Fair kids need to show appreciation for sales

With our county fairs wrapping up for the season, I want to make two points about the junior livestock sale:

1. Kids NOT soliciting businesses/people to buy their animals

2. Kids NOT writing thank you cards

With the current state of our economy and more and more businesses tightening their purse strings, spending money on things like the junior livestock sale is done to purely support our youth. Many small businesses in our communities are struggling to make ends meet but yet still show up to support the kids.

Over the last 13 years that I have been a buyer for the company I work for, I have seen a huge decline in kids making the effort to solicit businesses and an even bigger decline in kids showing their gratitude by sending out thank you cards.

When I first started representing my company as a bidder, I was inundated with kids who would come to my work and give me their speech about their animals. When it came time to bid at the livestock sale, I already had those kids’ names circled. I couldn’t buy them all, but I would at least give each of them add-on money (within my budget). Almost every one of those kids would send my company a beautiful thank you card, telling us about their animal and what they planned to do with the money.

Fast forward over a decade, and can you guess how many kids consistently solicit my business and send thank you cards? ONE! This one young lady has come to my business every year since she was old enough to be in 4-H, and every year she sends out the most beautiful thank you cards. She is now almost out of high school.

I know my company isn’t the only one who has seen a decline. I have talked to many businesses, and they are all seeing the same thing.

What has happened with our children and mostly our parents? Have we become so entitled that we do not feel it is important to go around to businesses and introduce ourselves and then, in turn, thank those same businesses for supporting our endeavors?

If it wasn’t for the businesses in our little communities, there would be no junior livestock sale. 

Parents, the responsibilities ultimately fall on you to teach your kids the importance of the very things I am talking about. Sure, you can post your kids’ projects on social media. That is fine, but that isn’t the same as going door to door and actually talking to people. That manager or business owner takes it personal when a young kid comes up to them and tells them about their animal. That gives that person a reason to go and support that kid. Then when that business buys or gives a kid add-on money, a thank you card shows that business the kid was actually grateful.

In my case, over the last eight years or so, I have kept a running tally of all the kids I have given money to. After the sale, if I do not receive a thank you card from those kids, they get a big strike through their name, and I will no longer support them. Needless to say, my list of kids I will no longer support is getting pretty big.

Parents, it is your job to teach your kids the importance of showing gratitude and helping these kids to get out and talk to people. Kids need to learn that not everything should get handed to them.

Too, it shouldn’t be thrown on the shoulders of their 4-H or FFA leaders (granted, it needs to be addressed by their leaders), to make sure these kids are hustling up business and writing thank you cards. It starts at home!

Also, parents and kids, take the time to thank your 4-H/FFA leaders and all the great people who donate their time to put on the county fairs and livestock sales. Just like the businesses, if it weren’t for them donating their time and knowledge, you wouldn’t have a place to show and/or sell your animals.