822-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 21, 1987 Vo-Ag And FFA Are Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders BY LISA RISSER LITITZ Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, liv ing to serve. These are fine words that most anyone would want to live by. But they’re not just for anybody; these are the words that countless youths live by. These are the words to the Future Farmers of America motto. ‘The motto sums up FFA and vocational agriculture best,” said William Erickson, executive sec retary of the Pennsylvania Associ ation of Future Farmers of Ameri ca and head of Elizabethtown High School’s vo-ag department “Vo ag and FFA are hands-on but not brains-off, which is what many people think vocational education is.” * Organized in 1928, FFA is an extension of vocational agriculture/agribusiness depart ments in public schools. Much of what is taught in class is reinforced through active participation in the school’s FFA chapter. Students also learn things not taught in class such as leadership and communi cations skills. The FFA manual describes the organization’s aim as “the deve lopment of agricultural leadership. ry organization, and Kristy Settle, Elizabethtown, student sec retary discuss their program’s business. If you are AN ASSESSOR, BARBER COOK, DENTIST ELECTRI CIAN, FIREMAN GOLDSMITH, HAIR STYLIST INSUR ANCE MAN. JANITOR KUMOUAT PICKER. LAWYER MECHANIC, NUMISMATIST OMBUDSMAN, POSTMAN QUARRY WORKER. ROUSTABOUT SALESMAN. TEACHER UNDERCOVER AGENT, VALET WARE HOUSEMAN. XYLOPHONIST YARDMAN. ZOO KEEPER ARTIST, BAKER C PA . Etc CUSHION CREPE SOLE FOR COMFORT AVAILABLE IN 130 SIZES & WIDTHS 7Vi 16 7V, 16 9 v 2 15 WE VE GOT YOUR SIZE IN STOCK NOW NO WAITING' HOURS: Daily SiSO A.M. to • P.M.; Prl. 'til 9 P.M. \W/ Wayne’s Dry Goods 271 W, Main St. KutztOwn, Pa. Phone (215) 683-7686 cooperation, and citizenship.” Specific goals include: create and nuture a love of agricultural life; strengthen the confidence of stu dents in themselves and their work; develop character, train for useful citizenship, and foster pat riotism; participate in cooperative effort; and encourage members in developing individual occupation al experience programs in agriculture. FFA is organized on national, state, county, and local levels. The national organization is headed by a board of directors and six nation al officers who set operational pol icy based on recommendations of the National Convention Dele gates. The national officers include a president, secretary, and four regional vice presidents all of whom are elected at the FFA’s annual national convention. According to the FFA manual, each state association is charged with the development of the FFA leadership program within the state, operating contests and awards programs at the state level, and issuing chapter charters. The number of state officers varies from state to state. Local chapters consist of a pres- sk The Man Wears Them fig's your rn f see us!! le Pecos 1155 is, by far our best-selling >t For the heel-hugging fit of your life, slip a pair of Pecos boots We ve got your size l ’SIZES SIZES EEEE sv» 14 6V, 15 Red Wings POPULAR PECOS PULL-ON You’ve earned your Wings! RED WING SHOES MAIL ORDERS ACCEPTED ■w ife yoi dev p jrship and problem identification and solution skills. These young men have achieved success through the program. Left to right: Dave Vlsh, Blue Mountain, state FFA sentinel; Doug Musser, Elizabethtown, first place Individual In livestock judging in Springfield, Mass.; Mark Anderson, Dover, state FFA vice president; and Russel Redding, vocational student organization coor dinator for FFA. idem, vice president, secretary, treasurer, sentinel, and reporter. When FFA was first established 58 years ago, agriculture meant fanning. Fanning is only the beginning now as agriculture encompasses a huge complex industry that has careers in fields such as engineering, communica tions, marketing, research, and computer technology. “Vo-ag and FFA are more than cows and plows,” stated Erickson. “That’s just a small pan now. At Elizabethtown it also includes greenhouse management, land scape design, floral design, para veterinary medicine, equine sci ence, welding, small gas engines, structures, and more.” This kind of variety gives stu dents many areas in which to sue- THE THE ■ Poured Solid Concret Reinforced Wa ■ The Wall is 0 as the Materi • Manure Pit Walls • Hog House Walls • Chicken House Wal • Concrete Decks • House Foundation • Cistern Walls • Barnyard Walls • Concrete Pit Tops • Silage Pit Walls • Retaining Walls All sizes available Round or rectangular Take the questions out of your new construction Call: Balmer Bros, for quality engineered walls. , Invest in Quality - It will last a lifetime. ■ t X * ceed. “Schools traditionally offer two areas for success: academics and sports,” Erickson commented. “If a student wasn’t good in either of these areas, then what? And a large percent of kids fall into this third area. That’s where FFA com es in. “FFA has a unique way of offer ing programs where they can suc ceed. And kids can excell further than they could hope to achieve in sport or academics. FFA members can achieve on state and national levels with skills such as public speaking, analysis, problem sol ving, and identification. These are the very areas the school system is weak on.” Participation is the key for suc cess, according to Erickson. In addition to helping students win STRENGTH IS IN CONSTRUCTION CONCRETE WORK, INC. 243 Miller Road, Akron, PA 17501 (717)733-0353,6:30 AM-3:30 PM, (717)859-2074, After 6:00 PM awards in competitions, active par ticipation allows them to earn FFA degrees. Greenhand and Chapter Farmer Degrees are awarded by local chapters, while the State Farmer Degree is conferred by the state, and the American Farmer Degree is given by the national organization. Other awards include achieve ment awards, proficiency awards, scholarships, and achievement in volunteerism awards. Vo-ag and FFA are helping to prepare students to be tomorrow’s leaders. They’re encouraging youths to leam to do, do to leant, earn to live, and live to serve.
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