State fair complaints

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How would you interpret the following statement? I should explain that this description is written as a class description..... not listed in the textile department rules.

Professional Quilter classes

Professional - For the purposes of the state fair is defined as one who engages in an activity for monitary profit such as hand or machine quilting, teaching or instruction, or engages in retail or wholesale of products pertaining to the art of quilting.

Entry into this department will be an acknowledgement of professional status and will prohibit entry in other classes. Entries in these classes will not win points toward sweepstakes.

Did you read it as anyone who quilts professionally MUST enter that catagory? Or did you read it as anyone who WANTS to enter that catagory should declare themself a professional?

My own personal interpretation of the statement was that if a person WANTED to enter that catagory they had to declare themself a professional and prove it by indicating they earned money from quilting.

The textile people read it differently. They read it as anyone who earns money even remotely from quilting MUST enter that catagory only.

So it boils down to a WANT or MUST interpretation.

It hurt my feelings because I was stripped of all my ribbons this year. All because of how it could be interpreted. I think I'm all over the hurt now and I want to do something to improve the fair for next year.

The catagories I entered.... original design and art/pictorial were not a part of the professional division. I entered the way I thought I should for the catagories. So now that I'm being forced to enter the professional class I can't enter those type quilts anymore. I must either start making quilts to fit that catagory or stop entering.

If I don't enter anymore what will I be saying to the quilters who like the fair? Did I stop entering because I was hurt and upset? Will anyone realize I stopped entering because the quilts I create can't be entered anymore? I love the fair!! I've always encouraged others to get their entries in so we could have a mini quilt show right here in this area. I would love to see more participation.... not less.

There is another problem with the professional catagory.... one that will eventually cause even more problems if it hasn't already. They lumped the professional hand quilters in the same class as professional machine quilters. They also require a person who runs a quilt shop to be professional too. Even if the shop owner does not make quilts for a living. I see a dozen different problems that are about to arise from this professional status catagory.

I was also given a challenge...... "If you think you can rewrite the rules and catagories to make everyone happy..... without increasing the number of classes.... and without increasing the number of problems.... we will consider using it next year." It was not an official challenge. Just one given to me by someone involved with the fair.

Now THAT'S a real challenge!

I'm very much willing to take that challenge and give it a try even if it wasn't official. Hmmm.... just how would I go about making the fair a really nice event to enter? I haven't a clue at this point. I've never been involved with writing catagory or class descriptions. In fact I've never done anything for the fair textile department other than enter quilts myself and encourage others to enter too.

I've thought about this challenge and I realize I can't fix it.... if I don't know what's broken. No problem can be resolved until someone knows what the problem is in the first place.

I'm asking for your help. Send me your fair complaints!

Here's your chance to grouch and complain to your heart's content about the fair textile department! Let it loose! Tell me absolutely everything that causes a problem for you at your own fair and how you would change it if you could.

You can send me emails either publicly or privately... with or without your name. A name and contact information would be nice.... just in case I don't understand what you tell me. You can send your complaints to me through snail mail too if you want. Email me and I will give you my snail mail address. I simply want to know what every complaint or problem is from as many people as I can possibly contact.

Once I get those complaints and problems in my hands I can begin to condense everything into one useable guideline. Am I making my idea understandable? I'm never sure how what I write comes across to others.

What I am doing is simply accepting the responsibility of gathering information and putting it into a useable and easily readable format to present to the fair board. So instead of the board members having to read 1000 complaints about one single topic.... I will have the topic written once and tell them there were 1000 people who said the same thing. Maybe if the fair board is not overwhelmed with soooo many things to read or screening sooo many phone calls they will be more open to changes. Get the idea?

How will I use the complaints about other fairs? Well, the idea is to put those into a condensed version of potential problems. Things that might happen because they have happend in other places.

Ok, I think I've stated my project and how you can help me. I'll end this post and hopefully get lots of replies over the next few weeks. I think the deadline for sending me your thoughts should be October 5th. This will give me plenty of time to get it all read and condensed before the deadline to present it to the fair board.

Thank you to all who are willing to help me with my project. I look forward to reading what you write.