UPDATE
Vol. XXXV, No. 7
U.S. Department of Education July 2005
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DATES TO REMEMBER July
1 Delegate Issue nominations due
National Band/Chorus/Talent applications due to directors Alumni Local Program Support Grant applications due Outstanding/Pioneer Affiliate applications due
Outstanding/Pioneer State FFA Alumni Association applications due Outstanding Achievement applications due
StatetoState FFA Alumni Mentor Program applications due Council Nomination applications due
National Distinguished Contributor applications due Alumni Scrapbooks due
37 Utah NLCSO
58 Illinois NLCSO
8 CDE team certification forms, waivers, payments and needs requests due
1013 South Carolina NLCSO
15 Proficiency applications due
AgriEntrepreneurship applications due
1217 Washington Leadership Conference – Session 5 1924 Washington Leadership Conference – Session 6
2429 Delta Conference – Colorado Springs, Colo.
2630 State Presidents’ Conference – Washington, D.C.
2631 2005 State Leaders Conference – Columbus, Ohio August
1 National Officer Candidate information due
25 West Virginia NLSCO
15 Prepared Public Speaking manuscripts due
31 Membership year closes
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THE LATEST FROM FFA
USDA Grant Evaluation Surveys: The National FFA Organization is working with an
Indianapolis group called SMARI (Strategic Marketing And Research, Incorporated) to conduct evaluation pre and postrelease surveys on the products made possible through USDA funding.
If you receive a letter or phone call from SMARI, you can rest assured they are working with the approval of the National FFA Organization to collect information on our grantfunded projects and products.
Delta Conference: The National FFA Organization will be conducting its first Delta Conference July 2429, 2005, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Designed specifically for local agriculture teachers, this conference focuses on the advanced integration of LifeKnowledge™ in the local classroom, helping teachers understand and develop their influence and amplifying each teacher's ability to engage their students. The Delta Conference will have 52 participants representing 26 states.
Participants have already started preparing for the conference by taking online assessments and participating in preconference assignments. Funding for the creation, development and
implementation of the conference has been provided by the Ford Motor Company Fund, and Past National FFA Foundation Sponsors' Board Members will be providing scholarships for participants to attend. For more information contact Andy Armbruster at 3178024308 or [email protected].
International Leadership Seminar for State Officers: Start 2006 by traveling through Europe with your fellow state officers, visiting farms, agribusinesses and cultural sites. The 2006 trip participants will travel to Spain and Portugal. Tentative Dates are Jan. 4–18, 2006. Applications are due October 1, 2005. For more information contact Tina Paris at 3178024309 or
PAS Officer Training: The National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization (PAS) officers attended their annual training week May 2227 at the National FFA Center in Indianapolis, Ind. The training was sponsored by Archer Daniels Midland and given by Excellence in
Presentations presenters James Garner and Tim Hammerich. Jointly with the, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences Organization (MANRRS), the PAS officers benefited from a week of instruction on everything from identifying team values to creating synergy in our organizations and in the agricultural community. Not only did the officers learn from the trainers, but they also learned great lessons in diversity and developed lasting relationships with the MANRRS Organization and industry representatives.
In addition to developing the theme of Show me…Passionate Agricultural Students, the officers developed detailed action plans that will ensure accomplishment of the goals set for the coming year.
The 20052006 National PAS Officers Mission: To serve the PAS Organization and its members to the best of our ability through acceptance and understanding of everyone’s diverse views. We will hold each other accountable to maintain professional attitudes and actions in fulfilling our responsibilities to ourselves, our fellow officers and our organization.
To learn more about PAS, visit www.nationalpas.org. You may also contact national PAS staff, Eric Schilling and Kristy Miller at 3178024214 or email [email protected].
SAE Grants: Multiple grants will be awarded for initiating or improving SAE programs. Check out the different grants that will be awarded this year. Applications should be mailed to the National FFA Center, and the postmark due date is November 10, 2005.
