Today is Valentine's Day, and many of you are making plans for that special person. There is a group of people in the county that are also making plans, but for an entirely different reason.

The Board of Directors of the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair held their annual meeting at the fairgrounds last week in order to officially begin their plans for the upcoming county fair. Although they meet the first Tuesday night of every month, according to their constitution and bylaws the February meeting is their annual meeting. This is when they elect officers for the coming year and when they present a few awards.

Officers for the coming year include Coble Wilson, Jr. as President, Buddy Jones as Vice-President, Marie Gibson as Treasurer, and Allen Faircloth as Secretary. Irene McDuffie was presented the Alfred Smith Friend of the Fair Award for her many hours of volunteer support of the fair, and for the way she assisted her husband, Howard McDuffie, who serves and the Maintenance Director for the fairgrounds.

Although planning for the next county fair actually began during the last county fair, the serious planning begins once the officers for the coming year are elected. The 62nd Annual Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair will be held October 2-11, 2008 so you can start now making your plans to attend.

Many people think that the Robeson County government owns the fairgrounds and operates the county fair. Actually, the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair is a privately owned 501(c)(3) nonprofit cooperation. The cooperation owns the entire fairgrounds and all the buildings and fixtures on the fairgrounds. Those that serve as members of the Board of Directors of the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair are the actual owners of the property. However, like with all other non-profit cooperations, the bylaws state that if the corporation is ever dissolved all assets will be distributed to other qualifying non-profit cooperations. So, no members of the board can ever receive any assets of the county fair.

The bylaws of the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair also states that the Board of Directors shall be made up of no more than thirty members, who shall serve without any compensation. There are currently twenty-five members of the Board of Directors, and all of them serve totally as volunteers. None of them receive any form of payment for what they do. Just like those of us that belong to civic clubs or church groups, they do what they do because they like it, because they gain personal satisfaction from what they can accomplish, and they enjoy being a part of a successful operation that has a major positive impact on the lives of so many people in Robeson County. Unlike many other boards, they do not even receive any pay for attending board meetings or other official functions of the cooperation.

The bylaws do allow for board members to be reimbursed for their expenses when they are carrying out the official business of the cooperation. So, board members get all the Pepsis they can drink and are reimbursed for the meals they purchase on the fairgrounds while they are away from home during the week of the fair. They are reimbursed an established amount for the miles they travel to attend board meetings and other official fair functions, and to prepare their events for the fair. They are not reimbursed the allowable IRS mileage rate, but a reduced rate the board approved for itself.

Years ago the county fair operated totally with volunteers. The members of the Board of Directors did whatever needed to be done. But the county fair has grown tremendously during the twenty years. It is one of the largest county fairs in the state, the grounds cover almost 100 acres with three large buildings and five smaller buildings, and the grounds are used throughout the year not only by the fair but by dozens of other groups as well. Approximately 10 years ago the demands of this cooperation became so great that it was beyond the capabilities of the volunteer members to handle everything that needed to be handled. They hired 3 part-time workers, who are prohibited from serving as a member of the board of directors, to take care of the day-to-day operations of the cooperation and its properties. This includes an Executive Secretary and Treasurer to keep the books, a Maintenance Director to keep everything in working order and to supervise improvement projects, and a Marketing and Facilities Director to take care of property rentals and sponsorships. These are the only three members of this group that receive any form of pay, and by employment standards this pay is very low.

One of the reasons our county fair has been so successful during recent years is the dedication and devotion of this Board of Directors. They realized the need to get together as a group every year, way before fair time, to plan as many details of the fair as possible. After trying for several years to hold a weekend planning retreat in Lumberton, it became obvious that there were too many distractions here at home. The group learned that during the winter the rates for rooms and motels at the beach are very inexpensive so they decided to hold their annual planning retreat at North Myrtle Beach, a tradition they continue today. Several board members own their own personal condos at the beach so retreat expenses are reduced even more.

When this board goes to their planning retreat it is a time to work, not a time to play. They begin their planning Friday evening when they arrive, continue all day long on Saturday, and are back at it again on Sunday morning until they are forced to check out of the motel. When the weather is bad at the beach this is fine, but when the weather is good it is frustrating when everyone else is having fun and this group is in meeting rooms planning for the fair.

The plans of this group have been successful over the years because they have been able to manage their finances very closely. Their major source of income is the $5 admission that people pay when they visit the fair, a few fair sponsors, and rental fees for use of their facilities. In addition to trying to make improvements to the grounds and buildings each year so they are safer and more useful for the people of the county, there are many bills to be paid. Insurance, security, and grounds maintenance are the most expensive items to pay. In addition, a large amount is needed for advertising, entertainment, and prize money for the county fair. When their fair is successful this group also contributes a large amount each year to other non-profit groups such as Smyrna Volunteer Fire Department who provides fire protection for the grounds, United Way, the Robeson Shoot-Out, 4-H, and over a dozen others.

This group of volunteers could use a little help because they want to make the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair even bigger and better next year. If you think you would like to be a part of this group come out to one of their regular monthly meetings. Get to know the group, and let them know what you would like to do to improve the fair. You will enjoy the work, and you will enjoy working with the fair family.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 06/17/09