Newsletter
Monthly FFA Meeting
The monthly FFA meeting will be held on February 14th at 5:00 P.M. The new officer team will be elected by the chapter this night and will be installed into office. This meeting will take more time than usual, but it is very important to the chapter elect good leaders, so attendance by every member is crucial!! The meeting should end by 6:30 P.M. snacks will be provided by the chapter due to the meeting being so long. The Ag challenge will be Scavenger Hunt.
State FFA Officer Leadership Night
Thursday, January 13th, the chapter attended the Zane Trace State FFA Officer Leadership Night. There were 22 members that went from our chapter.
National FFA Week
In the past the FFA chapter has done the following for National FFA Week: Blue and Gold day, FFA member recognition day, drive your truck or tractor to school day, dodgeball tournament, FFA t-shirt day, teacher appreciation and Jacket/Official dress day. We will have a committee meeting soon to determine the what we will do for National FFA Week.
Ag Sales CDE
The Agricultural Sales Contest tests students knowledge and understanding in the area of Agricultural Sales. This contest includes a multiple-choice general knowledge test, a sales demonstration and four practicums: telephone skills advertising and promotion, product display and customer relations. The top two teams in our district proceed to the state level. The contest has progressed from a three member team to a four member team during the 1996-1997 school year. The following students have signed up for this contest area: Amber McCreay, Carrie Stoneburner, Andrea Hollett and John Miller,. The contest will be held on Wednesday, February 9th at Lancaster H.S. @ 3:00 P.M.
Job Interview CDEs
The Job Interview contest is a contest designed to test a student’s ability to prepare a resume, write a follow-up letter and interview for a mock employment opportunity. Starting with the 1993-1994 school year, the contest was broken into taxonomy categories, allowing a chapter to enter one FFA member in each taxonomy offered by the agricultural education program at that school. Currently, the contest is now broken into 5 areas divided by grade level, including a category for the first year junior and seniors. A student must win the district to proceed to the state contest. The following students have signed up: Freshmen - Katie Krile, Sophomore - Nick Brumfield, Junior - Jenna Ferguson, Senior - Daniel Quincel and First year Junior/Senior - Sydney Hines. This contest will be Wednesday, February 9th at Lancaster H.S. @ 3:00 P.M.
Public Speaking CDEs
There are currently 4 public speaking contests offered by the Ohio FFA Association. Creed Speaking is available only to freshmen who recite the FFA Creed and answer questions about the Creed. Beginning Prepared is geared mostly for sophomores who present 5 to 7 minutes speak on an agricultural topic. The Extemporaneous Speaking contest is open to all 4 grade levels. Extemporaneous speakers draw a agricultural topic and are given 30 minutes to develop a 4 - 6 contest, often referred to as Senior Prepared, is open to members in all 4 grade levels, but generally involves junior ad senior members who present a 6 to 8 minute prepared speech.
For members to advance to the District contest, members must place 1st or 2nd in the county contest in all areas except Creed Speaking, where a member must be in the top 3. To advance to the State Preliminaries, a member must be 1st or 2nd in the District for all 4 areas. Students are normally given a Bronze, Silver or Gold rating at each level of competition. The following students have signed up: Creed - Katerina Sharp, Beginning Prepared - Nick Brumfield, Extemporaneous - Caitlin Robinson and Prepared - Sierra Jepsen.
Top Fall Fund Raiser’s Trip
In the Fall of each year, the Amanda-Clearcreek FFA chapter hold’s it’s annual Fall Fruit sale. Any member who sells 25 or more boxes or baskets of fruit has the opportunity to attend the National Farm Machinery Show and Tractor Pulls held annually in Louisville, Kentucky in February. Attending members will leave Friday morning February 18th and return Sunday February 20th in the evening. While there the members will attend the machinery show and the tractor pulls. Each year, Mr. Sharp, one of the chapter advisors, also plans educational tours for the weekend in addition to the other activities. In the past years, the chapter has visited the Dayton Air-force Museum and the Churchhill Downs. This year we will be touring the Louisville Slugger Plant, Fisher Arm Museum and Jungle Jim’s on the way home. This is a great trip for those members who have earned it who went above and beyond with selling fruit. Our chapter has 27 members and several chaperones will be attending this year.
The Made For Excellence Conference
The Made for Excellence Conference is a large leadership workshop that is usually hosted by an FFA chapter. This workshop is an overnight leadership training activity put on by a group of former state State and National FFA Officers and influential speakers from around the country. The main goals of the conference is to promote leadership in FFA chapters, individuals and communities, as well as meet other FFA members from around the state. It is an excellent opportunity to interact with other chapters in the FFA Organization. The MFE we are attending will be held on February 26th and 27th. The cost to FFA members is $75. If interested, see Mr. Sharp or Mr. Tilley.
District 7 Agricultural & Industrial Diagnostics CDE
The Tractor Troubleshooting Contest tests a team’s ability to find problems on a tractor. This contest was started in 1972. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, the contest consisted of a test and between 3 and 6 tractors that have 2 problems each. A team must be first or second in the district to proceed to the state level. Two members comprise the team. For the 2007-2008 school, year, this contest was reorganized and renamed the Agricultural & Industrial Diagnostics Contest. The following members have signed up for this contest: John Miller and Nate Seitz.
