AJMAA Board of Directors President Tera Rooney 705 Northfield Rd. Manhattan, KS 66502 (620) 353-4396 [email protected]Vice President Cody Green P.O. Box 590 Des Ark, AR 72040 (870) 256-9923 [email protected]Secretary/Treasurer Rashele Blakley P.O. Box 465 Oologah, OK 74053 (918) 443-2523 [email protected]Directors Region I — Courtney Dickerson 990 Baker Rd. Martinsville, IN 46151 (765) 342-1761 [email protected]Region II — Charlie Wilson 4161 100th St., Miles, IA 52064 (563) 682-7561 [email protected]Region III — Laurie Reid 11477 Nucla St. Commerce City, CO 80601 (303) 288-0350 [email protected]At-Large — Wyatt DeJong 31842 DeJong Rd. Kennebec, SD 57544 (605) 869-2329 [email protected]At-Large — Candace Muir 15656 Santa Fe Line Rd. Wapakoneta, OH 45895 (419) 568-1823 [email protected]Advisor — Allison Bond P.O. Box 581, Inola, OK 74036 (918) 543-3544 [email protected]Advisor — Jason Salton 3380 430th St., Aushire, IA 50515 (515) 201-1326 [email protected]Director of Youth Activities Jeana Sankey P.O. Box 1100, Platte City, MO 64079 (816) 431-9950 [email protected]The M aine F eature M urfreesboro is the site for this year’s Junior National and we hope to have a wonderful turnout of cattle and people in this historic city! When we aren’t in the barns cleaning stalls, we can be out seeing the many different historical sites. Murfreesboro has a lot of interesting history to check out! Stones River National Battlefield is a 600 acre battlefield where, in 1862, a Civil War battle was fought by soldiers who were trying to take control of the area. Oaklands Historic House and Museum is a mansion where the Union and the Confederates stayed and fought. President Jefferson Davis stayed here at one time. It was once the home to Col. Hardy Murfree, whom the town was named after. Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village is a historic village which contains a school house, a doctor’s office, a chapel, a caboose and the world’s largest cedar bucket. There is a multitude of entertaining and fun places to see and take advantage of. The Discovery Center has 20 acres of wetlands and a museum to check out. The Go USA Fun Park has a go-cart track to test your driving skills and mini-golf. Murfreesboro Strike and Spare is where you can bowl away. Stones River Mall and Avenue of Murfreesboro are some malls for the shopaholics! Shopping in historic downtown Murfreesboro is also a must. Facts: H Murfreesboro is the geographic center of Tennessee. H It is the fastest growing major city in Tennessee and one of the fastest in the country! H Population is roughly 100,000 people. H Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro which is the largest undergraduate university in Tennessee. Join us June 16-20 in Murfreesboro! P.O. Box 1100, Platte City, MO 64079 • (816) 431-9950 • www.maine-anjou/junior • [email protected]The newsletter of the American Junior Maine-Anjou Association Spring 2009 H All About Murfreesboro by Candace Muir, At-Large Director
Advisor — Jason Salton3380 430th St., Aushire, IA 50515(515) 201-1326 [email protected]
Director of Youth ActivitiesJeana SankeyP.O. Box 1100, Platte City, MO 64079(816) 431-9950 [email protected]
The
Maine Feature
M urfreesboro is the site for this year’s Junior National
and we hope to have a wonderful turnout of cattle and people in this historic city! When we aren’t in the barns cleaning stalls, we can be out seeing the many different historical sites.
Murfreesboro has a lot of interesting history to check out! Stones River National Battlefield is a 600 acre battlefield where, in 1862, a Civil War battle was fought by soldiers who were trying to take control of the area. Oaklands Historic House and Museum is a mansion where the Union and the Confederates stayed and fought. President Jefferson Davis stayed here at one time. It was once the home to Col. Hardy Murfree, whom the town was named after. Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village is a historic village which contains a school house, a doctor’s office, a chapel, a caboose and the world’s largest cedar bucket.
There is a multitude of entertaining and fun places to see and take advantage of. The Discovery Center has 20 acres of wetlands and
a museum to check out. The Go USA Fun Park has a go-cart track to test your driving skills and mini-golf. Murfreesboro Strike and Spare is where you can bowl away. Stones River Mall and Avenue of Murfreesboro are some malls for the shopaholics! Shopping in historic downtown Murfreesboro is also a must.
Facts:H Murfreesboro is the
geographic center of Tennessee.
H It is the fastest growing major city in Tennessee and one of the fastest in the country!
H Population is roughly 100,000 people.
H Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro which is the largest undergraduate university in Tennessee.
Join us June 16-20 in Murfreesboro!
