Missouri FFA News Releases

COLUMBIA, Mo., April 16, 2009 – Marshall FFA placed 13^th out of 317 chapters in the state, earning a Top Chapter Award at the 81^st` Missouri FFA Convention. Only 10 percent of state chapters receive the Top Chapter Award each year.

Chapter activity awards, sponsored by FCS Financial, are given to chapters achieving excellence in student, chapter and community development. Marshall FFA advisors are Callie Dobbins, Randy Plattner and Jason Price.

The Marshall FFA student development activities included a local speaking contest held in March where members competed in FFA creed, public and extemporaneous speaking contests and were judged by a panel of community members. All chapter members participated in a ski trip where they met other FFA members from area schools. Students also received a medal for maintaining an A in agricultural classes all four quarters of the school year.

Chapter development activities are designed to promote excellence within the chapter. One hundred percent of all eighth grade parents and students were invited to a high school orientation and hot dog supper. FFA members gave tours of the school and agriculture department and presented a power point presentation over the FFA program.

Marshall’s community development activities included the chapter volunteering to host the District FFA Fair at the local fair grounds. This event brought in teachers, students, parents and other viewers from 54 different schools. For 20 years this chapter has been responsible for collecting trash four times a year on interstate highway property.

The top chapters are submitted to the National FFA Organization where they compete for the National FFA Chapter Award. The competition will be this fall at the National FFA convention in Indianapolis, Ind.

The Missouri FFA has 24,410 members representing 317 chapters. The national organization has over 507,000 members representing 7,439 local chapters in 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

The FFA Mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

-END-

CAA-13-Marshall-RH