the field is reached, no more
information will be displayed
Formatting Tips
• No “preferred” way
• Use tables or graphs to illustrate repetitive activities or
show time spent on project work
• Use short statements to report one-time or short-term
activities (include number of times or number of
participants as appropriate)
• Use impact statements or summaries to emphasize
special projects
• Use lists to show that public speaking or judging
activities were project-related
• Selectively use bold type and/or color
List entries by year to show
growth
2010
•Provided display on dog obedience commands at county fair.
•Led “Dog Breed” game at local 4-H meeting.
•Presented demonstration on “Homemade Dog Biscuits.”
2011
•Manned working display on “Dog Breeds” at county Mini-Roundup.
•Gave power point presentation on “Dog Care” at county contest.
•Served as ring steward at district 4-H Dog Show.
2012
•Taught the “Sit” and “Sit Stay” commands at county 4-H Dog Obedience Classes.
•Represented Southwest District on State Teen Leaders
Companion Animal Council.
•Co-led workshop at District Volunteer’s Conference on
“The 4-H Dog Project.”
More Considerations:
• Include level and numbers reached.
– Have a column for level – Local (L),
County (C), District (D), State (S),
National (N).
– Include a column with numbers reached.
• Place an asterisk next to leadership and
citizenship that relate to the project being
reported:
2012 *Presented “Food Safety Guidelines”
at 4-H Food Showdown Training.
More Considerations:
• Vary use of verbs, prepositions, etc.
Taught
Instructed
Educated
Showed
Tutored
Drilled
Led
Trained
Explained
Demonstrated
Coached
Directed
• Use your Thesaurus!
Section I-A Project Work
• 4-H Project Work – 15 points
– Concise summary of work done as a 4-H member in the project
– Should show growth in number and complexity of activities
• Other Project Work – 5 points
– Summary or examples of how 4-H knowledge, skills and project
work were applied in other organizations and/or settings
– Other Project Work DOES NOT mean you add work you have
done in other 4-H projects – it refers to work you’ve done related
to your project in other organizations and/or settings
Statements
Charts and Narratives
Other Project Work
Section 1-B – Learning
Experiences
• Reflect age-appropriate knowledge and
skills
• Show growth in technical expertise and
skill
• Generally listed in chronological order
• Relate to project objectives – some
objectives can only be met by
“learning by doing”
Learning – specific and
progressive
Section II – Leadership
Experiences
• 4-H Leadership – 15 points
– Relates directly to the project reported.
– Projects led, organized or assisted.
– 4-H is visible as “lead” organization.
• Other Leadership – 5 points
• Leadership in other 4-H projects.
• Use of 4-H Leadership skills to benefit
other organizations/groups.
What is Leadership?
• Helping an individual on a one-to-one basis.
• Helping several individuals with a project in a group
situation (presenting a workshop, demo or speech).
• Helping individuals learn through project promotion
(displays, distributing literature).
• Planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating a
program or activity.
• Serving as leader for a project club or regular club.
• Serving as a committee chairman or officer.
• Representing your group at a leadership
conference (State 4-H Roundup, D.C. Trip, etc.)
Leadership is probably
not…
• Exhibiting at the fair (Project Work)
• Setting up chairs for an event (perhaps
Citizenship)
• Giving a speech or demonstration (unless
others are being taught how to give a
speech)
Considerations:
• Try to have a balance between “project leadership”
and “other leadership.”
4-H Leadership
Non-4-H Leadership
Organized a 4-H beef project
club; conducted 4 meetings a year.
Reporter for Oklahoma Junior
Angus Association.
Led tote bag sewing workshop for 1st
year 4-H members.
Assisted Family and Consumer
Science instructor in 8th grade
sewing class.
Leadership – Grouped by
years or type of activity.
Section III - Citizenship
Experiences
• 4-H Citizenship – 15 points
– Community service projects/activities related to the project
reported that are organized by/through 4-H
– Individual service activities representing 4-H
• Other Citizenship – 5 points
– Community Service related to other 4-H projects
– Community projects organized by other groups
What is Citizenship?
• Participation in service learning activities
• Activities that foster greater understanding of community
issues
• Donations, community fund raisers, food or clothing
drives etc.
• Involvement in special causes – Heart Association or
Diabetes education, volunteer for local Red Cross,
Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald House, etc.
