Chapter Innovators Guide 2oo2 - IUPUI

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Chapter Innovators Guide 2oo2Chapter Innovators Guide 2oo2

The Agricultural Education Mission

Agricultural education prepares students for successful careers and a lifetimeof informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and naturalresources systems.

The FFA Mission

FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing theirpotential for premier leadership, personal growth and career successthrough agricultural education.

The National FFA Organization is a resource and support organization that does not select, con-trol or supervise state association, local chapter or individual member activities except asexpressly provided for in the National FFA Constitution and Bylaws.

© 2003 by the National FFA Organization

Laurel-Concord FFA Chapter, Nebraska

Models of Innovation

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Introduction

FFA chapters annually developPrograms of Activities (POAs) toguide them through the year’s

events. The POA serves as the chap-ter’s “road map” to success. The FFANational Chapter Award programrecognizes chapters for their effortsin planning and meeting the objec-tives they set in their POAs. ThePOA and the award program havethree divisions—Student Development,Chapter Development and CommunityDevelopment. Each year at thenational FFA convention, the tenhighest-scoring chapters in eachdivision receive the Model ofInnovation Award.

The 2002 Model of Innovationaward winners’ activities are pre-sented in this book. Through them,you’ll see a sample of the manyways FFA chapters identify needs, setgoals, create plans, implement plansand evaluate results. Many of theprojects may sound similar to activi-ties your chapter has undertaken.What makes them innovative is theway they were developed and

implemented. The award judgeswere impressed with these chapters’abilities to identify goals and objec-tives, create a workable plan ofaction, and not only get results, butalso analyze those results, identifylessons learned and determine waysto improve future activities.

Use the ideas in this book to sparkinnovative ideas for your FFA chap-ter. When your new officer team iselected, they should review thisbook as a group and use it as aresource when developing theirPOA. The book also containsinsights from students and advisors,a summary of the award program,tips for National Chapter Award suc-cess and ideas for recruiting moremembers into your FFA chapter.

Set your sights on strengtheningyour students, chapter and commu-nity in innovative ways. Organizechapter activities with a writtenProgram of Activities, apply forrecognition and reap the rewards of innovation in your school, com-munity and beyond!

Table of Contents

FFA National Chapter Award Program 22002 National Chapter Award Winners 3Student Development Innovators 4Chapter Development Innovators 12Community Development Innovators 20Middle Grade Chapter Innovator 28The Chapter Program of Activities 29Tips for Success 30Membership Recruitment Tips 32


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Student DevelopmentQuality Standards

Chapter QualityStandardsDivision I–Student DevelopmentPersonal and group activitiesthat improve life skills andaddress quality standards in:• Leadership• Healthy lifestyles• Supervised agricultural

experience (SAE)• Scholarship• Agricultural career skills

Division II–Chapter DevelopmentActivities that encourage stu-dents to work together andaddress quality standards in:• Chapter recruitment• Financial• Public relations• Leadership• Support groups

Division III–Community DevelopmentCooperative activities withother groups that make thecommunity a better place tolive and work, and addressquality standards in:• Economic• Environmental• Human resources• Citizenship• Agricultural awareness

The FFA National Chapter Award Program

Successful FFA chapters share onecommon trait—they understand thatsuccess is the result of planning and

implementing those plans. The FFA NationalChapter Award program encourages chap-ters to develop and use a written Programof Activities (POA) and recognizes chapters’achievements through the following awards.

State Superior Chapter

Any chapter in good standing that com-pletes at least one activity related to eachof the National Chapter Award program’s15 quality standards (see left column) mayapply for this award. State SuperiorChapters receive a recognition certificate.

State Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards

Chapters that qualify for theState Superior Chapter awardmay supply additional informa-tion about three activities ineach division. State judges scorethese activities to determineState Gold, Silver and Bronzeawards. Winning chaptersreceive a multi-year plaque,and as awards are earned insubsequent years, they receiveplaque inserts that specify thelevel achieved.

National Three-Star, Two-Starand One-Star Gold Awards

Chapters that receive the State Gold awardmay compete for national awards. Thenumber of applications a state may submitis restricted to no more than 10 percent ofits total number of chapters. Nationalaward judges score the applications. Eachchapter receives a multi-year plaque withan engraved plate that indicates itsachievement of the Three-Star, Two-Star orOne-Star award. The “star” designation sig-nifies overall achievement in the NationalChapter Award program.

Model of Innovation Awards

The Model of Innovation awards are pre-sented to the most innovative Three-Starchapters in each division. These chapterseach receive a special recognition plaque at the national FFA convention. Specialrecognition is also given at the nationalconvention to the top-rated middle schoolFFA chapter.

For complete details on the FFA NationalChapter Award program, consult ChapterPlanning and Recognition: A Student Handbook.It is available free from the National FFAOrganization and is also available on theLocal Program Success CD-ROM. For ahard copy, call 1-888-332-2668 and requestitem #NCAH.

The FFA National Chapter Awardprogram recognizes chapters’development and use of a writtenPOA that addresses the qualitystandards in the three divisions. Formore information on each stan-dard, refer to the correspondingsections of this booklet.


2002 Models of Innovation Winners

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Student DevelopmentDivision

National WinnerLaurel-Concord FFA Chapter, Nebraska

Model of Innovation FinalistsCaldwell County FFA Chapter,

KentuckyComanche FFA Chapter, OklahomaGarretson FFA Chapter, South DakotaHolton FFA Chapter, KansasMonticello FFA Chapter, IowaMunford FFA Chapter, TennesseePerrydale FFA Chapter, OregonUnion FFA Chapter, MissouriVersailles FFA Chapter, Ohio

Chapter DevelopmentDivision

National WinnerComanche FFA Chapter, Oklahoma

Model of Innovation FinalistsEast Clinton FFA Chapter, OhioFranklin FFA Chapter, NebraskaLaurel-Concord FFA Chapter, NebraskaNorco FFA Chapter, CaliforniaPeoria FFA Chapter, ArizonaPerrydale FFA Chapter, OregonRavenna FFA Chapter, NebraskaSeneca FFA Chapter, IllinoisWeyauwega-Fremont FFA Chapter,

Wisconsin

Community DevelopmentDivision

National WinnerPerrydale FFA Chapter, Oregon

Model of Innovation FinalistsApollo FFA Chapter, KentuckyMunford FFA Chapter, TennesseeRavenna FFA Chapter, NebraskaRiverside FFA Chapter, TennesseeSouthmont FFA Chapter, IndianaWahpeton FFA Chapter, North DakotaWestern Boone FFA Chapter, IndianaWolfe County FFA Chapter, KentuckyYelm FFA Chapter, Washington

Outstanding Middle Grade Chapter

Jeff Davis Middle School FFA Chapter,Hazlehurst, Georgia

The 2002 awards are based on activitiescompleted during a 12-month periodbetween January 2001 and June 2002(deadlines vary by state).


Union FFA Chapter, Missouri

Jeff Davis Middle School FFA Chapter,Hazlehurst, Georgia

Ravenna FFA Chapter, Ravenna, NebraskaLaurel-Concord FFA Chapter - Laurel, Nebraska

National FFA Advisor Larry Case, Ed.D., presents Laurel-Concord FFA members withtheir National Chapter Award

“Getting members involvedstarts with appealing to all kinds

of people with various back-grounds, interests and ambitions.

Once you catch people’s eyes,the rest should fall into place.”

Kim Victor, 2002-03 Laurel-

Concord FFA Chapter Vice

President

2002 National Chapter Award Winner � Student Development Division

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Student DevelopmentQuality Standards

Leadership activities help theindividual develop technical,human relations and decision-making skills to enhancepersonal success.

Healthy lifestyle activities promote the mental or physicalwell being and self-esteem ofstudents.

Supervised agricultural experience activities promotestudent involvement andgrowth through agriculture-related experience and/orentrepreneurship.

Scholarship activities developa positive attitude towardlifelong learning experiences.

Agricultural career skill activ-ities develop agriculturaloccupation and career skillsin a progressive learningenvironment.

The Laurel-Concord FFA Chapter isfortunate to have a great group ofstudents who are really in touch

with community needs, according toPaul Timm, chapter advisor. “I think thekey to student involvement is makingthe activities enjoyable. Our memberscome up with some very creative ideasand, as the advisor, I see it as my job tohelp them turn their ideas into reality.To do that, the ideas must be studentdriven. The students must have owner-ship if they are to take the ball and runwith it.”

And run with it they did!

To develop student leadership, the chap-ter had 10 members participate in thenational FFA convention. One studentwas involved in the National FFAChorus, while another was a nationalproficiency finalist. All the students whowent to the convention attended twoleadership workshops along with con-vention sessions and toured the FFANational Agricultural Career Show.

