Community organizers

Walter Sprague
Art and Culture Reporter
 
Mike and Nancy McFarland are candidates for the 2021 Persons of the Year for the help they provide people in Weston County. Rhonda Stearns said they are always working behind the scenes, not seeking the limelight. For instance, they helped organize a picnic/dance in Clareton around July 4. Mike said the whole picnic was a blast. The Weston County Historical Society played a big role.
“We had about a whole four-hour gabfest,” Mike said, “It was the historical society
that brought all the food.
We just provided ice tea and some drinks.”
He said that neighbors from all around showed up. 
“Rhonda spoke quite a little bit,” Mike said, “Mike Jording, who works with the historical society, did a lot too.”
Mike gives a lot of credit to his Nancy for all the work on the Clareton event. Of course, Nancy deflected much of the credit back to Mike.
Apart from the dance and picnic, the McFarlands have also worked hard to organize businesses and ranchers to bring the Mini Rough-Stock
Rodeo to the Weston County Fair for the past two years.
“They work untiringly to organize, promote and present the mini rough-stock event,” Stearns said, “And other fun and entertaining events for Newcastle and surrounding areas.”
While the McFarlands give credit to the businesses and ranchers who supported the rodeo with advertising dollars and animals, they unquestioningly have been the driving force behind the exciting event. During the rodeo, Mike roams among the contestants and organizers, ensuring that everything is in place as the rodeo proceeds.
“Nancy and I started helping some folks here in town put on a kids mini-rodeo,” Mike said, “The second year we helped, I suggested bringing in the ponies.”
A big part of that help was their effort to go out and bring in a lot of funding for the event. Mike said that getting the money involved making some phone calls for a while.
“And then it just happened,” he said, “Many people just started hitting the ground running.”
Mike gave credit for the success of the rough-stock event to many other people and gave special praise to Dr. Michael Jording for helping them figure out how to get the rodeo off the ground and running, even during the COVID pandemic.
“They (the contestants) don’t even have to have any equipment.” he said, “And we don’t charge them an entry fee.”
“This is an opportunity to get those kids interested,” Nancy said, “That helps to keep the rodeo alive. If they like it, they can go on. There are plenty of connections for that. And, of course, safety is always in our minds. We don’t want anyone to get hurt. That’s why it sometimes takes a bit longer in the chute between rides.”
She also spoke highly of the ambulance service for always being on hand with paramedics and vehicles.
“We loved putting the mutton busting together.” Mike said, “But this year, we just let the sheep group together in the pen after they were ridden (by the kids). That saved us a lot of time overall. It could be a real problem getting the sheep out one at a time. But this year, we just left them in the pen with a sheepdog. That made things a lot easier when it was time to lead the sheep out.”
With people bringing in ponies and bulls from Riverton, a lot of help is needed, and the McFarlands recognize that the success of the event is the result of the hard work of many people. But the McFarlands have always wanted the event to be free. And it was going to be for the kids, not the parents. The vision to bring this rodeo for the kids to Newcastle was theirs.
“Mike always has the so-called hair-brained ideas,” Nancy joked. “Then he relies on me to get it started.”
Mike said they make a good team.
Stearns said that this giving, caring and generous couple are busy doing good in various ways all the time.
“They live sort of ‘off-the-grid’ and like it that way,” she said, “Because they never seek recognition for any of the many fine deeds they quietly perform. These kind acts are performed behind the scenes, and if they can accomplish a kindness of gifting without anyone even knowing the source, they are delighted.”
For the picnic/dance, and for the success of the Mini-Rough-Stock Rodeo and the plans to keep both happening each year, plus the many other kind deeds the McFarlands do quietly, they are deserving of nomination to the NLJ Person of the Year.