The Atlantic FFA Banquet was held on Monday, March 28, at the Atlantic High School. There were 172 members and guests present at the event. The banquet started with the opening ceremonies, led by the 2022-2023 Chapter Officers. The officers include President Dylan Comes, Vice President Daniel Freund, Secretary Claire Pellett, Treasurer Jackson McLaren, Reporter Charli Goff, Sentinel DJ Shepperd, and Student Advisor Colton Rudy.

Comes said, “The 2022-2023 FFA year went extremely well. We competed in many contests, succeeded in most of those said contests, and grew not only as individuals but as a chapter. I am super excited to see where the chapter goes in the future.”

The opening ceremony was followed by a welcome to members and guests given by Comes. A reflection was then said by Freund. Following that, dinner was held for members and guests. Wiota Steakhouse provided brisket and sides.

At the conclusion of the dinner, two guest speakers spoke to the audience. The first was Chad Comes, the father of the Chapter President. C. Comes talked about how FFA is a great program and how it can impact your future greatly if you put in the effort. The next speaker was Southwest District FFA President, George Martin. Martin talked about getting outside your comfort zone and taking advantage of the many great opportunities and life lessons FFA can bring to you. He emphasized how valuable these will be later in life.

Pellett gave the secretary’s report and the treasurer’s report was given by McLaren.

Following the yearly reports, awards were given out. First were those recognized for earning 10,000 FFA points throughout their time as a member. These points are earned through getting involved within the chapter. The more activities and events a member participates in, the more points they earn. Those recognized for reaching 10,000 points included D. Comes, Brett Dreager, Freund, and McLaren.

The next award was the Academic Achievement Award. This award is given to those who have been a part of the Atlantic FFA chapter for three years and have maintained a 3.5 GPA throughout all those years. Those who received the Academic Achievement Award included Rio Johnson, Comes, and Freund.

After the Academic Achievement Award came the Star Greenhand, Star Ag Placement, Star Chapter Farmer, and Leadership Awards.

The Star Greenhand is awarded to a freshman member who was the most involved with the chapter in the past year. There were two Greenhand members awarded this year: Lauren Comes and Lily Johnson. The next award, Star Ag Placement, is an award given to a member that has done an exceptional job in their employment of their SAE (Supervised Agriculture Experience). This award was given to McLaren. D. Comes and Freund received the Star Chapter Farmers. The next award was the Atlantic FFA Leadership Award, which is given in appreciation to those who have shown leadership through their years in FFA. The 4 members who received the award included Dreager, Callee Pellett, Shepperd, and Colton Becker.

Two individuals were selected to receive the Honorary Chapter Farmer award, which is given to people who have played a large role in helping the Atlantic FFA Chapter and the activities they do. Those that accepted this award include Rod Deter and Jeremiah Thompson.

Claire Pellett then gave a report and recognized all of the members that participated in Career Development Events and D. Comes presented them with their award.

This year, 16 members were given the Discovery Degree. The Discovery Degree is awarded to members who are finishing their eighth-grade year of schooling and have been involved in FFA for one year. Those that have been involved for one year of high school Ag, received the Greenhand Degree, which was given to 28 members. Next came 16 members who were Chapter FFA degrees, which are given to members who have been involved in FFA for two years while in high school, or members who have been in FFA for three years including their eighth-grade year.

The banquet concluded with the installation of new chapter officers. For the upcoming 2023-2024 year, the new officers include the following: President Colton Rudy, Vice President Lola Comes, Secretary Claire Pellett, Treasurer Roth Den Beste, Reporter Lily Johnson, Sentinel Wyatt Simons, and Student Advisor Charli Goff.

Rudy said, “The 2023 Atlantic FFA Banquet was a remarkable experience, marking the end of a very successful year for our chapter and the beginning of a new year. I am honored to lead the chapter into the new FFA year, which will hopefully be filled with chapter growth and new memories to be made.”

Contributed by Atlantic FFA Reporter, Lily Johnson

*The original report was edited for clarity.