By Isabella Portner

Sleepy Eye FFA members attended Timberland Leadership Camp at Sibley State Park, near New London, June 1st 4th. Sleepy Eye members who attended were: Nathan Jorgensen, Harley Braun, McKayla Ashenbrenner, Macy Schenk, Colton Gemmill, Colin Hillmer, Crystal Portner, Isabella P., Courtney E., Cassidy Hacker, Sarah Rossbach, Jacob Rossbach, McKenzie Cselovszki, Parker Neid, Jeni Kotten, Clarissa Simonsen, Kyle Kjelshus, Brianna Polesky, Mariah Miller, Isaac Nelson, Jon Mickelson, Cassidy Hoffmann, Josie Lang, Francheska Montemayor, Chris Lencowski, and Carter Tauer. Matt Miller and Brandon Roiger helped out at the camp. There were also numerous FFA members from the Tracy and Marshall FFA chapters who attended the camp.

At the leadership camp, FFA members were able to experience so many things starting with trust activities on ropes courses and canoeing at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center. Campers also attended sessions at which they learned about creating SMART goals for their future as well as writing their own mission statement.

In sessions, members learned of many activities other chapters do with their separate FFA program as well as what they themselves can do in FFA, such as, Career Development Events (CDE’s) and Supervised Agriculture Experiences (SAE’s).

Members learned the value of teamwork through multiple activities as well as ways to do good deeds and serve to others in need in anyway. At camp, members from each chapter raised and lowered the flag by conducting their own ceremony they had fashioned.

In attendance at camp there were also five State FFA Officers: President PJ Aarsvold, Secretary Mariah Daninger, Treasurer Travis Troendle, Reporter Madison Taylor, and Sentinel Sam Johnson. The state officer team helped at camp by leading sessions dealing with goals, mission statements and other ways to become better leaders. The team also brought fun new games and activities to Timberland. Region officer, Harley Braun, was also in attendance and gave a sharing ideas session amongst chapters to spread new activities for areas of chapter programming.

On the final evening of the camp, there was a banquet that was held and run by newly elected camp officers. From the Sleepy Eye Chapter, the camp officers included: Isaac Nelson, Crystal Portner, Francheska Montemayor, and Brianna Polesky.