April 4, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.

Three things to know about National FFA Week


By By Joshua Calhoun-

February has always been a busy month for my family.

My brother and my mom both celebrate birthdays, there is Valentine's Day, but my favorite holiday in February is National FFA Week. Besides all the crazy events of the week, there are three things to make sure you check off your list during those seven days of National FFA week... celebrating, demonstrating your FFA pride and having fun.

For the 2016 National FFA Week the Hope FFA chapter has quite a bit going on. During the week there will be various dress up days going on. Some examples include: camo, official dress, chapter t-shirt, and even an FFA spirit day. The other big events that Hauser students can participate in are "Guess the Corn Kernel" count and a pedal tractor pull during lunch.

"Hauser is a small school and we have the biggest student led organization there, and I believe that it is because we do so many diverse things that appeal to a lot of different people. I hope that other kids that are not in FFA see us having fun during FFA Week and want to join," Hope FFA Chapter President Caleb Calhoun said.

Community members can attend their favorite events during the week as well, because on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. the 35th Annual Hope and Columbus FFA Broken Bucket Basketball game will be played in the fieldhouse. Admission is free for the basketball game. On Friday, Feb. 26 from 6 - 9 a.m. , the community pancake breakfast will be served in the Hauser Jr. / Sr. High School Auditorium. Please contact any Hope FFA member for ticket purchase details. Tickets can also be purchased at the door for $5.

As for my FFA week plans, they are definitely different than most. Instead of filling my time with my own chapter members for the week, I will be heading up to northeastern Indiana to visit 20 different FFA chapters. Now my time up north was not just randomly selected. After visiting most of the great state of Indiana this past fall, I selected the area of the state that was furthest away, but felt just like home.

My tasks while up north include everything from teacher breakfasts, presenting to classes, dodge ball tournaments, petting zoos, elementary Ag days, basketball tournaments, pork suppers, member auctions, and a Fort Wayne Komets hockey game. I am excited for National FFA Week and know for a fact that I will be celebrating in style during my week.

Although most of my time will be spent up north, there is one aspect of National FFA Week where Hope FFA members and I will be celebrating together. That is the Indiana FFA Page Day, taking place on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016 at the Indiana State Capital building. Annie Ashbrook, Haley Embry, Kortney Wallace, and Gwen Shoaf will all be in attendance as they page for members of the Indiana House of Representatives and the Indiana Senate.

"I am going to page for Chip Perfect, so I will be running papers and notes for him. Throughout the day I will also get to see the state house and learn more about our state government," Ashbrook said. I will be there along with my state officer teammates to accept a joint resolution on the behalf of Indiana FFA.

No matter if you are in northeastern Indiana or Hope, Indiana during the time known as National FFA Week there are a few things you should remember. Whether you are a past, present, or future FFA member you should be celebrating, do not ever be afraid to display your pride for the FFA organization by displaying the blue and gold, and always remember to have fun![[In-content Ad]]
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