The National Chapter Award Program recognizes local participants
By Paul Hall on Monday, November 1st, 2021 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
IMBLER, OR – (Information provided by Jim Cant, Agriculture Education Instructor, Imbler School District) The National Chapter Award Program is designed to recognize FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality Chapter Standards (NQCS) and a Program of Activities (POA) that emphasize growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. Chapters are rewarded for providing educational experiences for the entire membership.
Chapters that receive a gold rating by their state FFA associations are eligible to compete for National FFA 3-star, 2-star or 1-star ratings. Each chapter that competes for these awards will receive a multi-year plaque and a spur designating their 3-star, 2-star or 1-star rating. They will receive additional spurs for each year they compete and receive a rating from the National FFA Organization. Chapters that receive a national 3-star chapter rating will be eligible to compete for the chapters that receive a national 3-star chapter rating will be eligible to compete for the National Premier Chapter Awards, Models of Excellence and Middle School Models of Excellence Awards.
Since 2005, Imbler FFA has been rated a Gold Level Chapter, with every year being a 2 Star Level, one year a 1 star, and this is the second time we were 3-Star. The last time we were rated 3 Star Gold was 2014.
Other notes for chapters in Oregon – Elgin were a 2 star rated chapter, and Joseph was rated a 1 star this year. 3 of the top 5 in Oregon were from the Eastern Oregon FFA District (Union, Baker and Wallowa County schools). The other two were Canby and Sutherlin.
As for Maggie Pahlow and Eva Paulson, they were just named tonight as the National Winner for Agri-science Fair Division 2 (meaning a team of 2 in the 7th or 8th grade). They qualified for Nationals by winning the state in March as 7th graders (1st year members) and then resubmitted their research and report in June for national consideration. They were deemed National Finalists in August and completed 15 minute interviews and presentations in September before being named National Top 3. Not until tonight did they know their final ranking.
Their agri-science fair project was on Food Products and Processing Systems and they researched the effects that smell has on a person’s ability to taste food.
Results of Paige Allen and Cassidy Ritter (also National top 3 Finalists) at the 5th General Session will be announced later. Their project was in Power, Structure, and Technical Systems. They chose to research and study the effectiveness of face coverings on agriculture workers in the grass seed industry.
We had multiple other state winners that submitted to Nationals for consideration and were named top 10 in the country: They are:
Keira Counsell and Ellie Turley – Animal Systems – Research on growth rates of different duck breeds (Division 2 – Team)
Tayler Bowles – Animal Systems – Research how different feeds affect goat milk production (Division 1)
Hunter Voss and Helen Gordon – Plant Systems – Research different colors of artificial light on plant growth (Division 2)
Isabella Gardner – Social Systems – Researched how introverts versus extroverts handled stressful work environments and ability to complete technical tasks. (Division 1)
Jayda Cant and Rachael Stirewalt – Social Systems – Researched consumer beliefs on how it influenced plant based proteins versus traditional meat sources (Division 2)
Other state winner – Not National top 10 –
Mikinah Browne and Sierra Denis – Environmental Services/Natural Resource Systems – Researched different clothing’s protection to UV exposure to Agricultural workers. Division 2Nicholas Arnoldus (Imbler FFA member and graduate of 2020) was awarded the 2021 American FFA Degree. There were only 45 Oregon FFA members awarded this highest degree in the nation, and 7 of those were Eastern Oregon FFA district members. Other chapters were Baker, North Powder, Pine Eagle, and Enterprise. (A Pendleton FFA member also earned theirs; she is part of the Blue Mtn. District (Umatilla/Morrow county schools).
