Camp BONA and FFA's Shared Vision for Leadership

At Camp BONA, we strive to develop leaders who bring people together and create a sense of belonging and connection within our communities. That is why we are working hand in hand with our local FFA chapters.  We understand that our missions overlap and together we can have a major impact on the lives of our young people. 

FFA has been developing community leaders since 1928.  In 1931  Puerto Rico FFA was established.  In 1953 the first African student become a member at Freyburg Academy in Maine.  In 1969 women gain full membership access in the FFA.  FFA has been a leader in personal and community development for all student and it is with great honor that The BONA Foundation offers two scholarships for FFA Students.

  The Purple Necks Outdoors (PNO) FFA Scholarship was created to honor the legacy of William “Bill” McCarroll of Birdell, Arkansas. Bill was the son of an ex-slave (generational freedman) and a first-generation farmer who purchased his initial 40 acres in 1922, just 59 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation (https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation), 57 years after the civil war (https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/american-civil-war-history) and in the middle of the Jim Crow Era (https://www.history.com/topics/early-20th-century-us/jim-crow-laws). On his farm Bill raised pigs, cows, chickens and farmed cotton and corn to support his wife and 7 children. With the earnings from his farm and wages from labor jobs, Bill grew his farm to 180 acres and instilled in his family the value of hard work, honesty, and land ownership. Each generation has added to Bill’s legacy. Purple Neck Farms (named by Bill’s great grandsons: Keith Scruggs and Marcus McCarroll) is now 485 acres and the Purple Necks Outdoors brand is proudly spreading Bill’s legacy of farming, hunting, and outdoor activities for minority people throughout the world. 

The BONA Foundation PNO Scholarship is aligned with the National FFA Organization Federal Charter(https://www.ffa.org/ffa-for-all/) which states, “That one of our purposes is to seek and promote inclusion and diversity in its membership, leadership, and staff to reflect the belief of the FFA in the value of all human beings. At National FFA, we are dedicated to providing our members with the tools and experiences to be successful in an interconnected and diverse world.”

This scholarship is available to high school minority (culturally, ethnically, or racially) FFA students in Texas and Arkansas who have a 3.0 GPA or better.

Recipients receive funds to support animal purchase, feed cost and show preparation.  Four (4) scholarships will be rewarded in 2024.

  The DOC Carlson - FFA Scholarship was created to honor the legacy of  Dr. Don Carlson, DMV. Don graduated from the Central Webster High School, Burnside, IA and received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames, IA 1971. He joined Slife Carlson Veterinary Clinic in Princeton, MO where he practiced for 15 years. He enjoyed working on his farm with the cattle and crops. He made many life-long friends. After selling his veterinary clinic in 1985, Don joined the U.S.D.A. Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) where he was a Supervising Veterinarian. He was stationed in Scottsbluff/Gering, NE for five years. His second assignment was in Kearney, NE for the next ten years. In 2001, Dr. Carlson was promoted to the Federal FSIS office in Omaha, NE. The Federal FSIS headquarters was moved to Washington, DC in 2007, where he served as a Senior Veterinary Consultant for International Affairs. From 2001-2012, Dr. Carlson traveled throughout the world working with foreign governments on their food safety exporting standards. 

This scholarship is available to high school FFA students who have a 3.0 GPA or better who plan on studying veterinary medicine or a related field.

Recipients receive funds to support animal purchase, feed cost and show preparation.  Four (4) scholarships will be rewarded in 2024.