4. From Corn Fields to Congress

"There are two things that make goose bumps go up and down my back: one is Old Glory flying over the nation's capitol when I walk by it at night, and the other is when I see FFA members in their blue jackets. I get an emotional feeling because FFA lifted me out of the depths of poverty and personal problems to the halls of Congress." -Wes Watkins, former U.S. congressman from Oklahoma and former president of the Oklahoma FFA Associaton

This is one of my favorite quotes that I often refer to. FFA members are also familiar with the saying “Blue jackets, bright futures.” I think I have made it clear in my previous posts that FFA has made a positive impact on my life and my future, it makes me happy to see how it has had the same effect on other former members. As I said before, the FFA Organization has so much more to offer than just “farm life.” The FFA Organization helped make a former congressman who he is today, the hard work these past, present, and future members put in truly pays off. If you give your all to this organization, it will return the favor for the rest of your life!

How does FFA benefit a congressman? Well, as I mentioned before there are many public speaking contests members are able to compete in throughout their FFA years. 

Speaking in front of a crowd ranging from three people to hundreds of people helps you step out of your comfort zone, it gives you stage presence, and offers constructive criticism to help better yourself in the future. Parliamentary Procedure is another contest event offered by the FFA Organization, I personally love this contest, it helps teach members how to effectively and professionally communicate ideas during a meeting. Another important and valuable contest is the Job Interview contest. Members compete and test their skills and abilities in the job interview process, they compete in over the phone, one-on-one, and panel job interviews. The learning experience, and countless opportunities to better yourself in any of these contests is probably the best part about them. The judges not only tell you what your strengths and weaknesses are but they offer tons of advice and tips to better yourself. As I discussed before, it’s not all plows, sows, and cows. From the corn field to the halls of congress, this program is designed to benefit everyone, no matter the path you take. 

3. Go All Out!

The countdown has begun! 36 days until the 87th Annual National FFA Convention and Expo kicks off in Louisville, Kentucky! I am proud to say that my former advisor along with 12 lucky members from the Tonganoxie FFA Chapter will be in attendance! The theme for this year’s convention is "Go All Out!" Go all out is exactly what these 12 members have done. Going all out means attending as

many judging contests as you can, attending all of the fundraisers and activities the chapter puts on, and going above and beyond to help out when needed. So why is it such a privilege to attend National Convention? You, along with 60,000 FFA members from across the country will be in one city for four days competing in career development events, attending speeches, leadership workshops, educational tours, honoring members with awards and certificates, and celebrating the past, present, and future of agriculture!

I was lucky enough to attend National Convention twice, my sophomore and junior year of high school but Convention was held in Indianapolis, Indiana at the time. (The location changes every seven years.) No matter the location it is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, of courses you can

watch it on T.V. but seeing it live in person is truly amazing! Being among a sea of those blue corduroy jackets is a feeling unlike any other. Just don’t lose your group because there are 60,000 of you all dressed the same. But if you do get lost, you are not alone, with 60,000 members sharing the same love for the organization as you do, you can strike up a conversation with just about anyone!

As much fun as National Convention is, there is a lot of hard work and planning that goes into the trip months before you can go. The Tonganoxie FFA Chapter officer team meets pretty regularly in the months leading up to National Convention. They are in charge of planning the tours, scheduling the whole week, figuring out the driving time, booking a hotel, ordering concert tickets, the whole nine yards! This year one of the big highlights the kids are talking about is touring

Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby! How cool is that?!  Justin Moore with Easton Corbin are in concert Wednesday night and Scotty McCreery with Danielle Bradbury are in concert Thursday night.

Attending the National FFA Convention is one of the highlights of my FFA career, and I’m sure many other members would say the same. The friends and memories you make along the way last a life time. In fact, my first day of class at Washburn University I sat by a girl and we got to talking, turns out we met at National Convention two years ago. Approximately 36 days from now you can expect a blog about the kids’ journey to National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky! Until next time, remember Go All Out!

Check out some of the Career Development Events (Judging Contests) FFA members can participate in at National Convention.

2. It's more than Cows, Sows, & Plows

Speaking from my personal experiences in High School, I have found that the majority of the kids who are not active in FFA think it is only for kids who show livestock, or work on farms. They think  they can’t be in FFA because they don’t fall into either of those categories. However, that is not the case. As Joe Martin from Indiana FFA Chapter said “The organization has grown to be more than cows, sows, and plows; the modern FFA is about beakers, speakers, and job seekers.” Talk about hitting the nail on the head, he could not have summed up the FFA Organization any better.

Kids who participate in FFA have the option to learn about livestock and judge them at contests, they can compete in public speaking events, leadership workshops, community service projects, and the sky is truly the limit for these kids.

I was blessed to have grown up around agriculture all my life. Living in a small rural town in Kansas has taught me more about life and who I am as a person then the city could ever teach me. FFA was a pretty big deal in my high school, we have a decent sized chapter, and our advisor worked hard to make sure we were successful. The opportunities we were given have helped me get jobs, get into college, get scholarships, and even internships.

I love public speaking, I’m surprisingly pretty good at it. That has not always been the case, my freshman year of high school my FFA advisor informed us that we had a public speaking contest coming up, of course I wasn’t going to go. The thought of speaking in front of people terrified me, but my advisor signed me up and made me go. That was the day I discovered my hidden talent so to speak. The point I am trying to make is, the opportunities are endless for these kids. My public speaking skills will help me throughout my life, I am comfortable in front of large audiences, and with the career path I have chosen speaking in front of people will be a daily task for me. If it wasn’t for my advisor pushing me to try something new and step outside of my comfort zone I never would have tried public speaking and I would not be where I am today. Until next time, remember it's more than cows, sows, and plows.

1. Are You Blue Enough?

Often times you will hear a K-State Wildcat fan say "I bleed purple." Do they literally bleed purple? Of course not. But figuratively the love and support they have for their team is so strong it runs through their blood. FFA members are no different, we are familiar with the saying “Forever Blue.” Forever Blue refers to the blue corduroy jacket worn by FFA members everywhere, the jacket is a piece of the Official Dress which members are required to wear. The pride a member feels when wearing this jacket is indescribable, it is a feeling unlike any other. The jacket is an everyday reminder of the friendships you made, opportunities you were given, leadership skills you developed, knowledge you gained, and ultimately it symbolizes your success.

As I spent many years as a member of the FFA I discovered that there are only a hand full of people who fully understand what the FFA Organization does and what it stands for. Often time’s people are too quick to judge the organization, they think it is only for farmers and kids that raise livestock, however, that is the farthest thing from the truth. Of course the FFA Organization does promote the

agriculture industry but it also goes way beyond agriculture to help you grow as a person. The motto: “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve” really sets the tone for the organization and what it means to be a member. As a member you will gain knowledge to help accomplish things you never thought would be possible, you will be assigned tasks that aren’t always easy but designed to teach you a valuable lesson, and you are living to give back to your community. Living by this motto is beneficial to better yourself, your community, and the people who surround you.

My purpose for writing this blog is to give my readers an inside look at the FFA Organization and some of the opportunities members are given. Promoting agriculture is a great thing, after all, farmers feed the world. But promoting the FFA and the opportunities you will be given as a member is another extremely important task. Once you join the FFA Organization, you will be Forever Blue. As many present and past members will say, once you put on the jacket for the first time it never really comes off. So my question to you is, are you blue enough?