2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet Officer Candidate Application Checklist: Requirements of candidates per the Bylaws of the Constitution of the Florida 4-H Council ARTICLE II Section 1. Nominees to fill the State Council offices shall be required to meet the following minimum requirements: a. Shall have been an active 4-H member for at least three years, including the current 4-H year. b. Shall be an officially seated voting delegate to the Council. c. Shall have approval from parent or legal guardian. d. Shall have approval from county 4-H agent. e. Shall have served and fulfilled all obligations as a member for at least one term (one 4-H year) on the State Executive Board and attended the required minimum of two State Executive Board Weekends. f. A maximum of two persons per county shall be eligible to run for a state council office. Have read and understand the officers job duties and responsibilities outlined in the State 4-H Council Constitution and Bylaws (online) http://florida4h.org/youth_/council/ Have read and understand the Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet in its entirety. Have watched the Pre-Campaign Orientation (online) http://my.brainshark.com/OfficerPre-election-orientation-541026817 (Some dead links in this power point.) All application packets must be in the State 4-H Headquarters no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on June 1, 2015. No late applications will be accepted. Make sure to get it to your agent early so they can check it over and send it to the State Headquarters by deadline. All applications require your County 4-H Agent’s or County Extension Director’s signature of approval. Application Deadline – June 1, 2015 Please mail or e-mail application packets to: Wendi Armstrong, State Council Advisor 2142 Shealy Drive PO Box 1110225 Gainesville, FL 32611 [email protected] 2|Page 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet A complete State Council Officer Application Packet must contain the following: □ Essay □ Head Shot (So we can connect the name and your face.) □ State Council Officer Candidate Cover Page (http://florida4h.org/youth/files/State_Council_Cover_Page.pdf) □ Agent Recommendation Form (attached at end of document) □ Non 4-H Related Adult Recommendation Form (attached at end of document) Introduction to State 4-H Officers State Council Officers consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, Parliamentarian, Sergeant-At-Arms, and Historian. The first five are elected by State Council voting delegates at their annual meeting during Florida 4-H University and the last three are appointed by the five newly-elected State Officers. Interviews occur immediately following elections and the three appointed officers are usually announced Wednesday night at 4-H University. Introduction to State 4-H Council The Florida 4-H State Council is a group of 4-H members from across the state that represent their county in electing the youth leadership officers for the state. The Florida 4-H Council is composed of two voting delegates from each county that is current with their council dues and the eight State Council Officers (do not have voting rights unless they are the voting delegate for their county). The annual meeting of the 4-H Council is held at Florida 4-H University; this is generally the only meeting during the 4-H year. At which time, the business of the Council is conducted and new officers are elected. The State 4-H Council Officers then represent the voice of youth on various statewide advisory boards, committees and planning teams throughout the year. Introduction to Executive Board The Executive Board of the State 4-H Council is the working group of youth leaders representing the District Councils (4 senior 4-H member per district). The Executive Board is composed of eight State 4-H Officers, District Representatives, and 30 Executive Board Appointees. They meet three (3) times a year (October, January, and April). The Executive Board consists of eight different committees. The events committees are: Constitution and 4-H Day at the Capitol, Intermediate State, Florida 4-H Legislature, and Florida 4-H University. The standing committees are: Communication and Council Support, Entertainment, State Service Project, and Ways and Means. 3|Page 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet Duties of Officers per The Bylaws of the Constitution of the Florida 4-H Council Section 2. Duties of Officers. a. The President shall preside over all meetings of the Council; appoint all standing, advisory, and special committee chairpersons and members; make special appointments as provided in the Constitution and Bylaws, serve as an ex-officio member of all committees; and perform other duties as provided by this Constitution. The President or someone he or she appoints shall be an ex-officio member of the Florida 4-H Foundation. The President shall be responsible for the writing and presenting of the Council’s annual report to the Council’s advisor. b. The Vice-President shall serve in the absence of the President, and shall perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and as required by the work of the Council. c. