Columbus FFA earns national award

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

Bringing home awards from the FFA National Convention is something Columbus students and residents can be proud of. With the award plaques are FFA’ers (from left) Chip Schneider and Jordan Gregory, both instrumental in the student development presentation, and FFA advisor Kevin Page. -- Staff photo by Taylor

Nov. 11, 2005 - Citizens of Columbus, Texas … county seat of Colorado County … have a new reason to be proud. 

Columbus has long been proud of being one of the state’s oldest cities. In 1823, members of Stephen F. Austin’s “Old 300” Colonies surveyed and platted the city. 

Now, 182 years later, Columbus is on the map, again, because of the award — the National Model of Innovation for student development  — brought home by its Future Farmers of America (FFA) members from the organization’s national convention.

The “student development” competition represents all of the things an FFA chapter does to help sstudents be an active part of their school, program, and community. Columbus FFA has developed a strategy that attracts a lot of kids to the organization, and has helped them be successful in school and as they go off to college or a career.

According to Columbus FFA leader Kevin Page, the process to compete for the award started in the spring of 2004. The students of Columbus High School FFA worked “hundreds of hours” to develop the presentation that won the national award. Wendy Page is the co-leader of the group.

Members competed in three areas of FFA development: chapter, student, and community service. Over the past months since the spring of 2004, competitors were narrowed to 10 in each group across the entire nation.

During the last, full week of October, students and sponsors met in Louisville, Ky., for the final competition. Toyota and the Land ‘O Lakes Foundation sponsored the awards as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

The Columbus FFA group was represented by two speakers, senior Jordan Gregory and sophomore Chelsea Kneblik. With the assistance of other FFA members, and technology teacher Scott Mattingly, the Columbus put together a presentation that lasted around 14 minutes, and included a visual presentation; interaction with the crowd; and a question-and-answer session.

Each group was allowed to have two presenters, two students to help set up the presentations, and one sponsor to get ready for the competition.

In the presentation, the FFA’ers noted one of the major areas of becoming a part of the Columbus FFA includes going through the “greenhand” introduction. During this time, high school freshmen are introduced to the program, and upon completing the “degree,” are welcomed into the FFA program through a special dinner with their parents, not to mention the special “greased hog” contest or painted, green hands!

Columbus is fortunate to have one of the largest alumni groups in the state, and they have helped make it possible for any FFA participant to have the money to complete their dream. There is a “FFA Credit Program” where members can earn money to pay for any FFA expenses by working with the alumni at concession stands or other alumni events.

�We don�t let (lack of) money block any opportunities,� noted Page.

These unique facts about the Columbus FFA chapter and their goals for student development were presented by the FFA’ers, and that effort earned the chapter the national award.

To pay tribute to the organization, the San Antonio Spurs have designated their Dec. 9 game as “Texas FFA night” and because of their national award win, Columbus FFA will be spotlighted.

Columbus has about 180 members in FFA, with about 50 in Junior FFA, which includes students from grade three to eight. Gregory noted the best thing of being a part of FFA … for him … has been “getting to know all the people around me and the skills I’ve learned.” He plans to major in criminal justice and political science, next year, on a baseball scholarship. Although he didn’t join FFA until his junior year, because of sports, Gregory explained that his dad had been big in FFA in South Texas and encouraged him to become a member, and he’s never regretted it.

After completing the national competition, the Columbus FFA members are excited about their next, big project: they hope to complete the first pool table entered in competition at the Houston Livestock Show in the early winter! Gregory said that it had been “pushed back,” due to the attention needed for the national competition.

For those who are interested in seeing the presentation that won the national championship, there will be a special showing on Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the Columbus High School Auditorium. Gregory, second-vice president of the local FFA chapter, is featured on a special show on Columbus radio station KULM, every other Wednesday at 6:45 a.m., where he updates the public on the latest FFA news in the area. President of the Columbus FFA is Glenna Schatte-Page, a sophomore.

It is reported that there are 7,210 local FFA chapters in the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, with a national membership of 490,017.