Return to the Land

outweighed the options. I thus became a more serious student. Algebra and Latin were behind me and forgotten which haunted me later in college. However, with the subjects left in high school I tried to make the best of things and began planning for college. The FFA was still offering challenges for me and in the junior year I again was honored by being elected Vice-President. We had a good year and all of us began planning for our senior year. We’d set our sights on becoming a recognized chapter in the state. Mr. Reynolds guided us through our projects and the officers appeared dedicated for an outstanding last year in high school. We sent a good delegation to the State Convention that summer and realized we had the potential talent and advisor to become one of the top chapters in the state. It had been customary in our chapter that the Vice-President would move up to President the senior year and again my fellow members chose to place me in that position. The membership and officers set out to do what we could to capture the title in the state organization. Many of our activities contributed to a successful year. In June of 1954 our delegation attended the Virginia State Convention placing second in competition with 208 other chapters in Virginia. This was accomplished with the work of 52 young men of the Bland FFA Chapter and an advisor that kept us on the right track. To add honor to the chapter and to my fellow members, I was nominated and elected President of the

Virginia Future Farmers of America. I represent ed Virginia at the National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri that fall and was awarded the prestigious American Farmer De gree. The following June I presided over the 1955 Virginia State Convention in Blacks burg completing my association with this outstanding youth organ ization.

T he FFA Bland Chapter and officers for the 1953-54 school year

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