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Sectional Information - Section Nine
Kim Schadrie - Parliamentarian
De Pere FFA Chapter - Section 9
kschadrie@wisconsinffa.org
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SOCK
Mar. 08, 2010
On Saturday most of my teammates and I attended SOCK, the State Officer Candidate Kick-Off, hosted by UW-Madison Collegiate FFA. What a great way to spend a Saturday! I had the opportunity to meet some of the wonderful individuals interested in running to be our next State FFA Officers!
Through the day these members learned all about the process of running for state officer. We covered the four interviews, the resume and application, the knowledge test/writing exercise and, of course, the all important delegate round. Not only did we talk about all that, we also covered some of the things to expect as an SO, session introductions and how to present a good image.
All in all, it was a great day and the CFFA members put on one fantastic workshop. If the group of individuals in that room are any indication, our Association will be in good hands come June 16th, when the new officer team is elected. And that date is only a few short months away which means those candidates are running out of prep time and our convention is getting closer, so I’d better get back to those committee reports! Until next time, take care everyone!
"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination." Nelson Mandela
New on Page 9!
Mar. 07, 2010
Hey everyone! Check out the 'What's New' Section on the right. I've the latest edition of the Parliamentarian's Press Release--our Section IX Newsletter!
This upcoming week is going to be a busy one, full of prep work for proficiency judging, sectional speaking Contests and the March meeting, which means lots of convention planning! Hope to see you all soon.
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." Winston Churchill
FFA: Farm Forum Adventure
Mar. 04, 2010
This past weekend the team, along with about 150 FFA members, participated in the 2010 Farm Bureau Farm Forum Conference in Wisconsin Rapids. Talk about a great way to end FFA Week, over the two day conference we learned about agricultural careers, the Farm Bureau and much more from some very knowledgeable Farm Bureau members.
For the State Officer team, the weekend actually kicked off on Thursday night when we met up for some team work time. The next morning we had a Board of Directors meeting before joining in the Farm Forum fun for lunch. After a delicious meal there were three workshops before free time and dinner. Following dinner the team divided everyone out into four groups for a networking ice breaker. Friday ended with a dance and pizza party, swimming and plenty of good times.
Saturday started with a hearty breakfast before we split up for three more great workshops. Following workshops was the luncheon, where we heard from Past State Officer and current Legislative Aid to Representative Mark Radcliff. We heard how he has aspired, acted and achieved in his life while receiving advice on how to do the same. After lunch it was time to head home, but not without being a little more knowledgeable about agriculture and the Farm Bureau.
It was a great weekend and I’d like to thank the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation and all those who put on this conference. What a perfect way to end FFA Week 2010!
“The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises.” Leo F. Buscaglia
A Week of Leading out Loud!
Feb. 27, 2010
Every year the last week of February is, without a doubt, one of my favorites of the whole year—and this year was definitely no exception! Between work at home and visiting some great chapters, I kept pretty busy celebrating FFA and how we all Lead out Loud. What all was I up to?
Well, on Monday, I spent the day writing letters and making cards for some very important FFA supports to say thank you. After sealing up more than 50 letters, I was glad to get them in the mail box and help spread the joy of FFA Week.
Tuesday was an early one, but well worth to sleeplessness. I was lucky enough to be invited by Andy and the Seymour FFA to take part in an amazing interview opportunity. Good Day Wisconsin, on Channel 11, did four three-minute segments featuring FFA activities and information throughout their morning program. The first started at 5:45 and the last was on just before 9:00. People all around northeast Wisconsin got a great look at the outstanding leadership of FFA members and got a better idea of what our organization is all about.
I headed out to Bayport on Wednesday where I got to visit and help with their annual petting zoo. During the lunches they had kitties, puppies, chickens, a chinchilla, ponies, goats and rabbits on the side of their commons for their fellow students to visit and enjoy. It always makes me smile to see even the toughest looking teachers absolutely melt at the site of a puppy. What a fun afternoon!