• Remember, true citizenship is not just picking up
trash – it takes the 4-H’er to a higher level of
maturity, creativity and understanding
Citizenship is probably
not…
• Teaching a workshop (leadership)
• Giving a talk or demonstration (unless the
purpose is to get support for a service
project)
• 4-H Citizenship is not what you do as a
member of your church youth group (but
could be reported as other citizenship)
Leadership vs. Citizenship
• Dozens of record books each year confuse
these terms
• When you are leading or organizing a project, it
goes in leadership, even if you are leading a
community service project
• Examples:
– Leadership
• Organized a calendar drive for two nursing homes
– Citizenship
• Donated 15 calendars to calendar drive for two
nursing homes
Citizenship
Separate “4-H” from “other”
Section IV – Awards
•
•
•
•
5 points of overall score
Project-related 4-H accomplishments
Significant awards/trips
OK to summarize or group similar types of
recognition
• Not to exceed ½ page
• May be chronological or in order of
importance
Section V – Non-4-H
Experiences
• 5 points of overall score
• Include all significant participation in
groups/activities outside of 4-H
– If project-related activities have been reported in other
sections, do not repeat
• Show important awards/participation in other
organizations
• Summarize or group similar types of recognition
• Not to exceed ½ page
Awards/Other Activities
The 4-H Story – 15 points
• Project Growth – 5 points
– Document change over time in skill, ability, numbers, etc.
• Personal Growth – 5 points
– Examples of how 4-H and this project have impacted the
member and others
• Application of 4-H knowledge and skills – 5 points
– Examples of leadership and service and application of skills in
other settings
The 4-H Story
• Complements the facts in the Oklahoma Report Form
• Shares the member’s feelings
• Tells who, what, when, where, why and how the facts
in the ORF came to be
• Must be double spaced
• Must be no more than 6 pages
Photo Section – 5 points
• Suggested Pictures
– 1 page of project work
– 1 page of leadership activities
– 1 page of citizenship activities
Photography books only –
up to 10 additional pages to illustrate technique/skill
• 3-4 pictures per page
– Up to 6 pictures if digitally cropped and captions printed as
one unit
• Descriptive Captions
• Attractive Presentation
– If digitally creating your photo pages,
DO NOT DISTORT PHOTOS!
A good photo section:
• Shows member engaged in a variety of activities
– Action pictures are always best!
• Illustrates growth by showing member at different ages
• Uses good captions
– Avoid starting each caption with “Here I am….”; “I am….”; or “This is me
doing…”
– Don’t state the obvious. Explain what is going on and how it affected
your project.
– Don’t repeat yourself in the same caption. Remember, your space is
limited.
– Do not write as if you are talking about yourself to someone else.
• For example: “David is shown planting a test plot of corn,”
sounds strange if you are David.
General Formatting
Guidelines
Margins
• Top – 1 inch
• Bottom – ½ inch
• Left Side – 1 ¼ inch
• Right Side – ½ inch
*Larger margins OK - Smaller DQ*
General Formatting
Guidelines
Recommended Fonts
– Times New Roman 12
– Arial 12
– Courier 12
– Smaller fonts will be disqualified
Discouraged Fonts
– Any narrow, condensed, script, or
novelty fonts
General Formatting
Guidelines
Disqualifications
• Previous winner in the current level – members may be named
the State Winner in only one Level I project, Level II project or Level
III scholarship during his/her 4-H career
• Member is not 14 by January 1 of current year
• Member has graduated from high school and is older than 18 by
January 1 of current year
• ANYTHING extra – check guidelines
–
–
–
–
–
–
Too many pages
Too much space
Reduced fonts
Smaller margins
Reduced spacing
Excess photos (more than 3 pages)
What other awards
programs are there?
• Today we’ve concentrated mostly on the
Level I 4-H record book, but there are
several other programs
Level I Project Books
• The basic record book
– Must be 14 years old to enter
– May enter up to two record books per
member
• New for 2014: All project scholarship
awards increased to $1,200!
Level II Project Books
• For 4-H’ers who have won a Level I project on the state
level
• The Level II book also contains the ORF, 4-H story and
picture pages
– The objectives are more broad
– The expectations are much higher
• Must be 15 years of age by Jan. 1 of the program year
• May enter up to two Level II books
• New for 2014: All project scholarship awards
increased to $1,200!
