One of the newest FFA charters in Kansas is coming out of the gates swinging as a chapter. The Dexter FFA chapter is located in Dexter, Kansas and off to a big start with full support from the community.
“The community really saw a need for our students,” agricultural education instructor and FFA advisor Chelsy Champlin says. “Being a small community and small school there are not a lot of clubs or organizations for kids to be involved in.”
Champlin brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom as well as a passion to teach the future of the agriculture industry. She explains how good of a fit FFA is for the Dexter area because Dexter is a highly agriculture-oriented community. Even though students might not be getting the full experience with FFA during this unprecedented time, they have been able to participate in many FFA activities thus far.
“We did Greenhand Conference, horse judging (and won), dairy cattle judging, ritual and employability skills virtually so far,” Champlin says.
To the surprise of local town members, a bad ice storm came through in October leaving debris covering the yards and streets of locals. Two evenings following the storm, Champlin got the FFA students together and helped clean the streets of Dexter, showing their appreciation to the community that has supported them along the way.
Officers for the chapter were elected at the beginning of the academic year. Unlike a normal year, the chapter officers were not able to do a retreat or extensive training to prepare for the academic year ahead of time. Champlin describes the officer team as a great group of young leaders. The goal has been set to complete one community-type activity each month for the FFA chapter. Considering the chapter is new to the community, they are trying to find where they fit in and how they can integrate into the community among other established student groups and organizations.
After receiving their charter at the 2021 State Convention, Champlin plans to look into grants offered by the Kansas FFA Foundation for new chapters. Grants offered can help members with SAEs, develop chapter programs and provide scholarships for conventions.