Middle row L to R: Katelee Martin and Avery McMurphy
Front row L to R: Kayla Polling, Brady Lott, and Casyn Larman
September was filled with many events for the Alva FFA Chapter. The month started with the Woods County Fair, which every FFA member participated in. This year the FFA Chapter was split into nine teams who got a certain number of points for placing with projects in the county fair. Each FFA Officer was a team captain. Projects that placed first got three points, projects that placed second won two points, and all other placing got one point. This included livestock projects, cooking projects, welding, plant, and craft projects. The winning team was captained by Brady Lott and consisted of Falynn Thomas, Daisy Ceniceros, Kenadie Meyer, Trenton Clepper, Jaxon Headlee, TJ Maltbee, Austin Hawley, and Fenix Domingez.
The first Official Alva FFA Chapter Meeting was help on September 18. New and old business was discussed. The members enjoyed pizza and icebreaker games.
The Alva FFA Officer Team attend County Officer Leadership Training (COLT) Conference in Enid, Oklahoma on September 24, 2024. The Officer Team listened to Josiah Cruikshank, a former Naitonal FFA Officer, speak about setting and reaching goals. The Alva FFA Officer team was put into a breakout room with Aubry McEndoo and Casyn Larmen, two State FFA Officers. The team set personal, team, and chapter goals, and learned how to make SMART goals.
The Livestock Judging Team attended the Canton-Galva Eagle Classic in McPherson, Kansas. The Senior FFA team placed fourth. The team consisted of Brady Lott, Avery McMurphy, Ember Sandoval, and Allison Blocker. They also competed in the Tulsa State Fair Livestock Judging Contest.
The Junior and Senior Shooting Sports Teams attended the Ft. Supply Shooting Sports Contest. The members attending consisted of Adler Bates, Kuper Penco, Grady Mahieu, Tristan Turner, Jaxon Headlee, Logan Bays, Jace Rhodes, Trenton Welty, and Waylon Vendetti.
The Opening and Closing Ceremonies (OCC) Team and Greenhand members attended their first two contests in September. Their first contest was at Carnagie-Mountain View Gotebo. Kase Martin and Merritt Mantz both advanced to the oral finals in Greenhand Quiz. Merritt Mantz placed third in The FFA Creed. The OCC team placed third. At the Hammon LDE contest, Merritt Mantz placed first in Greenhand Quiz and The FFA Creed, and the OCC team placed first. The OCC team consists of Clayse Shafer, Merritt Mantz, Daisy Ceniceros, Whitney Hanks, Kodee Ohm, and Allison Blocker.
The Ag Literacy Committee, headed by Madison Blocker, held their first Ag Literacy Day with third-graders at Longfellow Elementry on September 25, 2024. The Committee read a book about soil and taught the third-grade class about soil horizons/ layers. Blocker made “Dirt Cups” for each child. Each layer in the Dirt Cups represented a different layer of the soil. Layers were made of chocolate chips, pudding, graham crackers, and more.
The Alva FFA Chapter hosted Community Coffee on September 12 and the Alva COOP. The FFA Chapter provided donuts and had coffee while talking to community members.
Blue and Gold Sausage was delivered. This is the sole fundraiser for the benefit of the Alva FFA Chapter. The FFA member sold 5,420 rolls of sausage, 508 bags of chicken, and 1,620 packages of bacon. Alva FFA greatly appreciates the support it receives from its community.
FFA members entered livestock, as well as other projects, at the Oklahoma State Fair and Tulsa State Fair. It takes members a lot of time and hard work to participate in these contests.
