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Delta Fair Board Member of the Year
KENNETT, Mo. - The Delta Fair Board Member of the Year is honored for the nod.
Dale McClelland is a humble man who said so many others are worthy of the award.
“I sure don’t feel like Board Member of the Year,” he admitted. “But I sure am honored that they selected me for it.
“All the board members are super good,” he continued. “Everybody goes above and beyond to make this happen and be a good event for the community.”
Now in his “seventh or eighth year” as a director, McClelland supervises Ag Barn events.
He has the experience. Born and raised on a farm outside Paragould, Ark., both McClelland and his wife Sherry were instrumental organizers of the South Dunklin County 4-H Club at Cardwell.
“We got a 4-H Club started down there when our kids started getting big enough to show,” McClelland said. “We showed at several different fairs and shows.
“Like the SEMO District Fair and the Missouri State Fair,” he explained. “And it was nice. They had called us from the Delta Fair Board and asked us if we would be interested in being part of the livestock show here.”
And of course, they were anxious to help out and accepted gladly.
“We’ve had a successful year every year since we’ve been doing it,” McClelland beamed. “It’s grown a little bit.
“It’s kind of fell back a little bit with numbers,” he admitted. “But we have hopes that it continues to grow. Because everything we do is 110 percent. You know, for the kids. All the premiums and everything goes to the kids. All the sponsorships and all. It’s just a really good program and it kind of lets the general public see that these kids really put a lot of time and a lot of hard work into their their projects and these animals. And when they come out and show them and display them for the judges and the public to watch, it’s really good for the kids. And good for the public to kinda know what all goes into it.”
His life experiences on the farm provided McClelland with the know-how to lead and teach youngsters about ag-based living.
“I had livestock all my life,” he said. “We row cropped.
“I showed livestock the entire time,” he continued. “I was growing up and into my young adult years. I’ve continued to show until my kids got big enough to start showing. And then I directed all that attention toward my kids.”
The Ag Barn will be a busy place in coming days, and McClelland awaits those days anxiously, spiced with a heaping helping of excitement.
“Folks who come to the Ag Barn are gonna meet a bunch of friendly faces,” he said. “We’ve got some young exhibitors who are gonna be there that are more than willing to open their livestock pens up and let the people pet the animals.
“You know, they’ll talk to folks about them,” he added. “And answer any questions they’ve got. It’ll be a really good interaction between the youngsters and the general public. They’re gonna be more than willing to answer their questions and tell them what they’ve learned. What they’ve been doing. It’s just a good experience all the way around.”
That’s what the Delta Fair is all about. Good experiences for everyone.
Does the 2024 Delta Fair Board Member of the Year plan on slowing down?
“I’ve got a granddaughter,” he said proudly. “Within the next couple of years she’ll be showing.
“So I hope to do it until the good Lord takes me.”
Indeed.