MN FFA President 2008-2009

Foley FFA Banquet

2009-04-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday I went to Foley, Minnesota for their annual banquet. I enjoyed meeting with members Weston and Sara whom I had met earlier in the year.

The banquet was really fun. Mr. Stemper must have been up to some stellar work this year. I really enjoyed learning more about their new Honorary members who have been supportive of their FFA Chapter for many years.

Thanks for a great night Foley!

Derek

Le Roy Ostrander FFA Banquet

2009-04-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, April 14th, State Sentinel Pete Thome and I were invited to speak at the LeRoy Ostrander FFA Chapter banquet. We met in Z-M and then headed down to LeRoy. I enjoyed catching up with Pete as we made the drive to LeRoy.

When we got LeRoy we had a great meal prepared by the kitchen staff. Then it was time for the program. This was a very successful chapter. One of the most remarkable part of the banquet was the proficiency awards. LeRoy excels in many different areas, they use this to have a well rounded chapter.

After the banquet I took time to speak with a few relatives that were at the banquet. Then Pete and I headed back to school.

Thanks for a great banquet LeRoy!

Derek

Region VIII Awards Night

2009-04-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

Finally, back to the best region of them all, Region VIII! After being to region 2 and stuck in region 4, Cindy, Katie, Pam Dahlman, and I visited Mike and the region 8 officers for their awards night in Stewartville. I was again able to see some awesome talent. The officers put together a great program. The Spring Valley-Wykoff Chapter, kicked butt with awards, again! After the program the new and old officers came out to Applebees for supper. Then we all headed back to a long day of classes on Wednesday!

Congrats to the new and old officer of Region VIII!

Derek

Region II Banquet

2009-04-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

After one of the busiest weekends of the year, I met some of the Region II officers and Caitlin at the Super 8 Motel in Little Falls. After a night reminiscing about this past year I headed to the banquet. I was honored to be the Keynote Speaker at the banquet. I watched some pretty awesome talent acts (Congrats to Ryan Bart!) and heard some pretty cool stories of how some of these members achieved their goals this year. A year of hard work sure payed off for this region. Congratulations to the new region II officers, you'll have a great year!

Thanks for all you do Region II!

Derek

State Officer Candidate Mock Interviews

2009-04-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Sydney and I had the chance to meet 10 of 15 outstanding individuals who will be running for the 2009-2010 State Officer Team. I didn't know how emotional this day would be for me. This was the first time that I had the chance to look back at my team's year. We told the candidates how time consuming it is to be a state officer, yet how much of an amazing experience it is.

I'm very excited for this part of convention.

Good Luck to all of the State Officer Candidates!

Derek

CHS Leadership Training

2009-04-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

Last Friday the six of us went to CHS for a training, along with Ms. Addington and Ms. Aarsvold. We learned about conflict management, and giving feedback. My favorite part of this workshop was discussing how we as individual will move forward with our life after this year of service. This was also a great time to speak with a few representatives from CHS and strengthen our relationship. As we headed out we stopped to say hi to Linda Tank, who works with Public Relations at CHS.

Thanks CHS for a great day!

Derek

AMPI Annual Meeting

2009-04-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I got to spend a bit of time with my favorite Dairy Lady in the State, Ms. Sheryl Meshke. Katie and I headed to Bloomington, Minnesota for the AMPI annual meeting. We were honored to be the flag bearers for the program.

It was exciting to be around the people behind the product once again. Being from a dairy made this event even more exciting.

Thanks,

Derek

Spring Valley-Wykoff Chapter Banquet

2009-04-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

Wow, is it ever great to go home sometimes?! I headed home the other day to visit my chapter for the annual banquet. I spent the day with my advisor and some of the chapter officer team. It was fun catching up, but even better being in the ag room. My friend Briana came home and we talked about all of our fun times in FFA.

That night I was thrilled to see the great accomplishments our chapter had once again achieved! I chatted with some of the community members as well as our administration. I had never been so excited to be back with my chapter. I'm really excited to see what they will accomplish this year at state convention!

Derek

FILL Conference

2009-04-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

The last Friday night in March Caitlin and I went to Annandale, Minnesota for the 2nd annual F.I.L.L Conference. Mark Jewel and Angela Fredericks were the presenters. Caitlin and I helped to register members as they arrived. I was excited when the Region VIII Crew arrived! I felt like I was back at home.

That night we put on some activities. My favorite of those was definitely the giant parachute that we all played with. Later on we gave a set of reflections on why our jackets were so important to us.

The next day Katie, Pete, and Sydney came and we worked on our Retiring Addresses. These two days were great to see some FFA Members in action!

Thanks!

Derek

Ag Day Rally

2009-04-08T20:43:00.001-07:00

The week of March 16th-20th was National Agriculture Week. To celebrate this Kevin Paap, along with the Minnesota Farm Bureau held a national ag day at the State Capitol. Different organizations spoke about why they were important to agriculture today. I was able to speak on behalf of the FFA. I highlighted three stories where members succeeded because of FFA. It was a great time for me to reflect on why FFA was such an amazing organization!