To develop healthy lifestyles among itsmembers, the chapter hosts a “kick-off”each August to celebrate the start of a

2002 National Chapter Award Winner � Student Development Division

Ravenna FFA Chapter, Ravenna, NebraskaLaurel-Concord FFA Chapter - Laurel, Nebraskanew school year. Held in conjunctionwith their alumni, the kick-off includesa barbecue and many games. Afterdark, the members light a bonfire andtoast marshmallows.

Students at Laurel-Concord assisted inconducting research at the HaskellAgricultural Laboratory to developskills for their supervised agriculturalexperience programs. After theresearch was complete, they analyzedthe data and prepared a PowerPointpresentation. The presentation was

delivered to students in Mead, Neb.,via the distance education program.

Working with their local alumni, thechapter sponsors a $200 scholarshipannually. The scholarship is awardedto a graduating FFA member who iscontinuing his or her education inagriculture. The scholarship is given tothe student after he or she has com-pleted a semester of post-secondaryeducation with a grade point averageof “C” or above.

Students enrolled in the plant science

class broadened their agriculturalcareer skills by working with the own-er of a local floral shop. The studentsgrew a variety of vegetables, includingtomatoes, peppers, squash and greenbeans. The floral shop provided theuse of its greenhouse and the ownersassisted the students in developingtheir greenhouse management andmarketing skills.

All of these activities started as chapter member ideas. Through theProgram of Activities development

process, each idea was fleshed outand implementation plans weredeveloped. Throughout the year, thechapter officer team diligentlyencouraged members to becomeinvolved in each different activity.

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More HealthyLifestyle Ideas

Fun Field Activities DayThe chapter hosted an activi-ties day during National FFAWeek. Events included haybale tossing, hay bale stack-ing, fishing pole casting, hotdog eating, turkey calling,roping, an egg race, and athree-legged feed sack race.The winners of each eventreceived a prize.

—Riverside FFA Chapter, Tennessee

Operation Clean StreamMembers volunteered theirtime and effort to help cleanup a local river. One earlysummer morning, membersarrived on site at theirstretch of the BourbeuseRiver. They floated downmore than seven miles ofriver picking up garbage,tires and other debris alongthe way. The effort yieldedtwo trailer loads of debrisweighing approximately1,500 pounds. The FFAAlumni held an appreciationdinner for the members.

—Union FFA Chapter, Missouri

Healthy Lifestyles

Hunter Safety

Working with the Department of Fish andWildlife, members helped plan and imple-ment a Hunter Safety Course for thecommunity. This course promoted safetyin the community, and provided studentsan opportunity to earn their certifications.

—Caldwell County FFA Chapter, Kentucky

Laughter is the Best Medicine

FFA members hosted a booth at the localHealth Fair, with the theme, “Laughter isthe Best Medicine.” To prepare their exhib-it, chapter members researched thepositive effects of laughter and illustratedthese in their booth. They also distributedjokes to the children and adults who vis-ited their exhibit as a way of reinforcingtheir message.

—Franklin FFA Chapter, Nebraska

Agriculture Jeopardy

Chapter members developed an“Agriculture Jeopardy” game board andused it to teach children how to stay safearound grain bins, wagons and otheragricultural equipment. The game wasplayed during a local community festival.In addition, chapter members workedwith the local sherriff’s department to fin-gerprint and collect data on 220 children.The data collected will be used in missingchildren’s cases.

—East Clinton FFA Chapter, Ohio

Fire Safety

Hosting an educational event at the FireSafety House turned out to be as muchfun for the FFA members as it was for thesecond graders they were teaching.Members demonstrated how to exit ahouse if it is on fire and handed outinformational pamphlets on fire safety.

—Jeff Davis Middle School FFA Chapter, Georgia

Kick Off

The chapter planned a barbeque withactivities afterwards to get the school yearoff on the right foot. Younger memberswere assigned upperclassmen to serve asmentors. The mentorship was a great wayfor the younger members to learn aboutFFA and get to know the older members.

—Laurel-Concord FFA Chapter, Nebraska

Healthy lifestyle activities promote the mental or physical well being and self-esteem of students.

We try to do new thingsevery year to keep thingsfresh.

We try to do new thingsevery year to keep thingsfresh.

We try to do new things every year tokeep things fresh.

Healthy Lifestyles

7 •

FFA Game Show

To strengthen FFA and agricultural knowl-edge of students, members created a gameshow entitled, “Who Wants to Go toGatlinburg?” Based on the popular televi-sion show, “Who Wants to be aMillionaire,” FFA members took a qualify-ing test prior to National FFA Week. Theeight top-scoring individuals participatedin the game show. More than 180 mem-bers attended the game show. The winnerreceived an all-expenses-paid trip to thestate FFA convention.

—Munford FFA Chapter, Tennessee

Halloween Party

To involve both FFA members and alumnithe chapter coordinated a Halloween par-ty. The members offered many activitiesincluding bobbing for apples, pie eating,pumpkin carving, a costume contest, scarystory telling, and many others. By theevening’s end, 80 percent of membersparticipated and 95 percent of alumniattended.

—Versailles FFA Chapter, Ohio

Tobacco Awareness

The chapter officers set a goal of increas-ing members’ awareness of tobacco’seffect on the human body. The chapterpartnered with the county health depart-ment and screened 240 students for lipand gum disease associated with tobaccouse. This activity has helped decreasetobacco usage in the school.

—Norco FFA Chapter, California

Cowboy Dance

The chapter hosted a Christmas Danceand invited more than 40 different chap-ters along with the state officer team. Allproceeds from the dance went to the stateofficer fund. The dance was held at amember’s farm.

—Western Boone FFA Chapter, Indiana

More HealthyLifestyle Ideas

Chapter ChristmasPartyTo provide all members with a safe, fun supervisedactivity, the chapter hosteda Christmas party. Duringthe party, members partici-pated in ice hockey, a darttournament, bingo, sled-ding, snowshoeing andcross-country skiing. Morethan 120 members attended.The event provided mem-bers with a chance to inter-act outside of the classroomand form friendshipsbetween different classes.—Wahpeton FFA Chapter, North Dakota

Healthy lifestyle activities promote the mental or physical well being and self-esteem of students.

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More LeadershipIdeas

Student Youth Organization DayChapter members participat-ed in the State StudentOrganizational LeadershipDay held in the state capital.The students met with theirsenators, state representa-tives, and the governor. TheFFA members were hostedby State Senator RobertStivers and were recognizedon the floor of the KentuckySenate. They returned withknowledge of the legislativeprocess, parliamentary pro-cedure and functions of thestate government.

—Wolfe County FFA Chapter,Kentucky

Speaking TeamTo develop members’ publicspeaking skills, the chapterformed a speaking team. Theteam participated in pre-pared, extemporaneous andcreed speaking career devel-opment events. Of the 15chapter members who par-ticipated, five earned compe-tition spots and the honor ofcompeting at the next level.

—Peoria FFA Chapter, Arizona

Leadership

FFA In Action

As a way of increasing agricultural aware-ness in southern Oklahoma and northernTexas, chapter members produced a seriesof 162 television segments.The agriculturecommunications class prepared scripts,filmed, edited and scheduled segmentsthat aired twice a week on KSWO, an ABCaffiliate in Lawton, Okla. The televisionshow “Ag Day” requested a segment beproduced to endorse “FFA in Action” on anationwide basis. More than 400 FFAmembers from 54 Oklahoma and 14 Texaschapters participated.

—Comanche FFA Chapter, Oklahoma

FFA Week Assembly

In an effort to increase FFA exposure inthe school, chapter members planned aschool-wide assembly during NationalFFA Week. A former state FFA presidentwas the guest speaker. As a result, enroll-ment increased by 23 students.


Developing Seven Habits

All chapter officers participated in the“Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens”seminar to develop their leadership skills.The skills learned carried through tomany leadership conferences and activi-ties. In addition, the chapter sent fourofficers and two committee chairs to theWashington Leadership Conference wherethey further honed their leadership skills.

—Monticello FFA Chapter, Iowa

From the Plains to Perrydale

To broaden members’ horizons, exchangeideas and create friendships, the PerrydaleFFA Chapter partnered with the Seward,Nebraska, FFA Chapter on a culturalexchange. Perrydale members plannedtours of Oregon’s unique agriculture, his-toric sites, the scenic beauty of theColumbia Gorge, a trip to the PacificOcean and a trip to a PortlandTrailblazers’ basketball game for their 70Nebraska guests. While planning andcoordinating this exchange took manyhours and much effort, it provided atremendous experience for all involved.

