MENDOTA – Summer is here, school is over, but the Mendota FFA Parliamentary Procedure Team is still excited and proud of what it was able to accomplish during the 2024-25 school year.

The team composed of Maren Atherton, Heather Mann, Daniel Pierce, Jessica Reel, Leah Stamberger and Karson Sundberg were juggernauts through the postseason.

Mendota finished second at the March 11 section event at Ottawa High School, won district on March 26 at Joliet Junior College and finished 10^th at state on May 1 at Illinois Central College in Peoria.

“It was a very exciting opportunity. This is the third year I competed on the Parliamentary Procedure Team,” said Stamberger, who will be a senior in the fall. “My freshman year I was on a team of all seniors. I was actually able to advance to state as a freshman, so I’ve kind of been working toward getting back to that point. We had a lot of night practices. We put in a lot of work and dedication to placing high or winning contests.

“I have a lot of fun with it. I enjoy Parliamentary Procedure because it made me fall in love with FFA. I’m excited we were able to do so well at section, district and state.”

Reel, only in her second year on the procedure team, said it took her the first year to understand what it really was.

But her second year, as a junior, proved she understood and enjoyed what the parliament of the procedure really means.

“We had a pretty young team this year with Leah and I being two of the oldest. It’s a good experience,” Reel said. “It takes a lot of dedication because there is so much that goes into it. I feel like we’ve become a family. When we found out we won the district competition, we all got so excited. It was such an emotional, awesome experience.

“I feel like a lot of people doubted us. It was nice to prove them wrong and show our selves we can do it.”

If you don’t know what Parliamentary Procedure is, you can ask anyone on the team and they’ll tell you.

“Parliamentary Procedure is conduct of meeting. There are five of us on the floor and there is one of us who is the chair, the presiding officer,” Reel said. “You go into this room with a bunch of judges. Everyone gets a scenario and a required motion. You get a minute to look at the scenario and to start thinking about what you’re going to debate on and how you’re going to incorporate your motion.

“The chair leads the meeting and there is a lot of discussion as we change and alter the scenario to make it how it’s supposed to be.”

Stamberger can add more layers.

“You’re given a main motion which is basically the thing you’ll be discussing in the meeting. You have to decide whether you’re for or against the main motion,” Stamberger said. “You’re given additional motions, which you’re expected to form recess, refer to a committee, and adjourn. You’re expect to know how to demonstrate those motions.

“There are a lot of aspects in it, but Parliamentary Procedure is a great opportunity because it’s something you can definitely use in the future. A lot of different meetings and organizations try to use Parliamentary Procedure but often times use it wrong. Competing in these contests gives us a chance to be the leaders of those meetings because we know how to use Parliamentary Procedure and the laws.”

Also included are oral questions after the team uses its 11 minutes to demonstrate. There is also a 25-question written test.

Mann was the chair, while Reel, Stamberger, Pierce, Atherton and Sundberg were on the floor.

The MHS FFA staff advisors are Matt Meyer and Dawn Dieter.