June 2015 by Texas Ag Ed

NEWS A Texas Team Ag Ed Publication

June 2015

The Way I See It Jack Winterrowd, Cedar Park

I believe that everyone has a slightly different concept of the meaning of the word “joy.” I think that if you were to ask 100 people what gives them joy; you would get 100 different answers. So what is joy and where do you find it? “True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupery It always happens this time of year for me. School has just ended and there is an aura of joy in the air. Teachers are happy because the kids are gone and the kids are happy because they don’t have to come to school every day. I try to reflect back on the year during June to get a perspective of what I did right or wrong and what I need to do to improve for next year’s classes. It usually takes a couple of weeks to recharge myself. Then I am looking for something to do and I begin thinking about next year. Sometimes it takes a little longer because I go directly from the last day of school to State Leadership Camp and then directly to State Degree Check. My summer typically begins a week later than some ag teachers. Those of you who follow that path can relate. There have been a few times that I continued on to some training or conference or series of meetings and my summer got an even later start. Looking back, those years have left me looking harder to find the joy of summer.

“Look for joy in your life; it’s not always easy to find.” -Charles Kuralt In those years my need for downtime was even more pronounced. By the time Area Camp rolled around in June, and I had been around kids for much of the summer after having been around them for the entire school year. I was truly having to look for some joy that didn’t have anything to do with teenagers. But after a week or so, I found myself returning to a better frame of mind so that by the time State FFA Convention rolled around, I was good to go once again. In retrospect, I don’t think it was the fact that I had continued working for almost an extra month that had me bummed out. I was just tired. Luckily, that feeling was short lived. “The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.” -Pearl S. Buck So by now it is time for the State FFA Convention, and almost like a junkie, I will be once again looking for a “good kid” fix. It has been over a month and my mind has purged all that tiredness and negativity from the last few weeks of school when we all dislike our jobs and the heathen children that make us question why we ever took that job in the first place. And what better place to get my “good kid” fix than the State Convention where the best and brightest all converge to mingle and socialize and learn and have fun and find joy?

The Texas FFA Convention is the epitome of excellence and therefore to me, it is a time of great joy. I truly enjoy just sitting and watching the sessions and soaking up the feelings of joy in that happy place. “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt I find joy in watching my students succeed and be recognized for their success. The joy that I see on a sophomore’s face because he is at his first State Convention and he is wearing a new, stiff, dark FFA jacket with an office and year below his name. Or the joy on a young lady’s face while she is singing in the chorus and the camera puts her on the jumbo screen. Or the buzz of

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VATAT News

The Way I See It

2015 Professional Development Conference

Continued

Barney McClure, VATAT Executive Director

excitement in the Lone Star Degree line as the recipients are preparing to go on the big stage and receive their well-earned recognition for years of hard work and effort. Those are moments of joy that are strong enough to be felt by anyone who loves and cares about the FFA and the young people who receive joy from being part of it. “Joy is not the result of getting what you want; it is the way to get what you want. In the deepest sense, joy is what you want.” - Alan Cohen Yes, it is the joy that I am looking for and the joy that I am challenging you to find. Because without that joy, life can be a struggle and that is something I don’t wish upon anyone. So where is your joy found? Maybe it is in the time spent with family and friends. Quite possibly, it is there in a recycling box that you have filled with papers purged from a file cabinet from the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Could it be in those days or required summer training or professional development? Nah, I don’t think so! Well, maybe a little, but usually not so much for me. But even in those hours of discouragement I cannot deny… “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” - Albert Einstein So the week after State Convention usually finds me at school working, getting ready for Teacher’s Conference and preparing for our Chapter Officer Retreat. I must admit (begrudgingly) that I find some joy in those efforts as well. The reality has hit me that my summer is winding down and I haven’t gotten nearly as much done as I had planned to get done by this time. I am faced with the cold hard reality that I need to awaken that joy once again because in a few short weeks, there will be lots of good kids and a few heathen kids occupying the seats in my classroom. “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” - Greg Anderson Which leads me to the end of this month’s harangue and back to my original question. Where is your joy? I challenge you to find the joy in your personal life and in your professional life. I challenge you to find ways to separate those two aspects of your life. I challenge you to grab tightly and hold onto those people, places, times and things that bring you joy because in a few short weeks, you are going to need them! “Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.” - Marianne Williamson My joy lies within my family, my faith, my home, my farm, and my “good” kids. I thank God daily for providing me with abundant joy. “Joy is prayer; joy is strength: joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.” - Mother Teresa And that’s the way I see it…