—Perrydale FFA Chapter, Oregon

Leadership activities help individuals develop technical, human relations and decision-making skills to enhance personal success.

9 •

Chapter Test Plot

The chapter secured a 35-acre land lab topromote student involvement, growth anddevelopment in agricultural career skills.The members wanted to learn how toeffectively plant and harvest no-till soy-beans. They planted 26 different varietiesof seed from eight different companies.The members developed skills in plan-ning, planting and harvesting. The chapterprofited $7,200 while the members benefited from the experience.


Land Lab Management

To encourage more SAE experiences, thehigh school has a 117-acre farm thatincludes ponds, forest, gardens and anursery. The members secure equipment,seed, chemicals and fertilizer for the farm.They also maintain records for the farm,evaluate performance and brainstormways to improve production.

—Seneca FFA Chapter, Illinois

Educational Tours

The chapter takes summer, fall and springtours of agricultural interest. These toursare based on an SAE interest survey themembers complete. This year, memberstoured the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Agriculture, Foodand Natural Resources, the MissouriInstitute of Cooperatives; and the Tri-StateFarm Progress Show. More than 75 per-cent of the members participated in theseeducational tours.


Artificial Insemination

Over the holiday break, 10 chapter members with beef SAEs participated inan artificial insemination workshop. The two-day training was spent half in a class-room and half in the barn working withcows. In addition to AI techniques,

members learned aboutproper herd nutrition, thevalue of higher qualitygenetics, effective hygiene,heat detection and othersteps to ensure herd health.Area ranches and a localgenetics company represen-tative provided the cattleand the materials needed forthe workshop. —Franklin FFA Chapter, Nebraska

Animal Lab

Providing hands-on experience for mem-bers was the goal of this chapter’s animallab project. The chapter contracted with alocal construction company to build ametal pole barn. The members secured aloan from the school district to financethe project. As a result, the number ofmembers exhibiting livestock greatlyincreased. A flock of sheep was purchasedfrom a local producer, along with someshow goats. These animals provided stu-dents with ample opportunities forhands-on experience in taking care oflarge animals.


More SupervisedAgriculturalExperience Ideas

SAEs That Take You PlacesThe chapter has had fournational proficiency finalists,two of whom were selectedto participate in theInternational Travel Seminarto Costa Rica. By highlight-ing these winners and theopportunities they received,younger members wereencouraged to developstronger SAEs. This effort ledto a 20 percent increase inthe number of proficiencyapplications submitted at thechapter and state levels.

—Yelm FFA Chapter, Washington

Heifer CoopMembers are given opportuni-ties to work with a local farmerwho provides them with a calf,feed and assistance. In return,the members are required toshow the animals in competi-tion and keep accuraterecords.


Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE)Supervised agricultural experience activities promote student involvement and growth

through agriculture-related experience and/or entrepreneurship.

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Scholarship

Scholarship Program

To help members finance their educationsbeyond high school, the chapter estab-lished a scholarship program incorporatingan auction. Community members donateitems to the auction and the proceeds areused to fund scholarships. In April, everysenior planning to continue his or hereducation is given an application. Thoseseniors who have been FFA members forfour years and have met the minimumscholarship and leadership qualifications,receive a $500 scholarship. In addition,one four-year FFA member receives a$2,000 scholarship that is awarded over afour-year period. Beyond these localscholarships, seniors are encouraged toapply for the National FFA ScholarshipProgram.


Scholarships for CDE winners

The chapter awards $500 scholarships toeach member of state-winning careerdevelopment event teams. This encour-ages members to try new CDEs andincreases the level of participation.

—Southmont FFA Chapter, Indiana

Members of the Month

The chapter honors four members permonth who are active in the FFA.Presentations for the students are made atthe monthly chapter meetings. Studentsare recognized for their outstanding SAEprograms and FFA involvement.


Scholarship activities develop a positive attitude toward lifelong learning experiences.

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Agriculture in Your Life

As a way of helping children understandagriculture and its role in their lives,chapter members worked with FCCLAmembers and ecology students to host aneducational event for area second- andthird-grade students. More than 200 ele-mentary children visited the high schooland learned about agriculture. The chil-dren rotated through four stations. At thefirst station, they learned about corn, soy-beans and wheat. The next station focusedon dairy products and the children madebutter. Next, they learned about chickensand eggs. Finally, the children learnedabout pork and observed a baby pig. Allthe elementary students received coloringbooks provided by the corn and soybeanassociations.


River Assessment

To engage members and develop careerskills, the officers developed a program inwhich students collected and analyzedlocal water samples. Working together, 54members correctly collected and anlayzedsamples and determined the amount ofnitrates, chlorides, iron and dissolved oxy-gen present in each sample. The datacollected was made available to the public.


Landscape Design Contest

Chapter members competed against students from other area schools in thelocal Home Builders’ Association land-scape design contest. The members usedmaterials donated from area horticulturalbusinesses to build their design, whichwas named best of show. They were presented with a cash award.

—Apollo FFA Chapter, Kentucky

Strengths Finders

The chapter hosted a Gallup StrengthsFinders profile assessment for high schoolstaff members, administrators, Board ofEducation members, seniors not enrolledin agriculture, and the board of directorsand five employees from the local FarmersCoop. This allowed the community mem-bers to identify their personal strengthsand encouraged them to applied thosestrengths in their lives and careers.

—Ravenna FFA Chapter, Nebraska

Career Studies

To educate members about local agricul-tural-related jobs and skills needed foremployment, studies were conducted atfour local agribusinesses by 18 ninth-grademembers. In addition, all chapter membersexplored agricultural careers using theInternet.

—Garretson FFA Chapter, South Dakota

Science Ideas in Action

The chapter’s goal was to unite all schoolsin the Yelm community through science,career exploration and FFA. The chapterhosted a science fair for all ages. Therewere 175 participants, and more than 350parents, students and community mem-bers attended. Members helped tutor theyoung science fair participants.


More AgriculturalCareer Skills Ideas

Research withSyngentaA Syngenta representativeapproached the chapter andasked if members wouldassist in a corn flux researchproject. The members agreedand processed 758 samplesmeasuring ear width, cobwidth, cob length, total kernelweight and 500-kernel weightfor each sample. In addition,the students learned aboutagribusiness and researchcareers from the Syngentaemployees.

—Laurel-Concord FFA Chapter,Nebraska

Career FairThe chapter sponsored acareer fair during its annualFFA mini camp. Local com-munity colleges and employ-ers were invited, with 15accepting the invitation andhosting displays. More than550 Arizona FFA membershad the opportunity to visitwith the employers and col-leges during the event.


Agricultural Career Skills Agricultural career skills activities develop agricultural occupation and career skills in a

progressive learning environment.

2002 National Chapter Award Winner � Chapter Development Division

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Chapter DevelopmentQuality Standards

Chapter recruitment activitiesincrease agricultural educa-tion enrollment and/or FFAmembership and encouragegreater participation.

Financial activities encouragethrift and sound financial man-agement practices amongmembers through earnings,savings and investments.

Public relations activities promote a positive imageand inform students, parents,school officials and the com-munity about chapter andmember accomplishments.

Leadership activities developteamwork and cooperativeskills among chapter officers,committees and members.

Support group activitiesdevelop and maintain positiverelations among FFA mem-bers, parents, communityleaders and industry.

Comanche FFA Chapter, Comanche, Oklahoma

When the Comanche FFA chapterofficers start working on theirProgram of Activities, they

focus on identifying needs within thechapter and community in which theirmembers share an interest. “Once youhave a shared interest on which to focusyour energies, you must create a plan ofaction and include activities andresponsibilities for everyone in thatplan,” says Bruce Akins, one of the chapter’s advisors.

“As an example, we started an elementaryscience fair as a way to reach out to

younger students and help them under-stand the connection between scienceand agriculture,” Akins says. “This activityattracts some of our students that aren’tinterested in other activities, and it putsthem in a teaching role with the elemen-tary students. They have to step out oftheir comfort zones and spend time onthe other side of the desk. The studentstake on a leadership role and developtheir skills. Plus, they realize that they arenot just representing themselves, but thechapter and the FFA organization. Thisexperience empowers our students andhelps them grow personally.”

Comanche FFA members explode with excitement as the chapter's name isannounced at the national FFA convention.

“As officers, we try to appeal tomembers by relating FFA activi-ties to their other interests. For

example, if a student is intowrestling, we encourage him to

use that interest in an FFA activitylike public speaking. Wrestlers arealways watching their weight andneed to learn about good nutri-tion, which makes a great publicspeaking topic that is related to

agriculture. It’s all about focusingon what the members are inter-

ested in and making the activitiesfun and enjoyable for all.”

