State 4-H Record Books
for Beginners
State Awards Program
Philosophy
Record Books:
• Teach valuable Life Skills
– Goal setting
– Decision making
– Record Keeping
– Reporting
• Summarize project work, leadership
and community service activities
• Share personal experiences
• Provide short and long term data to
share with decision-makers
• Provide intrinsic and extrinsic rewards
Why is Project Work
Important?
• Good project work involves all the
elements of the 4-H Recognition
Model
• 4-H Record books are a picture of the
4-H member’s project work.
• Record books are one way to
determine a member’s progress and
reward them for their effort.
• Through project work they develop
the leadership, citizenship and life skills
4-H is about.
• Projects are how we develop our
members into the people we want
them to be.
• It is not just “for the Recordbook” It is
for youth development.
All 4-H Record Books and Award
Applications Due in State 4-H
Office
State 4-H Awards
Selection Process
All written
material
sorted and
checked
Approximately 100 project,
scholarship and special award
finalists participate in interviews
Record Books Judged
Review and Score written
material
18 committees
3 members on each committee
Up to 3 finalists and 3
alternates selected per
Level I & Level II project.
Score of 75 or higher
required
Up to 10 interview
finalists selected
from Hall of Fame
Blue Award Group
15-20 scholarship finalists
selected for interview. Final
number is determined by
number of applicants with
multiple entries.
Counties notified
by fax regarding
members selected
as project,
scholarship or
special award
finalists
Interviews Conducted
Interview Committees
review written materials
and conduct interviews
9 committees
3 members on each
committee
Interviews confirmed and
Interview schedule
completed
Interview
scores are
combined
with written
material
scores and
state winners
determined
State Winners
Announced
Honor Night
Assembly
State 4-H
Roundup
Parts of a 4-H Record Book
• A folder – official Record
Book Folders/covers
available through National
4-H Supply
• The Oklahoma Report Form
• A 4-H Story – up to 6 pages
• 3 pages of project pictures
(up to 13 for Photography
• NOTHING ELSE!
Locating 4-H Awards Information
State 4-H Awards Handbook
http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu
State 4-H Website
State 4-H Website
Forms/Applications
Plan first – Report later
Project Objectives
Planning
• Use a road map
– Project Objectives
(found in Awards Handbook)
• Short term goals
– What is to be done this year
to meet objectives
• Month by Month planning
• Long term goals
– Scholarships/Trips
– State Winner
Project Objectives
• Are available for stand-alone
and AOP projects
• Reflect current focus of projects
• Include appropriate
technology applications
• Encourage planning
• Insure well-rounded project
experiences
• Provide standards to measure
project achievement
• Encourage research and civic
involvement
State 4-H Website
Summary of Projects and
Objectives
Updated annually
Planning Tools on the 4-H Website
Using Project Objectives
Planning Winning Programs
Planning with Members
• Start with the objectives
• Brainstorm activities which
meet the objectives
• Decide where activities
should be reported
• Take good notes
Plan the Work
Hands on Experience
with Planning Tools
Hands on Activity
• Divide into small groups
• Select project objectives
• Brainstorm activities a 4-H
member could do to
address the objectives
• Record ideas on newsprint
• Share with the group
Work the Plan
Monthly
• Keep record of project
work, leadership and
community service
– Calendar
– Project sheets from County
Report Form
– Spiral notebook
– Whatever you will do
consistently
At least 3 months before the
due date
• Prepare a rough draft of
Oklahoma Report Form and
Story
• Compare work reported with
project objectives
• Leave space for work to be
completed before the due
date
• Have someone unfamiliar with
the project and/or the work
read materials for clarity
1 month before due date
• Prepare (almost) final draft
• Proofread for errors
• Double check margins,
font size, spacing and
other disqualifications
• Get local leader’s
signature
• Complete News
Information Sheet and
Interview Information Sheet
General Guidelines
Margins
• Top – 1 inch
• Bottom – ½ inch
• Left Side – 1 ¼ inch
• Right Side – ½ inch
Larger margins OK
smaller DQ
General Guidelines
Recommended Fonts
Times New Roman 12
Arial 12
Courier 12
Smaller Fonts will be disqualified
Discouraged Fonts
Any narrow, condensed, script, or
novelty fonts
Use of bold-face type, underlining, italics
or color OK for emphasis
General Guidelines
Disqualifications
Previous Winner in the current level –
members may be named the State
Winner in only one Level I, Level II
project or Level III Scholarship during
their 4-H Career
