February 2015 by Texas Ag Ed

NEWS A Texas Team Ag Ed Publication

February 2015

The Way I See It Jack Winterrowd, Cedar Park

Today, everyone needs a partner in some shape, form or fashion. This is especially true in busy February when ag teachers depend on the support of other people. I think most people would agree that good partners are essential in life. “When a match has equal partners then I fear not.” - Aeschylus I can remember having many partners growing-up. As infants we rely on other people to get through our days. When I was in elementary school my best friend and I spent the days finding all kinds of things to occupy our time. My mother called him my “partner in crime” which would cause me to retort that we never broke any laws or got caught. As younger adults in school we often work with partners because in many instances, two heads are better than one. In our professional lives, we quickly learn that we need the help of good partners to be more successful in our endeavors. I am blessed to have many partners in my life now and in the past who have helped me get to this point in my life. In our personal lives, we strive to find a partner to complete our needs for love and acceptance. My wife, Tammy, has been my personal blessing for more than 37 years. We have been together since the fall of 1977 and we married in June of 1979. She knew what she was getting herself into because I was an ag teacher before we got married and she still said “yes”. Her decision to be my partner and wife has shaped my life in many ways and I am eternally

grateful that she chose to be my partner in love. “In the past a leader was a boss. Today’s leaders must be partners with their people... they no longer can lead solely based on positional power.” - Ken Blanchard I had an excellent partner at my first teaching job. Phil Van Cleave took me under his wing and helped me get through those challenging early years of my career. He had been teaching about 10 years when I was hired in Cameron so I depended on him to keep me on track. He was an excellent teaching partner because he let me learn through my mistakes and successes. He supported me in all that we did to make our FFA chapter better. He could have bossed me around because of his experience but instead he chose to lead by example. When I was in graduate school at A&M, I was blessed to learn from a true leader in our profession. Dr. Herman Brown was a strong, determined man who served as Agriculture Education Department Head and earned the admiration and respect of countless ag teachers during his tenure. One day early in my program, he called me into his office and informed me that I was going to be his partner in teaching a leadership development class that he had recently received approval to teach. I was taken by surprise but also extremely honored that he had chosen me to do this with him. He quickly turned all the grunt work over to me (since I was a lowly graduate

assistant) and held me accountable for the ultimate success, or failure, of the course. I soon learned that he really meant for me to teach the class and he would be the professor of record and occasionally stop by the classroom to see that I was doing what he expected of me. That experience taught me that partners can be people who get us started in the right direction and then just be there to support us when we need it. “I always tried to align myself with strategic partners, friends, and information to help me with the things that I did not know, and ultimately, I made it.” - Daymond John I firmly believe that much of my personal and professional success has been the result of God placing people in my life to be my

Continue on page 2

VATAT News

The Way I See It

A Teacher From the Greatest Generation

Continued

Barney McClure, VATAT Executive Director

partners when I really needed them. When I took the job in Cedar Park, I was fulfilling a selfish goal that I had set for myself several years prior. After I had taught for about 15 years, I thought that I wanted to be a single teacher and start a new chapter. I got that opportunity when I accepted my current job and I very quickly learned that I needed a partner. I worked hard for three years to build the chapter numbers to a size that would support a second teacher and was blessed to have Jeff Kelley join me. He was an excellent teaching partner because our skill set complimented each other’s strengths and shortcomings. We jokingly called each other our “work spouse” and the success of our chapter was due in very large part to our ability to work together for the common good of the students we saw each day and the FFA members whose lives we tried to positively influence. When he decided to leave I supported him because he was my dear friend but I was worried because replacing a good partner can be a true challenge. My years of working alone causes me to have profound respect for the 368 ag teachers in single teacher departments who live and work through that experience every day. I am blessed once again to have a great “work spouse” in Myles Russell. His youth has rejuvenated me and my age and years of experience have allowed me to mentor him and be his teaching partner much like my first teaching partner was for me. His shop skills and technology skills save me on a regular basis and I couldn’t ask for a better partner at this stage of my career. I have been truly blessed with many personal and professional “partners in crime” and I am eternally thankful for the influence they have in my life. I get to work with a great set of VATAT Officers. Thank you Charlie, Ray, Shane and Kevin! A very special thank you must go to our staff in Austin because they are our partners in so many ways. Their dedication to the success of our organization and profession is often a thankless job and it shouldn’t be that way. We are also blessed to have remarkable partners in our Ag Ed Family. The FFA staff and FFA Foundation staff are outstanding and dedicated to our cause and mission. We are fortunate to have sponsors and supporters in the business and corporate world who believe in what we are doing every day to teach agriculture and promote leadership development in our classrooms and FFA chapters. The university and college staff who diligently work to prepare young teachers to fill our ranks also deserve our gratitude because they are essential partners for the future of our profession. I challenge you to think about the partners you have in your life, especially during these hectic, crazy, busy, stressful, and exciting times of stock shows and contests. Give a word of thanks and encouragement to them. Our lives are better because of them. Think for a moment where we would be without them. And that’s the way I see it…