Chris Branch, 2002-03

Comanche FFA Chapter

Treasurer

2002 National Chapter Award Winner � Chapter Development DivisionComanche FFA Chapter, Comanche, Oklahoma

13•

Akins and his teaching partner, LarryReed, apply this concept across all thechapter’s activities. Here’s a samplingof some of their efforts in chapterdevelopment.

To enhance their recruitment efforts, the chapter officers invited several state officers to visit. The state officersdiscussed opportunities available to FFAmembers and encouraged prospectivemembers to join.

Chapter members hosted a sale toincrease their financial skills. They devel-oped an advertising plan, clerked thesale, figured commissions and processedbilling for a consignment auction.

To increase public awareness of FFA, the chapter produced a weekly televi-sion segment called, “FFA in Action,” forKSWO-ABC, Channel 7, in Lawton, Okla.The program informed the viewingaudience about FFA and chapter member activities.

The chapter officer team formed commit-tees and engaged many chapter membersin planning, organizing and conductingthe annual parent-member banquet.

FFA members worked with chapter support groups to clean up the citypark and conduct beautification proj-ects. They produced bedding plants inthe school’s greenhouse and plantedthem in front of local businesses and at a senior citizen center.

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Chapter Recruitment

Chapter T-Shirts

Members selected a theme, designed alogo and created chapter t-shirts. Allmembers received a t-shirt. In addition,the shirts were given to prospective mem-bers at various times during the year.


Chapter Meeting Involvement

In an effort to include more members inmonthly chapter meetings and makethem more exciting, the chapter hosts anactivity after each meeting. The activitiesinclude degree initiations, egg tosses, soft-ball games and a pie eating contest.Members who arrive on time are enteredin a door prize drawing. The prizes arepresented at the end of each meeting.


Welcome Back to School Picnic

To welcome back returning members andrecruit and retain new members, the chap-ter held a picnic. After the meal wasserved, the president, advisors, alumnipresident and contest winners spoke aboutsummer accomplishments, current chapterhappenings and upcoming events. Thisproject allows members to get reacquaint-ed at the beginning of the school year.

—Wahpeton FFA Chapter, North Dakota

Leadership Night

To encourage eighth-grade students toenroll in agriculture and join FFA, thechapter hosted a leadership night. The funbegan with a scavenger hunt, then contin-ued with an ice-breaker and barnyardOlympic activities. FFA prizes were present-ed to event winners. The evening closedwith a presentation about FFA and partici-pants making their favorite ice creamsundae. Following the event, letters weremailed to all 45 eighth-grade studentsthanking them for attending and encour-aging agriculture program enrollment.


Junior High FFA

FFA membership was offered to interestedseventh and eighth graders. A number ofspecial activities were developed for theseyoung members, including a corn grow-ing contest, participation in Farm Day andthe Junior High FFA Ag Olympics. Becauseof this effort, the chapter recruited 33 per-cent of the eighth-grade class into FFA. Inaddition, the Junior High FFA membersparticipated in the fruit sale, raising salesby $3,000.


Junior High-The Future of FFA

Junior high FFA members hold officerpositions, participate in the quiz bowl,essay contest, leadership night and EDGEconference. This increases FFA knowledge,builds leadership skills and helps developthe future of the chapter.

—Weyauwega-Fremont FFA Chapter, Wisconsin

Chapter recruitment activities increase agricultural education enrollment and/or FFA membership and encourage greater participation.

15 •

Fun with a Hypnotist

To promote a positive image of the FFA,the chapter hosted a hypnotist show andadvertised it as “Having Fun with FFA.”The Alumni affiliate bought the show for$1,100 at the National FFA AlumniAuction and donated it to the FFA chapter.More than 1,400 students and facultymembers attended the show, which wasalso broadcast on closed-circuit televisioninside the school. The chapter receivedmore than 50 thank-you notes from fac-ulty and students at Apollo.


Planting Poseys

FFA members invested more than 100hours working on the town park and the school wetlands area. They plantedflowers and shrubs they had grown. Inaddition, members built flowerbeds, birdfeeders and birdhouses they designed.


Young McDonald’s Farm

To familiarize community members withagriculture, members hosted exhibits atmany local activities. The members gath-ered a dairy calf, a beef calf, a pony,ducks, lambs, goats, pigs, rabbits, turkeys,chicks and hens for displays at the countyfair, Fifties Day Festival, and the Indy 500Festival. The exhibit also featured namesof FFA sponsors, providing them withadditional recognition.


Community Pancake Feed

The chapter collected donations frommembers for a community pancake feed.Local businesses donated food items forthe event. More than 450 communitymembers, parents and farmers attended.

—Holton FFA Chapter, Kansas

Clean Up

Chapter members helped a total of 117farmers with the Rinse and Reuse pro-gram. They collected 300 old batteries forproper disposal, and hauled in and dis-posed of more than 75 junk cars. Themembers took water samples on differentfarmers’ properties, sent them in for analy-sis and provided the results to eachfarmer. The members also cleaned up theriver and along the highway in their town.

—Wolfe County FFA Chapter, Kentucky

Teacher Appreciation Day

Throughout the year, FFA members workwith the student body, teachers, adminis-trators and the community. To expressappreciation of their support, the chapterhosts a teacher appreciation day. This hashelped FFA establish a sound reputationwith the teachers and the community.


More PublicRelations Ideas

Harvest FestA harvest fest was held tohonor and initiate Greenhandand Chapter FFA Degreemembers and parents. Theevent is held in conjunctionwith the hay, grain and horti-culture show. For the show,members had to test theweight and measure themoisture content of at leasttwo entries. All chaptermembers participated in thehay, grain and horticultureshow, along with 37 green-hands and their parentsattended, and 25 chapterdegree recipients.


In the MediaTo create community aware-ness of agricultural educationand FFA, the chapter reporterwrites a news release onevery FFA activity. The newsreleases are sent to the localnewspaper, parents, alumni,school officials, board mem-bers and the agriculturaleducation advisory board.


Public RelationsPublic relations activities promote a positive image and inform students, parents, school

officials and the community about chapter and member accomplishments.

•16

More Financial Ideas

Fall HarvestCooperativeThe chapter organized acooperative to help membersunderstand how they work. Aboard of directors was select-ed and made responsible forsetting policy, creating abudget and publicizing theprogram to members. Theysold 1,500 shares of stock at$5 with a goal of increasingthe stock value to $7.35 pershare. The cooperative pro-duced and marketed 2,000bales of straw, 700 bundlesof corn stalks and 5,000pounds of “squirrel food”from the school farm. Thevalue-added products thatwere sold created $8,900 inprofit for the members whoparticipated (ending stockshare value was $9.15). Inaddition, the FFA chapterreceived $4,000 in profits.The students learned a greatdeal about adding value andmarketing agricultural prod-ucts through this activity.


Chapter Finance

Flower Power

The chapter raised and marketed 400mums. This project provided memberswith opportunities to learn marketing,greenhouse, cash register and customerservice skills. The mums brightened thecommunity, and the members were verypleased with the prices they received fortheir efforts.


Fireworks Stand

To supplement the annual fruit sale, thechapter hosted a fireworks stand. Thefunds raised were targeted specifically foruse as chapter travel expenses. Everymember who worked the stand received at-shirt emblazoned with the phrase,“Holton FFA, It’s a Blast,” and a percentageof the profits were placed into an individ-ual account for use during the year.


Wahpeton Canvas Company

A former chapter president is now theCEO of the Wahpeton Canvas Company,and he contacted the chapter about doinga belting project for the company. Themembers tracked inventory, ordered sup-plies, inserted bolts through belts andattached teeth to the belts, which are usedon John Deere Combine pick-up heads.The chapter received $2.50 per belt, earn-ing $6,000 total.


Money Matters

As a way of helping members developsound financial habits, all members arerequired to track and categorize their per-sonal spending. This activity helpsmembers see where their money goes andhow to spend it more prudently.


Toy Show, Sale and Auction

As a fundraiser, the chapter hosted a toyshow, sale and auction. Members contact-ed local vendors, rented 102 tables, andmanaged the toy auction, displays, a ped-al pull and a concession stand. The showhad 27 consigners, 175 auction items andmore than 1,000 attendees. More than 130members involved. The auction grossed$6,600, with the chapter receiving a netprofit of $3,131.


Sell a Member

Member services were sold at the auctionblock to earn money for the chapter. Themembers were “sold” in work periods offour hours. A total of $2,015 was raised bythe member auction, which was attendedby 75 potential buyers.


