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West Virginia University 4-H Policy & Guidelines on Dual Participation

This policy governs the dual participation of 4-H members in programs outside of their primary county or state. It is acknowledged that no single county can offer every program, allowing youth to participate in 4-H experiences (club, camp, project, or competition) in different counties or states only when that specific experience is not offered in their Primary 4-H County.

Key Terms

To ensure clarity, the following terms are used throughout this policy:

Term Definition
Primary 4-H County The main county for a member's 4-H experiences. It does not have to be the county where the member resides, but the member should aim to participate fully here.
Community 4-H Club A local 4-H group (organized with officers) that meets regularly throughout the year.
Specialty 4-H Club, Program, or Team A 4-H group focused on a specific topic (e.g., Robotics, Livestock, Shooting Sports).
4-H Project An asynchronous (self-paced) work commitment involving hands-on activities, record-keeping, and leadership components, often displayed at a local fair.
Multi-County Programming Group A 4-H group (most often a Specialty Club/Program/Team) consisting of two or more contiguous counties for program purposes.
4-H Year The official calendar cycle for 4-H activities offered by WVU Extension is October 1st to September 30th.

Dual Participation Rules

A. Enrollment Limitations

  • A 4-H member cannot enroll in more than one county or state during the same 4-H year.
  • If a club or project is offered in the member's Primary 4-H County, the member must participate there.
  • If a club or project is not offered in the member's Primary 4-H County, the member may participate in that activity in an adjacent county by meeting the requirements described below in “Multi-County Group Guidelines”.

B. Member Responsibilities

  • Full Participation: Members must fully meet all responsibilities for every club, program, team, or project in which they are enrolled.
  • Project Records: Project records must be submitted to the county where the member is enrolled in that specific project.
  • Contest Representation: For all county, regional, state, or national contests/competitions, the member must represent the county/club for which they are participating in that specific event/team.

C. Professional Courtesy

  • Communication: Extension professionals in both the Primary 4-H County and the secondary county should be made aware of the dual participation to ensure compliance with this policy.
  • Dual State Participation: For dual state participation, Extension professionals must coordinate with their counterparts in the neighboring state to comply with that state's specific guidelines and procedures.

Multi-County Group Guidelines (Teams/Contests)

These rules apply when counties formally join to offer specific educational subject-matter workshops or to form contest teams (e.g., Horse, Forestry, Livestock, Shooting Sports).

A. Requirements for Formation and Participation

  1. Contiguous Counties: A Multi-County group or team may only be formed if the counties involved are geographically contiguous (next to each other).
  2. Professional Approval: 4-H members must receive approval from the specific Extension professionals involved in the Multi-County group endeavor.
  3. Intent Survey: The Multi-County Intent Survey must be completed at least 30 days before the event. This survey is required for official recognition and must state the approved programming area and the coach or Extension professional of record.
  4. Link to Survey: https://form.ext.wvu.edu/4Hmulticountyteam
  5. Changes: Any changes in the Multi-County programming approach must be communicated in a letter to the Program Unit Director at least 10 days before the event.

Multi-County Intent Survey Link

B. Team Entries for Contests

  • Entry Limit: A county or Multi-County group can enter as many teams as allowed by contest rules in either the junior or senior division.
  • Single-County Notification: If a county is participating as part of a Multi-County group for a contest, it must notify the state office via the Multi-County Intent Survey if it also intends to enter separate single-county teams in the same contest.

Final Decisions

Policy-related situations may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis as circumstances change or new opportunities arise.

Final rulings or decisions on any item related to this policy and guidelines will involve:

  1. 4-H administration.
  2. Faculty/staff with leadership responsibilities for the specific program, contest, or activity.
  3. Extension Administration (if needed).