Stevensville FFA

My voice started to reappear on Monday when I flew back to Montana, but I did not fly home. The next few days were spent in western Montana for many engagements.
I was picked up at the airport in Missoula by officers of the Stevensville FFA (Future Farmers of America) and one of their advisors. We drove to Stevensville and I spoke and sang at their Christmas Banquet. The biggest compliment I received was, “I’ve never listened to opera but you’ve made me want to hear more.” A comment like this is how I know I am doing my job as an advocate of music.
The event was their annual appreciation dinner for their families and supporters from the community. There were over 200 attendees and the FFA members served a home cooked meal. The program consisted of awards of recognition and an overview of their activities during their year. I was the speaker and I spoke about the quality of leadership in our organizations (the FFA and the Miss Montana Scholarship Program).
The people of Stevensville are incredibly supportive of their chapter as apparent by the attendance and their generous donations and biddings for the silent auction. They are also very gracious to visitors and I had a wonderful time meeting and conversing with many of them.