I recently spent time in Waco putting the finishing touches on our conference. My staff and I put a lot of effort into planning and conducting our summer conference each year with input from the VATAT board and the conference planning committee that meets in December. Since then, there have been few days we haven’t worked on something related to conference. The last time we were in Waco for this event was 1999. Since then both our association and Waco have grown. You will find a renovated convention center, a vibrant downtown area, ample dining options, and many family friendly activities. There are two hotels adjacent to the center and many others within easy driving distance. The exhibit area is much roomier than it was at Abilene, but we still will be sold out. The meeting rooms for workshops will be large enough, however we will have to have two area meeting at the joining hotel. The main hall for the general sessions is a little small, seating 1,200, but we will have an overflow hall with a large video screen for those who choose that option. In response to a need to better document attendance for Continuing Professional Education hours, at registration you will receive a set of bar-coded tickets to use for workshops, general sessions, and area meetings. They will be collected, and after conference our staff will scan them. In the end, you should be able to print out documentation for every meeting you attended. It will also be a great assistance to our staff when we look at how many attended each workshop or session. This process is not designed to be a “gotcha” thing, just a better way to help you in documenting your conference experience. The Taste of Texas will be a lunch only event with extra time allocated, a full two hours, to allow the vendors and customers time to eat and visit. The breakfast time slot was very lightly attended, with many hotels providing breakfast items. Box lunches will be provided on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and family night has fajitas on the menu. We hope that your time in Waco will be productive and enjoyable. As more information becomes available, we will let you know. This is the 75th year of VATAT’s existence, and we will expand on that theme at the event. I hope to see you there.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

VATAT................................................................1 - 3 Texas FFA...........................................................5 Foundation....................................................6 Texas FFA Alumni...........................................8 Young Farmers...................................................10

VATAT News

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VATAT News

UPDATE Constitutional Check-Up Tom Maynard, Executive Director The official manual states that all members should have FFA knowledge and that all officers should have knowledge and understanding of the chapter, state and national constitutions. How would your students measure up on this one? What about you? It’s vitally important. I have had a number of calls this spring from administrators and concerned citizens regarding officer elections and other proceedings being conducted in a manner contrary to the local chapter constitution and bylaws. Operating in a manner consistent with your governing documents will help keep you out of hot water on some issues, but the most important outcome is the instructional outcome. Ultimately, we are teaching young people how to run an organization and become equipped for citizenship and self government.

Annual Constitution & Bylaws Check-Up (1) Request a copy of the state office file copy of your constitution/bylaws. You may have updated your constitution and bylaws since they were filed in Austin. If what is on file is different than your current documents, send in a new copy. Staff can scan and e-mail what is currently on file. (2) From the Texas FFA website (Under resources>toolbox), download the document titled “Standards for governing documents.” This checklist addresses all of the most features common to all constitutions and/or bylaws. All of these elements should be included in your chapter’s constitution/bylaws. (3) From the same page (chapter toolbox), download the sample constitution and bylaws. This is an editable MS Word document, so you can edit or copy from it as much as you would like. (4) Set aside ample time to meet with your officers to comb through the constitution and bylaws and develop recommendations for amendments. Your officers may decide that the changes are so sweeping, that a constitutional revision would be more appropriate. In this case, the officers would be proposing a new document that would supplant the old, rather than attempting to approve individual amendments in a piecemeal fashion. (5) Decide what is appropriate for your governing documents. Provisions of the constitution and bylaws should provide the foundational framework for the organization. These documents should not be overly prescriptive and have language that is better delivered in chapter rules or policies. You do not want to include anything that may change or that may require a degree of flexibility operating within the school environment. Your constitution and bylaws may reference chapter policies that can be adopted and amended by a simple majority vote at a regular

