82-LmcMtM > Farming, Saturday, Juna 27,1987
Recent Graduate Begins Term As
State FFA Officer \ bunches Career
BY SUZANNE KEENE
MOHNTON While many of
this year’s new crop of high school
graduates are whiling away the
summer on local beaches, 18-year
old Lamar Gockley of Mohnton is
getting a solid start on his career
and beginning a term as state FFA
vice president for the Eastern
region.
A full-time employee of Atlantic
Breeders Cooperative since his
graduation from Garden Spot High
School earlier this month, Lamar
was elected a state FFA officer
last week during FFA Activities
Week at P r -\Sf
After putting in a full day at Atlantic Breeders Cooperative,
Lamar helps at home with the evening milking.
FFA Members Rock To Penn Slate
Campus For Activities Week
BY MARY MAXWELL
Centre County Correspondent
UNIVERSITY PARK - The
blue and gold jackets of FFA
members colored the Penn State
campus last week when over 1,500
high school students filled ag
shops, classrooms, rehearsal
rooms and parking lots for the
annual FFA Activities Week
contests.
“These FFA members always
inspire us when they come here to
the campus,” said Don Min
cemoyer, director of the three-day
conference. “They are a respon
sible group of young people con
cerned and knowledgeable about
agriculture, agribusiness and the
world.”
The teenagers, representing
FFA chapters from throughout
Pennsylvania, competed in 29
events ranging from “hands-on”
tasks in floriculture, tractor
driving and dairy judging to public
speaking and talent contests.
wmesfead
t/wics
FFA Activities Week was an
exciting time for Lamar, who spvs
he had just re-entered Eisenhower
Auditorium after having his photo
taken as a new officer when the
person giving awards announced
that the Garden Spot FFA team
had won the Chapter Procedure
Contest.
The week also included two days
of intensive interviews with the
nominating committee, which is
charged with selecting next year’s
state officers. One month earlier,
he had completed an application
form listing activities and awards
The highest-ranking gold win
ners in most contests will compete
in November at the National FFA
Convention in Kansas City. Other
winners may go on to compete in
the Eastern States Exposition,
Springfield, Mass.; the National
Land Judging Contest in
Oklahoma; the Tn-State Contest,
Ithaca, NY; the PA All-American
Show or PA Livestock Exposition
in Harrisburg.
At the final general session new
FFA state officers were elected.
Melissa A. Spayd, Oley Valley, was
elected president; Mark Anderson,
Dover, state-wide vice president;
Lamar Gockley, Eastern Lan
caster, Eastern vice-president;
Caressa Compton, Danville,
secretary; Kathryn Sollenberger,
Williamsburg, treasurer; Wesley
Planthaber, Huntington, state
chaplain; David Ulsh, Blue
Mountain, sentmel; and Patty
Snook, Mifflmburg, reporter.
Winners of gold recognition are;
inFFA.
Lamar listed several leadership
positions on his application, in
cluding chapter vice president and
Lancaster County FFA president.
He also holds the Red Rose
(county) and Keystone Farmer
degrees. Last year, he was runner
up for star Red Rose Farmer.
Top among the FFA awards he
has won is the Tri-County Ayrshire
Award, an Ayrshire calf that has
become part of the family’s Willow
Springs Farm dairy herd. Lamar
raised the calf and showed it to
first place in the junior yearling
class at the Pennsylvania Dairy
Show.
Lamar also owns a Holstein cow
which he purchased in 1984. After a
brief showing career, he retired
her to the farm’s milking herd as
well.
The Gockleys milk 48 Holsteins
and one Ayrshire on their
dairy farm near Adamstown.
Lamar’s parents, Glenn and
Margaret, started the farm in 1958
with just 14 cows.
Helping with the barn and field
chores at home is just part of
Lamar’s busy schedule. He begins
his day at Atlantic at 7 a.m. and
finishes there at 4. With a quick
supper under his belt, he heads for
the barn to help his father and his
older brothers with the milking
and barn chores.