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings and compile them at the end of his or her term as well as preserve the minutes of the previous year, call the roll, record all activities of the Council, attend to the correspondence of the Council, and perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and as required by the work of the Council. d. The Treasurer shall care for the monetary matters of the council. Also, he/she will prepare and submit semi-annually, an itemized statement of disbursements and receipts from the account of Florida 4-H Council General to the state council president and state council advisor. He or she shall also perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and as required by the work of the Council. e. The Reporter shall be responsible for the publication and distribution of the Council Newsletter at least quarterly on all Council Meetings and activities as shall be established, sending a copy to each County Reporter through appropriate means. He or she shall also perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and as by the work of the Council. f. The Sergeant at Arms shall be responsible for the opening exercises at all meetings and shall also care for the 4-H effects of the Council and shall properly arrange for their display. He or she shall perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and the work of the Council. g. The Historian shall keep a scrapbook record of all State 4-H events and of all Council meetings and activities, shall be responsible for submission of the year’s scrapbook to the State Headquarters by the first day of 4-H University at the end of the officer’s term. He or she shall perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and the work of the Council. h. The Parliamentarian shall advise the President on Parliamentary Procedure and shall perform other duties as provided by this Constitution and the work of the Council. 4|Page 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet General Responsibilities of the State 4-H Officers 1.) Being a Florida State 4-H Officer is a great honor. With this honor comes a very serious responsibility. State Officers are representatives of 4-H members, and thus have a duty to be actively involved in all facets of the Florida 4-H Program and particularly the Florida 4-H Executive Board and Florida State 4-H Council. 2.) Actively involved consist of, but is not limited to, their local 4-H club, county, and district programs. This includes attending meetings on a regular basis. 3.) As an Executive Board member, it is required to attend the three weekend sessions over the course of the 4-H year. These meetings are held in October, January, and April. Dates are listed on page 7. 4.) Other mandatory events officers are required to attend are Leadership Adventure Weekend, 4-H Day at the Capital, Legislature, and 4-H University. The events dates and place being held are listed on page 7. 5.) Officers could be asked to participate in county and district council meetings and events (outside of their own county and district,) Florida State Fair and other county fairs, 4-H state committees and University of Florida events. 6.) Florida State 4-H Officers need to keep your county agent, the council advisors and current state council president informed of all your activities in and outside 4-H. 7.) Florida State 4-H Officers assist with the planning and implementation of Executive Board Weekends. Executive Board is only one of the many aspects of the responsibilities as an officer. Officers will be asked to chair one of the eight Executive Board Committees and serve on another. 8.) In the role of a Florida 4-H State Officer, officers may be called upon to speak on behalf of Florida 4-H program before a variety of audiences including local, district, state, and out-of-state-events. Officers are the voice of 4-H’ers across the state. 9.) Those elected as a State Officer are expected to work in partnership with their agent and/or another adult volunteer, who may be able to participate in executive board meeting and attend other functions with them. They can also assist in helping the officer prepare talks, workshops, media contacts, letters, and many other tasks that officers are asked to do. 10.) An officer who cannot attend an event or meeting is responsible for notifying the 4-H President and the State 4-H Officer Advisor as soon as they are aware. 11.) It is mandatory for elected and appointed officers to participate in officer training. Officer training will be held August 2nd-8th, 2015 at 4-H Camp Cherry Lake. There is no cost to officers, except some snacks/drinks and paraphernalia purchased at off campus activities. 12.) In order to ensure continuity from one year to the next, each Florida State 4-H Officer will maintain a State Officer Notebook. This notebook will contain various materials received during the 4-H year, minutes of meetings attended, and other suggestions and ideas learned from their experience as a State Officer. This notebook will be passed along to the State Officer’s successor at 4-H University. 13.) All State Officers will abide by the Florida 4-H Code of Conduct and Florida State 4-H Council Executive Board Code of Conduct. 14.) Florida State 4-H Officers are each assigned to counties outside their own. They will have a responsibility to the counties to enhance the public understanding and image of 5|Page 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet 4-H through effective communication of programs and activities. Specific responsibilities include: a.) Provide a communication link between the Florida 4-H State program and the county staff, faculty, and 4-H members. b.) Be present at district and county meetings and events (when needed). c.) Make presentations to 4-H and non-4-H groups in their assigned counties d.) Promote 4-H in their assigned counties 15.) There will be a “Request an Officer” link to our web page, which might lead to a higher demand for officers to help at local levels. Calendar of Mandatory Events 2015 August 9th-14th Florida State 4-H Officer Training, 4-H Camp Cherry Lake, Maddison September 18th-20th Leadership Adventure Weekend, Camp Anderson, Old Town October 16th-18th 1st Executive Board Weekend, 4-H Camp Cherry Lake, Maddison 2016 January 29th-31st 2nd Executive Board Weekend, 4-H Camp Cherry Lake, Maddison February 4th 6th TBD State Fair, Opening Ceremony 4-H Day at the State Fair, Tampa 4-H Day at the Capitol, Tallahassee March 11th-13th or 18th-20th 3rd Executive Board Weekend, TBD June TBD Florida 4-H Legislature, Tallahassee July TBD Florida 4-H University, Gainesville Other 4-H events can be found at the following link: https://www.google.com/calendar/ Florida 4-H has the right to add/change events when needed. 