LEROY -- The LeRoy-Ostrander High School FFA golden anniversary banquet March 31 was a fraud.

Richard Schaufler, the advisor, said so himself.

When plans for the 50th annual FFA banquet were made known, a state FFA official started checking the records. According to Schaufler, he discovered the chapter was chartered in 1939.

"All I can determine is that it may have been suspended during World War II and then rechartered later," Schaufler said.

Despite the revelation, that didn't spoil the fun Monday night when the chapter's members, families and friends celebrated the 50th annual FFA banquet.

In fact, there's no stopping the LOHS chapter. It has more chapter degree award-recipients, more state degree recipients and more national FFA degree recipients than any other chapter.

Ken Stockdale and his wife, Diane, were there to see their grandchildren bask in the spotlight of recognition. Stockdale is an FFA alumni, who believes Schaufler is a key to the FFA success story.

"They have enjoyed that continuity that Mr. Schaufler has brought for so many years and they have enjoyed the support of the school district," he said.

Schaufler has been a teacher and FFA advisor for 32 years at LeRoy-Ostrander Public Schools.

Thirty chapter members, their advisor, and 95 guests heard Andrea Jennings, out-going chapter vice president, give the invocation and enjoyed a catered dinner by Gleason Concessions and Catering in the L-O commons Monday evening. The sea of blue among the crowd was unmistakable. So was the historical display from five decades of FFA.

Afterwards, the crowd adjourned to the Cardinals gymnasium. Awards were presented, honorary members welcomed into the chapter and new officers installed for the 2003-2004 school year.

Among the alumni present was Richard Grass, a 1951 graduate, and a member of the FFA chapter when Wallace Schodean was the advisor. Grass said he learned a lot about livestock and acquired communication and leadership skills in FFA.

Bob Soltau brought his FFA jacket from 1953, when the district had not yet merged with nearby Ostrander.

"FFA has changed just like agriculture has through the years and I believe it is every bit as relevant today as it was when I was a kid in the chapter," Soltau said.

Nearby, Jim Schroeder of Adams was examining the historical display. Schroeder was the chapter's first advisor in the 1953-54 school year before being drafted to serve in the Korean War.

As Schroeder looked over old newspaper clippings, names from the past came alive.

"We had a good year back then," Schroeder said. "There weren't as many contests as there are today, but things have changed just like agriculture has changed.

"In those days we produced future farmers and today they are teaching future agribusiness people."

(Editor's Note: A complete list of the recipients of LOHS FFA golden anniversary awards will appear in a future edition.)

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com