Manning High FFA wins state titles

Manning High School has been a dominant FFA force for at least two decades. The school’s organization has the largest chapter in the state and has won gold, silver and bronze, while representing South Carolina numerous times on a national level. The FFA is a dynamic youth organization that is a part of agricultural education programs at middle and high schools throughout the US.

Although founded in 1928 as the Future Farmers of America, the name was changed more than 20 years ago to “The National FFA Organization” to reflect the growing diversity of agriculture.

“It helps students with career development, potential for premier leadership and personal growth,” said Michael Haynes, who has been MHS’s FFA advisor for the past 25 years.

Haynes said that students learn leadership skills, problem solving, communication and the importance of natural resources through various programs and workshops. These include activities such as parliamentary procedure, which is the body of rules, ethics, and customs governing meetings and other operations of organizations and legislative bodies.

Manning High’s parliamentary procedure team has won 10 state titles in the past 11 years, including this year. At the state competition, the Manning team, also won the Knowledge Bowl, a career development event open to first year FFA members enrolled in an Agricultural Education course.

Both teams will compete in the National FFA Convention finals in Indianapolis, Indiana, in October. The parliamentary procedure team was awarded expense-paid trips to the national convention by the SC FFA Foundation.

According to the National FFA Organization, each branch must address quality standards in three divisions: student development, community development and chapter development.

Manning FFA’s example of community development is the organization’s participation in events such as the Relay for Life, in which the chapter raised $8,000 for the American Cancer Society. This was the largest amount raised by any school, club or organization within Clarendon School District 2. 

They also helped to build a fitness trail at Manning Primary School, and participated in the WIS TV Palmetto Project. This was the largest amount raised by any South Carolina FFA chapter for 2010. They also helped to build a fitness trail at Manning Primary School. For their achievements, Manning High received the Governor’s Citation of Accomplishment in Community Development, the highest honor in the State FFA Recognition Program.

In addition to this award, Manning High has won five other Governor Citation’s over the years, four for student development and one for chapter development. This year the chapter was also recognized with the prestigious Gold Emblem Award, recognizing Manning as one of the top nine chapters in the state out of 138, according to Haynes.

Haynes said that there aren’t many secrets to creating such a successful program. “It’s about recruiting good students, setting the right environment and being motivated,”  he said.

In 2004, Haynes received an award at the National Convention for an Outstanding Agriculture Program in South Carolina. His roots in FFA go back to his high school days where he served as president of his chapter. He received a bachelor’s in agriculture education from Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Ga., and a master’s in education from Cambridge College.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.

Haynes’ students have found success with the program.

“It has given me the opportunity to become the person that I want to be,” said 2010-2011 President and rising senior, Catelyn Anderson. “I have learned leadership skills, public speaking skills and many other valuable traits I will need for the outside world.”

Gianni Nelson, also a rising senior and 2010-2011 vice president for Student Development, has been in the FFA since the seventh grade. He said that being part of the organization has given him self-confidence and taught him how to work with other members as a team.

“I used to be really shy,” he said. “There’s a difference between just joining the FFA and being an active member. You have to get out there and meet new people.”

Nelson was this year’s state champion in the job interview category.

Nine Manning High School FFA members were awarded the prestigious State FFA Degree during the recent State FFA Convention held at Clemson University, according to John W. Parris, state director of public affairs with the SC FFA organization.

Those who received the award were: Maya Haynes, Maranda Bodenhiemer, Karl Johnson, Gianni Nelson, Darius Blanding, Amber Brown, Mye’sha Rush, Deizmond Kelly and Deleisha McFadden.

“The State FFA Degree is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a select number of FFA members at the state level and is based upon their supervised agricultural experience program success, their academic accomplishments and demonstrated leadership skills,” Parris said. “The Manning Chapter had the second largest number of State FFA Degree recipients of any chapter in the state at the awards ceremony.”