UGA Cooperative Extension

Walker County Cooperative Extension Office:
4-H Youth Development

Walker County 4-H Council

What is the County Council?

Walker County 4-H Council is comprised of 4-H'ers in grades
7-12. This is the leadership body of 4-H founded in 2006. Members participate in various leadership and citizenship roles.

2008-2009 County Council

Senior Executive Officer:
Tyler Edgeman
Junior Executive Officer:
Krista Headrick
Secretary:
Logan Edwards
Promotions Chairperson:
Logan Edgeman
Programs & Activities Chairperson:
Chase Horne
Community Service Chairpersons:
Dusty Horne
Senior Members:
Amy Headrick, Alison Hix, and Kati Swanson
Junior Advisors:
Daulton Hegwood, Kayla Hix and Wayne Manning

Awards Received

The 2006-2007 council received the Northwest District Most Outstanding Marketing Effort led by a group of 4-H’ers for 2007.

The 2007-2008 council received Honorable Mention for Northwest District Outstanding Marketing Effort led by a group of 4-H'ers for 2008.

Applications

All those 4-H'ers that wish to become a member of the County Council must first read and understand the Walker County 4-H Constitution, as well as fill out an application. All persons that are 4-H members may be a council member.

Officer Elections

Officer Elections are held in April. All members are eligible to run for office. Some candidates campaign, while others let their speeches and accomplishments do all the talking.

Junior 4-H’ers may only run for the office of:
Junior Executive Officer

while Senior 4-H’ers may run for:
Senior Executive Officer
Secretary
Promotions Chairperson
Community Service Chairperson
Programs & Activities Chairperson

The must wait another 2 months to find out who made officer.

Inductions

Inductions are made during the May 4-H Awards Program. All current council members wear their uniform of: khaki pants/skirt, black shoes, white shirt, a black/green tie and a black blazer. Members being inducted in, wait until their induction to receive their 4-H patch that will be pinned onto their blazer.

The new officers will also be inducted into their office at this time. They go through a County Council Ceremony by the 4-H agent. It is a touching ceremony that the parents, leaders, stakeholders, and other 4-H’ers enjoy each year.

Fun Times

County Council isn’t all work! Council members have fun at
various 4-H events, including:

County Council Officer Kick Off Night
Being Teen Leaders
End of the Year “That’s a Wrap” party
Awards Night Reception
Junior/Senior Summer Day Camps

And many others!

Promoting 4-H

County Council members promote 4-H in many ways. They mail out over 700 postcards to previous 4-H’ers inviting them to the first club meetings. They also, make posters to display in school hallways, they write articles in both the local newspaper, but also the 4-H newsletters, they encourage friends to join 4-H, they
represent 4-H at various events, and they promote 4-H with their presence and abilities to be open.

The 2006-2007 council received the Northwest District Most Outstanding Marketing Effort led by a group of 4-H’ers for 2007.

Civic Engagments

County Council members also do civic engagements including:

Leading Pledges at various Civic Organizations
Decorating Floats in Support of the Community
Speaking on various 4-H projects to youth and adult groups
Speaking at Farm City Legislative Breakfasts
Giving presentations to different school groups

Monthly Meetings

County Council takes time each month to plan major events and conduct various small activities to help their community and club. At the meetings, they do various activities including;

Making collages for troops
Make Valentine’s cards for Nursing Home residents
Make congratulations cards for 4-H’ers that did something good
Stuff Halloween bags for local Farm Bureau Women’s Committee

And many other activities as well. Major events include: planning awards program, summer day camp, promotional efforts, and conducting Cloverbud 4-H meetings.

Meet with VIPs

County Council 4-H’ers are our voices with many VIPs, including the Board of Education, Commissioner, Legislators, parents,
volunteers, schools, and many others.

Two 4-H’ers serve on the Walker County 4-H Advisory
Leadership Committee and give their advice about the program on behalf of their council.

They dress in their uniforms when they meet anyone of importance and they also do their part by introducing speakers, leading pledges, and giving speeches themselves.

Lead Cloverbud 4-H Club Meetings

A County Council 4-H’er wanted to form a 4-H Cloverbud Club. After agent approval of all club plans, the 4-H’er conducts the lesson with 4-H’ers in grades 1-4.

Other County Council members find ways to include Cloverbud 4-H’ers into the existing 4-H program, including:

Inviting them to Cloverleaf Summer Day Camps
Teaching them songs to perform at the Awards Program
Recognizing them in special ways

Plan Summer Day Camps

County Council wanted to plan a special summer day camp for their younger counterparts. They wanted it to be fun and also be an invitation to return to 4-H the next year.

They planned a field day like event known as 4-H Fun Day. They plan which activities will be done, as well as led the program themselves. They also participate too, which the Cloverleaf
4-H’ers love!

They also teach Cloverleaf 4-H’ers 4-H line dances, songs, and games, and tell them about the exciting opportunities that 4-H has to offer in higher grade levels.

Plan Awards Program

County Council plans what the theme for the next year’s awards program will be. For 2007, they picked Cloveropoly. They planned every aspect of the program, including what each place on the board represented, what the entertainment would be, made the decorations for the program, planned a trivia game that will be played with the audience throughout the program, as well as what tasks each council member would be assigned. The 4-H agents only job is the announcing of awards. Council members actual present awards and preside over the entire ceremony.

Community Service

County Council members do various community service
activities during meetings, but they also plan major services
including:

Bi-annual gardening at a local nursing home
Adopt-A-Mile
Relay-for-Life Bingo Team
Scare-on-the-Square Safe Halloween Trick-or-Treating
Reading to kids at the Library

Many other services are in the planning stages.

Please contact the Walker County Extension office for more information.