Area VIII: Week III

After we had said our goodbyes to the team from Phase 3 training Mason, Daylon, and I, eagerly jumped in the FFA truck and headed out to Glen Rose, Texas where we would be spending our first night in the great Area VIII. Since it was my first time in the FFA truck we had to get a few things straight. 1st of all, Daylon was the driver no matter what. Daylon would get us from place to place. 2nd, Mason would call advisors and make sure we were going to the place we had marked down. 3rd I had to make up my own role/responsibility. At first my role was to sleep, since the other two had already figured out what they were doing, but later on in the week I provided entertainment for the rides in between schools.

Two hours following my introduction to the travel team, we arrived in the beautiful town of Glen Rose, Texas. Hungry from being on the road all day, we met Mr. and Mrs. Rosenbusch and the Glen Rose Chapter Officers for dinner at Chachi’s Mexican food restaurant. We had a great time with the Rosebushes and the officers, and I even got to eat the Rosenbusch special, a whole dinner plate named after the famous Glen Rose Rosenbusch’s (Say that five times fast)!! After dinner we got to stay with our buddy Jake Sharber. This being my first night I was ecstatic! Jake’s house was awesome! We were warmly welcomed and settled in for the night. We had a great time talking with Jake’s parents and even got to mess around with his steers!

The next day was our first official day on the job in Area VIII. We started off with the Glen Rose FFA chapter. Nerves ran through me like wildfire, as it was my first ever presentation with the travel team. In the end it was a great presentation, and we were even rewarded with Oreos and Chicken Express Sweet Tea! We then traveled to Cleburne, where we got to experience a fightin’ Yellow Jacket lunch, then on to Hillsboro. We ended up the day at Waco Midway for the annual Area VIII Banquet. Following the ceremonies put on by the Great Area VIII officers, we followed Mrs. Christian to Penelope, Texas where we would be starting the next day. That night we got to stay with our friend Alli Watkins. Alli’s house was settled in the most amazing area, right in the middle of the woods! We enjoyed getting to visit with Alli and her wonderful family, but after a long day of travel we were ready for some sleep.

That next morning we started the day off right in Penelope with a presentation for all of the high school students. I couldn’t believe how small it was! Of course, me coming from a school of 2,000+ Penelope was a huge culture shock! After saying our goodbyes and a few pics with the FFA truck we departed Penelope. Our next stop was Blooming Grove. Before our presentation we randomly ran into no other than the famous Area VIII President, Mr. Kyle Montgomery and the Corsicana District 1st Vice President, Phillip Page. They explained to us that they were in town for their college classes and that they were excited to see us. After that encounter we headed on to the school for our presentation. We then had a pleasant lunch with Mrs. Patrick and Katie McGraw from Blooming Grove. They were so kind they even gave us Collin Street Bakery Cookies!!!! Boy did we enjoy those! We finished our day in Corsicana with a fun presentation.

That night we were given a hotel room in Palestine, Texas to relax in before our big day in Cayuga and Sandyland District. After a wonderful dinner (even with Mason dumping his precious Sweet Tea everywhere!) with Mrs. Cox and the Cayuga Chapter Officers in Palestine, we headed back to the La Quinta for some R&R. This is where Daylon introduced me to the fine music of Dubstep Santa. If you have not seen this video check it out on YouTube. Daylon’s mind works in tremendous ways and when asked where he found this video, he replied with, “I got bored one day so I searched for Santa, and this is what came up!” So, if you ever see me or Daylon do a random arm movement and say, “bow-wow, bow-wow” in a weird tone, that is what we are referring to.

The next morning after getting lost we finally made it to Cayuga for our first presentation of the day. We had a great time in Cayuga, but our time had ended and we then headed on to Fairfield. It was spirit week in Fairfield and we happened to show up on day where most of the students were dressed up. It was awesome to see so many spirited people in one school! After a spirited presentation, we departed from Fairfield and headed off to Teague and finished our day at the Cen-Tex District meeting in Academy.

That night we stayed with no other than the Area VIII Vice President Mr. Tyler Coufal! We even got the chance to attend a fightin’ Troy Trojan football game! Needless to say we were the best cheerleaders they had ever seen! After a nice Chili’s dinner with Ms. Cassidy Cockrell we retired back to the Coufal house where we got to watch Dumb and Dumber! I had never seen Dumb and Dumber before in my life so I was very excited. Although we had to cut the movie short because we were all tired we still had a great night.

The next morning we were greeted with some AMAZING breakfast taquitos from Mrs. Coufal, an awesome morning breakfast to start the day off right! We then headed off for Troy High School, where they had the entire school out for our presentation. We had an awesome time experiencing the life of the Trojans and we even got to lead the Trojans in a cheer. We then headed onto Bruceville-Eddy and then ended our day in the hometown of George W. Bush, Crawford, Texas. We ended our Area VIII travels with Crawford’s pep rally and excitement. It had been a long fun filled week and I was sad to see it end.

