Chapter Party at Q-Zar!

Steinbrenner agriculture teacher Mrs. Parry threw down the gauntlet towards her FFA members. The challenge: a laser tag face off. Eagerly, students got involved and played two rounds on Saturday evening. Following rules not to run was a bit tough (especially while being hunted down), but members played two great games full of energy. Laughing at the bad team placements and rejoicing in the good ones, the experience was helpful in bringing us together. 

In the future we may open up to even more avenues for team bonding, most recent requests being paintball and the like. Suggestions are always welcomed, and we love to take into consideration other's opinions to help our chapter grow.

Club Meeting!

The month of November brings families together, changing leaves (not much in Florida though), and Pumpkin Spice Lattes. This month also brings the FFA members in our chapter to meet once again. At this meeting, announcements included asking for donations for volunteer work at the Avalon Horse Show and recruiting for the chapter party at Q-Zar. Games included the traditional Statue in the Park game and a balloon popping team activity. We thank everyone who attended and hope we get a lot of support in these upcoming events.

Chapter Party at Lake Park

To encourage bonding between chapter members, officers organized a party at Lake Park. From 11 to 3, members played horse shoes, cornhole, and a VERY competitive game of kickball. Food was provided courtesy of Pizza Villa, and there was more than enough to go around. The party was a great success, and we hope to do this again in the future.

Club Meeting!

Today we had the first club meeting of the year! The time constraints made everything a little hectic, yet we still got a lot accomplished. Business included T-shirt designs, voting on ammendments, going over announcements, eating snacks, and playing games. We hope everyone had a great time and will continue to come back!

Federation Meeting

Last Saturday, officers attended a federation meeting held at the Hillsborough Fairgrounds. The chapter and those who attended benefited by getting our name more recognized in the community and learning important life skills. Traveling to many sessions throughout the day taught by our federation officer team, officers learned the nuances of public speaking, getting along with others, community service, and writing sincere thank you notes. For any members who would wish to run for a federation officer position next year, it is a very rewarding experience.

Zoe Wallace (far left), the president of our chapter, also serves as chaplain on the federation team.

The highly interactive community service session highlighted the fact that although not all problems are solvable, and hardships get in the way, it is important to keep trying to help others. 

COLT

From Wednesday to Thursday, our officers embarked to attend the Chapter Officer Leadership Training conducted in Haines City. Spending a night on location then doing the training the next morning, the experience was beneficial for team bonding. It is important for any team to be committed and hard working. Improving trust between officers will only result in a better performance this year.

The training itself, run by our state officers, was very informative. Our officers gained knowledge on concepts such as the magnetism which draws others to a cause, and how to develop oneself as a leader. They were asked to examine the fine line between confidence and arrogance, and ponder what direction they would enjoy seeing our chapter head in this year. We hope through this training that the chapter will only grow from here.

Despite some great girl scout skills in attempting to keep the bonfire going, it eventually burned out.

FFA Car Wash

Kicking off our first fundraiser of the year, our chapter ran a car wash last Saturday. Member participation was high, and we are so grateful for the large turnout. Raising $328, the money will go towards numerous activities for our members throughout the year.

Lucky for us, the weather was very good throughout the day leading to a successful car wash. Also, we were extremely happy to see parents, other students, and the general public stop by to get their car cleaned.

The members who volunteered their time to run the fundraiser held signs and washed and dried cars. The atmosphere was very positive and cheerful the whole day and, even when tired, everyone had a lot of fun.

The aftermath