Akey Grants: 20 grants for $500 will be awarded to applicants with swine production, SAEs only.
Merial Grants: 16 grants for $1,000 will be awarded to applicants with beef/cattle, dairy or sheep production SAEs.
Levi Strauss Grants: 8 grants for $1,000 will be awarded to applicants within any SAE area.
Triangle Grants: There are approximately 16, $150 grants to be awarded to members with SAEs in either agribusiness or farming. Applicants must be from one of the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wisconsin.
Positions available with National FFA: Currently, the National FFA Organization has many staff positions open. Full descriptions of all positions can be found at
www.ffa.org/about_ffa/html/ffa_jobs.cfm
Interested individuals should send a résumé to Cindy Driver at [email protected] or fax to 317802
5257. Contact Cindy at 3178024257 with any questions.
New Proficiency Award for 2006: A new proficiency award area in agricultural education will be added in 2006. The National FFA Board of Directors approved the new award for the new revision cycle, stated as:
The agricultural education award involves students with SAEs related to education and extension, including but not limited to youth mentoring, agricultural education departmental assistants, PALS mentors and student coordinators, students developing informational materials and presentations for civic organizations and schoolaged youth, and students who are involved in SAEs that
educate the public about the broad topics of agriculture, agricultural education and FFA.
The James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation, www.JFLF.org, and the Lincoln Electric Company have recently made a threeyear commitment to fund the Agricultural Education proficiency award as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. The James F. Lincoln Foundation was created in 1935 to promote the science and education of arc welding. Its primary functions include the development of welding educational materials and annual awards for students’ arc welding projects and engineering papers. The Lincoln Electric Company has been a sponsor of the National FFA for 57 years, providing advanced training opportunities and materials for students and teachers in the area of welding.
Teacher workshops to promote this new award area will be conducted during the 2005 National FFA Convention.
MERCHANDISING
Official Jacket Update: New Fit. New Rules…We are in the final phase of the jacket restoration project. As you are probably aware, we worked with Clemson Apparel Research to create new patterns that will fit today’s students more appropriately and address the many fit concerns that we’ve had over the years. Beginning August 1, 2005, the jackets in the new fit will start shipping. It will be critical that those ordering read the information about how to determine what size to order in the new catalogs and review the information on the CD that will accompany the catalogs. On this CD will be a video that will show advisors how to measure effectively to order the correct sized jacket. If you want to get a start on sharing this information with your advisors, you can forward them the attached file. Please note there are three worksheets on this file.
Replenish Your Chapter Owned Jackets 10 Jackets for Only $350: In the months of July and August, we are offering a set of 10 jackets in core sizes for $350. These jackets will be embroidered with the state and chapter names only (no front lettering). The sizes that are included in this set are girls’ 36, 38, 40, 42 and boys’ 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48. This is a great
opportunity for you to replace your current chapterowned jackets with the newly fitted jackets and use them to make sure you are ordering the right sized jackets for your students. To place your order, call 18883322668 and order ODJKT10. Limit one set per chapter.
All Tailored Jackets Are The New Fit: In order to get ahead of the game, we are currently making all new tailored jacket orders from the new jacket patterns. If you are placing an order for a tailored jacket, you will want to use the attached forms which will guide you through the new measuring process. Questions? Contact Lee Anne Shiller at [email protected].
Summer Sale: Don’t miss our summer clearance sale going on at www.ffaunlimited.org now through the end of August. Lots of selection at low prices while quantities last.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership Totals for 20042005: The Membership Team would like to thank all state staff for their hard work this year. Through June 15th, 2005, we have received 486,639 members, eclipsing last year’s total of 476,732.
Remember, the membership year does not close until August 31, 2005.
Membership Requirements and Needs – 20052006: Please fill out the request you received from your membership representative for any special needs and for all dates important for next year’s membership. The membership team is setting up a summer schedule for Excel template creation, new online state password creation and completion timeframes for updated training materials required by state staff for the 20052006 membership year.
