By BRYNNE MCMURRAY
Moapa Valley Progress
It was a big day for the Moapa Valley FFA chapter on Monday, June 15, as they traveled to Lake Tahoe for a Summer Leadership Camp. At the annual camp, FFA members get the chance to train and learn leadership skills with other members throughout the state. One way they do this is that the campers are divided into five color groups and are given a t-shirt to match that color. Each color group is headed by a current FFA Nevada state officer.
The groups participated in a large team building event called “Tahoe Extreme which has the color groups go through rigorous team-based activities in order to build unity within the groups and within the state FFA chapters. The activities are always ended with a big tug-o-war tournament for the teams.
The color groups also work in workshops. The workshops are taught by either current or past state officers on all kinds of leadership and FFA topics. The campers participate in many workshops every day.
Other than color groups, the kids can be divided into age groups, chapters, and even where they sit at the breakfast table.
For chapter officers, special workshops were held, called Chapter Officer Leadership Training (COLT). These workshops are held at the beginning and ending of camp. The training includes working as an officer team, and with other teams.
The officers are also broken into their own office groups to receive in-depth training on their particular offices and officer responsibilities.
New FFA local chapter president Cody Jessen said, “ I learned how to follow parlimentary procedure and how my team’s officers can help me.”
All the officers get to demonstrate what they learned with a chapter meeting on the last day of camp. The last day is also when the mock banquet takes place. The banquet reveals the winners of Tahoe Extreme, and many other camp contests that happened throughout the four days.
The banquet also announces who the new zone officers will be. The zone officer candidates went through many interviews and meetings while at camp in order to run for office.
This year’s southern officer team will include Moapa Valley’s Riley Fulmer as president, Cody Jessen as vice president, and Bailey Kesl as Treasurer. These officers will be in charge of the Nevada Southern Zone competitions and will make sure that the southern chapters are kept up to date and run smoothly.
For many campers, this was their last time at the camp. Baily Kesl has come to camp every year since graduating from eighth grade.
“My last camp was fantastic.,” Kesl said. “The best part was teaching new swing dance flips at the dances. I will definitely not forget my last year.”
For the advisors though, there are many camps to come. Denise O’Toole, the Moapa FFA advisor, commented on the camp, “Summer Leadership Camp is one of the students’ favorite events because they have so much fun getting to know FFA members from other chapters. Lake Tahoe is a great place to escape the heat, enjoy the beauty of nature, and learn how to be a leader in the FFA.”
The camp is held every year for high school students interested in joining the FFA community. The FFA looks forward to seeing new members in the fall.
