Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter celebrates 2 years

The Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter celebrated its first two years of existence after an almost 30-year hiatus. The banquet on Friday honored the participating students and their efforts, as well as the community that has supported the comeback of the chapter.

“It is due to the support from people like you that we are here,” Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter President Grace Scheetz said.

The banquet had 94 guests from the community and 24 FFA members in attendance. The chapter served a meal and had a short program to discuss how the chapter had grown in the past two years.

One of the bigger areas of growth was the annual strawberry sales, a fundraiser all FFA chapters participate in. The first year, the Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter sold 196 flats which amounted to approximately $2,000. For the second year, they sold 470 flats and raised approximately $7,000, earning the chapter the award of top strawberry seller for the state.

In addition to fundraising, the Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter hosted plenty of community events, like “Feed the Farmers,” in which the chapter helped pass out 200 meals to local farmers as a personal thank you. The chapter also planned a winter adult clothing drive.

“We wanted to continue helping the community and those in need, and in working with the Fellowship Cup, we noticed there was a need for adult winter clothing,” FFA member Dalton Gardner said.

Partnering with the Fellowship Cup, Becks, Hearth and Home, Farm Credit and Lomont, the Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter collected six truckloads for the clothing drive.

The program had some special guest speakers, Tom and Christie Vilsack. Tom Vilsack is a former mayor of Mt. Pleasant, former governor of Iowa and is now secretary of agriculture.

Although the two were not able to physically attend due to scheduling conflicts, they recorded a message for the FFA Chapter.

“You did a pretty darn good job selling strawberries,” Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said. “I am incredibly proud, and we believe in you.”

The Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter recognized its members for their efforts in competitions the past two years, and even inducted two honorary members to the chapter.

“A FFA chapter is only successful as the people and community that supports it,” Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter Vice President Brennen Bender said.

“Becoming an honorary member of a FFA chapter is the highest honor a chapter can bestow on non-members, and there has been two ladies that have stood by our side since the very beginning,” Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter adviser Matthew Jones said. “Mary Elgar, you have always been our supporter and cheerleader, and Marjorie Beckman, your acts have not gone unnoticed.”

a

The banquet concluded with a call to action for the community.

“Who would have thought that three years ago, we’d have this again,” Chuck Andrew said. “In our first year, we had enough donations to pay for three years, so we have another year left, however, we still need community support.

“Becoming a Friend of FFA doesn’t necessarily mean donating your money,” he said. “It can be you donating your knowledge, your time or your services for volunteering.”