For Teach Ag Day on Thursday I was back at my old high school, assisting with mini ag Olympics during lunch. Students from all different backgrounds jumped into our egg races and to experience a little bit of the fun the FFA is so well known for. After lunch I was on my way to Wisconsin Rapids for the Farm Bureau Conference! Look for more about that in my next blog.
“To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.”
Kicking Off by Kicking Up
Feb. 23, 2010
Sunday the De Pere FFA chapter kicked off FFA week by kicking up some snow and going sledding. After getting a bit lost, I was lucky enough to be able to join in the fun at one of the officer’s homes.
We spent the afternoon racing down the hill, throwing snow balls and celebrating two of the most important elements of FFA: great friends and great fun.
Not to mention great advisors. Mr. Kilsdonk was a pretty good sport as he was being pelted with snowballs in a pretty uneven snowball fight that dissolved into an all out snow war when sides no longer existed. All in all, everyone went home soaking wet and smiling. What a great way to get FFA week started!
“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.” Tennessee Williams
The Hockey Extravaganza
Feb. 20, 2010
Extravaganza is definitely a good word to describe UW-Madison’s Collegiate FFA Hockey night this past Friday. FFA members from all around the state came down to Madison for a pep rally and the hockey game against St. Cloud State.
The rally was an excellent kick off for the evening, with pizza, great music, the premier of the “Aspire. Act. Achieve.” video, UW-Madison trivia, and the pep band! From start to end it was a lot of high energy fun and a great way to get pepped up for the game. A big thanks to all the chapters who came down!
Unfortunately, the Badgers hockey players didn’t seem to have quite our level of enthusiasm. At the end of the third period the Badgers had lost 5 to 1. All in all though, it was a good evening despite the loss. As a big hockey fan, I’m always up for watching a game-no matter who wins.
By the way, if you didn’t make it to the rally and game, but you still want to see the “Aspire. Act. Achieve.” video (or maybe download the mp3 onto your computer), it’s on our main page! Hope everyone likes it!
”Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking your potential.” Liane Carlos
CTSO Day Excitement
Feb. 19, 2010
So far this year has been full of amazing opportunities. I have had the honor of meeting some outstanding individuals, have gotten to travel places I never would have imagined and have learned some really incredible things. Last Thursday I had another one of those opportunities and, as a future ag teacher, it was probably one of the coolest things I’ve experienced all year.
Thursday, February 11th was CTSO Day in Madison. A day where the state officers of all the Career & Technical Student Organizations meet at the capital and have the chance to meet with local legislators, each other and past officers from the CTSO’s. It was an awesome day and it was a lot of fun getting to meet other state officers (not to mention seeing what “OD” entails for other CTSO’s).
That morning, though, the State FFA Officers had a unique opportunity during our mid morning break. Thanks to some help from a PSO, Steve Boe, and several other individuals, we were able to watch Governor Doyle sign AB-236 into law. This law permits agricultural education courses to count as science credits toward graduation-providing the class meets certain requirements and the school district okays it.
For me, it was one of those moments that makes me very proud to be an agricultural education major. A big part of my passion for agricultural education comes from the fact that I believe it’s a subject that combines the best of all school subjects and makes the skills we learn in them practical and relatable (not to mention a lot of fun). Getting to see evidence of that belief made into law was a pretty big thing for me.
And a pretty big thing for ag ed too! So if you’re curious about getting your ag classes to count for science credits, talk to you advisor. There are several districts who have approved it already, lets see how many we can get!
“Education is not the filling of a bucket but the lighting of a fire.” William Butler Yeats
Happy Valentines
Feb. 14, 2010
Love.
What else comes to mind on February 14th but love? Whether we embrace Valentine's Day as a celebration of friendship and affection or shrug it off as a commercial holiday-the media and our culture make it basically unavoidable not to remember that what could just be an ordinary day in February is typically one colored red and pink and spotted with hearts.
