# requirements



## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

Ok im going to get the ball rolling on this one. Im a 4-h leader, and i was wondering what you kids have to do to be able to go to the fair. Do you have have community service, do any presentations? Do you have to attend a certain amount of functions?
thanks
beth


----------



## jBlaze (Oct 9, 2007)

Your county extension office should be able to answer that. Unless of course you are asking what is the requirement for other states. ?
My dd is in goat 4-H, goes to the meetings and takes her goats to county fair. Some clubs do more community stuff than others. It is nice when the club is active but not overly so, and makes expectations for the year clear at the beginning.
hth.


----------



## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

yes, im wanting to know what other counties and states do. I feel the kids around here are skating off too easy. When i was in 4-h i had to do at least two communityservice projects (total two hours worth at least) attend two of the three function (acheivement night rally night and super saturday) Go to spring show, attend three fourths of my clubs meetings and do a public presentation and a record book. I showed horses diry and pygmy goats as well as guinea pigs. It sounds like a lot of work but i was alawys able to do it no problem. The kids in our county dont have to do anything anymore....i feel that they are getting to lax anymore, the clubs set requirements and then dont enforce them, and kids get to go to fair anyway. I always felt the fair was my reward for a job well done. 
Im also seeing way too many moms clean stalls....
beth


----------



## jBlaze (Oct 9, 2007)

I too would like to see more requirements. But I also see that there is such low attnedance in 4-H maybe they are just trying to keep whoever they can. If more is required, even less would be able to do it? We both work full time, and the more kids you have and the more activities they get in, the thinner things get spread. Even now, we are not keeping up with things. 
I do think that your fair board people need to think about enforcing what rules they have about the kids doing their own stuff. Our county got tough on that last year. Even for the little kids, it should not be parents helping, it should be the club-members. This year they are going to get tough on NO scurs.


----------



## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Beth, our county requirements for each livestock project.
1. they have to go to some clinic that will deal with their project. If they have several different projects, they have to do a clinic for all them.

2.They have to have a MQA. (Meat Quality Assurance). They have to do it when they first start a livestock project, and again when they are a first year Senior.

3. All the kids have to do a Demo in front of the club they belong to.

4. They have to complete the Record book for each project. 

If they do not do the MQA, then they can not show at the Fair.

If they do not do all the requirements and if they do not do the record book, then they will not be allowed to show the next year. 

Now our Main 4H club requires more then listed above.

Now our club requires 
1. Trail clean up. Everyone has to walk along a very traveled trail and we pick up trash.
2. We put on a Prospect show every year, and all the kids are required to help there. It can be put the show together the day before, concessions, clean up, help in the ring, or tear down.
3. They have to get at least $40.00 in donations for the show. It can be either money or items to be raffled off.

Now the Club requirements have NOTHING to do with the County requirements. The club gives awards to all the kids an leaders that complicated at club level. They give some WONDERFUL awards.


----------



## Dover Farms (Oct 16, 2007)

We have to do a demo in front of our club on each project taken, so for me that is two...Dairy and Market. We either have to attend a Quality Assurance or have a Extension Certified person teach you, which IMO was much better than watching that dumb video that talks to you like a baby. We have to attend a minimum of 5 meetings(I usually attend more than that just know what is going on and because it is fun, but I used to be in a club were this one kid barely made it to 5 :roll: ). Our project books must be filled out and have the questions in the back answered. We also have to attend one community service function. We are also going to do the Goat Days at TSC this spring/summer. It isn't required...it is just something our club wants to do. Anyways, we will be doing pack and cart goat demos, possibly goat milking and food made from goat milk/meat.

I am really excited this year as my one friend from Church joined our club and she is going to take a couple of our goats. And I get to teach her how to show! :greengrin: YAY!! :leap:


----------



## Dover Farms (Oct 16, 2007)

I forgot. To complete you project is to show at the fair.

Beth you so right! I see way too many parents cleaning their kid's animals pens! :angry: My parents don't clean out my goats pens at fair...they'll only help me on the night our animals are released...because they want to go home. My Mom and brother do help clean the barns at home, but they both have goats. And last year was my first year in my new club and everyone helped each other clean pens and keep the isle clean.


----------



## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

In our county the parents are not allowed to do anything at all unless a animals or child ins in danger. We are not allowed in the pens at all, unless again they have to for a emergency. That is the way it should be. It is 4H and it is the kids projects, not the parents.

Our kids do not have to show at the fair to complete, it is very recommended, but things do happen. But if they do not show at the fair, they have to show in two other shows, like last years State Fair, a Jack Pot show. There are several different county's here that do the Jack Pot shows. But I have to say that I believe most everyone does show at the fair. This year I have girl in my group that will not be at fair because she is running cross Countyr for Colorado in Australia. But she still wants to complete for the county so she can show next year. So she showed at the State Fair in September (after our County Fair), and she will be going to Estes Park Wool Market, A show with about 300 Cashmere goats, so those are her two shows, but she also still has to do her Record Book and a demo. 
Jacque, I have to agree those MQA's are so boring. They must of been filmed in the 60's and they talk to you like you are all stupid. :roll: 
Yes we have to attend 5 meetings also. I think we have only missed one in 8 years because of a snow storm and babies being born. I do agree they are a lot of fun, as they should be.


----------



## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

If your animal dies or something else happens that you can't show the livestock/pet at our fair you can do a poster and it will count as a project being completed.For example:2 years ago my cousins goat got loose and ate the duck food.It died so she did a poster and still had the project counted as completed.


----------



## Dover Farms (Oct 16, 2007)

Our fair does something like that, too. In the unfortunate event that a project animal dies...you have to do an interview with the judge to complete your project.


----------



## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

I wish our county dd something like that, i had a horse that i was leasing one year the deadline for having your project animal is may first, well the lady that owned the horse i was using decided to sell her, and i had no more project animal. I was able to show another horse, but was not able to receive grand or reserve points, i was therefore not qualified for state.
beth


----------



## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

We have to be present at 75% of meetings (we have them year round),do community service,go to at least 2 clinics/demos,complete our project/record books,do a health/safety demo and breed report ( Im in a horse club) and go to quality assurance for market animals.


----------



## redneck_acres (Oct 18, 2007)

When I was in 4-H(haven't been for about 6ish years now) we were required to do a demonstration, attend 2 judgings, fill out a record book-they added on another book to do the last year I was in it. Oh and I think we had to attend 6 meetings to be able to go to fair. They started to add on some weird requirements the last year I was in 4-H-I wasn't to impressed with that. Although I can see know why they did. I think in order to sell your 4-H project you had to do well on your record book.


----------



## heavenlyhaven (Apr 17, 2008)

our 4H stinks :angry: 
as long as the kids participate in 2 fund raisers
(which is used to pay for trips for a VERY SELECT few)
they can show
there is no real group
for the most part - all parents are leaders and each kid is an individual


----------

