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Constitution of the Knox County Agricultural Society

     ARTICLE 1- This Society shall be known by the name of the KNOX COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The object shall be to promote general improvement of Agricultural, Industrial, Mechanical and Educational interests of the County.
     ARTICLE 2- The Society shall consist of 21 Directors elected from each district: Each district to be composed of two townships as follows: Middlebury and Berlin, Wayne and Morris, Hillier and Milford, Liberty and Clinton, Miller and Morgan, Pleasant and College, Pike and Monroe, Howard and Union, Brown and Jefferson, Clay and Jackson, Harrison and Butler; and the three members elected from the City of Mount Vernon and seven Directors from the County of Knox.
     ARTICLE 3- The Board of Directors shall be elected for the term of three years, and shall be elected for the ensuing term on the first Wednesday in September. Any vacancy caused by death, resignation, refusal to qualify, removal from township or other cause may be filled by the Board until the next annual election, when a Director shall be elected for the unexpired term. The term of office of the retiring Directors shall expire and that of Director-elect shall begin, on the first Wednesday in September.
     ARTICLE 4- Members of the Knox County Agricultural Society must declare their candidacy for the office of Director by filing with the Secretary of said Society a petition signed by 10 or more members of this Society who are residents of the county in which the Agricultural Society is organized, at least seven days before the first Wednesday in September each year.
     ARTICLE 5- The Board of Directors shall meet annually on the first Wednesday of September, or within 10 days there after, and elect a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and such other officers as it may deem proper; the President and Vice President to serve one year and the Treasurer and Secretary one or two years as the Board may determine and until their successors are elected and qualified. The President and Vice President shall be Directors. The Treasurer and Secretary shall not be Directors of the Society. Before election of officers, the newly elected Directors shall qualify by taking the oath of office before a competent authority.
     ARTICLE 6- Any person a resident of the County and of legal voting age may become a member of the Society by purchasing a Membership Ticket. No membership certificate shall be issued to corporations, organizations, partnerships or firms. All Membership Certificates shall be issued in the name of an individual who has paid the required membership fee and only those persons whose names appear upon the Membership Certificate shall be considered members of the Knox County Agricultural Society and shall have the right to vote at the annual meeting of the Society, or hold office.
     (A) Each Agricultural Society shall
          (1) Place memberships for the following calendar year on sale no later than December 15th of each year.
          (2) Keep memberships on sale an average of 30 hours each week, at a place or places specified by the Directors, at least until 10 days before the annual election of the Society.
          (3) Announce the days and hours the memberships may be purchased and the place where they may be purchased in:
               (a) The annual premium list;
               (b) At least one newspaper of general circulation in the county or district concerned at least twice during the period of sale--once when the tickets go on sale and once no less than seven days before sale is terminated but no earlier than 21 days before sale is ended.
     ARTICLE 7- The president shall preside at all meetings of the Society and Board of Directors, preserve order, enforce the Constitution, decide all questions of order, and have the casting vote on any question where there is an equal division, the members having at all times the right of appeal to the Society or Board from the decision of the President. The President shall appoint Superintendents of various departments.
     ARTICLE 8- It shall be the duty of the Vice President to see that the Superintendents of the different departments discharge their duties and on failure thereof report the same to the President, he shall also assist the President in the discharge of his duties during the annual Fair. In the absence of the President, he shall perform all the duties of the President.
     ARTICLE 9- The Treasurer shall receive from the Secretary all monies collected by him, also he shall receive all money for tickets sold during the exhibitions of the Society and report to the Board of Directors or to the Auditing Committee, as the State Board shall require.
     ARTICLE 10- The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Society and the Board, all money due the Board, except for the sale of tickets by the Treasurer; keep a list of the members and their addresses; report to the Auditing Committee and to the State Board as required by its rules; and shall attend to all other business connected with his office as authorized by the Board. Copies of minutes of meetings and monthly Treasurer's reports shall be furnished to the Directors.
     ARTICLE 11- It shall be the duty of the Auditing Committee to receive in unbroken packages all Membership Tickets, tickets of admission to the grounds and to the Grandstand; to open and count all tickets, to invoice the Membership Tickets to the Secretary and to take his receipt therefore, and at the close of the Fair the Secretary and Treasurer shall make settlement with said Committee for tickets sold. At the close of the year's business said Committee shall audit the Secretary's and Treasurer's books and report the results of its findings to the Board of Directors.
     ARTICLE 12- The Board of Directors shall provide suitable grounds for holding the annual Fair, also a place for meetings of the Society and the Board of Directors; they shall prescribe the form and make out and publish all premiums to be offered.
     The President shall appoint awarding committees and make rules for the government of the same. The President shall have the power to appoint at least three, but not more than five, members to the Executive Committee. During the week of the Fair, any emergency which arises may be taken care of by the members of the Board who are on the grounds with the President present. The Board shall make rules and regulations governing the Fair, and Fairgrounds, and shall have the general management of the affairs of the Society, and do and perform all thing not inconsistent with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society. The committee members may sign contracts for one year only, unless they have the approval of the majority of the Board. (If any member of the Board of Directors absents himself from three successive meetings duly called without written notification to the Secretary unless actually prevented by sickness, his place may be declared vacant and the President may proceed at once to elect some suitable person, a member of the Society, and from the townships represented by said delinquent, to fill such vacancy.)
     ARTICLE 13- Awarding Committees to consist of not more than three persons for each class, shall be annually appointed by the Board of Directors, who shall examine the different classes of articles offered in competition and award premiums for the same under such rules and regulations as the Board of Directors may direct.
     ARTICLE 14- ALL articles offered for premiums by members of the Society must be owned by the person offering same, or by some member of his or her family, and all farm produce shall be the growth of the present year, raised or grown by the exhibitor.
     ARTICLE 15- Competitors for premiums, residents of the county, must be members of the Society or belong to a family of a member. Non-residents of the county may compete for premiums as provided by the rules and regulations.
     ARTICLE 16- Whenever, by publication in one or more newspapers printed in the county and by letter, one week's notice has been given by the Secretary by the order of the President or by the order of the Board of Directors, the members present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and shall have been given two-thirds of the Directors shall be required to be present to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

