National FFA Organization

[Hay]

What are everyones thoughts of the FFA. Post either local, state or national issues,
There is a great difference between your local town and the direction of the National FFA Organization

 

[CPL]

This should be an interesting topic. This past summer our FFA chapter's livestock judging team went to a workshop at K-state. We stopped in Kansas City, and checked out some of the older sites, etc. (which is where some of the older FFA conventions were held). The stories he had about the convention, western stores in the area, the food, the royal- pretty much tops our Indianapolis convention. (I'm about 20-30 mins away from there) Honestly in indy there is NOTHING to do, nothing to look at or anything. I'm not quite sure Louisville would be too much better though. IMO the national FFA is headed in the wrong direction. I think they are chasing money and doing things to better "themselves" when they need to be doing more to better the members/chapters. I know alot of schools in my area that used to have a really active FFA chapters that now don't even have an ag program.

 

[LoveMoo11]

FFA is pretty much nonexistent in Maine...I mean, it's here but you never hear anything about it. 4-H is more popular here. By the time I found out we actually had an FFA chapter in the state I decided it wasn't worth joining anyways since I would only be able to be in it for a year or so.
by the way, i went to Louisville last April for the National Farm Bureau Women's Convention and it was really great, lots to see and they had some great tours...but I'm not much of a traveler anyways haha

 

[J. T.]

The reason for the move to Indianapolis for the National FFA Convention was twofold. One, the National Headquaters are located there, and two, Kansas City was no longer able to accomodate the delegates. FFA has changed over the years as has Ag Education. The changes were needed to keep programs alive. Gone are the days of teaching young boys to be farmers. If that was the primary objective, the programs should all be shut down. As only about 2% of our population farms, we'd be barking up the wrong tree. Instead the emphasis is teaching about agriculture: it's importance, careers in agriculture, skills needed in the industry, as well as developing leadership skills. Twenty five percent of the American workforce is employed in some branch of agriculture, so we're reaching a broader base of students. Students are still very much active in livestock programs, forestry, wildlife, ag mechanics and the like. Also, FFA is the largest youth organization in the world. Improvements could be made, but FFA and Ag Education have to evolve just as the industry that they are affiliated with must evolve.

 

[hayseed]

4-H, like FFA is reinventing itself. FFA is not your father's FFA. With leadership the main emphasis, the membership is now about 1/3 who live in town, 1/3 who are in the country but not on farms, and 1/3 who live on farms. Of course, applied science is still stressed in the classroom. Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is important and often leads to a career.

Indy has more motel rooms. Louisville had a great facility at the fairgrounds, but motels were full as far away as Lexington, KY & Seymour, IN. Watch the National FFA Convention on RFD TV or other reports--our future is in good hands; kids are just as good as ever.

 

[KMacGinley]

The reason for the move to Indianapolis for the National FFA Convention was twofold. One, the National Headquaters are located there, and two, Kansas City was no longer able to accomodate the delegates. FFA has changed over the years as has Ag Education. The changes were needed to keep programs alive. Gone are the days of teaching young boys to be farmers. If that was the primary objective, the programs should all be shut down. As only about 2% of our population farms, we'd be barking up the wrong tree. Instead the emphasis is teaching about agriculture: it's importance, careers in agriculture, skills needed in the industry, as well as developing leadership skills. Twenty five percent of the American workforce is employed in some branch of agriculture, so we're reaching a broader base of students. Students are still very much active in livestock programs, forestry, wildlife, ag mechanics and the like. Also, FFA is the largest youth organization in the world. Improvements could be made, but FFA and Ag Education have to evolve just as the industry that they are affiliated with must evolve.

Kansas City was sucker punched by the FFA. When the convention was in Kansas City, each chapter could only bring 6 members and 1 advisor so motels were more than adequate. The Leadership of the National FFA wanted to move the headquarters to Indianapolis and eventually move the convention there as well.
So what they did with no notice was to open National convention attendance wide open for the chapters. Now an FFA chapter could bring as many members as they could afford to. Kansas City no longer had enough hotel accomadations and could not add enough fast enough. So the FFA "regretfully" had no choice but to move the convention. As a red herring they held it in Louisville for several years and then moved to Indianapolis, where I expect it will be held permanently.
Kansas City was more centrally located and as noted above had much more interesting things for the members to experience. It is a shame really.

 

[Hay]

I understand the FFA Convention will be moved every 7 years. We hated to let KC go but everyone is right just not enough motels. Louisville was great great paking plenty of room again not enough motels. A great trip to see the horse county for us. Indy does there best. Too much walking no where to go and bussing and bussing walking outside the the rain and weather for Convention Hall to Convention hall is not a happy experience.
Really they have just let anyone and everyone attend so they get those numbers up.
Many kids that go have no real reason to go. Letting all kids go to National Convetion
then what is their goal next year....
Some advisors though are real active and try to get the best kids there. Others let the whole chapter go just to have a good time go to the dance stay up all night and order pizza.
The last Livestock Show these kids got to see was KC about 10 years or more ago.
This is a cattle board and we need to realize not all the FFA members in the country are
ever associated with Livestock or Farming in their classroom or chapter.
Not long ago a student had a Pork Speech that won area level topic was to elimate all hogs in the world as they have to much oder causing greenhouse gasses.
I know they kids have changed. parents have changed but if FFA is going a complete overhaul (take agriculture out) then why do we need the sponsers.