Proceedings, 1997

VIP Citation
Throughout its 70-year history, FFA has benefited from
countless hours of service from thousands of people. The
VIP Citation is FFAs way of thanking those who have
provided extraordinary levels of dedication to the organiza-
tion. The following 13 awardees were recognized Thurs-
day afternoon for their tireless efforts to serve young
people in agriculture.
Dr. Victor A. Bekkum of Huxley,
Iowa, has contributed many years of
service to the National Agricultural
Mechanics Career Development
Event including developing
computerized programs for the
contest. Bekkum is on the faculty of
Iowa State University.
Dr. William W Bushmeyer of
Warrensburg, Mo., has been
involved as either a judge or a
superintendent in the National
Agricultural Mechanics Career
Development Event since 1980.
Bushmeyer is a faculty member of
Central Missouri State University.
Doug E. Butler of Madison, Wis.,
served the National FFA Foundation
for 14 years. Butler, a former state
FFA officer and agricultural
education teacher in Colorado, is
currently the development director
for Abundant Life Christian School
in Madison.
Harry Cleberg of Kansas City, Mo., is
president of Farmland Industries,
Inc., a company which has
supported the FFA for 52 years.
Cleberg served on the National FFA
Foundation Sponsors' Board.
In appreciation of their extraordinary service and support ojFFA, 13 individuals
were honored with VIP Citations Thursday. Back Row, L to R: Dr. Victor A.
Raymond Cockrum of Guthrie, Okla.,
retired as a member of the state staff
after 18 years. He served as
Oklahoma's alumni advisor and was
a member of the National FFA
Alumni Council.
Dr. Jerry Crownover of Halltown,
Mo., has served as a judge or
superintendent of the National
Parliamentary Procedure Contest
since its beginning in 1978. He is a
professor of agricultural education
at Southwest Missouri State
University.
Bekkum; Jack G.Justus; Dr. William W. Bushmeyer; Douglas E. Butler; Raymond
Cockrum; Harry D. Cleberg. Front Row, L to R: Dr. Jerry Crownover; Lennie
Gamage; Dr. Edwin E. Lamberth; C.R. Karelse; Hal Moon; Dennis Stewart. Not
pictured: Calvin P. Stark.
4-3*-
Lennie Gamage of Alexandria, Va.,
began his service to the organization
as a national FFA officer
nd continued for 37
ears as national FFAs
nternational Student
Program Manager and
then as Team Leader for
uman and Fiscal
esources. He is now
retired, but still volunteers
time to the FFA.
Jack G.Justus of Little
Rock, Ark., served as
Executive Vice President
of the Arkansas Farm
Bureau. He retired after
44 years of service to
agriculture.
C. Richard Karelse of
ansing, Mich., served for
25 years as state FFA advisor before
retiring. During his years of service,
Karelse served on the Michigan FFA
Foundation Board and the National
FFA Board of Directors.
Dr. Edwin E. Lamberth of
Cookeville, Tenn., has served since
1958 on various committees and
agricultural organizations including
a consultant position for the
National FFA Organizations
Nursery/Landscape Career
Development Event. Lamberth is
currently an agricultural educator at
Tennessee Technological University.
Hal Moon of Kansas City, Mo., has
supported the National FFA
Agricultural Mechanics Career
Development Event for over 20
years. Moon is currently a manager
with John Deere Co.
Calvin Paul Stark of Los Osos, Calif.,
recently retired after 20 years as a
regional FFA advisor and consultant
for the California Department of
Education. His efforts also
introduced Spanish into the FFA
curriculum.
Dennis Stewart of Overland Park.
Kan., began his many years of service
with the FFA over 25 years with the
National Agricultural Mechanics
Career Development Event. Stewart
is a division marketing manager with
John Deere Co.
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