Annual Parent/Member FFA Banquet celebrates program’s successes

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Floyd County families and their FFA members gathered for the annual Parent/Member FFA Banquet held last week at the county fairgrounds.

The event had been cancelled from the previous month because of impending bad weather, but FFA Advisor Bret Spurgin said the turnout didn’t seem to have suffered much from the rescheduling.

“The annual banquet is a great way of recognizing, obviously, the chapter as the whole for the year, but then just the kids and their individual accomplishments,” he said. “It’s an annual tradition.”

The banquet was the 96th held by the Charles City FFA chapter, and Spurgin noted the chapter will be coming up on its 100th anniversary in a few years.

Not a lot of organizations have that kind of legacy, he said.

In addition to recognizing and handing out awards to the older members, newer members can see what can be accomplished as they put more time into the program, he said.

One of the highlights of the event is a ceremonial passing of responsibilities from the current slate of officers to the new officer team, which now consists of President Bryce Walker, Vice President Mayzie Bruening, Secretary Morgan McMurchy, Treasurer Madison Vance, Reporters Addison Mutch and Aubrey Michael, Sentinel Madison Crooks, Student Advisor Kinley Bahe, and committee chairs Devony O’Brien, growing leaders; Sophia Stevens, building communities; and Brooklyn Warnke, strengthening agriculture.

Keynote speaker for the event was Caleb Lenz, a graduate of Nashua-Plainfield High School who served as the Iowa north central state vice president last year.

Lenz talked about how even though he grew up on his family farm, FFA gave him a deeper understanding and appreciation of agriculture, and how it is connected to so many different parts of business and society, as well as opening up opportunities for him.

“FFA has taken me further than I could ever imagine, and I mean that both geographically and personally,” he said.

The meal for the banquet included hamburgers from the Elma Locker, grilled by the Floyd County Cattlemen, with sides from Hy-Vee.

Awards handed out at the banquet included:

• Massing of the Flags – Devony O’Brien
• Top Fundraiser – Xavier Scott
• Agriculture Sales Placement – Everett Schmitt.
• Agriculture Services Entrepreneurship – Dillan Dight.
• Agriculture Services Placement – Trevor Carolan.
• Beef Production Entrepreneurship – Isabelle Vance.
• Crop Production Ownership – Jackson Ruzicka.
• Diversified Agriculture Production Entrepreneurship and Ownership – Brayden Ellis.
• Diversified Livestock Production – Anya Ruzicka.
• Forage Production – Xavier Scott.
• Swine Production Entrepreneurship – Kylie Blunt.
• Star Greenhand – Madison Vance.
• Rising Star – Mayzie Bruening.
• Star Junior – Aubrey Michael.
• Star Senior – Isabelle Vance.
• Star Farmer – Jackson Ruzicka.
• Star Agriculture Placement – Everett Schmitt.
• Star Agriculture Business – Dillan Dight.
• Member of the Year – Bryce Walker.
• DeKalb Award – Jordin Ritter.
• Iowa FFA Degrees – Abby Assink, Kylie Blunt, Trevor Carolan, Dillan Dight, Brayden Ellis, Payton Hadley, Quinn Heidebrink, Jordin Ritter, Anya Ruzicka, Jackson Ruzicka, Everett Schmitt, Xavier Scott, Isabelle Vance, Alexandra Wright.
• American FFA Degrees – Gillian Anderson and Justin Heyer.
• Distinguished Service Award – High School Principal Levi Crawford-Miller
• Blue and Gold Award for people who support agriculture education students and provide guidance to FFA members through teaching and modeling – Jeff Gelner and Jackie Moon.
• Honorary Chapter Degrees – Jason Daniels and Nikki Uhde.