Coming Together to Strengthen Our 4-H Club

 Dear 4-H Families,

I hope you are all doing well. I wanted to take a moment to reach out about something important for the future of our club.

First, I want to say thank you to all of the families, volunteers, and especially our project leaders who dedicate so much of their personal time to our members. Our leaders spend countless hours preparing lessons, organizing trainings, planning meetings, and creating hands-on learning opportunities so our youth can grow, learn, and succeed. Their commitment to our club does not go unnoticed.

Over the past several months, it has been discouraging and frustrating to see low attendance numbers at both project meetings and club meetings. We understand that families are busy and schedules can be challenging, but participation is an important part of what makes a 4-H club successful and meaningful for everyone involved.

I also want to acknowledge my part in this. At the beginning of the year, I should have done a better job communicating and reviewing our club bylaws and attendance expectations with all families. Moving forward, I believe it is important that we revisit our club constitution and bylaws together as a club community. We need to have open discussions regarding attendance requirements, member expectations, and any amendments that may need to be made so that our bylaws continue to reflect the needs and goals of our club.

A 4-H club should be about much more than simply attending fair or exhibiting projects. It should be about learning responsibility, leadership, teamwork, service, commitment, and building relationships within our community. It is about showing up, supporting one another, participating in projects, and helping create a positive experience for all members — especially our younger youth who look up to the older members as role models.

Our club is strongest when families, members, volunteers, and leaders work together toward a common goal. I truly believe we can continue building a positive and successful club environment, but it will take communication, participation, and commitment from all of us.

Here is a link to our current bylaws: Current By Laws

Please review the bylaws and submit any recommended changes or amendments to countrykickers4h@gmail.com no later than July 15th. All proposed changes will be reviewed and voted on during our August 20th Community Club Meeting.

Thank you for your continued support of our club and our youth. I look forward to having these conversations together and working as a team to strengthen our 4-H community.

Sincerely,

Michelle Weese 

Community Club Leader