JWP FFA hosts third annual banquet

JWP FFA’s Officer Team for 2024-25. From left: Kwynn Krause, Garrett Rienhardt, Onikia Herme, Madeline Hoehn, and Evan Olson. Top: Lilly Ewert, Ellie Morsching, Peyton O’Brien, Ava McNair, and Maddie Lueck.

The Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton FFA Chapter closed out the school year by holding its third annual banquet in the school commons on Sunday, May 19. An estimated 120 FFA members, family, friends, and supporters attended the banquet.
Before the dinner began, all the officers introduced themselves and shared their roles. This year’s officers were President Cole Schlueter (who also served as Region VII Officer at Large), Vice President Lester Bronstad, Secretary Ellie Morsching, Treasurer Max Davis, Reporter Kwynn Krause, Sentinel Lillian Ewert, Historian Evan Olson, Student Advisor Ava McNair, Jr. High Representative Garrett Rienhardt, and FFA Advisor Caitlin Oeltjenbruns.
The role of a President in FFA is to look over the meetings and activities, and the Vice President assumes those duties if the president is not there and supervises committees. As Secretary, Morsching prepared meeting minutes and recorded the FFA’s activities. Treasurer Davis was, in a nutshell, in charge of keeping track of FFA fundxss.
Reporter Krause publicized chapter activities and sent stories to FFA reporters, while Olson took photos and kept tabs on the chapter scrapbook as a Historian. McNair helped run activities as a student advisor, while Rienhardt represented the Jr. High members of FFA. Oeltjenbruns helps make sure the FFA chapter runs smoothly as the Advisor.
After a pulled pork meal, the officers gave out door prizes consisting of gift cards from Casey’s, Brew’d Awakenings, and Wiste’s; a fishing kit, a marshmallow roasting stick, mugs and bottles from the FFA and American Family Insurance, and a signed FFA Tractor.

Greenhand Degree recipients: Josiah Hagen, Isaac Zimmerman, Jorgen Thompson, Kelsey Loeffler, Makae Erdman, Ethan Cowdin, Charles Adams, Maddie Lueck, Caitlin Kleve, Kylie Moravec, Caitlin Sheeran, Ella Stenger, Madeline Hoehn, and Onikia Herme.

**The JWP FFA honored nine of its supporters with Honorary Degrees.**

**Senior members of the FFA: Jorgen Thompson, Isaac Zimmerman, Cole Schlueter, Kelsey Loeffler, Kylie Moravec, Caitlin Kleve, Makae Erdman, and Caitlin Sheeran.**

The degree ceremony followed, with members receiving Greenhand, Chapter, and Discovery Degrees. Students were also honored for their performance in competitions like Ag Sales and the Minnesota FFA State Band. Nine other community members and FFA supporters were recognized with honorary degrees.
Oeltjenbruns then revealed the new 2024-25 FFA Officer Team; most current officers stayed on but switched positions. Secretary Ellie Morsching was named the new Chapter President, with Peyton O’Brien given the role of Vice President. Other members of next year’s team were Krause as Student Advisor, Ewert as Secretary, Madeline Hoehn joining as Reporter, Onikia Herme joining the team as Historian, Olson taking on the role of Treasurer, and McNair as Sentinel.
Next year’s FFA Officer Team will not have a Jr. High Representative. Instead, it will have two committee members. “This is so we can meet our needs,” Oeltjenbruns explained.
Those committee members are former Jr. High Representative Garrett Rienhardt and Maddie Lueck.
The JWP FFA program has grown thanks to contributions by farmers and the local agriculture and education communities. The program has grown since 2019, going from only a handful of members to over 40 students within the organization.