In mid-December I received a call from the son of a retired teacher informing us of his father’s passing. This is a pretty common occurrence, but this one was different. Glenn Lubke informed us that his father, Herbert W. Lubke, had passed away in his sleep on December 16, 2014 at the age of 92. Mr. Lubke was my teaching partner for three years in Grandview, Texas from 1979 until 1982. Mr. Lubke led an interesting life. Raised in Hamilton County, he began attending Clifton Junior College then World War II broke out. He entered the U.S. Army and saw action in Europe. Many of you have studied accounts of the Battle of the Bulge. Mr. Lubke was an Army Scout who was captured in this battle. During the Christmas season of 1944, he was loaded onto a railroad cattle car crowded with other prisoners and sent to Nazi Germany where he spent the rest of the war. Unlike many veterans, he openly told the story of his time as a prisoner. He never told me of the Bronze Star he earned, or his many other decorations. After his discharge, he finished college at Texas Tech, and began his teaching career in Floyd, New Mexico. He later moved to Arkansas and worked as a math teacher. He came back to Texas in the mid 1950s and was hired as the agriculture teacher at Grandview. Like many of his generation, he came, he worked and retired in that community. While impressed by his service in the military, what impressed me most about Mr. Lubke was his dedication to his family and community. He and his wife Oleta raised three sons, Fred, Kim and Glenn. He was a stalwart at his church, and in any community cause that needed championing. He was one of the founding members of the Grandview Senior Living Center where he spent his last couple of years. He was also recognized as one of the top teachers in Texas. He coached state winning teams in chapter conducting and livestock judging, and qualified for the national finals in land judging, as well as range judging. He did this while operating a 320 acre stock and grain farm south of town. After retiring from teaching, he and his wife operated a successful real estate firm in Grandview. I learned much from Mr. Lubke. I learned how to be a better teacher and a better man. I learned how much influence a good teacher can have in a community. I learned the value of a mentor like him. The example he set for me and other teachers cannot be underestimated. Tom Brokaw called folks of his age the “Greatest Generation”. I concur. Godspeed, Mr. Lubke.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

VATAT................................................................1 - 2 Texas FFA...........................................................4 - 5 Foundation.............................................10 Texas FFA Alumni................................................11 Young Farmers...........................................14 - 15

VATAT News

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VATAT News

UPDATE 2014-2015 Texas FFA Second Quarter Board Meeting Tom Maynard, Texas FFA Executive Director The Texas FFA Association’s Board of Directors tackled several significant issues at its second quarter meeting held last month.

