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4-H ELECTRIC PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

4-H ELECTRIC ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The 4-H Electric Project is conducted by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and its professional 4-H Agents and Volunteer Leaders located in the 100 counties and Cherokee Reservation. Typically, 4-H Agents train their Volunteer Leaders to organize and deliver electric activities for youth in their counties. Approximately 30 counties have 4-H Master Electric Volunteer Leaders who train other leaders on the electric project. Training materials used by 4-H Agents and Volunteer Leaders are obtained from the State 4-H office and the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Specialist responsible for the Electric Program. 

NORTH CAROLINA 4-H ELECTRIC CONGRESS

North Carolina 4-H Electric Congress is an educational event designed to recognize excellence in the Electric Program throughout the state. Electric Congress travels from region to region of the state, thus allowing for a variety of programming opportunities for everyone. Four-H members participate in educational workshops, meet Power Company Representatives, learn about careers in the energy industry, and interact with other electric winners. Special outings are planned to help the young people learn about their state. Whether in the mountains rafting on the Nantahala River, riding the waves at the beach, or somewhere in-between, the free afternoon at Electric Congress is fun for all participants.

Electric Congress is held for county winning 4-H'ers who participate in the electric program. To attend, youth must be 11 years of age (by Jan.1st). Two county project winners, 2 cumulative record book participants, 1 electric program recruiter, 1 recruiter at-large (if selected), and 1 cumulative record at-large are allowed to attend congress per county. Details for each delegate status are discussed below. Recruiting awards are presented to 4-H'ers in each county who recruit new members into the Electric Program. Adult volunteers, agents, and program assistants, are also encouraged to participate in North Carolina's Electric Congress. New 4-H agents or program assistants are especially encouraged to attend, which is an excellent opportunity for them to experience and learn more about this program.

4-H ELECTRIC CONGRESS DELEGATES AND PROGRAM AWARDS

APRIL 15th: DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING INFORMATION FOR ELECTRIC CONGRESS DELEGATES ON ALL OF YOUR ATTENDING COUNTY DELEGATES AND ADULTS. NO DELEGATE CHANGES WILL BE ALLOWED AFTER MAY 15th.

65th 4-H ELECTRIC CONGRESS: JULY 9-11, 2012 Location TBD
(NOTE: TRANSPORTATION DETAILS Will BE PROVIDED BY MID-JUNE)
 

1. ELECTRIC CONGRESS DELEGATE STATUS

a. CUMULATIVE ELECTRIC RECORD BOOK DELEGATE (2 per county)
Two 4-H'ers per county that submit a CUMULATIVE ELECTRIC RECORD BOOK at the state competition level are eligible to attend 4-H Electric Congress. The cumulative record books are typically submitted to the state 4-H office by March 1st. Delegate are required to complete the CUMULATIVE ELECTRIC RECORD REGISTRATION FORM.

b. AT-LARGE CUMULATIVE ELECTRIC RECORD DELEGATE (1 per county)
Up to ten at-large (total of 10 statewide) cumulative electric record delegates will be awarded to youth that have submitted a cumulative electric book to the state level competiton. All the cumulative record requirements still apply. The delegate cumulative electric record book will be judged at the state level and the county will be notified if eligible to attend Electric Congress. The potential delegate must complete the href="http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/4-h/forms-registration/index.html">CUMULATIVE ELECTRIC RECORD REGISTRATION FORM for registration.  

c. COUNTY DELEGATE (2 per county)
Two 4-H members with the best electric project record books from each county that have not previously attended Electric Congress more than once. You can only attend electric congress as a county delegate twice. The member must complete a current electric project book and submit an electric report which lists the current year's electric activities in which they completed to qualify for this trip. The COUNTY DELEGATE'S REPORT FORM and registration form should be submitted.  

d. RECRUITING DELEGATE (1 per county)
One 4-Her per county that promotes the 4-H Electric Project by recruiting the most new members into the electric project beyond the minimum requirements. The minimum requirements are eight (8) new members if attending Electric Congress as a first year recruiting delegate and a minimum of 16 as a second year recruiting delegate. Eight additional new members will be required for each additional trip to Electric Congress, i.e. 24 for a third trip and so on. Only recruits who complete and turn in their "electric recruit activity record form" can be counted. The same new recruit can only be counted by one recruiting delegate. Minimum requirement example: A member attends Electric Congress as a county delegate (once or twice), the minimum requirement is eight; another member has attended as a county delegate (once or twice), and as a recruiting delegate once, the minimum requirement is 16. Recruiting delegates are to submit a RECRUITING DELEGATE REPORT FORM, which summarizes workshops or activities performed to win the recruiting award trip. Recruiting delegates are still required to complete the recruiting registration form, as well as, the report form. You must have attended Electric Congress at least once before qualifying for Recruiting Award status.

e. AT-LARGE RECRUITING DELEGATE (1 per county)
Up to ten at-large (total of 10 statewide) recruiting awards invitations will be awarded to members doing outstanding recruiting work in addition to the regular recruiting awards above. The selection of the ten at-large recruiting delegates will take place at the state level in the event more than ten qualify. The same minimum requirements apply as stated above for the regular recruiting award. The potential at-large recruiting delegates must complete the RECRUITING REPORT FORM, in order to qualify. Please remember that in order to qualify, you must have previously attended as a regular delegate, have exhausted the county delegate status and lost to another recruiting delegate winner from your county.

f. ADULT LEADERS and COUNTY EXTENSION PERSONNEL (Maximum of 3 Adults per County)
The number of Adult leaders that can attend is based on the total number of youth attending from your county;
3 or less youth, one Adult leader plus the 4-H Agent or Program Associate.
4 or more youth, two Adult Leaders plus the 4-H Agent or Program Associate.
An Adult Leader can not take the place of the 4-H Agent or Program Associate if they are not attending. 

