Joining the PSO Club... Now I'm a Has-Been

For the past year my life has been consumed by the FFA Organization. The Idaho FFA Association to be exact, as I served as the Idaho FFA Reporter for 2008-2009. This past week was our State Leadership Conference. It was so much fun! We, the state officers, got to go on business and industry tours before the conference started, we were on a local radio show, we got to run the conference, gave out awards, gave our retiring addresses, and installed the new team of officers. Then we were given our PSO pin- Past State Officer. It was a LOT of fun, yet a little sad.

Here is my team outside of Idaho Milk Products that we were doing a business and industry tour at when the fire alarm went off. So we posed with the firetruck. No worries, it was kind of a false alarm. Better safe than sorry though, right!?

From left to right we have, Kelsey Day, President. Above here is Katie Mosman, Secretary. Then Whitney Tuckett, Treasurer. Stephen Parrott, Vice President. Kristin Myers, Sentinel. Laura Ann Clark, Reporter (That's me!)

Throughout the conference (that lasted 6 sessions spread out over 3 days) we as officers give our retiring address. Basically, it's out moment in the spotlight. The final speech we give as officers trying to inspire others, and let people know how we were inspired. After we give our retiring address we take off our jacket and hang it up. Here we all are after the 6th and final session, officially retired. (Jealous I can say I retired before the age of 20!?! haha!)

Here is the team after the conference, in regular clothes (it was sadder changing out of my blue corduroy jacket than you think. Pretty sure I cried. Well I cried all week practically. haha, we all did, even Stephen, our lone man. Even in our plain clothes though, we still got to hold up our banner that we all signed after the conference. Our Theme this year was, "Dream, Dare, DO". Those are the little words in the stars above the guy on the banner. We really enjoyed our theme, and our year to leave a mark on the FFA.

And now I have to show off my really cool Gonzaga shirt! My blonde buddy, Kristin, goes to Gonzaga and we all tease her constantly and try to get her to come back to the University of Idaho where she should be with us. So she got all of the team a Gonzaga T-shirt! haha, we love it! It was the first shirt all of us wore after we took off official dress.
Finally, here is a little video of what is called our Final Tribute. Feel free to check it out. It has lot of pictures of us throughout our year and each officer takes time to thank the people who have made the biggest difference in our lives. It is a long video, but kind of fun to flip through for a minute or two. (My tribute part is the second part, so like 2/6 of the way through! :D)

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me and my team throughout the year. Mostly thanks to all the Idaho FFA Members who made this year worth it! Thanks for being there and welcoming us to all of the events you guys had. I hope that we have inspired at least one of you the way that you all have inspired and touched us. Thanks!