Area Realignment Area realignment might have been the farthest-reaching matter on the agenda, but not the most contentious. The board’s focus group of area representatives generally agreed that growth concentrated in the state’s urban and suburban areas since the current area format was adopted in the mid-1950’s, necessitates the consideration of a process which would alleviate travel issues, bring balance in the competitive event and student delegate components of the organization. The board also agreed that the final re-alignment proposal should contain language that would enable the organization to address alignment-related hardships outside of a formal realignment process. The realignment policy calls for a realignment commission composed of area representatives, a VATAT officer, a CDE provider representative, two business and industry representatives from the Texas FFA Board of Directors and a representative of the Board of Student Officers. The board of directors will appoint a chairman from the membership of the commission no later than October 1. The board of directors is required to notify the student delegates of its intent to initiate the realignment and have a realignment commission chairman in place by October 1. By November 1, the commission must publish a timeline that accommodates a 60-day review of the initial draft, public hearings, presentation to the board of directors and submission of the final plan for delegate approval at the 2016 convention in Dallas.

Applying Both FFA and 4-H Scholarships The board took from the table an item of business tabled in September concerning policy language which precluded students from simultaneously applying for FFA and 4-H scholarships. The board voted to strike the language which prohibited students from applying

simultaneously in both selection processes. The final board motion differed from the language recommended by the scholarship committee which stated that a student could apply in both but only receive a scholarship through one or the other. The board did not adopt this part of the committee-recommended language because it singled out the 4-H process from amongst the many other scholarship programs through which an FFA member could receive scholarships. For example, there is no similar prohibition on a student who receives a scholarship through the Houston Go-Texan program, San Antonio Breed Champion Scholarship Program or State Fair of Texas Scholarship Program. Additionally, a student who receives a modest 4-H scholarship would be required to roll the dice and surrender their 4-H scholarship to be considered for an FFA scholarship or turn it back after the FFA process and create issues for the Texas 4-H. Currently, there is no data which quantifies the degree to which FFA and 4-H overlap in Texas and to what extent this will impact the scholarship process.

Future Convention Dates The board approved a proposal that would place the state convention in Fort Worth for three consecutive years; 2018, 2019 and 2020. It is not the first time that the board opted to do so. The convention was slated for Fort Worth for 2002-04, but the board later did an about face in 2000 and opted to restructure the three-year deal for a 2002-04-06 rotation. The three-year Fort Worth deal potentially sets up a similar three-year run in Dallas, but this package has not received board approval. Historically, Texas FFA has placed value on rotating the convention between different parts of the state to allow students to experience the state’s diversity of agriculture, geography, climate and culture and to use the convention as a point of entry for potential supporters and partners. However, as the convention has grown, it has become increasingly difficult to find cities which can accommodate the multi-faceted event which drew more than 12,000 to Fort Worth in 2014. Dallas has hosted more Texas conventions than any

VATAT News other city with 15. Five of the first six conventions were held in conjunction with the State Fair of Texas. Houston and Fort Worth have each hosted the convention 14 times. (Lubbock-10; San Antonio-9; Corpus Christi-5; Amarillo-4; El Paso-2; Austin-1). In the early years, the fledgling Texas FFA held state conventions in College Station, Huntsville, Stephenville, Arlington, Temple, Marshall and Sweetwater.

Competitive Event Revision The board amended the Career Development Event Operational Policies related to the revision process. The old language was based on National FFA timelines and practices which no longer exist. Texas is about to undertake another competitive event review and revision process, which will culminate in new rules for the 2016-17 academic year, which ultimately feed into the 2017 National FFA Convention. A Competitive Event Revision Summit will be held in September, 2015.

Scholarship Administration Policy The board endorsed a policy revision proposal which will enable award scholarship recipients to receive support directly, rather than through an institution’s financial aid system. For some students, receipt of the award scholarship through the college or university means that other funds are reduced by the same amount, which means that the student receives no benefit from the scholarship earned through an award selection process. The scholarship administration policy is a foundation policy, but endorsed by the Texas FFA Association, in the same way the selection policy is an association policy endorsed by the foundation.

District/Area/State LDE’s, Spurs FFA Night, JumpSTART Academies, convention planning, Ford Leadership Scholars, CTSO Day at the Capitol and Texas FFA Day at the Capitol. The board also received staff updates related to National FFA award changes, 2015 convention, financial audit and the National FFA’s AgCN and reports addressing membership, new charters, Leadership Development Events, National FFA Convention results, survey results/ comments, Texas FFA News re-launch and updates from the Texas Education Agency, Texas FFA Foundation and VATAT.

