McLennan County Livestock Show 2015

Thirty students from Methodist Children’s Home (MCH) FFA chapter competed in the 2015 McLennan County Livestock Show Feb. 2-6 at Extraco Events Center in Waco. Out of the 30, only three students had ever shown an animal in a show before.

“This is the largest group of students that we have taken to a show since I have been an ag teacher here,” said Steve Kruse, Ag teacher. “It also was the most inexperienced group of kids with so many first time showman. The teacher in me is extremely proud of what the students have learned and how they represented Methodist Children’s Home.”

MCH entered two steers, one heifer, seven goats, six lambs and 14 pigs into the livestock show. One first-year FFA student, Ema, received Reserve Breed Champion for her Southdown lamb. Ema had never been around livestock before and had to teach her lamb to brace, stand and be led for the show. Below is a list of MCH participants:

Lambs

Southdown: Iyahnna - 4th, Jessica - 7th

Medium wool:  Star - 8th, Quentin - 9th, Hawa - 11th, Aaron H (participated)

Goats

Participants: Kiyanna, Alex, Ladarius, Chris, Tamika, Isaiah, Lane  

Cattle

AOB heifer:  Star - 2^nd

Steer:  Justice - 7^th, Star - 11th

Swine

Participants:  Sonja - 9^th, Diego, Prince, Jaelynn, Justus, Mikayla, Drennon, Edgar, Chayce, Julio, Jayden, Marvin, Nick

Click here to visit our McLennan County Livestock Show 2015 photo gallery.

Tyler Outreach sponsors Permanency Values training

MCH Family Outreach in Tyler reached out to their community and sponsored a day of training on Friday, Jan. 23, at Marvin United Methodist Church. Jason Gillentine, Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) permanency practitioner, and Kristi Hatchel, DFPS family group decision making trainer, provided Permanency Values training.

Permanency is defined as the highest level of physical, legal and emotional safety and security that can be attained for each individual child or youth within the context of a family relationship. Eighteen participants including DFPS employees, child placing agency staff, and family court agents and officers attended the training.

Gillentine and Hatchel set out to give participants a better understanding of concepts, related skills and developmental aspects of permanency values and show a link between family engagement and permanency and its lifelong benefits.

“Permanence is NOT a place,” explained Traci Wagner, MCH Family Outreach eastern regional administrator. “Permanency is a state of mind, and not a placement. Permanence is having the feeling that you are connected – that there is someone in the middle of the night who will answer your collect phone call or miss you when you do not show up.

“Another way to think about permanency is a parenting relationship with an adult, a mutual understanding that this relationship is meant to last forever; unconditional commitment by the adult(s); participation by all parties in the relationship; lifelong mutual support and involvement; and belonging.”

The Permanency Values training is being offered throughout the State of Texas and several MCH Family Outreach offices have attended in their areas.