Whether it's your favorite day or the year or closer to your least, Valentines is a great opportunity to remember that love comes in all shapes and sizes. We love all the people in our lives a little differently-whether we call that love family or friendship or something else-there's still the fact that those people mean a lot to us.
One major event that comes along with Valentine's Day each year is the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Convention. This year the annual convention took place in Manitowoc, hosted by the Alumni Affiliates of Section IX and Section VIII. Our team was fortunate enough to be invited to attend this weekend long event to participate and help with auctions, meals and workshops.
While we were there, I got to thinking about all the kinds of love there are and ways that we show it. I realized that this group of individuals is perhaps one of the best at showing love, not just on Valentine's Day, but every day of the year.
Every day FFA Alumni members show their love for FFA and FFA members by supporting our programs and everything we do. They give of themselves, their time, and their talents to countless students-often those they have never even met-without ever expecting anything in return. If that's not love, I don't know what it.
So, in the spirit of Valentine's, I'd like to say thank you to every Alumni member out there who shows their love daily with their unprecedented acts of service. It was an honor and a pleasure to be able to spend the weekend with so many of fantastic examples of true love and true leadership.
Happy Valentines Everyone!
"The little unremembered acts of kindness and love are the best parts of a person's life." William Wordsworth
District 26
Feb. 12, 2010
The final Section IX District Speaking Contest took place last night at West De Pere High School. A big thank you to the West De Pere FFA for hosting and to all the judges for your help.
The contest was a great success and while everyone gave it their all, these are the members that will be proceeding to the sectional competition:
Creed:
1 – Alex Grathen – De Pere
2 – Brittany Riese – De Pere
Prepared Speaking:
1 – Justin Shwahn – Reedsville
2 – Allison Nohre – De Pere
Job Interview:
1 – Joanna Wavrunek – Denmark
2 – Cara Biely – Reedsville
Parliamentary Procedure:
1 – Brillion
2 – West De pere
Quiz Bowl:
1 – Brillion
2 – Denmark
Extemporaneous Speaking:
1 – Ellie Collins – Reedsville
2 – Carrie Zellner – De Pere
Discussion Meet:
1 – Carrie Zellner – De Pere
2 – Matt Miller – Kewaunee
Congratulations to everyone for a job well done!
"You must make a commitment to success. Change it not easy." 'Doc' Matteson
3 Cheers for Leadership!
Feb. 10, 2010
Scrolling through the long list of things celebrated February; I recently came across a surprising discovery. Amidst the more random things (National Sweet Potato Month, Cat Health Month, Sign Up for Camp Month) February is Youth Leadership Month.
Which, as FFA members, is kind of appropriate—leadership is, after all, a cornerstone of our organization. So, to celebrate National Youth Leadership Month, I’d like to share Glen Thomas’s 5 Key’s to Successful Leadership:
1. Principles – find what is important to you and stick with it
2. Passion – you must believe in what you are doing
3. People – “When you become a leader success is all about growing others.” – Jack Welch
4. Performance – it’s not enough to get listen, think and get ideas, you must take action to get results
5. Persistence – everyone encounters setbacks. Great leaders are the ones who try again
Most of us know that leadership is a lot more than something that can be broken down into a mere list of aspects but hopefully these points will help us all to understand and be just slightly better leaders. That being said, I hope everyone has a great National Youth Leadership Month! Let’s see if we can’t celebrate by simply doing what we do every day as FFA members—lead!
