The 81st annual meeting of the Stafford County Farm Bureau Association was held August 19, 2010 at the IOOF Lodge in St. John at 7:00 PM. President Keith McNickle welcomed approximately 200 members and guests to the meal and meeting.
Wheatland Café catered the whole hog meal. The tables were decorated with Kansas State University Wildcats. Members received a Kansas State University notebook and Stafford County Farm Bureau Assn. pen to take home.
Following the meal, the Annual Business Meeting of the Stafford County Farm Bureau Association was called to order. Keith McNickle introduced the guests in attendance. The featured speaker for the meeting was Kansas State University President Kirk Shulz. Schulz told the crowd about the changes at Kansas State University both in athletics and academics.
Keith McNickle thanked Kirk Shultz and gave his President’s Report. He thanked the members for the opportunity to serve as president. President McNickle shared the importance of agricultural education. He recognized Merlyn Spare as Stafford County’s nominee for the state Distinguished Service to Ag Award and thanked him for all the years of teaching agriculture to young people. He told of his experiences during his trip to Washington D.C. and stressed the importance to let your legislators including the USDA know about issues that are faced everyday in agriculture.
Membership is important because of the representation it provides locally, statewide and nationally.
The voting members approved the 2009 annual meeting minutes and financial report.
Shon Meschberger, Keith McNickle, Marlyn Spare and Barb Alpers as women’s chair were elected to the Board of Directors. Brian Dunn was elected President, Barb Alpers as Vice-President and Marlyn Spare as Secretary/Treasurer. Attending the Kansas Farm Bureau Annual Meeting as voting delegates will be Barb Alpers, Marlyn Spare, Brian Dunn and Justin Vosburgh with Keith McNickle as an alternate delegate.
Stafford Co. Farm Bureau recognized several individuals and families at this meeting.
This year’s winners of the Stafford Co. Farm Bureau Scholarships were Chandra Devine, daughter of Richard and Laura Devine. She will attend Kansas State University majoring in Animal Science and Industry with the Pre-Vet Option and minor in Feed Science.
Grant Fisher, son of Greg and Linda Fisher, will be attending Hutchinson Community College, majoring in Ag Engineering.
Aaron Spare, son of Bernard and Deb Spare, plans to attend Barton County Community College and plans to major in Biological and Ag Engineering with a minor in Agronomy.
