From left, Waterford FFA Advanced Parliamentary Procedure Team members Payge Lane, Kaylie McCutcheon, Gracie Hartline, Katelynn Valandingham, Allison Huck and Taylor Starkey.

WATERFORD – The Waterford FFA Chapter has continued its tradition of excellence with remarkable achievements at both the state and national levels.

The chapter’s Advanced Parliamentary Procedure Team and several individual members have distinguished themselves in contests and recognition programs that highlight their leadership, organization, and dedication to agricultural education.

The Waterford FFA Advanced Parliamentary Procedure Team recently solidified its reputation as one of the best teams in Ohio. Parliamentary Procedure equips students with the skills to conduct organized meetings using Robert’s Rules of Order, a set of guidelines for conducting meetings in an orderly and fair manner, ensuring all members have equal opportunity to voice their opinions. The key rules include that only one topic can be debated at a time, a quorum is required to conduct business, motions need to be seconded, and a chairperson recognizes speakers to maintain order during discussion.

The journey began at the district contest, held at Waterford High School, where the team placed second, earned a gold rating, and advanced to the State Parliamentary Procedure Contest for the 19th time in 23 years. This is the 11th time in 23 years that Waterford has ranked in the top five at the state level.

At the State Contest, held on Dec. 14 at the Delaware Area Career Center, the team competed against approximately 100 teams statewide. In the preliminary round, 20 teams were divided into five heats, with the winner of each heat advancing to the finals. Waterford placed first in its heat, securing a spot in the finals and ultimately finishing third in Ohio.

From left, Emma Hartline and Dylan Hartline receive their American FFA Degrees.

The team includes Allison Huck, Taylor Starkey, Payge Lane, Katelynn Valandingham, Kaylie McCutcheon, Gracie Hartline, and Leia Barnett. Their coach and FFA advisor, Matthew Hartline, provided guidance and mentorship throughout the competition.

In another display of excellence, Waterford FFA members Dylan Hartline, Emma Hartline, and Madison Hiener were awarded the esteemed American FFA Degree at the 97th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Ind., held from Oct. 23-26. This honor is reserved for FFA members who demonstrate exceptional leadership, community involvement, and achievement in agricultural education.

The American FFA Degree is one of the organization’s highest honors, requiring recipients to have earned and invested at least $10,000 through a supervised agricultural experience program, completed 50 hours of community service, and showcased outstanding leadership abilities. Dylan, Emma, and Madison were among a select group of members recognized at the largest student gathering in the United States, with over 70,000 attendees.

Each recipient received a gold American FFA Degree Key to commemorate their achievement. Dylan and Emma Hartline, children of Matt and Missy Hartline, are attending Ohio University, majoring in Physical Education and Elementary Education, respectively. Madison Hiener, the daughter of Nathan and Carolyn Hiener, is majoring in Agribusiness at The Ohio State University.

The National FFA Organization, with over 1 million student members across the United States, remains dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders in science, business, and technology related to agriculture. To learn more about the Waterford FFA go to their website www.waterfordhs-ffa.weebly.com or check out their Facebook page.

Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com