Ripley (Saturday, July 8th 2023) – FFA members from across the state of West Virginia converged on Cedar Lakes Conference Center this first week of July for the 95th Annual State FFA Convention. At the convention the South Harrison FFA Chapter was recognized as one of only eight recipients of the Gold Emblem Chapter Award and will now represent the State at the National Competition in Indianapolis, Indiana in the Fall.
Students Katie Rogers, Madison Stonestreet, Holly Rogers, Michael Radcliff, and Cooper Folmsbee were State Champions in the West Virginia Proficiency Competition. Folmsbee was also named West Virginia State Star in Agricultural Placement, the highest award the State Association bestows on members for job site work.
Members Dylan Butcher, Cooper Folmsbee, Luke Hall, Cam Hall, Luke Hefner, Caleb Law, Olivia Marshall, Ashley Martin, Cody Martin, Mahaliegh Mearns, Holly Rogers, Taylor Smith, Sam Titus, and Hope Woods were named recipients of the West Virginia State FFA Degree.
Emma Hitt represented the chapter in the states Upperclassmen Creed Speaking Competition and placed 2nd in the state public speaking event. The purpose of the Creed speaking leadership development event is to develop the public speaking abilities of FFA members as well as to develop their self-confidence and contribute to their advancement in the FFA degree program. The Creed is recited by FFA members and then they are questioned by a panel of judges on the meaning of the message within the passages of the FFA Creed.
Savannah Holden competed in the middle school prepared public speaking competition and also took home second in the FFA’s only middle school public speaking competition. During the Prepared Public Speaking Leadership Development Event (LDE), students write and deliver a six to eight-minute speech about a current agriculture-related topic. Students research a topic of interest and then put together a creative, informative speech. The speech is then presented to a panel of judges, who score the student based on the speech’s content, composition and delivery.
In addition, the Agriculture Department at South Harrison High School under the direction of advisors John Lockhart and Kyle Kidwell was named Outstanding Program by the West Virginia Association of Agricultural Educators for the second year in a row.
Mr. Kyle Kidwell was also named the West Virginia Association of Agricultural Educator’s Outstanding Early Career Teacher.