Level III Scholarships
• Specifically for graduating high school seniors
• Uses a different scholarship form (the Level III & IV
Scholarship Application)
– Modeled after the Oklahoma Report Form
– Same general formatting guidelines
• Each scholarship has different requirements
• The Summary of Awards lists the details
Level IV Scholarships
•
•
•
•
Specifically for 4-H alumni in college
Uses the Level III & IV Scholarship Application
Each scholarship has different requirements
The Summary of Awards lists the details for
each scholarship
State 4-H Hall of Fame
•
•
•
•
Highest honor given on the state level
Induct two 4-H’ers annually
Must be 16 years old by Jan. 1 of the program year to compete
Same requirements as the Level I & Level II books
– Must include all transcripts
• Judged by a panel of five vs. three for both the record books and
interviews
– The top 20 are chosen for the Blue Award Group
– The top 10 interview for the award
• See the Summary of Awards and Awards
Handbook for more info
National Congress
• Flagship event of the national 4-H program
– Held every year the week after Thanksgiving
– Designed to give youth a cross-cultural experience and address
the needs and issues of young people
• Separate application form on the website
– Packet must include:
• Application
• Personal resume
• 4-H Story (up to 6 pages)
– Applicants may be interviewed
• Must be 16 years old by Jan. 1 of program year
Questions?
The Oklahoma
Report Form
Where Does It Go?
In 2010, you bought 3 breeding sheep
to add to existing herd for your main
project.
A. Section IA – Participation in 4-H Project
B. Section IB – Learning Experiences
C. Section II – Leadership
D. Section III -- Citizenship
A. Section IA – Participation
in 4-H Project
In 2012, you were elected as
reporter of County 4-H Council.
A. Section IA – Participation in 4-H Project
B. Section II – Leadership
C. Section III – Citizenship
D. Section IV – 4-H Awards
B. Section II - Leadership
Record Book Category is: Fabrics &
Fashion. Where would you list Food
Showdown practices?
A. Section IA – Participation in 4-H Project
B. Section IB – Learning Experiences
C. Section II – Leadership
D. Can’t put in this book
D. Can’t put in this book
In 2009, you coordinated the Habitat for
Humanity Lunch for Workers for your
4-H club.
A. Section IA – Participation in 4-H Project
B. Section IB – Learning Experiences
C. Section II – Leadership
D. Section III -- Citizenship
C. Section II - Leadership
You were selected as the 2012 County
Hall Of Fame Recipient.
A. Section IA – Participation in 4-H Project
B. Section IB – Learning Experiences
C. Section II – Leadership
D. Section III – Citizenship
E. Section IV -- Awards
E. Section IV - Awards
In 2011, you participated in 1
county, 1 district, 1 state and 1
national FCS Skill-A-Thon contest.
A. Section IA – Participation in 4-H Project
B. Section IA – Listed as Non-4-H Work
C. Section IB – Learning Experiences
D. Section V – Non-4-H Activities
A. Section IA – Participation
in 4-H Project
In 2009, you learned about common injection
sites, giving injections, and reading
medication labels in your swine project.
A. Section IA – Participation in 4-H Project
B. Section IB – Learning Experiences
C. Section III – Citizenship
D. Section V – Non-4-H Activities
B. Section IB
In 2010, developed exhibit on Food Safety for
Food Science 4-H Project to display at
school health fair and local grocery store.
A. Section IA – Participation in 4-H Project
B. Section IA – Listed as Non-4-H Work
C. Section III – Citizenship
D. Section V – Non-4-H Activities
A. Section IA – Participation
in 4-H Project
Collected soda can tabs from local
restaurants to donate to the Ronald
McDonald House.
A. Section IA – Participation in 4-H Project
B. Section II -- Leadership
C. Section III – Citizenship
D. Section V – Non-4-H Activities
C. Section III - Citizenship
Served on the County 4-H PAC Committee
representing the County 4-H Council.
A. Section IA – Participation in 4-H Project
B. Section II – Leadership
C. Section III – Citizenship
D. Section V – Non-4-H Activities
B. Section II - Leadership
In Performing Arts Project: Performed
puppet show with church youth group.
A. Section IA – Participation in 4-H Project
B. Section IA – Listed as Non-4-H Work
C. Section III – Leadership
D. Section IV – Awards
E. Section V – Non-4-H Activities
B. Section IA – Listed as
Non-4-H Work