Financial activities encourage thrift and sound financial management practices among members through earnings, savings and investments.

17 •

Pasture Profits

The chapter leases 90 acres from theschool district. The students are responsi-ble for purchasing steers, doing veterinarywork, hauling feed, fixing fence, feedingmineral and salt, and evaluating the ani-mals before they are sold. The FFA chaptercollected $1,797 for FFA when they soldthe steers. The chapter made a profit of 73dollars per steer. In addition to the moneyraised, the members profited from theexperience by all they learned aboutmanaging cattle.


Bowl-a-Thon

To raise money, the chapter hosted a bowl-a-thon at the local bowling alley. Themoney is used for travel expenses so thatmembers can participate in career develop-ment events and the state FFA conference.Students enjoy the activity and it helpsdevelop camaraderie among the members.


Green for Green

Some students funded their entire trip toFFA camp through the “Green for Green”program. Each member was responsiblefor marketing greenhouse plants, collect-ing funds and delivering the plants. Atotal of 193 hanging baskets were sold,which funded registration for 10 campers.


Corn Feed

While sweet corn is in peak production,the FFA chapter hosts a corn feed. Studentshandpick the corn for the feed, and pre-pare other dishes to serve. All membersparticipated in the corn feed, and thechapter raised more than $2,800 from theevent. These funds are used to pay mem-ber dues, and cover other expenses.


Donkey Basketball

The chapter sold tickets for the Alumni’sdonkey basketball fundraiser. The eventraised $1,092 for scholarships.


FFA Reality Store

The FFA Reality Store was set up toresemble a regular town . Each memberwas given a “reality” life. Thegoal was touse the income they had to supportthemselves and their families. One careeroption FFA members experienced wasserving in the military. Students were toldtheir rank, job, salary and benefits pack-age. The members were challenged tohave at least one dollar left at the end ofthe activity.


More Financial Ideas

Blooming SuccessTo raise money for the chap-ter, members sold beddingplants and poinsettias. Themembers planted more than12,000 flower and vegetableplants using 75 varieties ofseed. Members developed amarketing plan, budgetedproduction costs and pricedplants. The chapter had a netprofit of $3,860. Based onthis success, the memberscreated a business plan toexpand the greenhouse andpresented it to the schoolboard. They received$10,000 in grant funds toadd an additional 12 feet tothe greenhouse and pur-chase germination chambers,pneumatic seeders, drip irri-gation, soil sterilizer and alight meter.


Consignment AuctionTo raise money to constructa new agriculture laboratory,chapter members organizedand implemented a consign-ment auction. More than 600items were consigned ordonated to the effort. Theauction raised $12,500 with172 buyers and 22 chaptermembers participating.


Financial activities encourage thrift and sound financial management practices among members through earnings, savings and investments.

Chapter Finance

•18

More ChapterLeadership Ideas

NFLNew Future Leaders (NFL) isa leadership camp for FFAmembers. During this leader-ship conference, each mem-ber developed an idea, thenbrought it home and imple-mented it in the chapter. Inaddition to their leadershipactivities, camp participantsjet skied, boated and fished.The Nebraska state officersattended to assist with theteam-building exercises.

—Laurel-Concord FFA Chapter,Nebraska

Helping HandsWhen an FFA member wasdiagnosed with leukemia, thechapter swung into action.They sponsored a catfishsupper to raise money tohelp the family with unex-pected expenses.

—Jeff Davis Middle School FFAChapter, Georgia

Chapter Leadership

Leadership Lock-in

Working with the FCCLA, FFA membersplanned and implemented a LeadershipLock-in. The event focused on cooperativeskills, building individual self esteem anddeveloping student leadership skills.Activities included ice breakers, teamworkgames, a spider-web discussion of peoplewho were influential in the students’ lives,and lots of fun. A state FFA officer spoke,providing inspiration and leadershipinsight. At midnight, the students hadaccess to the gym, computer lab andmovies.


FFA Chapter Retreat

To prepare for the District LeadershipCareer Development Events, the chapterheld a weekend retreat. During the retreat,members presented demonstrations andspeeches in front of other members. Eachpresentation was critiqued, and memberswere given feedback on what they coulddo to improve. By the end of the retreat,the members were more confident in theirpresentation skills.


Food for America

Because of popular demand for the Foodfor America program, the chapter madethree presentations. The presentations featured a trip to the local grocery storeand an explanation of how productsmove from local farmers to processorsand finally to merchants. During the pastyear, 12 different animals were used fordifferent programs.


Leadership activities develop teamwork and cooperative skills among chapter officers,committees and members.

19 •Reaching Out, Working Together

FFA members worked with the school’sstudent council, FBLA, FCCLA, VICA, STAR,and FCA chapters to host activities. Oneoutcome of this collaborative effort wasthe hosting of an all-school assembly for students in grades 7-12. A motivationalspeake delivered an inspirational messageto the students regarding decision makingand how choices can impact one’s life foryears to come. The news story coveringthe assembly can be found online at[http://theindependent.com/stories/012402/new_talk24.html].


FFA Display Case

The members wanted a display case inwhich to exhibit their accomplishments,similar to a sports trophy case. Theyrequested bids from several suppliers todetermine a budget. A fundraising cam-paign was organized to gather the moneyneeded for the project. The completed dis-play case highlights memberaccomplishments and chapter activities. Itis in the school’s commons area, whichreceives heavy use and high traffic.


Alumni Social

To earn money for the FFA Scholarshipfund, the chapter worked with alumnimembers to host a soup and sandwichsocial. The social was held during awrestling match and varsity basketballgame. Members served more than 300customers at the social. The alumni raisedmore than $1,000 for the scholarship fund.


Golf Course

To provide a real-world environment forstudents to apply their competencies, thechapter established a golf course. The stu-dents constructed a Pro Shop. The golfcourse management class maintains thecourse. The golf course is used by many,including the girls’ golf team and specialeducation classes.


Chapter Support GroupSupport group activities develop and maintain positive relations among the FFA, parents,

community leaders and industry.

2002 National Chapter Award Winner � Community Development Division

•20

CommunityDevelopment Quality Standards

Economic activities improvethe economic welfare of thecommunity.

Environmental activities pre-serve natural resources anddevelop more environmentallyresponsible individuals.

Human resources activitiesimprove the welfare andwell-being of members andcitizens in the community.

Citizenship activities promoteand encourage members tobecome active, involved citizens of their school, community and country.

Agricultural awareness activi-ties help the public becomebetter informed about thefood system and relatedagricultural issues.

Perrydale FFA Chapter, Oregon

With 22 years of teachingexperience under his belt anda wall of plaques and trophies

attesting to his skill, Kirk Hutchinsonsays it all starts with the students. “Ifyou want an active chapter, you have tostart with the chapter officer team,”Hutchinson explains. “First the officershave to develop a plan, and then it istheir job to sell it to the members. I’dlike to say that we don’t still strugglewith motivating students, but that is justnot the case. Getting students involvedis incredibly difficult.”

Hutchinson continues, “One thing I’vefound that helps get students engaged isestablishing traditions. When you do anactivity for a couple of years in a row,even though you modify it a bit everyyear, it becomes a tradition. It becomessomething people – including youngerstudents – look forward to. It becomes‘their’ activity, not yours.”

Looking at the list of activitiesHutchinson’s students implement eachyear, its obvious these words hold water.For example, Perrydale FFA membersprovided a helping hand during the

“As officers, we try to plan awide variety of activities toappeal to a broad group of

members. We also work to makeeach activity fun for

participants.”Kami Coy, 2002-2003 Perrydale

FFA Chapter Treasurer

“The officers assign the easiertasks to younger members as away of getting them involved.Accomplishing these smaller

tasks helps members gain confidence in themselves andprepares them for tackling the

bigger tasks.”Tory Bolling, Perrydale FFA

Chapter Member

Perrydale FFA members are congratulated by Larry Case, nationalFFA advisor, as they receive their Model of Innovation award.

2002 National Chapter Award Winner � Community Development DivisionPerrydale FFA Chapter, Oregon

21•

recent drought through their Food ForAll program. Members worked togetherto solicit donations of food and clothingfrom agricultural businesses, communi-ty members and other FFA chaptersacross Oregon. They provided the foodand clothing collected to agriculturalcommunities in the Klamath Basin andlocal food banks.

To enhance their environment, chaptermembers brought shovels, work

clothes and a good attitude to a localstream bank in danger of erosion. Theyplanted 750 trees to preserve and pro-tect the bank.

To help improve the welfare and wellbeing of local citizens, members raisedpigs. As part of the Pork for People pro-gram, members solicited donationsfrom community members and areabusinesses to help pay for feed andprocessing expenses. The pork was

donated to three local food banks toprovide those in need with a healthysource of protein.

