| Policies and Guidelines |
Maine 4-H Program |
C.1.1 4-H Membership Age
The official age range for 4‑H Membership in Maine is 5 to 18. "4‑H Age" is defined as the age of the individual on December 31 for the current 4‑H Year. The official 4-H year runs from October 1 of one calendar year to September 30 of the next. Participation in Fryeburg Fair activities in October is considered as part of the previous 4-H year.
For example: If Johnny Smith is 8 years old on December 31st and turns 9 on January 1st, then in accordance with Maine's 4-H age policy, Johnny would be 8 years on in 4-H age for the current enrollment year.
At the discretion of the 4‑H Youth Development educator or professional, individuals who are older than 18 may be enrolled when it is mutually beneficial for the Maine 4‑H Youth Development program and the individual. For example, mentally-impaired individuals chronologically over 18 but who function at a developmental level that falls within the 5 to 18 4-H age-range could be enrolled as 4‑H members.
Every youth who joins 4‑H in Maine will be known as a "4‑H Member." Terms such as "pixie" are no longer used. 4‑H Youth Development Programs, events and activities need to be designed and conducted for specific ages within the official enrollment range. Therefore, it is acceptable, for example, to restrict a specific to 5 to 8 year-olds, the Maine 4‑H Teen Conference to 12 to 18 year-olds, or 4‑H Shows at Agricultural Fairs to 9 to 18 year-olds with special classes for 5 to 8 year-olds.
3/2009