Hannah Viets – VP

We are nearing the end of August, and that means it’s back to school time. Starting school can be an amazing, yet scary, time. Some of us might have started sports practice while others of us just wrapped up the 2018 Missouri State Fair.

When I was in high school, this time of the year was always the most hectic for me. I would be wrapping up my showing at the fair while having volleyball practice, and on top of that I would be starting my next adventure in my blue corduroy jacket. So many scheduled tasks at one time challenged me to keep my focus on what I what I wanted my end result to be. 

The National FFA organization was always something that brought new and eventful activities toward the beginning of the school year. This was also the organization that helped me filter my focus and find out what was important for me. From the time I was a freshman and had the opportunity to say the creed for the first time all the way to my senior year when I determined I was going to make that final lasting impact on my chapter, I was focused on my end goal.

No matter who you are or what grade you are going to be in, we need to stay focused on what lies ahead for us. Whether you are involved in competitive events such as Friday night football games or you are simply going to hangout with friends, stay focused on your one goal to achieve success.

Remember what Alex Hirschfeld once said, “The biggest challenge is to stay focused. It’s to have the discipline when there are so many competing things.” 

Chloe Momphard – 1st VP

Camp Rising Sun, Lake of the Ozarks, Main Street Musical, and forever changing Missouri weather are all things that can be associated with State FFA Camp. These are all common experiences for camp, however, one particular interaction made FFA camp unforgettable for me.

Colton Spencer was State FFA President when I went to camp.  At the time, I was pretty reserved, but wasn’t afraid to be outgoing. Colton told me that to achieve the goals I had set for myself, I had to step out of my comfort zone and grow personally. He also took the time to get to know me and remember my name.  His advice and interactions with me helped set me on the path to becoming the person that I am today.

This year, I had the pleasure of attending weeks three and five of camp. Boy, were my expectations wrong! I thought I would be the one that did the teaching and inspiring; instead I was the one learning and being inspired!

FFA members, you have a passion that burns in you like a fire; carry that into everything that you do! While I know I learned quite a lot at FFA camp, I hope you, FFA members, were able to build stronger leaders out of yourselves and others.  Take all of the tools we identified back to your home and community and use them; don’t let them lie in the toolbox and rust away! We all have our own individual strengths. Yet, that doesn’t mean we can’t collect more from those around us and work together to form a more cooperative and efficient team. We are mighty alone, but incredible together!

Hannah Viets – VP

We are nearing the end of August, and that means it’s back to school time. Starting school can be an amazing, yet scary, time. Some of us might have started sports practice while others of us just wrapped up the 2018 Missouri State Fair.

When I was in high school, this time of the year was always the most hectic for me. I would be wrapping up my showing at the fair while having volleyball practice, and on top of that I would be starting my next adventure in my blue corduroy jacket. So many scheduled tasks at one time challenged me to keep my focus on what I what I wanted my end result to be.

The National FFA organization was always something that brought new and eventful activities toward the beginning of the school year. This was also the organization that helped me filter my focus and find out what was important for me. From the time I was a freshman and had the opportunity to say the creed for the first time all the way to my senior year when I determined I was going to make that final lasting impact on my chapter, I was focused on my end goal.

No matter who you are or what grade you are going to be in, we need to stay focused on what lies ahead for us. Whether you are involved in competitive events such as Friday night football games or you are simply going to hangout with friends, stay focused on your one goal to achieve success.

Remember what Alex Hirschfeld once said, “The biggest challenge is to stay focused. It’s to have the discipline when there are so many competing things.”

Ryan Siegel – VP

Imagine you are standing on a movie set, and you are the lead role. The director screams out, “Lights, Camera, Action.” You begin saying your lines, and the feeling is surreal! When the scene is over, you let out a sigh of relief, and you feel a little uneasy about it. You don’t think you did your best. You think you could have done better, but the director said that the cut was the best that it was ever going to be and that you gave it your all.

You see, in this scenario the director is your FFA advisor, and the scene is your four years in high school. When you start the scene, the lights are blinding, you are shocked by what you can truly do to succeed. These blinding lights are a lot like your freshman year in FFA; you are shocked by the magnitude of the organization and all the older members are lifting you up, lighting your day with knowledge and wisdom. Helping you one day see the camera or the perception that everyone has of you, in this camera you are a superhero, farmer, friend, or a mentor.

The camera is a lot like your senior year in FFA. Younger members are always watching you, waiting to follow your lead, while others see the impact you are making in this organization and your teachers and advisors notice how much you have grown and succeeded.

