By Chapter Reporter Madison Strain
Summer has come to a close, the Cedar Springs FFA Chapter is taking time to reflect on their eventful summer. The officers have worked hard with monthly meetings to get prepared for the upcoming school year. Over the past few months, the members obtained personal growth and portrayed grit through numerous events.
Chapter officers travelled to Lansing, on July 9, where they spent three days at the State Leadership Conference for Chapter Officers (SLCCO). The seven members spent many hours interacting with other chapter officers all over Michigan. Their time was split between three sessions. During each session, the state FFA officers presented a different way to deal with current agricultural issues. Those issues ranged from educating the youth to dealing with agricultural haters. Each session had the same recurring theme, “to be an advocate for agriculture.” The trip wasn’t all business for those young officers; there was plenty of time for fun and relaxation too. The officers tore it up at Thursday night’s dance, with the boys stealing the show with their dance moves. Cedar Springs’ officers were sure to make many friends along the way. SLCCO was a trip that resulted in strengthened communication skills and lasting memories for the Cedar Springs chapter officers.
On July 14, Cedar Springs sent four chapter officers back to Lansing where they participated in a livestock judging contest. Vice president Adam Parker, Sentinel Cade Hall, Historian Diane Howe, and Reporter Madison Strain judged a total of eight animal classes. They were later brought before a judge individually to give reasons on their ranking order for that class. Livestock judging tests the officer’s memory skills, organization skills, and speaking skills. The team received 12th place overall, with individual places of: Adam Parker- 19th, Diane Howe- 54th, Cade Hall- 63rd, and Madison Strain- 64th. Each member contributed to the team with their work ethic and positive attitude.
The Cedar Springs chapter was also reaching out to our community with their garden project. This year reached a total of 11 plots for numerous members of the community. A big thank you to the Solon and Cedar Springs fire departments for filling their water tank. Along with the successful community garden project, the land lab project is also flourishing. The corn is tasseled and growing strong, as is the bean field. Members owe a big debt of thanks to our boosters for their help with tillage and planting.
Many of the chapter’s members participated in the showing of livestock at the Kent County 4-H Fair. Two of the chapter’s officers worked a booth selling meatsticks to help fund the chapter scholarships. The chapter also had multiple members show livestock at the Montcalm County Fair.
With the 2016-2017 school year just beginning, the officers are taking every opportunity to get more students involved in the FFA. They have prepared a booth, provided flyers, and taken the time to talk with students about the benefits of joining their club at the school orientation. The chapter has high hopes of gaining new members this year. Please stay tuned to future articles for upcoming activities.
