State FFA convention going virtual again

    It’s a disappointment, again, to Imperial FFA Advisor Jason Speck, but he also understands some of the reasoning for a second state FFA convention that will be virtual.
    The virtual schedule for the 93rd Nebraska State FFA Convention was announced this week. It will be held
April 7-9 online.
    Last year’s State FFA Convention in Lincoln came as concerns and unknowns with COVID-19 were really ramping up. That forced state organizers to cancel the in-person convention then, too.
    Speck said the decision was actually made for the 2021 convention in December, as the COVID situation this spring was unknown.
    “I had kind of hoped it would be in person,” he said.
    He believes it will affect some contests again, with some FFA members across the state not wanting to compete in a virtual format.
    “We’ve had lots of (advisor) meetings about it,” he said.
    Actual competition for state placings will begin March 22, he said, and run until early April. That will allow for individual and team contest winners to be announced virtually on April 9.
    Two area FFA members are completing their years as part of the 2020-21 State FFA Officer Team, and will give retiring addresses during the virtual convention.
    Jozie Schilke of the Imperial chapter and Jakob Anderjaska of the Hayes Center chapter are completing terms as FFA state vice presidents.
    Schilke and Anderjaska will give retiring addresses during the Friday, April 9, virtual sessions that start at 1 p.m. CT.
Weather moves districts
    Weather was an issue last week for district Leadership Development Event (LDE) district contests in Curtis. FFA members from Imperial and Wauneta-Palisade were scheduled to compete there.
    The Jan. 27 contests were moved to Feb. 3. However, that was when state degree in-person interviews were scheduled in McCook, so those were moved to Feb. 9. FFA proficiency reviews were also moved to Feb. 9, and another round of district contests will be Feb. 10 in Curtis.
    The Imperial FFA chapter has three members who will interview Feb. 9 for state FFA degrees, according to Speck.