Amanda-Clearcreek FFA News
June-August of 2019
by Stephanie Bowers, Reporter
Next FFA Meeting
The first FFA meeting of the 2019-2020 school year will take place Monday, August 19th at 7:00 p.m. in the Ag Center. This will be the first meeting of the year, and all are required to attend. If a member cannot make it, be sure to give a note to an Ag teacher the day after the meeting.
Upcoming Events
June
A-C Alumni Banquet: All members are strongly encouraged to help set up for the A-C Alumni Association Banquet on Friday, May 31st at 9:00 a.m. This activity will count towards an individual’s summer hours for their Ag Ed grade. The banquet will be held on June 1st. There will be one shift of helpers that night from 5:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. to collect food from attendees, help serve, and clean-up. This is a great community service activity for an organization that gives so much back to the students. Many seniors who were in FFA will be receiving scholarships from the A-C Alumni this year.
Officer Retreat: The A-C FFA officer retreat will be held June 3rd-5th where officers and their assistants will be going to FFA Camp Muskingum. There they will bond through various activities and work on chapter planning. The main focus of the retreat will be to plan next year’s activities, so if anyone has ideas or suggestions, please tell an officer!
Ag Breakfast: The June Ag Breakfast will take place Friday, June 7th at 8:00 a.m. at Bob Evans in Lancaster. Please plan on attending and bring your appetite.
A-C Thad Davis 5K Run/Walk: This event will be held at the Amanda-Clearcreek High School on the morning of Saturday, June 15th. The shift will begin at 7:00 a.m. and end at 10:00 a.m. Throughout the shift, members will help set up tables, chairs, and other items to prepare for the run that day. In addition, members will help clean-up and tear down the materials that were needed for the event. This activity will count towards an individual’s summer hours for their Ag Ed grade and is another good community service opportunity.
OLC: Ohio Leadership Camp is held at FFA Camp Muskingum from June 21st-24th. Members who would like to attend will be able to learn how to lead their chapter. Games and other activities will be held there as well. Food will be provided, but bring enough clothes and hygiene products for the weekend. This camp is recommended for members who want to lead their chapter, unable to go to FFA camp or want to try something fun and different on a smaller scale. The students chosen to attend are as follows: Morgan Anderson, Audrey Butterbaugh, Olivia Hutchison, and Aaron Sharp. All members are allowed and welcome to go if they choose. Make sure to see Mr. Tilley or Mr. Sharp if interested.
July
Ag Breakfast: The July Ag Breakfast will take place on Friday, July 5th at 8:00 a.m. at Goodwin’s in Circleville. It is a buffet!
Canoe Trip: This year’s summer canoe trip will be held on Friday, July 5th after Ag Breakfast on the Hocking River. Members who would like to attend need to meet at the school at 9:30 a.m. and be prepared to pay for your own canoe and lunch. This activity will also count towards an individual’s summer hours for their Ag Ed grade.
Summer FFA Camp: Fifth Session of FFA Camp Muskingum will be held from July 8th-12th where members will engage in activities with other FFA members throughout the state of Ohio. Members have a week to spend time with friends, participate in daily competitions, meet new friends, and try new activities. If you like to play paintball, shooting guns, use a bow, swim, canoe, hike, dance, or meet new people, then camp is definitely for you. This activity will count for all of an individual’s summer hours for their Ag Ed grade. Forms were due at the end of the school year, but there is a good chance Mr. Tilley can still register members, so contact him if you are interested in camp. Camp is one of the best activities the Ohio FFA offers, and again, it will take care of all of an individual’s summer hours.
Summer Trap Shoot: The summer trap shoot will be held on July 16th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It will be held at Mr. Sharp’s house at 9480 Thomas Hill Road, Stoutsville. All members are invited to sign up and attend. There is a five dollar cost. Pop, chips, hot dogs, and a good time with friends will be provided.
WLC: To go to the Washington Leadership Conference, a member can sign-up and pay the fee, or apply for the Memorial Award by going through an interview to be chosen for this trip. This year Jullian Scott, Kyle Hicks, and Stephanie Bowers all qualified to go to WLC. At this conference, they will all learn how they can better lead our chapter and learn about our great nation. This trip is held on July 23rd-28th in Washington D.C.