P.O. Box 1100, Platte City, MO 64079 • (816) 431-9950 • www.maine-anjou/junior • [email protected] newsletter of the American Junior Maine-Anjou Association Spring 2009
HAll About Murfreesboroby Candace Muir, At-Large Director
2 The Maine Feature
A s I am diving into the middle of my college years, I am beginning to realize that no matter how hard a person tries, you just can’t fit more than 24 hours into one day. Along with classes, labs, seminars
and exams scribbled in my planner I have meetings, functions, chapter, work and even a little bit of play! There is a point where you have the opportunity to be involved in so many things that you have to take a step back. While it is important to be involved, you also want to be a committed, contributing member of an organization. So you have to prioritize your schedule. Weigh the benefits against the costs and figure out which activities will further you in your life goals, while still motivating you to be a devoted member.
If this sounds like an evil equation from your economics class, there is an easier way to figure out which activities you should really dedicate your time to. Someone once helped me understand the difference between “involvement” and “commitment” by using a simple comparison of a popular breakfast dish. In a plate of bacon and eggs, the chicken was involved and the pig was committed. If an organization means enough to me and I believe that I can contribute substantially, then I am all about being a pig!
We as a junior board would like to challenge you to become committed members of the AJMAA. A great time to begin, or continue this commitment is coming up in June at our National Junior show in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Anyone can come to the show, pull their calves in every day and pitch manure. We would like to challenge you to attend the meetings, participate in a few contests, help out a younger member or encourage state herdsmanship. Our association is only as strong as its contributing members and we leave it in your hands to continue the growth of the AJMAA.
We hope you enjoy the spring newsletter we have put together. Please take the time to contact a junior board member if you have any questions regarding Junior Nationals, the National Youth Leadership Conference or any other general association information.
See you down the road,Tera
“Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” - Vince Lombardi
Bacon and EggsP
resi
den
t’s
Corner by Tera Rooney, AJMAA President
The Maine Feature 3
S ummer would not be complete without swimming, a Fourth of July barbecue, watermelon and Maine-
Anjou Junior Nationals. Add one more Maine highlight to your busy summer schedule, the AJMAA National Youth Leadership Challenge (NYLC)!
The 2009 NYLC promises to be bigger, better and badder than ever! This year’s theme is “Aimed toward Success” in Ames, Iowa, July 24-26. If you have never been to the NYLC you don’t know what you are missing. Seriously, it is a blast!
Each year the NYLC is hosted at a different location across the United States to allow attendance from geographically diverse regions. The programs offered are designed and carried out by the AJMAA Board of Directors, the Junior Activities Director and the host college. This year’s host college is Iowa State University, activities for the weekend are a tour of the Iowa State meat lab, sessions on resume building, ISU professor lectures, leadership training, a bull stud tour and much, much more. Even though it sounds kind of like school and a lot
of work, the sessions themselves are actually very laid-back, hands-on, way cool and you don’t have to take a test at the end!
The conference will teach skills and tools that can be used to guide state associations and will facilitate communication between juniors with the purpose of promoting the exchange of ideas, plans and goals. I guarantee you will make some new friends and, yes, even learn something.
Juniors between the ages of 13-21 are invited to attend and the cost is $175 which will include meals, housing, a t-shirt and conference fees. You may not have gotten a bailout check from the U.S. government, but you can save $50 by signing up before May 1st. It is money well spent for tons of information and a great time.
The best part of the NYLC is chillin’ with the Maine peeps! Look me up when you get there and I will give you some tips on how to read the weight limit signs on elevators to avoid a nasty run-in with campus security.
NYLC “A Most Excellent Summer Adventure”…See you there!
by Cody Green, AJMAA Vice-President
4 The Maine Feature
N ot only do the Maines shine bright in Northeast Oklahoma, but also the students that exhibit them.
One of the brightest is a 2009 senior from the Caney Valley High School named Chase Ward. Although some said that he was shy at his first Junior Nationals in Ohio 2003, he soon came out of his shell and contributed to Oklahoma winning the national sweepstakes numerous years as well as showing many champions of his own.
Some of his show career highlights are having the champion Maine-Anjou heifer at the Tulsa State Fair in 2004 and having the champion Maine-Anjou heifer and reserve supreme heifer at the 2007 Oklahoma Youth Expo in Oklahoma City. Just recently Chase won champion Maine-Anjou heifer at the 2009 Oklahoma Youth Expo and also received two scholarships from the Oklahoma Junior Maine-Anjou Association. Chase has also exhibited cattle at the National Western in Denver and the American Royal in Kansas City. He’s had the opportunity to see many
parts of this great nation by attending six junior nationals. His favorite contest at junior nationals is the quiz bowl.
When I ask him how he got involved in showing Maine cattle he did not hesitate to answer, “It was Bret Carter and Jay Butler.”
Chase is not only active in the show ring, but is very active in his local FFA Chapter where he is Chapter Vice-President. He is also active in livestock judging where his team won the Tulsa State Fair livestock judging contest and represented Oklahoma at the National Western in Denver. Besides these activities, Chase enjoys hanging out with friends.