We finished my travels with our travel back to Daylon’s crib in Cedar Park. We stayed the night then Mason and I left Daylon and headed back to College Station for my turn to leave the travel team. As I bid my last goodbye for the moment to Mr. President, I reminisced on the past week, of how I had been back with my Area VIII family and home. It was so good to be back in Area VIII, but now it was time for me to be with my other family, the Aggies. It was now time for my sister from another mister, Leslie Johnson, to have her time with the travel team in Area V. Good luck guys and Area VIII we’ll be on the road again in February! Until then, AREA VIII IS GREAT!!!!

Area VII: Week II

BAD NEWS! It was Sunday morning when I received a voicemail from Blaze Currie that Mason was in the hospital. Apparently over the weekend after Area III, Mason’s appendix was enlarging and he had to have it taken out. So for the next week, I rode solo. But the GOOD NEWS is that I was in my own back yard, Area VII!

School was out for Labor Day, but that night I ate with the Hondo FFA chapter at the local Mexican food restaurant. We had a lot of fun catching up and I had some of the best lemonade ever. It was brought up that some rain was coming this way, but I thought nothing of it…

RAIN!!! LOTS AND LOTS OF RAIN! That morning I presented at Hondo in the cafeteria. It was a little awkward not having Mason there at first, but with a few alterations to the presentation, I carried on. After Hondo I left to Medina Valley, but my GPS took me into the wrong direction. After making a few educated guesses and a call to Mr. Clarke, Medina Valley’s Ag Teacher, I was able to get there on time. After that, I was on my way to Geronimo, Texas. This is where the real fun began.

My mission, to cross through San Antonio, alive… Between my next school and me stood, 4 wrecks, 20 yard visibility, dense traffic, and endless RAIN! What started out as a 45-minute drive turned into an hour and a half journey. If the rain continued, I was fairly certain that I would need an ark. The GPS took me in the wrong direction again, so after asking for directions in three different areas and getting completely soaked I arrived!

I parked in the nearest parking spot at Navarro High School, I ran inside with my materials. After the presentation, I offered for everyone to come out and see the truck. However, after walking outside, I realized that I parked in the intermediate school parking lot on the other side of the school. The rain was settling and they still wanted to see the truck, so we pushed forward. It was then brought to my attention that standing between us and the truck was the intimidating, “Lake Victoria.” Lake Victoria was a massive flooded area in the parking lot. It ran about 11 inches deep and 40 feet wide. We found a way around it and took the picture for a momento.

That night I went to Canyon New Braunfels High School and attended their first meeting of the year. The food was delicious, the officers were amazing, and the members seemed to have a great time. A perfect way to start off the year. That night I played a few games of ping pong at Zach’s house and rested after a long first day of traveling by myself.

The next day I returned to Canyon New Braunfels and then went to New Braunfels High School. This day ran much more smoothly because the rain had subdued and I only had two schools. I spent my extra time getting some work done in a local McDonalds until an older gentleman noticed my jacket, which sparked a lengthy conversation. We discussed everything from the hardships of agriculture to the past, to the education system of today. That night I hit the bed early and rested up for the next day ahead.

Thursday, I gave presentations to Canyon Lake, Blanco, and LBJ High School. They all went smoothly and that day I was informed that Mason would be returning to the road with me that evening. I was super excited, because then he would be able to come to my old high school; Cedar Park!

It was nice seeing my Ag Teachers, Mr. Jack and Mr. Lakey. We gave the presentation was able to catch up for a little bit before heading off to Florence, the last school of the week. It was their homecoming so their school spirit flooded the air. After the presentation they gave us a tour of their Meat Lab, which was extremely enlightening. I knew very little about meat processing until after the tour. They sent us off with some of their beef jerky and then we were on our way to Phase 3 Training!

Area III: Week 1

Daylon and I kicked the year off strong with a week of travel in Area III. This past week has been filled with laughs, great food and the occasional Ke$ha Concert in the truck between schools. We got to meet people from all over and see just what Area III had to offer. From the GPS mishaps to the midnight pool party it was an experience to say the least!

Our travels began where my roots run strong and where all my FFA memories started my home Caney Creek. We walked into an Auditorium filled with familiar faces and some new students who had decided to join the Caney Creek Family. After the presentation and the house lights came up we saw that we had not only been presenting to agriculture students but instead…school board members, school administration and staff and also a group of Sam Houston Method students who had come in to see what exactly we were up to. Also in the crowd was a reporter for the local newspaper who helped spread the word about agriculture education and opportunities in the FFA to the community.