Finally, you hear the word action, and you are sitting in your high school auditorium or football field with your cap and gown on. At this moment in time, you realize that it’s time for you to start acting in the next scene. You begin this scene in college, trade school, or on the farm. Yet, with each step that you take throughout this next scene in life, you act to improve the future of agriculture.

When you hear lights, camera, action, what are you going to do to light up someone’s world, change the perception of agriculture, and act to improve and believe in the future of agriculture?

Chloe Momphard – 1st VP

Be. Believe. Become. These simple but impactful words have hung above my bed and served as motivation for the past five years.

I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying “Act like the person you want to become.”This is where “be” comes into play. Each of us has to take action in order to be the person we want to bein life. However, it isn’t enough to just act like the person we want to be, we have to “believe” we can achieve it. Positive mental images are critical in achieving goalsbecause what you think is often what you achieve!

While it is always nice to have support from those that we love in our lives, we also have to be confident in ourselves and our abilities. We have to work for the goal and “believe” that we can achieve it. After we “be” and “believe”, it is natural for us to “become” the person we want to be or achieve the goals we have set for ourselves. Be. Believe. Become.

It sounds simple. It’s just three steps to follow. We will always haveobstacles to face; however, we can prepare and limit the obstacles and eliminate the opportunity to react. By preparing, we are on the front end of a goal, guiding the path; when we react, we are behind, chasing the path, trying to play ‘catch-up’.

FFA members, you can use this in your FFA career, school and vocation. Success will not be handed to us! We have to work for it each day. While we may not be able to control everything that happens, we can guide our path by preparing for success and going after it, instead of waiting for it to happen and reacting. Be, Believe, Become and write your own success story!

Regan Ragsdale – Secretary

“We rise by lifting others.” – Robert Ingersoll

There is nothing more fulfilling in life than when we lift others up through service.

The Missouri State Fair is here – finally! Many describe these booming 10 days in Sedalia, Missouri, as the best times of the year.

So many of you have been working all year with your livestock, watering your plants and crops (despite the drought), and gearing up to make incredible memories with your family and friends. I can’t imagine the amount of pride that must be beaming from your soul – whether you receive a ribbon or not.

Many members have traveled to the fair to exhibit. In addition to many of you who are exhibiting at the state fair, 650 other FFA members signed up for Food Insecurity Day on Tuesday, Aug. 14. Missouri FFA members from across the Show-Me state will pack 100,000 meals to be distributed between the six Food Banks in the Feeding Missouri Network.

The Missouri State Fair, Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri Farmers Care, Missouri FFA and many others will work diligently to ensure that countless members could come together to make a huge difference in the lives of those who are food insecure.

Consider this fact: 1 in 5 kids in the state of Missouri is food insecure. Missouri FFA members – you have LIFTED others by having a servant’s heart. I know that if you continue to embrace the last line of our FFA motto, “living to serve,” you will RISE.

Dillon Reinitz – VP

There is nothing like the thrill of attending the Missouri State Fair! I remember when I was younger, my parents would say, “Dillon, load up. We’re going to the fair.” I immediately ran to the truck and prepared for the long drive to Sedalia. I wasn’t sure if it was the rides or the livestock barns that made me more excited. I remember seeing how excited the exhibitors in the show ring were when they led their animals into the ring. I couldn’t wait until I had the opportunity to be an exhibitor at the Missouri State Fair.

When my FFA advisor asked me my freshman year of high school if I wanted to exhibit at the state fair, I couldn’t help but say yes. I took bacon, peppers, zucchini and many other vegetables to show in the FFA building. Although it was so much fun, I also remember how much work it took to complete the registration as well as prepare my items for competition while preparing for the upcoming school year.

FFA members, what an exciting time for all of us! As we prepare for this year’s Missouri State Fair, we can’t forget to focus on the other upcoming events that await us with the start of a new school year. Good luck to all exhibitors at the fair, and have a great year in FFA!

Andi Montgomery – VP

Flip, flip, flip go the records as I sort through hundreds of them to find the perfect oldie I had been dreaming about. Pause. I pull the record out slowly, just to find it is warped. Plunk. Back into the file it goes. Flip, flip, flip. Time seems to continue forever, until finally I find it.

You might be wondering what a tedious day of record hunting could do with FFA.

To get the best quality of sound from a record, you must do a few certain steps, kind of like FFA.

First, you must take the beauty out of the cover, check for scratches and place it on the turn table.

In FFA, this looks like learning your skills and checking for obstacles.

Preparations might look like early contest team practices, or planning activities for chapter members.

Then, you must take the needle off the rest and gently place it on the outside of the disc.

