National Floriculture Competition
McCook FFA
The McCook FFA Chapter sent a group of girls, who had strived and earned their way, to Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana. These girls included Kayla Messinger, Allison Dupler, and Katelyn Fritsche (not attending convention Ben Schilling), they started the year by receiving fourth place at District Competition in Curtis, Nebraska, and then winning Nebraska State Floriculture Competition. So they made their way to Nationals, a 1,000 mile trip one way, they left on October 20, and returned October 26. Other members attending the Convention included Blair Brown, Amanda Shields, Samantha Yonkers, Kyle Gaston, Jake Krause, and Lucas Jumps. Sponsors include Peggy and Kirk Messinger, and Mr. Josh Schieber. The “Floral Queens” as Mr. Schieber likes to call them started out their competition with a 50 question general knowledge test on Wednesday the 22. That night the group that had been touring the Convention met up with the Floriculture Team and they went to the Opening Session, 44,000 members attending, in Conseco Field House home of the Pacers. They listened to the Key Note Speaker Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs. Then after the Opening Ceremonies a flood of Blue Jackets headed to the Toby Keith Concert at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. The next morning the Floriculture Team was to the Competition by 6:30 eastern time. They competed until 4:30 that night in the several parts of the competition. They included: Ten problem solving questions, Independent floral arrangement with a price sheet, Independent corsage with a price sheet, Verbal diagnosis of plant diseases, Job interview with an application and resume, ID of forty flower species, Sales of Bouquet including form, Potting of correct mum cuttings, and as a team the creation of seven floral arrangements in forty-five minutes. After the conclusion of the contest the members joined up and went to a Bull and Bronco Riding event at the fairgrounds. Friday the members toured the Convention one last time, and that night they met up with Mr. Schieber’s former FFA Chapter from Wynford, Ohio, and dined in on pizza at their hotel. Then Saturday the team headed for Iowa City, Iowa where they stopped at the University and climbed the rock wall. The next morning they headed home on the final leg of their journey. The Floriculture team ended their reign by all members receiving bronze medals individually and a bronze plaque as a team. We would like to send a BIG THANK YOU to the boosters who bought one of our meals and for the roses that they sent to the girls on the Floriculture before they left for Indiana.
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