Morris Area FFA Mission Statement
FFA Chapter Officers: (Right) President: Brooke Wente, Vice President: Tom Holland, Secretary: Steph Hennen, Treasurer: Chelsey Ehleringer, Reporter: Hailey Kotts, Sentinel: Tim Smith, Parliamentarian: Brady Wulf, Director: Beth Holland
Junior Officers: (Below) President: Mike Rausch, Vice President: Steven Koehl, Secretary: Joanna Moser, Treasurer: Becca Holland, Reporter: Carly Maanum, Sentinel: Austin White
State Convention (Right) Fifty-seven Morris Area FFA members competed in a variety of Career Development Events this past year at state convention. The chapter did very well overall with three teams placing in the top three places. The Livestock Evaluation team took third place and went on to judge at the American Royal. The Agriculture Issues team placed second, and the Market Plan team placed first and advanced to the national competition.
National Convention attendees (Left) The 85th National FFA Convention and Expo was held Oct. 24-27 in Indianapolis. The Morris Area FFA chapter brought one team, along with 11 delegates to the convention. The delegates attended a variety of workshops and sessions and took part in the FFA Rally to Fight Hunger. Brooke Wente, Hailey Kotts, and Laura Kuhn competed in the Market Plan CDE where they made their way to the national stage to compete in the final round of competition. Attendees included (left) Andrew Goulet, Laura Kuhn, Joanna Moser, Trent Wulf, Shauna Kill, Isaac Wente, Steph Hennen, Kyler Koubsky, Brooke Wente, Mike Rausch, Hailey Kotts, Tim Smith, Sara Stallman, and Brady Wulf.
Morris Area FFA hits the 100 member mark (Right) Recruiting 30 new members was a goal of this year’s officer team since so many members had graduated. Events to encourage eighth and ninth graders to get involved with FFA included a pizza party during their lunch hour where officers informed them about FFA and an invitation to the September meeting. By the middle of October, the Morris Area FFA chapter consisted of 100 members.
The FFA Creed I believe in the future of Agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds -- achievements won by present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us through the struggles of former years. I believe that to live and work on a good farm, or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for these associations which, even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny. I believe in leadership from ourselves and respect from others. I believe in my own ability to work efficiently and think clearly, with such knowledge and skill as I can secure, and in the ability of progressive agriculturists to serve our own and the public interest in producing and marketing the product of our toil. I believe in less dependence on begging and more power in bargaining; in the life abundant and enough honest wealth to make it so—for others as well as myself; in less need for charity and more of it when needed; in being happy myself and playing square with those whose happiness depends upon me. I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community that will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.