Root beer floats for ag students, schoolwide button prize drawings, hidden emblems and talk of baby bison caught lots of attention at Rugby High last week as the school’s Future Farmers of America chapter celebrated National FFA Week.

RHS agriculture instructor Travis Fritel said lots of the week’s activities took place primarily in the ag classroom.

Fritel said, “We teach them what’s going on in the FFA.” Fritel and fellow ag instructor Kasey Okke include several contests and fun lessons in their classroom time to celebrate the week.

“We do different guesses about FFA, like who’s been competing; who’s won a Baby Bison, which is, the high individual for each competition gets a Baby Bison trophy; that’s kind of what they try to win in each of our competitions (for FFA).”

“We have competitions based on career paths, from agronomy to ag mechanics, to livestock judging to floriculture, all kinds of things,” Fritel explained. “The kids compete in those career development events, and as the kids compete throughout the state, they try to win a Baby Bison award.”

Okke said other activities to celebrate FFA Week include the entire school.

“We did a pie social for the teachers,” Okke noted. “We had the kids make pies, and they delivered a piece to each teacher. “

“We buy 200 buttons, and we number them, and give one to each teacher and each student, then we draw numbers every day for prizes. If they’re wearing their button, or have it on their backpack, they win prizes,” Okke continued.

Okke also hid FFA emblems in different locations on campus, giving clues in riddle form to help students find them.

“(Students have) sat out in the lunchroom every day and play games, like guess the baby weight of the FFA officers; which teachers were in FFA when they were in high school, things like that,” Okke added.

“(Thursday), in ag class, we’ll do root beer floats, because they’re FFA members,” Okke noted.

Wednesday night, Rugby High School’s FFA Alumni chapter hosted a supper at the Eagles.

“Then the students were interviewed for seven or eight radio stations,” Fritel added.

“KHRT does interviews every year; they call, and we have five kids get interviewed every year,” Okke said, “and this year, Rugby Broadcasters called, and we had six different kids get interviewed, and they play them all week.”

“We’re just getting it out there that it’s FFA Week,” Okke continued. Yesterday, on our Facebook page, I posted a lot of pictures from our wall we have here. They’re old pictures of former members and business owners. That’s kind of been a hit. It brings people back and brings memories of FFA. A lot of them are of parents of kids in FFA, even grandparents.”

“Some are business owners,” Fritel noted.

Okke estimated the number of RHS FFA members: “I think there are somewhere around 125. That includes some that are in their freshman year of college. They’re still eligible for different FFA awards. Out of 125, about 100 are in this school.”