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North Union FFA Gains Leadership at the National FFA Convention By Holly Sheets
North Union FFA Reporter INDIANAPOLIS—The 79th National FFA Convention was kicked off with laser lights, fog machines and booming music as more than 55,000 members and guests of the National FFA Organization convened at Conseco Fieldhouse.
During the session, National FFA Advisor Dr. Larry Case issued a challenge to all FFA members to live a life of gold standards. As members wear blue jackets on the outside, gold standards fill each member on the inside. Dr. Case asked that members strive to go beyond the usual achievement for recognition’s sake by truly living to serve others and make a difference in the community and the world.
To help kick off the 79th National FFA Convention, guest speaker and FOX NFL Sunday pre-game co-host, Terry Bradshaw encouraged FFA members to be passionate about life, to smile and to have fun with everything they do since life is short, life is precious and life is fun. “Whatever you sow today, you’ll reap tomorrow,” Bradshaw said. FFA members are asked to do good and help others.
Blue corduroy may fade, but gold standards will never tarnish and they will forever express the highest expectations and aspirations of all FFA members. Opening ceremonies begin an exciting week for all who are passionate for the FFA. More than 55,000 FFA members will uphold the gold standards and take part in the largest convention to be held in the history of the organization.
During the fourth general convention session, Clark Kellogg opened his speech by challenging FFA members to take control of their lives. According to the former Indiana Pacer, there are two aspects of life that are in our control – attitude and effort. “We fall in to the trap of letting what we do define who we are,” stated Kellogg. “The things we do are just small parts of who we are. We need to define ourselves by our attitudes and efforts.”
Attitude, Kellogg defined, is the humility of our lives. The recognition of our own opportunities in controlling our own attitude is the key to humility. “Don’t allow anyone else define or make you do anything you don’t want to do,” he explained. “No one can make you mad. They can lead you to disliking, but only you have the power to look negatively and be mad.” Getting the reward is based upon what kind of effort we put into something, according to The Ohio State University graduate. Kellogg also challenged FFA members to take their efforts and take the high road. “Seek higher ground, because even if you fall short, you are still progressing,” he described. He related effort to the old metaphor of reaping what we sow. “Once we sow thoughts, we reap actions,” he clarified. “When we sow our actions, we reap habits. Then when we sow our habits, we reap characteristics.” When we do this, we are developing the skills that it takes to control our efforts. “With the excellence you’ve shown here in FFA, you are already on that track.”
What if and why not? Those are the two questions that keynote speaker Mike Rayburn asked of all FFA members at the seventh session of the 79th National FFA Convention. Rayburn said asking yourself what if opens up all possibilities. By asking yourself why not, gets you to the obstacle that is holding you back. Rayburn, award-winning guitar virtuoso, used his astonishing guitar talent to put a different twist to everyday songs, while motivating FFA members to think differently and to look at life from a different perspective. “I want people to think differently and to not change for the sake of change, but to change for the sake of improvement,” the entertainer said. He was voted “America’s Campus Entertainer” three times in four years. Rayburn has played the guitar for 36 years and draws from life experiences to motivate crowds to aim high and turn their own problems into opportunities. He said that the guitar is the best way to illustrate something that he is passionate about. “To change anything at all, the first thing we have to change is our brain and the way we think,” he said. He encouraged FFA members to pay attention to what their brain is asking. Rayburn explained, when asking yourself what if and why not, a fundamental change takes place. “Your brain will no longer look for reasons why you can’t, but your brain will begin to look for reasons why you can.”
He took on the personas of different musicians and incorporated humor into his message to FFA members. The audience heard his impression of Led Zeppelin singing Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham,” Jim Hendrix singing “Green Acres,” and Bob Marley singing like Garth Brooks. FFA members at the session laughed hysterically, sang along and shouted out their own requests. Between songs, Rayburn said that he believes there is a gold mine of unrealized potential in everyone. He explained to FFA members that they are surrounded everyday by moments to access that potential. “I have discovered that the biggest challenges you will face in your life will hit you when you are not ready for them,” he said. He told FFA members that we motivate ourselves by rewards and punishments. “This is also the way we train rats,” he said. “What sets humans apart is our ability to respond to the greatest motivations.” Rayburn also said that we have a sense of purpose, which puts meaning behind everything we do. “What I want you to take from here today is to draw from that purpose, draw from that sense of why you are here, ask yourself ‘what if and why not’ and then act on those possibilities.” He wants FFA members to be able to look back at themselves later on in life and know that they stood for something and that they made it count. By keeping those two questions in mind, Rayburn wants everyone to look at their problems as possibilities and to aim higher than just the middle. “Aim higher than mediocrity,” he said.
Exhibitors from agriculturalrelated companies, fundraising companies, state FFA associations, more than 80 universities and the U.S. Armed Services were on hand to help direct students toward a career path after high school. Jack Pitzer, who has managed the Career Show for 30plus years, said, “The best thing students can gain here is to capture in their mind the diversity and vast expansion of opportunities in the agriculture industry. Students should be on the lookout for that magic moment when they find out what they are interested in; I say this is a dream building place,” he said.
On the way to the National FFA Convention the North Union FFA Chapter stopped at Fair Oak Farms. Fair Oaks Farms is founded in the tradition of caring for all of the precious resources, from the land, to the cows, to the milk and to the men and women of the greater Fair Oaks Farms family. Fair Oaks Farms is owned by the Bos den Dulk, McCloskey, Schakel, and Van Ravenswaay families, all of whom who work hard to produce the finest dairy products. The Dairy Adventure at Fair Oaks Farms is a fun-filled field trip not to be missed. The Dairy Adventure is a composition of experiences designed to engage multiple learning modalities, to have impact at in a range of learning levels, and to serve as a teaching platform for an array of more advanced studies. The intimate and emotionally engaging observations of the Behind the Scenes Tour of the operating dairy, Birthing Barn and Cheese Factory were experienced and enjoyed from an individual's personal cognitive perspective.
FFA is a national youth organization of 495,046 student members preparing for leadership careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture with 7,242 local chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. FFA strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ffa.org for more information. |