Thanks Farm Bureau,

Derek

MAC Conference

2009-04-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

For my first day of Spring Break I headed to Roseville, Minnesota to the MAC Conference with Caitlin. We saw some FFA members and other students who were not involved with FFA. After a nice meal, I gave a short speech. To end the night we went to see a hypnotist. It was a hoot seeing of of the members think that she was Taylor Swift!

Derek

AFSA Overnight Leadership Conference

2009-04-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

This was a packed Friday! After some convention planning Katie, Caitlin and I headed out to Vadnais Heights for AFSA's first ever Overnight Leadership Conference. Seeing some familiar faces was great, but getting to know more members was even better! We presented a workshop on finding out how to unleash the superhero within! After playing with some play-doh members were able to further see how they could use what abilities they have to become an even better leader!

Thanks for a great night AFSA!

Derek

Alliance Pipeline

2009-04-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

Early in March we headed to Alliance Pipeline. It was fun to learn more about what Alliance Pipeline does. The Pipeline that starts in Canada and crosses through 4 states passes gas continuously.

Alliance Pipeline is a sponsor of our state camps SGLC, and SLCCL. Without the money that they donate, we would not be able to send as many students to these camps! Thanks For your continued support Alliance Pipeline!

Derek

National FFA Week

2009-04-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! Sorry again for the tardiness on these blogs! I've been keeping busy with my studies, FarmHouse, and FFA. Some of these next few blogs may be short, but I want everyone to know what I've been up to!

I had two exciting events during National FFA Week. First the officer team and I went to the Target Center for Day with the Timberwolves. It was great to see some members from other states and catch up with some of the North Dakota and South Dakota State Officers.

The twenty sixth took us to the capitol where we were able to visit with key congressional leaders. We also were announced as guests on the House Floor. To end that day we met with Minnesota's commissioner of Agriculture!

Breakfast with the President

2009-02-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

This morning I went to Eastcliff to dine with agricultural leaders around the state. Eastcliff is the home of the President of the University of Minnesota, Bob Bruininks.

I had fun talking with industry and production leaders. This breakfast was a great time to connect and chat about the future of agriculture and agricultural education.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

CHS

2009-02-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

Last Friday our team went to Inver Grove Heights to hear from CHS and all they do for the FFA. They are on board as a distinguished star partner within Agricultural Education.

We heard from numerous individuals about CHS and different departments such as grain marketing, energy, human resources, and the Foundation. Lisa Moorhouse helped us through the day, which we were grateful for. At the end of the day we had the opportunity to meet with John Johnson, the CEO of CHS. His laid back but willing attitude was great!

I am so glad that we have CHS on our side, willing and ready to support us at any time.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Leading the Challenge

2009-02-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

The last weekend of January I took my first ever excursion to Region V for Leading the Challenge. I wasn't sure what to expect since I'm more of a Region VIII kind of guy, but overall I had a great time.

I enjoyed getting to know the officers much better! They did a great job in preparing a well thought out conference for all of the members to enjoy.

After the first few sessions we all had the opportunity to go Skiing or Swimming. I chose to set up the sound system for the dance later that night. I had my first ever experience as a DJ, which was fun. Playing Backstreet Boys, Stacy's Mom, 1985, and N Sync was super fun.

As we wrapped up on Sunday and said our goodbyes I reflected on the camps and conferences that I'd been to over my FFA career. It was sad to realize that this was probably my last FFA camp/conference ever.

Thanks to all of the Region V members who were a part of this!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Metro Area Alumni Banquet

2009-02-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

On January 27th Katie, Caitlin, and I headed out to Axle's on Grand Avenue to attend the Metro Area Alumni banquet. The keynote speaker was Commissioner Hugoson who gave us an update on the current state of agriculture.

This was a fun night to reminisce with many supporters of the FFA such as Lisa Moorhouse, Leah Addington, and even Tony and Rel Seykora.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Officer Pictures

2009-02-16T11:29:00.001-08:00

After a long, much needed, vacation with my family to Bali, Indonesia I came back to a frigid Minnesota. This cold weather took our team out the the Addington's. The Addington's cooked us a wonderful lunch and we enjoyed eating with them. I especially enjoyed watching Emmie, and Cameron eat!

After we finished eating we started taking our pictures. It was a great time to catch up with my teammates who had travelled the world over break.

Check out the pictures at www.mattaddington.com, and then click your photos!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Winfield Solutions

2009-02-16T11:18:00.001-08:00

Hello again! Just wanted to drop in a bunch of blogs from my past month and a half of traveling and visiting area businesses.

Early in January my teammates and I headed out to Land O Lakes to visit Winfield Solutions. We chatted with Mary Hinsch for a bit about what Winfield Solutions was and how they impacted agriculture.

Following our visit with Mary, we held a training with Lavyne Rada on developing speeches. This gave us all a great opportunity to think about our Retiring Addresses and just have some fun with each other after the Holidays.

