Staff writer
At the annual banquet Thursday at Centre High School, the local FFA chapter installed new officers for the 2011-12 school year. Members were interviewed and selected for office by an advisory council.
The new officers are Theo Kassebaum, president; Carrie Carlson, vice president; Ty Simons, secretary; Shane Methvin, treasurer; Makenzie Deines, reporter; and Tom Oborny, sentinel.
Outgoing officers Tanner Brunner, Cole Svoboda, Kassebaum, Brian Burhoop, Carlson, Methvin, Justin Deines, and Anna Weber conducted the meeting.
Awards
Numerous awards were handed out to active members. Eighteen freshmen received greenhand degrees and 16 sophomores received chapter degrees.
State degrees were awarded to juniors Dani Spohn and Shane. To obtain the degree, each of them was required to invest at least $2,000 and 300 hours in a private enterprise and to be an FFA member for at least two years.
At least 21 members received scholarships for earning an overall grade-point average of 3.5 or above.
Brian received recognition for being the top fruit salesman. He sold 980 units.
Kevin Lewis received the creed-speaking award. He placed first at district and will compete in state competition later this month.
Freshman Chapter Star awards went to Chad Mueller, Star Greenhand in production, and Karl Riffel, Star Greenhand in placement (employment).
Cole Svoboda was named a Chapter Star in Ag Placement. He has worked for Jirak Brothers Produce and H&H Custom Ag Services of Ramona for several years. He will work for H&H again this summer. Svoboda was the chapter and south-central district winner of the ag services and vegetable production proficiency awards.
Brian Burhoop was named the Chapter Star Farmer. He owns 35 cows and two bulls and plants wheat and beans on 120 acres of rented land. He plans to return to the family farm after graduating from Kansas State University. Burhoop was the chapter and district winner of the diversified ag production and grain production proficiency awards.
Other chapter proficiency award winners were Kordell Harding, ag mechanics design and fabrication; Trevor Hageberg, ag processing; Tanner Brunner, beef production placement, equine science, and small animal care; Chad Mueller, dairy production; Burhoop, beef production entrepreneurship and forage production; Casey Kristek, fruit production; and Katie Remy, specialty animal production.
Scholarships
Centre FFA Alumni —Brian Burhoop, Allison Shields, Tanner Brunner, Cole Svoboda, and Katie Remy.
Leo S. Jirak Memorial — Cole Svoboda.
Evancho Memorial — Casey Kristek.
James Weber Memorial — Cole Svoboda.
Leadership — Tanner Brunner and Brian Burhoop.
U.S. Grains Council/Pioneer Seed — Cole Svoboda.
Chapter adviser Cary Granzow presented a “Makin’ a Difference” $300 scholarship to Katie Remy for her work in organizing FFA blood drives. The money was donated by Clark Lumber Co. of Herington, based on sales of Red Brand barbed wire.
Granzow presented five $300 grants to assist underclass FFA members in their ongoing SAE projects. The money came from a $1,500 gift from Straub International.
Recipients and their projects were Grant Srajer, beef production; Dani Spohn, hog feed; Ty Simons, lawn mower for landscape management; Kevin Lewis, growing beef calves; Karl Riffel, hog semen; Chad Mueller, dairy and beef AI straws.
Troy Peterson of Lincolnville received an honorary chapter FFA degree.
The Centre FFA chapter has 64 members.