FFA holds state leadership conference
Over 200 Minnesota FFA members gathered for two sessions of the State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders (SLCCL) held at Deep Portage Conservation Reserve near Hackensack July 10-15. A time spent in developing leadership skills for their communities and home chapters.
Members from the Staples Motley FFA chapter included Katie Benson, Mikayla Sauber, Jenna Trantina, Zachary Strickland, Rachel Paskewitz, Dominic Nistler and Molly Lindgren.
The conference is targeted at FFA members who have gone above and beyond in their local chapters. These FFA members come from all corners of the state, represent unique sectors of agriculture and have been recognized as top leaders in their schools.
The conference is modeled after the FFA’s Program of Activities gives examples of activity areas the ideal FFA chapter should participate in. While at this conference, members were able to network with other chapters and share some of these activity ideas from their own FFA chapters.
A chapter’s Program of Activities focuses on growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. During sessions under each of these three areas, members were able to discover more about the role of healthy lifestyles, recruitment, agriculture literacy, fundraising and community service in their FFA chapters.
“State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders was an opportunity for chapter leaders across the state to come together and learn about growing themselves and growing their chapters,” Minnesota FFA President Spencer Wolter said. “Members who attended had the opportunity to work with other chapters in sharing ideas, learn about leadership in their chapter and plan events that are ready to be taken back and implemented into their own communities.”
FFA members had the opportunity to connect with other chapter members outside of sessions during volleyball, canoeing and hiking. Each night, state officers shared reflections with the campers and on the final day of camp a mock chapter banquet was held.
The State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders serves the Minnesota FFA Association by building talented and young individuals. These members often end up as leaders in multiple organizations and receive high academic marks during their postsecondary education before beginning very successful careers.
This leadership conference was made possible with financial contributions from the CHS Foundation and Northland Ford Dealers as a special project of the Minnesota FFA Foundation.