All the experiences he has had while showing Maine-Anjou cattle will no doubt benefit him in his future endeavors. After graduating from high school, Chase plans to attend Redlands Community College and livestock judge and later transferring to Oklahoma State University with a major in pre-med.
on a AJMAA Junior Member
Sp tlight
Chase Ward
by Rashele Blakley, AJMAA Secretary/Tresurer
The Maine Feature 5
I t is getting to be that time again when the members of the AJMAA will shine and succeed as the Junior National is
just around the corner. Before we know it, school will be out and the stalls will be full of outstanding Maine-Anjou cattle. Just like it takes weeks and even months to prepare for a production, show cattle are no exception. As time passes and we begin to seek out more leadership and responsibility, it is natural for us to ask ourselves “What else can I do?” and to get excited for something new.
We start to become trained actors and we long for a bigger stage. Well, there is one! Step onto the stage of becoming a Junior Board Director. Travel, network, leadership, fun and experiences are just a few of the benefits that are out there for us to grab a hold of. The application for the Junior Board can be found online at http://www.maine-anjou.org/junior/pdf/2009/mar10/BoardAppNew.pdf.
Along with amazing performances, actors/actresses get paid for their achievements and the AJMAA members have that same opportunity. This comes by taking the time to fill in the scholarship application. This process takes a short amount of time and all of the information requested is easy for any member to fill in as we have some of the great young cattle breeders in the nation.
Whether it be the thousands of hours of practice with our cattle, our leadership skills of becoming a Junior Board Director, or our rewards through scholarships, this Association can provide many advantages that will benefit us in our futures as not only future actors/actresses but as directors.
Stunning Performanceby Wyatt DeJong, At-Large Director
LiGhTs, CaMeRa, aCTion!
2008-2009 AJMAA Junior Board
2007 Scholarship winners
6 The Maine Feature
Entries due May 1, 2009 - No late entries accepted!
Check out http://www.maine-anjou.org/junior/2009jrnational.html for more information!
Double Tree1850 Old Fort Pkway.Murfreesboro, Tenn.
615-895-5555Block name: ACA/AMAA
King/$109Double/$109
Come to Ames, Iowa with the AJMAA Junior Board for this years National Youth Leadership Challenge (NYLC)! Spend a weekend with your Maine friends, learning leadership skills, teamwork and seeing Iowa State University.
This conference will teach juniors skills and tools that can be used to guide their state associations. It will facilitate communication between juniors with the purpose of promoting the exchange of ideas, plans and goals for state associations. NYLC will give each junior member an opportunity to grow as an individual and to gain valuable personal skills.
Juniors between ages 13-21 are invited to attend. Conference registrationof $175 will include meals, housing, t-shirt and conference fees.
Sign up by May 1st and save $50.
Watch for complete details in the May/June/July issue of the Voice.
Contact the AJMAA Junior Board or Jeana Sankey for more information.
The Maine Feature 7
What’s happeningMay 1 DEADLINE: National Junior Maine-Anjou Show Entry Deadline, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
June 16-20 2009 National Junior Maine-Anjou Show and National Junior Chianina Show, Murfreesboro, Tenn. 18 Summer board meetings, committee and board meetings, held in conjunction with the National Junior Maine-Anjou Show, Murfreesboro, Tenn.July 24-26 National Youth Leadership Challenge (NYLC), Ames, Iowa
What’s On Your Dinner Plate?by Courtney Dickerson, Region I Director
B eef, as we all know, is for dinner on millions of American’s tables. The
biggest concern that producers are facing today in this tough economic time is the cost of feed. According to the USDA and their information from 2008, the U.S. beef cow herd was estimated at 31.7 million head, this is approximately 2.4% smaller than in 2007. Unfortunately, experts expect the herd size to shrink again during 2009. Even though this may seem like the worst, there is a potential upside to reducing herd sizes.
Cattlemen everywhere are learning how to make do with less. What about consumers? If people everywhere are being more price-conscious, what does that mean for beef? This question is one that cannot be ignored in order to have a thriving market. The industry must ensure that their products meet the needs of consumers. If this is not met, then consumers will turn to other sources of protein such as
chicken or pork. Beef is a very convenient meat to fix with very little preparation time, which makes it more likely to purchase in this fast paced world. The meat also sells on key factors that it is tender, healthy, tasty, full of nutrients and is safe.
The average person consumes approximately 67 pounds of beef per year. As young cattlemen and women it is important to get involved to help keep the industry booming. I encourage all of you to contact your local beef council and see how you can promote the most important aspect of beef...the MEAT.
PresortedFirst Class
US Postage PaidPermit # 6654P.O. Box 1100, Platte City, MO 64079
o DS oSC RR
Fu EN PA G
ACROSS 1. Taste the rainbow...2. Is it in you...4. Have it your way...5. The quicker picker-upper...6. M’mm m’mm good...7. Breakfast of champions...9. I’m lovin’ it...11. Are you in good hands...13. Finger lickin’ good...14. It’s everywhere you want to be...15. Just do it...16. A whole new animal...17. Betcha can’t eat just one...18. Snap...crackle....pop...
DOWN 1. Eat fresh...3. Break me off a piece of that _____ ____ bar...8. Nothing runs like a Deere...9. ______ does the body good...10. Can you hear me now...12. Think outside the bun...
