On Tuesday, February 6, several schools from across the Judith Basin District sent their FFA Chapter members to FFA Spring Districts in Havre. The event was held in part at the Fifth Avenue Church from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Among those attending were members of the Chinook Chapter seeking to qualify a team for Agricultural Sales. Kohen Sullivan, Wylee Simenson, Brockton Elliot, and Ben Hofeldt served on that team, and their results are still pending.

Selling Miller welders and equipment, the team of four was judged not only on an individual sale but on a customer complaint scenario. Additionally, the group tackled a team problem and individually completed a written test.

Havre’s FFA Chapter Advisor, Saralyn Standley and her crew not only hosted the Career Development Event (CDE), Agricultural Sales competition but also several Leadership Development Events (LDE): Creed Speaking, Prepared Public Speaking, Parliamentary Procedure, Conduct of Meetings, and Employment Skills.

According to Chinook’s FFA Advisor, Mrs. Mitzi Cecrle, all district competitions are state qualifying events. With 1,780 students across Montana in FFA and participating in 28 different CDE and LDE, the state is divided into eight different districts. Chinook currently falls in the Judith Basin District, along with other communities such as Lewistown, Malta, Judith Gap, Turner, Fort Benton, Winifred, Grass Range, Harlem, and Havre. Other districts around the state are comprised of nine to eleven towns, as well.

Each district is responsible for hosting events in order to prepare and qualify the top achievers for state competition. In order to accomplish this, the 28 events are divided into three different groups and hosted at three different times of the year so that they can be completed in one day and so that members can still attend other extra-curricular activities.

Three communities from each district host fall, winter, and spring events. For the Judith Basin District, Fall Districts in Lewistown included the CDEs Horse Evaluation and Livestock. Winter Districts were held in Winifred, where members competed in the CDEs Agronomy, Meats, Agricultural Technological and Mechanical Systems (Mechanics), and Veterinary Science.

“Competitions held at various places around Montana, like Montana Ag Expo in Bozeman, the NILE, and KMON in Great Falls, are set up by the FFA Alumni or other organizations who believe in the importance of such competitions for FFA members that will impact our way of life and have a positive influence on our economy and future here in Montana and across our nation,” Cecrle stated.

These competitions also give FFA members a chance to experiment with diverse events, to find their aptitude or comfort zone, or just to strengthen their skills in CDEs and LDEs before competing at their local district or state competitions.

“Sometimes the Judith Basin and other districts will use some of these competitions as state qualifying events, especially if we don’t have time or a budget to fit them into our district scheduled competitions. For example, this year the Judith Basin District decided that Poultry and Floriculture would be a district qualifier held at the Montana Ag Expo in Bozeman. We just pull the Judith Basin students’ scores and use them as if they were at a district competition,” Cecrle explained.

Cecrle added: “A few of us advisors wanted to make a change so that more students could carry an impact. Only the top half qualifiers of district competitors get to compete at state, so it was voted on to bring the Milk River District back to the Montana FFA. Coming in the 2024-25 year, the Milk River District will include the towns from Chester to Hinsdale, the Missouri River to the Canadian Border. This new district will allow another group of competitors to participate.”