To encourage citizenship, chapter mem-bers conducted several visits to a localnursing home. Chapter members organ-ized a holiday luncheon and springfling, and invited friends to the retire-ment home.

Members made several presentationsabout FFA and agricultural education at

area meetings and conferences. Thisincreased the public’s awareness of agri-culture and the leadership developmentopportunities FFA provides.

�

•22

More CommunityEconomic Ideas

Tobacco EducationMeetingsFFA members worked withthe County Extension Serviceto host meetings and helpexplain the Phase 1 and Phase2 Tobacco Settlement moniesto farmers in the community.The members helped farmerscomplete forms to apply forcompensation. As a result,116 people received checksfor their tobacco base quotas.The money received was tobe used to produce some-thing other than tobacco, tostart a beef cattle operation,for example.

—Wolfe County FFA Chapter,Kentucky

Home and GardenShow HelpVolunteering to help areabusinesses set up and teardown their exhibits at a localhome and garden show wasan excellent way for membersto learn community servicefirst hand. The show drawspeople from all over northeastKansas, and the local chamberof commerce expressedthanks for the assistance the members provided.


Community Economic

National Food Check-Out Day

To recognize the efficiency and productivityof America’s farmers and ranchers, theApollo FFA Chapter celebrated Food Check-Out Day on Feb. 8 - the 39th day of theyear. Food Check-Out Day highlights theaffordability of food in America. On aver-age, Americans will have earned enoughincome during the first 39 days to pay fortheir yearly food supply. The members dis-tributed information on agriculture andbagged groceries. More than 500 peoplechecked out during the day and learnedabout the importance of agriculture.


Community Food Drive

The chapter asked a local service organi-zation for a list of families in need offood. Members talked with elementaryschool officials and secured their help ingetting elementary students to bring incanned food items. An award was givento the class that brought in the largestamount of items. After gathering all thedonations, FFA members assembled 230boxes of food for 115 families. Warmsmiles of gratitude helped chase away the day’s chilly weather.


Job Search

To assist members in finding summer jobsand to help local farmers find summeremployees, the chapter organized a jobsearch. The economic development com-mittee established a work sign-up sheet.The list was then made available to farmersand other members of the community.


Feed Store Fun

To bridge the gap between the agriculturedepartment, the school and the community,chapter members started the “Big Boll FeedStore.” The store is open Monday-Friday, 8-5,and 8-noon on Saturdays. It is managed andstaffed by FFA members. This year, feed storeemployees marketed products at the TiptonCounty Teachers Inservice. They answeredquestions about the products, pricing andhours, and they gave away samples ofdomestic pet feed. This effort increased thestore’s customer base by 15 percent.


Economic Development

The Ravenna FFA Chapter is the onlyyouth organization that is a charter andvoting member of the Ravenna EconomicDevelopment Corporation. The REDCholds its annual meeting each Januaryand discusses issues that keep Ravenna athriving community.


Economic activities improve the economic welfare of the community.

23 •

Fishing Derby

To foster an interest in natural resources,members conducted a fishing derby bycollecting prizes, distributing rules, help-ing sign up teams and serving as contestofficials by weighing, measuring andrecording fish caught by each team. Thefishing derby attracted 36 teams of twopeople each. The event required 55 hoursof work from 11 members to implement.


Arbor Day/Flood Canal Project

Chapter members set a goal to improvethe environment by restoring a localflood canal to its original conditionthrough a cooperative effort with theMaricopa County Flood District and theWestmarc and Millenium FFA Chapters.The chapter took cuttings from cotton-wood trees, which were propagated in thenursery, and planted 50 trees along theflood control district canal.


FFA Recycling Bins

Southmont FFA operates a recycling sitefor the West Central Solid Waste District.Southmont is one of only three collectingpoints in Montgomery County. Chaptermembers collected more than 200 tons ofrecyclable materials. Members collectedfrom the sites daily, completed logs andmailed monthly reports to the waste dis-trict. To educate community members onrecycling, mailboxes were put next to thecollection bins with information for thecommunity to take. The members alsomanage a composting demonstration siteto decrease the amount of yard wastesgoing into landfills.


Tree City USA

Every year the chapter plants 5,000 to10,000 trees. The local tree board helpsfind a site to plant as well as providingthe trees to plant. Through this coopera-tive effort, Weyauwega has been named a“Tree City USA.”


Going the Extra Mile

Chapter members set a goal of cleaning 31miles of roadside around their town,involve 95 percent of the school’s studentbody, and accomplish the task in onehour. More than 440 students, 54 faculty,12 FFA alumni, 8 bus drivers and othervolunteers collaborated to make the eventa success. More than 40 cubic yards ofgarbage was collected and $83 worth ofaluminum was recycled. Every studentinvolved was allowed to keep the greenshirt and leather gloves donated by Exelonand Exxon/Mobile. Waste Managementprovided dumpsters and donated thehauling and disposal fees. The event end-ed with an all-school picnic in the parkserved by volunteers. Students alsoenjoyed music provided by a local DJ. Itwas a great way to kick-off spring break.


School LandscapingProjectTwo years ago, the RiversideFFA Chapter moved into anew school facility. The newschool lacked landscaping,so the chapter tackled thetask. Members decided todevelop an arboretumaround the school, using aminimum of 50 differentspecies of trees and shrubs.They selected species basedon the forest and nurserylandscaping career develop-ment event identificationlists. Members worked withthe local Natural ResourcesConservation Service (NRCS)office, the local extensionservice and local nurserygrowers. In addition, mem-bers of the greenhouse classgrew and planted more than230 annuals in decorativebeds around the school.


Environmental activities preserve natural resources and develop more environmentally responsible individuals.

Community Environmental

•24

More CommunityCitizenship Ideas

Senior CitizenConnectionTo enhance relationshipsbetween generations, FFAmembers participated inthree visits to a local retire-ment home. They sang songsalong with residents andgave the seniors cards theymade and other small gifts.The members also held abingo game for the residents.


Special Needs, Special DayLending a hand at the coun-ty-wide special educationChristmas party was arewarding experience forthese FFA members. Thechapter donated suppliesand members helped pre-pare, serve and clean upafter the event. The originalintent was to treat the spe-cial education students, butit turned out the real treatwent to the FFA members inthe gratitude they receivedfrom these special children.

—Jeff Davis Middle School FFAChapter, Georgia

Community Citizenship

Leukemia Fund Drive

To honor a former FFA member’s familyin which two children were diagnosedwith Leukemia, the chapter raised $7,000.Members organized and implemented aSadie Hawkins dance, an FFA cookout,homeroom collections. They also assistedthe FFA Alumni with a bean soup andcorn bread sale. Every chapter memberpersonally contributed to the fund.


Playground Construction

After being approached for assistance bytheir county commissioners, 22 FFA mem-bers donated an entire Saturday toconstruct a new playground at a localreservoir. Starting with boxes of equip-ment on a truck and an open lot in themorning, the members saw the impact oftheir hard work with a finished play-ground at the end of the day.


Working Together

The chapter participated in a restorationproject of the St. Stephen’s Church in theLand Between the Lakes national recre-ation area. Among other projects, themembers transplanted mums they hadgrown in the school greenhouse toenhance the church’s landscaping.


Local Relief

Chapter members were concerned aboutassisting the less fortunate members oftheir community during the holiday season.They managed a food drive that resulted indelivery of more than 4,500 food items.Members worked with a local church toassemble and deliver food baskets to 85area families in time for Christmas.


Heritage Preservation

Chapter members cleaned up two localabandoned cemeteries. During the sum-mer, members mowed, trimmed andremoved brush and debris found in thecemetery. One of sites, the CaldwellCemetery, is a translocation cemetery,which had been removed from a previoussite. It contains the graves of some of thefirst settlers in Franklin County. Overall, 25members participated in the project. Theyreceived acknowledgement from the localnewspaper for their efforts as well asopportunities for character development.


Prom-Promise Program

The chapter produced a short video pro-gram to educate their peers about thedangers of drinking and driving. The pro-gram aired on Channel 1 just before thearea schools’ hosted their respective proms.


Citizenship activities promote and encourage members to become active, involved citizens of their school, community and country.

25 •

ZooBoo

The local zoo hosts an annual event trick-or-treat event called the ZooBoo. This freeevent allows area youth to trick or treat ina safe environment. The FFA chapter solic-its pumpkins from local farmers, thenholds a pumpkin carving contest. Eachstudent can enter two pumpkins - onecarved, one painted. The 100 studentswho participated carved and painted 300pumpkins. The members donate thepumpkins to the zoo for use as decora-tions during ZooBoo. The chapter receivedcounty-wide recognition. Many city andcounty leaders have commented on theFFA members’ generosity.


