B Y: K E L LY W H I T E T E X A S F FA A L U M N I P R E S I D E N T
TEXAS FFA ALUMNI AND SUPPORTERS
UPDATES
T
he Building Our American Communities Program (BOAC) was initiated in 1971 to provide a vehicle for Future Farmers of America members to make direct contributions to their communities, practice good citizenship, and develop leadership skills. This initiative achieved widespread success in the 1980s and was incorporated into the National Chapter Award Program. The National Chapter Award Program recognizes a chapter's work to emphasize growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture through a chapter's Program of Activities.
agriculture, and recreation. What does your FFA Program or FFA Alumni and Supporters Affiliate do for your community? Can you do more? The Texas FFA Alumni allows active affiliates the opportunity to apply for a $500 grant. This money is allotted to affiliates to assist their local FFA chapter. Some programs utilize the grant to purchase items for the chapter, yet several utilize them in their community. I have seen this money used for nursing home visits, food drives, and community beautification projects to name a few.
patience, empathy, and we found a need for community. We found we missed seeing family, friends, and co-workers. We missed attending social events such as conventions, conferences, school, church, concerts, and recreational activities involving more than 10 people.
I recently had the opportunity to see communities gather in support. One was serving as the officiant at my nephew and his beautiful bride’s wedding. We rejoiced in this union with our masks on and paying close attention to COVID protocol. I also served as the officiant at the funeral service of the The year has had a great grandmother of an ag family. impact on communities all I saw the support of friends over the world. We have seen and community. I saw this the impact of COVID-19 and the devastation it has had on communities through death, “THE TEXAS FFA economic uncertainty, mental/ emotional health, and more. It ALUMNI ALLOWS brought school closings, virtual ACTIVE AFFILIATES conventions, virtual contests, virtual lessons, and more. The THE OPPORTUNITY year has also brought division TO APPLY FOR A and negativity. “The greatness of a community $500 GRANT. THIS is most accurately measured by MONEY IS ALLOTTED the compassionate actions of its members.” - Coretta Scott TO AFFILIATES TO King ASSIST THEIR LOCAL
A study was done to determine the effectiveness of the BOAC Program. Two major findings of this study were: Benefits to FFA members and vocational agriculture programs represented the major program outcomes. These outcomes were increased citizen participation, increased human relation skills of members, and increased public awareness of the vocational agriculture program. Students and advisors involved numerous individuals and groups in their projects which primarily improved the following community sectors: school/ Yet, this year has also brought education, civic facilities, compassion. We learned 42
FFA CHAPTER.”