Future Items The board has an ad hoc committee re-examining the current student delegate process in terms of its effectiveness as a leadership development experience. The committee intends to have a full report at the third quarter meeting in March. A board committee is also studying the current Texas Collegiate FFA Association and its potential to provide valuable experiences for future agricultural educators. An additional ad hoc committee is studying the potential of regional conferences for district FFA officers.

Future Meetings The Texas FFA Board of Directors will convene for its third quarter meeting in Austin on Monday, March 30, and in Waco for the fourth quarter meeting on Friday, June 12. All meetings are open to the public.

Other Items The board also adopted the first iteration of a five-year strategic plan which was produced by a board committee. The plan still requires additional details concerning timelines and evaluation benchmarks. The board ratified the Texas Education Agency Oversight Policy, a document which defines the relationship between the Texas FFA Association, a career and technical student organization which pursuant the Texas Education Code, operates as an integral part of the instructional program and the agency which has jurisdiction over the instructional program. Until 1998, Texas FFA operated from within the agency, but since then, has functioned as an educational non-profit with TEA oversight. The TEA Oversight Policy is not a new document, but is brought before the board periodically as a reaffirmation of the relationship.

Updates and Reports The board received an extensive report from the student officers concerning the travel team, #RAK4TXFFA initiative, State Fair activities, National Convention,

VATAT News

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VATAT News

UPDATE Texas FFA Foundation 101 Aaron Alejandro, Texas FFA Foundation Executive Director The Texas FFA Foundation seeks to strengthen agricultural education and the Texas FFA program, so each student can develop their potential for personal growth, career success and leadership in a global marketplace. The Foundation is proud of the Texas FFA’s 87 years of brand equity, growth and performance. We are grateful to our dedicated corporate partners who continue to serve with purpose and give with passion.

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Texas FFA Scholarships, Texas FFA Convention and Teacher Professional Development Conference. In addition, the Texas FFA Foundation supports the following special projects and initiatives:

VATAT News

UPDATE Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) Kelly White, Texas FFA Alumni President Each year, FFA members from all over the United States travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC). During the five-day event, attendees learn how to become effective leaders by teaching them to know their purpose, value people, take action and serve others. This is no ordinary leadership experience. You will spend a week putting these skills into practice as you make new friends from across the United States, tour our nation’s capitol and visit with members of Congress. This action-packed week will help you gain selfconfidence and leadership skills to take back to your FFA chapter and share with other members. They leave the Washington Leadership Conference with the knowledge and the confidence to act in ways that help their schools, community, and their country. The Texas FFA Alumni has traditionally granted four (4) $500.00 scholarships to deserving FFA members whose local affiliate are in good standing with the Texas FFA Alumni. Applications are online at www.texasffaalumni. ffanow.org under Applications. More info about the Washington Leadership Conference can be found at www.ffa.org. Don’t forget State and National FFA Alumni dues are due by February 15, 2015 to be considered for the Washington Leadership Conference scholarship.

• Applications are to be postmarked by February 15 of each year. The Washington Leadership Conference scholarship recipients will be announced by March 1st and winners notified by March 15th. • Each Washington Leadership Conference scholarship recipient is expected to attend the Texas FFA Alumni Association’s annual meeting in July. (The FFA Alumni Association Annual Meeting is held in conjunction with the State FFA Convention).

STATE AND NATIONAL FFA ALUMNI DUES ARE DUE BY FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Eligibility and Deadlines 2015 Scholarship: • Only one FFA member per chapter can submit an application for the Washington Leadership Conference scholarship. • Recipients must attend a Washington Leadership Conference workshop for the year the scholarship is awarded. • The Washington Leadership Conference scholarship will cover at least $500.00 of the registration fee for an FFA member to attend the WLC conference. Travel to and from the Washington Leadership Conference conference site and incidental expenses are the recipient’s responsibility.

