The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, February 16, 1978 NINE
Future Farmers of America
Banquet leads
FFA week events
celebrate golden anniversary
Awards for accomplishment will be given to Heppner
Future Farmer of America winners at the Annual FFA
Parent and Member Banquet next Thursday, Feb. 21, in the
Heppner High School cafeterium.
The banquet is the first of several events slated to mark
National FFA Week, Feb. 18-25, which this year celebrates
: FFA's 50th anniversary.
Wednesday has been declared National FFA Jacket Day
and all chapter members will wear their FFA jackets
throughout the day.
Krynn Robinson, winner of the local and district
speaking contest, plans to compete against five other district
winners in the sectional contest in LaGrande on Thursday.
A disco dance, co-hosted by the FFA and the Rodeo Club,
will complete the week's activities on Friday, Feb. 24 in the
Heppner High School Cafeterium. KOHU disc jockey Willie
Kelley from Hermiston will provide music for the event
which is scheduled from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. at a cost of 75 cents
per person.
FFA and Rodeo Club members from 20 schools, as far
away as Bend, have been invited to the dance, which is also
open to all Heppner High School students.
Krynn Robinson
brings home district
speaking trophy
Krynn Robinson, Heppner
High School senior, brought
home the first place trophy
and banner from the Blue
Mountain District Future
Farmers of America District
Speaking Contest held Wed
nesday, Feb. 8, in Pendleton.
Krynn presented her speech
"Farming: What the Future
Holds in Store" against seven
district contestants to earn
first place, the first win in the
district contest ever gained by
the Heppner chapter. Krynn
will compete against five
speakers from three districts
in the sectional FFA speaking
contest in LaGrande next
Thursday, Feb. 23.
Heppner's Parliamentary
Procedure team also com
peted in the District Parly-Pro
contest in Pendleton Feb. 8,
but failed to place. Team
members included Ron
Young, Geri Grieb, Jackie
Mollahan, Jo Lynn Daly, Julie
Grieb and Marie Van
Schoiack.
Earning a fourth place
finish in the Greenhand Par
liamentary Procedure compe
tition was Heppner's Green
hand Parly-Pro team which
includes Joe Mollahan, Greg
Sweeney, Brian Thompson,
Pat Clark, Tony Currin and
Nancy Miller. Nine Green
hand teams competed in the
district contest.
All first and second place
speakers and teams will
compete next Thursday in
LaGrande in the sectional
meet, involving winners from
the Eastern Oregon and Snake
River Districts as well as Blue
Mountain.
Winners from the LaGrande
contests will earn the honor of
competing at the Oregon State
FFA Convention in Albany on
March 19-22.
PCBRUARV 18 lolS
WSmS
FFA has come
a long way
Future Farmers of America celebrates its golden
anniversary next week, with 50 years of accomplishment and
community service under its belt. ,
The first National Convention was held in Kansas City,
Missouri, in the fall of 1928 with 33 delegates from 18 states
attending. Once on its way, the organization grew rapidly,
with 33 states represented by 64 delegates at is second
convention.
The 1948 convention established National FFA Week to be
the week in which Washington's birthday occurs. Official
recognition was achieved in 1950 when Congress passed a law
giving the FFA a Federal Charter.
Prior to school integration in the 1960s, black students in
vocational agriculture had their own organization called New
Farmers of America (NFA), sharing the same goals and
incentive award funds with FFA. In 1965 the two groups
merged, bringing total FFA membership to 455,000 young
men.
The organization added a new dimension in 1969 when it
voted to admit girls to membership.
During its 50-year history, the FFA has been recognized
by many dignitaries. Presidents Truman, Eisenhower and
Nixon have addressed the National FFA Convention and
President Ford gave a nationally televised address at the
1975 Convention.
With FFA's emphasis on developing leadership, it seems
only fitting that during its golding anniversary year, the
President of the United States is Jimmy Carter, the first
former FFA member ever to hold the nation's highest office.
Future Farmers of Ameri
ca, celebrating its 50th birth
day this year nationally, has
been part of Morrow County
life for 41 years. It was
established at Heppner High
School in 1937 with 29 mem
bers under the direction of
R.E. Grimes.
Today, Heppner's FFA
chapter numbers 50 includ
ing 10 young women who were
not eligible to join until 1969.
Last year Hal Whitaker, FFA
advisor and vocational agri
culture instructor for the past
12 years, moved his classes
into the new building above
the high school which includes
both classroom space and a
vo-ag shop.
This year's chapter is
unique in that it is the only one
in the state and possibly in
the nation that has an all-girl
slate of officers. President
Krynn Robinson plans to run
for state office at the state ,
convention in March in Al
bany. The other young women
serving as local officers are
Geri Grieb, vice-president;
Jackie Mollahan, secretary;
Julie Grieb, treasurer; Marie
Van Schoiack; reporter; and
Jo Lynn Daly, sentinal.
"Learn by
doing..,.
99
Part of the FFA motto reads
"Learning to do. ..doing to
learn" and is far from an
empty phrase for the Heppner
group. In addition to classes
in which students study such
aspects of FFA as leadership
training, parlimentary proce-
FFAers are thoroughly groun
ded in agricultural-related
fields through experience.
Each member is required to
maintain a project in live
stock, crop production or work
experience on farms or re
lated businesses. About half of
the Heppner FFAers opt for
work experience while most
others have cattle, sheep,
swine or horse projects.
Probably the most unusual
projects are those of Jo Lynn
Daly who maintains a small
goat herd, and Dan Nix who
raises pheasants, pigeons and
exotic breeds of chickens.
