How to Organize an Extension Homemakers Club

Step 1: Find interested people in your community. 

Contact community leaders or people who are already involved with Extension. You can also hold a stand-alone workshop or a workshop series. Once you have participants interested in the workshop's content, you may consider pitching the idea of starting a club. 

Step 2: Set a meeting time and place for your initial meeting. 

With the help of your initial contact or participants, determine a time when you think most interested people could and would attend. Also arrange for a meeting place that would be comfortable for individuals to come to such as a school or community building. 

Step 3: Market your meeting.

Writing an article for the local newspaper, placing fliers in your community buildings, having your community leaders make personal telephone calls,  and having your meeting announced as an event on your county social media pages are all ways to market your meeting. Be sure to use the EEO statement on all announcements.  

Step 4: Prepare a program.

This could be a program on Extension Homemakers or the Cooperative Extension Service, or a program that would spark interest for the individuals in that community. This program may also depends on the needs of your potential club members. 

Step 5: Arrange for refreshments. 

Either you, the initial contact community leaders, or the County Extension Homemakers Council should supply refreshments. This helps make the meeting a pleasant experience for those attending so they will want to continue. 

Step 6: Hold your first meeting.

During this meeting, discuss the purpose of the organization, the responsibilities associated with it, and the activities your club might participate in. Make sure to discuss membership dues and responsibilities. 

Determine if your club would be a traditional EHC group, or a project orientated group. What would your club's relationship be with other community groups? 

Bring EHC Yearbooks for all prospects, an EHC secretary book, and the EHC Handbook for the President to your meeting. 

Present your educational program. 

Step 7: Determine if there is an interest in continuing.

The hope is that there would be a number of individuals interested in having regular meetings and holding official positions in order for an official club to be formed.

Step 8: Encourage more marketing efforts. 

Encourage participants and future members to share about the club and future meetings wherever they can. Some options for sharing are to church groups, other volunteer groups, with friends and family members, etc.

One of the easiest ways to share is on county and personal Facebook pages as there can be a lot of reach. You may try to utilize other community Facebook groups that may allow for event/club meeting announcements or advertisements as well.

The more word is shared, the more people will become interested.

The first organizational club meeting should be conducted by a county FCS agent.

1. Begin the meeting with an ice-breaker get acquainted activity.

Have a discussion with your members about what they are interested in and what they would like to learn. This gives everyone an opportunity to participate and be recognized, and this gives you an opportunity to determine what resources your members may be able to contribute. This may also help you to determine what additional training and educational opportunities that you could provide for these new members.

2. Discuss how club meetings should be conducted.

Make sure to take a packet. This packet should include yearbooks, secretary’s book, a membership form from the AEHC website, FCS 376 and FCS 377, and MP475 “Pocket Guide to Parliamentary Procedure” for the president.

• Discuss meeting times and places for your club. How often will you meet, and where will you meet at?  
• Use your yearbook as a guide. Pass out yearbooks and try to review them each month so new members can familiarize themselves with it. 
• Go over typical business meeting. It may have been some time since some of the members were involved in club meeting settings. Going over the business meeting will make them feel more comfortable with the process.
• Discuss dues. You may want to wait until you have elected a club treasurer and an account has been established before you have them handling funds. Dues and how they will be used should be discussed and agreed upon. 
• Complete Officer Roster FCS 376 and the Membership Roster FCS 377 from AEHC website. Names, addresses and telephone numbers should be collected at this meeting. A copy will be given to the newly elected club secretary and a copy kept in the County Extension Office. As additional members are added, those names should be sent to the County Extension Office also.
• Elect Officers (at this or the next meeting). Most clubs will have a President, Vice-President (Program Chair), Secretary, and Treasurer. You will also need specific program leaders within the club and these could be selected based on individual interest. Additional committee chairs could also be selected such as recreation, telephone, refreshment, special events, historian, yearbook, etc. If would be good if everyone in the club had some form of responsibility.
• As a 501c3 tax exempt organization, every club needs an EIN Representative and an EIN number. The Treasurer or another designated person can serve as the EIN Rep. You should direct this person to the State EIN Rep for help in securing the club’s EIN number. EIN Rep can be found under the Executive Committee Tab.
  
  

3. Discuss leader training opportunities and educational programs.

Let the club members know what will be expected as far as leader training. How will your members be notified? What happens if a leader misses training? What educational programs are already planned that they could participate in? This could also be an excellent opportunity to talk about the annual reports that are completed and sent to state for recognition.

4. Discuss with your club if they would like to participate as a traditional EHC club, or if they would like to be a project club. 

Traditional clubs are community service focused, whereas project clubs are aimed more toward specific member interests and skills.

5. Present an interesting educational program at the first meeting.

This is typically the responsibility of the FCS Agent. 

1. Provide training.

Agents provide training to new officers and educational program leaders. This could be provided on an individual basis, in a group, or as a self-study.

2. Help officers plan projects for their clubs.

Give them ideas for projects the members can do at meetings, special speakers and tours that complement the project club. For example: A food preservation club could have each member learn to make jams and jellies at a meeting, or learn to can low acid foods. Another example would be to learn to dry foods. A good tour would be to attend a county fair and observe canned products.          

3. Attend club meetings as an advisor.

You will probably want to attend two or three meetings at first to make them feel comfortable; then follow-up with an additional meeting or two during their first year. This responsibility could be shared with county council officers. As a general rule, if you attend two meetings of each club in your county per year, it is enough for them to feel that you are interested in their program and welfare.  

