Keeping records of your 4

Keeping records of your 4-H activities can be easy and fun if you follow a few suggestions. As you work on your 4-H project, write down what you do on the record sheet for that project. Make pictures.

Keep all of these things in a box just for your 4-H work. Then when you get ready to assemble your record book, you will have all of your materials in one place. It is best if you have a folder of some type. NO SCRAPBOOKS will be accepted for use as a record book.

Divide your record book into the sections outlined below. You may want to put dividers between each section with the name of that section written on it. Use sheets of plain paper to mount pictures. All sections with an ** are required.

SECTION 1 - Cover Page**
This form is available on the web at www.utextension.utk.edu/4H/4hforms/ or at the extension office. Fill
it out and get the needed signatures. Your teacher is your local 4-H leader.

SECTION 2 - Table of Contents**
Take a plain sheet of paper, and list the order of your book. Below is the correct order.

SECTION 3 - Achievement Record Report Form (F305)**
These forms are available on the web at www.utextension.utk.edu/4H/4hforms/ or at the extension office. Fill them out as completely as possible. If you did a 4-H record book last year, you should include your old records. The most recent records should come before the older ones.

SECTION 4 - Project Record Sheets**
Only the project record in the back of your project books should go in this section. You should keep the rest of your project guide booklet with your box of 4-H materials - not in your record book.

Some of the project books do not have project record sheets in the back. If your project books do not have record sheets, contact the 4-H office to get a separate record sheet.

SECTION 5 - My 4-H Story**
Your 4-H Story is a very important part of your record book. It should be written each year with a new story written the following year. Tell things you did in your club, and especially what you did in your project. The story should be about one page in length, but it can be longer. Here is the order of paragraphs for your story.

Paragraph 1:
Introduce yourself – include your age, your interests, where you live, size of your family, when and why you joined 4-H.

Paragraph 2:
Tell about the 4-H project or projects you took this year, what goals you set and what you finished! Describe the things you tried and found successful and those that were successful.

Paragraph 3:
Tell about the things you have done in your club such as being an officer, entering a contest, giving a demonstration or leading a pledge.

Paragraph 4: Tell about other activities which you worked on. Include if you entered things in the Fair or worked on a 4-H community service project. Also, tell in this part about any activities you have entered on the county level, such as public speaking or poster contest.

SECTION 6 - Pictures
Start a section in your book for pictures of you working on your 4-H project. Action pictures are good, also. Pictures help tell your 4-H story. Under each picture, write a short sentence which tells what the picture shows. You need at least one picture dealing with your main project each year.

SECTION 7 - Miscellaneous
This is the section where you can include important letters you have received, a list of ribbons won or your actual ribbons.

YOUR RECORDS ARE DUE AT THE APRIL 4-H MEETING. Your record book should be up to date and ready to turn in! Your book will be scored as follows: