Chillicothe FFA placed third out of 347 chapters in the state, earning a Top Chapter Award at the 91st Missouri FFA Convention. Only 10 percent of state chapters receive a top chapter designation each year.
The National Chapter Award Program is designed to recognize FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality Chapter Standards and a Program of Activities that emphasize growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. Chapters are rewarded for providing educational experiences for the entire membership. This award is sponsored by FCS Financial. The Chillicothe FFA advisors are Lance Martin, Randy Plattner, Rhonda Oesch, Leda Schreiner, and Neal Wolf.
The Chillicothe FFA growing leaders activities included Going for the Gold. Going for the Gold is the chapter’s annual scholarship program. The chapter set a goal to raise $25,000 from local individuals and businesses for their scholarship fund. They exceeded their goal by raising more than $45,000. All FFA members of the senior class applied for at least one of the scholarships that the chapter offered to help further their education.
Chapter activities in the strengthening agriculture category included senior members holding a recruitment opportunity for eighth-grade students. Members presented information about the high school agricultural education program and gave tours of the school farm. Letters were sent to all parents of eighth graders to inform them of opportunities available through agricultural education.
Building communities activities included Do One Thing. During this program, members are taught the importance of environmental awareness. Students chose to install an aerator on the Litton Agriscience Learning Center pond to help improve the pond’s environment for the wildlife in and around the pond. The members also cleared the waterway trash and cleared the algae from the pond.
The top chapters compete for the National FFA Chapter Award. Winners will be announced this fall at the 92nd National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Missouri FFA has 25,375 members representing 347 chapters. The national organization has more than 669,000 members representing 8,630 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
