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MPCHS FFA Chapter grows
FFA Chapter celebrates National FFA Week and a successful year
MT. PLEASANT — The Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter reflects on their successes and the importance of FFA programs as they celebrate National FFA Week Feb. 17-24 along with other FFA Chapters across the nation.
During this celebratory week Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter encourages their fellow classmates throughout MPCHS to participate in dress up days. The days will be as follows: Monday is flannel day; Tuesday is Farmer day; Wednesday is Favorite Tractor Brand Day; Thursday is Camo day; and Friday will be FFA day.
“So, on Friday we will make sure everyone is wearing FFA apparel,” MP FFA Secretary Briar Bender said. “We also will be having a Drive a Tractor to school day. That will be held on March 28th. On this day we will be letting the kids that are in FFA drive their tractors to school. We have done this the last two years and a lot of the kids really like doing this.”
The Mt. Pleasant FFA chapter has plenty to celebrate going into National FFA Week.
According to Bender the chapter has seen a pretty good spike this year in membership gaining 73 members from a steady 63 in the last 3 years. In addition to a burgeoning membership, the chapter continues to consistently succeed in fundraising. participate in community service, and grow and develop as individuals and a chapter.
“We are still killing it in Strawberries yet again this year,” Bender said. “This year we sold around 515 flats.”
The chapter is also still helping out in the community in a variety of ways. They helped at Old Threshers with Drive a Tractor and Pork Producers. Additionally, they continue to help the Optimist Club in putting up American Flags around Mt. Pleasant.
In early January four students, Addie McGhearty, Alexis Francy, Briar Bender, and Ethan Graber, applied for their Iowa Degree.
“The Iowa Degree is the third highest degree you can get at the state level,” Bender explained. “Only 4% of students get it every year. All four of our students got approved and will be able to walk across the stage at the Iowa State Convention that is held in April.”
In November 2023, 10 members attended the National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana for three days. While there, students attended sessions that were held in the Indianapolis Colts stadium, toured a crop farm, toured the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and also went to Fair Oak Farms which is a dairy cattle and swine farm.
“We also did a fun activity and we went and did Ax Throwing,” Bender said.
On Nov. 11, 2023, seven members attended the IAT Conference in Ankeny. Those members were Briar Bender, Jacie Campbell, Alexis Francy, Tyi Alter, Chase VanBibber, Caden Mullen, and Melanie Liechty.
At this Conference Caden Mullen and Melanie Liechty attended the Ignite portion and they learned about careers in agriculture, FFA opportunities, leadership, service learning, and about leading with integrity.
Briar Bender, Jacie Campbell, Alexis Francy, Tyi Alter, and Chase VanBibber attended the other part of the conference known as Amplify. In amplify they learned about your purpose in daily practice, what it means to serve as a leader and examine methods for serving others. They also learned about the difference between living with a purpose, completing action items, and identifying the value in practicing self-care as a leader.
Over the summer of 2023 multiple members of the Mt. Pleasant FFA chapter showed at the Henry County fair.
“We had members show different species such as Swine, Cattle, Goats, Sheeps, and Poultry,” Bender said.
Jacie Campbell, Alexis Francy, Courtney Raub, Tyi Alter, and Ethan Graber showed swine at the fair. Lane Beckler showed poultry. Briar Bender, Courtney Raub, and Ethan Graber showed through FFA for cattle. Jacie Campbell, Ella McNamee, and Briar Bender all showed goats for the FFA Chapter.
“We also did a clothing and can food drive this school year in December,” Bender said. “That consisted of members going out and talking to businesses to see if we could put boxes up at their business for people to donate clothes or canned foods. The businesses that we were able to put boxes in were Lomont Molding, Agri Center, Becks, Family Dental, First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant High School Office, and Sinclair in Houghton and Winfield. We got a lot of clothes and canned food and we donated it all to the Fellowship Cup.”
Overall, the Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter students/members would like to thank the community, school and families for supporting them year after year. The program is growing strong and continuing to do new things. It is because of them that they are able to give students a great learning experience!