– Anything extra – check guidelines
– Too many pages
– Too much space
– Reduced fonts
– Smaller margins
– Reduced spacing
– Excess photos (more than 3 pages)
General Guidelines
Disqualifications
• Member is not 14 by January 1 of
current year
• Member has graduated from
high school and is older than 18
by January 1 of current year
• Additional space or pages
added to ORF
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Section IA – more than 2 pages
Section IB – more than 1 page
Section II – more than 2 pages
Section III – more than 2 pages
Section IV – more than ½ page
Section V – more than ½ page
Sections IV & V – on separate pages
General Guidelines
Disqualifications
• Line spacing - less than 6
lines per inch
• Font smaller than 12 point
• Copier Reductions to gain
space
• Margins less than:
–
–
–
–
Left – 1 ¼ inch
Right – ½ inch
Top – 1 inch
Bottom – ½ inch
Oklahoma 4-H Report Form
Designed to report facts and
figures
• Divided into Sections
– IA – What have you done in this
project?
– IB – What have you learned in this
project?
– II – 4-H Leadership Experiences
– III – 4-H Citizenship Experiences
– IV – Awards in All projects
– V – Non-4-H Experiences
Oklahoma 4-H Report Form
• Sections I-A, II and III
– Based on linked text boxes
– Cannot go to second page
until first page is full
– When the end of the field is
reached, no more
information will be displayed
Oklahoma 4-H Report Form
Formatting Suggestions
• Use tables or graphs to illustrate repetitive
activities or show time spent on project
work
• Use short statements to report one-time or
short-term activities (include number of
times or number of participants as
appropriate)
• Use short paragraphs to show impact of
an intensive program, share details of a
research project or career exploration
activity
• Selectively use bold type and/or color for
emphasis
• Be sure to show work toward each of the
project’s objectives in some part of the
member’s 4-H Record Book
Technical Hints – Reveal Formatting
Technical Hints
Show all formatting marks
Oklahoma 4-H Report Form
Section I-A Project Work
Section I-A Project Work
• 4-H Project Work – 15 points
– Concise summary of work done as
a 4-H Member in the project
– Should show growth in number
and complexity of activities
• Other Project Work – 5 points
– Summary or examples of how 4-H
knowledge, skills and project work
were applied in other
organizations and/or settings
Technical Hint - Tables
Technical Hints - Tables
Technical Hints - Tables
Technical Hints - Tables
Technical Hints - Tables
Creating tables in spreadsheet
(excel, etc.) programs
Advantages:
• It is not necessary to “build” the table
from scratch
• The program will perform calculations
(total the data) the information for you
in most situations
Disadvantages:
• The default font is Arial 10. If the font is
not changed to Times New Roman, Arial
or Courier 12, the font will be too small
and the book will be disqualified
• The table will not automatically be sized
to fit inside the text box – several
adjustments may be necessary
Technical Hints - Columns
To create columns within a
textbox, (the format for the
ORF)
• Create a table using
previous instructions
• Remove lines
Technical Hints - Columns
Technical Hints - Columns
Technical Hints - Columns
Section I-B –
Learning Experiences
5 points
• Should reflect age-appropriate
knowledge and skills
• Should show growth in
technical expertise and skill
• Generally listed in
chronological order
• Should relate to project
objectives – some objectives
can only be met by “learning”
Section I-B –
Learning Experiences
5 points
Section II
Leadership Experiences
• 4-H Leadership – 15 points
– Relates directly to the project
reported
– Projects led, organized or assisted
– 4-H visible as “lead”
group/organization
• Other Leadership – 5 points
– Leadership in other 4-H projects
– Use of 4-H Leadership skills to
benefit other organizations/groups
Section II
Leadership Experiences
Use this section to report
• Teaching opportunities &
experiences
• Details of activities organized
• One on one assistance
• Number reached through
activities
• Member’s role in Youth Adult
Partnerships
• Promotional Leadership
• Officer responsibilities
Section II
Leadership Experiences
Section III
Citizenship Experiences
• 4-H Citizenship – 15 points
– Community service
projects/activities related to the
project reported which are
organized by/through 4-H
– Individual service activities
representing 4-H
• Other Citizenship – 5 points
– Community Service related to
other 4-H projects
– Community projects organized by
other groups
Section III
Citizenship Experiences
Use this section to report:
• Participation in Service Learning
activities
• Activities which foster greater
understanding of community issues
• Donations, community fund raisers,
Food or clothing drives etc.
