National FFA week is underway, continuing a week long tradition that started in 1948. The national board selected this week in recognition of George Washington’s legacy as an agriculturist and farmer. There are many events planned to highlight FFA in schools across Indiana, and it’s a busy and exciting week for the state officer team that will blanket the state.
“It is very exciting for us as state officers because we have the opportunity to be broken up across the great state of Indiana and be able to experience some of the chapters we don’t generally get to spend a lot of time with,” said Lindsey O’Hara, Northern Region Vice President. “So this is our opportunity to spend some one on one time with those chapters.”
She agreed the visit by a state office is a big deal at the chapter level.
“As a high school FFA member we spent a lot of time planning what we were going to do that week and it was always a highlight if one of the state officers could come to our school. We had a breakfast the end of FFA week and we’d invite all the students, administrators and teachers to come to celebrate the teachers and what they do for education.”
She will travel to southern Indiana and plans to share her passion for FFA and get members pumped up for the state convention coming in June.
“I will be attending Paoli FFA down in southern Indiana and I’ll be attending a breakfast there,” she told HAT. “I will also be attending South Knox for one of their chapter meetings and I’ll have the opportunity to present them some team building activities. Then I will be attending Southridge for a chapter visit and educating the students who aren’t quite sure if they want to join, don’t know very much but would like to.”
State FFA Sentinel Derek Berkshire will hit the District 7 and 8 portion of southern Indiana.
“Some of the highlights I’m really excited about are a lockin at Owen Valley, so it’s exciting to see what activities they have planned, and I’ll be at a lot of breakfasts and staff lunches as well to promote the brand of FFA and getting to interact with those members and friends that I’ve made.”
The FFA week theme for 2015 is Go All Out.