SENATE RESOLUTION

8666

BySenators Schoesler and Liias

WHEREAS, Washington FFA has approximately twelve thousand student members represented by all nine FFA districts around the entire state; and

WHEREAS, Washington FFA members contribute 4.4 billion dollars nationally generated through their Supervised Agricultural Experience programs, which promote hands-on learning as an extension of the classroom; and

WHEREAS, Washington agriculture contributes 10.6 billion dollars in revenue a year from 39,500 farms and ranches according to the Washington Farm Bureau and is twelve percent of Washington's total economy; and

WHEREAS, Washington FFA allows students to develop personally and professionally through a variety of opportunities that appeal to all different learning types utilizing a three-circle model encompassing classroom instruction, Supervised Agricultural Experiences, and FFA; and

WHEREAS, Each FFA chapter plans events throughout the year which will better their members and the community around them through a program of activities which is submitted to Washington FFA at the beginning of each school year; and

WHEREAS, Washington FFA hosts "Emerge" which is an in-state leadership conference reaching approximately two hundred eighty members statewide; and

WHEREAS, Washington FFA is home to Julie Smiley who was the first-ever female national officer in 1976 hailing from the Mount Vernon FFA chapter; and

WHEREAS, The Sumner FFA chapter is in the top six for most national winners with fifteen first-place finishers; and

WHEREAS, On average three thousand members and guests attend the Washington FFA state convention each spring; and

WHEREAS, Individual members and teams of members are recognized for their hard work and success in thirty-two different career and leadership development events each year at the convention; and

WHEREAS, Washington FFA began in 1930 and is celebrating its ninetieth year in 2020; and

WHEREAS, The ninetieth Washington FFA Convention and Expo will be held May 14th-16th;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate recognize Washington FFA's ninetieth year of existence as it is a historical marker in history.

I, Brad Hendrickson, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8666,

adopted by the Senate

February 21, 2020

BRAD HENDRICKSON

Secretary of the Senate