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

Land Lab Work Day

Only one week into school and already, members are working hard! This Saturday, we had a great turn out of parents and students to help with maintaining the Land Lab. Some tasks included weed whacking, sweeping, weeding, and clearing the pens.
From 8 to 12 everyone worked very hard, and for that we are greatful. Many safety hazards are now fixed, which will make the area more accessible to students in ag classes needing hands-on experience in the field. Participating members can also turn in volunteer sheets to the main office, which will help with the Bright Futures community service requirement. Finally, nominated by previous AG teacher Ms. Compton, the officer team participated in the ice bucket challenge, raising ALS awareness. We can't wait to see our nominees (all area 5 FFA chapters) complete the challenge!

Freshman Orientation Summer Camp

The new school year is quickly approaching! One critical goal of our chapter for the incoming year is to encourage new students to join. While anyone can join at any time, the best potential new members are those just entering high school. To get word about the FFA and agriculture program out to students, two members volunteered their time at Steinbrenner's freshman orientation camp.

Utilizing public speaking skills, chapter chaplain Alex Brockhum and reporter Emily Casper spoke to this year's new ninth grade class. Topics included the different agriculture classes available, what animals can be raised, what a career development is and its real world applications, and what the FFA is and what it teaches. Tours were led to visit the classrooms and greenhouses, and additional information was given about how FFA comes into play around the school and what it does on campus. To see students raise their hand considering joining was a very satisfying experience, as well as evidence of a job well done.