NEW Online Training Document: The StepbyStep Guide to FFA Online Membership is located at http://access.ffa.org/index.html. This new PowerPoint training document created with the assistance of Pam Kilpatrick of the Alabama FFA Association offers a stepbystep process for
the chapter advisor and a tool for state staff to present online membership.
New Horizons Magazine Address Update: Subscription deadline dates for members receiving New Horizons in 2005 are as follows:
September/October Aug. 16, 2005 November/December Oct. 13, 2005 January/February 2006 Dec. 9, 2005 2005 National CONVENTION
www.ffa.org/convention
Important 2005 National Convention information: The Second Edition Advisors Planning Guide will be mailed out in the middle of August. Look for information on convention registration, tour opportunities, workshops and much more.
The 2005 National FFA Convention Agricultural Ambassador Program: In efforts to reconnect with the education community in Louisville, the National Convention Agricultural Ambassador program has been reintroduced as an exciting opportunity for FFA members during convention. This program involves sharing agricultural literacy information with fourth grade teachers and their students in Louisville.
The National FFA Convention Agricultural Ambassadors will be selected through an application process. The Agricultural Ambassadors selected will be placed into teams of 23 people (preferably by state). The teams will be provided with resources, training and information to present to the fourth grade classroom assigned in the Louisville area. Some preparation will be necessary, thereforeTuesday, October 25, 2005, will be the day of training and development.
Wednesday morning, October 26, 2005, will be the day for actual presentations and interaction with the school.
All State FFA Officers that will not serve as official delegates at the national FFA convention are eligible. In addition, other members serving as district and regional officers may be eligible to apply.
For more information about the program and details on how to apply, please contact Jill Casten by email at [email protected] or by phone at 3178024356.
Collegiate Opportunities during Convention: The 2004 National FFA Convention collegiate programs were met with great enthusiasm and success. The second annual Collegiate Career Expo will be bigger and better for students to find internships and fulltime positions. We will be increasing the number of corporate participants this year to provide even more opportunities in the industry of agriculture. Over 500 students were in attendance last year, and we hope to increase this year’s attendance.
Leadership workshops specifically designed for college students will again be integrated into the collegiate program schedule. This year we plan to have more workshops on specific issues related to your campus, career and community life. Look for more details about these workshops as convention approaches.
What would convention be without a little bit of fun on the side? The College House Party will again provide all college students a safe environment to socialize and”party” with their peers from all across the nation. This house party will be bigger and better then ever.
This is only a sample of what is to come this year at the National FFA Convention for college students. These opportunities are open to all college students participating at the convention.
Make sure to check the collegiate website found at www.ffa.org/collegiate.cfm for updated information as convention gets closer. For more information about collegiate activities at convention or other collegiate opportunities contact [email protected].
2005 National Convention Courtesy Corps: The application to participate in Courtesy Corps at the 2005 National FFA Convention is now available. It may be downloaded at
http://www.ffa.org/convention/html/pln_courtesycorp.htm and must be returned to the National FFA Center by September 5. Courtesy Corps is a great way for students to get involved in the national convention, and we are always looking for volunteers! For more information, contact Carrie Powers at [email protected] or 3178024321.
National FFA Officer Candidates Information: The 2005 candidate application is now available. It can be found in the State Guide and in the Guide to the National FFA Officer Selection Process. The guide is available at an unpublished web address, which was sent to state staff via email in late March. The guide has been updated with information used during the 2004 process. All applications must be submitted in hard copy format and must be postmarked by August 1, 2005. Contact Doug Kueker at 3178024272 or [email protected], or Kim Henry at 317
8024362 or [email protected].
