24—Lancaster Farming, Satui
From Local Ag Teachers: ,
Thoughts
Reflections of FFA Week
Dr. William M.Fredd
In the summer of 1931, 45
years ago, I attended my
first FF A week at Penn State
as a sophomore in Oxford
High School. Since, I have
participated two times as a
student, and as near as I can
figure, 25 times as a teacher
of agriculture.
FFA week has had a great
influence on my life. That
first year I judged livestock
and was fortunate enough to
place in the top three. This
made it possible for me to be
on the Pennsylvania team
and to judge in the national
contest at Kansas City in the
fall I bad a feeling I Indeed
out in the FFA week contest,
so I asked my ag. teacher,
Seth Burt, for something to
brush up on. He gave me a
text written by Dr. Charles
Plumb; this being the
current colleges text on
livestock judging.
Here is where I learned to
read, never before did I have
a purpose for reading. I
briefed the book, first
studying the pictures and
captions, and then I com
pletely read, reread and
studied the book con
tinuously until our trip to
Kansas City in October. I
placed second in the national
contest, just three-tenths of a
point behind first place. This
second place bad a
scholarship sponsored by
Kansas City Star for at
tendance for any
agricultural college in the
United States. So it was this
$3OO scholarship that was the
encouragement that got me
started at Penn State.
I worked on a farm one
June 26.1976
year after high school, and st“ dent need} to know the
with tiie encouragement of necessary stalls and perfect
my parents and ag. teacher, himself if be and the school is
I entered Penn State in the 8 0in 6 to win. Here the
fall of 1935. So briefly, this is student has a purpose for
bow FFA week influenced learning. And this is why 1
my life and affected my that teachers of
philosophy of FFA week, agriculture have a useful
and perhaps has an effect on a™*. a powerful motivating
Solanco’s outstanding ac- device in the use and the
complishments over the incorporation of various
years at FFA week. FFA contests in his teaching
This year, Solanco rf /j£SMhe 1976 FFA
members have won seven 1 ™e 1976 FFA
gold, seven silver, and an J*®* Penn State with 27
honorable mention awards. SWanco members and over
Right of these awards have 1800 members, teachers, and
trips attached, so eight a«pa[visors from aU over
Solanco students will par- p »:“ , ?? arMlj 2L tobe *
tidpate in additional and pert (rf this group. The some
advanced regional or **» Mure farmers really
national-competition later in conducted themselves man
Qjg year. outstanding manner. They
My philosophy of FFA * iere "“H* Quiet, “Hiked
students is' less, general conduct
that this trip is fir those was definitely unprov«i.
students that have had a \ P™ d oI
good year in our chapter and
course work, who lave “*} for lt
cooperated, are noti a bad ®my life and for
discipline problem and have n'centive it has given
developed proficiency in the
contest that he entered. It is
said, and I hear grumbling,
about Fredd being contest-
minded and teaches for
contents. There is truth to
this, -bat at the same time
isn’t tips teaching training
and developing people. I am
simply using these various
contests as a motivating
device.
Recently, an article in the
Pa. Interscbolastic Athletic
Journal stated, “The best
and most proficient teaching
in file comprehensive high
school today takes place on
the athletic field after school
hours.” If this is tame, it is
not because of a contest Hie
Grange to hear Weber
WAKEFIELD - Ap
proximately 80 people at*
tended Fulton Grange’s
Strawberry and Ice Cream
Night on June 14. During the
business meeting, it was
announced that State and
National Grange cookbooks
can still be obtained from
Mrs. Ruthanne Wood,
secretary. Charles Mc-
Sparren reported that the
busier the July 17 tour of the
Gettysburg area is almost
filled. People can still sign
np for the weekend tour on
October 9*lo. Glenn Hough
and Mrs. Anna Armstrong
will be attending Leadership
School on June 29 - July 1.
Clifford Holloway said
anyone interested in going on
Wednesday is welcome to go
with him.
Harry Baker reported on
the Region H Youth Con
ference held on Sunday, June
13 at Virginvine Grange.
The third-place dairy cattle judging 220 competitors, was John Weiler,
team in the state is this one from the right. Teammates were Sheryl
Cloister FFA Chapter, Ephrata. High Bollinger and Curtis Martin,
man on the team, and second among
Solanco students. I hope
Pennsylvania FFA week can
continue to - provide
motivation and growth for
young people in futureyears.
Four from Fulton Grange
attended and Peggy
Galbreath had been selected
Region H Youth Princess.
The next meeting, June 28,
will be under toe direction of
the agriculture committee. A
hay and baylage contest will
be held (rales for tins contest
are the same as for the
Solanco Fair hay contest).
The guest speaker.will be
Raymond Weber, director of
public relations at Dairy
Council, Hoc. in Philadelphia.
He will speak on toe
nutritional aspects of milk
products. The public is in
vited to attend.
TRY A
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