Junior
Fair Board
Handbook
All the Info You Need
to Know!!!
Important Junior
Fair Board
Activities and Dates
Activity
Date
Pre-Fair Set-Up
(Lunch provided)
July 2, 9:00 a.m. – ??
Project Judging
(Pizza Afterwards)
July 3, 2:00 – 9:00 p.m.
July 5, 2:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Barth. Co. 4-H Fair
July 6 - 14
Adventure Day Carnival
June 11, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Kiwanis Dinner & Picture
July 13, 5 p.m.
Fair Clean-Up
July 15, 2 p.m.
Jr. Fairboard Dinner
July 17, 5:00 p.m.
Junior Fair board Code of Conduct
As a Member of Bartholomew Co. Junior Fair Board I agree to
uphold all of the rules and standings of the Bartholomew Co.
4-H and Indiana 4-H program.
 I will work to achieve the excellence that the 4-H
program helps youth strive for.
 I will treat all 4-H members and volunteers with the
respect that I wish to receive.
 I will set an example for the youth of Bartholomew
County that shows respect, care, and assistance to
everyone I come into contact with.
 I will be a trustworthy member of the 4-H volunteer
network who takes pride in all of the activities of 4-H
and the Fair.
 I will perform all of my duties with the diligence and
attentiveness that they deserve.
All of these things I will do for the betterment of the
Bartholomew Co. 4-H program and community in which we
reside.
X___________________________
Sign
Date
Junior Fair Board Responsibilities
Each Junior Fair Board member is REQUIRED to carry out the following
Attend ALL Junior Fair Board Training sessions. (If a session can not be completed,
member must arrange time to come into Extension office to obtain training.)
Oversee at least one 4-H project. (Most members will have two.)
Work at Pre Fair Cleaning and Set up.
Work at Post Fair Clean-up.
Work at community judging day, even if your project is not judged that day.
Other Expectations of Junior Fair Board members
Wear your Junior Fair Board shirt when working on Fair Board activities before and
during fair week. This does not mean you have to wear it every day. Please wash
between wears!
Be on time to all events. We are working with numerous people’s schedules and you
need to be available when needed.
Be able to direct those with questions you are unable to answer to an adult volunteer
or Extension staff member.
Be a helpful and enthusiastic Role Model for 4-H exhibitors. They will be the future
Junior Fair Board members! They look up to you; show them you care!
Attend Kiwanis Dinner on the last Friday evening of the fair. Make sure to wear your
Jr. Fair Board shirt, because we will be taking our group picture afterward!
Assist fairboard members whenever possible.
Help judging and other Fair events go as smoothly as possible!
Behave in a manner that reflects the good reputation Junior Fair Board strives to
maintain.
X
Sign
Date
Judging Day Duties Checklist
Before Judging
Set up station for judging. Make sure you have your Project
book, fair book, enough chairs, tables, binders, placement cards,
ribbons, tape, and pens.
Wait at your station and greet judge. Tell about ribbon procedure
and judging process.
_______
Review and be familiar with all project guidelines and rules to help
the judge with questions.
For Each Project
Check in each exhibitor in Project Book as they come in. Check
each member’s Record sheets for completion and initial that you
have reviewed.
Give Judge the correct comment card for each project.
Give placement ribbon to the exhibitor after the project is
judged.
Attach judge’s comment card to project with ribbon sticker on
right corner of card indicating what ribbon the project received.
During Judging
Organize all blue star projects in one area for Champion and
Grand Champion judging.
Make sure judge always has everything he or she needs!!! (drink,
snack, break) Do this OFTEN!!!
Help judge during final judging by setting projects out for each
division, grade, or category (depending on project) judged.
After Judging
Check books, make sure all information is filled out properly
(county sheets, state fair entries, champion and grand and Parade
of Champion’s sheet page).
