End-of-year Club Reports for 2025

The following are due no later than December 31, 2024

Internal Club Audit Form

Financial Summary

Projected Yearly Club Activities

Club Inventory List

4-H Club Information Survey 

 

**Members Online Enrollments will remain pending until all end-of-year reports listed above are submitted**

 4-H Club Enrollment

The following are due no later than March 15, 2025:

  • Final 4-H Club Roster AND Member Project Roster printed with Advisor’s initials (see Advisor online access instructions later in this document). Members will not be approved in the system until we receive this document. Updated rosters may be emailed to the extension office following March 15th. Please send in updated rosters monthly between January and April to ensure timely approval of members and generation of invoices. Final invoices will be e-mailed to each club after April 15th.
  • Club Charter. All 4-H clubs are required to meet national and state chartering requirements and turn in a complete charter checklist by the enrollment deadline each year. Please refer to the checklist above for more information.
  • Club Constitution. Only due in years when there is a change. Please be sure your club reviews, votes to approve, and turns in a copy signed by the Club organizational advisor and the 4-H Club President every year the constitution is changed.
  • Club By-laws. -Optional-. If your club chooses to utilize by-laws, please be sure your club reviews, votes to approve, and turns in a copy signed by the Club organizational advisor and the 4-H Club President every year the by-laws are changed.
  • Updated Club/Group Activities Form. It is the 4-H Organizational Leaders responsibility to ensure that all official 4-H meetings and activities (field trips, tours, etc.) are on file at the Extension office. This ensures all your club members are covered by our country insurance policy through American Income Life (AIL). You must turn in /email updated calendars or activity forms as needed. These are kept in your club file and ensure your club members are covered. The Extension office needs to be notified of any change in date or location of meetings/events BEFORE the meeting/event.
  • Member project-specific forms.

Member Enrollment

 Requirements

  • 4-H membership is based on a child’s age AND grade as of January 1 of the current calendar year.
  • Cloverbud Eligibility begins when a child is age 5 AND in kindergarten.
  • Eligibility for 4-H projects and competitive events begins when a child is age 9 or age 8 AND in 3rd grade. 
  • Members must enroll in at least one approved Summit County 4-H club or group each year.
  • Eligible youth must sign up for at least 1 4-H project per year. 
  • A youth’s 4-H eligibility ends December 31 the year they turn 19.
  • Joining Ohio 4-H is a privilege and responsibility for individuals and is subject to the Ohio 4-H Code of Conduct and applicable policies of The Ohio State University. Members who violate the Code of Conduct may be removed at any time. 
  • Youth are to join 4-H in the county where they live. If a family is interested in joining 4-H in a different county, they MUST first submit a Request for Membership Across County Lines with the county they would like to enroll in. 
  • All 4-H’ers must have completed/turned in the following to the 4-H Club Advisor before the enrollment Deadline March 15th.
    • Enrolled in the 4HOnline system
    • $12 County Fee
    • Updated OH Health Form (an up-to-date copy MUST be kept on file with your club)
    • Any project-specific forms

Volunteer Enrollment

Returning Volunteer Enrollment

All volunteers are required to complete enrollment in 4-H Online each year – Deadline March 15th

Volunteer Training

All volunteers are required to complete a minimum of two hours of annual training including the Annual 4-H Update AND Youth Activities & Programs (Policy 1.50) by the enrollment deadline. Multiple opportunities to complete the full training will be offered each year it is YOUR responsibility to plan ahead and find a training date you can attend. 

New Volunteers

Anyone wishing to apply as a new 4-H volunteer must complete the following steps:

  1. Complete the Volunteer Application Form
  2. Pass a Background Check**
    • If you save your receipt we will reimburse you for the cost of the background check. 
    •  ** If you currently work with kids and have had a Background Check completed in the past 12 months, you can request a copy to be sent from the BCI to OSU for $8 using this form.
  3. Request enrollment in the 4HOnline system
  4. Interview with 4-H Professional – Once your application has been submitted and references returned, OSU Extension will contact you to set up an interview.

Each of the above steps will connect you directly to instructions for completing this process.

The Winning 4-H Plan

 The Winning 4-H Plan was created to promote and provide a path for inclusion, empathy, and confidentiality for all our youth with diverse special needs. If your 4-H’er has a physical, mental, or learning disability that requires an accommodation, you may complete the Winning 4-H Plan Request Form. Our office will then work with you to plan reasonable accommodations at club and county-level events to meet the needs of your 4-Her. This form only needs to be completed once and will remain on file. A 4-H Educator will follow up with the parents/guardians of youth with winning plans in January/February to review and make any necessary updates to the plan. Winning 4-H Plan requests and updates to current plans may be turned in to the Extension office at any time.

All enrollment for members and volunteers will be through the 4-H Online enrollment system ONLY.

Please refer to the How to Create and Use a Family Profile in 4-H Online for more information regarding the 4-H Online enrollment system.