Overall it was a great day to visit Winfield Solutions. I am grateful for their support.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Winter Board Meeting/Region II Service Day

2008-12-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

For one of my final FFA events in the month of December the entire officer team and I headed to Suak Centre for our winter board meeting. This was a great time to begin talking about convention, the nominating committee process, and delegate issues at state convention.

It was fun to catch up with some of the officers that I hadn't seen since state fair, and some of us just had some good laughs.

After the board meeting Caitlin, Shari, Katie, and I headed to Staples-Motley for the Region II Service day. We enjoyed making Christmas ornaments with the residents of an assisted living. I met one lady from Ohio who can still remember when her husband was an ag teacher and their chapter was the Premier National Chapter. It just reminded me that Agriculture is everywhere, and will continue to be for a long time.

We then packed up and headed home for finals.

This concludes the many posts I've made today. I'll be back in not too long. My family and I will be enjoying a two week family vacation in Bali, Indonesia. Until then--

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

University of Minnesota Winter Invitational

2008-12-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

On December 11th Emily Achen and I helped out with the University of Minnesota Winter Invitational by working with the Job Interview CDE. Emily and I enjoyed talking with some of the members while we waited to walk participants to their rooms. It was good to remember my days in the Job Interview Contest as well that day.

After the contests were all finished up that day I headed out with my chapter to get a bite to eat. I enjoyed talking with them about how the chapter was doing and what was going on in their lives.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Sauk Rapids-Rice and Holdingford Chapter Visits

2008-12-26T10:43:00.000-08:00

On December 8th, Katie and I headed North for two chapter visits, Sauk Rapids-Rice, and Holdingford.

Our fist stop was at Sauk Rapids-Rice. Here we were welcomed by one of the chapter officers. She took us to Mr. Magnus' room where we were to meet with two of the Chatpter officers, Samantha and Sarah. We talked about the chapters proceedings and what they had left until they headed off to college. I was very intrigued by the PALS program that they chapter had.

After that we headed to Holdingford. I was excited to see Region III President Shari Yurczyk there to welcome us. We then sat around with the chapter officers and ate cookies and drank kool aid. We were given a tour of their school. We then met with one of the freshman classes.

This was again another fun experience Katie and I had.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

CHS New Leaders Institute

2008-12-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite excursions this year was on December 3rd. Katie and I were invited to help out at the CHS New Leaders Institute. The New Leaders Institute is put on by CHS, over 100 qualified young leaders in cooperatives are invited to be a part of this great experience. The people came from all over the country.

Katie and I were helpers at this event. We did things such a passing the mic around and running errands for some of the CHS staff. While there we caught the great keynote address by past National FFA Officer Mark Mayfield.

I then headed down to the Minneapolis Convention Center to help Ms. Jesse Frank in setting up the CHS New Leaders Institute booth. We had a great conversation about the strong relationship CHS has with the Minnesota FFA Association.

It took Katie and I a bit to find our way out of downtown Minneapolis but we eventually did. It was a great end to a busy week in FFA world.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Princeton Ag Fair

2008-12-26T09:48:00.000-08:00

December 2nd brought fellow officer Sydney Place and I to Princeton for their Greenhand Ag Fair. Sydney and I presented in correlation with their chapter officers.

The chapter officers had some great activities planned out and executed them nicely as we sat back and enjoyed being part of these fun and games for a bit. Then Sydney and I were able to present many different topics from SAE's to CDE's to travel opportunities in FFA, to our very own experiences.

Sydney and I then headed out, while I knew that I would be visiting the CHS New Leaders Institute with Katie Zenk the next day.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Chapter Visit

2008-12-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

The week of December 1st was by far one of the busiest weeks I've had as a state officer since this summer. The week started out with a nice 2 hour drive as I headed to BBE High School to visit with Mr. Rodgers Freshman in Wildlife class.

This was a quick 45 minute visit, but I was excited to see one of the students succeed at the dollar jump and steal my dollar. The students, who were almost all guys, were a great group to work with . They never left me with a dry minute to speak.

This was another fun trip to record in the book. But the week was only beginning.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

2008-12-26T09:33:00.000-08:00

Katie, Pete, Justin, Caitlin, and I headed out on some slippery roads to visit with Kevin Papp and the Farm Bureau gang for their annual meeting on November 22nd. Upon arriving Caitlin and I went to a session about family farms. Caitlin and I were both very impressed and found that the speaker really hit home.

We then headed to the luncheon where we would hear from Kevin Papp, and see the final round of the Young Farmers and Ranchers discussion meet.

I especially enjoyed the discussion meet. It was very interesting to see how these people were very informed into what was going on in agriculture, and what we can do to increase the support and involvement of the young generation into agriculture, a problem that we as FFA members face every day.

This was a great day to see the everyone from Farm Bureau and the Young Farmer and Ranchers.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Buffalo Chapter Visit

2008-12-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

On Monday, November 24th, I headed out with a friend from college to her home town of Buffalo, Minnesota for a chapter visit. I was very impressed with the agriculture department here at Buffalo. They had build a new school in the late 90's and have kept it up quite well.

Sara helped me in some of the activities as we went through the FFA Motto with the intro to agriculture class. The class was very knowledgeable on their FFA facts and dates.

