Vol. 42, No. 27
April 14 , 2008
CONTACT: JIM MORRIS |
“Blue Jackets, Bright Futures”
Missouri FFA Convention Comes to Columbia This Week
FFA members from across the state will meet this week in Columbia, April 17-18, to honor members for outstanding achievements, participate in leadership workshops and elect new officers. The membership of Missouri FFA is at an all-time high this year: 24,137.
“Blue Jackets, Bright Futures” is the theme of the 80th Missouri FFA Convention, which is expected to attract more than 7,500 students and guests to the Hearnes Center on the MU campus.
According to Terry Heiman, state FFA advisor, the association will present a record number of Missouri FFA degrees to 724 members who, as a result of their agricultural and leadership achievements, have qualified for the state's highest FFA honor. The State Star Farmer, the State Star in Agribusiness and the State Star in Placement also will be named.
Members will receive awards in various agricultural proficiency areas (communications, dairy production, food science, etc.) and in several career-development events including agricultural sales, floriculture, horse judging and parliamentary procedure.
The Missouri FFA also will recognize several adults and groups for their support of agricultural education and FFA. This year 23 Honorary State FFA Degrees will be presented.
During the two-day event, State FFA President Kabel Oaks, Galt, a member of the Grundy County R-V FFA Chapter, will lead 622 delegates (two from each chapter) in official business sessions.
The convention’s keynote speaker is soldier and storyteller Army Lt. Col. Don Koonce. Koonce has served in the National Guard since 1976. He recently completed a 17-month deployment to Iraq with the 203rd Engineer Battalion, during which he received two Bronze Stars. Koonce inspires through his historical, patriotic, character-based stories from America’s past. Koonce will address the convention Thursday afternoon.
This year’s National FFA Officer Address by President Zack Kinne will be extra special. Kinne, from Eagleville, is only the second National FFA president from Missouri. He is a North Harrison High School graduate and a junior at the University of Missouri. Kinne was elected National FFA president in October. During his term as president, Kinne will travel more than 100,000 miles, visit more than 40 states, be part of an international tour of Japan, and meet leaders in education, business and government. Kinne will speak at Friday evening’s session.
For more information (April 16-19) contact Joyce Cutright at 573-882-0866