The Bartholomew County FFA Alumni Association hopes to extend its reach into the community to support local FFA programming through a booth filled with memorabilia at the county fair.
The association, chartered in 2017 by the state and national FFA, plans to assist the agriculture departments at Bartholomew County high schools by coaching judging teams and serving as chaperones for various FFA events, said Gene Wint, an organizing member of the group.
The current 60-member group also hopes to recruit new members through its fair booth, Wint said.
Membership forms are available at the “Promote Agriculture thru Education — FFA & FFA Alumni” booth in the Heritage Building at the fair.
The booth will also pay tribute to Wayne Coy, 97, a longtime vocational agriculture teacher who died in January.
Coy, who started teaching vocational agriculture at Columbus High School in 1949, worked for the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. for 36 years. Coy, who also served on the fair board, was an individual who was willing to lend a helping hand whenever possible, Wint said. Wint said he was one of Coy’s first students.
A large amount of memorabilia has been loaned to the association by the Coy family for the fair booth. It includes records about all of the students who were in his vocational agriculture classroom and who participated in FFA groups starting in 1949.
Photos submitted by former students will run on a continuous video loop on a television screen in the booth during the fair.
Wint, who was selected as state reporter with the Indiana FFA in 1953, was the first of many students taught by Coy who were elected to a state FFA office.
“He reached the lives of a lot of people,” Wint said. “If you were interested in FFA and agriculture, he was interested in you.”
One of the main goals of creating the alumni chapter is to create a scholarship fund for FFA students. The group awarded its first $500 scholarship this year.
Funding for the scholarship came from member donations, agri-business donations and the Coy family, who made a donation from memorials made at Coy’s funeral. The scholarship will now be known as the Wayne Coy Memorial Scholarship, Wint said.
During the fair, alumni association members will assist Young Farmers selling ice cream during Bartholomew County FFA Alumni Day, and will also work the cattle chute competition Thursday at the pavilion. Association members will also assist at the livestock auction, Wint said.
Future monetary scholarships awarded to outstanding seniors in the Columbus and Hope high school FFA chapters are being named in McCoy’s honor, Wint said.
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The Bartholomew County FFA Alumni Association was chartered in 2017 by the state and national FFA alumni associations.
The organization currently has 60 members, but will be looking to sign up new members during the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair, which runs through Saturday. There is no fee to join the group, which meets six times a year.
Officers are Cory Arnholt, president; Taylor Embry, vice president; Mandi Calhoun, secretary; Jackie Arnholt, treasurer; and Tim Green, reporter.
For more information, visit facebook.com/BarthCoFFAAlum/ or e-mail bartholomewcountyffa@gmail.com.
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Today
8:30 to 9:30 a.m.: Market lamb weigh-in, Livestock Barn
10 a.m.: 4-H Barrow show & showmanship, Pavilion
2 to 4 p.m.: Community Day at the Midway, children and adults with physical or mental disabilities may ride free; Midway closed to the public during this time period
5 to 10 p.m.: Lil’ Hands on the Farm, 4-H Community Building, Family Arts and Commercial Buildings open
5 p.m.: Community Day at the Midway – Canned goods night (one free ticket for each can of food or $23 wristbands)
6:30 p.m.: Horse & Pony 4-H Fun Show and 4-H Costume Class
7 p.m.: Blacksmithing demonstration, Heritage Building
7 p.m.: Frog jumping contest (registration at 6:30 p.m.), Farm Bureau Building
7 p.m.: Chordlighters Barbershop Quartet, David Boll Theatre
7 p.m.: Midwest Three-Quarter Racing League (practice at 6 p.m.), Grandstand
Wednesday
8 a.m.: 4-H tractor contest registration begins
9 a.m.: 4-H cat & caged critter shows (registration at 8:30 a.m.), Pavilion
9 to 10 a.m.: Grand champion pictures, David Boll Theatre
9 to 11 a.m.: Open class flowers due, Family Arts Building
10 a.m. to noon: Adventure Day carnival, David Boll Theatre
Noon to 7 p.m.: Blacksmithing demonstrations, Heritage Building
Noon to 10 p.m.: Lil’ Hands on the Farm, 4-H Community Building, Family Arts and Commercial Buildings open
Noon to 10 p.m.: Midway opens for Kids Day, $15 wristbands all day and night with no age limit.
1 p.m.: Lil’ Wrangler sheep show, 4-H sheep show, Pavilion
2 p.m.: Pedal tractor pull (registration begins at 1 p.m.), east of Farm Bureau Building, $2 entry
2 p.m.: Synergy Athletics All-Stars, David Boll Theatre
2 to 7 p.m.: Amazing Race scavenger hunt starting at Fair Fit Booth in Lil’ Hands on the Farm Building
5 to 7 p.m.: Extension Homemakers puppy pillow session, Family Arts Building
5 p.m.: Feel the beat with the Drum Circle from Mill Race Center, David Boll Theatre
7 p.m.: Area teen bands, David Boll Theatre
7 p.m.: Full Throttle monster trucks, Grandstand
7 to 7:45 p.m.: Southern Indiana Pipes & Drums, Farm Bureau Building
8 to 9 p.m.: Easterling magic show, Farm Bureau Building
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