4-H Ghana Youth Development Program
4-H GHANA
4-H GHANA
OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION

Purpose of LEAD Contests

How to Host a LEAD Contest

General Advancing Rules

General Contest Rules

Club Meeting Contest

Debate Contest
FUTURE VISION

The LEAD Contests will continue to grow and evolve

Only two of the national and regional contest events
will be held this year – Club Meeting & Debate

You can host any LEAD contest that you want at the
local level.

Changes and modifications will be posted at
www.4hghana.org
Purpose of LEAD Contests

LEADERSHIP; Contests focused on life skills related to leadership help ensure
that ethical public speaking.

EDUCATION; Contests focused on livelihood skills are able to empower
students to be confident

DEVELOPMENT; Contests focused on gender awareness engages students
in problem-solution thinking to become influential in the continued
success, development and growth of their community and country.
How to Host a LEAD Contest








Contact the schools interested in competing
Select a date for the LEAD Contests
Select a venue large enough to host (Be aware of multiple
events at the same time)
Read through and understand all of the rules
Arrange for all of the judges (GES, MOFA, Alumni
Volunteer Network Members)
Collect the supplies needed
Ensure “ON TIME” program running from start to finish
Prepare the judges for scoring rubrics. (Training a few
hours before the contest)
General Advancing Rules

All LEAD Contests shall conform with the National LEAD Contest
rules.

Winners are eligible to participate only in the next succeeding level.

Each Club is allowed two participants and teams per contest .

The first and second place participant or team will advance to the
next level.

If there is no Circuit competition held, each club is allowed to
attend the District competition.

The first and second place participants or teams in each contest at
the District LEAD Contests will advance to the Regional competition.

The first place participants or teams in each contest at the Regional
LEAD Contests will advance to the National competition.
General Contest Rules
Rules and Events Updates: www.4hghana.org
 Eligibility: Participants on a LEAD team must all be students at
the same school or community clubs
 Participation: No team or individual may register for a LEAD
Contest unless accompanied by an advisor or community
member
 Participants: No substitutions will be permitted for certain
contests
 Non-Participants: Non-judging observers will be permitted only
upon approval
 Disqualification: Participants talking during or between contest



Awards: Awards are to be decided by the LEAD Contest
coordinator at each level.
Miscellaneous: Participants are urged to come prepared for
the event regardless of the weather conditions.
Club Meeting LEAD Contest Rules
Purpose
To introduce 4-H members to parliamentary
procedure while learning how to conduct efficient
meetings and build their communication skills.


Students will be able to:



Demonstrate correct use of 4-H opening ceremony.
Demonstrate a chapter meeting with debate and
parliamentary motions.
Demonstrate correct use of 4-H closing ceremony.
Why?

To showcase how to properly run a meeting.

Clubs should already be doing this.

To build confidence in students.

To provide a way for students to gain skills in
public speaking and critical thinking.

To begin learning how to properly use
parliamentary procedure.

Applicable to many careers and community
events in the future.
Eligibility

Members in good standing (4-H club in Ghana).

Each club may enter one Club Meeting team at the first
level of local competition (Circuit or District, whichever
comes first).

Props or equipment are not to be used in this LEAD
Contest.

A participant will not be permitted to use notes while
speaking, deductions in scoring may be made

All participants are required to wear their official school
uniform when delivering their speech.
Levels of Competition

All circuit, district, and regional LEAD Contests shall be conducted alike
and conform with the national Club Meeting rules.

Winners are eligible to participate only in the next succeeding district,
regional, and national LEAD Contests.

Each club is allowed one team to attend the Circuit level of
competition if it is held.

The first and second place teams at the District Club Meeting LEAD
Contest will advance to the regional Club Meeting finals.

The first place team at the regional Club Meeting LEAD Contest will
advance to the national Club Meeting finals.
General Club Meeting Contest Rules
Club Meeting, a team event, recognizes clubs
that develop a working knowledge of
parliamentary law and the ability to conduct a
4-H business meeting.
 Evaluators will have up to 10 minutes to provide
feedback, discuss, complete the rubric and
write comments for participants.
 The Club Meeting team will consist of six
members including a president who will serve as
the chair, a vice president, a secretary, a
treasurer, organizer, and student advisor.

Room Layout
Opening Ceremonies

Present them Accurately

Present them with Pride

Must be memorized
Meeting Debate

Use Parliamentary Procedure

New this year

Do not be afraid

Try to use just a few examples this year

Use the GUIDEBOOK to learn more about proper
parliamentary procedure
Meeting Debate

Follow the agenda.

Minutes of previous meeting by secretary.

Treasurers report.

Reports of committees.

Unfinished or Old Business.

