CHAPTER HISTORY

Although the Belle Plaine Chapter has been chartered since 1930, we have a rich history helping agriculture students reach success. The chapter has developed many traditions and has been involved in every aspect of FFA at the local, district, state, and national level.

AMERICAN FFA DEGREES

The American FFA Degree is the highest honor the FFA can bestow on its members. The National FFA Organization raises only the most outstanding members to this level. Attaining the American FFA Degree requires a solid commitment to agriculture and the FFA. It is an excellent goal for which to strive. Belle Plaine FFA members who have attained this degree are:

Dan Arens 1992
Dan Behaunek          1975
Jerry Anderson 1966
Emily Toennies        2014
Kayla Toennies 2016

Bonnie Lhof 1966

Ted Novak 1999

Kenneth Johnson 1999

Ross Henning 2015

Joeseph Kolash 2016

STATE OFFICERS FROM BELLE PLAINE FFA

Vice President               William Kern   1944-45
Vice President               Donald Beck    1947-48
Vice President               Dan Behaunek 1973-74
President Dan Behaunek 1974-75

HONORARY CHAPTER DEGREES

Each year the Belle Plaine FFA Chapter elects to the highest degree that our chapter can confer, that of Honorary Chapter Degree, to adults who have rendered outstanding service and provided sterling inspiration and leadership on our behalf. This degree a person holds for life. We are proud to list the names of the following people who have received this prestigious award in past years:

Jim Arens
Kenny Bevins
Patricia Birch
Rod Blount
Bill Donovan
Wayne DeMeulenaere
Kraig DeMeulenaere
Marvin DeRycke
Roger Formanek
Scott Frank

Doug & Holly Gates
Dennis & Barb Garling

Marvin Grieder
Richard Hobart
LeRoy Hoskey
Dale Johnson
Chris Johnson
Sara Johnson

Scott Kolash

Tammy Kolash
Mary Longfellow
Jack Mann
Henry Mantz
Don Magdefrau
Ted Novak
Dean Papesh
Rick Petersen
Gerald Retzlaff
Mitch Robinson
Lyle Root
Monte Root
Marilyn Overman
Dick Schild
Dennis Schwab
Phil Schwarzkopf
Gene Severson
Barb Towle
Dave Upah
Bob VanHamme
Carl Wagner
Mike Wauters
Cathy Wilkinson
Jack Wilkinson

IOWA FFA DEGREES

The Iowa FFA Degree is the highest degree an FFA member may be awarded in this state. The following members of the Belle Plaine FFA Chapter have received their Iowa FFA Degrees:

Robert Grummer 1934 Eugene Grummer   1942 William Kern 1944
Dale Studt 1945 Donald Beck 1947 Larry Beyer 1958
Larry Musel 1961 Kenneth Johnson   1963 Richard Votrebeck   1966
Gerald Malecek 1968 Doug Winslow 1969 Leland Rieck 1971
Dave Friedman 1973 Kevin Foley 1976 Dean Papesh 1978
Ted Novak 1979 Alan Lyman 1982 Charlotte Wilkinson 1984
Dale Rieck 1985 Dean Bostian 1986 John Bostian 1992
Mike Kolars 1994 Bonnie Lohf 1996 Seth McCollough   1998
Jesse Wonrau       2000 Melissa Frank 2003 Kyle Kaplan 2004
Cory Behounek 2006 Ben Novak 2009 Josh VanHamme   2010

Keegan DeMeulenaere 2011

Emily Toennies 2013 Joseph Kolash 2015

Brandon Zumbach 2016

Robert Johnson 1941 Don Kozik 1943 Darrell Krafka       1944
Sylvester Kalina   1946 Ernest Kithcart 1956 Russell Johnson   1961
Danny Cronbaugh   1962 Jerry Anderson 1964 Byron Witt 1966
Mike Wauters 1968 Rod Blount 1970 Dan Behaunek       1973
James Anderson   1975 Jeff Rieck 1976 Glenn Johnson   1979
Roger Formanek   1982 Pat Foley 1983 Alan Foley 1985
Craig Breja 1986 Dan Arens 1989 Jess Wauters 1992
Chris Upah 1995 Greg Johnson 1998 Kyle Allee 2000
Dustin Ashmore 2003 Dan Upah 2003 Ryan Frank 2005
Brandon Grieder    2006 Brian Carlson 2010

Ross Henning 2014 Kayla Toennies 2015

Katelyn Ward 2016