The Only Newspaper ;n the State That Can Benefit Perkins and Community
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Future Farmers of America
members across Oklahoma and
throughout the nation will be
focusing public attention on the
Work of their organization during
National FFA week, February
17-24.
In Oklahoma, Governor J. Ho-
Ward Edmondson has signed a
Proclamation making the celebra-
tion period "FFA Week in Okla-
homa." Many of the state's young
farm boys in 366 FFA chapters
Will be presenting civic club pro-
grams, assembly programs, help
Produce special FFA newspaper
articles, present radio and televis-
ion programs, and honor parents
and businessmen in banquets dur-
ing this special week.
Membership in the FFA is made
up of students of vocational agri-
Culture in state high schools. The
organization's activities are de-
signed to help develop rural lead-
ership and good citizenship, and
to stimulate the boys to better
achievement in their study and
Work toward successful establish-
raents in farming or other related
OCcupations.
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IT'S OFFICIAL-- Gov. J. Howard Edmondson and State FFA Pres-
dent John Ford inspect the proclamation makin˘ Feb. 17-24 "FFA
Week in Oklahoma."
Oklahoma's 16,000 FFA mem-
bers continue to set records and
receive recognition across the
nation for their state and their
organization. Their judging teams
always rate near the top in nat-
ional competition and the fine
livestock produced by Oklahoma
Future Farmers furnishes stiff
competition in out of state events.
As students of vocational agri-
culture in the state's high schools,
Oklahoma's FFA members are
applying schoolroom training to
.practical farming programs at
home under the supervision of
vocational agriculture instructors.
This year, the state's FFA boys
have an investment in farming of
more than $8,000,000, including
crops, livestock and equipment.~
To develop their leadership ab-
ilities more that~ 3,000 FFA mem-
bers participated in public speak-
ing contests, and accepted parla-
mentary procedure practices were
used by all the chapters in con-
ducting their FFA meetings. Most
of the 16,000 members participat-
ed in one or more character-build-
ing leadership, community service,
or cooperative activities which
their chapter sponsors,
The national Future Farmer or-
ganization has 378,000 members
with 9,000 local chapters in the 50
states and Puerto Rico.
Future Farmers choose the
week of George Washington's
birthday each year for the obser-
vance of National FFA Week. Al-
though usually recognized as a
Revolubionary War General and
our first President, Washington's
first love was the farm he called
Mount Vernon. There, he was one
of the first in the nation to pract-
ice contour planting, crop rotat-
ions, fertilization, and other soil
conservation and improvement
methods. It was more than a
century after Wasl~ington's death
before general use was made of
many of the sound agricultural
practices that he advocated.
Winning high honors in many
types of FFA contests is a habit
for the Perkins Future Farmers
of America chapter.
In a survey completed by an
Oklahoma State university grad-
Uate student last year, the Per-
kins chapter was shown to have
been among the top five chaptef~
ifi more FFA contests during the
~st five years than any other
Chapter in the state• Placing se-
COnd in this rating was the Guth-
tie chapter.
Taking high honors in many
contests isn't the primary goal for
the local chapter, however, ac-
cording to Paul Evans, Perkins
VOcational agriculture instructor.
"Our main purpose in FFA is to
.help a boy establish a beginning
la fai'ming," Evans says. "Our
FFA members are supposed to
achieve this through supervised
farm training projects and the
FFA program• We try to build up
~embers' knowledge and confid-
ence through participating in.
fanny FFA activities, working
With ,projects and competing in
many fields. Their FFA training
Will help them to pursue almost
any field of endeavor."
Evans emphasized that FFA
aCt~Vl mtl on a volun
• •ties are str y
~eer basis the part of the mere-
on
. ers, and required classroom work
In Vocational agriculture is large-
15 separate from the FFA work.
"The boys are on their own,"
boys ~z,. ' ~:c FZ':x_. ;:y h,:it2.~.g
, to earn and own property
and livestock through the work of
their own hands, teaches them res-
laonsibility and a high regard for
ther people's rights and property,
quality which will carry with
thera throughout their entire
~lves,, Evans says.
~- riother way in which we try
to help is in inspiring scholarship
among the memberff throughout
high school and, for many of
them, on into college. We feel
that, since we are so close to
OSU, 'followup' work with our
students and close contact with
them not only keeps them insph--
ed, but is considerable help to boys
getting ready to further their ed-
ucation. Just this year, a former
livestock judging team member
here, Phillip Sumner, won first in
the freshman livestock judgin~
contest at OSU--an outstanding
achievement for him and indirect-
ly a fine honor for our chapter."
A few other former Perkins
FFA members now attending OSU
include Stephen Sumner, sophe-
more poultry major, who was at
the top of his class of poultry maj-
ors last year; John Casey, a form-
er nationM livestock judging team
member, a graduate student In-
structor now working on a mast-
ers degree in poultry; Richard
Nelson and Tommy Butler, both
pre-med majors; Charles Nelson,
pre-veterinary major, and Gary
Cundiff, school of engineering.
Teams from Perkins will be
participating in a dozen different
FFA cortests this spring, accord-
ing to Evans. These include live-
stock, meats, poultry, dairy, hort-
iculture, entomology, farm struct-
ures, farm shop, and products
judging, public speaking contests
Perkins FFA officers include (top, from the left)
Leland Tester, reporter; R. Wayn(, Woolsey,
treasurer; Paul Evanil, inrtructor; (bottom) Nolan
Arthur, president; Donnle Gundtff, vice prelident
and Bill Gravel~ |ecretal~t.
and chapter meeting contests.
Approximately two-thirds of
the 65-member local chaptelx
will participate in these CODLtests.
Evans said,
Two contests to determine Okla--
homa's representative in national
contests, meats and livestock jud~-
ing will be held in March, and
Evans e~l)ects lo have good re-
presentation at both. The local
chapter has won both of these
contest~ on a slate level during
the past six or seven years.
Members of the Perkins FFA
chapter include Nolan Arthur,
Donald Bales, K~,nneth Cross,
Donnie Cundiff, Tony Cundiff,
Bob Darby, Bill Groves, Melvin
ttoneyman, Jim LaFolette. Bill
Little, Bill MeDaniel, LeeRay
Murlin, Barrett Needles, Kennard
Spillers, Roger Spillers, Billy Bob
Thompson, Lynn West, Char:es
Woolsey and Wayne Woolsey.
Also Bob Bartram, Ror.nie B(,s~-
ian, John Bowyer, Gene Busch,
Duane Collins, RoyDolin, R.K.
Ew~ng, Kenny Hall,Tom Hardy,
Larry Holbrook, Jim Hunt, Jim
Irwin, Mike Johnson, David Mar-
ler, Carl Mahar, Danny MeKey,
Darrell Porter, Curtis Owens.
Warren Reynolds• Larry Savage
and Leland Tester.
Also Bob Tomlinson, Eddie
Tubbs, Earl Westfall, Gene Webb,
Lyle Youngker. Jerry :Braziel,
Wayne Bu.row. Jerry Beavers,
Wylone Crews. Kenny Cundiff,
Jim Goforth. Mike Hurley and
Robert LaFollette.
And, Dennis Marler, Gary Mer-.
eer, Stanley Moffatt, Jim Niles~
Darrell Sadler, Dale Shaffer, Ron.
nie Stephens, Ronaie Stout, Arfh.
ur Terrel and Larry Thompson.
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