Snapshots from Hawaii: AFBF's 85th Annual Convention

by Jennifer Whittaker, Editor

Waikiki Beach in Honolulu from the GFB hotel.	Gen. Tommy Franks

Nearly 400 Georgia Farm Bureau members traveled to Hawaii to attend the 85th Annual American Farm Bureau Convention, held Jan. 11-14 in Honolulu. County leaders from almost all of the 150 Georgia Farm Bureau chapters attended the convention.

“We thought it was important to send a large delegation to this convention so that our county and state leaders could visit with agricultural leaders from other states to discuss industry issues. We wanted Georgia’s position on agricultural issues to be well represented,” Wayne Dollar, Georgia Farm Bureau president, said. “The recognition Georgia Farm Bureau received for our activities and programs this past year is a testament to the strength of our organization on the county and state level.”

During the annual awards program, Georgia Farm Bureau received recognition in each of the five categories in which Awards of Excellence were presented. The Awards of Excellence replaced the Gold Star Awards previously awarded by AFBF. Georgia received Awards of Excellence for policy implementation, membership services, education and agricultural promotion, leadership development and public relations. Georgia also received a Navigator Award for outstanding membership achievement during the 2003 membership year.

Two Presidents: GFB's Wayne Dollar & AFB's Bob Stallman onstage in Hawaii	Local school girls performed traditional hula dances at the opening session of the AFB Convention.	Bobby Trammel and Cecil Gober read the names of those who died on the U.S.S. Arizona Dec. 7, 1941.

Judd and Teresa Chambers of Jones County represented Georgia in the Young Farmer and Rancher Achievement Contest. Trey Hart of Colquitt County competed in the Young Farmer and Rancher Discussion Meet Contest. Rena Booker, Crawford County Farm Bureau office manager, was awarded a trip to the AFBF convention as the 2003 GFB Outstanding Secretary.

General Tommy Franks (USA-Ret.) delivered the keynote address at the convention. Until his retirement last year, the four star general served as the commander in chief of Central Command.

In other convention news, Bob Stallman, of Texas, was re-elected unopposed to his third two-year term as AFBF president.

Between convention activities, GFB members had the chance to visit Pearl Harbor (where the Arizona memorial, at left in photo, is located) and other places of interest on the island of Oahu.

After the convention, the GFB delegation traveled to the island of Maui where members toured the scenic road to Hana, visited Haleakala National Park, the site of a dormant volcano crater, and soaked up the Hawaiian sun.