National FFA Convention

[CattleArmy]

Tens of thousands of teenage FFA members flocked to the Indiana Convention Center on Wednesday for the start of a four-day national gathering that will reach most parts of Indianapolis.
Opening day's main attraction was the FFA Agricultural Career Show at the convention center. Companies ranging from Stihl and Carhartt to Dow AgroSciences, Cub Cadet and Toyota were on hand to entertain FFA members and encourage them to submit resumes.

The FFA band greeted career fair-goers with a rousing performance, including a rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," as the fair opened.

Convention organizers are expecting about 55,000 attendees, including students, parents, teachers, and college and corporate recruiters. That figure is up from the 54,000 who attended last year's National FFA Convention here.

They will spend about $30 million while they're here.


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While in high school I was active in FFA and attended a National FFA convention and had an awesome time. When I came upon this article it brought back memories of meat judging, cattle judging, and yes even welding (I hated it messed up my hair and we all know how important hair dos are to high school kids). I wondered how many people in Ranchers either had ties to FFA in high school or their children are involved in it now?

I saw some of it on the rural television station on dish and see they are still wearing those stylish blue coats from back in the day.

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

I think a big majority of our kids here on ranchers are involved in FFA. But I do see a trend here in our small community. Or maybe it's not a trend, maybe it's just the way things are. The kids that come from ranching background are more involved and willing to do stuff than the ones that aren't. Now don't no one jump on me cuz I said "from ranching background" cuz that's just about all there is here, not much farming at all. What I'm sayin is, even tho we are a small rural community. And some of the kids live out in the sticks. If they aren't involved in livestock, they seem to pretty much be like kids that are raised in town. Nothin against that either. It's just an observation of our FFA/Ag dept at school, the kids that know what the projects are for, and how they are used, seem to be more willin to jump in and learn how to weld, or cut, or saw...etc.

LOL yeap they still have that same blue corderoy jacket. OUrs wear that jacket when they go to a FFA competition. But when it's the big Fairs (Houston, SanAntonio and San Angelo), they get shirts made up all alike, and then they all have carhart jackets they wear.

 

[katrina]

This fall I have had a wonderful opportunity to go with the FFA club for range judging and beef judging..... And what a great bunch of kids.
I will get pictures up as soon as I can.
And our son is at convention right now as we speak..... He called once and said it was just awesome....

 

[Ranchy]

I was in FFA briefly, as was Al when he went to public school at Reserve.

The livestock judging team, ag mechanics team and crops judging teams from the high school in Quemado (just north of us, still in same county) all got to go to National.........they all won first places at state here. I don't think any of the Reserve bunch got to go.

The same livestock judging team that went to Nationals for FFA also get to go to Nationals for 4-H........they were awesome at state convention, and won big!

Hate to say it, cause Quemado were always our chief rivals, but the Quemado kids are so much more into ag stuff than the Reserve kids anymore. I hear that Reserve FFA has only about 5 or 6 members..... :?

 

[CattleArmy]

The local FFA chapter I belonged to in high school was a large group but we had a very involved sponsor. He taught us well and we traveled and won at competitions. After I graduated around 3 years the FFA was way down in numbers. Part of it I felt was the lack of a knowlegable sponsor. Now the FFA group is growing. But some adults that are interested are involved now.

 

[Nebraska Sandhills]

My younger brother traveled to the convention this year to receive his American degree. I sure enjoyed range judging and livestock judging while in FFA for four years. I also took advantage of the opportunity to do some public speaking which I think has really helped me post-graduation and will continue to do so.

 

[Frankk]

One of my grandsons is also at the convention. Probably here for him or his mother tomorrow.

 

[MN Farm Girl]

I got back from Convention on Saturday morning at 4:00. We had a blast. As to the stylish blue jackets it was a good thing we had them because there were times when it was pretty cold. In the mornings they were nice for warmth. I will try for pics soon.

MN Farm Girl

 

[AngusinTexas]

I was very involved in FFA when I was in high school. I competed in several contests and my senior year we won state in Ag Mechanics and ended up 2nd in the nation. My high school sent ag mechanics teams to nationals in 1999, 2002, and 2004. Which was a pretty amazing feat considering we had about 75 members and were competing with schools that had over 500 FFA members.

 

[Miss N. The-Hills]

I had the honor of playing for the Nat'l FFA Choir in Kansas City about 10 years ago. Quite a big time was had by all.

Impressive convention, and even more impressive were the kids.

 

[jigs]

I am a HUGE FFA supporter. and I still admire my advisor, and talk to him regularly. but now my kids go to a different school, and the advisor there is a dork. so I have to pull my support away from one I admire, and put it behind a guy who is not very bright. really hard for me to do, but if I want my kids to excel, I gotta suck it up!


my wife, as a Junior, was on the national Parli Pro championship team in FFA !

 

[Rambo]

FFA has been a big part of my families life. Me and my kids judged in several National contests. My daughter had the most success in FFA of all of us. She was a state officer. At this year's convention, in addition to judging one of the early rounds of the creed contest she mentored the young man from Colorado that was elected Cental region VP. She also had a hand in the young lady from Kansas that is the new Secretary.

The best part is she found out it is more fun to help others succeed than to win yourself. Made me one proud papa when she said that.

 

[troyinky]

in this area. Most kids that want to compete in speech competitions, whether they are from farm background or not, are involved in our chapter. My wife was Vo- Ag teacher for 9 yrs and took her parli team to nationals.

 

[Red Barn Angus]

My goodness, that does bring back memories. We didn't have a very active 4 H program in our town but had a very good FFA program. That was so long ago they didn't even let "girls" in :lol: and the convention was in Kansas City. I learned a lot about public speaking, livestock judging and my advisor even introduced "pasture maggots" to our farm which had never been on that place before. For a poor kid they were the very best thing I could have had. They paid for my first 2 1/2 years of college and my first car. We used to sell the fat lambs to livestock commission companies in the KC stockyards and they usually were trucked to KC on Sunday nights. A couple of times I got to ride along. After the sale the commission co. would send your check along with a note as to how they did. I'll never forget one letter said something to the effect that we sold your top quality fat lambs today for the extreme high of $28.50 per cwt today. Wow, was I a happy camper! Never saw so many blue jackets in one place before as in KC at the convention.