WEYBURN – The Weyburn Agricultural Society will hold their annual general meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m., and are hoping to fill some vacancies on the board.
Volunteers on the board comprise a number of committees that organize events and programs for the Ag Society, such as the Ag Safety Days, Fair Days, Souris River Rodeo, the demo derby and Flavours of Fall, to name a few.
Some of the positions that need filling include the following committees: parking and policing; historian; junior work; photography; marketing and sponsorships; home products and finance.
Committee head terms that are coming up for renewal at the AGM include cattle; entertainment; gates; grounds; household arts, and the rodeo.
Tyler Metheral, president of the Ag Society, said their organization fills a very important role for the Weyburn area, and is encouraging residents to step up and help them out on the board.
“To keep Weyburn and the surrounding community thriving and making it a great place to work, live and raise a family, people need to invest back into it. Great communities come from great people who volunteer and help out in many different ways. The Weyburn Agricultural Society has been around over 100 years inviting the community to many different events over the years, all with volunteers. We are always looking for new ideas or how to refresh old ones, to help us educate and entertain our youth and community,” he said.
Metheral pointed out that their name need not keep city residents away. “Our name may turn some people away, thinking they have to be apart of the agricultural community, but it’s not true. We welcome anyone who wants to give back and invest some of their time,” he said.
Board member Brittany Stepp looks after organizing volunteers at events, such as manning the gates at the Weyburn Fair, and is currently filling in the Gates position which will need to be filled at the AGM.
“My favourite part of being on the Weyburn Ag Society board was volunteering for ag-related events. It’s so exciting seeing community members come out to see or learn new things. I’ve participated with Ag Safety Days, the Weyburn 4-H Beef Show and the light horse shows, seeing the stands get packed to watch rodeos and chuckwagon races,” she said.
Stepp has also served as chair of the 4-H judging competition, including a provincial competition hosted by Weyburn this past summer that brought 4-H members from across the province.
“Currently, my role on the board is to organize volunteers for events such as Fair Days or demo derbies. Organizing volunteers in the community for these events Is not at all time-consuming. It’s relatively quick to fill all the volunteer time slots,” she said, noting these events typically have two gates that need volunteers to man them.
“If anyone is organized or a quick problem-solver, this is a position that would be great for anyone who enjoys getting out and about, visiting and meeting new or experienced volunteers,” she added.
Youth board members are relatively new, and Grade 12 student Nikola Erasmus has enjoyed filling that role in the past year.
“I joined the board earlier this year in May through an application they had put out, looking for youth members. It has been an amazing opportunity for me to get more involved. I’m also part of the youth council and the Theatre Co-operative in the community, and this board has given me a completely different approach to things I can do for my community,” she said. “I feel that as a member of the board, I can bring ideas forward that will benefit the youth in Weyburn.”
Erasmus added that her fellow board members have been very welcoming of her and are very passionate about what they do.
“I would definitely recommend the youth to take part in this amazing opportunity and help make Weyburn a place they enjoy living in,” she said, adding she will continue on the board until she graduates in June.
Metheral encouraged anyone who would like to volunteer to come forward and be a part of the Ag Society board.
“Sometimes people don’t see that contributing a small amount of their time can really help out an organization and event. This is where you come in. So join the Weyburn Agricultural Society and help us to continue holding and growing events every year in this great community.
Invest as much time as you want to get out,” he said.
“I personally volunteer in the community to pay back for all the things other volunteers did so my family and I could enjoy living in Weyburn. I want to thank all volunteers who help out in our community in many different ways and all our sponsors who have supported us over the years,” he added.
Anyone who is interested in volunteering for any position on the board can email the Ag Society at weyburnagsociety@hotmail.com. For those who would like to help organize the 2024 rodeo, email to sourisriverrodeo@outlook.com .
