Boonsboro FFA strikes gold

May 29, 2007

Fifteen members of the Boonsboro FFA chapter plus advisors, Steve Garland and Mark Heavner, went to the 79th Maryland State FFA Convention in late April in Lithicum Heights, Md.

Chapter Vice President Megan Thompson won election as vice president of Maryland's FFA.

In the competition, Sammy Spencer won first place gold in Sr. Prepared Public Speaking for her speech entitled, "Agriculture is Plowing the Way for America's Energy Independence."

Spencer also won first place gold in the engineering division of the Agriscience Fair.

This fall, she will travel to Indianapolis, Ind., to compete in the National FFA public speaking contest.

The Boonsboro members also competed in several career development events.

The results include:

· Alison Griffith placed 14th, receiving a bronze medal in the Creed CDE;

· Andrew Griffith placed 12th, receiving a bronze in the Sr. Extemporaneous public speaking CDE;

· Kris Palmer placed 5th, receiving silver in the Jr. Extemporaneous public speaking CDE;

· Victoria Hume placed 6th, receiving silver in the Job Interview CDE;

· Whitney Furr placed 6th, receiving silver, along with Brandi Skeens placing 10th, receiving a bronze, in the Jr. Prepared public speaking CDE.

· Andrew Griffith, Jesse Planck, Amy Rhoderick, and Mike DeBarge participated in the Agricultural Knowledge Bowl CDE;

· Victoria Hume, Kris Palmer and Erin Canfield were in the Agricultural Sales event; and

· Alison Griffith, Megan Thompson, Sammy Spencer, Sarah Dodson and Brittany Bowman made up the Agricultural Communications team, which placed third.

Six members of the chapter received the Maryland State Agriculturalist Degree. Those honored are Mike DeBarge, Josh Miller, Jesse Planck, Victoria Hume, Megan Thompson and Sammy Spencer.

The honor is the highest degree that the Maryland FFA can bestow on a member. Recipients must have completed 300 hours of work in their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) or made a financial investment in the SAE or a combination of hours worked and financial investments. Recipients must have been FFA members at least two years and have completed 360 hours of systematic school instruction.

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