Sample by-laws for 4-H advisory groups – Part 2 - 4-H Leadership, Citizenship & Service

Sample by-laws for 4-H advisory groups – Part 2

Roxanne Turner<turnerr@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - February 28, 2019

Stay on task and create a purpose for your committee.

Youth during a meeting — Photo by National 4-H Council

In a set of by-laws, it is very important to clearly define the positions within the board or committee. In most cases the committee will have elected officers that are expected to perform specific duties. Having these duties clearly outlined in the by-laws will help the group become strong by assisting the members to gain a better understanding of the expectations placed upon them when serving in these roles.

In addition, a group may have other positions that are appointed positions. These positions may help to spread out the duties of the committee so that the officers do not have to fulfill all the obligations of the committee by themselves.

Michigan State University Extension has come up with the following sample of elected and appointed positions and descriptions as a continuation of te Horse Leaders Committee by-laws from "Sample by-laws for 4-H advisory groups – Part 1."

Article IV. Elected and Appointed Positions

Section one:

A. Elected Positions

President: The president shall preside over all regular and special meetings and serve as a member to the Clover County 4-H Council as an ex-officio member with voting rights during their term of office. If the president cannot serve, they may turn the position over to the committee to elect a member to this position for a one-year term.
Vice president: The vice president shall attend all regular and special meetings and serve as chairperson for the Leaders’ Day Horse Show and Achievement Days, with the help of the president, secretary and treasurer. The vice president presides at meetings during the absence of the president. The vice president shall arrange for educational programs throughout the year.
Secretary: The secretary shall attend all regular and special meetings, keep a record of the meetings and submit minutes of the previous meetings for approval and/or correction. The secretary shall pass all minutes on to the new secretary at the end of the meeting in October.
Treasurer: The treasurer shall keep accurate records of all monies received, spent and current balance on hand. The treasurer shall give a report at all regular meetings. The treasurer will lead the committee in securing a budget for the year in November. The treasurer will lead the preparation of an annual audit report of all records and submit the report to the Extension office. The treasurer will follow all MSU policy with regards to 4-H financial guidelines.
Horse superintendents (barn and show): The superintendents can get a full job description from the 4-H staff.

B. Election of Officers

Officers will be elected at the general meeting by the voting membership in October to take office at the regularly scheduled meeting in November for a one-year term. Officers shall serve for no more than two consecutive terms.

C. Removal of Officers

Officers shall be removed from office if they have three unexcused absences. Officers will be notified in writing with a letter sent from the secretary or President.

Section 2: Appointed Positions.

Appointed Positions

The president shall appoint volunteers to fill the following positions at the regular meeting in November for a one-year term. These officers will not have voting rights and can be filled by anyone in the Clover County 4-H Horse and Pony project area.

Horse Teen Club Group Advisor(s) – one or two shall be appointed as needed to aid the teens in running this group.
Horse Show Results Secretary(s) – duty shall be to keep points for State Show selection and Recognition Program.
Performance Levels Coordinator – duties shall include running the performance levels program during the year and keeping accurate records of who has passed each level.
Horse Judging Coach – shall prepare the horse judging members for competition at the Horse Jamboree and National Competitions.
Horse Hippology Coach – shall prepare the hippology members for Regional, State and National Competitions.
Horse Quiz Bowl – shall prepare the quiz bowl members for Regional, State and National Competitions.
Horse Park Coordinator – shall keep the Park calendar, work with the township park supervisor and chair the park committee holding meetings when necessary.
Fundraiser Coordinator – shall lead the fundraising committee in choosing one fundraiser per month. Shall choose a chair for each event and report back to the full committee.
General Meeting Coordinator – shall assign a club to set up and a club to clean up. Shall secure a clinician if necessary and complete all other necessary duties to set up the general meetings.
Tack Sale Coordinator – shall work with the 4-H office to update the flyer, secure the facility, send out flyers to past participants, advertise (Saddle-Up), supervise set up for event and clean up after event.
The position section should be followed by meetings, quorum, restrictions and amendments. For more information on how to structure those sections see "Sample by-laws for 4-H advisory groups – Part 3."

To learn about the positive impact of Michigan 4-H youth leadership, citizenship and service and global and cultural education programs, read our Impact Report: “Developing Civically Engaged Leaders.” Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways MSU Extension and Michigan 4-H have positively impacted individuals and communities can be downloaded from the MSU Extension website.