Hall, and Ethan Riley On Monday, June 1, 2015, three Tarkio FFA members, Alissa Hurst, Ethan Riley, and Haley Hall, along with their advisor, Mr. Dustin Lambertsen, met up with members and advisors from the King City and Albany FFA chapters in Kansas City, MO, to fly to Washington, D.C. The members were able to share their flight with veterans from Kansas who were part of an Honor Flight. Once the group reached Washington, they met with Congressman Sam Graves in his office and then received a tour of the Capitol Building from Sam and his staff. On Tuesday, June 2, the students toured the Holocaust Museum where they learned what many people went through during the Holocaust. They also toured the National Treasury Printing and Engraving facility where they were able to see millions of dollars of U.S. cash be printed and prepared to enter circulation. They then made a stop by the White House before going to the Omni Shoreham Hotel to check into the National FFA Organization Washington Leadership Conference (WLC). WLC is a five day conference that students from all 50 states and Puerto Rico attend to help themselves and their chapters become better citizens and leaders in their community and nation. The
conference is offered seven
different weeks throughout the summer. Each week, 340 FFA members from across the U.S. attend. The National FFA describes the conference as follows: During the five-day event, attendees learn how to become effective leaders by learning their purpose, how to value people, how to take action, and how to serve others. FFA members leave WLC with the knowledge and the confidence to act in ways that help their schools, community and their country. As part of the conference Tuesday evening, the students are placed in community groups with other members from across the nation. They spend the evening learning about citizenship and what it means to be a good citizen. On Wednesday, June 3, the members toured Arlington National Cemetery where they were able to see JFKs burial site, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the changing of the guards, and the Arlington House. They then returned to the hotel to attend sessions to help them learn their purpose and what opportunities they may have and what they need to do to create opportunities for themselves and others around them. The members then finished the day by taking an evening/night tour of the Monuments and Memorials in downtown Washington. The members were able
to see the Lincoln Memorial,
Vietnam War Memorial, Korean War Memorial, WWII Memorial, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, and the Iwo Jima Memorial. On Thursday, June 4, the members traveled to the Capitol Building to take a group picture, then speak with their senators and congressman. The Tarkio members were also able to tour the Library of Congress and the Air and Space Smithsonian Museum. The members then returned to the conference where they learned about diversity. They learned about how each of us comes from different backgrounds and heritages and how we all can come together to make our communities and nations what they are and what they could be. They finished the evening with the annual Poverty Dinner. During this dinner, some students receive nothing to eat, some receive rice, and some a fancy dinner. They use this to teach the students about how people in our own communities and in countries around the world are diverse in what they can afford to buy and afford to eat and how you may be able to afford the fancy dinner, but your neighbor may not be able to afford to eat at all. (At the completion of the Poverty Dinner, all members then are able to eat dinner.) Friday, June 5, saw the members beginning with a tour of the Newseum, a
museum dedicated to news
media from 1500-today. The members were able to see how the news media has covered some of the biggest stories over time and how they use newspapers, television, and radio to inform the public of those stories and to deliver their thoughts on these stories. The students then spent the afternoon learning about advocacy. They learned about being good advocates for their chapter, school, community, and agriculture. Saturday, June 6, the students took part in packing meals for people in the United States. The members packed a total of 63,000 meals in an hour and a half. After the completion of the service project, the Tarkio FFA members set out on the town to tour more sites, including the National Archives, Fords Theater, and the American History Smithsonian Museum. Along the way they also spent some time helping Haley Hall celebrate her 16th birthday! During the week, each student comes up with a LTS plan (Living to Serve Plan) in which they want to return back to their community to complete. Saturday evening, the members took part in the conference and spent time planning on how to execute their individual plans within their communities. As their final activity of the conference, the members had a dance where they were able to spend the last couple of hours of the conference with all of their new friends and fellow FFA members. On Sunday, June 7, the FFA members and advisors from Tarkio, King City, and Albany attended a church service at the National Cathedral. After the service, the students went to the Reagan National Airport to catch their flight home to
Thursday, June 18, 2015 - Page 11
Missouri! WLC really showed me how one person can make such a big difference. It taught me that it only takes one person to get an idea, get people to support that idea, and turn that idea into actions to make a big impact. WLC also taught me to do what we can, with what we have, where we are, commented Ethan Riley. WLC provided me with a very insightful, educational, and fun experience! It was eye-opening to learn about all of the ways that we can help to make the world we live in a better place. I learned a lot about ways that
I can improve our chapter
within our school, town, and community. I also learned about ways that I can make myself a better person and ways to help those around me. WLC will truly be a lifetime experience that I will treasure forever, remarked Alissa Hurst. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend WLC. By going on this trip, I have broadened my understanding of becoming a better leader. I encourage others to attend WLC. I have gained lots of friendships and also more knowledge about how to make our world a better place, said Haley Hall.
Ethan, Haley, and Alissa hang out in front
of the White House
The FFA members and Mr. Lambertsen
are pictured in front of the National Mall and the National Cathedral