FFA contest draws hundreds to CC

The Clarendon College campus was crowded early last week as more than 400 people showed up for the annual Area I FFA Leadership Camp.

CC Director of Ag Programs Johnny Treichel said 340 students were on campus accompanied by 85 teachers. The group represented about 60 of the 96 schools in the FFA’s Area I, which is bordered by Lubbock County on the south and extends north the width of the Texas Panhandle.

“It was pretty successful,” Treichel said. “I was told the hotel was full all three days, and one restaurant owner told me that he was very busy for three days also.”

Best Western Red River Inn proprietor Steve Hall echoed Treichel’s comments about the event’s economic impact.

“We had a lot of ag teachers who helped fill us up those nights,” Hall said. “It’s a nice event.”

Hall said events like the FFA Leadership Conference contribute to CC having a significant impact on his business, and he said the college itself was a strong factor when he invested in the hotel property here.

Clarendon High School FFA student Chardy Craft was one of the students in attendance and said she enjoyed the camp.

“I get to meet new people and it’s a great experience for leadership,” Craft said. “I’ve learned a lot of new skills that I will definitely put to use in the future.”

The event which began in 1969 is an excellent opportunity for Clarendon College to recruit kids from the Panhandle and South Plains.

“It’s a major recruiting tool for us,” Treichel said. “I think you could put a figure of 10 percent on it as the number of kids who will become our students if you understand that some of those are dual credit.”

CC President Robert Riza also said the event is a chance for good kids to get acquainted with Clarendon College.

“Outside of the economic impact, this event is a great opportunity to showcase the college and the community to potential students who are examples of what’s right with the Texas Panhandle, the state, and the nation,” Riza said.

The camp at Clarendon College is modeled after the state FFA leadership camp, and Area I officers actually run the programs at the camp with the support of adult sponsors and employees of the college.