Black Hawk FFA Chapter Profile

Courses offered: We are very fortunate to have two full time teachers in the Black Hawk Ag Department. Mr. Doyle teaches School to Work, Ag Application 8, Welding I and II, Home Repair, Woods and Ag Applications 9. Ms. Berget teachers Horticulture, Wildlife Management, Ag 8, Ag 9, Ag 10, Ag 11 and Senior Ag Seminar. Chapter officers: President Marissa Monson, Vice President Michaela Akins, Secretary Meshell Akins, Treasurer Beau Holland, Reporter Ryan Quinn and Sentinel Taylor Rupnow. Our Committee Chair people are: Brodie Abney, Alyse Metz, Brooke Moore, Ashly Larson, Kortney Hull and Josh Quinn. How many members do you have in your chapter and what year was it established? When the Black Hawk School District was formed through consolidation of the Gratiot and South Wayne Districts during the 1967-68 school years the Black Hawk Vocational Agriculture Department was founded. At the 1968 State FFA Convention Black Hawk FFA Chapter was officially given its charter. From 1967-1972 John Beall was the FFA Advisor, from 1972-2004 Richard Meske was the FFA Advisor, from 2004-2008 Dustin Williams served as Advisor, and from 2008 to present, Lori Berget is serving as the FFA Advisor. The chapter currently has 75 FFA members, and is an affiliated chapter, allowing students currently taking an agriculture class to join the FFA for free. The enrollment in the high school 9-12 grade is 117 students. What are some chapter highlights (activities, membership, awards)? Our Program of Activities (POA) encompasses several community service projects, including Halloween Safety with Pre K-4th grade, Lunch with Santa for Pre-K 4th grade (each child plays games, eats lunch, has a photo with Santa and gets to wrap and take home a gift for their parent(s), Community Easter Egg Hunt for Pre-K 2 grades, highway clean-up, Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) Tours (with neighboring chapters) to view students projects and/or jobs, hosting a prospect swine show, participating in educational exchanges with Puerto Rico and Australia, and helping the FFA Alumni with their annual Sportsmens Night and Consignment Auction. The POA has hel ped the Black Hawk FFA Chapter earn a top ten rating on the National Chapter Award at the State FFA Convention for the past several years, and a 2 or 3 star rating at the National Level. In 2009 the Black Hawk FFA Chapter earned a Model of Innovation Aw ard in the Chapter Development Area at the national level(one of the top ten chapters in the nation). Several FFA members have also applied for and received grants to help them start their SAE projects, both on the state and national level. What are some recent accomplishments? This coming spring (2014) five senior FFA members/officers & committee chairs will be traveling to Australia on an educational trip to learn more about international agriculture and its impact on us locally. Ms. Berget, Advisor, was a recipient of the Kohl Fellowship in 2013, and received her Honorary American FFA Degree, also. In 2011 the Chapter Officers were able to participate in a summer retreat, to Louisiana, with a neighboring chapter, to volunteer at a wildlife refuge located on Lake Ponchatrain (clean up from Hurricane Katrina). One goal that FFA members have set for themselves is to have a Jr. High Quiz Bowl team compete at the State Level each summer. Setting that goal has been a great way to help younger members become more involved and knowledgeable about the FFA and its many opportunities (the last 5 years they have met that goal). What are your chapter plans or goals for the year? The FFA Officers, in conjunction with the FFA Alumni, are starting a point system for members to earn points during the year while participating in FFA activities. The points will be totaled at the end of the year, and a dollar value will be given for each point. If a FFA member remains an FFA member for four years while in high school, attends the FFA / FFA Alumni Fall Picnic, then they will have the opportunity to use that money towards their lifetime membership for the FFA Alumni, and / or a scholarship. What activities have you done within your school to promote FFA, agriculture and leadership? Every year during FFA week, the entire school re-learns the opportunities that FFA has to offer. The students are treated to a petting zoo, receive a pencil/pen as a greeting, an ice cream sundae after lunch, and the staff receive a piece of home-made pie (made by the Senior Ag Class). Two years ago the FFA wrote a grant to receive materials to promote Teach Ag through the National Associa tion of Agriculture Education. Using these pencils and brochures, the officers visited every elementary and middle school classroom and promoted the FFA, and the agriculture teaching profession. How does your FFA chapter impact the community? Whether it is raising food for the food pantry, cleaning the highway, or promoting safety, the FFA has impacted the community of South Wayne and Gratiot for many years. In the spring of 2013, the FFA partnered with the Day at the Farm committee and helped facilitat e a day for all 4th graders from 12 area schools, to be at a dairy farm and learn more about agriculture in the real sense. Where do you see the chapter in 10 years? Declining enrollment in our school has prompted the FFA to take a look at where it is headed. With fewer members to participate in projects, it is a goal to help members become more involved by offering the point system. Over the years, the Black Hawk FFA Chapter has offered a large number of people a lot of leadership opportunities that other students in other chapters have never received. With students being active members, they have seen the value in becoming Alumni members, and this has helped our FFA Alumni become one of the largest in the state. The future of our chapter will prosper with a supportive Alumni Chapter. Together we are looking at ways to increase participation, lifetime members, and positive actions in our community. Tell us something that's unique about your FFA chapter: Black Hawk FFA Chapter has contributed to the State FFA Association 15 State FFA Officers over the years. Amber Vickers, the first female State FFA President, was also from our chapter. Two years ago, with the help of the FFA President, Mike Powers, and his familys Auction Service, the FFA joined the Black Hawk Athletic Department and conducted a metal drive. The chapter and sports teams were able to raise $15,000, from the support of our local community members donating their scrap metal. This was a very positive activity for all that were involved!