RECORD BOOK HELPFUL HINTS
1. My 4-H Story (section 6) of the Record Book is required to complete your 4-H year. Example: If this is your 5th year in 4-H and you do not turn in your 4-H Story for completion, you will still be considered a 5th year member the next year, instead of a 6th year member. 2. If you want to compete in the Record Book Judging Contest, the entire book must be completed. 3. Excel Helpful Hints This year the record book is available in an Excel format to use for several of the sections. This program should make it easier to add rows and enter the financial information since it is designed for those purposes. Note: Some sections may be easier to complete in Microsoft word and are provided this way. For example: Sections #1 Parts A&B, Sections #6, 7. Reasoning: These sections need to be typed in a word processing program, and are not in a spreadsheet format. The first time you enter information into this format, it may be helpful to save the file with a different name. That way you will still have a blank copy to fill in next year. *Click on “Save As” and change “record book” to “record book 07” or “section 6” to “section6 07” in the file name box. The name can be anything you want that will let you know what information you have in that file. The Excel file provided is one “workbook.” Within that book are several “worksheets,” each sheet is a separate section or section divider. The tabs at the bottom of the screen will let you change from one section to another. Each “worksheet” must be printed separately. If you fill out the “workbook” and click on print, you will only print the “worksheet” you are in at the time. NOTE: The headers (4-H clover, Wyoming 4-H, and section number) will not appear while you are looking at the Excel spreadsheet. They will appear in the print preview and when you print out the sheet. Please take note that there are red corners in certain cells on the Excel spreadsheet, especially in the Section #1 Part C, which helps to explain the type of information that is needed in that cell or some tips and information to help youth complete the work. To use this tip feature, hold your mouse or cursor over the red corner and the information will appear in a box directly next to the cursor. *For example in cell A6 the comment says “If you need more rows highlight this entire row by right clicking on the row number and select insert.” In Section #1 Part C – Financial Records, the program will automatically calculate totals as well as profit or loss. It is recommended that 4-H youth first calculate the totals by hand to understand the math. Youth should make sure that the numbers they come up with match up with the numbers they come up with by hand. To insert lines into the spreadsheet please right click on the row number and click insert. This feature is very important to adding lines to the document and may really be needed depending on the amount of financial information, or number of activities, to list. If you run onto a second page of rows for Section 1C you can add the headers to the top by highlighting the headers, right click, select copy, right click on the top row number or the second page and click "insert copied cells." Click the button for "move cells down" and click "OK" 4. PROJECT RECORDS (Section 1): A project record should be completed for each project you were enrolled in. Sections 2-7 will be the same for each project, but each project will require its own Section 1 A-C. The Campbell County Extension Office will include a list of all projects a member is enrolled in with the record books for judging. If you did not exhibit a project at fair, but did not drop it before the deadline to drop or add projects, you must still complete a Section 1 for it!! Goals should be determined at the beginning of the 4-H year. Goals should be realistic and age appropriate. Knowledge should indicate that they learned something in correspondence with their goals and be appropriate to this project. 5. FINANCIAL STATEMENT (Section 1C): Don’t forget to include your inventory in the beginning and ending inventory values. This gives the actual expenses (depreciation) for that current year.
Anything you keep over for the next year is considered inventory items. Example: Clippers, trimming chutes, feeders, leather tools, rabbit cages, etc. Inventory Example: You purchase a pair of Sheep Clippers for $250. This should be put in the Beginning Inventory for $250 because you plan to use them for more than one year. It should also be included in the ending inventory (because you are keeping them). If you choose to depreciate your clippers out over a ten year period, they would depreciate at a rate of 10%, which would be $25 per year. In the ending inventory column you would give them a value of $225 ($250 - $25 = $225). This will show an actual expenditure for the year of $25 in your totals at the bottom. Use ending inventory for the next year’s beginning inventory. Anything that you do not keep on hand for the next year is considered an expense. Examples: Feed, leather, flour, sugar, baking soda, material, etc. Make sure to include any premium moneys received in your income column. 6. MARKET SUMMARY (Section 1D): The market price of your animal can be found in most livestock newspapers, or by contacting a livestock yard (i.e., Hayden Livestock, St. Onge Livestock, Campbell County Youth Livestock Sale Program, Belle Fourche Livestock, etc.) This is an important factor in teaching the 4-H members the reality of 4-H compared to the real livestock market. 7. 4-H AWARDS & RECOGNITION (Section 2): Make sure to include your county and state fair ribbons, as well as any other 4-H awards from progress shows, club awards, district contests or awards and national contests or awards. (Examples: trophy for most improved shooter – club; 1st place ribbon Jr. Division Judging Contest – District; 4-H scholarships, etc.) 8. 4-H LEADERSHIP (Section 3): This section deals with leadership roles and should list any roles taken in leading a particular program. (Examples: Club President; Leading the pledge at a club meeting; Song Leader at 4-H Camp; see Leadership, Section 3 in the .pdf file for more examples.) It is a good idea to keep a journal throughout the year to keep track of all your participation if different events. 9. 4-H COMMUNITY SERVICE (Section 4): This can include club, county, district, state and national. 4-H Community service projects are projects which help others, without compensation to yourself. (Examples: Helped our 4-H club put together a Barrel Race Memorial Scholarship fundraiser; helped with the county clean up day; etc.) List dates which these events took place. This is only 4-H community service, community service with other organizations can be entered as Non 4-H Experience in Section 5B. 10. 4-H PARTICIPATION (Section 5A): It is important to keep track of how many 4-H club meetings and project meetings were held and how many you attend. This is where you indicate other participation for 4-H. (Examples: 4-H Camp, Progress Shows, etc.) If an event lasted several days, use one line and indicate the dates on that line. 11. NON 4-H EXPERIENCES (Section 5B): This section is for any other activity the child participates in other than 4-H. (Examples: Youth night at Church every Wednesday night, Gymnastics, Basketball, Football, Soccer, Chorus, etc.) 12. My 4-H Story (Section 6): Please see record book example in the hard copy or .pdf file instructions. 13. Clippings and Photographs (Section 7): Please see record book example in the hard copy or .pdf file instructions. 14. Again, it is important to keep a journal of all this information throughout the year. 15. NOTE: The sections all have examples of what can or should be in the section. The examples are all in the .PDF file named “Record Book Instructions.” Please review these for added ideas or information.