After this class we sat down with the chapter officers and had pizza. This was a good time to talk about what was going on in the chapter. After we finished this off Sara and I headed back to the cities for yet, another day of college classes.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Ogilvie and Mora Chapter Visits

2008-12-14T22:14:00.000-08:00

It has been such a long time since I've found myself filling up my blog, which means I have been keeping myself very occupied with FFA events, school, and a few other extra activities. I hope that everyone's school year is going great, and that we are all ready for a break.

On November 19th, State Reporter Sydney Place and I had the opportunity to travel to Ogilvie, Minnesota to meet with the introduction to agriculture class. It was a great opportunity to talk about leadership opportunities within the FFA, and promote the FFA Organization in general. Sydney and I particularly enjoyed getting to speak with a few girls interested in applying for the state band and choir.

As soon as we concluded in Ogilvie we sped down the road 7 miles to Mora, Minnesota. Here we talked with two groups of students. Freshman in agriculture and an animal science class. We enjoyed pizza with the classes before we said our goodbyes and headed out.

On our drive home Sydney and I listened to Christmas music, anticipating the holidays.

You will be hearing much more from me this week! Keep up the great work everyone!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Minnesota Agri-Growth

2008-11-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

On October 30th Katie, Justin, and I went to St. Paul to the Minnesota annual Agri-Growth meeting. Here we heard topics from agricultural economy, to the upcoming elections effect on agriculture.

We started the morning with the annual meeting and heard from members on the Agri-Growth board. I was surprised to find out that Minnesota Agri-Growth is one of a kind. There are currently other states trying to mock this board and implement them into their own states.

Throughout the afternoon we heard from Governor Tim Pawlenty, United States Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer, and Representative Colin Peterson. It was a very exciting day, and we all took loads of information away.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

National FFA Convention, Step up, Stand out!

2008-10-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

This past week over 54,000 FFA members from around the country, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands came together to Step Up, and Stand Out, while celebrating the future of agriculture and the National FFA Organization. Justin, Katie, Sydney, Pete, Kaylee, Mike, Caitlin, and Rachael, along with myself were honored to serve as the nine delegate from Minnesota.

The delegate process started on Tuesday. Each group debated different topics, which were then taken to the the whole delegate body to be discussed and voted on. That night we went to a dinner put on by Wrangler. This was our last chance to relax before more members arrived in Indy.

Wednesday brought more delegate work and the buzz of convention. As members began showing up, I couldn't help but become even more excited about session 1 that night. I was intrigued as the delegates brought forth the issues to the entire delegate body. Parliamentary Procedure was at it's best.

I was thrilled as I attended my first general session at National FFA Convention on Thursday morning. That morning as the gavel dropped, passion spread throughout Indianapolis. Delegate work ended and I headed to the Foundation Sponsor Supper. I was fortunate to sit my a 1,000,000 dollar donor, Monsanto. Listening to Zach Kinne's inspiring words about the relevance of these dollars to members brought me back to the realization of what FFA does for individuals.

On Friday I helped Mr. Ertl with the Dairy banquet and cheered Minnesotans on for dairy handling and dairy judging. The rest of the day was full of more convention proceedings and catching up with members, friends, and sponsors.

Saturday was a great time as convention closed. Although much sadness was in the air, we were able to celebrate with 75 Minnesota members who received their American Degree.

Convention was a great time. As members in Minnesota continue to enjoy the year while Stepping up and Standing out, they can truly Experience the Legacy.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Region VIII Fall Leadership Day

2008-09-18T20:42:00.002-07:00

To Infinity and Beyond! That is the theme for region VIII this year and that is exactly what they did for their Fall Leadership Day. It was great to visit my homeland to see what was going on. I enjoyed chatting with members from my region as well as my chapter. I enjoyed seeing the advisors which I had worked closely with over the past year.

The region officers started the day off with workshops ranging from CDE's to Goal Setting to FFA 101. They did a wonderful job and gave the FFA members the chance to think and plan for the year. As the workshops finished we headed out to 3 different tours around Winona. I went to the Minnesota Equine Center, which was amazing.

The day finished and Mike and I headed back to the University of Minnesota. It was a very successful event for Region VIII.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Region IV Explore FFA

2008-09-18T20:42:00.001-07:00

On the 16th I traveled up to Princeton, Minnesota to Region IV's Explore FFA. The event was very successful having about 100 excited greenhands from across the region in attendance. Workshops were presented on SAE's, CDE's, Official Dress, FFA Knowledge, and FFA opportunities.

It was great to see the members in action as well as the Leadership Team. I'm excited to see the new greenhands out and about as the FFA year gets in full swing!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Farm Bureau

2008-09-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

On Friday, September 12th, Katie, Justin, Sydney, Pete, Rachael, Kaylee, Cindy, and I were fortunate enough to head to Eagan, Minnesota and visit Farm Bureau. Upon our arrival we were able to speak with Kristen Harner, Public Relations, and Kevin Paap, Minnesota Farm Bureau President.

