1. education
2. alumni and reunions

Vol. 19, Issue 1
.
Winter 2014
NEW VISIONS
The Official Newsletter of the National FFA Alumni Association
HOPE
Alumni Aid Students in Serving Disaster Victims
Inside look for:
Convention Wrap-Up
How to be an Advocate
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pg. 4
CONTENT
2
President’s Welcome
3
Alumni Angle
4
FFA Brings Hope to Haiti
7
Holmes Creek Cleanup Project
10
How to be an Advocate
11
Learn More. Be More.
12
Profile: Alumni Take Action
pg. 11
13News
FFA Alumni New Visions is prepared and published by the National FFA Alumni Association as an affiliate of the National FFA Organization in cooperation with the U.S.
Department of Education as a service to state and local agricultural education agencies.
Vision
The Vision of the National FFA Alumni Association is to be the premier champions for
agriculture, agricultural education and FFA
Editor Katy Mumaw
Contributing Writers Deb Buehler
Jim McCray
David Miller
Amber Smyer
Graphic Design Dimitri Morson
National FFA Alumni Director Tony Small
National FFA Alumni Association President Jim McCray
Mission
The mission of the National FFA Alumni Association is to support and advocate for
agricultural education and FFA through gifts of time, talent and financial resources at
the local, state and national levels
Mailing Address
National FFA Alumni Association
P.O. Box 68960
6060 FFA Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Contact [email protected] with requests and questions.
Visit www.FFA.org/alumni for National FFA Alumni Council information.
New Visions
The Official Newsletter of the National FFA Alumni Association
1
Welcome
JIM McCRAY
President, National FFA Alumni Council
Greetings!
With so many things to look forward to in 2014, it is sure to be an exceptional year! We just
announced the new director of the National FFA Alumni Association—Welcome Tony Small!
We have a refreshed look to our official alumni magazine New Visions, and we will launch
new regional development conferences.
This year I challenge each one of us to simplify what we do and what we are about. Focus
on supporting local agricultural education programs and their instructors. We recognize the shortage of agriculture teachers
and know it is only going to get worse if we don’t step up and help out.
Two ways to combat this issue—first, we need to find out what our local educators need and step into that role with our time,
talents and resources. They may need chaperones, career development event coaches, mentors or five bales of hay. Deliver
what they need, not what you think they may need.
Second, reach out to your network. If you know someone who is searching for the right major or a career change, encourage
them to consider being an agriculture educator. We need good quality people in agricultural education to fill the void. Do
your part and encourage those who may have the drive and desire to make a difference in today’s youth.
Warm Regards,
Jim McCray
FOR MEMBERS. FOR ALUMNI. FOR ADVISORS. FOR US ALL.
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2
New Visions
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Alumni Angle
JAMES DANIEL
I was in FFA 27 years ago as a member of the Oconee County FFA Chapter in Georgia with
a great teacher and advisor, Kenneth Bridges. Because of my FFA involvement, I attended
the University of Georgia to study agronomy and then spent 22 years as a firefighter and
paramedic.
I had not thought much about FFA until five years ago when my son came home from sixth
grade and said he had joined FFA. My fire for the program was rekindled.
A few years ago I was asked to be the president of our alumni affiliate of about 10 members.
With the help of parents and former members, we have established an alumni that supports the members both monetarily
and with time commitments.
I house 14 show hogs in my barn for members, including my son. One member, who I had helped with his swine project,
wanted to go to the national convention and expo for the first time but was concerned about the cost. So I hired him to work
around my farm and earn his way. My most memorable moment was seeing his eyes at the opening session; I will never
forget it. He has since “ignited” his personality and expanded his horizons.
This was my first-ever national convention and expo, too. My favorite speaker, 9/11 survivor Joe Torrillo, stole the spotlight.
He is a fellow firefighter and a friend who I have had the pleasure of meeting and hearing speak many times before, but his
story never gets old.
Other highlights included working at the expo and spending time with great agriculture teachers, FFA advisors and alumni
from across the country. The one thing I was jaded by was the number of advisors who I talked with who didn’t have an
alumni affiliate. If I had two things to convey to all parents and alumni it would be to get involved and to attend a national
convention and expo. It will recharge your batteries for the work to be done back home. I will definitely be back!
