Adventures in June

From National Leadership Conferences for State Officers (NLCSO) to state conventions and from spending time at home to getting ready to speak with President Bush this month, a certain fulfillment resonates with all I have done for some time now. If ever I have felt deeply connected with my duties as a national FFA officer, these have been the moments.

After Zach and I prepared for out first NLCSO while at his home in Eagleville, Missouri, we departed for Cody, Wyoming. Meeting up with North Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana, comprising twenty-five 19 and 20-year olds, we facilitated the first of our three, week-long regional state FFA officer conferences. The breathtaking outer edges of Yellowstone and the notable potential in each young person at our conference provided an abundance of energy and excitement for my teammate and I. We rounded out our time in Wyoming on June 18, and I was off to Purdue for the 79th Indiana FFA State Convention.

My state FFA officer teammates and I were all present as we celebrated our first anniversary in Elliot Hall of Music. For all seven of us, it was a special moment. The session was energized as we watched members get recognized, as Monsanto presented a $50,000 check to Indiana FFA, as I was blessed to see my home chapter, Gibson Southern, and as several convention-goers and I were hypnotized by Dr. Al Snyder. The next morning we finished up convention with recognition of FFA chapters, my keynote address, the retirement of the current officers, and installation of the 2008-09 state FFA officer team.

On June 20 I met up with Zach in Paris Landing, Tennessee for our second NLCSO. Kentucky, Arkansas, Michigan, and Tennessee attended our conference. Because these conferences are focused on developing team performance, relationships, and reflection, workshop development for the officers, and also provide information for each state, we had a blast facilitating for the following week in the Volunteer State. The morning of June 28, it was time to leave for our third and final NLCSO in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

This was the largest of our regional conferences with 46 students from Alaska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona in attendance. By far, it was one of the most effective, enjoyable conferences I have helped to facilitate thus far. Our “Discover the Rhythm” concert/music theme and the energy within the officers pushed the conference to another level and after we “rocked-out” in Colorado, we knew we had connected with the future leaders of FFA, agriculture, and of our country. Zach and I caught a fireworks show in downtown Colorado Springs on July 4th, and we headed for home the following morning.

My time at home was short but jam-packed! My friends picked me up from the airport; we went straight to the Goedde’s lake, across from Tri-State Speedway, for the 19th annual Slide Party. Seeing almost 500 of my family and friends was the perfect start to my three-day home stay. Following some work on the farm, time with high school friends, and seeing my classmate Kristen Schmitt—Miss Indiana State Fair, at the Gibson County Fair, I hopped on a plane for Washington, D.C.

For the rest of this month, I will be attending the Washington Leadership Conference with hundreds of FFA members from all states, making final preparations for our upcoming State President’s Conference (SPC), and then facilitating SPC with my teammates, our families, and two state FFA officer representatives from each state. The highlight of the conference will most likely be our time with President George W. Bush in the White House, and I cannot wait to let you know all about it in August!

These are the moments I will long remember when my time in the National FFA Organization nears an end this October. FFA has offered the experience of a lifetime—both this year and the five years prior. I hope to make the most of these moments.