Record Keeping & Project Awards

Suggested Record Book Order

Cover Page - include Name, Club Name, Grade Completed, 4-H Years completed (do not include Little Clover years), Picture of yourself

Tab each of the following sections to make them easy to find

Yearly Summary - fill out completely, include only the current year

Non-Project Clippings - pictures of 4-H activities, newspaper articles & clippings, etc

Project Records

Include a tab for each project area you participated in this year (i.e. Ag & Natural Resources, Food & Nutrition, Beef, Poultry)
Complete a Project Record (Basic, Experienced, or Advanced) for each project area
Livestock and Photography have project-specific forms to complete.
Include current year and up to 2 years of previous records for each project area.
- If you have participated in a project for over 3 years, please keep your older project records in a separate binder that is not submitted.
- Exception: when applying for Outstanding 4-H'er Award, please include all years of project records.

DO NOT include Ribbons, certificates, green cards, etc. Those are more suited for a 4-H scrapbook.

All Record Keeping Forms

Record Keeping Forms from Extension Store - THESE ARE ALL FREE TO DOWNLOAD!! (scroll down to find links to species-specific Record Keeping forms)

Record Book Evaluation and Award Application Forms

Senior 4-H'er Award Application Form & Evaluation Sheet (Completed 9-12) (Word, PDF)
Intermediate 4-H'er Award Application & Evaluation Sheet (completed 7-8) (Word, PDF)
Junior 4-H'er Award Application & Evaluation Sheet (completed 4-6) (Word, PDF)
Little Clover Award Application & Evaluation Sheet (completed K-3) (Word, PDF)
4-H Alumni, Honorary Member, & Meritorious Service Award nomination form (Word, PDF)
4-H & Family Volunteer Award nomination form (Word, PDF)

Record Keeping Awards and Definition of Terms

Record Keeping Awards

Certificate of Recognition:
Available for members choosing not to apply for a project award or for members who have already received all project awards for which they are interested at their age level.

Intermediate and Senior Project Awards (Plaques and/or Bars):
Intermediates and Seniors may apply for up to five (5) of the following project awards with the understanding that Citizenship & Leadership has to be included with each project area:

Animal Science
Beef
Child Development
Citizenship
Clothing & Fashion
Communication
Consumer Mgmt
Crop Production
Dairy Cattle
Digital Storytelling
Dog
Environment
Food & Nutrition
Goats
Health
Home Improvement
Horse & Pony
Horticulture
Leadership
Mechanics
Music
Outdoor Adventures
Pets
Photography
Poultry
Rabbits
Science, Eng. & Tech
Self-Determined
Sewing & Needle Art
Sheep
Shooting Sports
Swine
Vet Science
Visual Arts
Woodworking

Project Award Requirements

Completed record keeping forms: Cover Page, Yearly Summary, Project Record form, Project Worksheets, support materials.
Record Books are due Sept. 15th to the Extension Office.
May receive individual project award only once as an Intermediate and once as a Senior, up to 3 different project awards per year.
Enrolled in project during current 4H year.
Has been enrolled in project 2+ yrs (to show growth). These records need to be present in your record book.
Intermediate- records must show evidence of leadership and/or citizenship in award area.
Seniors– records must show evidence of leadership and citizenship in award area.
Livestock awards require market/breeding animal worksheets if applying for those awards.

Definition of Terms

Local = your 4-H Club \
County = involves other Chickasaw County 4-Hers
Area = involves 4-Hers from neighboring counties
State = involves 4-Hers from all counties in Iowa

Citizenship/Service--helping or working for the benefit of others or the community for no pay with goal to benefit someone else.

Citizenship examples:

host a meeting
lead pledges
serve on a committee
work with club on community service or fundraising project
4-H’ers for 4-H donation
National 4-H Week promotion
herdsmanship at the county fair
hosting the exhibit building at the fair
cleaning show rings and wash racks
picking up trash at the fairgrounds
pre and post fair clean up
work at fund raisers

Project Citizenship examples:

help a new 4-H member with a project
serve on a committee to plan a community event
help others at a workshop related to your project
prepare a display for a community event
recycle articles related to your project
take your project to show people at the elderly care center, day care center, preschool, or library
make a donation to charity, care facility, food pantry, or needy family
volunteer at a community event related to your project
make a gift for someone related to your project
care for animals, yard, garden, etc. (or for friends or neighbors while they are away)
plant flowers, bake a cake, decorate tray favors
volunteer to babysit, make and donate bird feeders

Communication--writing, talking to, or showing others in order to share ideas, knowledge, or skills.

Communications examples:

answering roll call
club presentations
making posters to promote a club fund raiser
community service project
working exhibit
educational presentation
share-the-fun act
4-H poster contest
speaking part at a 4-H event
public service announcements on the radio to promote 4-H

Project Communications examples:

any of the county communications examples related to a project area
write a report dealing with a project area
create a display or poster related to a project area
talk about or show your project to a class, non 4-H friends, community club, radio, etc.
interview an expert in your project area
write 4-H newsletter articles or local newspaper article
take photos or make a scrapbook of your project to show others

Leadership is helping a group attain its goals. It is taking the lead in giving direction, planning and organizing. Leadership is where the 4-H’er shares a skill or shows how to do something for another 4-H’er, your club and others.

Leadership Examples:

being a club officer
teaching other club members how to complete 4-H records
club fundraising committee member (any committee)
jr. camp counselor
served on a project development committee (maybe for county/state level)
served on fair booth committee or helped decorate club booth
helped keep score at county softball tournament or teach others how to play
help record information at county livestock weigh-in
recruit new members
serve on 4-H County Council
help 4-H’er plan a presentation
plan a club tour, trip, or activity
plan club’s yearly program
teach new members the 4-H pledge and motto
teach other 4-H’ers how to groom and correctly lead their calf or tie-dye a shirt