ROLAND FISHER
I was a member of the Newton FFA Chapter in Pleasant Hill, Ohio, in 1979.
I attended the National FFA Convention in Kansas City, Mo., in 1982. My involvement with
FFA since that time, and up until 2013, has been through monetary donations and the purchase of Ohio FFA Association license plates, which I still have today.
Last August, I had a chance to speak with the Indiana State FFA Officers in Indianapolis.
This reignited my passion for FFA. While traveling home, I decided to pursue the FFA alumni more earnestly: contacting our local advisor, helping with events and currently working
to charter the Newton FFA Alumni Affiliate and signing up to volunteer at the convention
and expo. My favorite part of the convention and expo was working with other alumni. During this time I was able to gain
valuable information and it was an awesome opportunity to speak to thousands of FFA members and advisors.
This year’s convention and expo had many memorable moments: the sea of blue jackets (especially as we honored 80 years
of the FFA jacket), the sessions, the speakers, the talent, the retiring addresses and the election of new officers. I experienced FFA all over again and it “ignited” my desire to mentor FFA members and to help provide the same experiences I
encountered as a member.
In order for FFA advisors to excel and provide excellent opportunities for FFA members, they need the assistance of FFA
alumni. They need someone to pay it forward just as those before us did for our generation. I learned from other alumni the
value of giving, sharing, preserving and reigniting the passion of the most honorable youth organization in our country. I was
honored to have the opportunity to serve at the 86th National FFA Convention & Expo!
New Visions
The Official Newsletter of the National FFA Alumni Association
3
FFA members and alumni traveled to Haiti to build Safe-T-Homes near Haiti’s capital.
FFA BRINGS HOPE TO HAITI
Alumni aid students in two-year project serving disaster victims in Haiti.
By Katy Mumaw
On Jan. 12, 2010, Haiti endured a devastating earthquake
at a catastrophic magnitude of 7.0, nearly 16 miles west of
Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. An estimated 300,000 buildings were destroyed in the earthquake, leaving 1 million
people homeless.
Many around the United States took action, including Iowa
residents Ken DeYoung and Brett Nelson. DeYoung, a farmer, pilot and co-founder of the non-profit Global Compassion Network, transported doctors and supplies and Nelson,
safety director and grain bin builder for Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield, Iowa, developed the Safe-T-Home.
The members of Sioux Central FFA in Iowa were no different.
The chapter was asked to get involved in raising money for a
Safe-T-Home. “The chapter thought about it and wanted to
do more,” said chapter member Brad Aronson, now a senior.
“We thought about the idea of buying a safety home and realized we wanted to do more than just buy it, so we decided
to figure out how we could both buy it and build it,” Aronson
said. Working with the Global Compassion Network, they
did just that. They organized fundraisers and set up a demo
Safe-T-Home, a highly modified 18-foot steel grain bin, for
the community to see and support.
4
New Visions
FFA alumni member Dennis Anderson, also the director of
domestic disaster relief with the Global Compassion Network, played a major role in facilitating the experience and
opportunities for the FFA members. He was an active member of FFA in a school about two hours from his current home
and is now an alumni member living near Sioux Central. “FFA
was a great experience growing up, and I fully support it anyway I can,” Anderson said.
These safety homes were only on the drawing board before
the hurricane in Haiti; once it hit, the company expedited
the process of getting the homes finalized and manufactured. Now the homes are being built not only in Haiti but in
parts of Africa and the Philippians, Anderson said.
Working with their alumni affiliates and the community
at large, the chapter donated $5,700 to build one Safe-THome. “Once the project got started, I stepped away and let
the students take over,” Melanie Bloom, agriculture educator at Sioux High School, said.
Four FFA members—Aronson, Jordan Bayliss, Carly Huber
and Sven Nielso—set aside their summer to plan, fundraise
and go to Haiti.
