March 12,
2010
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more
information contact:
Crystal Albers, assistant
director of communications/web editor, at 816-383-5100 or calbers@angus.org
Angus Juniors Raise the Bar in Ames
Angus
youth from across the Midwest met March 5-7 in Ames, Iowa, for the National
Junior Angus Association’s (NJAA’s) premier leadership training conference,
Raising the Bar.
Twenty-one
officers and advisors from five state junior Angus associations participated in
the course, geared toward building stronger leaders while forming important
regional relationships.
The event began with opening speaker Dr. John
Thomson, Iowa State University Dean of Veterinary Medicine, who encouraged
juniors to raise expectations and measure results.
Thomson
challenged youth to find opportunities in challenging times. Challenges create
opportunities, he said, but it’s up to juniors to uncover those opportunities.
Angus
juniors spent the remainder of the event focused on meeting that challenge. The
NJAA Board of Directors conducted several team-building activities as well as
workshops on resumes and interviews; scholarships; animal welfare vs. animal
rights; conflict resolution; and American Angus Association® and
NJAA trivia.
Raising
the Bar participants toured the Iowa State University campus — including the
meat lab and animal science building — and visited with Iowa 4-H Youth Director
Mike Anderson, who gave attendees an overview of retinal image screening and
its applications in animal identification.
Angus
juniors then enjoyed a night of bowling and arcade games Saturday, followed by
a devotional service Sunday morning.
Robin
Ruff, director of junior activities, said the Midwest conference offered Angus
teens a valuable opportunity to meet with peers, share ideas and form stronger
teams within their state and region.
“These
events are crucial in developing some of our junior members into key Angus
leaders,” Ruff said. “They gain confidence in their leadership abilities and
truly raise the bar on what they can accomplish.”
Now in
its third year, the Raising the Bar conference continues to foster the
development of Angus youth by hosting events in four regions across the
country. The NJAA, with sponsorship from the Angus Foundation, has conducted
Raising the Bar conferences in cities such as Wooster, Ohio; Saint Joseph, Mo.;
Boise, Idaho; and Baton Rouge, La.
The next
Raising the Bar conference will begin Saturday, April 24 at the Grand Sierra
Resort in Reno, Nev., in conjunction with the Western Regional Junior Angus
Show. To register for the conference or for more information contact Ruff at
816-383-5100 or rruff@angus.org; or visit www.angus.org/njaa.
The NJAA
promotes the involvement of young people in raising Angus cattle, while also
providing leadership and self-development opportunities for more than 6,000
active members nationwide. For more information about NJAA or Raising the Bar opportunities,
visit www.angus.org/njaa.
###
A list of
attendees follows:
Allison
Blythe, White City, Kan.
Meghan
Blythe, White City, Kan.
Trenton
Blythe, White City, Kan.
Tyler
Ottensmeier, McLouth, Kan.
Mackenzie
Flory, Baldwin City, Kan.
Hannah
McCabe, Elk City, Kan.
Savannah
Schafer, Nehawka, Neb.
Alex
Rogen, Brandon, S.D.
Mary Kate
Mardesen, Oxford, Iowa
Bryanne Duckett,
New Liberty, Iowa
Kale Kiesewetter, Letts, Iowa
Tim Mardesen, Oxford, Iowa
Reed
McCormick, Pleasantville, Iowa
Paige
Wallace, Stotts City, Mo.
Shannon
Yokley, Jefferson City, Mo.
Hannah
Bartholomew, Archie, Mo.
###
Photo cutline:
Angus youth from across the Midwest met March 5-7 in Ames, Iowa, for the
National Junior Angus Association’s (NJAA’s) premier leadership training
conference, Raising the Bar.
Officers and
advisors from five state junior Angus associations participated in the course,
including: (front row, from left) Clinton Laflin,
NJAA Board director, Olsburg, Kan.; Trenton Blythe,
White City, Kan.; Meghan Blythe, White City, Kan.; Hannah McCabe, Elk City,
Kan.; Allison Blythe, White City, Kan.; Cody Smith, NJAA Board director, West
Plains, Mo.; (middle row, from left) Tyler Ottensmeier,
McLouth, Kan.; Shannon Yokley,
Jefferson City, Mo.; Mary Kate Mardesen, Oxford,
Iowa; Paige Wallace, Stotts City, Mo.; Tim Mardesen, Oxford, Iowa; Mackenzie Flory, Baldwin City,
Kan.; (back row, from left) Andrew Rogen, NJAA Board
director, Brandon, S.D.; Reed McCormick, Pleasantville, Iowa; Savannah Schafer,
Nehawka, Neb.; Hannah Bartholomew, Archie, Mo.; Bryanne Duckett, New Liberty,
Iowa; and Alex Rogen, Brandon, S.D. (Not pictured:
Kale Kiesewetter, Letts, Iowa.)
###