chapter meeting. (6) Get approval. After your student leadership team (officers and other recognized leaders such as standing committee chairmen) approves the draft of the new or amended document(s) they should present them to local administrators. This demonstrates the hands-on student leadership development process to your school leadership and gives the administration a little bit of ownership in the process. It’s a great experience for the students too! In one of your early meetings—August or September, the officers should post the new or revised documents as a discussion item. As a matter of procedure, the revisions should be presented at one meeting and then adopted at a subsequent meeting. In addition, the documents should be posted online and made as accessible as possible. Transparency is always best policy. Be sure that the adoption of the amendments or revised document is posted as an action item at the meeting at which the chapter will take action. (7) Document action. Remember that whatever is not reflected in the minutes of a meeting, didn’t happen. The chapter’s minutes should reflect presentation of the constitution and bylaws at one meeting and their adoption at the subsequent meeting. The record should reflect that a quorum was present and the two-thirds vote required to adopt or amend a constitution. Usually, bylaws only require a majority. (8) Post, File and Teach. File your newly revised constitution and bylaws with the state office. This is a great insurance policy should your document be destroyed or lost. As a matter of record, you may want to include as an addendum, the minutes that reflect the presentation and adoption. Also, make sure your officers post the new document online and that all stakeholders have equal access. Furthermore, take some time in the FFA portion of your classes to teach your students about the local constitution and bylaws and why they are important, not just to the local FFA chapter, but to any organization. (9) Create Companion Policies, Procedures and Rules. Where your constitution references chapter-adopted rules or procedures, be sure to get a head-start with your officers on the creation of these documents. For example, an officer application, testing and interview procedure and contract would not be included in the constitution and bylaws, but adopted as rules. Be sure that adoption of all such rules is reflected in the minutes. (10) Adhere to your constitution and bylaws. We are a nation of laws, and it is vitally important that we teach and model the rule of law. We must also teach our students that if they dislike a particular law or rule, there is a procedure to change it.

VATAT News

UPDATE Initiative. Support. Build. What We Learned about the Texas FFA Foundation Jackie Lee and Krysti Kelley, Texas FFA Foundation Interns As FFA members and then as state officers, we did not have an accurate perception of the Texas FFA Foundation. Being an intern changed our views and opened our eyes to the importance of the Foundation and the significant impact they have on Texas Team Ag Ed. Here’s a brief glimpse of what we learned about how the Foundation works. As state officers, our interaction with the Texas FFA Foundation began and ended with an hour long meeting with Aaron Alejandro. Although we saw certain sponsors throughout the year, we never built a connection with them. We had a “lights-on” mentality. We knew that someone somewhere was paying for us to continue the work of the Texas FFA Association, but we had no idea how that came about or what happened beyond. In our minds, someone sent a check in the mail each year, and we used that money to operate - end of story. We honored those sponsors on stage at convention. Overall, we knew the brands that were corporate sponsors, but we didn’t know the contact, their story, or even why they chose to give to the Texas FFA. If someone is willing to give thousands of dollars to our association, shouldn’t we be willing to give the time to get to know them? Even as state officers we didn’t learn all we could and what we have learned goes well beyond the money. As Foundation interns, we had the pleasure of working with the Fort Worth Host Committee and the sponsors who provide the fuel to help our dreams come true. We realized just how invested our supporters really are. Sponsors give their time, their talent, and their treasure. Some corporate sponsors choose to serve in several capacities. Many sponsors become volunteers and enjoy seeing first hand where their invest meets return. They invest in our students and want to know about their story and how they can help empower them to achieve their best. The Texas FFA Foundation staff (Aaron Alejandro – Executive Director and Joanne Shelton – Executive Assistant) work daily to cultivate lasting relationships. They reach out to sponsors and maintain relationships year round. Sponsorship support reaches all of Texas Team Ag Ed. The Texas FFA Foundation has a strategic