The Official Newsletter of the National FFA Alumni Association
On their first trip to Haiti in the summer of 2012, the team
and two adult chaperones spent the majority of their time in
two places. One was at a girls’ orphanage where they built a
guardhouse at the entrance to the facility. The other was at
the Village of Hope, where they built two Safe-T-Homes, one
to be used as storage and a general store and the other to be
used as a home.
The experience made possible by the Global Compassion
Network gave the members a broader respect for the world.
“Learning about [Haiti’s] culture and their agricultural practices was interesting; like they don’t take yields, don’t count
their profits, just take what they get and try again. We taught
them about how to make their own feed rations and saw
them continuing to do so when we returned,” Bayliss said.
Sioux Central FFA planned more trips to Haiti the following
summer, only this time opening the opportunity to all FFA
members across the country. They challenged FFA chapters
to work with other career and technical education organizations and community groups to raise money, awareness
and support.
In summer 2013, FFA members led by three of the Sioux FFA
members, made three trips to Haiti to continue rebuilding.
In all, 32 FFA members stepped up to help, donating their
time and labor.
“Many adult volunteers notice the superior leadership and
physical and technical skills of the FFA members over even
the other adult volunteers,” Anderson said. “FFA kids are
great to work with; they came into the project on a humanitarian level, a spiritual level, and jumped right in.”
Safe-T-Home
“The best part was the year-to-year difference, how it
changed in one year and how much the people were willing
to learn and adjust their practices,” Aronson said.
Huber said, “Working with others to build the houses was
the best part. Taking teams down and seeing how they
jumped into it and wanted to help was inspiring. The people
down there were so receptive to the sustainable practices
we shared. The team effort was incredible.”
“The Global Compassion Network has led around 20 trips to
Haiti to help rebuild, and the success has been remarkable.
The agricultural emphases and production has really picked
up since we first went down in 2012,” Anderson said.
Paying it forward
Once they returned home, the FFA members didn’t stop
with the experience and the ability to change their own outlook on life.
“We have done presentations to local groups and clubs,
sharing about what we learned and how we multiplied our
impact,” Aronson said.
As Aronson, Huber and Bayliss prepare for college, they
have goals and dreams and in some ways know that the
“Haiti Project” isn’t over, but is just beginning to manifest
in their lives.
Search “FFA to Haiti” on YouTube to see two videos Sioux
Central FFA members created. For more about the Global
Compassion Network, visit www.globalcn.us.
The home has a double roof that functions as a heat shield and rainfall collection system. It also has built-in solar panels that
power a set of LED lights. The anchor system uses three ballast boxes around the outside of the home. The boxes can also be
used as a raised garden. The Safe-T-Home has been tested to endure up to 130 mile-per-hour winds and has a zero seismic
load making it practically earthquake proof. The cost for a standard 18-foot Safe-T-Home is $5,700 with a life expectancy of
more than 75 years.
NOW IS THE TIME TO GIVE…
TAKE THE
LEADERSHIP
MATCHING CHALLENGE
As a first-time donor, make a gift of any amount and your entire gift will be matched!
As a loyal donor, increase your gift amount above your last annual giving total and
your increased amount will be matched!
As an FFA supporter, your gift will make a difference…
$100— invest in career development and a successful future
for example { Career Development Events (CDEs) }
$500— invest in a transformational experience
for example { Washington Leadership Conference }
$1,000— invest in the entrepreneurial spirit
for example { Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) }
$2,500— invest in local chapter and program support
for example { Living to Serve grants to better local communities }
$5,000— invest in empowering members to lead in their communities
for example { Food For All grants to fight hunger }
$15,000+—leave a legacy by creating an endowment. Ask us how.
Support online at donate.FFA.org!
National FFA Foundation | P.O. Box 68960 | Indianapolis, IN 46268-0960 | 800-293-2387 | 317-802-6051 fax | www.FFA.org
HOLMES CREEK CLEANUP PROJECT
Living to Serve: Students and alumni in action.
By Deb Buehler
At the heart of Washington County, Fla., is the Holmes River.
Locally called “Holmes Creek,” the natural waterway is the
center of community activities for boaters, fishermen, canoers and kayakers and swimmers.
