Members Absent: Noland Williams, Bo Ryles

Guest: Barbara Stone

Facilitator: Susan Halbert

Documentation: Jennifer Zaniewski

Updates:

4-H Hall of Fame - The Hall of Fame Committee has "met" twice via conference call to discuss the logistics and process for the 2004 induction. Next year's Hall of Fame ceremony take place during Conference (exact time and date TBD). The planning group has discussed the general criteria for laurite selection including citizenship, leadership and career accomplishments. The new selection committee now includes two representatives from each region, one from USDA, one from National 4-H Council and four past laureates. A specific number of laureates for induction will not be set, however, each will be asked to submit a nomination form that is longer and more detailed.

As the work of the Task Force has been completed, the Trust supported the decision to disband the group at this time.

4-H State Leaders - Southern Region Representative Martha Couch provided a recap of key issues:

1. 4-H Scholarship - Martha noted that ECOP was addressing the scholarship issue at its meeting.
2. Annual State Leaders Meeting - Cathann and Bo are looking at whether or not it would be best to overlap this meeting with a portion of National 4-H Conference, roughly March 18-20, 2004. If such an overlap does occur, it will NOT encompass the entire Conference event. A final decision and dates will be determined and shared with the Trust shortly. It was noted that the 4-H Foundation Executives, will NOT plan for a simultaneous meeting.

National 4-H Youth Directions Council - Kyle Fogt, N4-HYDC's Co-Executive Director, reviewed priorities for the year ahead as well as the major initiatives undertaken by fellow Co-Director, Sydney Evans and himself during their internship at National 4-H Council this summer. A detailed summary of the N4-HYDC's priorities and accomplishments has been included as an addendum to these minutes. Sydney then presented an overview N4-HYDC's budget expenses as of June 30, 2003 and well as their budget request for FY04. The total FY04 request amounted to $48,965. The Trust voted to support this request in full and commended both Executive Directors on their work.

Galaxy II Exhibit Planning - Susan and Jennifer shared the exhibit design plans current underway with the Trust for their consideration. The theme that the planning committee feels has the most potential and can be coordinated within the given timeframe and budget is a festive, block party theme. This year's exhibit will serve as a venue to better position and introduce the Trust as the unified voice of the 4-H movement to a variety of key audiences. Pamela Olsen requested that NAE4-HA's exhibits and spaces be included as part of this overall space. Susan and Jennifer will follow up with Vernon Waldron regarding the ease at which NAE4-HA's exhibit reservations can be incorporated into the space to accommodate this request.

Key Decisions, Actions and Resolutions

1) State Leader Support of the National 4-H Leadership Trust
Action/Decision: State Leaders will be asked to contribute $250 in FY 2004 to support the work of the Leadership Trust. A request for support outlining the purpose of the Trust, the benefits it provides to State Leaders and their constituents as well as the Trust's most recent accomplishments will be mailed out in mid-August.

Follow up: State leaders on the Trust will have an opportunity to review the draft solicitation letter and invoice as prepared by Jennifer prior to it being mailed out. State Leader Chair Bo Ryles, will also send out an email alerting state leaders that the request for support is on its way. Included in that message will be a provision that if the state institution is unable to make a contribution at this time, the State 4-H Foundation or an individual may choose to submit a contribution on the state's behalf.

2) The Privatization of 4-H and the Massachusetts Situation
Action/Decision: The 4-H Leadership Trust discussed the Massachusetts situation in great length and drafted a statement that has been shared with USDA and with ECOP. It emphatically does not support the privatization of 4-H. The Trust recognizes that 4-H is effective and successful because of its unique public (federal, state, county) and private (donors, foundations, individuals) partnership established as a part of the Land-Grant University mission. The Trust, because of its partnership composition and shared leadership style, will continue to monitor, assist with, and speak with one voice in regards to the UMass situation.

Follow up: Cathann will share the statement with ECOP and the leadership at USDA and will determine next steps.

3) 4-H Committee Infrastructure
Decisions/Actions:

1. The Trust will directly communicate the decision made at the May 2003 quarterly meeting regarding state
   leader involvement on key committees with those that are directly affected by this decision.
2. The Trust will continue to address the committee infrastructure issue by focusing on the formation of new committees in the system. This will include setting guidelines for new committees' charges, composition, and funding as well as accountability to the Trust and others in the system. c. Jeff King will continue as the Trust's representative on the ECOP Task Force.d. The new National Program Leader for Special Projects will serve as the liaison to N4-HYDC in the future rather than a state leader. The new National Program Leader will serve alongside the current liaison, State Leader Carole MacNeil until National 4-H Conference and will then assume this role in full after that date.