National Convention Judges: Nominations are now being accepted for judges for the
Agricultural Proficiency Awards, Stars, Agriscience Awards and National Chapter Awards at the 78th National FFA Convention. The Agricultural Proficiency and Star Awards judging will take place on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2005, and all of the judges will be invited to an awards luncheon on that day. Agriscience Awards will be judged on Wednesday, Oct. 26 and Thursday, Oct. 27.
National Chapter Awards will be judged on Wednesday, Oct. 26. Nominations can be submitted on the attached form and sent to Rosalie Hunsinger, National FFA Organization, P.O. Box 68960, Indianapolis, IN 462680960 or faxed to 3178025255.
The National FFA Organization cannot cover expenses for judges.
2005 CDE Deadlines: Deadlines for the 2005 National FFA CDEs are as follows:
July 8 Team certification forms, waivers, payments and needs requests due.
State Assistants forms due.
State Speaking Judges forms due.
Aug. 15 Prepared Public Speaking manuscripts due.
Sept. 15 Agricultural Communications portfolios due.
Agricultural Issues portfolios due.
Job Interview portfolios due.
Marketing Plan portfolios due.
Oct. 12 Add/Delete forms due.
If you are using electronic CDE Certification Forms, please remember to send hard copies of all pages that need student, advisor or administrator signatures. Please send these pages with the hard copies of the student waiver forms. Contact Jessica Scholer, CDE Certification Coordinator, at [email protected] or 3178024288.
CDE Program Information:www.ffa.org/programs/cde/
CDE Convention Information:www.ffa.org/convention/html/conv_cde.htm 2006 NATIONAL FFA CONVENTION IN INDIANAPOLIS
FFAININDY – A MOVING EXPERIENCE
2006 National FFA Convention Registration Your First Look at the Indianapolis Housing Block for 2006: The City of Indianapolis and FFA are working together to keep you informed about the convention move and what you need to do. You’ll soon begin to see a graphic on mailings and materials with the theme “FFA in Indy: A Moving Experience.”
Advisors, be on the lookout for a mailing in August from the City of Indianapolis. This brochure will highlight some of the features and key locations that will await you when the national FFA convention moves to Indy next year. Included with this mailing will be the official 2006
Convention Chapter Housing Form. For a brief period of time this year, you will be able to select your top six choices and submit them to the housing bureau. States that have submitted state housing block information will receive their official 2006 State Convention Housing Forms via email in early August.
Once you’ve submitted your 06 Chapter Housing Form, you’ll have the opportunity to meet with Indianapolis volunteers onsite at the 78 th National FFA Convention in Louisville this fall.
Indianapolis will have a booth in the career show, as well as a meeting room reserved where advisors can come and learn about the housing process and where their tentative housing assignments will be.
Stay tuned to UPDATE and other Moving Experience communications, and you’ll be in the know about the convention move to Indy.
EDUCATOR NEWS
AG ED Job Posting Website: Have any teaching, state staff or internship opportunities in your state? Post your agriculturerelated job openings on our AG ED job posting website:
http://www.ffa.org/statestaff/agedjobs.cfm. Contact Michele Gilbert at [email protected] or 3178024301.
Teacher Resources: The FFA Global website has numerous resources available for teachers to utilize in their classrooms. Choose from a wide range of lesson plans and interactive global projects. Bring global agriculture into your classroom by visiting www.ffa.org/programs/global/ or call 3178024309.
STATE STAFF NEWS
Extra Copies of The Core: Teacher educators and state leaders, please let us know if we can provide multiple copies of The Core to you for use with preservice teachers, partners or student leaders. Requests can be made by emailing [email protected] or calling 3178024239. When making the request, please include the following:
· How many copies you would like
· Who will be receiving them
· Contact person to send them to
· Mailing address for shipment
Learn More about Agricultural Education Resources: National FFA wants to ensure that you, your teachers and preservice teachers are equipped to do your job effectively and efficiently, which means getting you the resources that you need. Contact us if you have a conference, seminar, enrichment activity, meeting or class coming up where you would like to have products from The Core featured. We're happy to set up displays, have staff do workshops on effectively using any of the products and answer all of your and your teachers' questions! To schedule an event, email [email protected] or call 3178024239. The summer schedule is filling up quickly, so don't wait to schedule your event!
