Hot Fun in the Summer Time

Is Your Chapter Going to Your County Fair?

By Holly Miller
NRL Field Coordinator

Your county fair this summer presents the ideal opportunity to let your community know that a chapter is active in the area and that pro-lifers are the people with whom they shop, work, and go to church. It's amazing what sitting behind a fair booth, just being yourself, does to enhance the image of the pro-life movement.

With a positive display and a joyful disposition, show community members that your chapter is a source they can trust for accurate, factual information. Your job in many ways is just to show that you are a good neighbor.

Rural America harbors many people who are naturally pro-life, so greet them with the facts on their home turf. By reaching out to an audience that will not come to meetings -- and that may not even know that your chapter exists -- you'll find many people listening to our message for the first time.

It's always a good idea to invite fairgoers to sign a petition to show their support for the common sense protective legislation the right-to-life movement advances. If the Senate has failed to vote on the Brownback-Landrieu ban on all human cloning by the time of your fair, contact NRLC for petitions.

Petitions are invaluable. They educate the public on pro-life bills and they also net you names of pro-lifers in your area. More fairgoers than you suspect will ask, "What can I do to help?"

In order to set up a booth at your fair, you first have to make arrangements with the fairgrounds, enlist plenty of volunteers to staff the booth, and secure the right kind (and amount) of educational materials.

Request space by filling out an application for the event and submitting it promptly. Be sure to carefully read and follow all rules, regulations, and deadlines.

Occasionally space is donated to select organizations, so by asking a church, club, or civic organization to sponsor or co-sponsor the booth, you may be able to reserve the space for free. If there are insurance regulations, try networking with an organization that already has insurance coverage, such as a Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis, etc. If unsuccessful, contact a pro-life insurance agent to further discuss the matter.

Try to obtain a good location near an entrance or other crowded area and check compatibility with other booths in the immediate area. One chapter had the same location for over 10 years. People remembered its location from year to year and sought it out!

Chances are the fair authorities will require the booth to be opened and staffed the entire time that the fair is open. Be sure you have sufficient volunteers and a pool of back-ups. Request the number of passes needed for all workers to get into the fair.

A distinctive, professional look will draw people to the booth, make a lasting impression, and promote awareness of the pro-life message. Select literature and videos in plenty of time.

Sometimes fairgoers are overwhelmed by information, so choose a theme and limit the materials displayed. Contact your NRLC state affiliate or NRLC for literature ideas.

Hand out free information on fetal development, the abortion and euthanasia issues, and information about the chapter. Provide chapter contact info on all outgoing material.

Play a taped recording of the heartbeat of an unborn child to draw attention to the booth. Accompany this with Shari Richard's ultrasound video, which is available on a loop that plays continually.

Balloons are a good way to draw attention to the exhibit. If there is room, have a child-sized table and art supplies for children to draw pictures of themselves and decorate your booth with their self-portraits. Quiz boards or "Test Your Knowledge" boards draw teenagers to the booth.

Most important, be positive! Confrontations or heated conversations prevent education from taking place and drive others away from the booth. You want to show that yours is the type of organization others want to join or seek help from.

For more detailed instructions or fair booth ideas, please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone at (202) 626-8809 or via e-mail at hmiller@nrlc.org.

While a few weeks of preparation and a week at the county fair may be time-consuming, the benefits to the chapter and community are colossal. There is nothing like a fair booth to confirm that your community is pro-life as folks stop by to applaud or thank you for your dedication to life.

And it truly is energizing to receive this affirmation while educating others on the great gift of life. One day, these people may be sitting behind your booth, spreading the truth to others.