Committees and Responsibilities
Finance | Promotion | Conference Steering Committee | Conference Sub-committees
Finance Committee
Members of the Finance committee work as liaisons between the State 4-H Council and the Iowa 4-H Foundation. At least one member from each area should be represented. Foundation staff members serve as advisors to the committee.
Leadership
All members can apply to become a representative on the Foundation Board of Directors. Candidates for this position must be willing to serve on the board for two years. Time commitment requires attendance at two board meetings each year and active participation on one of the Foundation committees.
Two members to serve as committee co-chairs. Co-chairs will oversee the work of the finance committee and delegate tasks to the members. Teamwork and responsibility are key to a successful committee. Members should be prepared to do work between retreats and meet deadlines established by the Foundation staff.
Committee Responsibilities
- Develop and monitor the annual budget for the State 4-H Council
- Recruit new 4-H 400 and 1000 donors with help of all council members
- Set goal for the council contribution to the Iowa 4-H Foundation
- Conduct annual 4-H'ers for 4-H Campaign
- Select theme
- Set goals for clubs and the campaign
- Design campaign materials
- Recognize top clubs at conference
- Serve on the Foundation review committees for program grants and financial aid
- Work at the Foundation booth during the Iowa State Fair
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Promotion Committee
Members of the Promotion Committee for State 4-H Council are responsible for making 4-H visible across the state. This committee can build on the work started by previous councils and/or implement their own promotional campaign. In some cases, the promotion committee will have to train other council members to carry out the action plan. Committee members should expect to work on assignments between retreats. Extension communications staff will provide assistance.
Leadership
At least one member from each area should be represented on the promotion committee. Members should select a chair or co-chairs to represent the group and oversee committee assignments.
Committee Responsibilities
- Develop promotional campaign for the year including activities for county fairs, Iowa State Fair, National 4-H Week, Make a Difference Day, etc.
- Write press releases, newsletter articles, and radio scripts to promote 4-H and the work of the State 4-H Council.
- Assign county responsibilities to council members so that all areas of the state stay informed of council activities.
- Develop statewide system for delivering information (e.g., Web page, newsletter)
- Support state or national promotion efforts (e.g., National Advertising Campaign)
- Build on the successful efforts of previous councils (e.g., milk carton campaign)
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Conference Steering Committee
Members of the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference Steering committee coordinate the efforts of state council in partnership with the State 4-H Youth Development staff to plan, conduct, and evaluate the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference. The dates for this conference have been pre-determined for the next several years. The conference will be held at ISU. This committee has at least one member from each area. This committee is responsible for all planning tasks that do not neatly fit in a conference sub-committee.
Leadership
Two members of this committee will serve as Conference Co-Chairs. They will rotate among all sub-committees to help keep communication moving. They are responsible to lead the meetings of the steering committee and work with the State office liaison to develop the agenda for the meetings. They will facilitate the reporting back of all sub-committees so that the total council can make decisions based on recommendations of the various committees.
The chairs for each of the sub-committees (education, opening/closing, recreation, conference promotion, service, and registration, food, housing) will be selected from the steering committee. They will lead the meetings of the conference sub-committees. Every council member will serve on a sub-committee. The chairs will be sure tasks are delegated to committee members and be sure committee work is being accomplished between meetings.
Committee Responsibilities
- Challenge every committee member to look at new ways to design conference
- Evaluate the previous conference to determine strengths and weaknesses of that conference
- Establish the goals and objectives for the conference
- Evaluate the service project and make recommendation whether to continue or not
- Provide coordination of all the sub-committees-monitor scheduling of events, work shifts, etc. to insure a smooth running conference
- Make recommendations to Council and the State 4-H Youth Development staff for rules, behavior expectations and other general issues related to conference
- Facilitate the decision-making process for conference issues such as: theme, other states to invite to conference, orientation needs, former council invitations, t-shirt and shorts color selection, etc.
- Formulate budget request to the finance committee for support of conference
- Other responsibilities as identified based on theme and schedule
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Iowa 4-H Conference Sub-committees
The sub-committees are the work committees of the conference. Every council member is to be on a sub-committee. Each committee should have representation from each area. The sub-committees make recommendations to the total council and the State 4-H Youth Development staff for consensus. Committees have to work together in planning and implementing activities for a successful conference. Each committee will complete minutes of each meeting to be distributed to all council members. The following are examples of the types of work each committee is responsible for.
Opening and Closing
- Recommend whether Council will perform a dance. If yes, determine music and choreographer suggestions
- Plan stage decorations-share with banquet
- Determine special speakers-Governor President, Vice Provost for Extension, etc. and write letters to invite
- Work with education committee about keynote speakers. Write letters to invite, blurbs for conference program and introductions
- Design new council installation
- Create slide show-find photographers, music, put together show
Education
- Determine what the educational program should look like-speakers, workshops, length of workshops, etc.
- Work with opening/closing to determine speaker needs
- Encourage all members to present keynote speaker ideas and workshop ideas by fall retreat
- Determine workshop topics and potential presenters if known
- Work with PR committee for media information
- Recommend workshop presenter gifts
- Write thank you's for workshop presenters
- Determine procedures for workshop hosts
- Write workshop descriptions for conference promotion information
Recreation
- Determine recreation times and needs
- Be sure there are dance alternatives
- Work with food/registration/housing to coordinate evening activities
- Make recommendations for DJ's
- Determine special fun things for conference
- Get supplies, prizes, etc. to successful run recreation events, casino night, etc.
- Work ISU staff on recreation locations
Food, Registration, and Housing
- Determine on site registration procedures
- Work with ISU staff on all logistical details
- Determine with the recreation committee if there will be a banquet and Iowa picnic and which night is which
- Write information for staff conference handbook and promotion information
- Present guidelines at chaperone meetings when necessary
- If there is an Iowa picnic:solicit food or use food services
- Work with recreation committee for coordination
- Determine work shifts including set-up, serve and take-down
- Banquet
- Work with Hilton staff on menu
- Determine decorations-work with opening/closing
- Design program
- Work with recreation for entertainment and if casino night
- Determine special guest and write invitations
- Parent's luncheon-if have-menu, location, determine who will attend, program, write invitation
Conference Promotion
- Determine process for logo design after conference theme has been selected
- Work with graphic designer for logo design and conference banner design
- Design conference promotion plan
- What promotion tools will be used-poster, flier, letter to guidance counselors, etc.
- Determine schedule for radio spots
- Determine final design of promotional video production
- Recommend plan for council members to use video to promote in area
- Determine method to recruit non-4-H'ers to conference
- Write radio spots, news releases, design posters, etc.
- Make recommendation on colors for conference T-shirts based on logo design
Community Service
- Determine when service will take place during conference and for how long
- Assist in getting assistance for transportation, other donors for the service project
- Decide what, if any, will be the larger conference service project (i.e. canned food drive, collect soup labels, etc.--and how to promote it)
- Determine possible service sites and how to promote this project
- Create information form for service sites to fill out and packets to distribute to them
- Recruitment of any special celebrity volunteers as well as media
- Decide on any necessities to bring to the service sites, obtain supplies, and distribute them
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