FFA Celebrates Year’s Accomplishments At Annual Banquet

By GRACIE LEAVITT

The Progress

The Moapa Valley FFA Chapter celebrated its annual banquet on Tuesday, May 18 at the MVHS Ag Farm. The event takes place at the end of each school year to celebrate FFA member accomplishments and welcome new chapter officers.

Attendees included students, MVHS staff, parents and chapter officials.
Centerpieces on each table were created by students in the FFA floral classes. Tables were decorated with blue and gold cloth to represent the colors of the FFA emblem as well as of MVHS.

The dinner for the evening was prepared by food science and AG students.
“I think it was delicious,” said FFA Advisory Denise O’Toole. “They all worked very hard.”

Most of the food was locally grown and prepared by members of the FFA Chapter including tomato sauce for lasagna and lettuce and herbs for the salad. All of the vegetables used for the meal were farm grown.

MVHS Principal Hal Mortensen was pleased to be in attendance at the event. “I like the fact that our kids are working the Ag farm themselves and making it a real producing farm,” he said. It teaches them lifelong skills, how to work the Earth and to remember where we come from and how to sustain longevity.”

The 2020-2021 chapter officers gathered to announce awards for the Virtual Nevada State FFA Convention of 2021. At the convention, MVHS had won 1st place in Soils/Land Judging and Homesite Soils Judging. They also took 6th in Veterinary Science, 9th in Floriculture and 13th in Horse Evaluation.
Awards were given to students for their individual performance.

Shaylee Adams won 1st in Employment skills.

Maggie Martin took 2nd in Homesite Soils Judging and 1st in Soils Land Judging.

Iain McMurray took 1st in Homesite Soils Judging, 2nd in prepared public speaking, 4th in soils land judging.

Miriam Werner won 3rd in homesite soils judging.

Mason Rawson won 4th in homesite soils judging.

Greenhand degrees were then awarded to new students who completed the requirements needed for this award. Senior students were also given an FFA sash for their service as they graduate from MVHS.

Perhaps the grandest moment took place with the stepping down of this year’s officers and the announcement of the new officers. The officers are selected each year by vote of students and faculty.

The 2021-2022 Chapter Officers included Miriam Werner as historian, Brock Eastman as sentinel, Sophia Rowley as reporter, Iain McMurray as treasurer, Emily Matheson as Student Advisor, Tatem Yardly as secretary, Andi Webber as Vice President and Shaylee Adams as Chapter President.
Adams said that she looked forward to serving as 2021-22 President.

“It is very exciting, I can’t wait!” Adams said. I am honored to serve the chapter and to perform officer duties.”

O’Toole was also pleased with the choice of officers, and expressed optimism about how the next year might go.

“We’re hoping to get more kids involved in the future and keep growing our chapter,” she said.