Roles, Duties, and Expectations

The most important duty of the Department Chair and Superintendent is to make the Fair a positive and educational event for all participating as well as maintain a professional level of courtesy, respect, and objectivity in all Dane County Fair activities. Please keep this in mind during the Fair.

All Department Chairs and Superintendents are required to review this handbook and complete the form below upon joining a department and prior to that year’s Fair.

The Fair Office appreciates your time and commitment and is here to support your role by any means necessary. Contact the Fair Office (info@danecountyfair.com) if you have any questions or concerns before, during, or after the Fair.

Department Chair

• Be a leader in their area and knowledgeable of the many facets the project area encompasses.
• Manage Department duties during the Fair and during the year.
• Recruit and coordinate Superintendents and other volunteers to assist with the Department for entry check-in, judging, and check-out days.
• Mentor Superintendents to potentially manage the Department in the future.
• Provide information to Fair Management as detailed herein and as requested.
• Work with youth exhibitors to provide an educational environment.
• Work with Fair Management and Entries Team to set up project display/stalling areas.
• Yearly Responsibilities for Chairs:
  • Communicate with the Fair Office on Department schedule, comments, concerns, judge suggestions, needs, rules and regulations, etc.
    • Judges are selected by the Fair Office but appreciate suggestions from Department Chairs and Superintendents. Judges are different each year.
  • Assist youth exhibitors with Department questions pre-, during, and post-Fair.
  • Arrange for pre-Fair meetings and/or weigh-ins with Department Superintendents as/if needed.
  • Confirm Department Sponsors solicited by Department, and send to Fair Office to include in Premium Book by November 1 each year.
  • Complete Fair Premium Book review and revisions by Fair Office deadline (by end of January).
  • Submit Department changes for equipment, displays, and setups to Fair Office (by May 1 preferred).
  • Assign Department duties during Fair to Superintendents/Volunteers.
  • Submit budget requests for awards, etc. to Fair Office by September 1.
  • Submit Premium Book change requests and Judge suggestions to Fair Office by November 1.

Department Superintendent

• Be knowledgeable of their Department and work with youth exhibitors to provide an educational environment.
• Coordinate the needs of the Department with the Department Chair.
• Attend the Fair as coordinated by the Chair.
• Recruit volunteers to assist within the Department.
• If needed, assist Chair with confirming Department Sponsors solicited by Department, and send to Fair Office to include in Premium Book by November 1 each year.
• Communicate any concerns/issues to Fair Management.
• Submit Premium Book change requests to Fair Office by November 1.

Youth Superintendents

• Assist with Department duties during the Fair.
• Submit Department modifications and/or Premium Book change requests to Fair Office by November 1.

Departments

• Animal Departments: be on-site in July for move-in day and all 4 days of the Fair to assist with protecting animal projects, shows, and educating attendees on the project areas.
• Non-animal Departments: be on-site pre-Fair for judging day and on Sunday of the Fair for project check-out.
• If you are away from your Department and do not have another representative on-site, make sure to let the Fair Office know in case there is an issue during your absence.

Selection of Chairs & Superintendents

• The majority of the Department Chair/Superintendents cannot be made up of individuals from one club, chapter, or family, unless approved by the Fair Board.
• The Fair Board of Directors shall confirm all Department Chair(s) and Superintendent positions and approve all department actions.
• If a Department Chair is not designated, a Superintendent(s) will act in all capacities detailed herein.
• If vacancies occur in the Department Chair(s) and/or Superintendent positions with no successor, the current Department Chair and/or Superintendents must create a list of potential candidates to fill the open role(s). The list is submitted, with the selected candidate(s) noted, to the Fair Office for the Fair Board’s review. The Fair Board will then approve/deny the selected candidate(s) and the Fair Office will inform the Department Chair/Superintendents of the Fair Board’s decision.

1. Chairs/Superintendents are encouraged to suggest their own replacement(s) if they decide to retire from their role(s) within the Department. The Fair Board will make the final decision on the Department Chair(s) and/or Superintendent.

2. If a Chair or Superintendent decides to retire from their role, the Fair requests at least 6 months’ notice prior to the current year’s Fair.

3. If a department does not have role recommendations, the Fair Board will assist with filling the position.

4. If there is a short turnaround time on the decision, the Executive Committee shall view potential candidate and/or appoint a replacement to serve the department.

• The Department Chair(s) and Superintendent positions will be open for review by the Fair Board.
• A Department Chair(s) and/or Superintendent may be removed from their position for inappropriate conduct or a consistent lack of completion of assignments or expectations listed in the Department Chairs and Superintendents Handbook. The Chair and/or Superintendent may be removed by a majority vote of the Fair Executive Committee and/or Board of Directors, providing the allegations are substantiated. If a person is removed or resigns, the position could be filled by another person willing to fulfill the requirements and a super majority of 75% consent from Fair Executive Committee and the remaining Department Chair and/or Superintendents. The position could be left vacant as well.

Conflict Resolution Guidelines at the Fair

• To better support Department Chairs and Superintendents when managing conflict with youth exhibitors, their family members, volunteers, Fair staff, or other Departments, the Dane County Fair Association Board of Directors has organized a pool of Board representatives to assist the Departments in conflict resolution related to a Department dispute and/or Youth Animal Exhibitor Code of Practice violation. Most rule violations amongst youth exhibitors will not need a Board representative, but in the event that the Department requires one, please contact the Fair Office to discuss the issue at hand. The Fair Office will then appoint a Board representative from the pool to mediate the situation and provide leadership insight. If you are unsure whether or not to involve a Board representative, contact the Fair Office.
• In all cases, the Department Chair must accompany the Superintendent as head of the Department when speaking with youth exhibitors and/or immediate family members (parents, siblings, and/or grandparents).
• For situations that do not require a Board representative, all conversations should take place in a private location, either in a Pavilion office space or in the Exhibition Hall appointed room as noted below and not in the showring, stalls, aisles, etc. The conversation and outcome should also be documented by the Department Chair and kept on record within the Department.
• For situations that do require a Board representative, follow the steps below:
  • Contact the Fair Office to request a Board representative prior to approaching the youth exhibitor and/or family, other individual, or group.
  • The Fair Office will then contact members of the pool to appoint a Board representative.
  • That Board representative will contact the Chair/Superintendent to discuss the situation at hand and plan of approach as well as schedule the meeting during the Fair.
  • Invite the youth exhibitor and/or family, other individual, or group to meet in a private location in the Exhibition Hall by the end of the Fair.
  • All discussions with youth exhibitors and/or immediate family members (parents, siblings, and/or grandparents), other individuals or groups must be held in the Boardroom in the Exhibition Hall on the second floor with the Board representative. The Board representative will document the meeting and outcome.
  • If the conflict is not resolved, the Board representative will report the situation to the Fair Office for further discussion. The Fair General Manager will then contact the Chair/Superintendent and all parties involved to discuss the situation in more detail and report back to the Executive Committee for a final decision.
  • Once a decision has been made, the Fair Office will report the ruling to the Chair/Superintendent and all parties involved, and if needed, send a formal written warning or suspension letter to the youth exhibitor and/or family, other individual, or group.
• If any other issues arise, contact the Fair Office, and work with Fair staff to settle any conflict.

Commitment