Students in eighth through twelfth grades in Sharp county are eligible to apply to become members of the Junior Fair Board and have input and hands-on experience with the Sharp County Fair. “Applicants must live or attend school in Sharp County and claim premium points in Sharp County,” according to the Sharp County Fair.
Mary Ellen Henley who is instrumental in the development of the Sharp County Junior Fair Board said, “We’re interested in having kids who want to be involved in responsibilities during fair week for everything from helping with check-ins or running errands to helping with presenting awards, handling gate money, operating scales, feeding and watering the chickens, helping food vendors with any concerns and directing parking.” Each member of the Junior Board team will be given a purple Junior Fair Board shirt so they’ll be easy to recognize.
She stressed that there would be a work/fun balance for members of the Junior Fair Board as many of the participants would likely be showing livestock or competing in pageants during the week. “We’ll work around their schedules,” Henley said.
A great benefit to students who volunteer is the scholarship that is being established that they will be eligible to apply for. Junior Fair Board members who complete the fair week will get credit for the year of fair board experience toward the scholarship, so when the time comes to apply, some students may have as many as five years invested and those recipients would receive larger portions of the scholarship fund that is available at the time.
A twist on the usual scholarship model is that these scholarships will be good for trade schools as well as college, so students can work toward hand-on skills in plumbing, electrical work, welding, or even farming if they’d like. And the Fair Board work also could be viewed as “experience” to a potential employer.
Mary Ellen Henley is interested in furthering the Fair Board’s Success by involving the next generation early. Sixty-two years ago, Bill Nix established the Nix auction at Ash Flat Livestock Auction, which is being worked by third and fourth generation Nix family members now. Henley is working to do her part to “follow in his footsteps.”
Applications, which must be turned in no later than April 30, 2021, may be picked up at the following locations:
- Ash Flat Livestock Auction
- First Community Bank in Highland, Arkansas
- Highland High School Office
Applications will need to be returned by email to [email protected]