New Business.
New Business

A motion will be provided to debate. Eg.

“The ___________ 4-H club will host a district 4-H
Lead Contest.”

A second from the floor is required.

Debate for and against the motion will then
begin.

Use additional motions as shown in
guidebook as your skill level allows.
Obtaining The Floor

The Chair (President) can not debate.

Floor Member rises and is acknowledged by
the chair.

Does not speak unless recognized

Presents motion or debate.

Sits back down.
Presenting A Motion

Floor Member Rises


Recognized by the chair.
States “I move to ________________” or “I
move that _________________”
“I move that the ___________ 4-H club will host
a district 4-H Lead Contest.”
 “I move to adjourn the meeting.”
 “I move to have a 3 minute recess.”


All motions require a 2nd.

Floor member does not need to be
recognized.
First Year

Focus is on

Successful memorization and presentation of
Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Debating the new business presented.
Following Years

More emphasis will be given to using proper
parliamentary procedure motions with the
debate.
Debate LEAD Contest Rules
Purpose

To provide members of 4-H Ghana an opportunity to develop
and demonstrate their ability to clearly communicate and
defend their ideas and positions.
Topic

Each year a new topic will be chosen
related to 4-H, Gender, Life and Livelihood
skills, Health Education, Agriculture, or
Community Development, refer to the
website.

2017 “A new rule is being proposed
preventing males from being the 4-H club
president.”
Eligibility
This LEAD Contest is open to students who are members
in good standing of a registered 4-H club in Ghana.
 Each club may enter one team of four students at the
first level of local competition (Circuit or District,
whichever comes first).
 Props or equipment are not to be used in this LEAD
Contest.



A participant will be permitted to use notes while
speaking, but deductions in scoring may be made for
this practice if it detracts from the effectiveness of the
presentation.
All participants are required to wear their official school
uniform, or if in a community club a 4-H T-shirt, when
delivering their speech.
Levels of Competition

All Circuit, District, and Regional LEAD Contests shall be conducted
alike and conform with the National Debate rules.

Winners are eligible to participate only in the next succeeding
District, Region, and National LEAD Contests.

Each Club is allowed one full team to attend the Circuit level of
competition if it is held. The first and second place participant at the
Circuit Debate LEAD Contest will advance to the District
competition. If there is no Circuit competition held, each club is
allowed one team to attend the District competition.

The first and second place teams at the District Debate LEAD
Contest will advance to the Regional Club Meeting Finals.

The first place team at the Regional Debate LEAD Contest will
advance to the National Debate Finals.
Contest Rules and
Guidelines

The debate team members must be 4-H club members in good
standing.

4-H clubs may enter one team at the initial level of competition.

Each team of 4 students will be made of two sub teams of two
students on the affirmative and two on the negative.

One team member shall give the affirmative (or negative)
statement and the other member shall give the rebuttal, both will
be engaged in cross examinations.

The selection of three or five judges will be the responsibility of
staff organizing the contest.

Only team members who are to compete will be allowed in the
holding room.
Example Contest

Green school brings 4 students


2 Affirmative and 2 Negative
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Red School brings 4 students

2 Affirmative and 2 Negative
Example Contest

Affirmative SUPPORTS the proposed change.

Negative is AGAINST the proposed change.

Example: A new law is proposed to forbid
dowry for a bride to be married.

Affirmative would argue for the proposed law.

Negative would argue against the proposed law.
Example Contest
In the next round the Green school
1
Negative
would face the Red school
Affirmative. (Ideally the same colored
schools
1 2 will not face each other twice.
3 4
Eg. The national contest may be:
NR, VR, GAR, AR, ER=
GARA v. NRN
1 v.2ERN
NRA
ERA v. ARN
ARA v. VRN
VRA v. GARN
2
A=Affirmative
N=Negative
3
3
4
4
Contest Rules and
Guidelines
The debate shall consist of six parts: (1) An affirmative
statement with (2) negative cross-examination. (3) A
negative statement with (4) affirmative crossexamination. (5) A rebuttal (closing statement) by the
negative. (6) And ending with a rebuttal (closing
statement) by the affirmative.
 The contest procedure should be as follows: (1)
Affirmative statement (4 minutes); (2) Negative crossexamination of affirmative (5 minutes); (3) Negative
statement (4 minutes); (4) Affirmative cross-examination
of negative (5 minutes); (5) Negative rebuttal (2 minutes)
and (6) Affirmative rebuttal (2 minutes).
 The order of team appearance shall be determined by
the pre-debate drawing.
 The topic of debate to be resolved will be known to all
contestants before the debate.

Key Parts Of The Debate.




