Ag with Addi: Willow Springs FFA Takes First at Area XIII Competition

The Willow Springs FFA Chapter recently took home first place in the 2026 Area XIII Rituals competition. Hosted by the West Plains FFA Chapter on October 13, surrounding schools from Howell County and beyond gathered for an afternoon of competing through speaking. The afternoon made for friendly competition and thrift among the members! 

 

A key component of the curriculum for beginning level agriculture education students is the understanding of parliamentary procedure, a practice that can be built off of throughout a member's FFA journey. For nearly 100 years, FFA Officers across the country have practiced parliamentary procedure to conduct meetings on the local, area, state, and national levels. The rituals competition that West Plains often hosts each fall is a way for chapter officer teams to put their parliamentary procedure skills to use in a competitive setting. In this competition, Chapter FFA Officers perform the opening and closing ceremonies, just as they would in their chapter FFA meetings.

 

Reaching the highest successes in the competition requires memorization, teamwork, and lots of practice! The Willow Springs FFA officer team worked hard for several weeks and were excited to see their hard work pay off. Their preparation resulted in the win coming home to Willow Springs for the first time in over ten years! Chapter President Katy Spence is proud of the team and reflects, “Everyone showed up and practiced so hard over the past few weeks and we went into the room with professionalism and confidence. We keep each other accountable and are always striving for the best.”

 

The Willow Springs FFA Chapter is advised by Mr. Grant Talburt.