Helping Volunteers Find Their Motivations, So They Stay
This article continues the featured excerpts from the Everyone Ready seminar series found at:
https://4-h.org/professinals/professional-development/volunteer development
All of us involved in 4-H programming, staff or not, know that volunteers are the backbone of our programming. 4-H could not exist without the gift of time and effort brought by volunteers.
It is the work of staff to keep these volunteers motivated and engaged in 4-H programming. Recruitment of volunteers get them in the door, but maintaining motivation enables volunteers to stay. Retention of volunteers is the goal. But volunteer retention should be viewed as an outcome, not a task or load to be burdened. Retention can only be defined in relation to the commitment made by the volunteer at the start of his/ her service. Staff should strive to understand how long a volunteer sees his/her tenure. Explain to the volunteer openly what you need from him/her and how long you think that will take. Ask the volunteer if she can commit to that time period.
To measure retention success, we must consider not just the length of stay for the volunteer but also measure the volunteer’s impact and useful service he/she provided while they were involved in our 4-H programming. Some volunteers can only commit for a short time period, but can have long-lasting effects on our program. This should be seen as a positive for the program. Longevity alone does not mean program success.
Retaining volunteers versus recruitment has benefits. It is much more cost effective for the program. Training takes staff hours and that means costs. Long-term volunteers bring with them a higher comfort level for staff and our 4-H’ers and better service to the program. How do staff motivate these volunteers to stay in our programs? Staff really cannot accomplish that task. But staff can provide the atmosphere and resources to encourage motivation and let it flourish. Staff must strive to understand the volunteer’s needs and support that volunteer in having those needs met. Staff must work to remember what motivated the volunteer to join our programming in the first place and understand that motivators change and evolve over time. Volunteers will remain committed to our programming when certain elements are present:
• Clarity of the program’s mission and of the volunteer’s role in that mission
• Competency is achieved through tools and resources provided to do the job well
• Influence happens when the volunteer has input into the job design now and in the future
• Appreciation is felt when the volunteer has support and acknowledgment for his/ her time
• Enjoyment is felt through the meaningful work with others who share the passion for the program
Many volunteers step forward to fill a need in our programming. A child’s choice of project has no leader and a parent steps in to fill that need. But, psychologist Abraham Maslow warns, “once a need has been met, it is no longer a motivator” for continuing to volunteer. Program leaders need to understand that motivators change. Paying attention can help staff prevent a drift away from volunteering. If a parent volunteer is planning to move on when the child is aging out of programming, we must ask the volunteer if there is a anything we can do to keep the volunteer involved with us.
Program leaders must work hard to make motivation the heart of our recruitment efforts. Program leaders must ask ourselves if our recruitment message is persuasive and accurate. What would past and present volunteers say to those questions? Our recruitment messages should be both persuasive and accurate, but also honest. An unrealistic portrayal of our program will result in a lack of trust and lead to lost volunteers.
LINK TO FURTHER INFORMATION...
Reno Rodeo Magazine Sales
Reno Rodeo Magazine Sales Washoe County 4-H will be distributing the Reno Rodeo Magazines for this year’s rodeo. There is potential to raise a significant amount of money for our 4-H Council and your Washoe 4-H Club. The proceeds from the sales of the magazines are split 50/50 with Reno Rodeo.
The plan is to have at least 15 4-H club members and 6-8 adults each night from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Younger members are okay as long as they have a parent or adult (not one of the 6-8) working directly with them. Everyone will receive a button or lanyard that identifies them as program sellers. The button does not get anyone into the Rodeo performance. Anyone wanting to see the Rodeo will have to purchase a rodeo ticket.
4-H will be selling on the following Rodeo Performances:
- Thursday, June 17 – Extreme Bulls, Wrangler Retro Night
- Friday, June 18 – Patriot Night
- Saturday, June 19 – Ram Truck Night
- Tuesday, June 22 – Man Up Crusade Night
- Wednesday, June 23 – NEVADA Wolf Pack Night
Please RSVP to Kelsey Conklin, kconklin@unr.edu or 775.336.0273, by June 7, 2021, indicating which day or days your club members and adults want to volunteer.
4-H Dog Training Camp
4-H is partnering with Wild Blue Dogs to offer a program for 4-H Youth to attend camp to put their dogs through the AKC Canine Good Citizenship program, plus teach the youth skills needed to train their own dogs to be therapy dogs (either emotional support animals, disease detecting, etc.).