6|Page 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet Estimated Financial Expenses All registration and payment for events must go through the officer’s respective county agent. At this time, we have funds to pay registration for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Executive Board Weekends. Also, Leadership Adventure Weekend, Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference, 4-H Day at the Capitol, Ag Department Experience, and Intermediate State. Check with your county agent to see if scholarships are available and what the officer needs to do to obtain such scholarships. Some travel to and from the event is the responsibility of the officer and/or parents. Uniform Requirements The following will be provided by the Florida 4-H Foundation: • Official Florida 4-H Green Blazer • 4-H Tie • Kelly Green Short Sleeve Polo Shirt • UF/IFAS 4-H Dress Shirts • Name Tag Female State Officer Official Dress • Black and khaki skirt and/or dress pants Skirt is to be knee length, if it has a slit, it can be no longer than 2 inches • White collared dress shirt • Black dress shoes with a closed heal (No more than 2” tall) and toe (No boots, sandals, open-toed shoes, or tennis shoes.) • Black hose • Official Florida 4-H Green Blazer • Kelly Green Short Sleeve Polo Shirt • UF/IFAS 4-H Dress Shirts • Name Tag Male State Officer Official Dress • Black and khaki dress pants • Black and brown leather belt • White collared dress shirt • 4-H tie • Black dress shoes with a closed heel and toe • Black socks • Official Florida 4-H Green Blazer • Kelly Green Short Sleeve Polo Shirt • UF/IFAS 4-H Dress Shirts • Name Tag 7|Page 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet Election Process per the Constitution of the Florida 4-H Council Article IV Meetings, Quorums, and Suffrage Section 3. Two-thirds of the officially seated delegates or alternates shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Council provided that at least one-half of the counties with organized 4-H programs are represented. Section 4. Each county shall be represented by two officially seated voting delegates who may vote on each proceeding of the Council. In a voting delegate’s absence, his/her county’s alternate will assume the voting privileges. Section 5. State council advisor(s) shall serve in an advisory capacity only at meetings of the State Council. State council advisor(s) shall not have voting privileges at any assemblies of the State Council and/or its officers. Article V Section 1. Section 2. Section 3. Officers: Procedure of Selections Officer Positions. a. The elected officers of the Council shall be: a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Reporter. b. The appointed officers of the Council shall be: a Sergeant-at-Arms, Historian, and Parliamentarian. Elected Officers. a. The election of officers shall be by secret ballot vote of each delegate in the Council assembled. b. To be elected to an office, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast. c. The elected officers shall continue to fulfill those duties, statewide in nature, as directed in this Constitution, for one year or until such time as their successors are designated. d. If the office of the President is permanently vacated, the Vice-President shall become the President. e. If any elected office other than the Presidency is vacated, a committee composed of the remaining elected officers and the state council advisor(s), with the President serving as Chairperson, shall be given the option to appoint a State Executive Board Member to fill the vacated position. f. Candidates may run for only one elected office. Appointed Officers. a. The appointment of officers shall be by a committee composed of the elected officers and the state council advisor(s), with the President serving as Chairperson. b. The Appointed Officers shall continue to fulfill those duties, statewide in nature, as directed under this Constitution, for one year or until such time as their successors are designated by the President. c. There shall be no unreasonable delay in the naming of appointed Officers. d. If any appointed office is vacated, a committee composed of the remaining officers with the President serving as Chairperson, shall have 8|Page 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet Section 4. the option to appoint a State Executive Board Member to fill that vacated position. The executive officers shall be the elected and the appointed officers of the Council. Nominations from the floor Each candidate will need to be nominated from the floor at the first State Council meeting on Monday of 4-H University. Nominations from the floor are taken for all offices before any elections can take place. Each candidate will need to have another voting delegate nominate them for the office they are running for. To be an eligible