YODER – The Southeast High School ag shop received a quick makeover this week in preparation for the Southeast FFA 2023 Oyster Fry and Member Sale, held Tuesday evening. 

The woodshop area was transformed into a dining hall as members of the community were served an aromatic dinner of ham, baked beans, more salads than one could count and of course, Rocky Mountain Oysters or bull fries. 

The bull fries were prepared right on site by members of the FFA chapter who breaded and deep fried the Wyoming delicacy in front of the guests tables. 

The annual fundraising event also featured a “member sale,” where FFA Chapter Advisor, Jay Clapper and fellow auctioneer Spike Hendrin sold eight hours of work from each FFA member. 

Gate latches which were constructed by Southeast FFA members were available for sale during the auction as well as honey the chapter collected from their own beehive trailer as part of the chapter’s “Portable Farms”. 

Clapper gave a welcome address to the audience as the event began. He spoke of the hard work his classes have been doing in order to prepare the shop to host the event. 

In March of 2022 there was a devastating fire which destroyed most of the area used to teach agriculture components. 

“There was a water heater,” Clapped explained to the audience as he pointed to a balcony above the shop area. “Up there, in that balcony, the water heater shorted out during a windstorm, and it caused us to have a fire. The good thing is we are now functioning again.” 

Clapper went on to explain to the community how proud he was of his students for their hard work and dedication to agriculture and the FFA program. 

“I really wish you could pop in some day and see these kids work,” Clapper told the audience. “One of things I like to brag about is that I can be in my office, drinking a cup of coffee, and there will be 20 kids out here (in the shop) all working and 99% of the time that’s the case. I don’t have to be out here babysitting them. They are out here learning; they’re doing things and taking pride in it. I promise you I don’t just say that.” 

Clapper then asked his assistant, Cheryl Alps, and his substitute teacher, Penny Hutcheson to tell the audience if his statement was true of the classes in his ag shop. Both women quickly shook their heads in agreement, the members of the Southeast FFA Chapter were go-getters, leaders and great workers. 

“To be honest, the oyster fry and member sale, to me, is literally about getting young people out in the community,” Clapper explained. “So many times, I have known young people that their first time working for anyone outside of family was when they might be 20 years old, and they are terrified. I want them terrified at 15.” 

Clapper has previously expressed to the Telegram part of his teaching involves making his students uncomfortable in “real life” situations to teach them problem solving skills at an early age. 

“Life is nothing but problems,” Clapper said in an earlier interview. “I don’t care if they are agriculture problems or lawn maintenance problems or business problems. A problem is a problem and in ag ed, we make you have real world problems, as real as we can make it, and teach you how to solve them in a real-world way and eventually it becomes a habit.” 

The member sale is held in an auction type format and members of the community “bid” to win eight hours of labor.

“I don’t care if their families buy them, work them hard,” Clapper told the audience before bidding began. “I like the idea they get out there. I know what it did for my five children, to get out there and work for other people.” 

The agreement made between the buyer and member is for eight hours of work to be completed by the beginning of school next fall. The buyer will also furnish lunch for the member, according to Clapper. 

Bidding began with the newest members, the freshman FFA members, up for bid. 

Each handout on the guests table gave a brief introduction of the member and Clapper delivered an introduction of his own of the students, speaking highly of their accomplishments or telling a silly story about them before bidding began. 

“If there’s a student that picks on me the most, it would be this one,” Clapper began as Lizzy Boche stood on the platform. “Well, if I am follicle-cally challenged then you are vertically challenged. It is usually because of students that I have lost my hair,” Clapper joked. 

Clapper gave his students high remarks during the event as he spoke to the audience about each member “sold” during the event.

“Mr. Teddy Goulet,” Clapper announced as a young man approached the platform. “It says in his introduction that he is willing to do anything, even if he doesn’t enjoy it and I tell you, he has been an amazing hand for the last two days so when he says that on paper, he backs it up. He did anything I asked and actually did it quite well. He has a deep passion for ag and he’s a good hard worker.”

“Before we close out, this is probably one of the strongest members sales we have had for a lot of years,” Clapper told the audience. “I am very frugal with our money I am one of those I believe in being functional first.”

“Some of the things that you are supporting is the members come in and pay their dues for $20 that gets them a meal at every FFA meeting and all fees, hotels and everything is covered,” Clapper explained. “The freshman can earn their [FFA] jacket by doing the creed speaking contest which may seem impossible to some.”

The FFA program is an inexpensive program to be involved with and Clapper personally keeps in mind his own childhood when he develops programs for students, he told the audience. 

“I grew up kind of poor and I didn’t want money to ever be a reason you didn’t participate in FFA so that is what you are part of,” Clapped explained. “This portable farm program, that’s a deep passion of mine,” he continued, choking back tears. “I want kids to get manure on their hands. We castrated pigs right outside that door. We butchered a hog in that other room last year. We’ve got an animal science lab out there and that’s another thing this event supports,” he continued.

Even Clapper himself was placed up for bids during the sale. 

“Clapper likes to give little spiels about us, so we are going to give one about him and it’s probably going to make him cry. Most of you guys don’t see the behind the scenes, you see these events and they are run pretty well but Mr. Clapper does some pretty amazing things behind the scenes,” senior Kailey Porter, chapter president officers said. “Most of all of our “Portable Farms” we have refurbished, as one would say. When they come in here, they don’t look like anything special and by the time we are done with them, they look amazing,” she continued. “He buys a lot of things out of his pocket, and he makes sure that every kid is taken care of. You guys don’t really see that. You just see all of us doing things like this and you don’t realize that it takes an amazing ag teacher to make us look so professional and this put together. I want to thank you all for coming and this should be our biggest purchase yet,” Porter continued as Clapper took his place.

“And it’s also the last time you get to buy him,” Auctioneer Hendrin told the crowd as they bidding war began. “Sold at $4,500.” 

“As of right now grossed over $18,000.00,” Cherly Apls told the Telegram. “Jay said we will probably get more donations for a week or so. Which is great news.” 

“We had an above average turnout with tremendous community support,” Clapper added.