Vo-ag shop, taught by Whi
taker, offers students instruc
tion in farm shop skills,
including welding, wood work
ing and plumbing. Projects
are also required in the shop
area and most vo-ag students
are currently building ben
ches for placement around the
fairgrounds in conjunction
with the Lions Club. The bench
construction doubles as a
required FFA community ser
vice project. Weatherizing of
houses, construction for the
Heppner Child Development
Center and the concession
stand at the fairgrounds were
FFA contributions from past
years.
Competition is also a large
aspect of FFA involvement.
Besides individual efforts for
ribbons at fairtime, members
form teams for parlimentary
procedure, soil judging and
shop skills. Individuals com
pete for local proficiency
awards, given each year at the
annual awards banquet, and
for higher honors, such as the
State Farmer designation.
Heppner has been winning
its share of awards in the last
yf; 111' I I I f -
$ ?7j vy 'If-fiu Hit 1 7
fe,vA 'fry A v (J
7 1 1 if
:;3.. MV:inr if
w f )
1 V I J
d i I Mr. ... .... f a . JL
Within eight years of allowing young women to join FFA, the Heppner chapter elected
an all-girl slate of officers, the only one in the state, and possibly the nation, according to
Advisor Hal Whitaker. From left to right are Julie Grieb, treasurer; Jackie Mollahan,
secretary; Marie Van Schoiack, reporter; Krynn Robinson, president; Jo Lynn Daly,
sentinel; and Geri Grieb, vice-president. "
couple of years. Last year
Geri Grieb was Champion
Ail-Around Showman at the
State Fair. The Greenhand
livestock judging team won
four out of five contests last
year at both the district and
state level, placing second in
the one it lost. The advanced
team placed first in four out of
nine contests. The chapters'
i. scrapbook and treasurer's
record book received first
place last year in the district
competition.
The Heppner FFA chapter
lists 16 State Farmers, past
and present, an honor gained
by only three per cent of
FFAers in the state. Former
members Ken Wright and
Allen Hughes earned Ameri
can Farmer Status, the high
est possible designation in the
organization.
Local FFAers participate in
the Morrow County Fair, State
Fair, Pacific International
Livestock Exposition, the
State FFA Convention and the
National FFA Convention.
Last year the chapter started
an annual Slave Auction as a
money raising project for its
many activities.
Hal Whitaker is obviously
proud of his FFAers and
commented, "This program
builds confidence because
kids can accomplish some
thing in areas other than
athletics." He added, "Stu
dents learn by doing, so they
get a chance to develop skills
they can use later in life. They
actually do things instead of
just studying."
Many former FFA mem
bers, now successful area
farmers, are watching their
sons and daughters follow the
same route through FFA
today. FFA has a long history
in the county and looks
forward to an even longer
future of "learning by doing."
.Biiiiie Directory
MEDICAL SUPPLIES I TITLE l?5UfUNCE I SHOE REPAIR I MACHINERY REPAIR
HERMISTON DRUG M0.1R0W COUNTY ROHDE'S SHOE REPAIR MILLER & SOUS WELDING. INC
Frea Prescription ABSTRACT & TITLE CO harvey ferm rohde I Fcbricotion i Repair of stMl t
Mdl Service TITLE INSURANCE & ESCROW SERVICE 131 S.W. Emigrant Pendleton, Or. Abminum ht In Stock
Open 9a.m. to 7 p.m. 676-9912 Heppner Open 8-5:30 Mon.-Fri. Sat 81 123 lyiidn wy-HPP"r Open 8-6
Otfti for c3 occoiom 4819261 Becr&nan . Shop 676-9613 or 676-5519 Mon-St
INSURANCE LAUNDROMAT BEAUTY PARLOR HOME REPAIR
RAY B0YCE INSURANCE HEPPNER LAUNDROMAT firfillw ,1 Donna's SrnSl UMATILLA READY-MIX
AGENCY Heppner TUESDAYglJ E
HedtMir0,Auto,Mcrii?e, . i VEDNESDAY,FRIDAY
StS. Qn! Saturday & Sunday I
Croup H M.W s
Ray Boyct 676-9625 676-53M l:JJa.m..9J.n. & i::3Spjn.-9pjn. 6766S391 676-990 676-9406 9S9-M67
automotive DREEDIHO CATTLE moa covering furmture
SIIERRELL CIIEVROIFT IHC. " LcdJ Fcrn, M HO0t COVERING SrgJ
- ' . . 422-7513 Free Eitfenatei Al Work Guarcnteed UUrtUll M tlimu.1M
Complete Sdes & Service Box 197 lon, Matt Hugh.. Furalturt
3rd I Mcin Hermliton 422 Linden Woy 676-9418 Heppner 22S0 N.F. Hermbton 567-8960
BUILDING SUPPLIES MEDICAL SUPPLIES
TUM-A-LUM LUMEEEI CO. Tmc CPArf mn MEDICAL CENTER PHARMACY -.-, fn
See ui for el your bUh2 suppfii. 1 "D l't fUlC rree Ma&g Servici On Prescriptions THIS SPACE FOR
Wa STJX REf,T ' PER fmm op- iSt 9,p.m. RENT $8 PER MOUTH
432 SEDoPendieton CALL 676-9228 itl" Ptlnsai CALL 676-9228
OPTOMETRIST AUTOMOTIVE MOIIUMEflTS PRINTING
DR E IC SCIIAFFITZ JONES RADIATOR SERVICE SWEENEY MORTUARY WEDDING INVITATIONS
Serving ell this crea Cemetery, Gravo Workers BUSINESS FORMS
H.rtT.Ho,.,,PFfl.rc. zr T5B53S8
676-9465 H,tfMr 1315 H. lt St. HlnntltMl .0, j "'gHP