Activating Your Power!

This past week, 142 FFA members from across Minnesota gathered at the 2011 State Greenhand Leadership Conference at Deep Portage Conservation Reserve in Hackensack. We embarked on our journey with a superhero theme titled "Activate Your Power!" During the week, we worked with greenhand members on the basics of FFA, leadership, etiquette, and future opportunities in the FFA.




The Basics of FFA - As we go through our FFA careers, it can be easy to forget how important those little things really are. Who wrote the creed, and why? Why are our colors National Blue and Corn Gold? What does it mean to be a student led organization? It's those basic things that make our organization what it truly is.


Leadership - Once again. Leadership. By the time we graduate from high school, we have had about enough of this "leadership development" stuff. But looking back, at least for me, how much has all of that shaped you as a person? Five years ago, standing in front of an audience giving a speech? No way. Serving as a part of a team? I don't think so. Putting on a workshop? What's that? It's amazing, the difference that the leadership development offered through the FFA makes. Keep embracing it!


Etiquette - I'm going to take a second to brag here. FFA members are the most polite, well mannered teenagers anywhere. And the cool thing is, people notice. But don't just take that as a compliment, take it as a challenge. Just because we are good, doesn't mean we are good enough. We represent more than our organization. We represent ourselves as individuals, and as a generation. With that in mind, remember to represent, in and out of the jacket.


Future Opportunities in the FFA - It still amazes me, being a sophomore in college, the opportunities I still have as an FFA member. I'll keep this short and sweet. You get out of the FFA what you put into it. If you attend leadership conferences, conventions, participate in CDE's, develop an awesome SAE, the FFA will pay you back ten fold. From my personal experience, some things that I have found extremely beneficial, run for regional office, go to WLC, and try either prepared or extemporaneous speaking.


The members at SGLC were absolutely fantastic, and walked away with a lot of new knowledge that they can use as members, and take back to their chapters. As the officers take this week to recoop and prepare for SLCCL, we hope that every FFA member takes these things to heart. Just because we have outgrown "Greenhand" doesn't mean we get to forget about the basics and traditions of what make our organization great. Because in the great words of Chelsea Vilchis, "You guys are boss!"






















Stationed by the Door
Dustin Smith
State Sentinel