FFA to District Creed and Leadership Conferences

By Tasha Hueller

October 29, 2004

In addition to having a chaotic week of decorating for homecoming, a few FFA members also participated in district creed competition and leadership conferences. The students winning the Creed Speaking Contest at the chapter level were: in 1^st place Shalyn Laird, 2^nd Andrea Williams, and the alternate Talli Hansen. These members advanced to District Creed Speaking, which was held on October 6, 2004, in Holly. After much preparation; the girls recited the five paragraphs of the FFA creed, and carefully answered three questions from the judges. In the end, Shalyn Laird was among those in the silver category.

On Saturday, nine members headed to Colorado Springs, to attend Made For Excellence; those students are as followed: Branden Dunlap, Chevaun Glover, Talli Hansen, Drew Koch, Kevin Lindholm, Matea Mayo, Carrie Roberson, Shalyn Laird, and Andrea Williams. Made For Excellence is a leadership conference geared towards freshmen FFA members. Five senior officers attended the Advanced Leadership

Development conference. The officers were: Kelly Lindholm, Jennifer Lynn, Adam Saffer, Vance Cole, and AJ McCracken. In both conferences, the attendees had to work together with FFA members from other chapters to solve various problems they were given. Along with the hard work, they were rewarded with a dance and dinner following the sessions.

The officers not only attended ALD, but they also participated in a seminar concentrating on the "Bullying hurts" program that our FFA chapter will execute within our school. This is also part of our community service and child involvement. Bullying Hurts, a program formed by Starvin Marvin Nash, a rodeo clown, will assist the elementary students in grades 2^nd through 4^th to identify methods of handling bullies. The fourteen members returned home with new found knowledge and an eagerness to put it to use.