candidate, you must have mailed in a completed officer candidate packet to be nominated for a state council officer position. For Example: President: “Nominations are now in order for the office of Secretary. Are there nominations for Secretary?” Voting Delegate: “John Doe from Osceola County, I would like to nominate Clare Clover for The office of Secretary.” President: “Clare Clover do you accept this nomination?” Clare Clover: “I do.” Speeches Candidates will deliver a campaign speech during 4-H University in which they will emphasize how they plan to have a major impact on the positive growth of the Florida 4-H program and its members. Candidates running for President will have three minutes; all other offices will have two minutes. Campaign Guidelines Each candidate may spend no more than $125 for his/her total campaign effort, including donated (in-kind) materials. If, in addition to the candidate’s money expenditures, campaign material are donated to the candidate, the candidate must be able to document the value of the donated material (for example, a receipt or bill signed by the donor giving the approximate dollar value of the donation). A record of the monetary and in-kind contributions must be submitted during the officer candidate luncheon on Monday of 4-H University to be reviewed by the Treasurer and State Council Advisor. The TOTAL must NOT exceed $125. 9|Page 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet Hanging Campaign Material Rules 1. Candidates are not allowed to hang any banners or posters on handrails, windows, doors, or painted walls. a. This leaves brick surfaces for posting signs; the Graham commons areas both outside and inside offer many brick surfaces for posting. b. Because of the lack of space to hang at Hume, candidates may use the bulletin boards, the windows in the 1st floor elevator lobby and the block windows in the stairwell (these are typically “administrative” for 4-H staff). 2. Candidates may only use painters tape to hang items in the residence halls. http://www.scotchblue.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotch-BlueBrand/ScotchBlue/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=SE_BlueTape_exact_Painters-Tape 3. No signs are to be hung anywhere on campus except for the residence area. 4. Candidates must take hung items down immediately after elections. I would like to particularly stress the importance of ONLY using painters tape to hang items and in taking these items down after they are no longer of use. Standard tape and other methods of hanging can damage the paint and finishes in the residence halls. Sometimes the prolonged use of painters tape can have the same effect, especially if under the sometimes extreme Florida summertime sun. Any damage or required excessive cleaning reported by the university housing staff in this regard will be added to the final bill for our event and may cause them to not let us do this in the future. In the case of a violation of campaign rules by the candidate or their campaign assistants, a candidate may be disqualified. The officer candidate is responsible for informing campaign assistants of the rules. Campaigns are only to be conducted by 4-H members (youth). It is inappropriate for parents, volunteers and agents to be actively campaigning. There will be one warning issued to adults violating this policy. In the event of a second warning, the candidate will be disqualified. Candidates for state office will be informed of rules and policies of campaign materials at a later date. We are waiting to hear from University Housing since we will be staying in different dorms this year. If you have any questions please feel free to call or e-mail the State Council Advisor at [email protected]. Items not allowed for campaign: 1. Food or confections 2. Stickers 3. T-shirts 10 | P a g e 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet What Happens at Florida 4-H University? TENTATIVE – BE SURE TO CHECK THE SCHEDULE WHEN YOU CHECK IN Monday, July 27th, 2015 10:00am-1:00pm Registration (You must wait for your county agent to check you in to receive your keys) 12:00pm-1:00pm Officer Candidate Luncheon (4th Floor J. Wayne Reitz Union, Matthews Suite) 2:00pm-4:00pm State Council Meeting (2nd Floor J. Wayne Reitz, Auditorium) This is when nominations and the business part of State Council will happen. 4:00pm-6:00pm Campaign Town Hall: Meet Your Candidates (2nd Floor J. Wayne Reitz, Grand Ballroom) At this time candidates will give their prepared speech (3 minutes for President & 2 minutes for all other officers) which will be followed by Q&A rotations to smaller groups. Tuesday, July 28th, 2015 All Day Campaigning Wednesday, July 29th, 2015 2:00pm-4:00pm State Council Meeting (2nd Floor J. Wayne Reitz, Auditorium) Lunch will be provided, Impromptu Speech by candidates, and officer elections. The current Florida State 4-H Officer of the position the candidate is seeking will ask a question, each candidate, except the President, will have two (2) minutes to answer. The President will have three (3) minutes to answer the question. 4:30pm-5:30pm Interviews for Appointed Officers Thursday 9:00am-2:00pm 2:00pm-3:00pm 3:00pm-4:00pm 6:00pm-8:00pm Leadership Workshop (newly elected officers) Officer Info Meeting (2nd Floor J. Wayne Reitz) Instillation Practice (2nd Floor J. Wayne Reitz, Grand Ballroom) Awards Banquet (2nd Floor J. Wayne Reitz, Grand Ballroom) Feel free to contact Wendi Armstrong, State 4-H Youth Leadership/Citizenship Coordinator at [email protected] or any of the 2014-15 Florida State 4-H Council at http://florida4h.org/youth_/council/officers/ with any campaigning or application questions. 