Past National Collegiate 4-H Conferences
National Collegiate 4-H Conference
A National Collegiate 4-H Conference has been held annually since 1973.
2007- Baton Rouge, Louisiana – hosted by Louisiana State University. The theme was "Rally in the Red Stick" and the entire conference showcased Louisiana culture and cuisine. The service projects included staining a fence in the children’s playground area at Torres Park in Chalmette, landscaping work at Chalmette High and on the St. Claude Avenue neutral ground in Arabi. During the National Business Meeting, the Strategic Planning Committee was dissolved and a set of bylaws were added to the national constitution.
2006- Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio State University The theme was "Celebrating the Past, Constructing the Future." Conference delegates particpated in service projects with Operation Military Kids, Ohio 4-H’s University District 4-H office, and the Memory Project. "Resource Library for the 4-H Community" and Operation Military Kids were adopted as the National Service Projects of Emphasis for the year. The NAB was restructured to include an additional representative from each region and add committee liasions to NAB. The Taskforce released their report and a National Collegiate 4-H Strategic Planning Committee was announced as being formed later in the year to create a Strategic Plan for the national organization. Resolutions passed for NAB to reorganize the National Constitution into Bylaws and also create a recognition and achievement committee.
2005- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – West Virginia University. Conference Delegates conducted a youth literacy project called "Reading Partners." The National Collegiate 4-H Taskforce was formed and resolutions passed involving the NAB creating a Web Team and Advocacy Team for the national organization.
2004- Portland, Oregon– Oregon State University and Colorado State University
2003- Fort Worth, Texas– Texas Tech University, West Texas A&M University, and Oklahoma State University The National Business Manager position was created.
2002- St. Louis- Mizzou
2001- National 4-H Center– Pennsylvania State University and Rutgers University
2000- Denver, Colorado– Colorado State University The constitution was updated and amended and National Dues were put in place. Each of the four regions transferred their bank accounts to the National 4-H Council. The theme was "Millennium in the Mountains" and 150 delegates attended.
1999- Savannah, Georgia– Georgia Southern University and University of Georgia The theme was "Collegiate 4-H… on my mind" and there were discussions about the focus of Collegiate 4-H and its changing role in the 4-H program. Almost 200 delegates were in attendance.
1998- West Lafayette, Indiana– Purdue University
1997- Hershey, Pennsylvania– Pennsylvania State University and Delaware Valley College
1996- Bozeman, Montana– Montana State University There were over 130 in attendance and the theme was "Youth… America’s Frontier"
1995- College Station, Texas– Texas A&M University
1994-Columbus, Ohio– The Ohio State University
1993- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania– Northeast Region
1992- Tucson, Arizona– University of Arizona
1991- Athens Georgia– University of Georgia.
The 1990 National Collegiate 4-H Conference was held in Missouri. Based on a theme "Wake Up Your Dreams," the Leadership Conference placed emphasis on leadership development of the 12 and 13 year old youth; this project was an extension of the Project TRY. Approximately 90 delegates attended the conference. National Collegiate 4-H completed its reorganization at the conference by approving the National Collegiate Constitution and the National Action Board for 1990-1991.
The National 4-H Center in Washington, D.C. was the site for the 1989 National Conference. Nebraska was the Host State assisted by Delaware. This was a historic conference in that the National 4-H Collegiate organization was reorganized with a National Action Board providing leadership. The conference theme was "Leadership Bridges Experience with Success." The National 4-H Service project was Project TRY (Teens Reaching Youth).
South Dakota State University hosted the 1988 National Collegiate 4-H Conference on April 14-17 at Brookings, South Dakota. Collegiate 4-H recommitted its service to 4-H and Prevention of Child Abuse as the service projects. An Open Forum on the future of Collegiate 4-H was also held. The conference theme was "Fun, Frontiers, and Friendship."
The Ohio State University hosted the 1987 conference on April 9-11. Attendance dropped to below 150 for the second consecutive year and there were concerns raised about the structure and effectiveness of the National Organization. A new constitution was submitted, then later withdrawn. The conference theme was "Carving New Ideas."
Several Wisconsin collegiate 4-H clubs joined forces to host the 1986 National Conference on April 3-6 at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. With over 150 in attendance, the conference theme was "Look Beyond the Horizon."
In 1985, the National Collegiate 4-H Conference again headed to the University of Georgia on March 28-31. With over 200 in attendance, wrangling over the constitution ceased and yielded one of the shortest business meetings on record. The Blood Promotion service project was continued and "Building Your Empire" became the theme for Collegiate 4-H.
Purdue University was the host of the 1984 conference on March 1-4. Celebrating the tenth anniversary of being recognized by ECOP, several constitutional revisions were passed and the "International Year of Youth" was adopted as a National Service Project.
West Virginia University played host to the 1983 National Conference on March 17-20. The National Organization moved a step closer to financial security with the formation of the National Collegiate 4-H Trust Fund. Along with a major revision of the Organizations constitution, a new National Service Project- Blood Promotion was approved.
Moving west to South Dakota State University in 1982, the National Organization increased its efforts to involve former members by creating the national Alumni Association. The IFYE- International Program was accepted as a National Service Project, and it was approved to endorse the 4-H World Assembly in 1985.
North Carolina State University was the host of the 1981 National Conference. With 300 in attendance, delegates approved the Junior Leadership Program as a National Service Project. They also moved to improve the quality of its own leadership by modifying the selection process for national officers.
The 1980 conference was held at Iowa State University on April 10-13. With approximately 250 in attendance, the organization discussed, voted upon and adopted the National Collegiate 4-H Constitution. This showed a major change in the organization. The LEAP and International Programs were continued as service projects.
Colorado State University hosted the next National Collegiate Conference on March 22-25, 1979. A constitutional proposal was a step in a new direction for the organization. The LEAP and International Programs were continued as service projects.
The 1978 conference was hosted by the Ohio State University club on April 6-9. More that 200 attended. A Host Club Program was adopted as a National Service Project and GAP was revised and continued.
Pennsylvania State University hosted the 1977 conference on March 31-April 3. There were more than 300 in attendance. The seven consensus goals including Leadership, Service, Public Relations and input to ECOP were adopted. GAP was continued and the Bicentennial Trail was dropped.
The University of Missouri – Columbia was the site of the 1976 National Collegiate 4-H Conference. The Conference, held April 8-11, had 250 in attendance. The Generation Alliance Program (GAP) was adopted as a National Service Project and "4-H on the Bicentennial Trail" as continued for another year.
The 1975 National Collegiate 4-H Conference was held at Kansas State University. Developments and club expansion set precedence when Kansas State hosted the conference, April 18-20, with 275 in attendance from 32 clubs and 22 states. The first National Service Project, a collection of favorite songs bound in a booklet, was decided on as a new service project.
The University of Illinois at Urbana was the site of the 1974 National Collegiate 4-H Conference, held April 5-7. Much growth and interest was experienced with 125 attending from 16 clubs representing 13 states. It was important that interest and growth had occurred because a fast and strong growth was needed if National Collegiate 4-H was to survive the difficult first years. Workshops and discussion sessions were held as clubs compared what they did for activities and service projects. The official guidelines were ratified by the delegation. These were submitted and accepted by the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) in Washington D.C. in 1972. It was necessary for ECOP to accept National Collegiate 4-H if we were to use the 4-H emblem.
A National Collegiate 4-H Conference was held April 26-29, 1973 at the University of Nebraska -Lincoln, where members of 14 clubs from 11 states attended. At this conference, ideas were discussed and debated about the objectives and purposes of this new national organization.