Take action, and carefully keep track of your recordsso that you can get the most out of what you are producing. I know SAE’s can be hard to keep track of in the summer, but I promise if you diligently stick to it, it will pay off.

Finally, it’s time to select the right speed.

Find your tempo. This could look different for every FFA member — slow and steady or jumping in to get your feet wet in brand new ideas and activities. It is important to find the right pace for you, so that you will not get burned out or bored.

FFA members, as events keep flipping by, my challenge to you is to work on these steps, so you might hear the sweet sounds of success in your future!

McKenzie Loftis – VP

At FFA Camp there weren’t any fireworks exploding on the 4^th of July. Still, I saw plenty of members explode into leadership. It looked different for each individual. One young lady decided she is going to audition for National FFA Chorus. She sure can make you feel America the Beautiful deep in your soul! At the same time she was working towards that goal, other kids were learning what it takes to be a servant leader in their chapter. Others were learning about careers in agriculture, too. Each and every one of these members are headed for a long road to meeting their goals. The unique goals they have set for themselves fit their personality and skill set. We each have a place we belong in this organization and the world. If we can key in on our personal path to success we will begin to see others that are walking alongside us. The partnerships we discover on these paths will last so much longer than forced friendships or “small talk” conversations. As you lead in your respective areas, keep pressing forward along side each other. Pursue your dreams whole-heartedly. Explode forward into your role of leadership.

Regan Ragsdale – Secretary

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Sometimes it is hard to be our best – especially in the summer time.

It is easy to fall in love with the lull of summer. Easy to sleep in, stay up late, have days on the couch or by the pool, indulge in an insane amount of popsicles and watch the days go by. There is nothing wrong with days like this. In fact, I’m not sure I could survive without these kinds of days. However, these are few and far between if I want the be the best that I can possibly be.

Missouri FFA members – you can be your absolute best this summer. Many of you have traveled to FFA Camp at Camp Rising Sun with your goal to become a better leader. Washington Leadership Conference, in our nation’s capital, has stolen hundreds of FFA member’s servant hearts. In preparation for the Missouri State Fair, members are growing cucumbers, cattle and cacti from all parts of the state.

The success from these opportunities will come by giving your all and being YOUR best. If you choose not to waste a single second of the 86,400 seconds in each day, then you will be your absolute best.

I challenge you to give your all every day this summer and be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.

Adriene Aubuchon – VP

This time of the year seems it seems like everything is coming to an end. Convention, banquets and contest season have all been winding down, and it’s easy to be swept up into the lull of doing nothing. If you’re a freshman, you’re just completing your first year in FFA, and if you’re a senior, you’re wrapping up four amazing years in an organization that’s likely brought many memorable moments.

Have you ever heard the saying “When one door closes, another one opens”? This perfectly sums up these four years you’ve spent in FFA. This chapter might be closing, but something new is on the horizon. Change is good. We will carry the friendships, memories and life lessons with us throughout our whole lives. You might be hanging up the blue jacket, but you will never be done with FFA because it changes your life. And when something impacts you this much, it sticks with you forever.

Just because school is out and summer vacation is here doesn’t mean that we have to stop being involved in FFA for a few months. Camp, Helping Youth Prepare for Excellence (HYPE) Academy, Helping Youth Maximize their Agricultural eXperience (HYMAX) and county and state fairs are adventures full of memories just waiting for us.

Ends are just the beginning of new opportunities. Enjoy the ride.

Madison Bader – VP

One of my favorite times of the year is spring. While it is probably the busiest time, with planting, conventions, contests and end-of-the-school-year events, it is full of so much energy and happiness.

At the same time, it can be stressful. You want to be done with school and be outside, but you are stuck doing tasks that seem boring and tedious. I assure you, I am the same way. By the time it gets warm outside with the flowers growing and the sun shining, I would rather be outside and soaking up the rays than doing paperwork.

Looking back, I wish I spent more time focusing on everything I did in FFA instead of wishing I was doing something else. Don’t get me wrong; I loved planning and putting together banquets and studying for career development events, I just wished I spent more time living in the moment rather than taking for granted my time in this organization.

I would do anything to have another year in my home chapter with my friends I have been with since grade school, but God has bigger plans for me. In order to accomplish those plans, we all have to move out of our comfort zones and into the world for which FFA has prepared us.

So to all of you wishing this year was over and it was summer vacation, take a deep breath and know these times go more quickly than you think. Someday you will miss filling out those applications and doing those tedious tasks. We all have big things in store for us, but we always need to appreciate and acknowledge what got us there in the first place.