Abundant recreational use poses a problem for Holmes
Creek: increasing pollution. From cigarette butts to fish bait
containers to leftover picnic supplies to diapers, the creek’s
water quality is challenged and with it the habitat for native
wildlife. Growing concerns about the creek’s condition led
the Vernon FFA chapter and alumni association to apply for
a Living to Serve grant to clean up Holmes Creek.
Community collaboration
Although Vernon High School has had a strong FFA chapter
for years, only recently have alumni come together to develop an alumni association.
It all began with a workshop sponsored by the Chipola Alliance, a network of several counties in Florida. The workshop
featured Phyllis Daniels, an agricultural communications
graduate and enthusiastic supporter of FFA. Vernon FFA advisor Donna Keith invited parent Gwen Brock to attend with
her and after the workshop they put their heads together to
initiate a start-up meeting for a local alumni association.
“We understood the value of having an alumni association,”
Keith explained. “They are an incredible support system for
our chapter, providing transportation, supporting fundraising and sharing their professional expertise where it’s applicable.”
Creek cleanup
The Holmes Creek Cleanup Project includes significant garbage cleanup while educating the youth about the river as an
important natural resource.
Throughout the process, FFA alumni like Warren Walsingham, a Florida wildlife officer, will be part of the behind-thescenes support of the project.
“Our role for the students and their activities is providing
funding, manpower, supervision and encouragement of
student involvement so that they gain a sense of ownership
of the creek,” Walsingham said. “Alumni will ensure safety,
that laws are abided by and help keep the kids hydrated. And
we’ll host a celebration cookout at the end of the cleanup.”
Walsingham added that after safety, his priorities are for
FFA members to have fun and achieve the cleanup goals. Because the creek is one of the big draws of Vernon, especially
for young people, it is important that members are willing to
take on this role.
Keith said that as the FFA chapter cleans up the river, they
will also learn more about the impact of humans on aquatic
habitats, the environment and conservation practices.
Members will also gain a greater sense of stewardship and
preservation of the community’s natural asset on behalf of
future generations.
A core group of enthusiastic individuals including Cliff and
Kay White, Niki Seley, Pam Cates (a former school board
member), Hiram Tison (former agriculture teacher at Vernon
High School), George Weber, Tony Faison and Quinton Riley
got involved early in the process and have helped grow the
alumni association to 40 members in its first year.
Keith said all of the alumni members are active in the community. Most have farms and some are parents to current
FFA members. They have made creative contributions to
growing the alumni association as well as raising money for
the FFA chapter.
“The teens are able to see alumni in action,” Keith said. “The
Whites, for example, are organic cattle rangers breeding for
organic farms. Mr. Weber is a dairy farmer and has hired the
FFA chapter president to work for him. Through the alumni,
the chapter members see agriculture in action.”
New Visions
FFA members work together on river clean up.
The Official Newsletter of the National FFA Alumni Association
7
AgCN CONNECTION
The Agricultural Career Network is a nationwide online portal system designed for FFA members and others with a vested
interest in agricultural education. Developed by the National FFA Organization, AgCN participants can document achievements, link to educational opportunities, explore careers, become mentors and connect industry leaders with a career-ready
workforce.
Do we have your information correct? Access your profile on AgCN to make sure we have up-to-date information.
1) Log into your AgCN account.
Don’t have an AgCN account? Get your personal invitation from your local leader.
2) Choose “My Information” from the left menu.
3) Review your contact information, complete your demographic section, manage your FFA subscriptions and more!
Do you donate to your local FFA chapter? Put that info in AgCN!
Why? As you document your personal contributions, FFA can aggregate that number at a local, state and national level to
demonstrate the support from local FFA alumni affiliates and members.
Follow these easy steps to enter this information:
1) Log into your AgCN account.
Don’t have an AgCN account? Get your personal invitation from your local leader.
2) Choose “Activity Portfolio” from the left menu.
3) Under the “FFA Alumni – Giving” section click the new button.
4) Enter the year, recipient, giving level and donation type and hit “Save.”
FFA Link is for college students and young professionals
to connect their passion for agriculture with real-world career skills.
