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| FFA Salute - Rossville FFA Chapter |
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Rossville FFA Chapter
School name: Rossville High School
City and state: Rossville, Ind.
Chapter advisor(s) – Leon Greives, Christina Griffin, Dale Griffin; Advisors
Contact information: Dale Griffin, Rossville HS FFA Advisor, 765-379-2551 ext. 249; dgriffin@rcsd.k12.in.us
Number of FFA members: 94
History of Chapter Chartered in 1944, Chapter Number IN0218. We have had three state officers from Rossville and one National FFA officer.
What classes are taught to FFA members? Mr. Greives teaches Engines, Woodworking, Welding, and Ag Construction (they build a home each year).
Mrs. Griffin teaches Advanced Life Sciences/Animals and Advanced Life Sciences/Plants.
Mr. Griffin teaches Middle School Agriculture Classes, Fundamentals of Ag (Freshmen), Natural Resources, Agri
business Management, Horticulture, and Landscape Management (he landscapes approximately 20 homes in the community each year, as well as the school).
What contests does the Chapter participate in? The contests that the Rossville FFA Chapter participate in are divided into five areas:
Animals (Livestock, Dairy, Horses, Goats, Livestock Skillathon)
Landscape/Horticulture (Floriculture, Horticulture, Nursery/Landscape)
Natural Resources (Soils, Crops, Entomology, Forestry, Wildlife, Envirothon)
Mechanics (Ag Mechanics and Welding)
Leadership (We do all of the available leadership contests through our state and national FFA affiliation)
Highest awards given the chapter: We award the basic chapter FFA awards at our annual FFA Banquet the first Saturday in April: Star Chapter Farmer, Star Chapter Agribusiness, Star Placement in Agriculture, Star Agriscience, Star Greenhand, and Star Discovery. WILO/Shine 99 Communications also presents a Determination Award. We present three FFA scholarships each year; The Jeff Eller Memorial, The FFA Alumni, and the Rossville FFA Scholarships. Local banks and our advisory committee present the president and vice president with the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) scholarship to completely pay for their trip to the WLC.
Anyone that participates in a CDE (Career Development Event) at the district or area level receives a plaque. Trophies are presented to teams and individuals that placed in the top four in the state, and at any national competition (we typically have three to four teams compete at national contests each year).
What activities does your chapter participate in? Every two years we take a trip out of the country, complete with tours, excursions, and farm visits. In 2009, 36 people from the Rossville FFA Chapter went to England, France, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany for 9 days. This spring our FFA Chapter is going to Italy and Spain for 9 days. FFA Snow Ski Trip to Michigan for two days. Point System Award Trip to Tennessee on the Ocoee River for a three-day white-water rafting adventure. FFA Camps and workshops.
We also send our chapter president and vice president to WLC each summer.
We have a Chili Cook-Off in the fall, and a Barbeque Cook-Off in the spring; with two other local FFA Chapters. An FFA Euchre Tourney, complete with food and prizes. Canoe trip in June down the Tippecanoe River. FFA Week activities include: FFA basketball tourney with local chapters, drive your tractor to school day, farmer and teacher appreciation breakfast (over 500 people attended last year), teacher and school employee appreciation projects, parliamentary procedure demonstration, and ‘dress-up days’ for prizes. We also attend district, state and the National FFA Conventions.
Does the chapter have an ag plot? We do not have an Ag Plot; we build buildings, landscape, do contests and community service.
What is your biggest fundraiser? We run the Dairy Bar at the State Fair for one day during the Indiana State Fair ($2,500). We cook and sell (in clothing appropriate to the times) 2.5 tons of pork chops at the Feast of the Hunters Moon in Lafayette, Ind. ($6,000). We host a pork chop supper for 1,000 people in our ag shop ($3,000). We sell fruit and fruit baskets in December ($5,000).
We participate in the truck give-away fundraiser for the Indiana FFA Assoc. ($2,000). We hold an FFA Member Auction every spring ($8,000). We paint barns or work for community members to collect $2,000 each year for our scholarship fund.
Sell Cookies and do ‘Cooks Night Out’ Dinners to support our overseas trips.
Favorite community service project? Our Chapter participated in the Living 2 Serve Grant Program through the National FFA. Landscape our School and numerous homes annually. Have 45 members work at the Clinton County Farm and Conservation Camp each spring. Host a Breakfast with Santa and the Animals in December, where everyone brings in Winter Clothing that we donate to the local Rescue Mission. Work with our alumni and give away hot dogs and drinks in a local neighborhood on Halloween (over 900 last year). Help with numerous projects for the town during our annual Summers End Festival. Conduct several food drives each year. Test five local creeks for water quality. Do a pedal tractor pull and help at the County Fair. Host and feed everyone for the Indiana Pork Producers winter seminar. Work days at the Indiana FFA Leadership Center, State Fair, and at numerous local events. This summer we picked 867 ears of sweet corn and distributed to over 56 families (and we had to have a seminar to teach some of them how to shuck and freeze the corn). Raising and releasing 500 Pheasants. Farm assistance to the elderly (livestock, garden, lawn, etc.). Completely rebuilt the shelving for the local food pantry.
What is your chapter’s strength? Diversity of agriculture instructors and students; support of the school administration and community; honest, intelligent and hard-working student body. We have tons of fun with minimal drama. Variety of activities that we participate in.
Most unique fact about your chapter? “We are unique because of our uniqueness,” this quote is direct from our chapter sentinel last year as he was being interviewed (live) on the radio during National FFA Convention. We do a lot of things/activities similar to other Chapters – and we do a lot of things that are different from other FFA Chapters. No better, no worse – just “unique” because we are the Rossville FFA Chapter. |
| 12/8/2010 |
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