It was fun not only to meet up with the team again, but to hear the messages of Farm Bureau. We learned more of what their key messages were and what they do for ag policy in Minnesota.

At the conclusion of this meeting we were able to discuss National issues that will be brought forward at National Convention in October.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Republican National Convention-Ag Night

2008-09-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

I have been blessed with many opportunities this year, but never did I think that I would have the opportunity to be part of history in Minnesota. As Minnesota held the 2008 Republican National Convention this year, I had a chance to be a part of it. Tuesday, September 2nd was Ag Night, put on by the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council. Fellow officers Caitlin, Katie, Sydney, and Pete, along with Brad Lanoue and I were very fortunate to attend this event.

As we entered the Ag Night on the red carpet we were immediately surrounded by many, if not nearly all of the leaders in agriculture in Minnesota. It was great to reconnect with people like Kevin Papp, Julie Tesch, Sheryl Meshke, and many others. Something else that was exciting were the connections that FFA was able to make with companies that are not as involved with the FFA. As the night wrapped up and we ate our pork chop on a stick, we could only remember this amazing event that we had the chance to be a part of.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

The Great Minnesota Get Together!

2008-08-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Year number three! This is the third year that the CHS Miracle of Birth Center has been open at the Minnesota State Fair. The CHS Miracle of Birth Center is a collaboration between the Minnesota FFA, The University of Minnesota School of Veterinary Medicine, and the Minnesota Veterinary Association.

I was fortunate enough to join the first crew of officers as we opened the Birthing Center and the FFA Leadership House. The leadership house is designed a bit different this year. With a theme of "Experience the Legacy," all fair attendees have the opportunity to do just this. By going from station to station fairgoers will actually experience what it is like to be in FFA and Agriculture. It was great seeing people walk through our new exhibit from 5 year olds to 65 year olds.

As the day went on so did the FFA Judging. Following the judging we held the awards program on the Christensen Farms Stage. We were joined by Lt. Governor Carol Molnua. As she inspired members with her stories of agriculture we we wrapped up the program.

The first day of the fair was a great success. I hope that everyone will stop by the CHS Miracle of Birth Center and FFA Chapter Leadership House when they visit the State Fair!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Farm Fest

2008-08-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

On August the sixth Katie, Justin, Pete, Caitlin, and I had the opportunity to go to Morgan, MN for the annual 3 day Farm Fest. While here we talked with representatives of the Ag industry all across Minnesota. We talked with people from Farm Bureau like Kevin Papp and Kristen Harner as well as other from the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, the Minnesota Pork Board, RRFN representative Don Wick, and the Minnesota Corn Growers. The day was very full of excitement and representation for the ag industry and FFA. I was really honored that day to be an advocate for the FFA.

After the day went on a bit Katie, Caitlin, and I were able to work in the University of Minnesota booth for a while. Here people came and played some trivia about agriculture and the University of Minnesota.

The day was very worthwhile and fun! We even had the chance to meet Amy Klobuchar!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Empower-State Presidents' Conference 2008

2008-08-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

About two and a half weeks ago Katie Zenk and I had the opportunity to attend State Presidents' Conference in Washington, D.C. with 2 delegates from every other state association. At State Presidents' Conference (SPC,) we worked on delegate issues, toured our nations capitol, went on capitol hill visits, and even had the opportunity to see the President himself. Before I go on I would like to apologize for not having any pictures posted. I forgot my camera during this trip. See Katie's Blog for pictures from this event.

The main reason that we were in D.C. was to work on delegate issues for National Convention. We voted on issues submitted by others states, then the national officers put together 5 issues that we will be further discussing and working on at National Convention. Here are the 5 issues:

1. Having a Goat Proficiency

2. Having optional officer parts in the Manual (Historian, Parliamentarian, and Chaplain)

3. Going Green through the FFA

4. National FFA Greenhand Award

5. American Degree Changes

These will all be discussed more in depth at the National FFA Convention and voted on.

Katie and I then had the opportunity to meet with other states and to tour the capitol. My favorite site, by far, was the WWII Memorial. This was my second time to D.C. but my first time seeing this memorial. It really brought me back to how fortunate we are as a nation to be free.

We also had the opportunity to meet with some of our Senators and Congressmen. Katie and I spoke with Staff from Colin Peterson's Office as well as Senator Klobuchar's Office. We also, as a delegation, had the opportunity to meet with another important political person, the President. George Bush welcomed the FFA to D.C. and answered some of our questions. He was happy to spend 31 minutes of his time with us.

State Presidents' Conference was a great time for both Katie and I. We learned, through the conference them "Empower," how to further serve and empower throughout our year as officers.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

HLWW Beach Party

2008-07-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

Between SLCCL and SPC Katie Zenk and I had the fun opportunity to go to Cokato, Minnesota to attend Howard Lake Waiverly Winstead's Beach Party.

After making our way through numerous detours we found ourself there. The Beach party is put on by the chapter. They have a chapter meeting, followed by a cookout, and then a party at the beach. They held the party at Justin Crowley's beach house. Current and prospective members attend this even. We met Rachael Dahlman and Cindy Young at Justin's house.

