Show societies battle to keep volunteer numbers up, bring in young people

However, the main challenge in keeping shows healthy remains the recruitment of new volunteers to carry on the organisation behind the scenes.

Although the Henty Show Society expected fires in the Snowy Valleys to impact numbers earlier this year, the event was a resounding success for the small town.

Show society secretary Kerry Small said strong crowds turned out on the day with flowers, produce and cooking stealing the show despite the challenges the drought and fires posed.

"We thought we wouldn't have much in the pavilion... but the produce and the flowers really stood out," she said.

"We haven't really had that great a problem."

Mrs Small said while the fires and drought were not permanent, the biggest concern for the society was succession planning, with an aging volunteer base set to eventually reach a tipping point without younger generations stepping up.

"We've got a strong committee but they're all elderly," she said.

"The only people that show any interest are in their 40s."

The Wagga show society has developed a strategy to engage young people with the formation of the Next Generation Group, a committee of young people tasked with bringing new ideas to the society.

Next Generation Group member and 2019 Wagga Showgirl winner Kate Webster said the group was mainly made up of university students, often from smaller towns who had grown up heavily involved with their local show.

Originally from Orange, Ms Webster said the group was a connection to her childhood after years of attending her local show and travelling to shows at Bathurst and Sydney.

"I loved going every year," she said.

"I guess it's a way of giving back."

She said in recent times the Next Generation Group had helped introduce successful attractions including the quick shear competition and junior judging with a focus on education.

The 24-year-old agriculture student said the bulk of the group was made of university students, many from smaller towns who had been involved in their local show before leaving to study.

Ms Webster said this meant they too faced challenges in maintaining numbers as senior group members graduated and moved away.

The junior judging has had three coordinators in as many years.

"It's always a challenge in any society to get people involved and keep them motivated," Ms Webster said.

"It's definitely our turn to rally up new recruits."

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She said the best way for any show society to bring in new volunteers was to get them engaged in their local show from a young age, by setting up a "drawcard for the kids" by giving them a chance to get involved doing something they are passionate about.

She said it was important for show societies to build a connection with their local community, especially through local schools.

"A lot of small societies do that really well," she said.

Ms Webster said most Next Generation Group members became committed to shows through that engagement as children, and it was important for experienced show volunteers to reach out to younger people who had potential and ask them to try their hand at volunteering or competing at a higher level.

Mrs Small said while the children of Henty were encouraged by junior competitions such as cooking and sewing, the town faced additional challenges in bringing in young people as volunteers with many leaving for regional centres for work or university.

"In bigger towns it's a lot easier... because we haven't got many young people," she said.

She said times of hardship like this summer were a reminder of the importance of country shows as a social outlet, with the afternoon entertainment at the Henty Show providing a backdrop for community members to catch up with one another.

"I think that's a big part of the local shows," Mrs Small said.

She said the show had the opportunity to bring together a diverse crowd in small towns while other major social outlets such as sporting clubs could only play that role for a section of the community.

"You don't have to be affiliated with the show to go to it," she said.