Serving Our Communities, and Serving Them Well

BY: AUSTIN LARGE TEXAS FFA ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

It’s the most wonderful time winter season, it’s a mindset global economy, understanding of the year! Winter is a time that can be harnessed and those who are different from I look forward to each year capitalized on all year long. us must start at home. Serving because it provides a break Serving our communities, causes and organizations in our busy schedules to rest and serving them well, can within your community expose and reflect with our friends and become a year-long process for students to people from various family. If only for a moment, agriculture programs and FFA backgrounds, who each have the world seems to collectively chapters rather than an annual their own unique experiences. pause to reset everyone for event during the holidays. Rolling up our sleeves and the new year looming on the There are many benefits to our serving others not only helps us horizon. While I love winter for programs and students: to learn about and appreciate holiday treats, sweater weather, differences, but it also helps and family time, I love it most Everyone wants to make to see how exactly we are because it’s a time when people an impact. Human beings similar. Engaging in service is shift the focus from themselves are wired for connection, and an opportunity to broaden our to others. helping others when need is a students’ perspectives. great way to connect. Those From November 1st to January connections make real the Meeting others. Volunteering 1st, my social media timeline is issues being faced by others and is an excellent outlet for often filled with FFA chapters, increase our desire to want to meeting other people. Serving members, and advisors sharing solve those problems. Service others can put you facetheir efforts to help those in allows students to take control to-face with people in your need. Serving at soup kitchens, of situations and circumstances community. You’re able to form hosting canned food drives, and actively take steps to bring bonds and connections with collecting coats and toys, about a resolution. As the last those you serve for and with. sponsoring families through paragraph of the creed states, Additionally, partnering with angel trees, the list goes on service allows your students other community organizations and on. This is when many to “exert an influence in your is a great way to expand your of us take steps to serve our home and community which own personal and professional communities, and it is inspiring will stand solid, for my part…” network. These connections to see the “Living to Serve” of making the world around can be invaluable as we seek portion of the motto play out them better. to grow opportunities for young in real life! But what happens people. after January 1st? How do Develop a richer perspective we continue to build up our of the world. The world is more Skill attainment and community and support those interconnected now than it has refinement. Serving your who need it most? ever been. If we want to prepare community is an excellent way While giving is a hallmark of the students to find their role in the for students to learn new skills 34

and practice the skills taught in the agriculture classroom. Often this new learning and sharing of skills only come with the expense of a time investment. Serving your community is a chance to put your students and their skills on display, as well as a means to help bring to life why what you are teaching in the classroom is important!

Personal well being. There’s no doubt that this current generation of students is bombarded by overscheduling and competition from an early age. We are teaching a generation of mentally and physically exhausted young people. Anxiety and depression within our student populations are at all-time highs. Serving your community can provide an outlet for students to reduce their stress and anxiety.

Please don’t interpret this message as “you aren’t doing enough,” because that is certainly not how it is intended. Serving at soup kitchens, hosting canned food drives, collecting coats and toys, and sponsoring families through angel trees are meaningful experiences that have significant impacts. I am encouraging you to empower your students to think about how they can support their community through more frequent action. What are those things daily, weekly, and monthly which can be supported so that our students can recognize the benefits of actively engaging in service to their community?

Thank you for the work you do to help empower students to bring our motto of “Living to Serve” to life. I wish you all a joyous Christmas and holiday season. Get some rest, and I look forward to working with you this spring!

“WHILE GIVING IS A HALLMARK OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON, IT’S A MINDSET THAT CAN BE HARNESSED AND CAPITALIZED ON ALL YEAR LONG. SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES, AND SERVING THEM WELL, CAN BECOME A YEAR-LONG PROCESS FOR AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS AND FFA CHAPTERS RATHER THAN AN ANNUAL EVENT DURING THE HOLIDAYS.”

AN EXCERPT FROM A PAST AGRICULTURE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS NEWSLETTER

THINKING 80 PASTOF THE YEARS

THE DOINGS AND HAPPENINGS IN YOUR ASSOCIATION

From July 1987

Comments made at public hearing on Vocational Education:

“Agriculture related industries here in the State of Texas already employ over 20% of the workforce and that is a number that can grow. Our content at the Texas Department of Agriculture is that the future of the agriculture industry in Texas is not just forty acres, a plow and a mule, but high technology agriculture, both production and processing, that will require trained entrepreneurs, the key to making that work is an education work force; educated and led by a strong vocational agriculture program.”

- Mike Moeller, Deputy Commissioner, Texas Department of Agriculture, Austin.