Local FFA is ranked 4th of state's 990 chapters

Rusk FFA Chapter at state convention AUSTIN - The national chapter award evaluation has ranked the Rusk FFA as fourth out of 990 Texas FFA chapters.

The fourth place rank is the highest ranking in Rusk's FFA district. It surpasses the previous ranking of seventh three years ago.

In addition the Rusk FFA was recognized as a 3 Star Superior Chapter at the National Level. This is the highest rating a chapter can receive nationally.

To complete the National Chapter Award, the Rusk FFA was required to submit 15 activities in three categories: student, chapter and community.

The Rusk FFA submitted activities including an economic analysis of the Cherokee County show, management and taxidermy of pen raised Bobwhite Quail, national FFA convention, video officer elections, a food for America project, and primary school coloring contest.

These activities fulfilled the categories which were student, chapter and community activities sponsored by the Rusk FFA.

In addition, the Rusk FFA received a gold rating in the Golden Horizon Award for the first time in history. The gold rating is the highest rating a chapter can receive at the state level. The Golden Horizon Award is based on FFA activities during the year. The three levels are gold, silver, and bronze. The highlights of the activities that the Rusk FFA participated in are: two state qualifying leadership development events, three state qualifying career development events, state winner in agriculture mechanics award, five state qualifying proficiency awards, a state qualifying star award, eight soil and water high point individual $1,000 scholarships, as well as many other activities. These two awards represent the most successful year in Rusk FFA history.

This year, the chapter also had four Lonestar degree recipients.

To receive the Lonestar degree, an applicant must be a third year member, have shown a profit of $250, as well as participated in 10 activities above the chapter level. The recipients of this degree were Nickey D. Cleveland, Keiera Counahan, Damion Hicks and Jana Hill.

Other members from the Rusk FFA also received awards at the state convention.

Tommy Marchetti was a state finalist in the star greenhand agriscience award. With this award he worked jointly with Michael Nickle on a research project.

They completed an economic analysis on the economic impact of the Cherokee County Show.

Joey Marchetti was the state winner of the Agriculture Industry Agriculture Mechanics Award. This award included a $500 scholarship. To receive this award the recipient must be enrolled in the agriculture mechanics pre-lab class. Joey Marchetti was enrolled in the class and won three grand champion awards at the Cherokee County agriculture mechanics show with projects constructed in his pre-lab class.

Rusk FFA seniors received scholarships at the convention. Kevin Kadlecek won a $2,000 farm credit scholarship; and Joey Marchetti, a $16,000 San Antonio Livestock and Exposition Scholarship. Rusk FFA members won $59,000 in scholarships through the FFA Agriculture Program during the 2007-08 school year.