Inside the Emblem:Sebeka

50 members
Sebeka, Minnesota
Wadena County

Tell us about your chapter. Sebeka FFA consistently has around 50 members. This year, we have 34 students who will be at the state FFA convention (which is a normal number). Sebeka is fortunate to have a high percentage of its members involved in or familiar with production agriculture. A lot of adults around Sebeka still have family farms or work at large agriculture businesses like Minnesota Valley Irrigation and RDO Equipment. Sebeka is also home to a fair number of logging areas. The families around here are passionate about what they do, so a rich tradition has been developed in Sebeka FFA to have strong forestry teams, agronomy teams and dairy and general livestock teams, and they have recently started to be successful in poultry as well. Outside of the Career Development Events, Sebeka FFA has a tradition of having great leaders who have gone on to serve as regional and state FFA officers and agricultural teachers. Two of the three instructors in Park Rapids are Sebeka graduates, and the third did her student teaching here. The ag teacher in Menahga is also a Sebeka graduate. Sebeka has had multiple state stars and at least one national star, and the current members want to be outdone. They take pride in continuing to build on the legacy of Sebeka FFA.

How does your chapter volunteer in the community throughout the year? The Sebeka FFA Chapter has a section of Adopt a Highway on 71 that they clean twice a year. They also have a farmer and school staff appreciation breakfast when they celebrate FFA week. Sebeka and other local chapters have run a pet zoo/barnyard at the Wadena County Fair. They also try to improve ag literacy by putting on a barnyard and farm safety day at the Sebeka school during FFA week and do projects or read books with elementary school students.

What fundraisers does your chapter do throughout the year? Which is the most successful? We really have two consistent fundraisers: picking up Nimrod in the mornings of the Nimrod Labor Day Celebration and fruit sales in December. 

What are the biggest events of the year? The state convention is always something our chapter is excited about, seeing how well our CDE teams stack up against the rest of the state and seeing if we have a state star, proficiency winner or new state officer. Following the state convention in May, we celebrate FFA week (rather than in February) and have our banquet, the barnyard and farm safety day for the elementary, drive your tractor to school day, farmer and school staff appreciation breakfast and other activities throughout the week.

What is unique about your chapter? I don’t know how unique our chapter is, but what I think is cool is that we have a large number of students who I know are third-generation FFA members. I’m pretty sure a couple are fourth generation but haven’t done the research. I’m also proud of this community and the success it produces for such a small district. 

When was your chapter founded, and how has it evolved? Sebeka FFA was chartered in 1942 and has continued to exist since that date; so as far as the evolution of the chapter, I don’t know exactly. Mr. Funk took over in 1986, and I took over for him in 2006. Talking with him, I discovered some of the evolution was that members used to have to live on a farm to participate in FFA and, at least in Sebeka, it was really hard to participate in sports and FFA in the early years because sports practices were during the school period. Now, we have some great athletes who are also great FFA members. Another evolution probably true for most chapters is the involvement of females. Females were allowed to join in 1969, but when Mr. Funk got here in 1986, there were only ever two in Sebeka ever. Over the years, they have worked to become more and more involved to the point that they are over 50% of the membership and in well more than 50% of the leadership positions.