Local FFA chapter travels to state convention

The FFA season is winding down for the year as the 88th Annual State FFA Convention was held in Billings from April 4 through April 7. Eleven CCHS FFA members attended, competing in five different Career Development Events (CDEs), including Agronomy, Farm Business Management, Livestock, Mechanics, and Parliamentary Procedure.

In the Agronomy CDE: Kyleigh Bonsell placed 21st; Cameron Wolenetz - 92nd; Caleb Fix - 142nd, and the team finished 18th overall.

In the FBM CDE: Hannah LaBree took 71st; Heather LaBree - 115th; Tori Tooke - 118th; Jordan King - 125th, and the team finished 32nd overall.

In the Livestock CDE: Heather LaBree placed 24th; Hannah LaBree - 27th; Kyleigh Bonsell - 119th; Jaelee Strangford - 240th and the team placed 16th overall.

In the Mechanics CDE: Mick O'Connor took 117th; Seth Kennedy - 110th (other placings were not available at the time of reporting), and the team finished 59th overall.

Parliamentary Procedure placings were also not available at the time of reporting.

Earlier in the year, on February 20th and 26th, the local FFA chapter traveled to Forsyth to compete at the Annual FFA Spring District CDE competition. On the first day, Mick O'Connor and Grafton Bonsell competed in the Mechanics CDE. O'Connor snagged 5th place,and Bonsell finished 18th.

Later in the day, Kennedy Tooke, Jordan King, Jaelee Strangford, Hannah LaBree, Heather LaBree, and Jasmine Erickson competed in the Parliamentary Procedure CDE. This event has two parts. First, members have one hour to take a two-part written test on parliamentary procedure and Robert's Rules of Order.

Then, in the second part of the event, members compete in a practical exhibition, in which they are given specific motions that must be made in a real-life meeting situation. They must complete their business proceedings within the ten minute and thirty second time limit. The test determines an individual score, while the practicum places the team as a whole.

Individually, Heather LaBree placed 2nd, Jaelee Strangford placed 5th, Jasmine Erickson placed 7th, Kennedy Tooke and Jordan King tied for 10th place, and Hannah Labree placed 11th. The Carter County Parliamentary Procedure team finished first overall.

Hannah and Heather LaBree also competed in speaking events. Heather LaBree took fifth in Exempt Speaking, in which members have 30 minutes to write a 5-minute speech. Hannah LaBree placed first in Prepared Speaking, where members prepare a speech before the initial competition.

The next week, on February 26th, eight other members competed in the Agronomy and Farm Business Management CDEs. In Agronomy, Kyleigh Bonsell placed 5th, Cameron Wolenetz placed 9th, Kennedy Tooke placed 16th, and Caleb Fix finished 17th.

In Farm Business Management, Tori Tooke placed 5th, Hannah LaBree placed 24th, Heather LaBree placed 14th, and Jordan King finished 11th.