The Community R-VI FFA held its annual awards banquet in May at the school. Students were honored for their achievements in their SAE projects, public speaking contests, proficiency awards and more.

Chapter awards were given in several categories to Community R-VI members.  The Chapter Scholarship award is chosen based on students’ agricultural knowledge and exceptional academic standards. The chapter scholarship recipients were: greenhand, Braysen Glasgow; sophomore, Lane Carter; junior, Kate Robnett; and senior, Olivia Schafer.

The Chapter Leadership award is given to members who assist others, participate in the chapter’s activities and does not shy away from volunteer opportunities. This year’s recipients were greenhand, Lydia Hoyt; sophomore, Adriana Woodson; junior, Clayton Jennings; and senior, Olivia Schafer.

The R-VI FFA’s Chapter Service award is given to students who participate in a variety of service projects throughout the year. This year’s winners were greenhand, Jacob Crum; sophomore, Cooper Rohan, junior Ella Duenke, and seniors, Zachary Love and Mason Rohan.

Receiving an FFA medal were the chapter members who were named outstanding members of the year. They were greenhand, Lydia Hoyt; sophomore, Lane Carter; junior, Clayton Jennings; and senior, Dylan Hoyt.

The Blue & Gold award winners are chosen based upon their character, treatment of others, and exemplify the program. This year’s winners were greenhand, Braysen Glasgow; sophomore, Lane Carter; junior, Kate Robnett; and senior, Brant Cope.

Star awards were given to a small group of FFA members. Those included Braysen Glasgow, Lydia Hoyt, Clayton Jennings, Drake Welch, and Callie Jennings. Senior Brant Cope received a Star Area Agribusiness award. Senior Aaron Carter was presented with a crystal award for the DeKalb Outstanding Senior Agricultural Accomplishment award. Dylan Hoyt received an award as an outstanding senior leader.

Members of the R6 High School and Junior High Trap Teams also received recognition. The junior high trap team recently competed at the 2024 Missouri State Paul Larson Trap Shoot. The team members are Ezra Johnson, Wyatt Meyer, Carter Schafer, Clayton Crum, and Layne Rohan whose combined team score was 403/500. The high school boys’ team of Brant Cope, Cooper Rohan, Lane Carter, Mason Rohan, and Aaron Carter received the district championship title with a 472/500. Other trap awards included: the Top Shot award, Mason Rohan, Baylie Windmann, and Wyatt Meyer; the Most-Improved award, Cooper Rohan, Callie Jennings, and Wyatt Meyer; and the Sportsmanship award, Clayton Jennings, Lydia Hoyt, and Maci Poindexter.  Aaron Carter received recognition for 75-straight shots; Brant Cope received recognition for 50-straight shots; and Brant Cope and Wyatt Meyer both received recognition for 25-straight shots.

Proficiency Winners: vegetable production, Pacey Cope, first place, area; agricultural sales entrepreneurship, Callie Jennings area winner, state; diversified agricultural production, Tucker Robnett, first place area; fruit production, Olivia Schafer, area winner; landscape management, Mason Rohan, area winner; grain production Lane Carter, area winner; specialty animal production, Chloe Campbell, area winner; swine production entrepreneurship Clayton Jennings, area winner; agricultural mechanics repair and maintenance, Zachary Love, area second place; diversified crop production-entrepreneurship Aaron Carter, area third place; equine science placement, Adriana Woodson, area third place; and forage management Cooper Rohan, area third place.

Chapter awards for SAEs:  ag mechanics fabrication and design, first place, Brayden Allen; ag mechanics repair and maintenance, first place, Zachary Love; agricultural processing, first place, Chloe Campbell; agricultural sales and entrepreneurship, first place, Clayton Jennings; agricultural sales placement, first place, Alexis Swaim; agricultural services, second place, Lane Carter, first place, Drake Welch; agriscience research plant systems, first place, Aaron Carter and Lane Carter; beef production, second place, Kate Robnett, first place, Aaron Carter; beef production placement second place, Kat Meyer, first place, Ella Duenke; diversified agriculture production entrepreneurship, second place, Kat Meyer, first place, Aaron Carter; diversified crop production entrepreneurship, first place, Lane Carter; diversified crop production and placement, first place, Kasey Dubbert; diversified horticulture, first place, Mason Rohan; diversified livestock production, first place, Kate Robnett; equine science entrepreneurship, first place, Peyton Schafer; equine science placement, second place, Adriana Woodson, first place, Brooklynn Glasgow; food service, first place, Baylie Windmann; forage production, first place, Lane Carter; forest management, first place, Mason Rohan; goat production, first place, Kate Robnett; grain production, first place, Aaron Carter; landscape management, first place, Andrew Poindexter; poultry production, first place, Brayson Glasgow; sheep production, first place, Chloe Campbell; swine production, second place, Callie Jennings, first place, Brant Cope; swine production placement, second place, Will Swaim, first place, Chloe Johnson; turf grass management, first place, Brant Cope; vegetable production, first place, Olivia Schafer; veterinary science, first place, Adriana Woodson.

Students were recognized for achievements in public speaking. They included: Area Qualifier, Missouri Pork Producers, Callie Jennings; Area Qualifier, Missouri Young Farmers/Young Farm Wives, Ella Duenke; and Third Place area, District alternate, Missouri Association of Soil and Water Conservation, Clayton Jennings.

Those who received certificates for the Missouri Agriculture Skills and Knowledge for career development events included: agricultural mechanics, Aaron Carter, Lane Carter, Zachary Love, Cooper Rohan, Mason Rohan, Drake Welch; poultry, Ella Duenke, Callie Jennings, Clayton Jennings, Baylie Windmann, Braysen Glasgow; nursery landscape, Dylan Hoyt, Olivia Schafer, Kate Robnett, and Lydia Hoyt; agricultural sales, Dylan Hoyt, Ella Duenke, Callie Jennings, Brant Cope.  The nursery landscape team earned honors during the state convention with Dylan Hoyt placing first and Olivia Schafer placing second. Both Hoyt and Schafer earned $1,000 scholarships.  The poultry evaluation team also earned a 12th-place state ranking and a second-place district finish. 

Leadership development event places were also recognized. Clayton Jennings finished third in the area and third at districts for extemporaneous speaking. Lydia Hoyt, Lane Carter, Ella Duenke, and Dylan Hoyt received certificates for their prepared public speaking contests. Braysen Glasgow received recognition for creed speaking. Other LDE’s were: employment skills, area qualifier Aaron Carter; and record book, Clayton Jennings and Drake Welch. Brothers Aaron and Lane Carter received recognition for their first-place finish in the State Agriscience Fair. They completed in Division 6 plant sciences competition.

Juniors and seniors received Area FFA degrees. Those students were Aaron Carter, Brant Cope, Ella Duenke, Brooklynn Glasgow, Zachary Love, Olivia Schafer, and Mason Rohan.

The chapter also nominated three individuals to be awarded with an honorary FFA membership. Community R6 Superintendent Nick Larson, R6 FFA alumni Taylor Cope, and Community R6 substitute teacher Debby Nichols all received the honor.

R6 FFA Advisor Stacy French said that Larson is an avid supporter of the chapter and works closely with the members to be successful at FFA as well as their academics. Cope volunteers her time to help with meal preparation for events as well as other activities. Nichols routinely works in the ag classroom while French is away with FFA members on various activities.  Previous honorary chapter degree recipients have included Community R6 Principal Bob Curtis, alumni Cindy Fort, Gavin Spoor, and Tammy Stuckenschneider.