By LEWIS FORREST

Pitt County FFA Alumni Association

 

Mount Olive, N.C. – North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has awarded the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine to Benjie Forrest of the Blackjack Community in Pitt County. Forrest retired in June after 38 years of exemplary service as an educator in our state. Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Harold Brubaker, made the presentation on Saturday night at a retirement gala for Forrest on the campus of the University of Mount Olive.
One hundred and fifty people attended the event and a group of speakers told amusing stories about Forrest while praising his tireless efforts as an agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor at Washington High School for 18 years and as the eastern region agricultural education and FFA coordinator for 20 years.
Dr. Phillip Kerstetter, president of the University of Mount Olive, provided welcoming remarks of behalf of the university. He pointed out that Forrest serves as a trustee for the university and was instrumental in establishing agribusiness and agricultural education programs at UMO in 2007.
Dr. Marshall Stewart, special assistant to the dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University, gave a humorous address, tracing his personal friendship and professional association with Forrest since their youth in the Blackjack Community. Additional tributes were given by Melinda White, administrative assistant for Forrest for the past 15 years; Herman Grissom Jr. and Andrew Arnold, former students of Forrest who are now successful farmers in Beaufort County; Dr. Curtis Rains, former agricultural education teacher, principal, and school superintendent; and Billy Ray Askew, a former high school agriculture teacher who is now the lead instructor of agribusiness technology at Beaufort Community College.
In addition to the presentation by Speaker Brubaker, Dr. Jim Flowers, head of the department of Agricultural and Extension Education at North Carolina State University, presented a special retirement certificate and praised Forrest for his leadership in agricultural education and FFA programs across the state.
Betty Jo Shepheard, eastern field representative for US Senator Richard Burr, presented a congratulatory letter from the senator, followed by a similar congratulatory card from US Senator Thom Tillis. Shepheard also presented a United States flag that had flown over the nation’s capitol to Forrest, on behalf of Senator Tillis and his staff.
Bill Scott, agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor at Ayden-Grifton High School, presented a 3-foot tall FFA emblem on behalf of the Pitt County FFA Alumni Association. Forrest plans to mount the emblem on the face of a new shop he has built for his retirement spare time. Amanda Watkins, agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor at Northside High School in Beaufort County presented a group gift on behalf of those attending the gala and other friends of Forrest. The gift bag contained season tickets for Forrest and his wife to the 2015 East Carolina University men’s basketball program, restaurant gift cards, and others items for him to enjoy in his retirement.
A barbershop quartet from the Carolina Chord Connection of Greenville provided entertainment for the evening. Mac Hodges, a former student of Forrest, who is on the Beaufort County Board of Education and a field representative for the North Carolina Farm Bureau, served as the master of ceremonies. The faculty, students, and alumni of Spring Creek FFA Chapter in Wayne County catered the event. Among the many well-wishing guests in attendance was former State Representative Charles Johnson of Pitt County, who was also the agriculture teacher and FFA advisor for Forrest when he was a student at Chicod High School from 1969 to 1973.