plan for supporting Texas Team Ag Ed. This plan for the future will ensure that as we grow in membership, our members’ needs are being met, teachers are being empowered, professional networks are being created and our sponsors are getting the recognition they deserve. Texas FFA members have a unique opportunity to help support the mission of the Texas FFA Foundation. This begins by taking the time to learn about the Foundation, its sponsors and how it functions. Take the time to reach out to them, even if it’s just a ‘thank-you’ note. Seek out opportunities to be involved. There are conferences and chances to visit with sponsors throughout the year. The Foundation staff is friendly, courteous and proud to connect you with these opportunities. As Mr. Alejandro is fond of saying, “The true essence of leadership is to plant trees under whose shade you may never sit.” Building relationships, staying connect and learning about how to help accomplish this task … is about servant leadership. This should be a goal of all Texas FFA members and advisors. As FFA members and then as state officers, we learned much of our focus needed to be on the members. Now, we understand that telling the FFA story and building relationships with sponsors also assists our Foundation its mission. We are all members of Texas Team Ag Ed. Realize that your work – as a student, advisor or stakeholder - is important. You might be the only FFA member a sponsor ever meets - don’t take that job lightly. By educating yourself on all facets of Texas Team Ag Ed, you can be better advocates for agricultural education.

VATAT News

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wake up on the bright side®

Working Together

For today’s students

The TEXAS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD is a proud partner of the FFA, and works with districts across the state to offer classes and services designed to help students become happy, successful citizens. n Project H.E.A.R. teaches students how to safely avoid, prevent and report bullying. n Career Directions is an all-in-one guide designed to help students set goals and plan their future careers. n And More! Classes include fitness, financial planning and paying for college. For information on how your district can partner with the National Guard, contact your school’s recruiter, or call (512) 782-5076.

VATAT News

UPDATE Texas FFA Alumni Grants and Scholarships Kelly White, Texas FFA Alumni President Hopefully when you read this banquets are over, awards/scholarships/degrees have been received, tassels have been switched, and we have had time to breathe and reflect back over our year of service to the FFA. Perhaps this was your first year or your last year? Either way, we look back and often ask what I could have done better versus reflecting on the accomplishments that were made. Now that you have had time to have “your year in review” let’s look towards the future and what is has to offer. This is my salute to retiring David Letterman as the “Top Ten Things For Ag Teachers To Do In June.” 1) Work with your new officer team; 2) Planning next year’s POA; 3) Confirm that you have rooms for the State FFA Convention in Corpus; 4) Get a check cut from the business office; 5) Purchase matching officer shirts that you hope look good on you; 6) Map out all the good places to eat in Corpus; 7) Pray that this convention will be drama free; 8) Collect all of the permission slips for convention; 9) Hope that the gas station you are at takes your school gas card; 10) Consider how much money my spouse let me spend at the Texas FFA Alumni auction on Tuesday night of the convention. I threw in number 10 as an advertisement for the Texas FFA Alumni and our upcoming auction. Each year the Texas FFA Alumni awards ten $500 grants to local affiliates. This money can help assist in start-up cost for fundraising to purchase a school truck or raise funds for their affiliate’s buyer’s group. Several used the grant money to assist a local SAE programs by providing pens, panels, or raised vegetable beds for their school’s ag center. The grant money has also been used for leadership functions, such as monthly activities with a local nursing home, an officer retreat, or to send their officer team to Area Camp. Another affiliate utilized this money by purchasing shirts for their local chapter to recruit/retain members. We also award a minimum of two $1000 scholarships. This money is raised at the above mention auction. We appreciate the support of our convention vendors and other FFA supporters. We are always looking for auction

items. So if you would like to contribute to the auction or know of someone that would like to contribute, please feel free to contact me.