SKILLS • NETWORKING • JOBS
JOIN TODAY FFA.ORG/FFALINK
Give “back.”
Alumni!
Share what it means to give BLUE!
About the
gift of blue.
The Give the Gift of Blue program is designed to gift jackets
to members who would not otherwise be able to afford them.
Because our blue jackets are an icon of our American tradition—
instilling pride and responsibility in those who wear them —we
believe that every member should be able to wear blue.
Living to
serve.
Paying it forward is truly at the heart of our organization as
we live to serve. Giving blue isn’t just giving a jacket, it’s
part of the fabric of who we are. Encourage your Alumni
members to serve the active membership through the gift
of blue—open a new pathway to Alumnus giving and
further define the spirit of service.
Challenge your community.
Challenge your community to get involved!
Go to FFA.org/GIVEBLUE to donate, apply and
share what the jacket means to those who wore it.
FFA.org/GIVEBLUE #ffagiveblue
How To
HOW TO BE AN ADVOCATE
Strengthen your alumni affiliate by advocating with purpose.
By Katy Mumaw
Supporting students, how is it done? With our wallets? Let’s
expand our vision and explore different ways to support our
members. From the “Growing Quality: National FFA Alumni
Quality Program Guide,” advocacy is one key element. Here
are some tips on the concept of advocacy. Look for other
topics from the guide to be tackled in future how-to articles.
Advocate.
Advocate with your actions, with your dedication, with your
voice. What is your story? Why do you support FFA and agricultural education?
What is advocacy?
Advocacy is supporting or favoring something, such as a
cause, idea or policy. Advocacy happens with every conversation. Has a member’s Official Dress started a conversation
in the Walmart check-out line or on an elevator ride? Use
these experiences as practice for delivering your sound bites
and key messages. Try advocacy on for size then step back
and reflect on how you could improve.
technical education (CTE) has had on you, your family or
community. Telling your story is advocating and promoting.
What has been your most impactful FFA experience? How
will those experiences and events affect the community or
prepare the next generation?
You can tell your story by sharing with someone more about
you, your goals and your passions. Illustrate this by telling
descriptive stories about how FFA and agricultural education
has played a role.
What do we say?
Crafting your message is important. Your key messages are
the critical points you want to deliver. Focusing on the impact FFA, agricultural education and CTE has had on you or a
loved one personally and professionally. These points should
be supported by narratives and facts. The points must be
true, concise and memorable.
What does it mean to tell your story?
Telling your story is about sharing your experiences with FFA
and the impact FFA, agricultural education and career and
Quality Standard: Advocacy
Quality Statement - Community Support: FFA alumni members promote agriculture, agricultural education and FFA. Additionally, FFA alumni help the public become better informed on the impact that agriculture has on their daily lives.
Quality Statement - School Officials’ Support: FFA alumni members promote the relevancy of agricultural education and
FFA in the school curriculum, engage school officials in supporting the local program, demonstrate community support of
the program and share the successes achieved by the students, the program and the teacher(s).
Quality Statement - Community Service: FFA alumni members provide and promote service/aid within the community to
develop “good will” and serve as an example to students.
The “Growing Quality: National FFA Alumni Quality Program Guide” is designed to be utilized by FFA alumni members in
support of local teacher(s), administrations, community partners, advisory committees and/or external stakeholders to conduct an evaluation of the local FFA alumni member program and develop clear goals and objectives for program improvement.
The guide is based on the need to provide a consistent delivery of high-quality FFA alumni programs across the nation.
Go to www.FFA.org/alumni to learn more about this and other helpful resources.
10
New Visions
The Official Newsletter of the National FFA Alumni Association
LEARN MORE. BE MORE.
National FFA Alumni will host regional development events this year.
By Katy Mumaw
Did you miss the national alumni convention? Or did you
attend and are now energized to do more, learn more, be
more? Check it out: The National FFA Alumni Association is
hosting regional development events this year.
These day-long events are meant to bring together individual members, local and state alumni leaders from the surrounding states, agriculture educators and other members
of Team Ag Ed.
The goals for these regional events are to deliver professional, personal and FFA alumni development to members closer
to home and provide FFA alumni an opportunity to socialize,
network and share and brainstorm ideas.
