The Role of 4-H Volunteer Leader in the Eastern Region

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to find out the socio-economic backgrounds of 4-H volunteer leaders and their roles on 4-H club activities and problems and recommendations on running 4-H club activities. The sample of the study included 187 4-H volunteer leaders in 8 eastern provinces. Data were collected through questionnaires, chi-square method was used for data analysis. The result of the study were as follows : Socio-Economic background of the volunteer leader. The majority of 4-H volunteer leader were male with the average age of 43.5 years and of them were Buddhist. Most of them had completed 4 years of primary education. They were community leaders or assistants. The average size of a family was 7 members. Most of the volunteer leaders worked in farms with average income of 185,000 baht per family/year. They were willing to be volunteer leaders because they loved to work with children and utilize their leisure time. The actual roles of volunteer leaders were project/activity introduction : such as introduced more activity developing their knowledge, support their financial, provided new equipment, new membership and solve the members’ occupational problems. In the other hand they also gave the recommendation and set implementation plan with the group, such as meeting, work plan an arranged other activities. Volunteer leader also had activity participating in community development programs and social activities, supported their study tour, their ability in market information for group production on the certain events. They provided knowledge about how to select and treat the plant and the animal varieties and emphasize coordination between government organization and provided resource person to teach for agriculture subjects. Problems accounted were : a) members had no time to participate in the group activities; b) some members were too young, groups were too small; c) lack of fund for investment and group activities were uncontinuously, shortage of water supply, unsuitable site for group projects, no the educational background of volunteer leader. The interest of members to work on the project was related to the age and education of the volunteer leader statistically significant at the .01 level.