Year serving as Rodeo general chairman was rewarding for Quick

SIKESTON, Mo. -- First-generation Sikeston Jaycee Jeremiah Quick described the annual Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, now in its 69th year, as a fun-filled reunion with 10,000 of one's closest friends.

"It's like reuniting a family," Quick said of the four-day event. "You see people you haven't seen in a year."

Quick, who completes his run as the chairman of this year's Rodeo on Friday night, has been working countless hours over the past year as Rodeo chairman -- and the year prior as Rodeo co-chair -- to bring top-notch entertainment, world-ranked cowboys and fun to the citizens of Sikeston and surrounding areas during this week's rodeo.

It wasn't until Saturday after the Rodeo parade, which kicked off the week's festivities, that Quick truly realized that Rodeo time was here and all of the year's work was starting to pay off.

"It hit me all at once," Quick said. "I had a moment. I had all the feels and everything."

On Wednesday, both Quick and his rodeo co-chairman, De Bizzell, were ready for opening night of the rodeo, which concludes Saturday night.

"It's kind of like the ball going down the lanes. We're just trying to be the bumpers and help it go where it needs to go," Bizzell said of his and Quick's duties as Rodeo chairmen. "Everything is looking good," Bizzell said. "... People are ready to rock and roll."

As co-chair, Bizzell said his duties were to stick with the chairman and help him with the day-to-day happenings.

"We have worked extremely well as a team in tackling where his strengths are and my strengths are. We feel like we've done a very good job of that this year," Bizzell said.

The general chair and co-chair also make sure their area chairmen have what they need and when they need it so that when the gates opened on Wednesday, the event is a well-polished machine, Bizzell said.

"This is a business we're running," he said. "We've been elected to run this business for a two-year period, and we feel we complement each other very well as a team, making sure our guys have what they need and reporting back to the general membership the financials and making sure we're on track there."

Historically, the general rodeo chairman completes his duties at Friday's rodeo, and the co-chair officially begins his role as Rodeo chairman with the Saturday night rodeo. As soon as the rodeo is over, work immediately begins on next year's rodeo.

"He's done a fantastic job," Bizzell said of Quick. "The whole purpose of the Jaycees is to build new leaders in the community. Jeremiah and I actually joined around the same time in 2012 and getting to work has been really neat because we're seeing how we've both grown as a leader in this organization."

Bizzell said it's been neat seeing how well Quick leads the Jaycees' "troops."

"It's been a great experience for me following him," Bizzell said.

The incoming chairman of the 70th annual Rodeo said he's learned a lot from Quick this past year, specifically about widening his vision.

"We have a mindset of getting too tunnel-visioned sometimes, and Jeremiah has taught me to widen that out beyond the events and the cause but also remembering to help take care of our members and volunteers," Bizzell said. "We need to remember to make sure they're getting the treatment we got -- the responsibilities and opportunity of growth."

The Jaycees teach leaders how to give back, he said.

"He's done a fantastic job giving these young leaders responsibility and then cutting them loose," Bizzell said of Quick.

The feeling is mutual.

"It's been a fun time together," Quick said. "I have a guy who has my back and/or my hip. My weakness is his strength."

Something Bizzell has been able to do for Quick this year is keep potentially stressful situations light by making timely jokes or light-hearted comments, which Quick said, he's very much appreciated -- and needed.

"De is extra smart and a big-numbers guy," Quick said.

A lifelong resident of Southeast Missouri, Quick was born and raised in Scott County, Missouri -- in Blodgett, Missouri -- Quick said he attended the Rodeo as a child and patron before joining the Jaycees.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to be the 2021 Chairman of the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo," Quick said. "This Rodeo was built on the hard work of its members and the leadership of an excellent line of past chairmen."

Some of the most important missions of the Sikeston Jaycees include service to the community and giving back, Quick said. Seeing firsthand the results of our efforts and what it means to the community has been personally rewarding, he said.

"Many of our small businesses rely on Rodeo Week every year," he said.

The self-employed barber thanked his clients for adjusting and understanding his modified hours over the past year while he served as chairman and tended to rodeo tasks.

"There were lots of lots of meetings, phone calls and this and that," Quick said.

He's also enjoyed every minute of being a Jaycee and serving as the Rodeo chair, he said.

"A significant amount of time and effort goes into the Rodeo each year to make sure our patrons get the best entertainment package we can possibly give them," Quick said. "Many people do not realize that the Jaycees hold a large scale, multiday event but we only have one employee."

The rest of the workforce putting on the event is made up of volunteers from local individuals, schools, churches and civic organizations, he said.

"The Jaycees you see working at our Rodeo sacrifice their own personal time all year long to make sure we can have a Rodeo in August along with our other events throughout the year," Quick said. "Without our fans and volunteers, the Rodeo would not be here."

And without Jaycees' family members, the Rodeo wouldn't be possible either, Quick said.

"Every member spends a considerable amount of time making sure this Rodeo is a success while our families hold down the home front," Quick said. "They also understand the importance of this event to the community and afford us the time to make sure it is a success year in and year out."

Quick said he wanted to personally thank his wife, Sarah; their children, Jeremiah Jr., 10, and Della, 8; his parents and family; and the entire community.

"If it wasn't for them and their support," Quick said, "there's no way this rodeo would be going on this week and for the past 69 years like it has."