April has been a busy, productive and successful month for the South Rowan FFA Chapter.
On April 7, the group held their monthly meeting. At this meeting, they were presented a grant sponsored by the Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.
Gerald Barlowe, North Carolina agricultural education leader, presented this grant for $3,406. The grant will be used to build a small-scale poultry facility at the South Rowan agricultural land laboratory. “The Tobacco Trust Fund Commission grants are providing resources to allow agricultural education programs to enhance instruction that will give our students the skills necessary for success in the 21st century,” Barlowe said.
“The South Rowan Agricultural Education and FFA program has a great tradition of producing opportunities for students to develop hands-on skills that will be useful to them throughout their lives,” he added.
Rep. Harry Warren and South Rowan Assistant Principal Amy Wise were also present during the grant presentation.
Additionally, Anne Corriher, the director of Main Street Mission in China Grove, was a guest speaker at the meeting. Corriher talked about how Main Street Mission helps fulfill the hunger needs of those struggling in our community.
The meeting also included a Chapter Degree ceremony. Fifteen students received their Chapter Degree, the highest degree a FFA member can achieve at the chapter level, including Holly Barnes, Madison Brewer, Andrew Eller, T.J. Harrington, Micah Helms, Ashley Jones, Megan Lowder, Jonathan Powers, Desiree Roach, Marion Smith, Jr., Heather Sperling, Thomas Starnes, Shelby Tapp, Danielle Torrence and Timothy Walter.
Chapter Degree recipients also heard comments from Ralph Weddington, a former state FFA Officer from the Landis FFA Chapter. He shared stories from his past experiences in FFA and agriculture and how the organization shaped the person he became. He also described how things have changed since he was in high school. Following his presentation, Weddington made a generous donation towards the biggest service project — Service South Rowan.
Service South Rowan, a one-day event where FFA members, alumni and other school and community volunteers conduct yard work for local elderly or disabled citizens, was held April 12. On this day of service, 89 volunteers worked at 10 different locations in the community. Tasks included painting, pruning, spreading mulch, raking leaves, picking up sticks, mowing and trimming. The event was sponsored by the Rowan County Farm Bureau, South Rowan Y Service Club, Carolina Farm Credit, L.L Goodnight and Sons and Food Lion.
The South Rowan FFA Chapter has 209 FFA members this year. The FFA provides agricultural and leadership opportunities for its members and strives to promote premier leadership, personal growth and career success.