Red, White and You Conference teaches democratic process
By Heather Thorstensen
hthorstensen@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 06/03/2010 9:22 AM
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ST. PETER, Minn. — Students entering 8th through 10th grade have until June 4 to sign up for the Red, White and You Teen Leadership Conference.
The conference teaches concepts of democracy. It will be held June 28-30 at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. It is sponsored by Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation with support from the CHS Foundation.
"Our hope is that these could potentially be future Farm Bureau members, and we're making sure they're aware of how the legislative process happens," said Karin Schaefer, Minnesota Farm Bureau special programs coordinator. "We do a mock 'how the law is made' game. They get to elect their legislators, they get to present bills to them, they get to vote on those bills and see how this happens in a real life setting."
Rick Metzger will once again be a featured speaker and stay for the entire three-day conference. He is a four-time gold medalist with the World Cup of Power Lifting. Metzger grew up on a farm and is a past-president of the National FFA Alumni Association.
"Rick does a lot of great activities in the beginning of getting to know one another, remembering one another's names. He also has a strong message of 'leadership is something that you make of it,'" said Schaefer.
The other featured speaker will be Amanda Nolz, editor of BEEF Daily, a blog for BEEF magazine. She was the 2006 National Beef Ambassador and is known for leading a walk-out of a Carrie Underwood concert in protest of the singer's anti-meat views and relationship with the Humane Society of the United States. A beef industry advocate and speaker, she's also involved with her family's cattle operation in South Dakota.
She will share what's she's leaned about the differences individuals can make, Schaefer said. Minnesota Farm Bureau also wants to teach attendees about how to use social media to spread positive messages about agriculture. Organizers are also looking into having a veteran speak to the group about what people do for their country.
"We try to allow them a lot of time for learning, but we try to do a lot of social time, too," Schaefer said.
The conference includes a dance, a bonfire and games.
The cost is $135 per student. County Farm Bureaus may be offering financial support to send local teens, said Schaefer. In the past, approximately 100 students have participated.
For more information, call (651) 768-2115 or go to www.fbmn.org for a conference brochure.