It was great to see some familiar faces. Some members had attend the state camps this summer. Other members I was introduced to. I always enjoy meeting new people. Carl took me out for a ride on the jet ski. After he made me fall off twice he told me that Winnie had told him to knock me off. When we got back to the dock Winnie had left.

We then sat around and talked to some of the members. It was great to chat about our chapters. I enjoyed talking with Doreen and Crystal for a bit as they just got back from play practice. HLWW, congrats on a successful event. It would defiantly keep me in the FFA!

Overall it was another great experience as a state officer for me. This is one I know I will not forget, at all.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders

2008-07-28T09:13:00.001-07:00

As a state officer I have found myself very busy. Over the past two weeks I have been to Hackensack, Minnesota for SLCCL to my county fair in Fillmore County, all the way to Washington D.C. for State Presidents' Conference. These have all been great experiences which I am just getting around to blogging about.

State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders was a blast! One-hundred forty seven members from across the state of Minnesota arrived at Deep Portage Conservation Reserve. Upon their registration to conference they learned that a crime had been committed at Deep Portage. It was up to all of us to work throughout the week to solve the case and make our year as leaders possible. This was the theme for SLCCL 2008, Mission Possible.Members met friends from all across the state, and learned how to effectively become a leaders in their chapter.

One of my favorite sessions was the chapter breakout sessions. Here members went to breakout groups where they learned to have effective chapters. Rachael Dahlman and I presented on effective chapter meetings. Engaged members told of how to hold effective chapter meetings in their best theatrical voices.

At SLCCL we also held a service project. We had over 400 hours of service preformed. This will help work towards our 20,000 service hours. Remember that they can be submitted at mnffaservicehours@hotmail.com. My group made tie blankets that will be taken to the Veterans home in the cities. We made over 40 blankets that day. Here are some pictures.

My small group, the Hammers, had a lot of fun. We learned names and then headed off to volleyball. We lost in the second round, but were still able to have a blast. Our small group was by far the best small group. Below is a picture of the Hammers.

I also enjoyed cabin chats. Our great "Minnesota Hug" was very fun and memorable. We also enjoyed singing songs late at night. ....I have and Aunt......A roostashaw..... All of these songs were a ton of fun. Here is our cabin below.

Here are some shots from camp. I hope that everyone is recovered from camp by now. I'm looking forward to seeing how all of the information will be implemented to your individual chapters. Members, Make your mission POSSIBLE!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Agriculture-The American Backbone

2008-06-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

I believe this is post number 5 for the night! It has been great thinking back to all of the experiences I have had in the past 2 weeks. I have been able to grow as a leader as well as impact lives of others. It has been a rewarding experience thus far. So you may be asking, "Derek, Why are you doing 5 posts all at once, and behind at that?" I may not be able to answer that question completely but I can tell you why this week means so much to me.

Being busy with FFA events I sometimes find it hard to do field work. Well, this week I will be working in the field haying. Today I helped out my Dad, Cousin, and Grandpa by cutting and raking hay. While doing all of this I remembered what FFA was based upon. Agriculture. It was a great way for me to be brought back to the farm.

FFA members, I challenge you all to think about how Agriculture is a part of your life. Why is it that you are a member of this agriculturally based organization? How can you make an impact in agriculture forever?

Well it's late and I must be up early again tomorrow for another day of hard work in the field and more sunburn! I hope everyone is doing well!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Day at the Dome

2008-06-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

Alas, another FFA event! I just cannot get enough FFA sometimes and now is one of them!

On Sunday 9 of the officers attended FFA Day at the Dome. The Minnesota Twins had just come off of a loss the previous night and were looking for a win against the Milwaukee Brewers. B

efore the game we had lunch from Famous Daves. As sponsors came into the tent and enjoyed a meal us officers were thrilled to meet with them and talk about current projects and events going on within Minnesota FFA. I really enjoyed meeting people such as William Nelson, Paul Hansen, Sheryl Meshke, Lisa Morehouse, and Val Aarsvold. At one point when I was talking to Ms. Sheryl Meshke we decided that we would be "Partners in Crime" this year as we promote and serve Minn

esota FFA and the Foundation.

Seeing other members put a great smile on my face. I hadn't seen Kristen Wingert, Region VIII Treasurer, for quite some time and it was great to visit with her for a bit. Also, seeing members from camp just days before made me reminisce about our past weeks endeavors. A picture of Kristen and I is below.

The Twins wrapped up a win. I was happy for them, although I am not much of a baseball fan! Again, another fun and worthwhile FFA event!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Brainerd Alumni Picnic

2008-06-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

On my way up to Deep Portage for SGLC, Katie, Cindy and I were fortunate to have the opportunity to stop at the 3rd Annual Brainerd Alumni Picnic.

Wow, is all I could say from the moment I walked in. For the past 3 years the Alumni here in Brainerd have been putting on a summer festival were members of the community come together for fun, food, baked goods, and an auction. All the money raised keeps the local FFA Chapter going strong.

