Brownsboro FFA plans auction
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

Courtesy Photo Brownsboro FFA members visit with representatives of Lincoln Electric Company. FFA members were shown how to operate a Tungsten Inert Gas Welder. Students each got their chance to use the machine. Equipment was provided by Tyler Welders Supply.

The Brownsboro Independent School District's agriculture department will benefit from an auction Saturday, December 1. The auction will be hosted by the department's booster club, the Young Farmer's Association.

Jeff Smiley, reporter and public relations agent for the association, said the Young Farmer's Association is a support mechanism for the FFA students of the BISD agriculture department. FFA used to stand for Future Farmers of America, but Smiley said that acronym has passed into disuse.

The FFA's booster club used to be a local club until it chartered with the Texas Young Farmer's Association in September, 2006.

"It allowed our kids to branch out to the state level," Smiley said.

Smiley said the auction would feature both live and silent segments, and would include items such as toys, furniture, farm equipment and jewelry. Western apparel and homemade crafts would also be up for auction.

A Chili dinner will precede the auction. The eating begins at 5:30 pm.

Derek Sims, agriculture department teacher, said he believed having the booster club is good for the department of around 350 students.

"It helps the chapter all year," Sims said. "What we've got going is good right now."

Sims also said the department will visit Trinity Valley Community College in Athens Tuesday, November 6, for the district Leadership Development Event competition. The results for this competition were not available at the time of this week's Statesman deadline.

There will be multiple events, each stressing a particular aspect: Farm skills, job interviews, chapter conducting, public relations, agriculture issues, radio and FFA creed.

Agriculture departments across the district will compete with each other for the change to go to the area competition in Hillsboro.

Smiley said the reason for the booster club's fundraising is to raise money for such trips, specifically the food and lodging costs.

"We are the adults behind the students and agriculture department to help support them financially, " Smiley said.

Anyone wishing to donate items to the auction pool can contact Jeff Smiley at the Smiley Farmer's Insurance office on Highway 31. Money can also be donated to the association's scholarship fund, which awards a scholarship to graduation seniors.

Smiley said the award is usually just for one senior, but the award and how many recipients there are depends on how much money is in the fund.

For more information the BISD agriculture department can be contacted, as agriculture teachers Derek Sims and Chuck McHam serve as advisors to the booster club.

The next Young Farmer's Association meeting is December 10 in the agriculture building at BISD.