MEMBERSHIP
     Any person of legal voting age, a resident of Knox County $1.00 annually to the Secretary, for which Membership Ticket will be issued. The membership card entitles the member to vote for the Board of Directors of the Society at the following annual election held on the first Wednesday in September.
     An Exhibitor will be issued one Exhibitor Pass for $14.00.

COMPETITION
     Competition for premiums must conform to all rules and regulations of the Society.
     All animals and articles competing for premiums must be owned by the person in whose name the entry is made, or some member of the immediate family.

ENTRIES
     Entries may be made at the office of the Secretary, either in person or by mail, before July 10, 2007, and must be made on or before the times designated for the entries to close by the rules in each department.
     Entry cards will be furnished to the exhibitors at the time entries are made, which must be attached to the animal or article when exhibited.
     No animal or article entered for exhibition can be taken from the grounds before Saturday on the last day of the Fair, except upon permission of the veterinarian or Board member in charge of the Department.
     No person making entries or desiring to make entries will be permitted to examine the entry books until after all entries are closed.

JUDGES
     Judges will not award any article or animal a premium unless, in their opinion, it's worthy, whether there is competition or not.
     Judges will please see that the proper card is attached to the animal or article judged, showing the premium awarded.
     Also, the judges will see that the award is properly entered on the Judge's book.

EXHIBITORS
     All persons exhibiting stock of any kind and occupying sheds, pens or stalls will be required to have such shed, pens or stalls and a space of 15 feet in front thereof cleared by 8:30 A.M. on each day and kept clean during the day.
     An exhibitor attempting to defraud the Society in any way shall be prohibited from competing for premiums and if the Board is satisfied that a premium has been obtained by fraud, all premiums awarded such exhibitor shall be forfeited.
     All persons exhibiting purebred stock will be required to furnish pedigrees, if requested by the Judges.
     Exhibitors will not be allowed to interfere with the Judges. Any violation of this rule will forfeit premiums awarded.

PREMIUMS
     All premium checks will be given to each Department Chairman for distribution to the exhibitor upon cleaning his/her stall (space).
     This motion passed by the Fair Board Directors, May 4, 1977, at their regular meeting. Harry Rine, Secretary, Fair Board.
     Premiums are payable as soon as arrangements can be made after the Fair.
     Premium cards or ribbons have no value as to the payment of premiums, as premiums are paid only from the record of awards in the Judges book.
     In case the receipts of the Fair are insufficient to pay the premiums in full after paying the current expenses of the Fair, a pro-rated distribution thereof may be made, at the option of the Board of Directors.
     The following color cards and ribbons will be used to designate the award of premiums: Champion, Purple; First Premium, Dark Blue; Second Premium, Red; Third Premium, White; Fourth Premium, Pink; Fifth Premium, Yellow; and Sixth Premium, Dark Green.