Electronic CDE Certification Forms Available: NEW CDE certification forms are available in an Excel template for 2005. The template includes certification form and student waiver. Electronic file and stepbystep instructions can be found on your Ag Ed Inservice CDROM. Contact Jessica Scholer, CDE Certification Coordinator, at 3178024288 or [email protected].
Student Waiver, Release of Liability and Consent to Medical Attention Forms: Protect your students and your state association by creating a student waiver form specific to your state or event. We now have a template to help you create your own forms for regional, state or interstate events. If you are interested in creating student waiver forms for your state event, please contact Jessica Scholer, CDE Certification Coordinator, at [email protected].
Star Applicants’ Personal History: A reminder that the personal history of any Star applicant should be no more than three doublespaced pages, in at least 10point font. In the minimum qualification process before judging, if there are more than three doublespaced pages, the additional pages will be removed from the application before judging.
2005 State Presidents’ Conference: State leaders, please join us for the 2005 State Presidents’
Conference! Registration materials and conference information are located at
www.ffa.org/programs/conferences/html/conf_officers.html. Please check the website for updates of the 2005 conference.
The 2005 State Presidents’ Conference is sponsored by Chevrolet and GMAC as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
2005 SPC Dates:
July 2630, 2005 Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.
For more information, contact Tiffany Sanderson at [email protected] or 3178024239.
ALUMNI
NEW FFA Alumni Recruitment Brochure Available! A new FFA Alumni recruitment brochure has been created and copies are available to state FFA Alumni associations and local FFA Alumni affiliates by contacting the national office at [email protected] or 3178024294. The
brochures are free! They are great for distributing at conferences, conventions, fairs or at parents night events.
Student Projects for Alumni Auction: The National FFA Alumni team is inviting FFA members to donate their outstanding classroom, shop or SAE projects to the 2005 FFA Alumni auction.
This auction category will showcase students' talents and skills from the diverse skill areas being taught in agriculture courses across the nation, from wood and metal working to floral arranging and anything in between! Visitwww.ffa.org/alumni/html/alumni_auction.html for more information.
2005 FFA Alumni Auction: Raising Moola for FFA: Donations are now being accepted for the 2005 National FFA Alumni Auction. The National FFA Alumni team is looking for product
donations for the live and silent auctions held during the national FFA convention. Auction funds provide WLC and collegiate scholarships to hundreds of students. Please consider donating so we may continue providing these opportunities for students. A donation form is available on our website at www.ffa.org/alumni/html/alumni_auction.html.
State Basket Contest: Interested in winning a WLC scholarship and other prizes? Enter the FFA Alumni State Basket Contest! Each state FFA association and FFA alumni association is invited to enter. Share your state's commodities and creativity! Visit www.ffa.org/alumni/ for a contest description and rules.
For more information on the FFA Alumni Auction and State Basket Contest, visit www.ffa.org/alumni/html/alumni_auction.html or call 3178024294.
Visit the National FFA Alumni online at www.ffa.org/alumni/.
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED IN UPDATE
Online Giving: Online giving is now available through the National FFA Foundation. You can make your annual contribution to FFA by visiting www.ffa.org/foundation/.
UPDATE is available online each month at www.ffa.org/media/html/med_pub_index.htm.
Attachments are also available online.
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The FFA Mission
FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
The Agricultural Education Mission
Agricultural Education prepares students for successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems.
The National FFA Organization is a resource and support organization that does not select, control or supervise state association, local chapter or individual member activities except as expressly provided for in the National FFA Organization Constitution and Bylaws.
The National FFA Organization affirms its belief in the value of all human beings and seeks diversity in its membership, leadership and staff as an equal opportunity employer.
© 2005 National FFA Organization