Follow up: Susan informed Jeff of the Trust's decision for him to continue as their representative on the ECOP/4-H Task Force and he accepted. As the committee infrastructure work moves forward, Bo and Cathann will request that Allan Smith provide the Trust with an analysis of the current and future operating environment for the Experiential Learning Design Team so that the Trust can determine whether or not the Team should continue.

The Executive Committee will begin to determine criteria that must be addressed in order for a new committee to form as outlined above. The Executive Committee will also decide whether or those committees which receive direct financial support from the Trust are obligated to it on an ongoing basis once that initial funding ends.

4) Financial Support for the Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship Program
Decision/Action: The Trust agreed to support in full the Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship Program's (YDPA) funding request of $15,481. Note that this a revised request from the earlier version submitted at the May 2003, quarterly meeting. While some items did remain the same, the request which the Trust agreed to fund covers the necessary materials for the YDPA training program rather than the actual program itself.

Follow up: Jennifer will work with Dr. Deen at the staff at Washington State University to ensure timely disbursement of funds.

5) Funding Representation for the 4-H Movement -
Decisions/Actions:

1. The Trust will provide $10,000 to cover some of the representational expenses in support of the 4-H movement. However, the Trust recognizes that not all of these efforts require such funding.
2. Those requested/selected to represent the movement in such a capacity will be expected to obtain input from the Trust prior to their involvement in a specific meeting, project or activity. They will also be expected to report back to the Trust at the conclusion of their representation. Representation should be open and consistent with the Trust's values and principles.
3. The Executive Committee should be the first point of contact for representational requests.
4. Members agreed that opportunities such as these are key to promoting the role of the Trust as a body that can advance the movement's key initiatives.
5. The Trust agreed to more clearly develop and disseminate criteria by which proposals for support from those outside of the Trust could be brought forward for consideration.

Follow up: Susan, Martha and Chris will work together to draft message points around the representation issue. This will include the process by which the Trust determines whether or not to fund specific requests in this area as well as other proposals brought to it from outside of its membership.

6) Classmates.com
Decision/Action: The group exploring the Classmates.com opportunity determined that it was not in the best interest of the 4-H system at this time. This is due to the unresolved concerns regarding the potential partnership and the energy that would have been required to move the partnership forward. The entire Trust supports the decision to move forward with the partnership.

Follow up: None at this time.

7) How Do We Fund 4-H?
Decision/Action: The Trust has determined that multi-state sponsorship are not an issue it will consider at this time. However, the Trust did note that when such opportunities are presented, it is important that the programmatic intent of the potential partner and project be considered and in-line with the movement's priorities and strategic plan.

The Trust also agreed that a system needs to be developed through which states can learn what opportunities have or have not been agreed to at the national level. It is imperative that prospective funders be approached with the best possible funding opportunity - donors do not understand the distinction between a national appeal and one submitted by a state 4-H foundation. It is up to us to get as many resources as possible in an effective, non-competitive way.

Follow up: 1) Don will follow up with Nancy Valentine and Ed Gershon regarding the process for determining appropriate partnerships for the movement and name & emblem usage and will share this info with state leaders and foundation executives.

2) Don will also look into what would be required to develop a shared, system-wide resource development database and will report back to the Trust.

3) The Trust will review existing protocols regarding resource development efforts within the 4-H system (as shared by Florine Swanson). It will also craft a message on the importance of committing to a shared process of fund development.

8) Funding a Youth in Governance Initiative
Decision/Action: The Trust agreed to provide $10,000 to fund the development of a plan for how 4-H can lead a national movement to involve youth in governance. The initial effort will involve convening a working group to identify key strategies and will be chaired by Greg Hutchins. The Trust has encouraged this group to request additional funding as needed after the working group concludes its first meeting. National 4-H Council will also provide matching funds to support this request.

Follow up: Greg Hutchins and others to identify members of the working group by September 1, 2003.

9) What are the Relevant Criteria for How the System Distributes $$$ and Resources Regarding Programming?
Decision/Action: The Trust discussed the kinds of criteria that are used to make investments in programming. Much of this discussion was framed in the context of the Rural Youth Development Grant and the ways in which large pots of money are (or are not) distributed across the system. The Trust agreed that a major priority with respect to this issue would be the development of a national strategy to support states that contain significant portion of the overall youth population (for example, 15% or 25%). The 4-H movement needs to be more responsive to population centers (as opposed to geography) in the future. The Trust also agreed that strategies for how to best serve 4-H rural, urban and other key populations would need to be articulated.

Follow up: Martha, Larry, Don, Susan and Kyle will explore the feasibility of convening a "75% caucus", or think-tank composed of representatives from the states that comprise this percentage of the youth population, to outline needs and strategies in this area.