The national FFA alumni hosted a pilot regional development program last March in Georgia where about 30 members attended, representing alumni from Alabama, Georgia
and Florida.
“When I first heard about the conference, I knew that attending would be a great opportunity to meet with other alumni
members and learn from their advice,” Ashley Holmes, a student at Auburn University and charter member of her local
alumni affiliate, said.
“Not only did I gain new knowledge and ideas on how to run
an alumni program, but I also developed lasting friendships,”
Holmes said. “I am already looking forward to reuniting with
my fellow alumni members and seeing what next year’s conference has in store for us. Forever Blue!”
Tentative dates and locations:
March 29, 2014 – Kansas City Metro Area
Sept. 27, 2014 – Eastern Tenn.
Nov. 15, 2014 – Hermiston, Ore.
Topics may include:
• Understanding the teacher and local alumni roles
• FFA alumni officer roles and responsibilities
• Growing FFA alumni members and affiliates
• Agricultural Career Network training
• Information on tax-exempt status/liability/bonding
• Idea-sharing among attendees
• Other agriculture- or education-focused topics
Schedules and registration for each regional event are posted online. A small fee will be incurred based on venue and
meal requirements. Visit www.FFA.org/alumni for more
information.
“I decided to attend the conference with the hopes of gaining new ideas that I could bring back to better my chapter,”
Holmes said. “For me, the highlight of the conference was
just being able to meet and talk with the other FFA alumni members. I enjoyed being able to spend time with these
members who represent such strong alumni programs while
at the same time gaining new perspectives and ideas on how
to better my own chapter.”
Holmes and the rest of the attendees learned ways to increase membership and involvement, about the individual roles of officers and how each officer contributes to the
success of the program. Participants also shared advice and
best practices on fundraising, just to name a few highlights.
“I would definitely recommend that both the new and veteran alumni members attend the conference. It opened my
eyes to the importance of a strong alumni program and the
influence that it can have on the FFA chapter,” Holmes said.
“It also made me even more excited about working to grow
my local alumni chapter. I have always had a sincere passion
for FFA, but attending this conference sparked my excitement and love for FFA and FFA alumni all over again.
New Visions
Alumni members learn from each other through
hands-on activities.
The Official Newsletter
of the National FFA Alumni Association
www.FFA.org
11
The newly re-chartered Chicago High School of Agriscience alumni affiliate is making a large impact on the school and community.
PROFILE: ALUMNI TAKE ACTION
By Katy Mumaw
When the Chicago High School of Agriscience (CHAS) hosted its 25th anniversary banquet at Soldier Field in 2010,
the event celebrated more than just
the schools’ longtime agriculture and
FFA legacies. The idea to resurrect the
school’s alumni affiliate was sparked.
Four years later William Collins, an
agricultural finance and economics
teacher at CHAS as well as an alumnus
of the school, is leading the way in rebuilding its alumni affiliate.
“Many alumni hadn’t seen each other
in years and the students were so impressed to meet many alumni doing
great things and attributing their success to FFA,” Collins said, as he recalled
the event.
The alumni association has been established and formally active for about
a year now. Collins credits the power
of social media, along with two of his
fellow educators who are also alumni,
in getting the word out about the affiliate. “We are a small school family
and had a huge response with people
saying, ‘Whatever you want or need, I
want to be involved.’”
12
New Visions
The CHAS alumni affiliate has just over
100 official members. Unofficially even
more than that come back and regularly support the students.
“I am so passionate about the alumni
interacting with our students because
I have seen how alumni can affect and
enrich the environment. Alumni have
been giving back since the beginning
years of the school, but it was time that
we re-chartered our alumni officially to
make a larger impact,” Collins said.
Collins finds that several alumni want
to give back during school events, such
as the science fair where alumni serve
as judges. “We have alumni who are
indeed scientists, and it really changes
the atmosphere when our students are
able to interact and learn from them,”
Collins said.
Collins described many instances
throughout the year when alumni have
dedicated their time and expertise.