The Electric Congress delegate registration forms are to be completed and submitted by mail or email no later than April 15th to:

Grant Ellington
NC State University
Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Campus  Box 7625
Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7625
e-mail: Grant Ellington  grant ellington@ncsu.edu
 
 

2. TERRITORIAL AWARDS

The Territorial Award winners will be selected from the Cumulative Electric Record Books that are submitted in early March for state level judging. First, second, and third place winners are selected from each territory (Duke Energy, Progress Energy, and Dominion NC Power) and are recognized at Electric Congress. Territorial winner selection is based primarily on the knowledge, accomplishments, and skills learned in the electric program that are documented in the cumulative record. The record book must also be well organized and formatted in accordance with the State 4-H guidelines for completing a cumulative record book. There are no age divisions for the territory awards. The 4-H members that submit a cumulative electric book are competing for the following prizes:

Territorial Prizes 
  a. FIRST PLACE - 26-inch Flat Screen HD TV to the 4-H member with the best Cumulative Electric Record book in each utility territory (area) that has not previously won first place territorial or state award in the Electric Project.

  b. SECOND PLACE - iPod-Mini to the 4-H member with the second best Cumulative Electric Record book in each utility territory (area) that has not previously won a first or second place territorial or state award in the Electric Project.

  c. THIRD PLACE - iPod-Shuffle to the 4-H member with the third best Cumulative Electric Record book in each utility territory (area) that has not previously won a first, second, or third place territorial or state award in the Electric Project.
 
(Note: Territorial prizes may vary from year to year.)

In addition to individual awards, counties that turn in a Group Cumulative Electric Book are competing for the three traveling plaques and one permanent plaque. A traveling plaque is awarded to the best group book in each territory. The overall permanent plaque is given to the best of the three territorial winners.

d. TRAVELING PLAQUE - To the county with the most outstanding group electric program and achievements in each territory. The traveling plaque is awarded for one year, then returned and awarded to the current year winner.

e. PERMANENT PLAQUE - To the best of the three territorial group winners.

3. STATE and DISTRICT AWARDS

 a. Partial Scholarship ($75) to 4-H Congress for district presentation winners, all age groups (9-10, 11-13, 14-18).

b. All district level winners will receive a certificate. State cumulative winners will
    receive savings bonds in the following amounts:
 

Ages 13 - 15

Ages 16 - 19

1st Place - $200

1st Place - $300

2nd Place - $100

2nd Place - $200

3rd Place - $ 50

3rd Place - $100

 

DONORS OF AWARDS

ELECTRIC CONGRESS AWARDS:

ELECTRIC PRESENTATIONS:

4-H ADULT LEADER RESPONSIBILITIES AT ELECTRIC CONGRESS

The following responsibilities are required of attending 4-H Adult Volunteer Leaders during 4-H Electric Congress. These items are crucial to maintaining an educational and respectful event for the attending electric winners, guests, Electric Company dignitaries and host officials. Please notice that these responsibilities are very similar to the responsibilities Adult Leaders provide within their counties and on other overnight trips involving youth.

  1. To provide hall monitor leadership during the evening program. This entails working with fellow Adult Leaders on the same dorm floor in keeping a list of the delegates on this floor, maintaining room check until the floor is quiet, using the check list and taking names of unruly participants (Provide these names to Grant Ellington, if necessary). You will be provided a list of the delegates on the dorm floor by Monday evening prior to curfew.
  2. Correct inappropriate behavior by attending delegates: Examples of inappropriate behavior may consist of, but not limited to:
  3. To provide a teamwork approach to supervising Electric Congress Delegates with attending 4-H Agents, Power Company Representatives, State 4-H Staff and Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Specialist.
  4. To work with the attending delegates from your county to ensure that he/she understands why they received this trip, who sponsors it, objectives of the electric project and how to converse with power company officials whom they may interact with during this event.
  5. Provide communication and feedback to Grant Ellington on issues that can improve Electric Congress for everyone.
  6. Monitoring constantly the involvement of the participating delegates to ensure everyone is safe and having a good experience.
  7. Monitoring constantly the relationships between the attending boys and girls by not allowing inappropriate situations to continue.
  8. Other ( Please specify----)

It is the sincere desire by the Power Companies that attending 4-H Agents and Adult Volunteer Leaders take an active part in providing a program that is executed with high respect and esteem throughout the state. They recognize the need to having the adult delegation in a leadership mode, one that empowers these people to make decisions and to carry out decisions made.

If you have comments for the above statement, please forward those to:

Grant Ellington-Extension Assistant Professor
NC State University
Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Campus  Box 7625
Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7625
PHONE: (919) 515-6793
FAX: (919) 515-6772
e-mail: Grant Ellington  grant ellington@ncsu.edu


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