9) National Conversation Outcomes and the "Next Big 4-H Program"
Decision/Action: Three Major Strategies were discussed and considered by the Trust:

a. Reaching 75% of the youth population

•  Identify the states that comprise this 75%
•  Identify the issues - diversity, rural/urban needs
•  Use the National 4-H Strategic Plan as a base as well as the national and state conversations and state

plans of work

•  Convene a large youth state caucus of key leadership that meets regularly

-Extension Directors, State 4-H Leaders, National 4-H Council, National 4-H Headquarters, Urban 4-H Extension Representatives, 4-H Field Staff, N4-HYDC, Resource People, State resource people and pubic officials.
YOUTH

• Share "promising practices"
• Identify a core team to plan the caucus and other activities.



b. Developing strategies to strengthen the work of the ECOP directors


• Can there be an orientation process for new directors?
• Who really influences this group?
• How can we more effectively use the NASULGC luncheon to connect with the directors?
• How can the Trust identify characteristics of these individuals, group them accordingly and then craft

individual approaches which speak to these?
•Arm state 4-H leaders to orient, work with, and brief extension directors on an ongoing basis.
• Build a National 4-H Council Board committee on extension relations.
• Regularly position the Trust on the agenda of the extension directors meetings with key issues.
• Hire an expert to address their meetings
• Look for recognition opportunities across the university
• Find ways to demonstrate and communicate the broad value of 4-H across the university
• Emphasis the university connection/relationship in 4-H
• Strengthen the relationship between the State 4-H Leader and Extension Director (synergy, power, etc.)
• Constant, concise communication to the extension directors and beyond.
• Find ways to help the extension directors and those above them in the university understand that they

this large, youth development program.
• Don and Cathann can communicate to the extension directors about the importance of including state 4-

H leaders in the decision making process.
• How do we make the extension directors "look good?"

Communicate broadly on the following:
-scholarship
-economic value
-4-H afterschool impact
-programs that bring in big dollars
-increase research re 4D AND $$ for research
• Give them creative ideas they can use on their own
• Use agriculture communications staff to get media/stories out



c. Strengthening ECOP and infusing the Trust's voice into that group.

Dr. Stone identified what she views as the key components of professional development. These include:

1) Common standards and competencies
2) Information and communication (in a variety of styles and tailored to different levels of professional experience)
3) Planning - how do individuals and groups plan their professional development
4) Learning resources and opportunities
5) Evaluation and accountability

Key audiences for these components include:
-New Hires
-Early Career
-Mid Career
-Late Career
-Retirees
-Aspiring Leaders
-Executive Leaders
-Potential Hires (such as N4-HYDC alums)
-Unpaid workforce

**A unified approach fills these different strata of positions.

Comments and reactions from the Trust:

• The career path that is laid out above is probably not as linear as one might think. It will be important to develop strategies that build in some flexibility here.
• Managing and improving ease of entry into the 4-H system for new hires is critical. How do you get these people up to speed quickly while honoring their unique skill sets and talents?
• System-wide preparation of leadership is important
• Nation-wide team building would be beneficial.

Follow up: Barbara will work with Bo Ryles and Jo Turner to determine an appropriate state leader to serve on the Task Force. Barbara will also draft a communication piece back to the original Task Force members to inform them of her arrival and upcoming activities.

11) What is 4-H in the Next Century? Mobilizing the 4-H Brand
Decision/Action: The Trust provided feedback on the talking points developed by Don and Cathann regarding the brand work to date. Don explained that efforts will not move ahead until the new Director of Brand Development and Marketing is brought on at Council.

Follow up: The Trust's comments on the brand talking points will be shared with Laura Phillips-Garner so that she can incorporate them into a revised version of the document.

12) ECOP/4-H Task Force
Decision/Action: Don provided a background on the purpose and priorities of the ECOP/4-H Task Force as well as their role in mobilizing federal funding through three key areas:

1) Youth Obesity
2) Youth in Governance
3) Science and Technology

Don noted that the current resource development strategy is not on track. He shared that Cathann would like to be more involved in working with the federal agencies to obtain support so that the Task Force can concentrate its efforts on Capital Hill. There is great concern on the Task Force regarding the privatization issue and the feeling is that the university presidents may not understand 4-H as well as they should. Furthermore, ECOP does not fully understand the potential of the Trust as the unified voice of the 4-H movement.

Finding ways for the Trust to connect with the ECOP/4-H Task Force to continue to advance the movement needs to be a priority.

Follow up: Jennifer will contact Linda Benning to obtain an organization chart of the Task Force that can be shared with the Trust.

