FFA Corner: Packed agendas make long days, short nights

Following a successful year at the Illinois State Fair last month with more than 70,000 people passing through the FFA Barnyard, the major state officers kept in “fair mode” as they traveled to the Du Quoin State Fair to cut the ribbon, drive in the parade and participate in Farmyard Follies.

Travel continued north of Du Quoin, where the state officers divided duties to represent FFA at the Future of Ag Forum, an Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education meeting and the Section 8 JumpStart Conference in suburban Chicago.

Back at headquarters, the majors completed speech and state officer training from a public-speaking professional and National FFA to prepare themselves for their speech deliverance and interaction with students during six weeks of chapter visits.

Chapter visits are a unique opportunity for the major state officers, section presidents and section officers to travel to hundreds of schools and connect with thousands of students.

During a typical chapter visit, one major state officer, one section president and one section officer deliver a workshop, help students set goals and hold conversations about FFA and how each student can grow into the blue jacket experience.

Our mission for chapter visits this year is “Mission: Impact,” and we hope the conversations we hold are meaningful to create a positive impact in the lives of each member.

Some of our favorite activities serving as state officers took place recently at District S.T.A.R. Conferences, where all the section FFA officer teams in the state were trained with their respective district on leadership, facilitation, section team activities and responsibilities, professionalism and leadership training school tips.

It is greatly satisfying to watch our section teams develop networks with local FFA leaders.

With the calendar page turning, the season of workshops has begun. Starting at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, the majors state officers taught leadership activities at the COLT and Greenhand leadership conference with over 600 Greenhands — freshman or first-year members — and chapter officers in attendance.

Subsequently, the majors visited another Greenhand leadership conference to facilitate quick Career Development Event activities at Western Illinois University, near Secretary Owen Torrance’s hometown.

Visiting schools, students, professionals, businesses and leaders are all highlights of our term of service. Yet, experiencing the personality and culture of each teammate’s home, the place and people that grew them, proves incredibly enriching.

From interacting with Owen and his parents in the Macomb area to spending the night in Vice President Brody Will’s camper near Teutopolis, to visiting Sublette for Treasurer Emma Dinges’ small-town festival, and experiencing Ag Day in my hometown of Williamsfield, our weekdays and weekends were full of developing a deeper connection with each other. It’s a much-needed bonding before we divide and conquer for chapter visits.

To summarize the last month, we would use the term “packed.” Packed full of stress, preparation, hard work, long days and short nights — but also packed with joy, connection, excitement, anticipation, growth and purpose.

Sidney Stiers from the Williamsfield FFA Chapter is the 2024-2025 Illinois Association FFA state reporter.