Ask judge to fill out comment sheet. Fill out Junior Fairboard
Judge Evaluation Page. Turn in book to be checked. Judges
check will be handed to you when judges book is correct. Help
set up project display.
Place the actual Champion and Grand Champion ribbons on the
winning projects. Make sure they are secure.
Make sure all cards and ribbons are visible. Clean up your area
and help pick up building! GREAT JOB!
Livestock Project Duties
The Junior Fair Board member’s role with the livestock projects (beef,
swine, dairy, sheep, goat, rabbit, poultry, cat, dog, and horse) is quite
different than their roles with other projects. Therefore, it is important to
know the differences and expectations for the livestock projects.
Each livestock project has different dates for check-ins, weigh-ins,
and judging. It is important to know the dates for your project and
be present at all times needed.
Each project has a Fair Board Superintendent who is in charge of the
project and its judging. You will be working closely with the
Superintendent. Make sure you ask what is expected of you and
where you need to be when. The Superintendent is your biggest asset.
It is also your duty to announce at the show. If you do not feel
comfortable announcing, you may have your Junior Fair Board
assistant(s) announce. It is your job to provide the announcer!
Announcing entails: calling classes to the ring, announcing class
placements, and assisting judge with microphone for their
reasons.
As announcer it is your job to introduce the judge at the
beginning of the show and at least one other time throughout
the show. You should speak with the judge prior to the event
and get personal facts such as where they attended college,
career, family, and where they reside.
You also need to announce the donors of trophies and prizes
during the selection of champions and grand champions.
Be careful about what is said on the stand. The mic picks up a
lot!
Livestock judging events are quite hectic. While announcing it is also
your job to keep track of class placements. These must be put into
the Project Book just as in the other projects. You may keep track of
placements on the show bill and transfer them to book afterward.
Any complaints need to be handled by the Superintendent! Do not be
afraid to turn questions over to them or the 4-H Youth Educator.
Livestock Project Duties Checklist
Before Judging
Work at animal weigh-in and check-in (when applicable).
Help with setting up and breaking classes (ask superintendent
or 4-H Youth Educator).
Make sure classes are posted and corrected (if needed) outside
pavilion at least 1 hour before show.
Set out enough ribbons for show. Set up trophy table.
Help set up ring for show.
Make sure you have enough pens and show bills at announcers
stand.
During Judging
Introduce Judge.
Announce (call classes to ring, tell class placings, trophy
donors…).
Keep track of exhibitor placings and ribbons given during show.
Keep track of showmanship sign-up, break final classes, post
showmanship classes, and announce the classes and indicate
when Showmanship classes will begin.
After Show
Record all placings in Project Book.
Help with ring clean-up.
Return all extra ribbons to correct bins and clean-up announcer
area.
Junior Fairboard Need-to-Knows
Project Records
Project Records are records that the 4-H exhibitors fill out while
they are working on their projects throughout the year. The record
sheets on many of the projects are specific to the project and ask
questions about the project. For example, with foods project records
they may ask how many meals you fixed for your family in a month and
what you prepared.
Why and how to check Records
We check records to make sure that the exhibitors are completing all
of the parts of the projects other than what they are exhibiting. The
way you check the records is by quickly reading over each page and
placing your initials at the top of the record sheet for completion.
If records are not completed or are not finished, tell exhibitor that
they must finish their records before their projects can be judged.
There will be extra record sheets for all projects by the kitchen
office.
Junior Fair Board Assistants
Each Junior Fair Board Member is allowed one and sometimes two
assistants to help during judging. The assistant is there to help
organize and assist the fair board member whenever possible. You
may divide up duties such as the assistant attaches all cards and
places projects in correct categories while the Fair Board Member
checks records, fills out the book, and assists the judge.
Livestock Projects may need 2 or 3 assistants per project.
What the different ribbons mean
There are five main ribbons given out in most of the project judging.