The overnight camp is June 5, 9:00 a.m. – June 6, 5:30 p.m. at the Nevada State 4-H Camp at Lake Tahoe. Registration is open to 4-H members ages 9-18. Youth may bring a dog but do not need to bring a dog to get the full experience. An adult volunteer must accompany the 4-H participant.
Camp cost is $50. Price includes Saturday’s accommodation, lunch and dinner, and Sunday’s breakfast and lunch included with registration for child and adult volunteer.
Space is limited, so register soon. A limited number of scholarships are available to qualified youth.
For current NV 4-H members, log into your 4-H Online account (v2.4honline.com) and register for the event “4-H Dog Training Camp”.
For more information, contact Kenny Haack-Damon, damonk@unr.edu or 775-682-9865.
Dog owners must be able to provide a copy of a rabies certificate and proof of distemper for any dog who attends the camp.
Carson City/Storey County 4-H Council Scholarship Winners
The 4-H Council of Carson City/Storey County has announced that Lander Smith and Morgan Craghill are this year’s winners of the annual award for graduating 4-H seniors. The $750 scholarships were awarded at the Council meeting in April.
Morgan Craghill, an 8-year member of 4-H from Carson City, is planning to attend Western Nevada College and the University of Nevada, Reno. Morgan is exploring studying education for the deaf.
Lander Smith, a 13-year member of 4-H from Washoe Valley, is planning on attending Great Basin College in Elko and centering his studies on agriculture with an eye on eventually studying law.
Both Lander and Morgan will graduate from Carson High School.
Nevada 4-H Shooting Sports Volunteer Certification
There will be a Nevada 4-H Shooting Sports Volunteer Certification in Virginia City on June 12-13, 2021. Training disciplines offered are archery, pistol, rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader (minimum of 5 participants needed/discipline for that option to be held).
This program is endorsed by University of Nevada, Reno Extension, and meets the educational training requirements to serve as a 4-H Shooting Sports volunteer leader within Nevada. In accordance with respective state policies, 4-H Shooting Sports instructors at the county level must:
• Be 21 years of age. (Junior Instructors must be at least 14 years old and Assistant Instructors need to be between 18 and 20 years old.)
• Be screened, trained, and appointed as a current 4-H Leader through their local County Extension Office.
• Successfully complete a prescribed series of Extension approved/sanctioned instructor-training.
• Be trained and authorized for each discipline(s) that they are teaching at the county level.
Registration cost (includes facilities, instructors, lunch, refreshments, and printed materials) is $125 per person for two disciplines (one on Saturday and one on Sunday/person) or $75 per person for one discipline. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served each day (Saturday and Sunday). Each participant is responsible for their own lodging.
Registration, assumption of risk, and fees must be received by Friday, June 4, 2021. Mailings go to:
University of Nevada, Reno Extension
4-H Shooting Sports Training Registration
1664 N. Virginia St., MS 0405
Reno, NV 89557-0405
If you have questions about the registration process, contact Carrie Stark, starkc@unr.edu or 775-784-4779.
Activities to Do at Home
It’s almost Summer! That means that youth will be at home. Here are a few ideas to keep hands busy and having fun.
Growing Gardeners
In this fun video series, kids will learn the basics about the plant life cycle and get their hands dirty growing their own plants in a variety of ways.
Go online to https://4-h.org/about/4-h-at-home/growing-gardeners/ There are five videos, each 2-5 minutes long. Brought to you by University of Maine Extension.
Grades: Pre-K-3
Topic: Plant Science, Gardening
Estimated Time: 30-45 minutes
Meditation In A Bottle
Create a personalized bottle filled with slow-moving glitter – and a heavy dose of calm.
Between school, homework, and activities, life can be busy and may sometimes feel overwhelming. That’s why it can be good to pause, take a deep breath, and relax our minds and bodies – or in other words, to meditate. Meditation helps reduce stress and can get you in the right mindset to focus – which can be helpful at home and at school. In this activity, you will make your own meditation bottle as a tool to help make meditation a habit.
You can find the activity, brought to you by The Allstate Foundation and The Ohio State University Extension, online at https://4-h.org/about/4-h-at-home/power-of-mindfulness/meditation-bottle/
Grades: 6-12
Topic: Mental Health, Mindfulness
Time: 30 minutes
4-H At Home Cooking Demo
Chef, host, and New York 4-H alumnus Lazarus Lynch and Tennessee 4-H’er Yusuf present a how-to cooking video. Purple Cabbage Slaw with Apples and Lime Vinaigrette with Seared Jerk Chicken Breast is on the menu. Brought to you by Walmart.
