The SD FFA Email Newsletter highlights special projects of the SD FFA and SD FFA Foundation.  Please forward this newsletter to others you know who are involved and interested in FFA and agriculture education. Thank you for your support of the FFA in South Dakota!

Director's Message:

Summer is almost here.  Crops and calves are growing, and summer SAE's are in full swing.  It's time for all kinds of outdoor activities like leadership retreats, fairs, planning Program of Activities, rodeos and baseball.

Gerri Ann Eide, Executive Director, SD FFA Foundation, Inc.

Upcoming events:

• July 10-13 - FFA Leadership Retreat, Bob Marshall, Custer
  
• July 17-19 - FFA Leadership Retreat, Swan Lake, Viborg
• July 15 - FFA Day with the Twins, Target Field-Minneapolis
• August 30-September 3 - South Dakota State Fair, Huron

Celebrate Summer with FFA!

Come join the fun of summer with Twins baseball and support FFA at the same time. Join us July 15 for FFA Day with the Twins, at Target Field in Minneapolis as they take on the Oakland A's. Click here for ticket information.  Game time is: 1:10p.m.

*NEW* this year - Purchase your tickets through the FFA and walk the field as part of the pregame activities.  Enter a drawing for Twins memorabilia and pick up your FFA Day with the Twins souvenir. FFA members will sing the National Anthem.

West Central FFA is National Ford Grant Challenge Winner

The Ford Grant Challenge program is sponsored by Ford as a way to assist the development of agricultural education programs. FFA Chapters that submit student Ford Scholarship applications to the National FFA Organization as a part of their annual FFA Scholarship program are eligible to compete. The West Central FFA, Hartford, SD with Linda Petersen advisor was one of six ag programs across the country selected to receive a $3000 grant to improve their local agricultural education program.  This is the second year in a row West Central received this grant.  Last year they chapter used the funds for members to earn FFA jackets, to support Chapter Officer Leadership Training and for travel to the National FFA Convention where two members were competing in National CDEs.  Chapter Officers will solicit ideas and develop a plan during Chapter Officer Leadership Training this summer for this year's grant money.

Each regional winner is selected based on their overall Ford student scholarship index score.  West Central has been participating in the Ford FFA scholarship program since 2000.  This year, three of their students received the National Ford Scholarship. The scholarship money is given in memory/ honor of Bob Titus, who passed away in 1999. Bob was the father of two students who started the West Central FFA Chapter by going to the school board and soliciting community support for an agriculture education program when they were sophomores and juniors in high school. Bob is also the father of a West Central FFA graduate, Jenny Titus Jacobson, 97-98 State FFA Officer.  Now there are Titus grandchildren as part of the program, one of them graduated this year.  The Ford Grant Challenge program is a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

State Officers experience training

State Officer Speech training (S.O.S); Building Leaders and Strong Teams of Officers (Blast-Off); Career & Technical Students Organization training (CTSO); National Leadership Conference for State Officers (NLCSO); and State President's Conference (SPC) are all training opportunities the state officers experience over the summer months to prepare them for the challenging jobs they do throughout the year. 

Thank you our sponsors whose contributions allow officers to attend these events: CHS, Coop Managers Association, and the SD Association of Cooperatives.

SD National Officer Candidate Selected

Congratulations to Jamie Flint, from Viborg for being chosen as the SD National Officer Candidate. Jamie was a state officer in 2011-12 and will interview in October for a national FFA office. The process includes a test, writing activity, speech, facilitation rounds and conversations with key stakeholders.

If you would like provide a training experience or fund the candidate's training, please contact gerri@sdffafoundation.org

Advisor Tribute Scholarships Awarded for Leadership Retreats Honor Past FFA Advisors

The South Dakota FFA Foundation is proud to present four Advisor Tribute scholarships for students to attend Leadership Retreats, in honor of two outstanding past FFA advisors: Mr. Leonard DeBoer and Mr. Walt Johnson.

• Mr. DeBoer was an FFA advisor for the Chamberlain chapter for almost forty years. He spent his life teaching young people about agriculture and the leadership skills that would make them successful in their career choice.

• Mr. Johnson served as the SD FFA Foundation President, as well as on the SD FFA Foundation board, as an ag teacher, and community supporter and coach for CDE teams. He was devoted to agriculture education and earned his Honorary American FFA Degree in 2007.

Both men led by example and their advice was truly ripened with wisdom. Haley Boyer, Alcester-Hudson; Bailey Baker, Hoven; Troy Storm, Lemmon and Johannah Jensen, Arlington FFA have earned the Advisor Tribute Scholarships. This year the SD FFA is hosting two Leadership Retreats – one at camp Bob Marshall, Custer, and one at Swan Lake, Viborg.  Retreats focus defining leadership, identifying personal strengths, setting goals,  respecting diversity, exploring opportunities available through FFA, and service learning.  Contact gerri@sdffafoundation.org  if you’re interested in sponsoring one of these scholarships.

Here by the Owl …

FFA advisors have been saying this phrase for over 80 years. Opening ceremonies states “The owl is a time-honored emblem of knowledge and wisdom.” Current and former members agree - their advisor, or one from another chapter had a huge impact on their personal growth, career choices and leadership skills.  Perhaps you or a family member has a particular memory of an FFA advisor and how he/she touched your life.  Join the SD FFA Foundation in saying thank you to FFA advisors for their efforts.

SDSU student selected as 2012 National Teach Ag Ambassador

The National Teach Ag Campaign has selected 11 outstanding agricultural education majors to serve as 2012-2013 Teach Ag Ambassadors. The Teach Ag ambassadors will assist with the National FFA Convention Teach Ag booth as well as other opportunities throughout the year. These students represent the best and the brightest of the next generation of agriculture teachers. Congratulations to Sara Colombe, (home town of Little Falls, MN)

Featured Fundraisers:

SD FFA Leather Collection
The SD FFA Foundation has partnered with K Bar J Leather of Newell, SD to offer a selection of beautiful high quality leather items.  They were marketed at National FFA Convention and awarded to State CDE winners with the FFA logo.  They can be ordered with custom logos for promotional use by businesses … talk to your boss about utilizing them as around the office!  SD FFA gets a cut of all orders that mention us. Click here to see more of their products!

Remember the SD FFA Foundation!

Your gift, no matter the amount, makes a huge difference to SD Agriculture Food, Fiber and Natural Resources programs and FFA member success. Click Here to make an online gift to FFA or mail a donation to: SD FFA Foundation, 39393 133rd St., Bath, SD 57427