Georgia Cooperative Council


 

2003 Youth Cooperative Conference

The 2003 conference was a fun-filled event that was enjoyed by all 55 attendees and 9 counselors.  The participants were interested in the cooperative business structure and were provided with plenty of information on state and national cooperative businesses.  Presenters from Farm Credit Service, Goldkist, Dairy Farmers of America, Southern States, Georgia EMC, and Staplcotn gave an overview of their cooperative and answered many questions.  The Georgia Cotton Commission also came and gave a presentation on how they work with the growers to market the cotton grown in Georgia.

The group also was able to complete an individual personality profile (I-sight) and get some Leadership training during the conference.  These activities were well received and, hopefully, will be able to be used in the future.

During the conference, a Cooperative Challenge was also played.  The attendees were divided into 4 teams and participated in numerous team building exercises.  The winners of the game were selected based on the points won during each of the scheduled events.  The majority of the points was from the Cooperative Marketing Game.   Each team was given the chance to make decisions over a 4 quarter period for a cooperative business.  They had to decide on prices, tonnage, employees, equipment, and loan terms.  The goal was to increase the cooperatives net worth for the period and each group was able to do that this year.  Other games involved various brain teasers, races, a water pipe test, human spider web, and the Cooperative Family Feud game.  These games were very active and required the whole group to participate.  It is hoped that they were able to learn some team concepts through these exercises.  

The  following students attended the conference this year:
Name Hometown Sponsor
     
Jennie Davis Bainbridge SWGA Farm Credit
Perry White Pearson FFA
Ashley Loudermilk Hull 4-H
Chelsea Elliott Hull 4-H
Jacqueline Nunn Colbert 4-H
LeeAnn Auldridge Odum AgSouth Farm Credit
James Daniel Colbert 4-H
Speer Brannon Register AgSouth Farm Credit
Meagan Myers Dexter Oconee EMC
Brianna James Danielsville 4-H
Joshua Drammond Loganville Walton EMC
Jay Bowen Garfield Excelsior
Blake Shealy Powder Springs Cobb EMC
Melissa Lynch Hagan 4-H
Rand Merchant Douglas Satilla EMC
Crystal Tolbert Blakely 4-H
Angelica Morris Smyrna Cobb EMC
Ansley Fowler Thomaston FFA
Stephanie Frix Dawsonville Amiacalola EMC
Tandra Landers Monroe Walton EMC
Michael Doran Rutledge Walton EMC
Monica Moses Blakely 4-H
Ashley Carter Folkston FFA
Tony Williams Millen Planters EMC
Maurice Campbell Warner Robins 4-H
Amber Ivie Buckhead Dairy Farmer of America
Crystal Hooks Metter 4-H
Jessica McCune Dublin Oconee EMC
Lance Sparks Sardis Planters EMC
Laura Mallonee Winterville Rayle EMC
Megan Tracy Buchanan Carroll EMC
Lana Heidel Monroe Walton EMC
Brigette Jones Franklin Carroll EMC
Keisha Brantley Uvalde Altamaha EMC
Chelsea Elliott Hull 4-H
Amber Goode Colbert 4-H
Audrey Collins Eton FFA
Justin Grimsley Box Springs Flint Energies
Brittany Martin Watkinsville Walton EMC
Ray Powell Glenwood Little Ocmulgee EMC
Brittany Kimball-Scott Danielsville 4-H
Renee Smith Waycross FFA
Anna Taylor Adel FFA
Tammie Watson Macon FFA
Caleb Moss Dublin Little Ocmulgee EMC
William Powers Watkinsville Walton EMC
Lucy Seginak Winterville Rayle EMC
Heather Wofford Comer 4-H
Ranson McArthur Elijay FFA
Kathryn Royston Comer 4-H
Jamie Stein Bonaire Flint EMC
Josh Whitworth Bainbridge SWGA Farm Credit
Michael Barnes Fitzgerald FFA

Pictures

Registration begins.   This group tests their knowledge of co-ops.   Dick Schermerhorn works the registration desk.   This get acquainted game broke the ice.   Co-op encounter session.   I-sight personality test

They do pay attention!   Balloon race   This game required some thinking and teamwork.   Frances Edmunds, SWGA Farm Credit, teaches the kids how the Farm Credit system works.   The students were allowed to get creative during the conference.   Moving plastic cups with a string and rubber band proves difficult.

Mark Coiner, Dairy Farmers of America, makes a point about the dairy business.   This group gets ready for the outdoor games.   Teams had to construct an egg carrier that would protect their egg from an 8 foot drop.   The ball on a ring game required a steady hand and good teamwork.   The vertical spider web required some strength and agility to get through.   This participant showed nice body control to get through the web.   

The ball toss was harder than it looked.   The mini-golf race challenged their putting skills.   The leaking water tower allowed some to cool off.   Teams needed to get as much water through these broken pipes as possible.   The horizontal web again needed teamwork to get through.   The frisbee toss tested a fun skill.  

Stan McMickle, Staplcotn, explains how their marketing co-op works.   Craig Scroggs, USDA, gets the group ready for another teaser.   Getting ready to make a marketing decision.   Working together to get the right answer.   Teams had to make some tough decisions on the Co-op game.   The Co-op Marketing game required some deep thought.

The green team was the overall winner.   The blue team celebrates their victory.

A special thanks to the group leaders during the conference:

Dick Schermerhorn, Bill Thomas, Gale Cutler, Frances Edmunds, and Craig Scroggs

 

Last Revised: July 22, 2003

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