How to Plan the Judging Field Day

WHAT IS THE JUDGING FIELD DAY:

• An opportunity for 4-H youth and adults to judge a variety of project displays, placing them in the proper 1-2-3-4 order.  Participants move from booth to booth and record their responses. After participants have orally given their reasons for the order in which they placed each item, prizes are awarded to top individuals and top club. 

WHO IS IN CHARGE:

• Health and Leisure Chair
• The committee will be additionally comprised of youth and adult volunteers
• Strongly recommended that 1/3 of the committee are youth

WHEN:

• Variable, typically 8-10 weeks before the county fair.  Judging in the morning, lasts about 3-4 hours.   

WHAT TO DO:

• 1 year in advance

-Check with Youth Advisor to select date

-Reserve rooms that are wheelchair accessible.  When reserving facility, obtain a

 lease agreement (if not already in place) and submit it unsigned to 4-H YDA for

 processing.

-Notify Council Vice President of date to place on calendar.

• 6 months in advance:

-Begin publicity

-Recruit youth and begin holding committee meetings

• 3 months in advance:

-Continue publicity

-Develop budget and check figures with Council treasurer

-Recruit project exhibitors

-Solicit donations for prizes

·        1 month in advance:

-Publicize specific time, location, and directions in the Timely Topics.  Monthly

 deadline is the 15^th.

-Meet with committee

-Confirm facility

-Appoint 1 youth and 1 adult activity coordinator to occupy participants while

 scoresheets are being tallied

-Plan refreshments

• 1 week in advance:

-Re-confirm facility

-Re-confirm date and location with project exhibitors

• Day of:

-Set up 1 hour before participants arrive

-Assign judging locations

-Conduct an orientation for members who attend

-Welcome participants and answer questions

-Conduct awards ceremony

-CLEAN UP afterwards

• 1 week after:

-Update the binder for the following year

SAMPLE PUBLICITY IDEAS:

• Report at County Council Meeting/Executive Board meetings
• Send information in county club packets
• Advertise in the Timely topics
• Volunteer to attend club meetings and report
• Promote the event and encourage members to attend and participate

OTHER HELPFUL ADVICE

• Award categories may include the top 3 individuals from each age group and the top three combined club scores.
• Age categories may be divided in the following manner:

-Mini-Members (not old enough to be 4-H members yet)

-4-H members not yet in high school

-4-H members in high school or beyond

-Adults

·        The activity coordinator may choose to play games, do crafts, sing songs, or any other activity that will keep participants occupied while score sheets are being tallied.