Your Play-by-Play Guide to 4-H Club Management and Positive Youth Development

• 4H Advisor Enrollment Form
• 4H Advisor Handbook (pdf) – Online version at Ohio4h.org – Tip Sheet at Ohio4h.org
• 4-H Pledge
• Eight Key Elements to a Successful 4-H Club
• Evaluate How Your 4-H Club Is Doing? Suggestions to Follow
• 4-H Officers and Duties
• 4-H Permission Form Samples & Suggestions
• Sample 4-H Club Constitution & By Laws
• Managing Your 4-H Club Finances

As a condition of being a part of 4-H, the Ohio State University Extension requires that all 4-H clubs, 4-H affiliates, federations, and councils maintain their own Tax Payer Identification Number (TIN, also known as EIN). Previous national 4-H group exemptions under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code will be extinguished. All 4-H clubs, 4-H affiliates, federations and councils that were part of a previous national 4-H group exemption must maintain their tax-exempt status through the University’s group exemption. Existing Stark County 4-H Clubs who have submitted their EIN number to the office have completed this requirement. New 4-H Clubs must secure their EIN number.

• Letter from OSUE, Ohio 4-H Director
• Step by Step Guide to Apply for EIN On-Line
• 4-H Group Exemption Authorization Form – * New 4-H Clubs * After securing your EIN for your 4-H Club, please complete this form and return to the OSUE, Stark County Office, 2650 Richville Drive SE Suite 100, Massillon, Ohio 44646.
• 4-H Club Annual Financial Report – Due January 31, annually to OSUE, Stark County Extension Office, email, 330-830-7720 FAX or US Mail, 2650 Richville DR SE; ST 100, Massillon, OH 44646

Each 4-H Club MUST submit an annual e-postcard report online to the IRS by May 15, annually http://epostcard.form990.org/

Organization 4H Advisor MUST print off a record that you completed the report or if fails, you attempted to complete report. Keep in your records in case needed.

Please direct any questions to David Crawford, 330-830-7700 ext. 115 or crawford.228@osu.edu.

This I Believe about 4-H Youth…

It’s not only what we know, but what we believe, that determines what we do.

1. The 4-H members are more important than the project.
2. 4-H is not trying to replace the home, the church, or the school – only supplement them.
3. 4-H’ers should be their own best exhibits.
4. No 4-H award is worth sacrificing the reputation of the 4-H member or volunteer.
5. Competition is a natural human trait and should be recognized as such in 4-H club work. It should be given no more emphasis than other fundamentals in 4-H.
6. Learning how to do the project is more important than the project itself.
7. Many things are caught rather than taught.
8. A blue ribbon 4-H member with a red ribbon pig is more desirable than a red ribbon member with a blue ribbon pig.
9. That “learning by doing” is fundamental in any sound educational program and characteristic of the 4-H program.
10. Generally speaking, there is more than one good way of doing most things.
11. Every 4-H member needs to be noticed, to be important, to achieve and to be praised.
12. Our job is to teach 4-H members how to think, not what to think.

Source: Ohio 4-H Shooting Sports Conference Brochure-2005

Ohio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or veteran status. This statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA.

Keith L. Smith, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Director, Ohio State University Extension, TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868