Bowl Teams
4-H provides numerous opportunities for members to focus on a specific subject while having fun competing on a bowl team. 4-H bowls are patterned after "College Bowl" and "It's Academic" television shows. Most bowl teams compete with others of the same age. A bowl team usually has five members, with four competing and one as an alternate. Typically, county winners advance to regional contests, and regional winners advance to state contests. There are currently bowl contests for nutrition, horses, livestock, and dogs.
Citizenship Washington Focus
Is a national 4-H event held at the National 4-H Center during June and July. This excellent week-long event is open to high school-age youth, not just 4-H'ers. Those attending CWF will increase their leadership skills, gain a much broader understanding of citizenship, learn a great deal about their nation's capital and the federal government and have 4-H Council's Web Page at http://www.fourhcouncil.edu
Club Officers
4-H clubs elect a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and reporter. Other officers, who may be elected or appointed, can include committee chairs (program, telephone, health, safety, conservation, etc.), song leaders, game leaders, and sergeants of arms. Officers usually serve for one year.
Exchange, Interstate
This is a popular activity for older 4-H'ers and adults. Maryland counties that are interested in exchange will respond and begin the process of planning dates, activities, etc. Maryland usually receives many exchange requests because of our proximity to Washington, DC, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean. The typical exchange involves 8 to 12 teens and
two or more adults who visit another state one summer, staying in the homes of host 4-H families for about a week and then hosting the 4-H'ers they stayed with the following summer. In some cases, both ends of the exchange occur in the same summer.
IFYE
The International Four-H Youth Exchange (the "F" originally meant farm) allows 4-H'ers from around the world to visit another country to learn about other lifestyles and cultures and spread goodwill and understanding. There are several options and lengths of stay, with a typical stay of six weeks to six months.
National 4-H Conference
This event is held at the National 4-H Center in the spring and is attended by some of the top 4-Hers in the nation. At the National 4-H Conference, teen delegates take the lead by serving on consulting groups to make recommendations for the future. Activities include visiting Capitol Hill and meeting with their senator or representative.
State 4-H Leaders Association
This volunteer association allows volunteer leaders from all over the state to network and share successful ideas. The group provides and supports statewide volunteer training and serves as an advisory to the State 4-H Leader and State 4-H Specialists. Membership will be open to all adult 4-H volunteers.
Maryland 4-H State Council
The Maryland 4-H State Council is a group of teen leaders working to "Make the Best Better" through leadership and civic engagement in their communities, counties, and state. Council membership is open to all Maryland 4-Hers ages 13-18, and each county/city 4-H Unit is urged to have at least one representative to the 4-H State Council. The Council comprises four committees that direct the Council's activities & events: Planning & Outreach, Public Issues, Public Relations, and Service. The State Council actively participates in public education about a chosen youth issue at Maryland Day and the Maryland State Fair and plans. It leads local and statewide 4-H activities in observance of National 4-H Week. The State Council plans and hosts Maryland's signature teen leadership event, the Maryland 4-H Congress, on the summer's University of Maryland campus. Application for State 4-H Council is made in November for the coming year; teens elected to State Council serve one-year terms and must re-apply for membership each year.
Maryland 4-H Congress
The Maryland 4-H Congress is the state's premier teen leadership opportunity. Held at the University of Maryland, "M4HC" allows 4-Hers ages 13-18 to explore career opportunities in a variety of areas and to experience life on a college campus. Youth attending Maryland 4-H Congress live in campus residence halls and eat-in dining halls, enjoy campus recreational activities, and attend workshops and tours in campus classrooms, labs, and facilities. Participants can meet and make friends with fellow 4-Hers from across the state, discover career opportunities, perform community service, and learn skills that help them prepare for college and workforce readiness. Registration for the Maryland 4-H Congress occurs in late spring and is held in the summer.
Wonders of Washington (WOW)
The National 4-H Council provides this "ultimate Washington experience" for youth groups (students in grades 6 - 12) of 25 or more. Two- and six-day programs are available. Lodging is provided at the National 4-H Center. WOW includes field trips and workshops highlighting the historical, political, and cultural attractions of Washington, DC. Call the National 4-H Council at 1 800 368-7432 for more information.
