Page 5 - May 2021 Newsletter

A Word from Kayla

Record books are a necessary EVIL!

I HATE record books, there I said it... Man do I feel better. I never did one as a young person, and I'm a Gold Star winner! Tell
me how that happened?

With that being said, 4-H record books are like those really hard workouts. You hate them in the moment, but there are long
term benefits in doing them.

Kayla's 10 Tips for Record Books (you'll find more resources under the record book section):

1. Don't focus so much on the placing. Yes, you get the opportunity to take a cool trip if you win state but really, the end goal
is having a solid record book for a solid scholarship application. Look at the critiques, decide if you want to make the
suggested changes (you don't have to), and build your record book to tell your story. I don't care what placing it brings
home, I'm more concerned about it bringing home a $20K scholarship.
2. Parents, there is nothing wrong with helping your kids on their record books, but please don't do it all for them. Nothing

frustrates me more as an agent than hearing "I'm working on so and so's record book" from a parent.
3. Just because you have a sibling in 4-H, it doesn't mean that your stories will be exactly the same. Ya get me!?!?!?!?
4. If you would like the opportunity to apply for a Star Award, yes, you must submit a quality record book. Notice I said quality
and not perfect. Record books are a work in progress, don't incite a civil war in your household because you want a record
book to be perfect.
5. Start your record books at the beginning of the 4-H year and add to it monthly. Do I do this method? Of course not! I'm a
last minute Lucy that waits until the 20th hour. Most of the time, we hate record books so much because we're sitting at a
table on June 18th trying to put in a year's worth of information two days before they're due. Take an hour of the last
Saturday of every month and fill in the 4-H activities you did that month.
6. If you don't get your record book completed by the deadline, it's not the end of the world. Finish it up and then add to it
next year. Again they are a work in progress. You won't get to apply for an end of year award, but that's not the end of life
as we know it. Re-group and submit it next year. Now as a graduating senior, you need to have your ducks in a row, there's
no regrouping for you.
7. I love to offer my critiques prior to submitting your record book. If you need help adding those finishing touches, give me a
call. It needs to be pretty close to being complete if you're asking me to look over it by the end of May.
8. It is very difficult to provide you with everything you need to know about record books in a 1 hr. evening meeting. I sat
down a couple of years ago and made short 3-5 minute videos to break down the record book process. If you're new to
record books, please take the time to look at those. I'll be sure to include them in the "Record Book" section of this
magazine.
9. Record books are totally worth the time and effort. Speak with any graduating senior that did one and they will tell you that
it made the process of applying for scholarships or higher education a breeze because they were literally copying a pasting
the information from their record book into the application.
10. Record books are not required to be completed in 4-H. They are required if you wish to apply for end of year awards or
scholarship. You can go you're entire 4-H career and not do one, but at the end of the day, even as much as I dislike them,
you'll be thankful that you did one.

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