Texas FFA Alumni Chapter Basket Contest Tuesday, July 14th

You are asked to fill a basket and enter your FFA alumni chapter in the Texas FFA Alumni Chapter Basket Contest. Each alumni chapter may enter one basket. It may have homemade jellies, items made by local companies, home-made items, items from the local ag department, caps, etc. Baskets should be delivered to the FFA Alumni booth by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10th. The baskets will be judged on a penny ($.01) per vote. The basket with the most votes will receive the rotating “Basket Winner” plaque. The baskets become the property of the Texas FFA Alumni Association and will be sold in the auction on Thursday evening.

Contest Rules • Baskets need to be delivered to the FFA Alumni booth by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. • Contest ends on Wednesday when the exhibit hall closes and the votes will be counted that evening. • A list of the items included in the basket should be clearly labeled on the basket. • The basket can be of any creation. • No alcohol should be included in the basket.

Remember The deadline for the Texas FFA Alumni $500 grants and $1000 student scholarship is

June 1st

VATAT News

UPDATE Notes From the Executive Secretary Don Beene, Texas Young Farmers Executive Secretary Summer is here. I hope you are making plans to attend the Texas FFA Convention and the VATAT Conference in July. Make sure you come by the Young Farmer Booth and check us out. As I mentioned last month, we received 29 scholarship applications this year. That is almost twice as many as we normally receive and they all appear to be well prepared. Next month we will feature the winners with a photo. However, this year we did not require a picture or their social security numbers. Now we only ask for digital photos and social security numbers from the winners. It is always very difficult to judge the scholarship applications as all are extremely qualified. Everyone is in the top 25% of their class and have been very active in the FFA. As a point of interest to those that may apply next year, this is a Texas Young Farmer scholarship. Judges pick the winners most of the time

A Message From Your President Kenneth Brown, Texas Young Farmers President With all the happenings at the convention and the need to recognize our sponsors this page has been pretty active. I’d like to take a break from that to share a few thoughts with you. What’s going on in your neck of the woods? Really? We would like to know! Our association has a website managed by Mrs. Debi Peyton of the Chico Young Farmers. She also maintains the Facebook page. If you have anything you’d like to share you can send it to her through the website or post it yourself to the Facebook page. You may have an upcoming fundraiser such as a BBQ cook/plate sale, jackpot livestock show, etc. that you would like to get the word out to maybe increase participation and your revenue. It can also be used as a place to brag about local members and their students. If you had a local member do a heroic act or receive a special award it’s nice to brag on them. It shows the caliber of people we have in our association. I know Debi would appreciate some member feedback and would be happy to see more participation. The website is www.txyoungfarmers.org and the Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/groups/277714982308623/. Till next time, may God continue to bless us all.

by evaluating their work with their local Young Farmer Chapter and the field of study the applicant will be perusing. Is it in the agriculture field? The judges had a very difficult time selecting this year’s winners. Each judge asked if they could choose more than five. Of course, my answer was you may choose all you want but you will have to fund the ones after the first five winners. Again, I want to thank everyone for applying. This is a reminder to everyone that the funds used to provide scholarships are secured at the State Convention in the scholarship auction. The more people that attend and help us raise money in the auction, the more scholarships we can fund. See you at the Texas FFA Convention in Corpus Christi.

STAY CONNECTED WITH THE

TEXAS YOUNG FARMERS Our Association provides education and training to men and women engaged in agricultural production. Our Association introduces our members to agricultural leaders who understands the needs of Texas agribusiness. Discover how our Association can benefit you.

TXYOUNGFARMERS.ORG

VATAT News

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614 East 12th Street Austin, Texas 78701

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Upcoming Events June

June Continued

July

1st State Public Speaking Entry Deadline

15th Agriscience Fair Entry Deadline

7th Deadline for all swine validation materials

6th - 9th State Leadership Conference

21st - 24th NAAE Regional Conference, Rogers, AR

13th - 17th Texas FFA Convention, Corpus Christi

10th - 12th State Degree Check

30th Last Day to Validate Swine

27th - 31st VATAT Professional Development Conference, Waco

11th State Scholarship Selection 12th Texas FFA Board of Directors Meeting

YOUR PARTNERS IN PRINT HIGH QUALITY SALES CATALOGS Call Don Denny Today!

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Contact www.vatat.org

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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