PROTEST
     All disputed awards of premiums shall be decided by the Executive Committee, from which there shall be no appeal.
     All protest must be made in writing and filed with the Secretary within 24 hours from the time the award was made, accompanied by a protest fee of $10.00 which will be retained by the Society if the protest be not sustained.

PROTECTIVE MEASURES
     The officers will take every precaution in their power for the safe keeping of stock and articles on exhibition, after their arrival and arrangements on the grounds, but will not be responsible for any loss or damage that may occur.
     Exhibitors are requested to be on hand at the close of the Fair and look after their property.
     The Knox County Agricultural Society will not be responsible for any property or injury to persons attending the Fair.
     A police force will be on the grounds, both night and day, sufficient to see that the laws of the State and rules of the Society are enforced.

MISCELLANEOUS
     No disorderly or intoxication person will be allowed to remain upon the grounds.
     No gambling or games of chance or any immoral exhibition of any kind will be tolerated.
     All boys and girls under 18 years of age who do not have exhibits must be off the Midway by 11:00 P.M. or 30 minutes after the grandstand show is over if after 11:00 P.M.

NO ROVING VENDORS OR SOLICITORS
     No roving vendors or solicitor, acting for either a profit or non profit organization or on his own behalf, shall be permitted on the Fairgrounds except within the immediate area of the grandstand or coliseum for the purpose of vending food and soft drinks for the benefit of patrons attending scheduled events in the grandstand area or coliseum.
     The selling of official Fair or race programs by Agricultural Society, the Ohio Exposition Commission or anyone contracting with an Agricultural Society or the Ohio Exposition Commission to sell official Fair or race programs shall be exempt from this regulation. All solicitations for either contributions or sale must be made from within the confines of a booth or display unless otherwise exempted by this rule or rule 901-706 of the administrative code.
     Every concessionaire and agent shall work only in front of his own concession and shall not be over (4) feet from his concession while working.

LIVESTOCK SPECIAL RULES
     Tampering and / or misrepresentation as to breeding, age, ownership and any other irregularity in showing will be considered fraud and deception. Any premiums, trophies, awards or sale of money won by such exhibitor will be withheld.
     Any artificial means of removing or remedying the physical defects or conformation in any exhibition livestock, such as lifting and filling under the skin, use of string, artificial heels, etc. will be considered fraud and deception. The use of an artificial tail head or altering the natural color of a livestock animal shall be considered fraud and deception. Neutral coloring only may be used. All animals giving evidence of such treatment will be barred from competition at the Knox County Fair.
     Should fraud or deception be discovered after the animal or animals have been shown and prior to the sale, such animal(s) shall not be permitted to sell. The animals placing next in line at the show shall move up.
     Should violation be discovered after the sale, all money shall be returned to the buyer and the animal carcass shall be returned to the exhibitor.

TESTING FOR DRUGS
     The Fair Board shall have the right to require places 1 through 5 in each class of animals, or any other suspected animal, to be subject to examinations or tests as prescribed by the Board to determine if a substance has been administered to the animal to change the conformation or temperament of the animal.

Chapter 901-19 OHIO'S LIVESTOCK TAMPERING EXHIBITION RULES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO A LIVESTOCK EXHIBITOR OR ADULT ADVISORS, UPON REQUEST.

RULE VIOLATIONS
     In the question of a rule violation, the following due process will be used:
     The exhibitor and / or parties involved will be questioned by Fair officials. If it is felt a violation has occurred, Fair officials will make recommendations to the Committee members of the Knox County Fair Board that are appointed to that particular department.
     After the Committee hears the case and recommendations presented by the Fair officials, they will decide if the case should be brought before the full Board.
     In the decision of a case being brought before the Board, all parties involved will be notified of a hearing date with all parties having the right to present their case.
     Upon hearing the case, the Fair Board will make a ruling, When satisfactory evidence has been obtained by the Knox County Fair Management that any of the livestock rules have been violated, the exhibitor and / or exhibitor's family may be barred from showing in any future Knox County Fairs. The minimum number of years for barrment is three (3) years before the right to a review. In case any premium shall have been awarded to animals shown in violation of this rule, the Knox County Fair Board will request the exhibitor to refund all premiums, trophies, awards, ribbons and sale money under such violation. Unless fraud and / or deception are involved, all championship placing stand.