2001/2002 Abstract
Pratt Community College

348 NE S.R.61
Pratt, KS  67124


The Block & Bridle Club at Pratt Community College is a small student organization, but is recognized as one of the most active clubs on campus.

The club held its annual Ag Olympics in October during Rodeo Week.  The Olympics is a team event, including such activities as stacking hay, roping a roping dummy, an obstacle course of rolling objects and barrel racing using a wheelbarrow and a blindfolded pusher.  We had 7 teams enter this year with each team having outstanding performances.  The entry fee for each team was of one can of food or $1 per team member.  Cash entry fees purchased additional canned food.  More than 60 cans of food were donated to the Pratt County Food Bank.


At the PCC College Rodeo in October, the Block & Bridle Club held its annual Rodeo Breakfast.  We served more than 200 servings of biscuits and gravy at this year’s breakfast, along with orange juice, soft drinks, and doughnuts.  The club puts together this breakfast each year as a service to the contestants and spectators during the Saturday morning slack performance of the rodeo.
 
Also in October, the club cooperated with the PCC Rodeo Team to host a team-roping event as a fundraiser.  The club made over $400.
 
Seven members and an advisor drove to Louisville , Kentucky to attend National Convention.  We toured many horse farms, attended a race at Churchill Downs, and took at cruise on the Ohio River .  We also attended a PRCA Rodeo and NAILE.  
 
The club organized a display of our activities at the PCC Open House in March.  Club members staffed the display to answer questions from the prospective students and parents in attendance.
 
This spring’s community service project was new to the club.  We traveled to a local elementary school to teach second graders the importance of soil in everyday life.  We took different samples of soil so that the children could distinguish the layers and types of soil in this area of Kansas .  Each student “built” a soil model using Butterfinger BB’s as parent material, vanilla pudding as the subsoil, crushed Oreos for the topsoil, and gummy worms for the earthworms that indicate a healthy soil.  As the students learned the different layers they were able to point them out in their “dirt”.  This project was a big hit with the students and the club voted to make this an annual activity.
 
In May, the club held a hamburger fry at Lemon Park in Pratt to celebrate the accomplishments of the year.  This was also a night to recruit new members.  We had several high school and college students participate in the sand volleyball game that night.  We concluded by inviting everyone to next year’s Ag Mixer and to join the club next year.
 
Officers:
President Bryce Barker, Pratt, Kansas; Vice President Kristy Wempe, Lawrence, Kansas; Secretary Britney Northrup, Sedgwick, Colorado; Student Senate Representative Jessica Wesley, Medicine Lodge, Kansas; and Dr. Bill Hunter, Advisor.
 

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