11 | P a g e 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet GOOD LUCK! “The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution.” 12 | P a g e 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet Agent Recommendation Form State Officer Candidate Please send this form directly to: State Council Advisor, 2142 Shealy Drive, PO Box 110225, Gainesville, FL 32611 or e-mail to Wendi Armstrong at [email protected]. All Applications must be in the State 4-H Headquarters no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on June 1, 2015. No late applications will be accepted. Name of Candidate: County of Candidate: Name of Reference: E-mail of Reference: Thank you for assisting with this effort. We very much appreciate your help in learning more about the suitability and abilities of this officer candidate. Your comments will be confidential and will not specifically be shared with the 4-H member. It is your decision as to whether or not you give a copy of these remarks to the candidate. Is this 4-H member one of the two officially seated voting delegates for the county? □ Yes □ No (A candidate must be an officially seated voting delegate to run for a 4-H State Council Officer) Please rank the nominee based on your knowledge of their abilities in the following areas (Scale 1 skill not apparent/poor, 2= very little experience/below average, 3= some experience or potential/ average, 4= very experienced/ above average, 5 = master/ exceptional, N/K no knowledge/ have had little interaction.) Leadership Skills ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Organizational Skills ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Self-Motivation ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Follow Through ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Team Work ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Maturity ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Cooperativeness ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Sensitivity toward others ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Energy And Enthusiasm ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Confidence ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Ability to Handle Emergencies/ Stress ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Self-Discipline ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Accepting Advice and Guidance ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Participate in District Council ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Participate in County Council ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Participate in a 4-H Club ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Date received: (For Office Use Only) Initials of State Advisor: No recommendation letter needed. Thank You! “The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution.” 13 | P a g e 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet Non-Agent Recommendation Form State Officer Candidate Please send this form directly to: State Council Advisor, 2142 Shealy Drive, PO Box 110225, Gainesville, FL 32611 or e-mail to Wendi Armstrong at [email protected]. All Applications must be in the State 4-H Headquarters no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on June 1, 2015. No late applications will be accepted. Name of Candidate: County of Candidate: Name of Reference: E-mail of Reference: Thank you for assisting with this effort. We very much appreciate your help in learning more about the suitability and abilities of this officer candidate. Your comments will be confidential and will not specifically be shared with the 4-H member. It is your decision as to whether or not you give a copy of these remarks to the candidate. Please rank the nominee based on your knowledge of their abilities in the following areas (Scale 1 skill not apparent/poor, 2= very little experience/below average, 3= some experience or potential/ average, 4= very experienced/ above average, 5 = master/ exceptional, N/K no knowledge/ have had little interaction.) Leadership Skills ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Organizational Skills ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Self-Motivation ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Follow Through ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Team Work ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Maturity ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Cooperativeness ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Sensitivity toward others ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Energy And Enthusiasm ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Confidence ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Ability to Handle Emergencies/ Stress ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Self-Discipline ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Accepting Advice and Guidance ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Participate in District Council ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Participate in County Council ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Participate in a 4-H Club ___ 1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___ 5 ___N/K Date received: (For Office Use Only) Initials of State Advisor: No recommendation letter needed. Thank You! “The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution.” 14 | P a g e 2015-2016 Florida 4-H State Officer Candidate Information Packet 15 | P a g e
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