Outstanding 4-H Volunteer Awards and Officer Nominations

Recognizing volunteers for their hard work and dedication is very important to the 4-H Youth Development Program. Every county has outstanding volunteers who should be considered for these special awards.

The Outstanding 4-H Volunteer Nomination Form is included below and must be filled out for each applicant and submitted via e-mail to the State 4-H office. As this is a very competitive award, letters of support and detailed information about the nominee’s 4-H Volunteer work are encouraged.

The deadline for submitting award applications this year is January 17, 2025. Awardees will be recognized at the Annual 4-H Mississippi Volunteer Leaders’ Association’s Awards Banquet, which will be held March 15, 2024, at the Mississippi State University Bost Building B Conference Center.

Volunteers in the following categories will be recognized:

Harvey Gordon Rising Star Outstanding Volunteer Award – recognizes 4-H Volunteer Leaders with 1–3 years of service
Outstanding Volunteer Leader Award – recognizes 4-H Volunteer Leaders with 4-10 years of service
Ruby Beckley Lifetime Outstanding Volunteer Leader Award – recognizes 4-H Volunteer Leaders with more than 10 years of service

Kenneth Cook Award

The Kenneth Cook Award was established to recognize Extension employees who have gone the ‘extra mile’ and demonstrated strong support for the Mississippi 4-H Volunteer Leaders' Association and 4-H Volunteers across the state. The recipient is selected by the MVLA Board.

MVLA Officer Nominations

Nominations will be accepted for Registered 4-H Volunteer Leaders who would like to run for an officer position with the Mississippi 4-H Volunteer Leaders’ Association. This year, nomination forms are due in the State 4-H Office by January 17, 2025.

All elected officers will be voted on during the Business Meeting held at the MVLA Annual Leadership Conference according to the following schedule: the Vice-President and Parliamentarian will be elected annually. The President-Elect and Secretary will serve two year terms and will be elected on even years. The Treasurer will serve a two year term and will be elected on odd years.

Four (4) Assistant District Coordinators will be elected by MVLA members from their specific Extension Region at the Business Meeting held at the MVLA Annual Leadership Conference. Assistant District Coordinators must live in their respective District and must be a member of MVLA. This position is a three (3) year term in which they will serve their first year as Assistant District Coordinator, their second year as the District Coordinator-Elect, and their third year as the District Coordinator.

Candidates must be a Registered 4-H Volunteer Leader to be considered for an MVLA office. Candidates must also be prepared to make a three-minute speech during the Business Meeting on Saturday morning at the MVLA Annual Leadership Conference. The MVLA Officer Nomination form should be returned to the State 4-H office by the date indicated on the form.