Community Tractor Pulls

The chapter hosts community tractor pullsfor area farmers and youth. The tractorpull committee manages a $7,000 budgetto pay for prizes, insurance, track layout,laser measurements, sled and scale expen-ditures. Members prepared the track,maintained the grand stands, andimproved facilities to provide a safe environment. Classes were held in field,pro-stock and pro-field events andattracted more than 110 participants. More than 75 children under age eightparticipated in the mini-pull.


Senior Parking at Graduation

Parking for the school’s graduation cere-mony had been chaotic and memberswanted to encourage more seniors andhandicapped citizens to attend. Inresponse, they organized a parking program and helped seniors and handicapped citizens park their vehicles.


Coat Check for Charity

To provide funds for local charities, thechapter hosted a coat check at the localbasketball games and dances. Memberscharged 25 cents for each coat checked in.The chapter conducted nine coat checksand raised $237 for charity.


Flowers for Seniors

To beautify a local nursing home, members planted patio planters for theentrances. The residents helped planthanging baskets for their rooms. Themembers helped the residents and alsogained friendships from the activity.


Live Nativity

FFA members worked with city officials toconduct the Christmas in Garretson proj-ect by supervising a live nativity scenecomplete with sheep, goats and camels.Members were dressed as shepherds forthe event.


More CommunityCitizenship Ideas

Food DriveAs part of the chapter’sannual food drive, membersplace a grocery bag on thedoorstep of every house intown. Instructions in eachbag asked residents to fillthe bag with food and leavethem on their doorstepslater in the week for chaptermembers to collect. Thechapter raised $943 in foodfor a local food pantry.


Citizenship activities promote and encourage members to become active, involved citizens of their school, community and country.

Community Citizenship

•26

More HumanResource Ideas

Christmas CheerThe chapter sponsored aChristmas dance in the horti-cultural mechanics shop. Theadmission price was two cansof food. All of the items col-lected were given to a localfood bank. This contribution,combined with food gath-ered by other groups oncampus, fed 150 families inPeoria over the holidays.


Pinewood Derby CarsTo promote safe work habitsusing power tools and gener-al shop safety to future FFAmembers, the chapter con-tacted a local Cub Scoutleader. The members askedthe cub scouts if they wouldlike to work with FFA mem-bers to make their pinewoodderby cars. As a result, 20Cub Scouts were assisted byFFA members with theirderby cars and received train-ing in tool and shop safety.

—Wahpeton FFA Chapter, NorthDakota

Human Resources

Serving People in Need (SPIN)

Members organized a blood drive incooperation with United Blood Services.They advertised the drive, set up a sched-ule of donors and established a collectionsite. During the drive, 14 FFA membersand 48 community members donated 62units of blood.


Holiday Lighting Contest

Members wanted to reduce the stress andanxiety of teachers and students beforesemester finals, so they organized a classroom lighting and decorating contestbefore the holiday break. Winning class-rooms received prizes and treats.


Halloween Cheer

Members worked with the Versailles HealthCare Center to paint pumpkins for the resi-dents on Halloween. This activity remindedmembers of their duty as citizens to assistthe community’s elderly population.


Raising Awareness ofAlzheimer’s

FFA members set a goal of raising com-munity awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.Called the Alzheimers Project, 23 juniorsand seniors wrote news articles that werepublished weekly in the Ravenna News.Four meetings were held for interestedindividuals. The FFA chapter receivedpamphlets and information from theAlzheimer’s Association to distribute dur-ing the meetings. They applied for a grantto help inform community membersabout the devasting disease. With thegrant money, the students purchased awaterfall/fish tank for Alzheimer’s patientsto view, a flower planter, a VCR and a CDplayer for video and music, and lapgames appropriate for the elderly at alocal retirement facility.


Growing Home

Seneca FFA members cooperated with theChicago Coalition for the Homeless, theUSDA/SWCD, the Illinois Department ofForestry and the Cooperative ExtensionService to officially open a new “growinghome” site. The 10-acre farm will be usedto train inner-city homeless persons toeffectively raise and market organic produce. The site was mowed four timesduring the summer, and several hourswere spent removing garbage. After abrief dedication ceremony, FFA membersworked with the homeless and other volunteers to plant 430 shrubs and 133trees to create a windbreak around theperimeter. Many members remarked onthe influence the other workers had ontheir outlook. The FFA provided a porkchop lunch and, at least for that day,appreciated the food just a little more.


Human resources activities improve the welfare and well being of members and citizens of the community.

27 •

Lamb Camp

The chapter hosted a lamb camp to pro-mote a positive image of FFA in thecommunity and teach young peopleabout agriculture. Flyers announcing thecamp were distributed in the elementarystudents’ report cards. A registration fee of$50 was levied, and 96 students attendedthe lamb camp during four differentweeks. The camp counselors were pairedwith two students to take care of theirlamb for a week. The students learnedhow to take care of lambs, includingwashing, leading, showing, shearing, feed-ing and grooming their lambs. On the lastday, they had a lamb show. The chapterraised $4,800 during the event.


Agriculture in Action

The chapter’s goal was to increase agricul-tural awareness through harvest days. Theparticipating farms provided behind-the-scenes tours to the community while FFAmembers presented agricultural literacyinformation. The members also organizeda food booth at the celebration as afundraiser.


FFA Online

Chapter members worked with contacts atKSWO-Channel 7 to produce a websitethat featured 88 chapters in the station’sviewing area. Each week a different chap-ter was highlighted along with a memberof the week, a photo album, and a calen-dar of events on the station’s homepage.A link to the National FFA Organization’swebsite was also included on the site.


Ag Dare

The focus of this activity was to use theconcept of a disability to teach injury pre-vention and safe behaviors. Participatingmembers were assigned mock disabilities.After receiving the proper instruction andprosthetic devices, they had to try tocomplete their everyday tasks. This activi-ty increased awareness of farm safety andempathy for those with disabilities.


Day on the Farm

Together with the local FCCLA club, thechapter hosted a day on the farm for areayoungsters. Local schools were invited tobring students to the event. More than900 children from 15 different schools anddaycare centers attended.


More AgriculturalAwareness Ideas

Emerging AgricultureTechnologiesTo educate the local commu-nity about emerging agricul-ture technologies and oppor-tunities, the chapter initiatedthe E.A.T. Project. The chap-ter wrote a grant requestand received funds to createa hydroponics laboratory, inwhich they grew lettuce,tomatoes and strawberries.They also built an aquacul-ture laboratory, which is usedfor catfish production. Localelementary classes and otherindividuals have toured thefacility. Members investedmore than 400 hours in theE.A.T. Project.


Agricultural awareness activities help the public become better informed about the food system and related agricultural issues.

Agricultural Awareness

Student Development

• Chapter members and officers evaluated the lead-ership activities offered and decided to focus onencouraging participation at the local, state andnational levels. Two members attended FFA Day atthe state capitol and served as pages for their rep-resentatives.

• Recreational activities were a strong focus for thischapter. The most popular activity was a scav-enger hunt held after school for all FFA members.

• Members’ supervised agricultural experienceprograms ranged from growing plants to showinglivestock. Members exhibited livestock at eightfairs throughout the state, including the GeorgiaJunior Livestock Show.

• Chapter members’ achievements in FFA, academ-ics and other activities are recognized at monthlymeetings. In addition, Honor Roll members’names are posted on the bulletin board at theschool’s entrance.

• The chapter hosted a career day to increase student awareness of career opportunities in agri-culture. In 2002, two post-secondary institutionsand 23 businesses participated.

Chapter Development

• The officer team set a goal of having 100 percentof members involved in chapter activities. Theyprepared a slideshow to encourage participation.Additionally, they personally encouraged mem-bers to become involved.

• This chapter’s philosophy is that fundraisingshould be fun! They sponsored dances through-out the year for special occasions and holidays asa way of increasing the chapter treasury.

• Before the school year started, the officer teamattended a working retreat at nearby LakeOconee. The officers worked hard and enjoyedwater sports.

• Chapter members sponsored a catfish fry to raisemoney for a fellow member diagnosed withleukemia. The funds raised went directly to thefamily to assist with unexpected expenses.

• Members conducted an Open House to increasestudent and parent awareness regarding agricul-tural education and FFA. Members distributedbrochures and led tours of the AgriculturalTechnology Lab.

Community Development

• Chapter members donated more than 1,000 cans offood to the community food bank. A local churchoperates the food bank and assistance is providedon an as-needed basis.

