BlB—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 31,1982
Area FFA ‘shines’ in national spotlight
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
LEOLA FFA programs in
Lancaster, Lebanon and Berks
counties were in the national
spotlight on Wednesday.
And, the area programs, their
student participants and families
and vo-ag teachers glistened and
shone as brightly as the gold trim
on a blue FFA jacket.
The programs, particularly the
Supervised Occupational Ex
perience projects - in which
teachers and students work closely
together to apply classroom in
struction to real life projects on
farms or in agribusiness, received
ample praise from visiting vo-ag
leaders and teachers, the National
FFA and state officials, including
Secretary of Education Robert G.
Scanlon.
Scanlon, as featured speaker at a
windup dinner to the day-long
activities focused on the SOE
program, told the 200 visiting vo-ag
personnel from 45 states and
Canada:
"Today, you have seen first
hand the quality of education
which has become a way of life in
vocational agriculture.
“Vo-ag has learned years ago
what other phases of education are
just now fearing - that technology
is vital for the future.
“The teaching of students about
farming is more innovative and
specialized than ever before.
“In vo-ag this educational
program doesn't end at 3 p.m. or
only continue nine months of the
year.
“Supervised occupational ex
perience programs provide a
unique round-the-clock relation
ship between the teacher and
student.
‘And, that’s what farming is all
Participating dignitaries in area FFA program are Robert G.
Scanlon, left, Pa. Secretary of Education; and Byron Rawls,
National FFA Advisor, Washington, D.C.
Another of the SOE programs visited by Weaver Homestead Farm, R 1 New H
national FFA group on Wednesday was the Dennis graduated last year as president of
dairy project of Dennis Weaver, right, of Grassland FFA.
about - extra time, extra work,
extra commitment and extra
trust.”
And perhaps, Gus Birchler, vo
ag instructor at Penn Manor High
School, Millersville, and one of 26
area teachers who took the visitors
on field trips to visit students,
summed it up best concerning the
value of the personal SOE
program;
"You gotta learn your students
before you can teach them."
The visiting vo-ag supervisory
personnel and teachers began their
day with greetings and orientation
sessions at Victor F. Weaver, Inc.
and Sperry New Holland, which
helped sponsor the field trip
program.
But the heart of the visit - just as
it is the backbone of the overall vo
ag educational curriculum were
the individualized tours to area
students to observe how the local
teachers work with FFA’ers on
their farms or at their places of
agribusiness employment to
prepare for the future.
The visitors, who are par
ticipating m a week-long workshop
on SOE in Washington, came to
this area because of the excellent
FFA instructional programs
conducted by area vo-ag depart
ments.
And the visitors, who will now
carry their local observations back
across the country and into
Canada, saw FFA student projects
ranging from market hogs to dairy
herds and from growing Sugar
Baby watermelons to on-farm
experience aiding a handicapped
farmer.
After their visits and talks with
the local teachers, students and
their families, the visitors nodded
approval in unison when Secretary
ms-
Sampling a Sugar Baby watermelon grown Caribou, Me., and Larry Devine, assistant
by Grassland FFA member Wade Martin, superintendent of'Eastern Lancaster County
center, are Tom Hale, left vo-ag teacher from Schools.
Scanlon concluded his remaks by
saying:
“The future of farming depends
on the vision of our agricultural
youth and the creaUvity of their
teachers.
"We need and support the 12-
month contract for vo-ag teachers
for that vital link between the
classroom and the real world of
farming.
Area vo-ag teachers par
ticipating in the program in
cluded:
Solanco High School - J.D.
Miller, MeeCee Baker and Ron
Althoft.
Twin Valley High School -Ron
Frederick.
Cedar Crest High School -
Harold Berkheiser and Dick
Moore.
Eastern Lebanon County
Gerald Stnckler.
Conrad Weiser High School -
Steven Miller.
Elizabethtown Area High School
- William Erickson and Albert
Martin.
Mount Joy Vo-Tech - James
Kerr.
Warwick High School - Sonia
Shaner.
Garden Spot High School,
Eastern Lancaster County -
Robert Herr, Abbe Barbalo,
Robert Laufter, I hil Ogline,
Cliltord Day and Don Robinson.
Ephrata Area High School -
Lewis Ayers and Charles Ackley.
Brownstown Vo-Tech - Bonita
Levy.
lequea Valley High School - (Jowden
i enn Manor High School -Steve
Manheun Central High School - Smlth md Gus Birchler .
Charles Bechdel and James
One of SOE projects viewed by vo-ag visitors was two*acre
lope and melon patch of Wade and Kevin Martin, R 2 East
Earl.
Discussing area FFA visits, from the left, are Charles Lebo,
state supervisor; Chris Townsend, ag education. Illinois;
Lloyd Ruoss, superintendent, Eastern Lancaster County
Schools; Abbe Barbato, vo-ag teacher in Eastern Lancaster
County; and Clarence Pearson, vo-ag instructor in state of
Washington.