4-H

Rural Leadership

• National 4-H Leadership Training Program 

• Effective Organizations - Skills Program for Management Volunteers

The 4-H Quality Equation

Quality People + Quality Experiences + Quality Projects = The Quality Equation

Specific learning goals have been established for each portion of the equation.

Quality People - To contribute to the development of people through promoting the character traits of responsibility, respect, trust, honesty, fairness, sportsmanship, community mindedness, teamwork and caring.

Quality Experiences - To facilitate the development of a high quality 4-H year through a blend of non-competitive and well-rounded competitive experiences that balances members’ skill and personal development, work production and self-esteem.

Quality Projects - To facilitate the development of members’ ability to recognize the attributes, skills, marketability and value of producing high quality workmanship; and to update 4-H animal program participants on the industry standards of producing a high quality, safe food supply and humane animal care.

This program was launched in December 1999. Each Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Office has a binder which includes numerous ready-to-use age-appropriate learning activities designed for use with members, leaders and/or parents in 4-H club, district, regional, provincial or community activities.

4-H Publications has a copy of the Dr. Jeff Goodwin video which includes "A Question of Ethics," "A Step Beyond: A Question of Ethics" and "The Line in the Sand."

National 4-H Leadership Training Program

Phase 1

Six packages of information are available on loan from the Publications Branch of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. These resources are for Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives staff who are preparing presentations for 4-H leaders. Kit outlines are for three-hour workshops, although parts may be useful for shorter sessions.

1. Motivation - Deals with theory of motivation. Relates theory to different age groups, such as what motivates members, what motivates participants to be leaders. Visuals: 1 overhead. 10 slides. Script only.

2. Meeting Management - Covers topics such as physical setting, establishing meeting goals and agendas, coping with difficult people and their patterns of behavior. Very little on parliamentary procedure. Several pages of handouts. Visuals: 3 overheads. 12 slides. Script only.

3. Teaching Techniques - Deals with theory of learning, cone of experience. Emphasizes importance of preparation and of stimulating different senses when presenting material. Handouts on visual aids and teaching techniques. Participants prepare a seven-minute presentation in groups of two and three. Presentations are video-taped, and there is verbal feedback from group. Visuals: 2 overheads. 4 slides.

4. Managing Your Resources - Based on a mining theme with the presenter in costume. Includes slides of mining pictures. "Golden" resources are: parents, money, community, senior members. Leaders are reminded that to be most effective, they should spend less time in the mine and more time delegating, fundraising, co-ordinating and planning. Some of these topics can be broken down into shorter sessions.

5. Communications (Interpersonal) - Parent effectiveness training book for use as a reference. Covers topics such as active listening and barriers to effective listening. Includes case studies pertaining to 4-H clubs. As subject matter is complex, the trainer should have some knowledge/skill in this area. Visuals: 10 overheads. 3 slides. Script only.

6. Promotion - Using resources to target audience and clarify messages. Deals with the importance of working with the local media, outlines a multi-media workshop with practice in writing press releases, news reports and advertisements, making exhibits, displays. Includes quite a bit of information regarding press releases and new stories.

Phase 2

Four additional modules are available on loan from any of the 4-H and Youth Specialists.

1. Preventing 4-H Leader Burnout - Looks at motivation for becoming and staying involved in the 4-H program. Helps identify support systems and coping skills in effective leadership.

2. Advanced Communications for the 4-H Leader - More about the communication process and the barriers and misconceptions that come with it. Opportunities to explore and practice two-way communication using feedback, conflict resolution and dealing with potentially disruptive personality types.

3. Working with Diverse Age Groups of 4-H Youth - Basic needs and expectations or youth aged nine to 21 and about specific skills that will help leaders work with different age groups to build and to strengthen the club.

4. Challenging and Retaining Senior Members - Focuses on understanding and meeting the needs of senior 4-H members, while establishing trust and increasing their self-esteem and sense of responsibility. Deals with making members aware of benefits and advantages available to them as senior 4-H members.

Effective Organizations - Skills Program for Management Volunteers

The Skills Program helps volunteers manage their not-for-profit organizations more effectively through workshops and consultations custom-designed by competent resource people to meet the needs of individual organizations, boards or committees.

The Skills Program is a national program that is delivered in Manitoba by the Recreation and Wellness Promotions Branch of Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism, primarily for organizations in culture, heritage, recreation, fitness and sport activities. The Recreation and Wellness Promotions Branch trains resource people and develops new training resources.

Topics Available

• Financial Management

• Leadership

• Long- and Short-Term Planning

• Marketing

• Time Management

• Volunteers Working Together

• Effective Meetings

• Resource Generation - An Integrated Approach to Fundraising

• Role of the Board

Each 4-H and Youth Specialist has copies of the related printed resources, as well as a copy of "Effective Organizations: A Consultant’s Resource."