When it comes to growing leaders, building communities and strengthening local agriculture, the Meeker FFA chapter in Oklahoma is committed to success.
The chapter earned the National FFA Model of Excellence at the FFA National Convention on Oct. 27.
The honor, which recognizes FFA chapters that strive to uphold the mission of the organization at the very highest degree, is a testament to how hard the 58-member chapter worked to create and execute its Program of Activities.
“The goal was never for us to win Model of Excellence,” says Logan Johns, agriculture education teacher and Meeker FFA advisor. “I wanted us to be a three-star chapter, so when we got the notice that we were finalists, it was something we never even saw coming.”
Over the past year, the chapter has coordinated activities ranging from teacher appreciation breakfasts and back-to-school picnics to plant sales, canned food drives, showmanship clinics and a cake auction. The chapter also worked closely with community partners to achieve its goals.
A school-wide community service project in conjunction with Stamp Out Starvation sent 64,986 packaged meals to people in Haiti; representatives from the local John Deere dealership shared information about tractor safety at a chapter meeting; and the chapter hosted a career fair that included community members offering virtual tours of their workplaces via Zoom.
“Being able to reach out to community partners is a way to show them what they’re supporting when they back FFA,” says Connor Benn, Meeker FFA chapter president. “It gives them a better understanding of everything we do in ag.”
Johns and Benn watched the livestream of the 93rd National FFA Convention & Expo together. When the Model of Excellence was announced, Benn recalls, “My parents said there was an expression of pure shock on our faces. We lit up the room.”
For Johns, achieving Model of Excellence is about more than bragging rights; it’s a testament to the power of setting goals and working together to achieve them. He gives all of the credit to members of the Meeker FFA.
“When we heard we won, I immediately thought about how hard these kids worked throughout the year,” Johns says. “The students are the ones who put in the hours and did the work; it made me so proud of them.”