“For example, we had an FFA Leadership Training School and had an alumnus who is now a chef come back and
do etiquette training—huge success.
“We have a lot of alumni who work for
big companies and donate monetarily, but as a teacher I know alumni are
useful for so much more than helping
financially. Donating their time as an
expert or as a mentor is so valuable.”
The group is in the process of planning social events, such as a reunion
and spring social, to raise money for a
scholarship. Collins believes that consistency will define the future success
of the alumni affiliate. “Once we get
events lifted off the ground, it’s that
annual support we are striving for.
We’d like to raise enough money to
give a large scholarship consistently,
like $10,000—that would be awesome!
“I’m in the trenches in the classroom; I
see every day how alumni involvement
helps our students,” Collins said. “The
day I see one of my students walk back
in here with a successful career ready
to give back, I know I have done my
job.”
The Official Newsletter of the National FFA Alumni Association
News
Congratulations 2013 FFA Alumni Award Winners
Outstanding Achievement Award Winners:
Jim East
Colquitt, Ga.
James T. Grasee
Green Bay, Wis.
Sherry Kiel
Montague, Mich.
Newsletter Award overall winner - Region IV
Past State Officers FFA Alumni, Michigan
Website Award overall winner - Region III
FFA Alumni, Wisconsin
Outstanding Affiliate Award overall winner - Region V,
West Rowan FFA Alumni, North Carolina
Alumni benefit auction nets thousands for FFA
gram is dependent on a year-to-year basis, and that’s no way
to ensure its future).
To open this endowment, we need to raise $15,000. When
those contributions come in, 5 percent of that amount (and
any amount thereafter) will be eligible to be used by FFA
alumni. The principal will exist in perpetuity.
I’m committed. Will you join me? We can’t expect someone
else to take care of it.
I’m grateful for all FFA gave to me and I know it’s my turn to
give back. I hope you’ll join me!
The 2013 National FFA Alumni Live Benefit Auction hosted
last fall during the alumni convention generated $60,500!
The new 2014 Ford F-150 XLT went for $36,100 to Zimmerman Farms in Wisconsin. Thank you to Ford Trucks for donating for the eighth consecutive year. Funds are awarded
to FFA members across the nation to defray the cost of state
and national leadership conferences.
If you have any questions, or you’d like to share your
thoughts and ideas, contact me, 301-788-7774 or
[email protected].
Wanted: Alumni help needed
3/1 Regional Development Event – Kansas City, Mo.
5/15 Membership Renewal deadline
7/1 National awards and grant applications deadline
7/9-13 Alumni Development Conference
9/27 Regional Development Event – Eastern Tenn.
11/15 Regional Development Event – Hemiston, Ore.
Check with your local chapter; many chapters host numerous events in the spring. Many hands make light work in
common activities such as:
Plants sales
Community Easter egg hunts
Member recognition events
Senior send offs
Spring grounds maintenance
Work auctions
State convention preparation
You can also contact Kristen Self at the National FFA
Foundation, 317-802-4333 or [email protected].
Dates to remember
It’s time to give back
By David Miller, National FFA Foundation Board of Trustees,
National FFA Alumni Representative
Think back to the last time you saw the blue jacket.
Do you remember the experiences you had? Those experiences were made possible by people like us, paying it forward, so the next generation can have life-changing moments too. Young people who wear the jacket are special.
When they slip on that blue corduroy, something happens to
them. I see it and hear it all the time when I travel. When people see my luggage tag or my jacket or tie and notice FFA,
they say, “Those young people are always such great kids,
prepared for the future, smart, engaged, polite.”
In recent years, a small group has come together to begin
an endowment for the National FFA Alumni Association.
This endowment will help us ensure that the great work FFA
alumni do continues long into the future (currently the pro-
New Visions
Lauren Schwab, Ohio, accepts an award at the National FFA
Alumni Awards Banquet.
www.FFA.org
The Official Newsletter
of the National FFA Alumni Association
13
6060 FFA Drive
P.O. Box 68960
Indianapolis, IN
46268-960
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PAID
RANDOM LAKE, WI
PERMIT NO. 393
New Visions got a makeover;
check out the new look inside!