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Report on the 2011 GOAL Conference
2011 Goal Conference Attendees
The 6th Annual Canadian Junior Angus Association (CJAA)
Guiding Outstanding Angus Leaders (GOAL) conference was held
February 19-21, 2011 at the Sheraton Hotel, Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan. Attending the GOAL conference were 35 eager
junior members as well as the two chaperones, Belinda Wagner the
CJAA coordinator and Shelly Easton. Thank you to these ladies
and the CJAA board for once again putting on an outstanding
weekend for all those in attendance. We were also lucky to have
Laird and Joyce Senft and Michael Latimer join us. Laird is on
the Canadian Angus Association (CAA) board and Michael is the
CAA Assistant General Manager. It was great having these three
along for the conference as their interaction with the juniors
and participation was much appreciated and enjoyed.
The weekend started off with registration and some icebreakers
to get to know each other. Bella Spur Innovative Media Inc. then
shared a great marketing workshop, “Did they get your Message?”.
Members were introduced to new advertising ideas and taught
about many different print and web-media advertising techniques.
Thank you Laura Bodell and Jamie-Rae Pittman. Gord Roger from
Intervet then shared a presentation on the opportunities for
youth in agriculture. This presentation opened our minds to what
is to come for the future, not only in our careers but also in
the Angus industry. Thanks Gord.
Following these presentations there was a reception and dinner
at the hotel where both Erika Easton and Michael Latimer gave
presentations. Erika shared her experiences as the Junior Angus
Ambassador and encouraged all the juniors to apply for this
great opportunity. Michael Latimer gave a presentation on the
Canadian Angus Association, the importance of the youth and the
future of the Angus breed. Thank you Erika and Michael.
Following the supper the members enjoyed an evening of swimming
and socializing.
Sunday began with Dr. J. Scott Vernon, a professor in the
Agricultural Education and Communication Department at Cal Poly
State University in San Luis Obispo, California. Dr. Vernon gave
a full day workshop on communication and leadership. Keeping a
room full of young people awake for a day is one thing, but Dr.
Vernon had the ability to keep us interested and entertained.
Many fun games and interesting challenges were part of the
workshop. We got to know each other very well and were taught
many helpful teamwork skills as well as how to properly
introduce yourself and leave a lasting and respectable
impression. We were shown the importance of planning and goal
setting. The forty year timeline that we made really opened our
eyes to the future. We set out goals and shared them, which
follows two of his rules for goal making; write it down and tell
someone. The day was enjoyed by all and a wealth of knowledge
was shared. Thank you to Dr. Vernon for daring the cold
Saskatoon temperatures and spending his day with us.
After the presentation by Dr. Vernon, members had social time
where many had a nap, went swimming and a few even went outside
to enjoy some fresh air at the outdoor skating rink. Afterwards
we boarded a bus and went to the Western Development Museum. The
museum was closed to the public for the evening so all the GOAL
participants had the museum to themselves for touring and a
scavenger hunt. There was then a supper and an evening full of
entertainment provided by the CJAA board of directors.
The following morning Tom Blacklock from Benlock Farms gave a
presentation on ‘Staying Creative in Agriculture’. He spoke
about his farm and his business of selling meat at a farmers
market in Saskatoon and supplying an elite restaurant. The
presentation was a great way to show the members other ways to
make their business grow. Thanks Tom. Michael Latimer then gave
a presentation on the Canadian Angus Foundation and on the
Junior Ambassador program. Thank you Michael for sharing the
benefits of this great opportunity.
After the morning break we were split into groups and went to
interactive workshops put on by the CJAA directors. The British
Columbia and Alberta directors held a workshop explaining
expected progeny differences (EPD) which was very informative
and members got a much better understanding of them. The
Ontario, Quebec and Maritime directors had a fun Jeopardy game
that quizzed the members on CJAA history, programs, events,
directors and many more. The Manitoba and Saskatchewan directors
had an informative presentation on the CJAA programs and
exchange trips to the States and encouraged all to apply for the
many programs and scholarships. Thank you to all the directors.
The weekend flew by too quickly once again and fun was had by
all. Junior members were able to network and meet with others
from across Canada. It was a great opportunity for young Angus
enthusiasts to get together and share ideas and stories. The
speakers were once again very well enjoyed and appreciated by
all. Thank you again to the Canadian Junior Angus Association
for the weekend full of great people and great experiences.
Breanna Anderson |
