The monthly chapter meeting is in the Ag. Center at 7 P.M. on Monday, February 11th.  The Ag. Challenge will be the marshmallow stuffing.  This meeting will be longer.  Every member is encouraged to attend because we are holding officer elections.  This a very important meeting for our chapter.

Ag. Challenge Update

   The Ag Challenge is a competition between grade levels that involves various activities held throughout the school year. These are activities done at the end of every chapter meeting. These are friendly competitions between the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes. Some of these activities include: Feed Bag Hold, Scavenger Hunt, Peanut Butter Face, Corn Shelling, Volleyball Tournament, Straw Bale Toss and Egg Toss. The Ag Challenge has other components that can earn a class points, such as the number of Greenhand FFA Degrees earned, the class with the highest GPA for a grading period, the class with the most fruit sold, etc. All of these activities earn the respective class points and at the end of the year, the class with the most points gets steak and ice cream at the June cookout. The Ag Challenge was started during the 2000-2001 school year.  Right now, the Juniors are winning with 54.5 points.  They are the two-time defending Ag. Challenge Champions.  They won’t be dethroned easily.  In second are the Freshmen with 45.5 points.  In third are the Sophomores with 30 points and in last the Seniors with 19 points.

Officer Elections

   There will be a meeting during lunch on Mon. Feb. 4th. The interviews for officer elections will be on Monday, February 4th, at 5:30 P.M. Members must have their Chapter FFA Degree to apply.  Applications are due Friday, Feb. 2nd.

Job Interview CDE

   This CDE is purely an individual contest and prepares members for interviewing for a job.  Daniel Quincel placed 3rd in the Freshman category.  Catelin Covell placed 5th in the Sophomore category.  Megan Gierhart placed 9th in the Junior category.  Madison Fausnaugh placed 4th in the Senior category.  Great effort from these members!

Chapter FFA Degree Winners

   Congratulations to the following members on receiving their Chapter FFA Degrees: Katie Beedy, Brandon Bresler, Marquita Carroll,  Catelin Covell, Garren Dilley, Cody Epley, Erin Evans, Tyler Genders, Tiffany Hayman, Eddie Johnson, Holly Kidwell, Matt Lamb, Scott Loudermilk, Tara McCalla, Chance McMaster, C.J. Mets, Kaleb Miller, Cody Notestone, Teran Pinkstock, Cody Sharp, Brittany Stevens, Josh Templeton, Dylan Thompson, Tyler Van Horn, and Aaron Wortman.  These members were recognized at the January meeting.  This accomplishment means that the member has earned their Greenhand FFA Degree and completed all the other requirements including a 15 minute speech.

National Farm Machinery Show Trip

   In the Fall of each year, the Amanda-Clearcreek FFA chapter hold's it's annual Fall Fruit Sale. As an incentive, any member who sells 25 or more of any combination of fruit gift baskets or boxes of fruit has the opportunity to attend the National Farm Machinery Show and Tractor Pulls held annually in Louisville, Kentucky in February. Attending members leave on Friday morning and return on Sunday evening.  Those attending the machinery show will see the tractor pulls and enjoy Louisville's hospitality. Each year, Mr. Sharp, one of the chapter's two advisors, also plans an educational tour for the weekend in addition to the other activities. In past years, the chapter has visited the Louisville Slugger Plant, Newport Aquarium, Jungle Jim’s foods, Frazier Historical Aims Museum, Churchhill Downs and the Dayton Airforce Museum. This is an excellent educational opportunity for the chapter's members and a great reward for those hard working fruit sellers.  This year members are staying at the Breckenridge Inn.  They will have a tour on the way to Louisville and once checked into the hotel, go to the mall and watch a movie.  The next day they will enjoy the tractor pulls and the National Farm Machinery Show.  To round out the evening they will eat at Ponderosa.  The last day they will come home with a possible stop at an outlet mall.  This looks like a fun weekend for these members attending.

National FFA Week

   National FFA Week is a week in February dedicated to recognize the FFA. FFA Chapters have their students participate in various activities that relate to agriculture and the FFA throughout the week. Some of the activities our chapter has done are: FFA Shirt Day, Official Dress Day, Teacher Appreciation Day, Bib Day, Truck & Tractor Day, and Ag Awareness Day.

Made For Excellence

   The Made for Excellence Conference, is a large leadership workshop usually held in either a hotel or at a hosting FFA chapter's school. This workshop is an overnight leadership training activity put on by a group of State FFA Officers and influential speakers from around the country. The main goals of the conference are 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. MFE is generally held during the months of December, January, February and March.  This year MFE is being held at Union Local High School on Feb. 23rd and 24th.  There are six sessions of leadership type activities and speakers.  Then  there is square dancing, pizza, an euchre tournament, and a dodgeball tournament.  Those are just a few of the activities that will be taking place that night.  Members who want to go see Mr. Tilley or Mr. Sharp ASAP.  Those who received the award at last years banquet also need to see Mr. Tilley or Mr. Sharp.

Northridge FFA State Officer Leadership Night

   Throughout the year, our FFA Chapter attends a State Officer Leadership Night. Only certain FFA Chapters are selected to host this activity and our chapter normally is one of them. State Officer Leadership Night is where members of our FFA Chapter and members of other FFA Chapters meet to learn better leadership skills. Members are split into groups with one or two state officers. Members then participate in leadership activities and talk about what ideas they can take back to their chapter to become a better leader. Members are moved through a rotation so that they experience the different workshops that are prepared by each state officer in attendance. At the end, the host  chapter usually provides those in attendance with food and drink.  Northridge High School does a great job of hosting this activity and it is a lot of fun.  This year it is on Tuesday, Feb. 26th.  Members who would like to attend need to see Mr. Tilley or Mr. Sharp.

Ag. Breakfast

  During the school year, the Amanda-Clearcreek FFA meets once monthly for the chapter's "Ag Breakfast". The members used to vote on a location each meeting for the following month. Members meet at the decided upon location at 6:45 a.m on the first Thursday of the month for breakfast and social interaction. Ag breakfasts are excellent opportunities for members to get to know each other better and get a nourishing meal for which to start the day. We used to eat at Tee Jaye's, Bob Evans or Frisches in Lancaster. Currently, Ag Breakfast is held at school and members vote to determine what the breakfast menu should be.  Right now Ag. Breakfast is being reconsidered because members  participation has been down.  To keep this tradition going members please attend.  This date is to be announced.