After Caney Creek we headed to New Caney and Porter High School. We were welcomed by some friendly faces and old friends. After speaking to a group of floral, Co. Op students and a class of greenhands about the opportunities in FFA we were off to Spring, Texas for our next adventure. Once in the Spring area Daylon and I decided to go and find some materials for our presentation which brought us to the party store! You can only imagine the two of us in a party store. I think we tried on every Halloween costume in the store and located every cool gadget imaginable. After only purchasing the materials needed for the presentation we headed to our first home stay with the great Allison Wheelright and dinner with the Klein Oak officers.

After a couple of games of pool volleyball and some dance lessons from the officers we were off to bed to get ready for the next day! We started the day with Klein Oak high school and then traveled down the road to the Klein Collins Ag Department. Once there we were able to answer the student’s questions and also learn how to find magical unicorns and how to bark like a dog (don’t ask). Then it was time to head out but not before Ms. Ressler made my day! Just as we were about to head out the door the Klein Collins Ag department gave us just what we needed…a mason jar of homemade sweet tea!

That night we stayed at Mr. Peyton Craig's house and had dinner with the Tomball FFA officers! That next morning we headed to Tomball High School where we felt just like we were at home. Daylon and I had a great time at Tomball and then it was off to College Park and Conroe High School. We meet students at both high schools who had a love for agriculture and a passion for getting involved in the FFA. After exchanging contact information and showing off the FFA truck we were off again but this time heading north.

That night we stayed with some of the sweetest people I know the Williams. We got to have an amazing home cooked meal and once again one of my favorites a big old glass of homemade sweet tea! The next day we traveled to Anderson-Shiro, Navasota and ended the day at A&M Consolidated High School were we got to play with some really cool animals called chinchillas and meet some very intelligent and successful students.

That night Ms. Carter took us out to dinner at a place called Chicken Oil and helped both me and Daylon buy our first Aggie shirts from a tent sale! The following day we traveled to Brian and Rudder High School! It was great getting to visit with students about how they could get engaged and help them understand how joining the FFA will help them in the future.

Then we were off to have lunch with our main man Mr. Will Ellis! At lunch we traded stories of how the week had gone over a great sandwich and you guessed it a large glass of sweet tea. However little did we know that night I would end up with a terrible case of Appendicitis and in the E.R. So just like in the words of a very popular song Daylon would be riding S…O…L…O for the next couples of days.

Area VII here we come!

Camp Season 2010!

It was that time of year, again. Time for powdered donuts and Coca-Cola, happy grams and Ag Olympics. Nothing can compare to all things that represent my favorite little word: "Camp". Only this year, I had a new partner in crime. Last name: Parish. First name: Mason.

It all began at the State Leadership Conference in Anna, Texas, where 74 Area officers from across the state gathered to hone their skills. The value-based training by the Ethical Leadership Fellows, the inspiring Vespers program by the Incoming State Officers, and the leadership forum by highly-respected individuals such as Stephanie Curs, Jim Prewitt, and Tom Maynard, were just a few of the many highlights in the 3 days. However, nothing can compare to the smooth, dance floor moves and the breakout sessions, where students utilized innovative approaches and let out a "word to your advisor." All of which, gave us a sense of American pride and patriotism.

It's safe to say that the extensive training of State Leadership Conference certainly paid off in the weeks following, as those officers set out to put on their respective area conferences. Though Mason and I had to miss the premier of Toy Story 3 (a moment I had been waiting on for the past decade...), it was all worth it as we watched the Area III officers facilitate one of the best conferences I've seen yet. In an effort to complete "The Amazing Race", district officer participants were met with "detours" and "road blocks", all of which built stronger, more capable teams. Maybe that's why all of those district camps were so unbelievable...

For instance, in District 7 chapter officers were challenged to "Step up to the Plate". From crazy experiences like dropping eggs from ladders (don't worry, we created parachutes for them!) to lessons on communication to a few wacky games of team ninja, toxic waste, and amoeba, we certainly had fun creating that home run. Of course that was nothing compared to eating steaks and watching "The Bachelorette" at Betsy's house. Unfortunately, we had to leave just before the steaks so that we could make it to District 5 the next morning.

Though we were only at D5 camp for a few short hours, Mason and I had a blast catching up with old friends and watching spectacular sessions by Paige, John, Jacob, Jordan, Morgan, Riann, and Clayton. Before long, we were off to District 1 Camp. We got there just in time, too! Early enough for dinner (fajitas, yum!) and (my favorite) the dance! It's safe to say that we more than survived this "Survivor"- themed camp!

The next day, we headed to District 2 for a short convention update, a chit chat with some pretty cool people, and a viewing of the camp slide show. Then, we were "On the Road Again", jamming out to Ke$ha and Justin Beiber. Oh what a ride. Before long, we were in District 3, where "All the roads of leadership lead to tomorrow". It was here that we took our stuffed monkey Tyron aka Bubbles aka Charlie aka Ricky Bobby aka Baby Carlos (and the list goes on...) for a journey of reaching our goals as chapter officers. Though poor Tyron/Bubbles/Charlie/Ricky Bobby/Baby Carlos was dropped on his head many times, he made it out alive. Thank goodness!