They are;
 Blue Honor (this group is pulled to judge for champion)
 Blue
 Red
 White
 Green (Completion)
Most of the Projects will use Blue, Red, and White ribbons, but there
are some projects that give each entry a completion ribbon. These
projects also do not have champions or grand champions. They are
only judged on completion.
When a blue honor ribbon is given, the judge plans to consider the
project for Champion, also known as a BLUE STAR RIBBON. A star
sticker needs to be added to blue sticker on score card.
1 Champion and 1 Reserve Champion ribbon is given in each of the
project divisions. There are varying amount of divisions between
projects.
1 Grand Champion and 1 Reserve Grand Champion is chosen out of the
champions. When the grand is chosen from the group of Division
Champions, the Reserve Champion from the Grand’s division is brought
up to be judged with the other Champions for Reserve Grand.
State Fair Ribbons are given to those projects that the judge decides
to advance to the state fair. Judges have the final say in which
projects advance to the state fair.
How the ribbons are given out
The white, red, blue, and blue honor ribbons are given DIRECTLY TO
the exhibitor after their project is judged. The Champions, Reserve
Champions, Grands, Reserve Grands and State Fair ribbons are taped
to the projects and put on display during the fair.
State Fair Entries
Many of the 4-H project areas exhibited at our fair are eligible for
State Fair Entry. You can see if your project is by checking your
Regulations and Rules to see if there is a State Fair Section, or if you
have a state fair entry form in your Project Book. Each Project has a
different number of state fair entries. Read over how many your
project can send.
Filling out the forms
Checking in and Judging a project
1. Put an [X] in the exhibit box when project is brought up.
2. Put an [X] in the Record box once you have checked and
initialed the record sheets.
3. On middle top line under Grade/Ribbon write what ribbon the
Project received. Ex) Blue, White, or Red.
4. Put an [X] in the Honor group box if the project is awarded a
blue star.
5. If project receives a champion or reserve champion, write it in
under Award/Champion.
State Fair Entries
Inform Judge of how many Projects per division, grade, or
category (depending on project) are eligible for the State Fair.
Write name of Exhibitor in the Exhibitor’s name box for the
correct division on the Indiana State Fair Form.
If there is a Description of Project Box, place a brief description
of the Project in box.
Champions Page
Once all champions, reserve champions, Grand Champion, and
Reserve Grand Champion are chosen, simply write in the name of
the 4-H exhibitor with the champion Project in the line beside
their division, then fill in the name of the Grand and Reserve Grand
at the top of the Page.
‘Closed’ Judging
The selection of Grand Champion, Reserve Grand, and State Fair
entries is a CLOSED judging process. This means that participants
are not allowed to know the final outcome of judging until the
Community Building opens on the First day of the Fair.
If you have lingering watchers please inform them of the closed
judging policy and ask them to come back on the first Friday of the
Fair when the building opens at 5pm.
Let’s do some PRACTICE!!!
Exhibit Information
EXAMPLE: Susie Q. is exhibiting a painting in Arts and Crafts
General Crafts. She brought in her painting and you checked her
record sheets for completion. The judge gave Susie a Blue Star
on her Painting. Then, in Final Judging Susie received Reserve
Champion in her division for her painting.
See 4-H Judging Form to see how Susie’s Square should be
filled in.
Your Turn!
Billy K. is exhibiting a desk he made for Woodworking. He
brought in the desk and all of his records were completed. The
judge gave Billy a Blue Star for his desk. Then in Final Judging he
received Champion in the Senior Division, and Grand Champion
Over all.
Fill in Billy’s Exhibit Information.
State Fair Entries
Example: Mike Z. received a State Fair Entry for the Fossils he
brought in for his Division II Geology Project.
See Geology State Fair Entry for how to fill in Mike’s
information.
Your Turn!
Mary D. received a State Fair Entry for her canned crushed
tomatoes in Level C Preserved Foods. Her Tomatoes were in a
glass jar with a green and white checked fabric on top of jar
which matched her green recipe card.