13) Effective Communications for the Leadership Trust
Decision/Action: The number of face to face meetings per year will remain at four. In addition, monthly conference calls for 2004 will be limited to one hour and will be focused around a smaller number of key issues to maximize time. Members can

continue to make use of the Trust's intranet site (http://testserver/trust) in between meetings as well as the listserv (leadership@4hlists.org).

Follow up: Jennifer will draft a call and meeting schedule for 2004 to be shared with the Trust for comment. An updated action register will be sent out via email following the meeting.

14) Developing a system-wide media release form
Decision/Action: The Trust reviewed the current media release form as used by National 4-H Council and briefly discussed the timeframe covered by the release as well as appropriate internet usage.

Follow up: Trust members will check with their individual states regarding the possibility of using a standard release form that can be applied system-wide. Responses can be sent to Jennifer for tracking.

15) 4-H and Religion
Decision/Action: The Trust will consider the issue of 4-H and religion by focusing on the importance of inclusion in all 4-H Clubs. The Club experience should be one that is open to members of all backgrounds and creeds.

Follow up:

a.	The Trust will review the policies that currently exist regarding religion and spiritual issues in 4-H for
	greater awareness and change, if needed.
b.	Susan and Jennifer will inventory those materials that 4-H has produced on the issue and will share
	their findings with the Trust.

Next Executive Committee Call: August 14, 2003
Next Monthly Conference Call: Augsust 28th, 2003
Next Quarterly Meeting: October 22nd- 24th, 2003 - Washington, DC

ADDENDUM

National 4-H Youth Directions Council Update

As presented to the National 4-H Leadership Trust
July 24, 2003

The first priority is to continue to give youth a stronger voice in decision-making and governance. Over the summer, N4-HYDC has lobbied for youth positions on several bodies. The Executive Directors attended the final meeting of the National 4-H Strategic Directions Team with Anna Monroe of Oregon and Nekeisha Randall of Georgia. They are also currently working on placing those youth who were selected to serve on this group at the 2003 National 4-H Conference in positions where they will be able to continue their service at the national level. N4-HYDC Regional Representatives are attending State 4-H Program Leader meetings this summer to serve as the youth voice at the table in addition to sharing a presentation aimed at making N4-HYDC State Representatives much more effective resources. Finally, Sydney and Kyle recently met with the youth programs coordinator of Habitat for Humanity to share ideas and resources to make a newly created youth advisory group more effective.

The second priority is to work closely with state and local 4-H programs to more effectively utilize the resources of N4-HYDC State Representatives. Work is currently underway on a packet to be distributed to county 4-H youth development professionals to share information on the program and their state N4-HYDC representative. Also, the finishing touches are being put on a guide that will be given to State 4-H Program Leaders to serve as a quick reference guide to N4-HYDC. Finally, the Executive Directors are making a concerted effort to communicate much more closely with State 4-H Program Leaders.

The third priority is to expand and strengthen the internal organization to create a true national network of youth. Since many states were unable to send delegations to National 4-H Conference, N4-HYDC is a much smaller group this year. However, the Executive Directors are working to get some of these states without representation involved in the program by setting up training sessions around the country. Lindsay Archer, North-Central Regional Representative and Ohio's N4-HYDC Representative, led the first such effort at the North Central Region State 4-H Program Leaders meeting in Columbia, Missouri. She trained a Missouri 4-H'er, Stephanie Schindler, on youth-adult partnerships, youth voice, and her role as an N4-HYDC State Representative one day during the meeting. Thanks to this innovative approach N4-HYDC now has 38 members representing 37 states.

In addition to expanding the organization, the Executive Directors are strengthening the existing internal organization. The N4-HYDC website, www.n4-hydc.org, is being overhauled to serve as a better promotional tool while being much more of a resource for N4-HYDC members, 4-H professionals, and those not involved with the program. An incentive system is being created to better motivate N4-HYDC members throughout the course of the year to make a bigger difference in their states and communities. Final arrangements are being made for the N4-HYDC Leadership Team Retreat to be held September 5-7 in St. Louis, Missouri where Leadership Team members will work to strengthen N4-HYDC. Sydney and Kyle are also searching for a way to reconnect with N4-HYDC alumni in order to use them as resources as they begin their professional careers. Finally, the Executive Directors are compiling the first N4-HYDC Quarterly Report for 2003-2004 which will be distributed throughout the 4-H system in the coming weeks.

The fourth and final priority for the year ahead is to provide the programmatic planning of the 2004 National 4-H Conference. The Executive Directors have begun taking the initial steps in planning Conference by meeting with Cathann Kress and Don Floyd to discuss N4-HYDC's role in Conference. N4-HYDC will be responsible for the programmatic aspects while CSREES will continue to run the logistical aspects of Conference. The Executive Directors will be putting together a Conference Planning Team in the coming weeks to select a date for the event and begin planning.