• Involvement in special causes – Heart
Association or Diabetes education,
volunteer for local Red Cross,
Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald
House, etc.
Section III
Citizenship Experiences
Section IV – 5 points
4-H Awards in All
Projects/Activities
• Report project-related
accomplishments first
• Significant awards
• Summarize or group similar
types of recognition
• Do not exceed ½ page
Section IV – 5 points
4-H Awards in All
Projects/Activities
OK to group like awards
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Received county medals in Dog,
Fabrics and Fashions, Food
Preservation, and Sheep
Selected to attend Denver, Kansas
City, National Congress and
Citizenship Washington Focus
Grand Champion Bread in County
Fair – 5 years
Grand Champion Fashion Revue
entry – 6 years
Breed Champion Wether – 2 years
Section IV – 5 points
4-H Awards in All
Projects/Activities
Section V- 5 points
Non-4-H Experiences
• If project-related activities have
been reported in other sections,
do not repeat
• Include significant
awards/participation
• Summarize or group similar
types of recognition
• Do not exceed ½ page
Section V- 5 points
Non-4-H Experiences
OK to group like activities
• Superintendents Honor Roll – 6
years
• Academic awards in History,
English and Math
Single entries for emphasis
• Valedictorian of graduating
class
• Selected to serve as Senate
page
Section V- 5 points
Non-4-H Experiences
Formatting Tips
• No “preferred” way
• Use a chart for activities which
are done every year or several
times a year
• Use impact statements or
summaries to emphasize
special projects
• Use lists to show that public
speaking or judging activities
were project-related
Food Science - statement
Organized a food science project
club that met once per month
during the school year.
Average monthly attendance
was 14. Participants learned
healthy eating and activity
habits. From the beginning of
school to the end of the year,
members increased activity
levels by average of 20 minutes
per day.
