An evaluation of the 4-H master livestock volunteer program in Texas

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of Master Livestock Volunteer program participants regarding the effectiveness of the program, their role in the county 4-H volunteer program, and the role of various stakeholders in livestock project decision making. A census was attempted of the 242 possible participants. Using recommendations from Dillman (2000), master volunteers were contacted by email if available and via mailed questionnaire. This process yielded a 38% response rate. Follow-up methods increased the response rate to 52.4%. The volunteers indicated the programs was of high importance and effective. Findings included that volunteers perceived their most influence came in the selection of feeds. The educator role was the one most involved in the decision making process of the livestock projects, followed by the manager role, leader role, and various servant-type leadership roles. Volunteers ranked stakeholders' influence on livestock project decisions, with the youth and the parents as most influential followed by the CEA, the volunteer, and the breeder. The average participant reported nine years of overall volunteer service and two years of service as a Master Livestock Volunteer. Participants in this study were between 38 and 47 years of age.