“The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.” Faye Wattleton
District 25 Speaking Contest
Feb. 05, 2010
Elkhart Lake kicked Disctrict Speaking Contests off to a great start and on Tuesday, Bay Port FFA continued on the tradition with another night of fantastic competition. Members from Bay Port, Luxemburg-Casco, Southern Door, Green Bay East and the Green Bay Middle schools battled it out for the top spots and the chance to move onto Sectionals. While everyone did a great job, these are the individuals and teams that will move onto Sectionals:
Creed:
1. Emily Gomand – Lux-Casco
Prepared Speaking:
1. Crystal Drager – Southern Door
2. Angel Walschinski – Southern Door
Extemporaneous Speaking:
1. Kurtis Rollin – Bay Port
2. Nick Colle – Lux-Casco
Job Interview:
1. Kayla Cooley – Green Bay East
2. Sara Mueller – Southern Door
Discussion Meet:
1. Alexis Zernicke – Green Bay East
2. Matt Olson – Southern Door
Quiz Bowl
1. Edison Middle School
2. Washington Middle School
Congrats again to everyone and thank you to Bay Port for hosting, as well as all of our great judges!
"Every person in this life has something to teach me — and as soon as I accept that, I open myself to truly listening." Catherine Doucette
T.T.T. – Groundhog Edition
Feb. 02, 2010
Hey everyone! Tradition Trivia is making a comeback! Since February is so full of awesome holidays, I figured I’d bring it back periodically. So here’s another addition of tradition trivia…
Every February 2nd people across North America gather up for a big announcement: Will spring come early this year? Or are we destined to suffer through six more weeks of cold, snow and ice?
Groundhog day’s a holiday celebrated only in the US and Canada. According to the tradition, if a groundhog sees his shadow he heads back to into his burrow and there are six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t then he’ll come out of his home and we’re in for an early spring.
The actual holiday of Groundhog Day, believe it or not, dates back to the late 1800’s and is said to come from ancient European weather lore which states that a badger, or sacred bear, predicts the weather. The tradition also ties in to an old religious holiday called Candlemas Day, also taking place on February 2nd. An old English song states that “If Candlemas be fair and bright/ Come, Winter, have another flight”.
Whatever the history, Groundhog Day has become such a big tradition in North America that Punxsutawney Phil, the main groundhog of the season from Punxsutawney, Pennsulvania, even sends out texts messages to let everyone know what he saw.
So what’s the world from Phil? He says six more weeks of winter. However, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin’s own Jimmy the Groundhog, is calling for an early spring. So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see! Take care for now everyone!
“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” Anthony J. D'Angelo
Welcome to February
Feb. 01, 2010
I’d like to officially welcome everyone to February, my favorite month of the year!
Proud home of George Washington’s birthday, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Rosa Park’s birthday, [my birthday], the Boy Scouts’ birthday, this year’s Chinese New Year, Valentines Day, Random Acts of Kindness Day, Mardis Gras, Ground Hog Day, this year’s Superbowl, FFA Week and much, much, much more! In fact, there are so many important days in February, don’t be surprised if a little ‘Tradition Trivia’ doesn’t pop back up!
Yes, it is finally, completely and officially February. Can you believe that the first month of 2010 is already over? And with a month that comes with so much to celebrate, you can bet February will pass by before we know it too!
Speaking of things to celebrate, one of my favorite events in February is definitely FFA Week. This year’s National FFA Week, themed ‘Lead Out Loud’, takes place from February 20th to the 27th and is shaping up to be yet another seven exciting days. One of the best parts of FFA Week is having the chance to share with your school and community what FFA and agricultural education are all about.
Most chapters do that by hosting a wide variety of events, from teacher appreciation breakfasts, to ag Olympics, to assemblies to who-knows-what! What has your chapter got planned?
I want to invite everyone to email me your FFA Week events and, if you’d like, some information about them and I’ll start featuring them on my blog. If you’d like to advertise an event, invite other FFA chapters/members, or just share what you’re up to, send the information to me at kschadrie@wisconsinffa.org and I’ll get it up here asap!
Also, if you would like me to come to any events throughout the week, let me know! The team will be finishing up the week in Wisconsin Rapids for the 2010 Farm Bureau Farm Forum conference, but for the first few days of FFA week I am completely open and looking for some awesome FFA members to hang out with!
Just let me know! Good luck with all your planning-I promise I’m hard at work too! Take care for now everyone, see you soon!