4. Encourage club officers to attend other clubs' meetings.

This is a wonderful opportunity for clubs to share format as well as helping to make the new club feel welcome in the council. Be sure that the experience is a positive one.

Welcome Members

Introductions

This allows officers to introduce themselves & tell their club office      

M&M’s activity  

Pass out candies to each person. Allow them to take as many as they want. Then for each M&M they took, they must share some fact about themselves, until they use up all but 1 M&M. (save 1)  

Leadership Basics  

• Use a calendar    
• Keep pertinent meeting notes    
• Keep a notebook as you will get lots of information at meetings    
• List the regular yearly EHC programs on your calendar (plans for these, hosts, place, etc.) ex.: Spring and Fall Council, Picnic, Christmas Party    
• Respect and meet deadlines (for club, county EHC, and Extension office)    
• Pass all papers and necessary info on to the next incoming officer    
• Delegate    
• Recognize and praise ideas    
• Bring business to the board, not cliques or your friends    
• Be democratic and respectful to members    
• Do not discount someone for being quiet….they could turn out to be a good member or leader    
• Know roles for your office and other EHC officers…what to do and when    
• Not every decision needs total approval. This is what your office is for.    
  
  

President       

• Plan the agenda    
• Arrange for the meeting place and time    
• Notify everyone of changes    
• Arrange for speakers or such for events. Sometimes the host club wants to arrange for the speaker, but they should confer with the president.    
• Meetings:    
  • Agenda    
  • Start on time    
  • Stand when calling to order. Stand at other times –such as getting attention.    
  • Present unfinished business, then new, ask for added business    
  • Follow parliamentary procedure    
  • Do not participate in debates: if you wish to participate relinquish the chair to the Vice President or another officer.    
  • Give each person a chance to speak, such as 1,2,3,4,5 not 1,2,1,1,3.
  • Limit discussion time    
  • Stick to the subject at hand    
  • Keep the meeting running smoothly and end in a timely manner

Vice President 1st & 2nd

• Preside in absence of the president    
• Assume responsibilities assigned    
• Represents EHC at outside meetings in place of president on occasion    
• Help start business discussions    
• Chair membership committee    
• Chair club programs  
  
  

Secretary       

• Record minutes and call president’s attention to any unfinished business.    
• Write up minutes within 3-4 days (before you forget)    
• Read any correspondence and reply if necessary    
• Chair meetings in absence of president and vice president    
• Keep all official papers    
• Keep a list of all members and attendance    
• Write thank you's  
• Pass along important papers at the end of your term  
  
  

Treasurer      

• Receive funds and disperse as necessary    
• File receipts and cancelled checks. They can be stored in the EHC building after the yearly audit.
• Prepares a financial statement for each meeting    
• Collect club and member dues    
• Prepare annual statement    
• Pays bills with proper authorization    
  
  

Reporter  

• Send club meeting reports to the Herald    
• Keep news articles and clippings for club scrapbook and project books.    
  
  

Word of Encouragement

“He Couldn’t Sing, So He Whittled” by Zig Ziglar

Wrap Up (may do one or both of these)      

• The Last M&M:  Before you eat your last M&M, tell the group one last thing you want us to know about you.
• Magic Wand: Pass around the magic wand. Each person shares something they plan to do to prepare for their new office.  

Wondering how you can do your best to be a good EHC club president? Below are some tips to get started!

1. Be Informed.

A good president should be well informed. By being informed, you will find that your meetings will run smoother and have less confusion. To do this, you may consider attending county or state officers training or leader trainings when possible.

2. Be Organized.

• Before you start your term of office have your leaders, hostesses, telephone committee, project chairman, sunshine and devotion chairmen appointed and ready to start the new year. 
• Get new members involved. It's helpful if you pair newer members with the older members so they will have more confidence about being a leader or on a committee.
• Delegate. You can't do it all by yourself.
• Plan workshops for the year that are of interest to the members. Resource people from other areas are always available.  
  
  

3. Start Your Meetings On Time.

Being punctual shows that you are organized and dependable. It also lets members know that you respect and value them and their time.

4. Have An Agenda For Each Meeting.

Work with your secretary on the agenda before each meeting. Your agenda should include:

• Welcome to Guests. When you have a visitor or prospect, follow up with a call or note thanking them for visiting your club.    
• Inspirational Thoughts.   
• Roll Call. Don't spend too much time on roll call, but let people talk when they want to. Sometimes that is the only time they will participate.
• Eye Openers. This is something made or a new idea to be shared.    
• Leader Reports. One to three minute report in your own words. It is more meaningful not to read a report. Make sure you always stand!
• Reading of the Minutes.
• Treasurers Report.
• Old Business.    
• New Business. During the business meeting, keep order and proceed quickly and business-like through the agenda. The president and all officers should stand when addressing the members, reading the minutes or giving the treasurers report.    
• Special Reminders and Announcements.    
• Program. This is usually a follow up from the previous month’s leader training. It could be a special guest speaker on the monthly topic.
• Adjourn. Be sure to read the EHC creed.   
  
  

5. Call An Executive Meeting At Least Three Or Four Times A Year. 

This allows the executive members to deliberate about anything ongoing or upcoming within their club, their county, and the statewide EHC organization, like meetings, projects, events, and other club business.

6. Let Everyone Know They Are Loved And Appreciated.

One of EHC's big impacts is social connection, which not only improves health in a number of ways, but also keeps members dedicated. Stay connected with your members and work to build community with one another. Make sure they know how appreciative you are of their participation and efforts.