4-H Membership Guidelines and Other Things You'll Want to Know...
Coryell County, Texas
When can I join 4-H? You can join 4-H when you are eight years old AND in the third grade through the age of eighteen as of
August 31 of the current 4-H year.
When is the current 4-H year? September 1 - August 31
When is my last day as a 4-H member? Mid-night on August 31 the year that you turn eighteen years of age.
How can I join 4-H? Attend the 4-H club meeting nearest you and complete an official 4-H enrollment form. Forms are available from
the 4-H club unit manager.
How can I find out about the club nearest me and when they meet? Although we provide meeting information about our Coryell
County, Texas 4-H clubs here on the web, encourage interested persons to call us at (254) 865-2414 to verify the meeting times and/or
contact person for the specific club they would like to attend. Sometimes a club's standard meeting date, time and location are changed
due to holidays, special school functions or other factors. Thus, it is best to verify before you go to a 4-H club meeting for the first
time. We don't want you to miss out on joining our 4-H family!
Once I join 4-H, is my membership good until I am "too old" to be a member? No. Each year on August 31st your 4-H enrollment
becomes invalid. Therefore, if you plan to remain a 4-H member for the next 4-H year (and we hope you do), you will need to re-enroll
through your club at the time designated by your manager.
Do I have to compete or have an animal to be in 4-H? Certainly not! 4-H offers a lot of fun and educational programs and activities which take little or no money AND they provide a way by which you can meet and make a lot of new friends! There is no
requirement that you participate in a competitive event unless you so choose. You don't have to have an animal to be in 4-H, although
many 4-H'ers do have animal projects.
Does it cost to join 4-H? No. Texas 4-H collects no due at the county or higher level. Some clubs may request a small fee to help defray cost of meeting supplies, refreshments or other miscellaneous items needed for the club; however, most club expenses are offset by club fund-raiser activities. You and your family will need to carefully select the 4-H project/s you will pursue. The cost of the project itself may vary from zero to a few dollars (i.e. recreation, public speaking, consumerism, judging teams, etc. ) to a hundred or even
several thousand dollars (i.e. bicycle, photography and animal projects such as sheep, swine, beef, horse) depending upon the project you select.
If I elect to "compete" who will my competition be? Are there age groups? It depends. Most, but not all, 4-H competitive events
in Texas are divided into similar age divisions. In the Central Extension District 8 which includes Coryell County, we generally offer
three age divisions for competitive events. Juniors are those 4-H'ers who are eight and in the third grade through the age of ten,
Intermediates are those 4-H'ers ages 11-13, and Seniors are those who are 14-18 as of August 31 of the current 4-H year. Please note
that some 4-H competitive events, educational programs & activities are made available to specific 4-H age participants. All programs
are designed using research based information which keeps in mind the various ages and stages of youth development in order to provide
the 4-H'er a fun and positive educational experience.
Can anyone younger that eight participate in 4-H? It depends. Some counties in Texas offer a 4-H Clover Kids program which is non-competitive in nature for youth in Kindergarten through second grade. Coryell County offers some 4-H Clover Kids opportunities at this time. Other states may offer similar program for youth of this age and may be called other names such as Cloverbuds for example.
Can my parents be involved? Absolutely! We couldn't have a program without their valuable support.