VATAT News

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VATAT News

UPDATE Notes From the Executive Secretary Don Beene, Texas Young Farmers Executive Secretary The 60th Annual Association of Young Farmers of Texas State Convention is history. It was a great one and our heartfelt thanks go out to Terry Hausenfluck, Lance Hausenfluck and Carrie Halpain. The Convention went off without a glitch due to a board that worked hard to make our guest welcome and comfortable. The hotel was very comfortable and the food and fellowship was awesome. It was an honor to have Congressman Bill Flores attend the banquet and give us an overview of the happenings in Washington this session. This year the State Convention was attended by 82 people, and we expect to double our numbers at next year’s convention in Bryan, TX. The next few issues of the newsletter will feature pictures from the convention. Also, few of our State Officer and Past State Presidents were kind enough to give us a glimpse into the event. Here is what they had to say: “The 2015 State Young Farmer Convention was an awesome experience in planning, cooperation, teamwork and participation which will be the foundation as we move forward to 2016.” - Terry Hausenfluck, Board Advisor and Convention Planner “I was excited to see all of the participation in tours, contests and awards and I know there will be even more at the 2016 Convention in Bryan.” - Lance Hausenfluck: Area III Vice President and Convention Planner

“Bryan Young Farmers did a great job on tours!” - Tommy and Clovia Ketchum; Past State President 1993 “I was not aware that the city of Bryan had so much to offer everyone. This was one convention that will go down in the books as awesome.” - Connie Koopmann: Past State President 2012 “We had a great three days of convention in which we learned how chocolate is produced, hats are made and shaped, glass beads and glass items are created, how the Texas A&M Vet School is helping in disaster relief and we are looking forward to even a better convention in Bryan in January of 2016.” - Robert Bland; Vice President Area VII and President Elect “I was extremely pleased with the turnout, the participation and the overall great people who attended. Can’t wait for next year!” - Kenneth Brown; State President “Great to see new and young faces at the convention. We had a great time and thanks to all that helped, especially Mr. H, Carrie, Bryan Young Farmers and of course the board. It was a fantastic time.” - Larry Mendahall; Past State President 2001 “Laissez les bons temps rouler.....let the good times roll.” - Rick Walterscheid: Vice President Area IX “The maroon and white carpet was laid out for our 60th State Convention in Bryan!” - Bill Ward; Past State President 1998

VATAT News

60th Annual Young Farmers of Texas State Convention

Mr. McClure, VATAT Executive Director, installed the 2015 Young Farmer Officers. (Photographed left to right) Lance Hausenfluck, Bryan Chapter/Area III; President Elect Robert Bland, Gonzales Chapter/Area VII; President Kenneth Brown, Teague Chapter; Brad Peyton, Chico Chapter/Area V; Rich Walterscheid, Barbers Hill Chapter/Area IX; not pictured Cristan Thompson, Teague Chapter/Area VIII; not pictured John Halm Jr., Willacy County/Area X.

Award winners at 60th Annual Convention: (Photographed left to right) Mike Baker, Gonzales Chapter -Outstanding Member; Charles Rochester and Robert Bland (far right)- Family of the Year; Ken Hedrick, Sundowner and Robert Bland, Gonzales Chapter -Outstanding Chapter.

Congressman Bill Flores, receiving a desk clock from President, Kenneth Brown at the 60th Annual State Convention. We were honored by the Congressman addressing the members and guest at our award banquet.

VATAT News

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Upcoming Events February

March

April

1st National FFA Scholarship Deadline

1st Spring Membership Deadline

1st VATAT Scholarship Application Deadline

12th San Antonio Livestock Show

14th Star of Texas Fair

15th State FFA Chorus Application Deadline

21st - 28th National FFA Week 24th Day at the Capitol

3rd Houston Livestock Show

15th Foundation Ambassador Application Deadline

30th Texas FFA Board of Directors Meeting

15th Texas FFA Convention Media Deadline

31st Texas FFA Foundation Board of Directors Meeting

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Officers Jack Winterrowd, President

Ray Pieniazek, Vice President

Shane Crafton, Secretary/Treasurer

Staff Barney McClure, Executive Director

Ashley Dunkerley, Communications

Karen Jones, Membership Services