Manson Grange Youth Fair participants prepare for Chelan County Fair

MANSON – For the 22 young members of the Manson Grange Youth Fairs program, preparing for the Chelan County Fair is about more than getting animals ready for competition. It is an opportunity to learn responsibility, public speaking, preparation and the value of hard work.

The Manson program, which began in 2022, includes youth from age 5 through eighth grade. This year, members will exhibit pigs, goats, chickens and rabbits, along with still-life projects such as photography and artwork.

“There are many things to prepare for,”  said Norm Manly, who leads the Manson Grange Youth Fairs program. 

“Raising animals, working on still life projects like photography, art work, etc,” he said. “All animals will be in cages and each cage will be decorated to the Fair’s theme of“Stars and Stripes and Carnival Lights”. 

The youth also have been preparing demonstrations that they will present at Grange meetings and at the fair as part of competition.

Preparing for the fair also means learning and following its rules.

“There are many rules at the Fair and our youth need to be aware and prepared to deal with them,” Manly said.

One challenge this year came from outside the program. A cyberattack affecting Chelan County shut down communications for several weeks, while the Chelan County Fair website was unavailable.

“We had to scramble to get our Fair forms and payments turned in on time,” Manly said.

Among this year's exhibitors is 8-year-old Lillian LeFebre, a new member of the program who will bring a goat to the fair. Her project marks a first for the Manson Youth Fairs program.

“This is the first goat the Manson Youth Fairs kids have shown,” Manly said.

The program is designed to give young Grange members an educational experience while preparing them to participate in county fairs and expositions. The Grange Youth Fair program works alongside established youth agricultural programs such as 4-H and FFA.

Manly sees the Manson program as particularly similar to 4-H, although the programs have some differences. The Grange does not have a horse program, for example, and Manly encourages participants to pursue FFA when they reach ninth grade.

“We are preparing students to be excellent candidates for FFA,” Manly said.

For Manly, developing responsible young people is the central purpose of the program.

“My main goal in starting this program is to make these youth folks responsible citizens,” he said.

That means setting high expectations for participants. Meetings are conducted using Robert’s Rules of Order, and a public-address system is used during meetings and when youth give demonstrations.

“We keep the bar high and our kids succeed all the time,” Manly said.

The program emphasizes confidence, character, leadership, public speaking, creativity, self-discipline, responsibility and cooperation. It also gives youth opportunities to participate in community service and build friendships.

Those lessons are particularly important during fair season, when preparation and patience are tested alongside the excitement of competition.

“Fair is an exciting time for our youth,” Manly said. “Days are long with some boredom between busy times. Tons of ribbons are awarded each year and students work hard preparing for events.”

Manly's goal for this year's fair is not simply to see participants collect ribbons.

“My goal for our kids is that they make a good effort competing in events and showing their animals,” he said.

He said one of the most rewarding parts of the program is hearing positive feedback from people at the fair about the young exhibitors.

“A big reward for me is hearing from people how well behaved and prepared our kids are for the fair,” Manly said. “Winning is always great but for me, hearing from others how well our kids represent our program while having a good time at the fair.”

The lessons begin long before the fairgrounds open. Raising and caring for animals requires a yearlong commitment, while other projects require youth to practice, prepare and learn how to present their work.

“Number one is learning how important it is to prepare for the fair,” Manly said. “Success builds success. Learning this at an early age will help them throughout their lives.”

The Manson Grange Youth Fairs program is part of the broader Grange organization, a family and community organization with roots in agriculture. The National Grange was founded in 1867, while Manson Grange was established in 1923.

For the young exhibitors, the Chelan County Fair provides a chance to put months of work on display and share what they have learned with the community.

“Our kids work hard getting ready for the Fair,” Manly said. “Raising and caring for animals is a year long duty.”

He encourages fairgoers to take time to see the exhibits and attend the youth demonstrations.

“I would encourage folks to find out when students will be giving demonstrations and attend,” Manly said. “We have a great group of students. I’m very proud of each of them.”