"Celebrate what you want to see more of."
Thomas J. Peters
Congratulations District 27
Jan. 27, 2010
Yesterday the Elkhart Lake FFA chapter hosted the first of Section IX’s District Speaking Contests. Members from Chilton, Elkhart Lake, Howards Grove, Kiel, Plymouth, Random Lake and Sheboygan Falls met at the school after weeks and months of practice and preparation to show off their speaking skills for the judges.
The contest was, all around, a great event. The Elkhart Lake members and advisors clearly worked very hard to ensure a smooth evening and a fun night for everyone. A huge thank you to them for all their efforts—I know I had a lot of fun helping out! [And getting to moderate the Discussion Meet where I was impressed by ten FFA members who clearly know their ag issues!]
While all the contestants did a fantastic job only two people or two teams from each contest can move onto the Sectional Speaking Contest that will be held at De Pere High School on March 22. Those individuals are:
Creed:
1 – Joseph Wimmler – Plymouth
2 – Jenna Mehre – Elkhart Lake
Prepared Speaking:
1 – Megan Klumpyan – Plymouth
2 – Jared Mahre – Elkhart Lake
Job Interview:
1 – Steven Voland – Kiel
2 – Susie Hodgson – Howards Grove
Parliamentary Procedure:
1 – Sheboygan Falls
2 – Howards Grove
Quiz Bowl:
1 – Plymouth
2 – Kiel
Extemporaneous Speaking:
1 – Josh Peronne – Howards Grove
2 – Katherine Kurtz – Chilton
Discussion Meet:
1 – Josh Perrone – Howards Grove
2 – Dustin Korth – Sheboygan Falls
Again, congratulations to everyone!
I’d also like to say thank you to all the judges who gave their evening to help out with this contest. It’s because of all our great supports – such as Alumni members, parents, Farm Bureau members, current and former teachers, and business owners – who donate their time that speaking contests are possible.
To the members of District 26 and 25, good luck in your preparations and I’ll see you soon!
"You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart." John Ford
Back to Work!
Jan. 23, 2010
What a great week it’s been. After spending Sunday recovering some sleep following our team trip to California it was time to dive back into the real world of FFA and school work.
Even though I’m not currently going to regular classes and school, the fact that the second semester is starting still means some important work for me to be ready to go back to UW-River Falls next year. For those of you who are seniors and plan on going to any sort of post-secondary schooling next year, you can probably guess one thing that was high on my to-do list: filling out FAFSA, the financial aid application. Besides that there was work to do for my internship that keeps me in school as a state officer and work applications for fall. Thankfully I got that done and out of the way just in time for two amazing chapter visits on Wednesday and Thursday!
Wednesday morning I was in my car bright and early to be a Vincent T. Lombardi Middle School in Green Bay by 7:15. There I got to work with three of Ms. Krcma’s lively groups of 7th and 8th graders on some activities where we talked about the middle school agri-science fair, the upcoming EDGE conference and also the middle school essay contest. Let me tell you, when it comes to knowing what LOL really means, these students really know what they’re talking about.
Thursday brought about another opportunity to work with more of Ms. Krcma’s students—this time at Washington Middle school during an afternoon visit. We had ourselves one fantastic scavenger hunt to learn some Quiz Bowl trivia, drew what Lead Out Loud meant to us and talked about a bunch of different FFA activities to get involved with. The FFA members also shared some of their past FFA week activities while brainstorming a few for this year while we enjoyed some pizza. We even had four extra-special guests in attendance—part of the Green Bay-East FFA officer team—who shared some of their proudest FFA achievements.
Vacation in California was a lot of fun, but nothing beats being back to work and getting to spend the week with FFA members. A big thank you to the Lombardi and Washington middle school FFA’s and Ms. Krcma for having me and another big thank you to Lindsey, Kayla, Crystal and Brandon for helping out!
“Progress always involves risks. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.” Frederick B. Wilcox
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