• The chapter hosted a hunter safety course for itsmembers who are interested in wildlife and hunt-ing. Students who successfully completed theactivity received their hunter safety card.

• Electricians from Satilla Rural Electric Corporationwere invited to visit the school and conduct anelectrical safety demonstration.

• The chapter worked with the local chamber ofcommerce to plan, organize and implement FarmCity Day for the county’s second-grade students.FFA members serve as station leaders and conductvarious demonstrations for the younger students.

• In cooperation with the local Farm Bureau, thechapter sponsored the local Agriculture Day essaycontest. All seventh-grade students compete inthis activity. Farm Bureau awards prizes to a maleand female winner.

2002 National Chapter Award Winner � Middle School Innovators

•28

Jeff Davis Middle School - Hazlehurst, Georgia

Program of Activities

29•

Successful FFA chapters understandthat success is the result of solidplanning and then effectively

implementing their plans. They developa written Program of Activities (POA) toestablish and work toward goals for theyear. A well-planned and well-executedPOA helps students develop planningand leadership skills they need forcareer and personal success.

A well-planned POA will:• ensure chapter activities meet

members’ needs;• lead to a workable budget;• provide students with experience in

planning;• serve as a reference point

throughout the year;• provide direction from year to year.

POA Development Steps

The strongest POAs emerge from acommittee structure and process thatinvolves every member in setting chap-ter goals, then planning and carryingout activities. Many chapters use thefollowing steps. Start by using theNational Chapter Award video to intro-duce members to the process. For moredetails and helpful forms, refer toChapter Planning and Recognition: AStudent Handbook. Both items areavailable from the National FFAOrganization. Call 1-888-332-2668 andrequest item #PCHP or item #NCAH,respectively.

• The chapter organizes standing,executive and special committees to address the areas of student,chapter and community develop-

ment. Each member serves on atleast one committee.

• Each committee identifies goals and activities related to its purposeor area.

• Committees present their selectedactivities, including estimatedincome and costs, to the entire chapter for approval.

• Approved activities and a combinedchapter calendar of events are pub-lished in the written POA. It isdistributed to all members.

• Committees and subcommitteesdevelop detailed plans for eachactivity.

• Members implement the plans.• Committees report results and

evaluate the activities. They preparewritten final reports for each activity,noting costs, income, accomplish-ments and recommendations.

• Chapter leaders refer to the POA andits results to prepare an application forthe National Chapter Award program.

Applying for recognition through theNational Chapter Award program is the“icing on the cake.” Recognition from thestate and national organizations rewardsstudents for their hard work and bringsadded prestige to the chapter.

Goal Statement for FFAChapter ActivitiesThe National FFA Organizationencourages chapter activities thatprovide:

• a balance of experiences insideand outside the classroom, withsensitivity for students who havepart-time jobs or work afterschool;

• opportunities for developing self-confidence, responsibility, citizenship, cooperation and feel-ings of winning and self-esteem;

• hands-on activities;

• general leadership skills;

• accessibility for all student populations;

• flexibility that will allow studentsof all abilities to achieve;

• flexibility that will allow chaptersfrom various environments and with various levels of resources to achieve;

• multiple levels of participation and experiences;

• appropriate recognition for all participants;

• relevant educational experiences that expose students to opportuni-ties in the food, fiber and naturalresources industries of agriculture.

Weyauwega-Fremont FFA Chapter,Wisconsin


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Tips for Success

You may find the following tipshelpful when preparing yourNational Chapter Award appli-

cation. They have been gleaned fromthose involved with the selectionprocess, including judges, advisors,members and national FFA staff.

Follow the developmental process outlined in Chapter Planning andRecognition: A Student Handbook.Identify specific goals that are measur-able and realistic; develop a plan thatis educational and meets the goals thechapter has set; and evaluate theresults achieved and the benefitsmembers experienced. Be sure toinclude information on how the activity affected the members, chapter,school and community.

• In the application, every activity

should have measurable objectives

and the plan of action should bedetailed and reference each objective.

• Include specific facts about percent-ages of membership involved andaccomplishments.

• Keep a file of activities and noteson areas for improvement withineach activity. Students can use thisinformation when they begin plan-ning the year’s Program of Activities(POA).

• Many new ideas and ideas forimprovement spring to mind whencompleting the application. Make a

concerted effort to note these spon-

taneous ideas and capture them foruse during the next POA planningsession.

• Use each activity only once on Form

I. If used more than once, yourchapter will not qualify for NationalGold recognition.

• Ask an English teacher to edit and

proofread your application. Theywill learn more about the FFA andyou are bound to submit a betterapplication. Always use the spell-check function on your computerand the grammar-check function ifyou have it.

• Don’t attach information or materi-

als that are not requested. Pointsmay be deducted or an applicationmay be disqualified for includingsupplementary materials not specif-ically requested in the application.

• Review the application checklistbefore submitting your application.Follow instructions carefully. Pleaseuse the FFA award application fold-er, as pages may be lost if notsecured.

• Photos tell your story and good

photography is important. Planahead and have all events pho-tographed well. Getting goodphotos means shooting ampleframes. Your photographer shouldhave some experience in compos-ing the images and exposing theshot correctly. Photos that aren’twell-exposed are generally toolight, too dark or grainy.

• The National FFA Organization usesphotos from the winning entries inprinted materials and cannot usescanned or digital images fromapplications. If your chapter hasmoved from film to digital photog-raphy, be sure to capture some

images of each event at a resolution

of at least 300 DPI, so that they

may be submitted for publication.Lower resolution images cannot bereproduced well in printed materials.

Western Boone FFA Chapter, Indiana

Tips for Success

31•

National FFA ChapterProgram Expectations

The National FFA Chapter Award pro-gram guides students to achieve theSCANS foundation skills and compe-tencies by:• practicing student leadership and citi-

zenship to solve community-basedproblems

• demonstrating the leadership andhuman relations skills necessary tobecome productive members ofsociety;

• developing interpersonal skills byvaluing diversity, practicing toleranceand acceptance of others and work-ing cooperatively toward commongoals;

• using information-based technologiesto complete prescribed forms anddocuments.

Yelm FFA Chapter, Washington

Top: Caldwell County FFA Chapter,KentuckyLeft: Union FFA Chapter, MissouriAbove: Seneca FFA Chapter, Illinois

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Membership Recruitment Tips

A strong FFA Program of Activities and FFAchapter membership work hand in hand.Strong programs attract more members, and

full chapter membership makes it possible toundertake a wider variety of in-depth projects.

The FFA chapter also serves as a tool to recruit stu-dents into the agricultural education program. Hereare some ideas for building your agricultural educa-tion program through FFA involvement.

• Ensure the FFA chapter “belongs” to students, thatthey plan and conduct its activities and receiverelated recognition.

• Make sure potential students are aware of theopportunities available in FFA. Students who areseeking ways to be involved in activities shouldlook no further than this vibrant, dynamic organ-ization.

• Make FFA an integral part of the agricultural education program. Provide all students withinstruction in leadership development. Becausecareer development events (CDEs) are an applica-tion of lessons learned in class, all students should likewise be expected to participate in CDEs.

• Encourage timid students to involved. Often, studentsare reluctant to participate in leadership activitiesunless personally encouraged to do so. Onceinvolved, however, they quickly develop skills andcompetencies and often continue their involvement.

• Ask every student to be involved in at least oneFFA activity each grading period. Chart theirinvolvement.

• Carefully match experienced students with otherstudents in mentoring relationships for conductingFFA activities. Invite potential members to travelwith members to FFA activities.

• Let potential students see firsthand the close relationship that develops between agriculturestudents and their teacher(s).

• Plan fun FFA events—field trips, in-school barbe-cues, parties, recreation, etc.—for all students, andwork to see that all students attend.


Weyauwega-Fremont FFA Chapter, Wisconsin

Peoria FFA Chapter, Arizona

“ In education, the journey is what is important, not the end result.It’s what you learn in the process that matters, not what prize you receive.

Concentrate on the journey.”Kirk Hutchinson, Advisor, Perrydale FFA Chapter, Oregon

Union FFA Chapter, Missouri

Caldwell County FFA Chapter, Kentucky

Yelm FFA Chapter, Washington

Wolfe County FFA Chapter, Kentucky Weyauwega-Fremont FFA Chapter, Wisconsin

Co-sponsored by Cargill and the Land O’Lakes Foundation as a Special Project of the National FFA Foundation

National FFA Organization6060 FFA DriveP.O. Box 68960Indianapolis, IN 46268-0960

Chapter Innovators Guide 2oo2 - IUPUI

Documents