Submitted Photo Rugby High School FFA officers serve up a pork loin supper at the Rugby FFA Alumni Fundraiser, March 9. From left are Amy Volk, Ryleigh Keating, Thatcher Volk, Katelyn Duchscher, Amber Selensky, Rylie Suchor, and Ryan Slaubaugh.

More than 100 people enjoyed a pork loin supper and an evening of games to raise funds for the Rugby FFA Alumni Fundraiser on March 9 at the Rugby Eagles.

FFA Alumni Officer Amber Feickert, Rugby FFA Alumni President Joshua Stutrud, and Rugby High School FFA Advisor Kasey Okke all called the fundraiser a success. All expressed thanks to Rugby area businesses and other supporters who helped the chapter fulfill its mission.

Feickert described the annual event, which she said always draws a crowd from a supportive Rugby community.

“Anyone who supports FFA comes out for food, games, and a raffle drawing, so there are a bunch of things in one. All of those events raise money for the chapter,” Feickert said.

Feickert said all money raised from the dinner and activities “goes into one pool.” Some of the money raised pays for expenses for the event, but area businesses also contribute funds and items to the supper and activities as well.

“We honestly couldn’t do it without them as well,” Feickert said.

“Everything we do is to help the (Rugby High School) FFA succeed in their chapter,” Feickert said of the Rugby FFA Alumni chapter.

Okke said the Rugby High FFA chapter was grateful for the alumni’s help. The alumni funded a trip to Indianapolis, Ind., to the National FFA Convention in October 2021 for several student members, as well as the Rugby High chapter’s first-place winning ag mechanics team.

“Some of these seniors had never had the opportunity to go (to nationals), so we wanted to make sure they could go, Okke said.

“The FFA Alumni helps with these things. They help with travel funds, even if they’re just for the team (that wins competitions). Or, they help with individuals’ travel. The FFA Alumni does so much for us,” Okke said.

Okke said many members hadn’t had the opportunity to attend nationals or state conventions in person due to the global COVID pandemic.

Okke described another way the FFA Alumni chapter helps.

“Typically, FFA member dues are $15 per kid,” Okke said. “There are other chapters throughout the state where the kids pay the dues themselves, or their parents pay that. But here in Rugby, the FFA Alumni foots the bill for FFA members for each year.

“That’s an annual input of about $1,600 or $1,700,” Okke said of the dues payment.

“The alumni give out award scholarships. I’d estimate the alumni chapter gives about $5,000 in scholarships every year. They have agriculture experience grants,” Okke said. “They were able to award a few different grants last year.”

Okke added, “The grants were able to pay for FFA jackets last year, and they bought jackets for our national teams and state champion teams they’ve had.

“All around, it’s a huge help and it takes a lot of pressure off our students and our chapter and our student members,” Okke noted. “We couldn’t do this without the community’s support.”

Rugby High FFA chapter members helped out with the supper as well, preparing and serving up the pork loin roast.

“That’s part of their meats class,” Feickert said.

Stutrud said the alumni helps financially with leadership events. Members also help with leadership events hosted by the Rugby High FFA chapter.

“With leadership events, there’s a conference in Bismarck, but there’s also a leadership conference in Washington, D.C., normally during the summer months,” Stutrud said. “The state has scholarships students can apply for to attend that and we also offer scholarships ourselves, so if they only get half of a scholarship, we have our own separate application, so we could potentially supplement that.”

Feickert said, “With the funds we raise, every penny goes back to the students in some way. That’s what we’re here for. That’s why we do what we do – it’s to help the chapter.”

Feickert, who was an FFA member when she was a student at Harvey High School, said, “FFA is a tremendous program. It teaches life skills, leadership, communication, teamwork, and so many more skills that the kids are going to take with them for the rest of their lives.

“And we’re building the future generation of students and adults in the community,” Feickert added. “That’s why we do what we do and as Kasey said, we couldn’t do it without the community’s support.”

Stutrud said, “The skills the FFA teaches aren’t just applicable to agriculture.”

Stutrud noted he had relied on lessons on parliamentary procedure, or “parli pro,” from his days with the Rugby High School FFA when he attended Commodity Classic, a conference for soybean growers in New Orleans.

“So, it was easy for me to follow along with it,” Stutrud said. “If I hadn’t had the experience from FFA’s parliamentary procedure (lessons) it would’ve been gibberish, for lack of a better term. It’s harder to follow along if you don’t have experience with it.”

Stutrud added his experience as a student member of the Rugby FFA chapter had helped him build enough confidence to serve on various boards.

Stutrud said membership in the Rugby FFA Alumni chapter is open to any adult who wants to support the Rugby High School FFA chapter.

He added those who never joined FFA in high school are welcome in the Rugby FFA Alumni chapter.

Stutrud said his mother, who wasn’t an FFA member in high school, joined the Rugby FFA Alumni and participates in activities.

“She baked the potatoes for the supper,” Stutrud said.

“You don’t have to have any experience with the FFA to be a part of the group,” Feickert said, nodding.

Stutrud grew up in Rugby and graduated from Rugby High School.

Feickert, a Harvey High School graduate, had been a member of the Harvey High FFA chapter as a student.

“But I’m a member of the Rugby FFA Alumni chapter,” Feickert said, smiling. “They let me join.”

Okke said he participated in FFA, as a high school student growing up in Hawley, Minn. Okke is also a Rugby FFA Alumni chapter member.

For more information on the Rugby FFA Alumni Chapter, visit www.facebook.com/RugbyFFAAlumni, or email Stutrud at joshua.stutrud@gmail.com .