Lamar spends most of his
Saturdays, at least during the
spring and summer, mowing
lawns. For the past three years he
has operated a small lawn mowing
business.
“I don’t have much time to goof
off,” he says modestly. “I keep
myself out of trouble that way.”
His duties as a state FFA vice
president will crowd his schedule
even more, taking an estimated 60
to 90 days of his time in the coming
year.
His FFA responsibilities will
include attending leadership
conferences, the FFA National
Convention and the Mid-Winter
New State FFA officers are, from left. Caressa Compton, Danville, secretary; Patty
Snook, Mifflinburg, reporter; Melissa Spayd, Oley Valley, president; Kathryn Sollen
berger, Williamsburg, treasurer. In back row, from left, are Mark Anderson, Dover, state
vice president; Lamar Gockley, Eastern Lancaster, Eastern vice president; Wesley
Planthaber, Huntington, chaplain; and Dave Ulsh, Blue Mountain, sentinel.
AgncutturafMechanics
LeonHeisey Manheim Central Robert Woe'ner
Biglemlle Doug Be.sh Clearfield Kevin Tuckey
Bigle»ville John Brrffee Greenwood John
Mohney Kane ,
Agricultural Salesmanship
Clair Wnglesworth Curwensville Oelv i Huber
Garden Spot Nicole Childers N e i Bedford
Rob Bergensfock Danville
Agronomy
David MlKu npy M “awn Bus*>
LajtemVork Tncafvars l ley Valley
Chapter Procedure
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This Holstein cow is one of two dairy animals Lamar raised
as FFA projects. He also owns an Ayrshire cow he received as
an award several years ago.
Convention, for which the state
officers do much of the planning.
From February to May, when
most chapters hold their annual
awards banquets, he will often be a
guest speaker.
Lamar says his speaking skills
have come a long way since his
first days in FFA and he thinks the
experience he will have in the next
year will help him to improve even
more.
He is also looking forward to the
opportunities he will have to make
new friends. “I already made
seven new friends,” he said,
referring to the other state officers
with whom he will be working.
Lamar remembers admiring
state officers as a high school
Cathy Matthew Twin Valley Brenda Haylett
Conneaut Valley Tracy Unger Conneaut Valley
Tony Gomez Oxford Glen Campbell Upper
Dauphin Stephanie Nagle Annville Cleona Brad
Herrold Waynesboro lisa Funt Northern York
Lvnneffp Duel! Lynnette Kevin Rishel Mif
flmburg Da t Swisher State College Keith Hay
Berlin B' ;thn VlMny
Bdny Snyder Elizabethtown In a Peters
jtate ( jiiege Kjmi Leslie M-hiwk Becky
Henhner fame Buchanan
Dairy Judging individual
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Dairy Foods
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freshman and is proud that he has
achieved this level of success in
FFA. He believes the number and
diversity of the activities in which
he has participated helped prepare
him for his new role.
In addition to his leadership
positions and the degrees he holds,
Lamar is president of his church
youth group and helped to plan a
county FFA leadership con
ference. He is a member of the
Honor Society and is listed in
Who’s Who Among American High
School students.
In two years, Lamar plans to
apply for the American Farmer
degree, which is awarded to a fen
select FFA’ers in the nation.
Toni Barley Penn Manor Duane Copenhavc r
Annvdle Cleona Donald Wivell Liberty ar>d
Mansfield Duane Stohztus Twin Valley
Bacon Cowanesque Valley
Dairy Judging Team
Solanco Jett Craig Mark Hess Matt Ulrich
Dairy Showmanship
Michael Burkel Central Scott Youse Ole*
Valley JimFunnerv James Buchanan
Farm Management
Malt fN'fjft i Valley Koberl Adair
Kut/town ha Kisser ''jarcc
F'onculture
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