While enrolled in FFA as a greenhand, a first-year member, students learn about all the different aspects that make up agricultural education and FFA as a whole. One of the largest sections is FFA history. This section covers all the way from the beginning of the organization in 1928 to current events happening now in 2022. As students go through the rich history of this organization, they are presented with the opportunity to participate in a special event, the greenhand quiz bowl CDE. With hours of hard work and dedication involved, this CDE proves not to be for the faint of heart. Though a challenge, the Madison Plains chapter members proved they had what it takes to excel.
To truly understand this competition, some background must be provided. The process begins right before the holiday season in November. Students are provided with a list of dates that they must transfer onto a well-decorated timeline poster. Following this project, students take a deep dive into the individual events in chronological order. After several weeks, they receive a quiz to test their knowledge of these events. Once the test is finished, students are given the opportunity to compete at the state level to show off their knowledge of FFA history. This year, the chapter had twenty green hands competing in the event. Preparing for the test was no easy task. For many of those involved, this included going in to practice during lunch or staying after school for a few hours to study. Finally, after about a month and a half of preparation, the twenty participants took the test on February 15, 2022.
For a majority of the day, students filed in and out of the high school library to take their tests. Some were nervous while others remained confident and kept their composure. Several days passed, and the participants became increasingly impatient. It seemed as if the scores would never arrive. But on the morning of February 21, the results had come in. Celebration ensued in the AFNR classrooms as all were sharing the good news, Madison Plains had placed third in the state. Adding to the excitement, freshman Kiana Gabler had placed second individually in the state. When asked how she felt following the big success in this year’s competition, Kiana replied “I was very excited to get second this year, the hard work paid off and I really hope we can continue this tradition next year!” As in any pursuit, success does not come overnight, rather it is earned through the amount of effort and spirit invested through the individuals participating. The greenhands have been an excellent example of what having these qualities can do for a team. Although their competition is over, the spirit they held will inspire members for years to come.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up