On Feb. 12, 2013, the very first Canton FFA Alumni meeting was held.

With 18 people in attendance, officers were elected and goals discussed.

The members of the Canton FFA Alumni are excited to be part of this incredible association and look forward to giving the local Canton FFA chapter and its members the support it needs.

If anyone is interested in being part of this program and supporting our agriculture program at Canton High School, whether you wore the blue corduroy FFA jacket or not, you are more than welcome to attend our next meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday April 9, 2013 at Canton High School.

You do not have to be a past FFA member to become a member of the Alumni Association.

We will be discussing how we can raise money for scholarships, what goals we would like to reach this year, and how to raise awareness and add members to both the FFA chapter and our Alumni chapter.

For more information, please feel free to contact our advisor, Tom Hojnowski, through email or telephone at thojnowski@canton.k12.pa.us and (570)673-4627 or our secretary, Heather Grace at grace_heather@hotmail.com or at (570)250-3078.

The National FFA Alumni Association was first founded in 1969 at the National FFA Convention.

It was there that the first constitution, by-laws, and budget were put in place. The FFA Alumni Association was founded with the mission of securing the promise of FFA and agricultural education by creating an environment where people and communities can develop their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success. Later, in 1972, Pennsylvania was one of the 21 states to charter an alumni association at the state level. Since then, the Pennsylvania FFA Alumni has helped to provide for and enrich the learning experiences for countless local chapters across the state. The Alumni play a key role in today's agriculture education community especially in today's education climate where funding often falls short with expectations rising.

Submitted by Heather Grace, Secretary of the Canton FFA Alumni Association.