State FFA Degree
The State FFA Degree is the highest degree a state association can award an FFA member. State FFA Degree winners generally represent the top 2% of the FFA members in the state in a given year. This year our chapter has seven members apply for this degree: Aaron Miller, Becca Bentz, Nate Seitz, Sierra Jepsen, Kelsie Sharp, Tyler Genders and Scott Loudermilk. If all are approved, this will be a chapter record for State FFA Degrees earned in one year.
American FFA Degree Applicants
The American FFA Degree is the highest degree a FFA member can earn. American FFA Degree winners generally represent the top 1/2% of the FFA members in the country in the given year. This year we have 3 applicants: Tyler Van Horn, Brittany Stevens and David Sams.
Proficiency Awards
Proficiency awards are based upon a member’s Supervised Agricultural Experience Project(s). Applicants must complete and submit their project books and a detailed application. Project books are evaluated for accuracy and neatness while the applications are also evaluated for these factors plus numerous others such as the description of skills learned, supporting pictures, etc. Currently each February, applications are reviewed for accuracy at the District level and submitted to the State Level for further evaluation and placing. Those applicants deemed to be in the top few (generally the top four) in the state in their respective area are then interviewed. From these final applicants, three are then selected as the top three in the state, receiving their final placing and award plaques at the State FFA Convention in May. Our chapter has 15 members who are in a Proficiency Award area. Kelsie Sharp: Accounting, Brittany Stevens: Accounting & Veterinary Medicine, Nathan Seitz: Ag. Mechanics Repair & Maintainence Placement, Carrie Stoneburner: Ag Sales - Placement, Cheyenne Jepsen: Beef Production - Entrepreneurship, Aaron Miller: Beef Production - Placement, John Miller: Beef Production - Placement, Allyson Davis: Environmental Science & Natural Resources Management and Fiber and/or Oil Crop Production, Caitlin Robinson: Equine Management - Placement, Reba Hyme: Fruit Production, Emily Cordle: Nursery Operations, Chancey Holbrook: Sheep Production, Tyler Genders: Small Animal Production & Care, Tyler Van Horn: Specialty Animal Production and Hunter Ricketts: Wildlife Production & Management.
Greenhand FFA Quiz
The online Greenhand Quiz was suppose to be on Thursday, January 27th after school but, due to complications, the contest had to by cancelled due to computer issues at the state level. The contest will be made up in a few weeks.
Chapter FFA Degrees Awarded
In order for a Sophomore to receive their Chapter FFA Degree they are required to give a 10 minute speech over anything that was agricultural related, plus various other requirements. The following members recently received their degree: Nick Brumfield, Kiowa Bussert, Madison Darnell, Allyson Davis, Jared Dilley, Mikaila Drake, Kylie, Dunn, Miranda Finnerty, Tassie Harvey, Heather Leddingham, Amber McCreary, Taylor Mets, Samantha Miller, Elanta O’Hare, Capitola Picklesimer, Macy Riffle, Eric Ruble, Jazmine Schorr, Victoria Stone, Carrie Stoneburner and Josh Watkins.
Upcoming CDEs
Other than the CDEs mentioned earlier in this newsletter, the following CDEs are coming up soon and practices will start in a few weeks. If any member is interested in any of the following CDEs, please make sure you sign-up on the CDE boards located in the Ag Ed Classroom.
Agronomy: The Agronomy Contest tests student knowledge and understanding of the crop industry. At present, the contest consists of identification of crops and weeds (by their seeds, leaves or whole plants), identification of insect pests and a multiple choice test. Currently, a chapter may enter an unlimited number of members at the state level, with the top three scores making-up the team score.
Dairy Cattle: The Dairy Cattle Contest tests student knowledge and understanding of the dairy cattle industry. At present, the contest consists of judging classes of dairy cattle and a test about the industry. Currently, a chapter may enter up an unlimited amount of members at the state level, with the top three scores making-up the team score.
Equine Management: The Equine Management Contest tests student knowledge and understanding of the equine industry. At present, the contest consists of a test, judging classes of horses, identification of tack, identification of poisonous weeds, identification of forages, and judging hay. Currently, a chapter may enter an unlimited number of members at the state level, with the top three scores making-up the team score.
General Livestock: The General Livestock Contest tests student knowledge and understanding of the beef, swine and sheep industries. At present, the contest consists of judging classes of beef, sheep and swine. Currently, a chapter may enter an unlimited number of members at the state level, with the top three scores making-up the team score.
Meats: The Meats Contest tests student knowledge and understanding of the meat processing industry. At present, the contest consists of a test, placing of meat cuts, identification of meat cuts by species and by name. Currently, a chapter may enter an unlimited number of members at the state level, with the top three scores making-up the team score.
Nature Interpretation: The Nature Interpretation Contest tests student knowledge and understanding of wildlife. At present, the contest consists of a written test, a practicum and the identification of mammals, equipment, songbirds, non-woody plants, reptiles and amphibians. Currently, a chapter may enter up an unlimited number of members at the state level, with the top three scores making-up the team score.
Poultry: The Poultry Contest tests student knowledge and understanding of the poultry industry. At present, the contest consists of a test, identification of meat cuts, candling eggs, judging live birds, judging processed patties and judging carcasses. Currently, a chapter may enter up an unlimited number of members at the state level, with the top three scores making-up the team score.
Wildlife Management: The Wildlife Management Contest tests student knowledge and understanding of wildlife. At present, the contest consists of a written test, a practicum and the identification of mammals, gamebirds, forbs, trees, shrubs, game fish and equipment. Currently, a chapter may enter up an unlimited number of members at the state level, with the top three scores making-up the team score.
By: Reporter
Andrea Hollett