Find the video and recipe online at https://4-h.org/about/4-h-at-home/jerk-chicken-cooking-demo/
Courtesy of: Chef, Author, Activist, New York 4-H
Alumnus, and face of the brand Son of a Southern Chef, Lazarus Lynch
Preparation Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 2 Hours, 15 Minutes
Servings: 2 - 6
There are close to 200 different activities for youth
to do at home that you can download for free from
4-H At Home (https://4-h.org/about/4-h-at-home/).
4-H At Home Cooking Demo
Chef, host, and New York 4-H alumnus Lazarus Lynch and Tennessee 4-H’er Yusuf present a how-to cooking video. Purple Cabbage Slaw with Apples and Lime Vinaigrette with Seared Jerk Chicken Breast is on the menu. Brought to you by Walmart.
Find the video and recipe online at https://4-h.org/about/4-h-at-home/jerk-chicken-cooking-demo/
Courtesy of: Chef, Author, Activist, New York 4-H
Alumnus, and face of the brand Son of a Southern Chef, Lazarus Lynch.
Preparation Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 2 Hours, 15 Minutes
Servings: 2 - 6
There are close to 200 different activities for youth
to do at home that you can download for free from
4-H At Home (https://4-h.org/about/4-h-at-home/).
4-H HEALTH ROCKS! Youth Retreat
4-H HEALTH ROCKS! Youth Retreat Come join the HEALTH ROCKS! Youth Retreat on June 15, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at your local UNR Extension office in Churchill, Elko, Southern Nye (Pahrump), Washoe, and White Pine Counties.
The retreat will help youth learn skills such as decision-making, critical thinking, and stress management, plus places a special emphasis on tobacco, alcohol, and drug-use prevention. This program also includes components that bring youth and adults together as partners in developing community strategies that prepare young people to make healthy choices.
Participants will learn about three general areas: In All About Me you see how drugs affect behavior and the health consequences, learn and practice decision-making skills, and find out about stress and learn how to relieve it.
What Influences Me is about learning skills to resist risky behaviors. Participants will also learn how family, peers, media, and technology influence choices.
And finally, Taking it Beyond Me shows how to share the message with the community and how to commit to and celebrate being drug-free.
• Who is it for? Youth in 6th to 8th grade (Grade as of Fall, 2021).
• Will it be fun? There will be so many hands-on activities at this workshop that you will not want to leave!
• How much does it cost to attend? This training is free to youth participants. Lunch and snacks will be provided.
• How will it benefit me? You will learn how to teach younger youth about the dangers linked to tobacco, drugs, and alcohol.You will be a role model for many youth.
For more information, contact: Churchill County-Karen Bogdanowicz, bogdanowiczk@unr.edu or 775-423-5121 Elko County-Jill Tingey, tingeyj@unr.edu or 775-738-1990 Nye County (Pahrump)-Stormy Ingersoll, stormyi@unr.edu or 775-727-5532 Washoe County-Samantha Shoupe, shoupes@unr.edu or Kelsey Conklin, kconklin@unr.edu or 775-784-4848 White Pine County-Alex Santaella, santaellaa@unr.edu or 775-293-6597
Register online at v2.4honline.com For current NV 4-H members, log into your fami- ly account and register for the event “Health Rocks! Youth Retreat” For new NV 4-H participants (not enrolled in the club program), you will need to create an account and then register for the event “Health Rocks! Youth Retreat.”
Youth Livestock Contests in July
The 2021 State 4-H Livestock Contests will be held in conjunction with the Silver & Sage Youth Livestock Show on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.
The contests, and the Silver & Sage Youth Livestock Show, will be at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.
This contest serves as the Nevada State 4-H Live- stock Judging and Skill-a-Thon contest. The contest is open to 4-H, FFA, and Grange youth to participate. Sep- arate awards will be given for the FFA/Grange division.
Registration will be available the week of June 7.
Kids & Horses Needs Volunteers
Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity? Kids & Horses is looking for you. They are a non-profit, therapeutic riding center located just south of Carson City.
Volunteers need to be at least 14 years old and horse experience isn’t necessary as there are other positions that those without horse experience can help fill. This opportunity would be a great way to provide service to your community.
The center serves children and adults in Northern Nevada with disabilities through the use of horses. Kids & Horses offers a variety of services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and adaptive riding lessons.
Anyone interested can view a video about the program at www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN4B5NqbZWM&t=1s
The center is Premier Accredited through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl).
More information can be found online at https://kidsandhorses.org/.