A few bites of pizza and then we were....LOST. We drove up and down, up and down, up and down the exact same road for a good 30 minutes. Our poor GPS was even lost. Luckily, we were able to drownd our sorrows with more of Ke$ha and Justin Beiber...and a spontaneous trip to THE PSYCHIC! Mason and I spotted a sign that read "Palm Reading Discounts!", but we didn't end up going there. We rang the door bell, got scared, and ran away. Then, off in the distance, we spotted it! A very lovely house with a SPARKLING sign. So, we rang the door bell. Nothing. We rang it again. Nothing. We called the number...and made an appointment! In the mean time, we made our way to District 6 Camp, where my "friends" attempted to tape me to the wall. Ha ha. When that didn't work, they just wrapped me in LOTS and LOTS of tape. What fun times...Before long, we were at the dance. I'm just glad my buddy, Jimmy, let me dance with him! A few more dances, one s'more, and then....we were off to THE PSYCHIC!

Though Mason and I were a tad bit worried about this decision (A black cat crossed the road AND it was thundering! I don't believe in that stuff, but it still makes you wonder...), she was quite the good psychic. She told me that I "have been travelling alot and will be moving soon". No joke. She also told me that I would receive a bunch of money very soon...dun dun dun. And she told Mason he was going to live a long life. Good to know.

Then, it was our final camp. I was back home in District 4, where they are "The Real Deal." We watched as stand-out members received awards for "Sweetheart", "Best Dancer" and "Random". However, the highlight of our few hours there was the inspiring talk by Mr. Rod Vincent from Bellville. As always, he motivated me to want to be the best that I possibly could. And with that, our camp season was officially over.

Though there will be no more s'mores, happy grams, or powdered donuts, there will be millions of fond memories with all of my friends in the great state of Texas. So, as we pack our bags and embark on new journies, let us not forget to mosey on down to Corpus Christi for the 82nd Texas FFA Convention. It's only 11 days away and is guaranteed to be the highlight of your summer. Get ready, Texas FFA! This year, "It starts with One" trip to the sparkling city by the sea!

Banquet Season

What do you get when you mix flowers, tears, plaques, and barbeque? That's right: a chapter banquet! It was already that time of year. The time when everyone breaks out the tissues, that special occassion that is noted as the "highlight of the year".

I started off at none other than good ol' Brenham High School. I must say everyone looked quite sharp in their official dress attire, and that chicken fried steak sure was yummy! I listened to the musical stylings of Miss Kyla Rae Cmajdalka (I hope I spelled that right, Kyla!) and Mr. Wesley Westbrook before hearing the many wise words of our retiring chapter officers. Of course, the highlight of my evening was watching my little sis be recognized as the 2010-2011 Brenham FFA President. I'm so proud of you, Lauren.

The next thing I knew, I was on my way to Klein Forest. It was here that I was blown away by the number of degree recipients. Talk about a lot of hard work paying off. I watched as Quad attempted not to cry during his final remarks (good try, Quad) and as the Senior members of one of my favorite officer teams hung up their jackets. Tiffany, you better keep that ghetto face on, because the new Klein Forest FFA team has an awesome year ahead of them.

Before long, I was driving...and driving...and driving...and still driving...all the way to the Irion County FFA Banquet in Mertzon, Texas. I must say, it was definitely worth the drive. For a program with a fresh start, they blew me away. Numerous state qualifying teams, the first Lone Star degree recipient in 25 years...and all because of an amazing ag teacher and his phenomenal students. I can't wait to see this chapter's name on banners for years and years to come.

By this time, I'd eaten fajitas, catfish, and even some chicken fried steak, but a banquet season isn't complete without barbeque. Luckily, I got my fill during the Sweeny FFA Banquet. I also earned myself a $10 profit from the bet that Ms. Pittman made. That one is going down in the books. And let's not forget the lovely dance moves from the Sweeny FFA Talent Team. Our next America's Got Talent contestants? I'm not too sure about that one...

That left only one more banquet: Louise FFA. This was the one where I broke out the tissues. Every time my eyes would finally dry, someone else would make them swell up with tears. All I can say is: Tana and Clint, Pa would be so proud of both of you. As if retiring addresses aren't enough to give you goosebumps, Clayton sent me over the edge. For as long as I can remember my one goal was to make a difference in one person's life...and in the process of working towards that, he made a difference in mine. Thank you so much.

And with that, I headed back home with banquets as a reflection in the rearview mirror and State Leadership Camp coming quickly in the distance. I can't wait to see what this year's SLC has in store. You 74 area officers better get ready, because it all starts with one...and that one is YOU.