Ash Grove FFA wraps year with banquet at Sac River facility

Sen. Burlison presents Mo. Senate Resolution for Ash Grove ag department’s 100th year
 
The Ash Grove FFA held their annual awards banquet at the Sac River Cowboy Church in Springfield on Wednesday, July 1. The banquet is normally held closer to the end of the school year, but was delayed this year due to the COVID-19 virus.Several notable guests spoke at the banquet this year. The first speaker of the evening was Dillon Magers, president of the Ash Grove FFA Supporters and Alumni Association. Speaking to the audience, Magers said he first came into contact with the FFA when he saw the chapter’s members deliver a PowerPoint presentation before a school board meeting, adding that he was highly impressed with the quality of their presentation.“They did better than most full-grown managers that I know in corporate America.”Magers also said that FFA was preparing the students for not only future careers, but all aspects of life after high school.“FFA is not teaching these kids about agriculture,” he said. “FFA is teaching these fine young people about life, how to succeed in life; building confidence in these young folks.”Missouri Senate resolutionAlso speaking was Senator Eric Burlison, who presented Ash Grove agriculture instructor Nathan Isakson and retired Ash Grove agriculture Instructor Mike Coale with copies of a Missouri Senate resolution honoring the Ash Grove High School’s agriculture program, which is in its 100th year.Keynote speaker CrownoverThe evening’s keynote speaker was Dr. Jerry Crownover, a former agriculture teacher and college professor. Crownover spoke about how FFA changed his life, as before he joined FFA, he had planned to quit school at 16 and raise hogs for the rest of his life. As a high school freshman, Crownover was required to recite the FFA Creed from memory, which he said was a major challenge to him, as it was difficult for him to memorize anything.“In Sunday School, they had us memorize Bible verses,” he said. “I memorized one, ‘Jesus wept.’”Two weeks before he was supposed to recite the creed, he said, he went to speak to his teacher about the difficulty he was having memorizing it. He said his teacher asked him, “What’s the matter boy, are you stupid?”“He said, ‘There’s been two million boys before you in FFA who have all memorized the creed. Again, are you stupid?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Fine. You’ve got two weeks.’ On the last day that you could say your creed ... I was the last person on the last day to get up, and I said the creed.”Having accomplished this, Crownover decided to stay in school, and in FFA. As a result, he said, he gainedmany experiences in his life, including his first date (for a barnwarming), eating in a restaurant for the first time, learning to use different types of silverware and learning to tie a tie. He also went to college because he was elected a state officer during his senior year in high school and as such, was required to attend college. He graduated from college, became a high school agriculture teacher for a number of years, and then attended graduate school and eventually became a professor at what is now Missouri State University.Graduating seniorsThe FFA chapter’s graduating seniors, Hunter Wheeler, Emma Hancock, William Lampley, Daniel Elliott, MaKenna Johnson and Dillon Magers, also had an opportunity to speak. Each of took to the stage to tell the audience about their memories over the past four years, and what their time in FFA meant to them. As they concluded their remarks, each of them removed their corduroy jackets and placed them on a chair, symbolizing that their time in the FFA chapter was over, and a new chapter in their lives was beginning.Isakson was the final speaker of the evening. During his speech, he praised the graduating seniors for their accomplishments over the past four years.“You are some of the most highly decorated members we’ve had in a long time,” he said. “Your prestigious awards outnumber many that have come before you. You guys have been racehorses, you’ve been muscle, and you know what worked. You’ve got something that not everyone’s got. You believe in what you learn. You believe in what you’re taught. And I’ve seen it in your eyes, and I’ve seen it in your bootsteps.”Officer installationNear the end of the evening, the 2020-21 Ash Grove FFA officers were installed. They are: Michael Blaine, president; Ben Hines, vice-president; Ryleigh Morris, secretary; Kaylee May, treasurer; SchanDonaRedman, assistant treasurer; Evelyn Carter, reporter and Payton Griffin, sentinel.