Record Keeping

Awards & Record Keeping

The purpose of 4-H record keeping is to teach youth how to keep records, which is an important life skill.  Record keeping is an ongoing process that does not end when the 4-H year ends.

Suggested Order

The following is a suggested order for your record book. 

  1. Record keeping Awards Application & Evaluation Form (Current Year)
  2. Cover Page (Current Year)
  3. Name
  4. Club
  5. Age as of September 15 prior to record book submission
  6. Grade as of September 15 prior to record book submission
  7. Years in 4-H
  8. Years that you have completed a record book
  9. Howard County Expected Standards Sheet (Current Year)
  10. Yearly 4-H Summary (Current Year)
  11. Project Records by Project
  12. Juniors – Please include a project record sheet and supporting material for at least one project area of your choice.  A guideline for supporting material is up to five pages (which may be in addition to your fair write-ups for non-livestock project areas).  If you choose to complete records for a livestock area, please be sure to include financial information on the project (please use the livestock worksheet for that species or your own computer generated form that contains the same information).  You may refer to the back of the Howard County 4-H Record keeping Awards Application and Evaluation Form for Juniors for more information.
  13. Intermediates and Seniors – Please include the current year’s project record sheet and supporting material and your previous one or two years of records and supporting materials in that project area.  If you are applying for a project award, these must be included.  A guideline for the amount of supporting material to include is 5 pages (which may be in addition to your fair write-ups for non-livestock project areas); however, more supporting material may be included if it is needed to show the scope and size of your project work.  Please try to be as concise as possible.  Please label each year of project work.  If you apply for a livestock related award, please be sure to include the financial information on the project (please use the livestock worksheet for that species or your own computer generated form that contains the same information).  You may refer to the back of the Howard County 4-H Record keeping Awards Application and Evaluation Form for Intermediates and Seniors for a list of the possible awards available to you.

Record Keeping Tips

Remember to organize your record book.  It is recommended that each project area should be separated with a “tab” divider, and arranged with the most recent material on top in each project area.
Remember to:

  • Be Neat
  • Check Spelling, Grammar and Math
  • Be sure to tell what you learned in each project throughout the year
  • Please do not include the following items: fair ribbons, feed tags, 4-H newsletter, club programs or stall cards
  • Goals are what you want to learn in each project and include three parts: ACTION – how are you going to do it, RESULT – what you will do, TIMETABLE – when do you plan to have it completed.  Ask yourself: Do you have control over all three parts of the goal?
Record Keeping Award & Other Award Applications
Record Keeping Materials
Livestock Project Worksheets