The Memorial Award is given annually to two members, in memory of Rusty Bowers and Becky Strickler, both were past FFA members. This year, due to generous donations by community members in memory of Jack Tilley, our chapter was able to send a third member to this conference. Jack was a long time supporter of the A-C FFA and will be truly missed.
August
Ag Breakfast: The August Ag Breakfast will take place Friday, August 2nd at 8:00 a.m. at the Laurelville Diner.
Pelotonia: At Pelotonia, members will be able to enjoy a good meal, help clean up the tables and chairs from that meal, and then help set up bike racks for the bike race the next day. It will be held on Friday, August 2nd, and members will likely meet at the school at 6:00 p.m. This activity will count towards an individual’s summer hours for their Ag Ed grade, and is a great community service activity. The Pelotonia raises money for researching cures for cancer and we have helped with this activity since it started many years ago.
Cross Mound PArk Clean-Up: On Friday, August 2nd, members will be asked to help out at Cross Mound to clean up the park. This will be held at 10:30 a.m. and will require much help. This activity will count towards an individual’s summer hours for their Ag Ed grade as well.
Adopt-a-Highway Clean-up: On August 19th, all members who would like to volunteer their time to pick up trash and keep our roads clean may do so from 3:00 p.m. to approximately 4:30 p.m.. Please do not forget that this opportunity is yet another great community service activity.
Past Happenings
Ag Breakfast: The May Ag Breakfast took place on Friday, May 3rd at 6:15 a.m. at Frisch's. All members who came enjoyed good fellowship and a great meal.
Mulch and Flower Bulb Sale: The spring mulch and flower bulb sales have ended for the chapter. All members who sold mulch need to see Mr. Tilley and Mr. Sharp to pick up the bags they sold. These bags need to be delivered as soon as possible! The top 15 mulch sellers and top two flower bulb sellers (if the minimum is met) are eligible to go on the Top Spring Fundraiser’s Trip from May 28th through the 30th. This year’s trip will be to Cheat River Outfitters in West Virginia where members will go white water rafting and play paintball. We will also be hiking up Seneca Rocks as well. This is the premier rock climbing location east of the Mississippi River and is a beautiful location. If someone needs mulch, the chapter may have extra; therefore, please contact Mr. Tilley if interested.
State FFA Convention: The State FFA Convention was held on May 2nd and 3rd. At the convention, our chapter was recognized as a Gold-Rated Chapter this year! Garrett Drake, Cort Kleinline, Bryson L’Huillier, Ellie Sahr, and Aaron Sharp earned their State FFA Degrees. The Agricultural Issues CDE team consisting of Morgan Anderson, Kiley Holbrook, Allie Poston, Ellie Sahr, Kaylee Sharp, and Sara Sharp was also recognized for winning the state competition. Stephanie Bowers was individually recognized for placing first individually in the state for the Agricultural Communications CDE contest. Also, Sara Sharp was individually recognized for placing first in the state in Creed Speaking, and Aaron Sharp was recognized for winning the state Extemporaneous Speaking CDE contest. Sydney Sharp, Bryson L’Huillier, and Allie Poston were all recognized for their gold-rated officer books. Lastly, as a result of winning the state contest, Sara Sharp recited the creed in front of the 8,000 people who attended the State FFA Convention.
State FFA Officer: On May 3rd at the State FFA Convention Noah Smith was chosen to represent the state of Ohio throughout the next year as the Ohio FFA State Secretary. There are nearly 26,000 FFA members in the state of Ohio, and it is a tremendous honor for Noah to not only represent our chapter but the entire state with this very prestigious honor. Congratulations, Noah, on this huge accomplishment! In addition Emma Dearth finished her term as a state officer. Emma traveled many miles and dedicated many many hours of her time in her year of service to the Ohio FFA. Thank you Emma for all that you have done, not only as a State FFA Officer but as an exceptional member of this FFA Chapter. You have truly done your best in your FFA career!
A-C FFA Awards Banquet: The annual Amanda-Clearcreek FFA Awards Banquet was held on Saturday, May 11th at 4:00 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Members were recognized for their many accomplishments throughout the 2018-2019 school year.
A few of the highlights of the banquet are as follows: