I love a good banquet. Well, that revelation should not be
earth shaking to anyone who knows me. Yes, I do like to eat and often more than
I should, but this observation is not about food at all. Last night I attended the
Rock Creek High School FFA Banquet. I guess I need to add a little bit of a
disclaimer here. My son is a member of
the Rock Creek FFA so I am a little biased, but this spring the same scenario
will play out in schools all across Kansas and the United States.
I feel like many times I write about things that are
threatening the future of agriculture, obstacles in our way and people who work
to erode our way of life. The FFA Banquet I attended last night was certainly
the opposite of that. I saw hope for the future of agriculture in the
enthusiasm of the members. I got the feeling that they see unlimited potential
in a career in agriculture and that is refreshing.
I was in awe of the way the FFA members in my son’s chapter
presented themselves. They spoke with confidence and presented themselves with a
presence at the podium we don’t often see in young adults outside of FFA. As
the awards for their Supervised Agricultural Experience or SAE were presented I
was impressed with the amount of work each had done to earn the award. This was
all in addition to the official dress. In an era when almost every day is
casual Friday, it is nice to see the formal look of official FFA dress.
Of course the cornerstone to any great FFA program is the
Advisor. Again I am sure I am a little biased but I am very grateful for
everything Mr. Holiday does. With my background in Extension and 4-H work I
like to think I have a better understanding than most about what it is like to
work with youth on a daily basis and I am in awe of his dedication to his job.
The late nights and early mornings he takes on are not just part of the job;
they are a choice he makes because he believes in what he does. I also know
that the hard work and dedication he displays on a daily basis is typical of
many FFA Advisors I know. It is truly a job that those of us in agriculture
should hold in the highest regard.
My wish is that those at the highest levels of education
could attend FFA Banquets or better yet spend time in the classrooms or at FFA
events. Many times the vocational agriculture program is one of the first cuts
during hard times. Based on my experience and observations I would argue that
vocational agriculture should be a priority and it should be second only to the
core curriculum. Sure FFA members gain knowledge about agriculture but they
also gain far more.
The FFA members I know learn how to speak in public with
confidence, to conduct themselves with an air of professionalism and learn to
lead in a multitude of different ways. FFA members learn how to set themselves
apart, that is why many of our local, state and even national leaders are FFA
alumni. If there ever was a flagship program of how education should operate
and the kinds of results it should produce, vocational agriculture is it.
We need make sure vocational agriculture is valued both at
the school district level and at the state and national levels. As budgets
tighten and tough decisions are made, vocational agriculture should never be
one of the items on the list to be cut, it is far too valuable. In many ways the future of agriculture depends
on the future of vocational agriculture in our schools.
I keep thinking back to the NCAA advertisement
that will be shown during the basketball tournament this time of the year. It
shows many athletes and they all talk about how they are going to go pro in
something other than the sport they are playing. FFA is different and we need
to keep this in mind as we look at our FFA program. A large number of the kids
in your FFA program will go “pro” in a field related to agriculture and that is
a good thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment