4-H to talk about the future with fair board

A Hill County 4-H representative said the youth development program is happy with how things operate at the annual Great Northern Fair, but is willing to talk to the fair board to see if any changes should be made.

"We're pretty much happy the way things are right now, " 4-H member Scott Chagnon said during the monthly Hill County Fair Board meeting, although he added that some changes could be made if desired.

"There are all kinds of different ideas floating around, " he said. "We have to get together and see what you guys want. "

The 4-H is a major part of the fair each year, with club members displaying projects and animals, competing in speaking events and other activities, taking workshops and presenting in showmanship competitions. The annual market sale is one of the fair's high points.

Fairgrounds manager Tim Solomon made one suggestion regarding budgeting. He said it might work better if the fair board set a line item for the Hill County 4-H to use at the fair, rather than trying to set different amounts for judging, premiums and so on.

If the board set a single line item based on how much it spent on 4-H activities this year, it then could be adjusted up or down as the budgets are set and the 4-H board could decide on how it would be spent.

"This is how much you have total, spend it however, " Solomon suggested.

Chagnon and fair board member Alma Seidel, a longtime Hill County 4-H organizer, said that would have to be presented to the Hill County 4-H Council.

Chagnon said that many ideas have been tossed around by the 4-H organizers. One possibility is adjusting when the different shows and events are held, and possibly shortening the organization's use of the fair facilities each year.

That could, for example, end with 4-H being done with the Bigger Better Barn by Saturday, opening it up for other events.

"We've discussed a lot of options, " Chagnon said.