While classes have been out of session since May, Pella FFA students have been busy throughout the summer. The chapter participated in State Horse and Ag Mechanics, a summer fun day, Ag in the City, and Chapter Officer Leadership Training.

The following were written by Pella FFA Reporter Maylei Ruggles:

State Horse & Ag Mechanics
School may be out for the summer, but this is when the Pella FFA chapter gets started. On June 14th, the chapter took two members to compete in the State Horse Judging contest held at the Kirkwood Equestrian Center. The members participating were able to judge based on halter classes, the ability to perform skills and tasks with the rider, problem solving, and tack identification. At the end of the day, these judges were asked to give two sets of oral reasons for why they placed classes the way that they did. “I would definitely want to do this again because it has potential to help me in the future with scholarships for college and expanding my horizons”, said sophomore Abbey Votava.

Then on June 16th the chapter took an additional two members to compete in the Iowa FFA State Ag Mechanics. These members were brought to the Iowa State “450 farm” where they competed in hands-on skills and knowledge in welding, electricity, woodworking, small engines, and surveying land. “I would definitely say my favorite part was the mechanics portion”, said sophomore Caleb VanEssen.

Summer Fun Day
For many activities, summer is a time of fewer meetings and less activities. To ensure members stay active during this period of no school ,the Pella FFA chapter put together a “Summer Fun Day”. On June 25th, 13 members attended this event from 4-8 pm and plunged down the slip-n-slide, swam in the pool, and eventually gathered around the campfire for dinner. Sophomore Drake Gruver said, “My favorite part was the slip and slide “trains”, where we all went down in a line”.

Ag in the City
Every Thursday on the Pella City square, there are activities and games for the whole family to enjoy. On June 30th the Pella FFA chapter reserved a space for members to bring their animals to be displayed and pet. AG in the City is also a time for kids to interact with the FFA chapter. Some FFA members were doing an experiment with kids, others making balloons on a stick, and one member was even dressed up in a chicken suit! The head of planning the event was junior Calleigh Vander WIlt and she said, “The students took good initiative in helping this year and made my job of planning the event easier. It was really fun to collaborate with members and their animals”.

Pella COLT
At the March FFA meeting, members choose who the next leaders of the chapter were going to be. COLT, or Chapter Officer Leadership Training is designed to help those next leaders understand and better perform their responsibilities next year. The Pella FFA conducted their annual COLT training from July 6th-8th at Bronson, Iowa. During this training, officers are focused on providing a quality program for chapter members and developing a structured system for committees to use when planning events. Advisor Jacob Bowers thought this year’s training was successful and said “What made me most happy during COLT was when an officer would use their voice to challenge tradition, simplify our processes, and ask me as the FFA advisor to clarify or defend my reasoning behind why we do some of our events. I think that type of behavior is so needed in today’s workforce and on different agricultural boards to make agriculture strong. I appreciate when students ask hard questions, and think on their feet!”.