One of the highlights of this expedition was when Katie, Cindy and I were able to talk with Greg Gosen, MN FFA Alumni President. His inspiring words made me, once again, remember why agriculture is so important!

This was a great way to kick off a week of camp!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

State Greenhand Leadership Conference (SGLC)

2008-06-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

After a very refreshing two day break with some of the other officers, I found myself in Hackensack, Minnesota at Deep Portage Conservation Reserve for the first of two state conferences in Minnesota. Monday morning came much more rapidly than I would have ever expected. As members arrived I was thrilled to begin a week of fun, inspiration, learning, and personal growth.

Katie and I started off the conference with a session about rules and regulations. Later that night members were able to learn more about each other by sharing their "Me-in-a-box," which told about them personally. This was one of my favorite parts of camp because I enjoy meeting new people. Later that night my small group, (Tennis) lost in the volleyball tournament, which was quite depressing. Pictured below is my small group! (Miss all of you!)

Cabin Chats were my favorite part of camp. All of the members in my two rooms were well behaved and really grew throughout the week. This was a time for us all to really get to know a select group of people. I'll never forget everyone in my room! My room is below!

As the week went on members and officers were able to learn more about each other. I know that I am over excited about keeping in contact with some of my new friends that I met at SGLC.

SGLC was a huge success with 132 members in attendance. We hope to see a full load at SLCCL!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

National Leadership Conference for State Officers

2008-06-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

On June 16th us State Officers found our way down to Aurora, Nebraska for State Officer training. The training was put on by the National FFA Organization. Two of the National Officers were the presenters for the conference.

While at NLCSO we learned of the phases of a team as well as workshop building. As the week went on our team had a very positive experience. We discussed key topics in Minnesota that may need to be looked at and also bonded as a team.

Another very exciting part of NLCSO is that there are 3 other states in attendance. This year State Officers from South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas joined Minnesota at the Conference. It was a great way for us to interact and learn new things that we could implement in Minnesota.

The ride home was great as we were all able to bond, once again. This was by far one of the greatest weeks for growth our team has seen.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Living to Serve

2008-06-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday I had a chance to experience my favorite part of the FFA Motto, "Living to Serve," as Sydney, Katie and I delivered blankets to a Veterans home outside of the cities.

After an interesting college orientation experience the three of us soon to be Freshmen at the University of Minnesota, hustled over to Roseville to pick up nearly 80 tie blankets made by you, the members, at the 79th Minnesota State Convention. After cramming 7 boxes of blankets into my small Grand Prix Katie, Sydney, and I headed out for the veterans home. Katie tried giving Syd and I directions from the back which turned out to be more hilarious than you'd think. She was not visible unless you were outside of my car, due to all of the boxes in the back.

After our interesting ride, with even more interesting directions, we had arrived at the veterans home. The donations coordinator was more than excited to accept the blankets on the behalf of Minnesota FFA.

This act of service was one of the first of our year of service. As we continue our journey as state officers we will have many more opportunities, like this one, to serve. This was very exciting.

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Experience the Legacy

2008-06-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

The last two days were a great time for the state officer team as well as myself. A day like today reminded me why I am in FFA, and what great opportunities it offers to it's members, sponsors, alumni, and others.

Yesterday our team was very fortunate to meet with Sheryl Meshke, an employee at AMPI and a member of the Minnesota FFA Foundation. Ms. Meshke helped us develop key messages for Minnesota FFA. Not only was this challenging at times, but it was also quite exciting. I was reminded of not only what the 9,050+ members do in FFA, but what each of you gain from your experiences. Following our key message training we were able to start brainstorming about possible themes that our team wanted. After about three hours with Ms. Meshke we had come up with some great inspiring ideas! We finished up the meeting with the task of discussing our theme later that night.

That night all of us officer went out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings in Roseville. I will never ever give up an opportunity to eat at "B-dubs." After the fine dinner we decided to go see a flick (I like saying that instead of movie.) We then headed back to Farmhouse and Clovia to sleep for the night.

Today we met early and worked on curriculum for our camp which is coming up very soon! We ended the day on a very high note, deciding the theme for Minnesota FFA and it's 80th anniversary. Minnesota FFA, it is my honor to introduce the 2008-2009 Minnesota FFA theme, Experience the Legacy!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Derek

Road Trippin'

2008-06-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

It has been TOO long! In that case, welcome back!

So if many of you haven't heard a couple of us officers headed down to Manhattan, Kansas last Monday to enjoy their state convention. Not only were we able to help out with the projects, CDE's, and other events that were going on, but we went sight seeing.

When we got to Manhattan on Monday Sharita Lacey, a past KS state officer, gave us a tour of Manhattan. It was awesome. We went to Manhattan hill, took pictures and just had a blast.

Tuesday brought us to some great adventures on the K-State Campus. We helped out with some CDE's. I particularly helped out with the Extemp. speaking contest. It was exciting to see this contest as I had never seen it in all of my years in FFA. Also that day, we ate K-State Ice Cream. It was pretty good. Pete actually went back for seconds. This day we also went to Pillsbury Crossing which was amazing! Then we met with the KS state officers and met Morgan Parker, National Central Region VP, and Becky Sullivan National Secretary.

