Pisgah FFA Awarded 3-Star National Chapter Award

Pisgah FFA Awarded 3-Star National Chapter Award
20 student members attended the 98 th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana the last week of October. While at the convention, members interacted with over 300 agriculture industry businesses and organizations, over 80 agricultural colleges, and over 30 vendors, along with more than 73,000 FFA members from across the nation. Members attended the Opening Session with keynote speaker A’ric Jackson, as well as the 2 nd General Session where students heard remarks from US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

Also during the 2 nd General Session, Pisgah FFA was recognized as a 3-Star National Chapter Award winner. The National Chapter Award program recognizes outstanding chapters from across the country through an application process. Chapters must complete the application, highlighting activities from the past year in 3 areas – community, student, and chapter development. This application is judged on the state level, earning a Gold, Silver or Superior rating. All Gold chapters move on to the National level for additional judging, where the applications are awarded 1-, 2- or 3- stars.

This year, Pisgah received a 3-star rating, making them one of 492 chapters earning this prestigious award across the country. With 9,407 chapters nationwide, that puts Pisgah FFA in the top 5% of all FFA chapters! In NC, only 22 chapters out of 371 earned this distinction, and Pisgah FFA is the ONLY chapter from NC West Region FFA to earn a 3-star award this year! The award process requires chapters to highlight 15 activities they participated in the last school year. Chapters must show goal-setting, planning and reflection from each activity.

One activity that was highlighted this year was the Cake Mix Kit drive. Last November, Pisgah FFA partnered with the Ol Smokey Antique Tractor and Engine Association to collect cake mixes, disposable pans, icing, sprinkles and canned soda to put together cake mix kits for the holiday assistance boxes distributed to Haywood County Schools families around the holiday season. Members and partners collected and assembled 146 cake mix kits which were distributed to families. This activity was a huge success, and the chapter is kicking off this years drive this week in order to provide these cake mix kits to families again this holiday season. This years goal is 170 kits!

If you would like to contribute items, they can be dropped off at Pisgah High School, Haywood County Farm Bureau or Riverside Custom Meat Processing. Items will be collected until December 5 th and members will assemble and deliver kits the following week. If you have questions or want to help out, please contact one of the Pisgah FFA Advisors – Courtney Smith crsmith@haywood.k12.nc.us or Barclay Taylor btaylor@haywood.k12.nc.us.