Adult 4-H Volunteer Leader Development

John Allen has signed on to support Adult 4-H Volunteer Leader Development within Catron County.

The Luna County Agriculture Agent has completed his first full year in Luna County. When the agent took over there was twenty leaders helping with programs in Luna County. At the end of this reporting year there was forty leaders and volunteers working with the youth of Luna County. All of these leaders and volunteers have completed their state screening and are helping throughout the county. In November of 2008 a meeting was held with the 4-H Agents, Leaders and Volunteers and the State 4-H Department Head to discuss problems that can arise in a county where leaders and volunteers are not aware of their duties. The meeting opened the eyes of the leaders and volunteers, from that meeting on we began to get more involvement with 4-H. Luna County is already getting leaders and volunteers signing up for the 2009-2010 reporting year.

Curry County Leader Training

19 adult volunteer leaders participated in a volunteer leader training on requirements of being a club in good standing including Club Chartering and IRS requirements. Leaders gained knowledge and skills related to the proper requirements and reporting procedure of 4-H clubs. As a result of this training all clubs in Curry County are current with their requirements of by laws and chartering and have received their charter. Additionally, 80% of the clubs have received their Employer Identification number and have met the requirements from the IRS.

Cannon Air Force Base Staff Training

The 4-H agent and the Director of the State 4-H program provided a training to the staff of Cannon Air Force Base youth center on what 4-H was and how it could work in conjunction with the staff at the youth center. Staff were educated on the 4-H program and what the traditional program is structured like. This was done by recommendation of the Directors of the Military 4-H program. Fourteen staff from the youth center were in attendance and all in attendance said that they learned more about the 4-H program and thought that the resources available would be useful for them to use in their every day

Application & Enrollment

19 new adult volunteer leaders completed the screening process and enrolled as leaders in Curry County. 135 adult volunteer leaders reenrolled for a total enrollment of 154 leaders in the county.

Enrollment:
18 newly enrolled adult volunteer leaders completed the screening process and 58 adult volunteer leaders were reenrolled as leaders in the county. Total enrollment for the year was 76 adult volunteer leaders.

Project Leader Training:
A project leader training was presented to new and returning project leaders in the county. 13 adult volunteer leaders attended the training held in February. Participants in the training learned about their roles and responsibilities as a project leader which included signing up as the leader, getting started, how to hold project meetings, teaching techniques and activities to incorporate into the meetings, and ways to secure information and resources for projects. The new and returning project leaders that attended the training liked the information that was presented in the booklet provided as well as information on getting the 4-H’ers motivated.

Leader Trainings:
3 adult volunteer leaders attended the New Mexico Leaders’ Forum for Adults in Albuquerque, NM. The leaders attending the event found the information and skills gained were very practical and useful in improving their roles as leaders in their clubs and in the county. Leaders attending this weekend retreat received information many subjects including ways to improve communication between club members, community service project ideas, club craft projects, working between age barriers, and leadership development.

4 adult volunteer leaders attended the Western Region Leaders Forum in Denver, Colorado. Each leader who attended the event personally expressed how rewarding the forum was and how much they enjoyed learning new information and ideas to bring back to their clubs. The leaders attend this event received information on a wide variety of subjects including ways to say thank you, the art of communication, livestock care, project information, and much more. Two of the leaders returning from the event presented information they learned from the cards of thanks workshop to the 4-H Council.

County Club Reviews:
County Club Reviews were conducted with 10 of the 12 Organization Club Leaders in Valencia County to evaluate the progress of the club over the last 4-H year. This evaluation is used to help Club Leaders discuss ways to improve 4-Her and parent involvement in current club activities, and ways to help the youth become more productive within their club. These evaluations help to increase retention among the club leaders and encourage increased volunteer awareness.