Hello, everyone!

I hope you are enjoying our "beefed-up" communications that have been launched this year. We are making sure you are in the loop with all that is happening around the state in several ways. This e-newsletter, The Belle Bulletin, is designed to let you know of up-coming events around the state. The Jingle hard-copy newsletter will let you know of recent happenings, and for those of you who receive the ACGA Cattlelog, you can find the Cowbelle article (this year entitled "Joining Forces") which contains other news and information. In addition, Janice Bryson offers an excellent Beef Promotion and Education information in her monthly email. With this focus on communication, we hope you feel well-informed. As with any form of communication, it is only as current as the information we receive, so I encourage you to send your 'Belle happenings to Lauren Scheller, Emily Wilson, Janice Bryson or myself.

We are once again thrilled to serve the meal at the annual Pioneer Luncheon, scheduled for December 29^th at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. This is a special time to honor those members of the Arizona Pioneers who have devoted their life to raising quality beef in Arizona. Please join us for this special event, and don't forget the ASC Board meeting held immediately after the luncheon. We will keep this meeting very short in consideration of those who must travel a long distance. One of the topics at the meeting is sure to be our new "Winter Gathering" event, to be held on Saturday, January 21^st at the ASU Polytechnic campus in Mesa. Contact Diana Hemovich at 928-462-3743; dleh50@aolcom for more information.

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful holiday season!  Blessings to you and your families at this special time.

Kind regards, Suzanne Menges 

The Arizona State FFA Beef Promotion Prepared Public Speaking Contest was a great success! ASC partnered with the American National CattleWomen and the Beef Checkoff to conduct the first-ever FFA "Beef Promotion Prepared Public Speaking Contest." It was a great day, with nine students competing at the state finals round at the ASU East campus on December 2^nd. 

President Suzanne Menges with the top 9 finalists

The top four placings were: 1^st place--Megan Skiles, San Simon FFA; 2^nd place--Tori Summey, Paradise Valley FFA; 3^rd place--Alicia Smith Safford FFA; and 4^th place--Brooke Griggeory, Campo Verde FFA. If you are located near one of these award-winners, you might want to invite them to give their 5-minute speech to your local-you will be impressed!  

Suzanne with top 4 winners

A tremendous thank you goes out to the AA State Cowbelles who helped make this event happen: manuscript judge Marie Pyeatt, accuracy judge Diana Hemovich, timekeeperBonnie Benne, and presentation judge Lauren Scheller. Other presentation judges were Grant Boice and Chuck Backus. Tiffany Hayes from the Beef Council also assisted with the event.

Congratulations and a job well-done to ASC President, Suzanne Menges, for organizing this event. It went off without a hitch, due to all of her hard work! *Side note: Another hat that Suzanne wears is that of Committee Chair for ANCW's Animal Well-Being Committee. She is making lots of positive impact on our behalf!