ILL – Significant problems, harms or ills
within the present system.
BLAME – Is the present system inherently
responsible for the existence of the ills,
what causes the ills?
CURE – Will the proposed change remove
the ills of the present system?
COST – Are the disadvantages of the
affirmative proposal significant? What are
the tangible and unseen costs (not
always money) of the cure?
ILL

ILL: “Significant problems, harms or wills within
the present system” or circumstance. There
must be a felt difficulty with the present
system or policy. For the advocate of
change, the ill becomes a hunting ground for
arguments that suggest the existing way of
doing things results in serious internal
problems or does not achieve certain
important goals. For the defender of the
present system, the ill issue becomes a place
to look for arguments to deny the existence
of harms or to minimize their significance.
What would be the
Ill of our proposal?

A new law is proposed to forbid dowry for a bride to
be married.
Blame

BLAME: Blame asks the question, “Is the present
system inherently responsible for the existence of
the ills?” The existence of certain problems or the
failure to achieve certain goals does not
necessarily mean that present policies have
failed or that a new course of action is required.
A totally new policy approach is warranted only if
it can be shown that by its very nature the
present system cannot overcome the problems
or achieve the goals. Unless the inherent structure
or philosophy of the present system is the cause
of the continued existence of the ill, then minor
adjustments or repairs within the present system
can be made to alleviate the harm.
Blame

With blame, the “advocate of change” is
obligated to identify characteristics of the
present policy which are inherent to its
structure or philosophy and to demonstrate
the ways in which they are causally related
to the ills of that policy. The “opponent of
change” may seek to deny that the alleged
inherent characteristics are, in fact,
fundamental to the present system and
suggest minor, non-structural repairs or he
may accept the characteristics as inherent
and deny the causal link to the ill.
What would be the
Blame of our proposal?

A new law is proposed to forbid dowry for a bride to
be married.
Cure

CURE: The issue of cure asks the question, “Will the
affirmative proposal (proposed change) remove
the ills of the present system?” The cure issue shifts
and focus of the analysis from a consideration of
the existing policy to a consideration of the action
proposed in the statement of the proposition. This
identified a hunting ground for arguments growing
out of the advocates’ obligation to outline a
specific plan of action and to demonstrate how it
will solve the specific ills and deal with the specific
causal factors under consideration. Even if it can be
demonstrated that a significant ill exists which is
causally related to inherent features of the existing
policies, a course of action which fails to guarantee
a solution to the problem is not likely to be
adopted.
Cure

The cure issue provides a hunting ground for
arguments that suggest the change in policy
will or will not achieve its stated or implied
objectives. Such considerations are crucial to
the advocate of change since a course of
action, which fails to solve the problems of
existing policies, provides no solution at all.
The action proposed must be matched
precisely to the ill and blame analysis.
What would be the
Cures of our proposal?

A new law is proposed to forbid dowry for a bride to
be married.
Cost

The issue of cost asks the question: “Are the
disadvantages of the affirmative proposal
significant?” Any changes in policy will incur
some cost, some disruption, and some social
or material burden. The advocate of change
is under a logical obligation to be prepared
to demonstrate that the disadvantages of
the proposed change are not so great as to
outweigh any benefits. Frequently a course
of action clearly cures a problem inherent in
the present system but must be rejected
because of its excessive social or material
cost.
Cost

By focusing on the noncure effects of the proposed
action, the cost issue provides another hunting ground
for arguments. The advocate of change in policy is
logically obligated to respond to such arguments by
denying their existence or by minimizing their
importance. The case for a proposed course of action
can be lost if it can be demonstrated that the cost of
that action is more significant than the ill it is designed
to cure.
What would be the
Costs of our proposal?

A new law is proposed to forbid dowry for a bride to
be married.
When To Use Each

AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENT – consists of Ill, Blame and Cure (4
minutes)

NEGATIVE CROSS-EXAMINATION OF AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENT (5
minutes) – focus on Ill, Blame and Cure.

NEGATIVE STATEMENT – consists of Ill, Blame and Cure (4
minutes)

AFFIRMATIVE CROSS-EXAMINATION OF NEGATIVE STATEMENT (5
minutes) - focus on Ill, Blame and Cure.

REBUTTAL (CLOSING) STATEMENT by NEGATIVE – This is a
summary of I11, Blame, Cure and Cost. Cost should be
“emphasized”. (2 minutes)

REBUTTAL (CLOSING) STATEMENT by AFFIRMATIVE – This is a
summary of I11, Blame, Cure and Cost. Cost should be
“emphasized”. (2 minutes)

Times stated are the maximum allowable time for each activity.
Use the Guidebook

Read all rules and instructions!

This first year may be difficult, but will reap
great reward for participation.

Student pride

Student recognition

School recognition

Name in the newsletter
THANK YOU