—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, November 4,1978
130
Carter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -
Sources at the White House
state that President Jimmy
Carter, a former FFA
member himself, is a
“definite possibility” as a
special speaker for the
Thursday afternoon session
of the FFA’s Golden An
niversary celebration slated
for Kansas City, Mo.,
November 7-11. Paul Har
vey, America’s most
honored news commentator,
is confirmed for a keynote
address the morning of that
same day.
Stars over America being
honored - for their
agricultural expertise, the
now-famous FFA Public
Speaking Contest, the
election of six new National
FFA Officers - these ac
tivities will once again be
prominent at the convention,
and some new additions to
the program have been
made.
An expanded National
Agricultural Career Show
featuring exhibits from
education, government and
industry will be an attraction
and a special time capsule
ceremony serving posterity
will be another. The un
veiling of a large Com
memorative Marker
featuring a five foot high
FFA emblem in downtown
Kansas City will honor the
founding of FFA - 50 years
ago.
More activities are
planned in and around
Kansas City. In addition to
FFA business sessions,
convention participants will
be involved in career-related
contests, final interviews for
ag-related proficiency
awards, and educational
tours of Kansas City
agribusinesses. An ex
panded Agricultural Career
Show will be held this year in
H. Roe Bartle Hall and will
give students an insight into
careers open to students
with training and experience
may attend FFA’s Golden Anniversary
in agriculture. Special
exhibits in the “Hall of
States” will depict the
development of the 50-year
old organization.
Of the anticipated 20,000 in
attendance about 6000 will be
FFA advisors, parents,
school administrators -and
others with special interest
in the FFA. Convention
business will be conducted
by the organization’s 122
student delegates who will
vote on issues of business.
The delegates, who
represent 507,188 FFA
members from the United
States and Puerto Rico, will
arrive a day early to par
ticipate in committee
meetings and give reports.
Six national officers elected
at the 1977 National FFA
Convention will preside over
all sessions.
A Tuesday evening
Vespers service presented
by the National Officers and
the National FFA Chorus
marks the beginning of con
vention activities. The music
and entertainment through
out the convention will be
provided by the unique 113
piece FFA band and 123
member chorus. Additional
entertainment will be
provided by talented FFA
members who perform on
stage and at banquets
throughout the week,
demonstrating a variety of
talents from group singing to
string quartets.
This year FFA Leadership
Workshops will be held in the
H. Roe Bartle Hall. The
Workshops are sponsored
and conducted by the FFA
Alumni Association.
National contests will get
underway on Wednesday as
outstanding FFA contest
teams from almost every
state m the nation will
compete in one of the eight
annual contests which in
clude agricultural
mechanics, dairy cattle,
milk quality and dairy foods,
livestock, poultry, hor
ticulture, meats and farm
business management.
The official opening of the
Golden Anniversary
National Convention will be
on Wednesday morning,
November 8, when National
FFA President J. Ken
Johnson gives the official
call to order. Convention
participants will 'be
welcomed to Kansas City by
Mayor Charles Wheeler. A
special ceremony will be
held where each state will
add a container of materials
to the Golden Anniversary
Convention Time Capsule to
be opened in 25 years at the
75th National FFA Con
vention.
A highlight of the con
vention will be held early
Wednesday afternoon with
the unveiling of a Com
memorative Marker
designating the site and date
of the founding of the FFA.
Streets will he blocked off for
the 30-minute ceremony to
be held on the comer of 11th
and Baltimore Streets in
Kansas City, the site where
the old Baltimore Hotel once
stood. It was in the hotel on
November 20, 1928, that the
first and founding con
vention of 33 delegates of 18
states gathered to start the
Future Farmers of America.
Keynoting the Wednesday
afternoon session will be
Kyle Rote, Jr., North
American Soccer League’s
“Rookie of the Year” and
professional soccer player
with the Dallas Tornadoes.
At the afternoon business
session 118 FFA chapters
will be recognized for
achievement in the National
Safety Award program. The
award recognizes FFA
chapters for participation in
safety projects m their local
community.
The National FFA Public
Speaking Contest on Wed
nesday evening’s program
will feature the speeches of
four regional winners. A
panel of judges will select
the nation’s top speaker, to
be awarded $3OO from the
National FFA Foundation,
Inc.
Distinguished Service
Citations will be presented to
three organizations during
the Wednesday evening
session: American
Association for Vocational
Instructional Materials,
American Red Cross, and
Midcontinent Farmers
Association for their out
standing service to FFA.
Thursday morning’s ac
tivities will begin with
Building Our American
Communities Award
presentations to 150 FFA
Chapters. Four chapters will
be recognized as regional
BOAC winners, and one will
be named to receive the
National Citation for the top
community action program
in the nation. The program
will feature presentation of
regional and national FFA
Proficiency Awards for
outstanding achievement in
22 areas of production
agriculture - and
agribusiness. Sponsors of the
awards will be recognized
during ( the ceremony. Three
hundred sixty-eight FFA
chapters will be presented
National Chapter Awards
recognizing outstanding
participation in a wide range
of chapter activities.
Thursday morning’s
sessions will be keynoted by
America’s most honored
news commentator, Paul
Harvey. Six individuals will
receive the FFA’s VIP
Citation for their continuing
dedicated service to the
National FFA Organization.
On Thursday afternoon the
Honorary American Farmer
Degree will be presented to
198 vocational agriculture
teachers and individuals in
education, government,
business and industry who
have made outstanding
contributions to the FFA and
agriculture. The afternoon
session will be keynoted by
Dr. Ernest Boyer, U.S.
Commissioner of Education.
The American Farmer
Degree, the highest degree
presented to members of the
Future Farmers of America,
will be awarded to 807 FFA
members, the largest
number ever to receive the
degree.
The Thursday evening
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