SPARTA — Back in March, Highland FFA held its annual Officer Elections Meeting where members voted on who they believed were responsible enough to take on the obligations of an officer. Although not everyone who ran for an office was able to get one, several of our chapter’s members applied and did very well in the process to be put up for ballot.
We appreciate everyone who desires to play a bigger role in our chapter and thank them for all of their effort that they’ve put into improving it.
Candidates had to go through a three-step process in order to have the opportunity to be elected as an officer. First, they filled out an application that showed their qualifications, how involved they were in the chapter, and why they desired to be an officer.
They also had to answer a series of questions that were included in the applications. After turning those in, each officer had an interview with a few of the senior FFA members. During the interview, candidates answered even more questions, showed their ambition towards our FFA Chapter, stated how they’re planning to fulfill the duties and expectations of their desired officer spot, and tried to prove their worthiness of becoming an officer.
After all of the application and interview scores were evaluated, two people, with the top scores from both the application and interview, got put up for the ballot in the officer spot they desired to be elected into.
Our officer team consists of 10 officers: the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Reporter, Student Advisor, Sentinel, Assistant Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Reporter. Each officer is expected to fulfill their own duties and contribute many efforts for the benefit of our chapter.
The President oversees everything that happens within our chapter. He or she provides great leadership in making sure that all things run properly. In this, the Vice President assists. Both the President and Vice President strive to direct the work of our chapter.
The Treasurer is to keep a record of the chapter’s receipts and disbursements. As opening ceremony states, the Treasurer also “strives to build up our financial standing through savings and investments.” He or she is also required to make and maintain an officer book that includes all accurately documented transactions the chapter has made.
The Secretary’s job includes providing the minutes of each meeting, corresponding with other secretaries, and making an Officer Book. He or she is to write about each movement and discussion at chapter meetings so we can go back and look at them during future references. The Secretary then has to add all of the minutes to their officer book.
The Reporter is in charge of all public relations. Not only do they write articles about all FFA activities and occasions, but they also upload posts on various social media platforms. Recently, we started posting on our new website, and this year, Highland FFA is even going to have a YouTube Channel.
The Reporter is also required to create a chapter scrapbook, documenting all of the memories that members of our chapter have created. Throughout the year, the Student Advisor encourages and instructs other members. He or she provides leadership and a good role model for others to look up to.
The Sentinel’s job consists of providing snacks and a program of activities for each meeting and FFA gathering. While striving to meet the standards and expectations of other members, the Sentinel makes sure everyone feels welcome. Since the Reporter, Treasurer, and Secretary have big roles and are required to fill out Officer Books, Highland FFA has an Assistant Reporter, Treasurer and Secretary to help exceed all standards.
At our March meeting, we voted for next year’s officers. The results were Gracie Hinkle as President, Bridget Oder as Vice President, Kaitlyn Huff as Treasurer, Chandler Bumpus as Secretary, Abigail Erdy as Reporter, Kay Smith as Student Advisor, Garrett Milburn as Sentinel, Mary Thomas as Assistant Treasurer, Lucy Smith as Assistant Secretary, and Kelsey Caulley as Assistant Reporter.
Every year, our officer team takes a trip to Carrollton, Ohio, where we enjoy team bonding activities and plan exciting events for the year. We get a chance to get to know each other better and become closer as friends. This year, through different planning sessions, we came up with new ideas and ways to improve our chapter this upcoming school year. We planned some new events for our chapter to participate in and found ways to improve events that we’ve done in the past.
We hope this year will be full of great times, concluding in great memories. The officers strive each year to carry out the FFA Mission which is being dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.
Each officer retreat is a little bittersweet because our senior officers won’t be returning. Although this chapter in their book is about over, we sincerely thank them for all the dedication they’ve shown while serving as an officer. Without them, our FFA Chapter wouldn’t be where it is today.
As the years go on, all officers feel a calling to contribute more to our chapter. By providing time, service, and devotion, we hope not only to improve our chapter, but also to impact the lives of other members.