Food Science - chart
Activity
New recipes
tried
Snacks
prepared
Meals
Planned &
Prepared
Recipes
Analyzed
Recipes
Modified
2003
2004 2005
2006 Total
The 4-H Story
The 4-H Story
• Complements the facts in the
Oklahoma Report Form
• Shares the member’s feelings
• Tells who, what, when, where,
why and how the facts in the
ORF came to be
• Must be double spaced
• Must be no more than 6 pages
The 4-H Story – 15 points
• Project Growth – 5 points
– Document change over time in
skill, ability, numbers, etc
• Personal Growth – 5 points
– Examples of how 4-H and this
project has impacted the member
and others
• Application of 4-H knowledge
and skills –
5 points
– Examples of leadership and service
and application of skills in other
settings
Documenting 4-H
Work with Photos
Photo Section – 5 points
• Suggested Pictures
– 1 page of project work
– 1 page of leadership activities
– 1 page of citizenship activities
Photography books only –
up to 10 additional pages to illustrate
technique/skill
• 3-4 pictures per page
– Up to 6 pictures if digitally cropped
and captions printed as one unit
• Descriptive Captions
• Attractive Presentation
Creating Photo Pages
Photos from film
• Manually crop photos • Use 3-4 per page
• Layout photos on paper
– Trace around photo with pencil
– Measure from edge of paper
– Create text boxes on a blank
page
– Print a test copy
• Place photos on test copy and
adjust alignment as needed
Creating Photo Pages
Photos from film
• Use high quality paper for
mounting
– 26# or heavier
• Attach photos securely with
–
–
–
–
Rubber cement
Glue stick
Art/scrapbooking corners
Double-stick tape
Editing Digital Photos
Digital Photo Editing Software
• Adobe Photoshop®
– Superior for complicated photo
manipulation
– Excellent light and color correction
– Difficult to create photo pages with
captions
• Microsoft® Digital Image
– User-friendly – good for novice users
– Relatively easy to create photo pages
with captions
• Broderbund® Print Shop
– Limited photo manipulation options
– Scrapbook-like cropping tools
– Designed to create pages with photos,
artwork and text
Digital Photos
For Best Results:
• Use photo editing software to
crop, resize, correct lighting,
eliminate distracting
backgrounds, etc.
• Use your word processing
program to create photo
pages
• Print completed pages on
photo paper
– Matte will be less likely to
fingerprint
– Glossy will have better detail
Creating Photo Pages
with digital photos
Creating Photo Pages
Cropping/Resizing
Creating Photo Pages
Arranging Photos
Creating Photo Pages
Writing Captions
Creating Photo Pages
Writing Captions
Overall Record Book
5 points
• Well organized
– Tabs for ORF, Story and Photos are
helpful, but not required
• Easy to read
– Effective use of bold fonts, white
space and color to draw attention
to headings etc.
• Correct spelling and grammar
– Don’t depend on spell and
grammar check
• No extra materials
Reporting 4-H and
Non-4-H Work
A word about other
organizations
4-H members often belong to
other organizations, and
they utilize the knowledge
and skills gained as a 4-H
member in that other
organization (church youth
group, FFA, FCCLA, FBLA,
Boy/Girl Scouts, Jr. Breed
Associations, etc.).
What to Report
• Work done as a 4-H
member should be
reported as 4-H work in a
county or state
4-H record book.
• Work done as a member of
another youth group
should be reported as non4-H work in a county or
state 4-H record book.
If you’re not sure…
Ask this question:
“If those who were there and
saw, heard or benefited
from my actions were
asked what organization I
represented would
probably not say 4-H, then
report it as non-4-H work.”
Decisions…
• A 4-H member raises beef
cattle, but exhibits market
cattle as an FFA member
• The same member
organized a 4-H Beef
project club which met
regularly, had educational
programs and conducted
service projects.
Decisions…
• The church youth director
knows that you show
sheep as a part of your 4-H
work and asks you to
provide a lamb for the
living Nativity scene
• You get volunteers from
your livestock project club
to provide animals and
participate in the living
Nativity scene
Decisions…
• Because of your success in
4-H Share the Fun, the
music teacher recruits you
to be in school
performances
• You recruit members of
your school music, drama
or dance group to
become 4-H members and
participate in Share the
Fun
Decisions…
• You accompany your
church youth group to sing
at the nursing home
• You recruit members of
your church youth group to
go with your 4-H club to
sing at the nursing home
Call it what it is…
• Related work done as a
member of another
organization or group
should be reported as:
_________ Project work
conducted as a member
of ___________
organization(s)
What Judges Look For
Level I Projects
• Work toward all of the
objectives for the project
• A well rounded program
• A variety of leadership
experiences
• Citizenship activities that relate
to the project
• Application of knowledge and
skills learned through 4-H in
other settings
Level II Projects
• Project experiences that
meet the broad objectives
of Level II projects
• Sustained leadership and
community service
• Research, evaluation and
career exploration
• More than a continuation
of Level I project work
State 4-H Record Books
for Beginners