Wednesday brought upon some more delegate packet stuffing and more contests. That night we were able to meet members and attend the first general session, which was great! We got some great ideas for our convention in 11 months!

On Thursday we went to all three sessions which continued to excite us. We had so much fun listening to keynote speakers, retiring addresses, and hearing of KS members accomplishments. Our drive home started at 10:30 to stay on Mr. Pete Thome's itinerarry.

I had a blast and I'm ready for the summers events! Remember to sign up for camps and for FFA Day at the dome on June 29th! The Twins are 1 game away from being first, so help cheer them on!

Keep posted for Pictures of convention!

Stationed by the rising sun,

Derek

Chatfield Chapter Banquet

2008-05-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 14th was the 9th annual Chatfield FFA Chapter Banquet! I was thrilled to again have the opportunity to attend their banquet. I was fortunate enough to go to their banquet last year as a region president along with past state Reporter Abbie Wirt. I left impressed, once again!

At first when I got to Chatfield I was introduced to a member of the Farm Bureau, Ruth. Ruth and I were able to chat for quite some time. She told me about the contributions that the Chatfield FFA had made to the project called "Fencing for Flooded Farmers" after the August flood in Southeastern Minnesota. Chatfield raised $7,000 (WOW!) on their annual corn drive and put somewhere near $5,000 - $6,000 towards the Fencing for Flooded Farmers project. Now the Farm Bureau had made a goal to raise $5,000 on the project alone, but the Chatfield FFA surpassed that with one contribution! Now is that practicing service or what?!

As we started Supper I was able to sit with the Junior officer team. They were all excited for the banquet as well as nervous for the officer slate for 2008 - 2009 to be announced! One person, Tyler, who was serving as the Chatfield FFA Jr. President was very excited. I learned about his experience in the State FFA Band! I got to see some pictures of him playing on the Chapter slide show too! Way to go Tyler! Katie Winslow, who is my neighbor was awarded the Star Greenhand Degree! Boy was she ever excited! I'm hoping to see some of these familiar faces at state camps this coming year!

As I listened to Ms. Fritz, the advisor, give comments, I found myself quite excited for the members of the chapter! They had 7 teams that competed at state this year! Another exciting part of the banquet was learning about the chartering Alumni Chapter in Chatfield. I was amazed to see over 20 people stand up to be recognized as part of the new Alumni Chapter.

As the new officers were announced the seniors gathered. They watched as a slide show played and they remembered their years in FFA. They were all successful and will continue to be!

A quick note to the Chatfield FFA Chapter! What an amazing job you have all done this year! I was so proud to know that this chapter was from Region VIII! I'm looking forward to seeing all of you members out and about at FFA events! Don't forget to try new things, you'll never know what opportunities may arise! Good luck in all your endeavors!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,
Derek

Dover-Eyota Chapter Banquet

2008-05-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

On Monday the 12th I had the opportunity to speak at the Dover-Eyota Chapter banquet. We started out the night with a wonderful meal prepared by the Dover-Eyota cook staff. After opening ceremonies it was my turn. I gave a motivational speech about the opportunities in FFA. If it's leadership, CDE's, or careers down the road, they are all very important to the FFA!

The Dover-Eyota chapter had a successful year. I was really excited to hear about the team that they had compete at state.

Congratulation again to the Dover Eyota FFA Chapter!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,
Derek

Chapter Banquets

2008-05-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

This week I've been to two chapter banquets! I was so excited after each of them! Look later this week for more information and pictures!

Stationed by the Rising Sun!
-Derek

BLAST Off Recap!

2008-05-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well BLAST Off is over and am I pumped or what!? From the dinner on Thursday night until now, I have been building up more and more excitement for Minnesota FFA!

BLAST Off was a great opportunity for each of the officers to develop as individuals! And WOW did we ever develop! The most exciting part of the conference, in my mind, was learning how to further better my time management skills. The Franklin Coveys that we received from the FFA Association will come in handy as our year of service continues. I also enjoyed learning about developing and delivering speeches. Our presenters Mark and Marlene did an amazing job in teaching us this. The only thing that was more exciting than getting my new Franklin Covey were the times that our team had to sit down and develop over the weekend!

I can honestly say that I am thrilled and excited to serve on this years officer team. Our team is filled with so many talents! No matter if it's Sydney's ability to make me smile in any situation, or the bubbly personality of Racheal, I am truly fortunate to serve with each of these officers. As we wrapped up BLAST Off Mark had each of us write down how we were feeling after this conference. A couple of words came to my mind: Thrilled, Excited, Ambitious, Growth. Each of these words meant a little something different, but is exactly how I'm feeling at this moment still!

BLAST Off was amazing and I cannot wait for the next FFA event! I hope all is well all over Minnesota!

-D

BLAST Off!

2008-05-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

Hello Minnesota FFA!

This is a very new and exciting part of our Minnesota State officer team this year. Keep posted for new blogs in the very near future!

Hope everyone enjoyed convention!

Derek