Project Books

4-H Project Guide

This Ohio 4-H publication contains detailed information on all of our over 200 4-H projects and is updated yearly. All families enrolled in 4-H Online the previous program year will receive a Project Guide in the mail.

Eligible youth are required to take at least 1 4-H project each year. Selected projects must be entered into a youths 4-H online profile and submitted by March 15th each year. 

Cloverbud members may enroll ONLY in project #710 (My Cloverbud Year) and are NOT eligible to participate in competitive 4-H activities including project judging and competitive shows.

No projects will be added after the March 15th enrollment deadline.

Purchasing Books

  • With your Club: 4-H Club Advisors may organize and purchase books on behalf of their 4-H families. Be sure to complete and e-mail the 2025 Volunteer Order Form to the Summit County Extension office. Ohio residents get the best price on printed books when they order and pick up their purchases through local Extension offices. A majority of the 4-H project books and project record sheets cost $8.00. (Price indicated on book order for if other than $8.00). Prices are indicated on the 2024 Volunteer Order Form.
  • Buy one online. You can order books directly from extensionpubs.osu.edu. Books are slightly more expensive but orders can be shipped directly to any Ohio address. Free shipping is no longer being offered regardless of order size. 
  • At the Extension Office: The Summit County Extension office keeps a limited number of books in stock year round which can be purchased on a first come first serve basis. Call ahead to check availability!
  • Make your own. Self-determined projects are an excellent choice for self-motivated members with an idea that doesn't yet have a project book or who are looking to expand on another project. Although self-determined projects may be better suited for older 4-H members, they are available for any member and are often based on idea starters already available online. It is recommended that Self-Determined projects only be taken by members who have completed at least one project book already. Many of the idea starters are great stay-at-home projects, too. For example, Music, Bats, String Art, Climate Change, American Sign Language, etc. Find all the project idea starters here: https://ohio4h.org/selfdetermined 

Project Specific Forms

The following are due no later than March 15, 2024:

Animal Housing Form

If the 4-H member does not have a proper space to house their market animal, then they may keep it at another location if it meets the criteria listed on the Summit County 4-H Housing Form.

Permission to Participate

All permission to participate forms are now filled out in 4-H online at registration. 

Advisor 4-H Online Access Instructions

All 4-H Club Advisors have access to VIEW your club profile.

 

*****RE-enroll yourself in the 4-HOnline system*****      Until this is complete, you cannot proceed to the next steps.

 

  1. Login to 4-H Online with your family 4-H Online email and password. https://4honline.com/
  2. Locate your name in the list of members under "family".
  3. Click the “view” button next to your name.
  4. Click on "Clubs" in the navigation pane on the left side of the screen.
  5. Click the "Manage" button for the Club.
  6. Enter the Unit (Club) PIN: This was e-mailed to everyone last year. Contact Imani Scruggs or Rachel Chapman if you need your club pin.
  7. Click the Login button.
  8. You should be able to see the members that have begun the enrollment process for this year on the screen.
  9. Click the download roster button (upper right-hand side of screen). The second spreadsheet in this workbook will include all members' projects.

 

Approving 4-H Members

Approving members

Our office WILL NOT approve members until the Club Org Leader has given permission to do so. Please do the following to let us know to approve members in the system:

  1. Check members are correctly enrolled in 4HOnline AND signed up for the correct projects.
  2. Ensure you have collected all 4-H fees, club dues, project book money, the required project forms, and have an updated Ohio 4-H Health form in your club files. You must have all of these items before requesting members approval. I have attached a checklist to assist you in tracking this information.
  3. Print, initial, and date the roster and drop off to the office OR scan and email to Imani Scruggs or Rachel Chapman.

 4-H Project Changes

Once a member submits their enrollment request, they are not able to make any changes or edits to their profile or project selection. They may request a project change by emailing Imani Scruggs or Rachel Chapman. We will return the enrollment request, allowing the member to make the needed adjustments. You will then need to click "submit" to finalize the changes. 

This process is to be used once an enrollment has been submitted through April 1 – May 15 all project change requests must be approved by a 4-H leader. This time is to allow leaders to check and ensure all members are enrolled in the correct 4-H project. We ask that Club leaders keep one list of project request changes and submit it to Imani Scruggs no later than May 15. 

Paperwork to be kept in your 4-H Club files

Clubs should have the current year + four years of past documents in their files.

Clubs must have current health forms for all members of their club. 

  • Club Constitution & By-laws (should also have one on file at the Extension office)
  • List of current members (Roster may be printed from the 4HOnline system)
  • Meeting Calendar(s) (should also have one on file at the Extension office)
  • Meeting Minutes (kept by secretary, 4-H Org Leader should also have a copy)
  • Financial Records (kept by treasurer, 4-H Org Leader should also have a copy)
    • Annual Financial Report
    • Banking Documentation
    • Budget Planning
    • Audit Results
    • Accounts payable documentation (invoices and receipts)
  • Current Ohio 4-H Health Form for each member and volunteer