A24-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 13, 2002
State FFA
(Continued from Page A 1)
of interviews on June 14 during
State Activities Week at Penn
State.
Further coverage of State Ac
tivities Week begins on page 813
of this edition of Lancaster
Farming.
“It wasn’t easy,” he smiles,
“but there was pure excitement
in the air (at the competition).
My focus has always been state
officer so when my name hadn’t
been announced by the time the
last position came up, I just held
my breath.”
Bittner’s mother Diane and his
adviser, Michael Clark, attended
the competition and right before
the last name was called, they
both told David they just knew
he was going to be the president.
Bittner gives credit to his ad
visers Doyle Paul and Michael
Clark for their support and help
in keeping him “on track” for
the state officer position. Clark
took over as the agricultural
teacher for Paul at the beginning
of David’s senior year during the
2001-2002 school year. Clark
served as the state FFA vice
president in 1996.
“It’s a difficult process switch
ing ag teachers your last year of
high school but I made it work
for me,” he said. “You had to get
used to a whole different teach
ing style. It definitely made me
stronger in ways and because Mr.
Clark was a state officer, it made
me want to do the exact same
thing and become a state officer.
Mr. Clark didn’t say ‘you are
going to be a state officer, he said
you are a state officer.’”
Golf Tournaments Benefit FFA Foundation
DUNCANSVILLE (Blair Co.)
The 10th annual Fore FFA
2002 golf tournaments will be
held Monday, July 15, at Fox
chase and Galen Hall Golf
Courses in Lancaster County and
on Monday, Aug. 12, at Scotch
Valley Country Club in Duncan
sville, Blair County.
The event benefits Pennsylva
nia FFA Foundation Inc.
“The tournaments originally
started as a one-course event ten
years ago, but two years ago we
were selling out at the two
courses in Lancaster so we decid
ed to split the event into two lo
cations,” said Kerry Richards,
secretary for the FFA Founda
tion.
Last year, there
were 250 golfers on the
two courses at the
Lancaster County
event and 152 at
Scotch Valley.
Hatfield Quality
Maintenance in Lan
caster is sponsoring
the Lancaster County
two-course event and
Hoss’s will sponsor
Scotch Valley.
According to Rich
ards, the whole pur
pose of the event is
raise funds to support
nearly 8,000 FFA
members in Pennsyl
vania for various ac
tivities.
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President’s Roots Run Deep In Agriculture
He says that Doyle Paul, the
longtime agricultural teacher at
Berlin, gave him a good founda
tion and kept the FFA program
going strong throughout the
years. There are currently 90
FFA members at Berlin Brother
svalley.
Bittner no doubt takes this
role very seriously and plans to
put forth as much effort as possi
ble to represent FFA in the most
dignified manner.
“At first, some people asked
me ‘are you getting paid for
this,”’ and I told them ‘no, I
don’t need paid because I love it
so much and am proud to repre
sent FFA in this way.’”
Bittner believes FFA changed
his view of life and helped him
focus on his future. He wants to
share as much about the organi
zation as possible with others
throughout the state and region.
“As state president, I am in
charge of not only leading ten of
ficers but basically I am in
charge of leading 8,000 members
across the state. I take this role
very seriously,” he explained.
Bittner has been accepted at
Penn State University and plans
to major in agricultural and ex
tension education but with his re
sponsibilities as state president,
he has decided to take a leave of
absence for one year before be
ginning his full-time studies.
“When I joined FFA, I knew I
wanted to become a teacher and
share my roots,” he said.
Bittner’s roots run deep into
farming. His family farm has
been a working family farm for
six generations. His parents,
For example, some of the
funds raised will go towards the
Legislation Leadership Confer
ence held every March in Harris
burg. At this conference, FFA
students are able to participate in
a mock simulation of legislature
and meet with legislators for
breakfast.
Funds will also be channeled to
various Career Development
events, which range from agricul
tural mechanics to floriculture
and any other projects that are
taught in the classroom and put
into practical application. Stu
dents can compete regionally or
nationally with their Career De
velopment projects.
“In addition to golfing, other
David Bittner of Berlin in Somerset County takes his new role as state FFA president
very seriously. Bittner plans to delay his first year of college at Penn State to fulfill his
responsibilities as the state president.
Diane and Barry Bittner, farm
about 300 acres and milk about
50 cows, primarily Holstein but
also Brown Swiss, Jersey and
Guernsey animals.
His brother, Lance, who served
as the state FFA sentinel last
year (2001-2002), plans to stay
on the farm and continue dairy
ing. His younger brother Kevin,
also a FFA member, is 16 years
old and junior at Berlin High
School.
“I love fanning. It’s my roots
and the way I was brought up
and the way I see it now, it’s my
money is raised through an auc
tion following dinner,” explained
Richards.
Everything from 76ers (basket
ball) tickets to student-made
projects, like picnic tables and
bird boxes, are auctioned off.
Also, a show sheep is auctioned
off. Although the purchaser does
not get to keep the sheep, his or
her name will be announced
every time the sheep is showed.
Refreshment carts will be pro
vided on the courses and lunch
will be served. Prizes will be
awarded in team and individual
contest categories. A complimen
tary happy hour will be __
scheduled before dinner.
There will also be a shot-
future,” said Bittner. “It’s an
awesome feeling to know you
have your own business.
“Even though there are chal
lenges involved with the financial
aspects of farming, it’s still not
really working because we love
what we do. It’s a living but it’s
fun.”
From June 25 to July 3, Bit
tner completed state officer
training in Bethel. The end of
July, he will attend the state offi
cers’ conference in Delaware.
Bittner has already submitted
his letter of intent for national
officer competition, which will be
gun scramble.
In addition, all 11 FFA officers
will be present at both events to
answer any questions about their
careers in FFA or the organiza
tion itself.
“All the FFA officers will be
there because we like to promote
our quality youth,” stressed Rich
ards. “Last year’s group (of FFA
officers) was a great group but
this year they seem to exception
ally good. These students are the
leaders of the community later on
in life.”
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conducted after his full year has
expired next October in Louis
ville, Ky. Last year, there were
38 competing for six spots.
Bittner’s mother believes the
state officer position is one of
leadership and privilege.
“It changes them from when
they first take office to when
they are done,” said Diane, refer
ring to her son Lance, who re
cently finished his role as state
FFA sentinel.
“In life you have followers and
leaders, and when they come
through this, they are definitely
loaders.”
Richards also serves as a Penn
State University pesticide educa
tion coordinator. Her position
with the FFA Foundation is part
time.
“I believe so much in what this
organization does for the youth,”
said Richards. “These events give
sponsors a chance to see what
they are supporting and how it is
benefiting these students. In
showcasing these outstanding of
ficers we show what FFA is all
about and it makes these events
worth all the work.”
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