Clear Fork FFA members, as well as the chapter as a whole, were honored at the State FFA Convention recently. Clear Fork FFA President Sam Wander, Vice President Ellyse Shaffer, Pam Rungphakdeesawat, Erica Rinehart, Brooklyn Reasor and Brittany Watts were recognized at the event.
Clear Fork FFA was honored as the top chapter in the state for Community Development. This is the highest honor a chapter can receive at the state level. This was announced in front of over 7,000 people and is a major accomplishment for the Clear Fork chapter and school.
The Clear Fork FFA officer team completed a detailed application highlighting the activities they conduct throughout the year. Agricultural teachers from around the state gather to prejudge all the applications and select the Top 10 to be interviewed at the state level. Clear Fork FFA members devoted numerous hours to developing their 10-minute presentation that was given to a panel of judges to determine the final placing. After the presentation, the judges ask approximately five minutes of questions pertaining to their chapter and the activities they highlighted in their presentation.
The Clear Fork FFA won the State Model of Innovation in the categories of community development for the National Chapter Award program. Chapters eligible to compete in the Model of Innovation Award contest are ones that demonstrate competency in doing new and innovative things or taking traditional concepts and applying a creative twist. Chapters compete in divisions that include: Student, Chapter, and Community Development.
Finalists in the Model of Innovation award compete through a presentation and interview process at The State FFA convention. The Clear Fork FFA application will now be evaluated at the national level and possibly compete for national recognition in Louisville, Kentucky.
Clear Fork FFA President Sam Wander placed first in the state in Agricultural Processing. The Agricultural Proficiency Awards honor FFA members who, through their Supervised Agricultural Experience programs, have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers.
The Agricultural Proficiency Awards program is similar to the FFA motto in that it helps you set goals and learn practical skills. The program rewards FFA members at the local, state and national levels for exceptional accomplishments and excellence in a Supervised Agricultural Experience program. Wander logged over 517 hours since her freshman year with her project processing maple syrup. Winning the state is a major accomplishment. She will be competing at the national level against the other 49 state winners from across the country which is held in Louisville, Kentucky.
Clear Fork Vice President Ellyse Shaffer was second in the state in Equine Management. She worked 3,643 hours in her project area since her freshman year. She was on the state winning Equine Judging team and was a gold metal recipient at the national level as an individual. Shaffer’s family runs Smoking Acres Horse Farm where they board and train horses in their new indoor facilities.
Clear Fork FFA member Pam Rungphakdeesawat placed second in the talent show. Rungphakdeesawat performed a musical piece on the piano.
Ellyse Shafer and Erica Rinehart received gold rating on their officer books.
The Chapter also received a $500 grant from the Ohio Small Grains marketing program. Brooklyn Reasor, Brittany Watts, and Erica Rinehart were presenters for this project.
