Heritage Leadership Symposium

Friday December 3, Alycia and I were invited to attend the first ever Heritage High School Leadership Symposium. Heritage High School is a brand new school in Wake County that currently only has freshman and sophomore students. The teachers at Heritage thought it would be prudent to have a conference to develop leadership in students active in some of the extracurricular organizations. This visit provided a unique opportunity to not only talk to current FFA members but also to work with students involved in other clubs at Heritage High School. We were tasked with presenting workshops on the basics of running a meeting and two more on teamwork basics. As much as I enjoy working with FFA members, it was nice to mix it up today. The students were really enthusiastic and attentive. Everyone was eager to participate and learn. Also, I think it might be a universal truth that everyone loves balloons. I don't know what it is about balloons that just gets people excited, but when we brought out the balloons the students were over the moon. Looking back, it was one of those visits that make being a state officer really enjoyable. Heritage FFA has a bright future.

West Wilkes Wildlife Banquet

The West Wilkes Wildlife Banquet, aside from being very alliterative, was a blast. Having never been to Wilkes County before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but anywhere there would FFA members, food, and stuffed animal heads, I knew would be worth the trip. It was Tuesday, November 30 and Justin, Daniel, and I made the trip a boy's trip. Upon arrival, we wandered around the school for a few minutes before finally finding the cafeteria. Inside the cafeteria, the West Wilkes officer team were putting the final touches on wonderful decorations. The decorations included several different stuffed mounts over toward the back of the cafeteria. One particular mount, Oscar, was very memorable. Oscar was an honest to goodness razorback. Alive, Oscar must have weighed at least 400 lbs. He was shades of black and brown and his face was permanently a snarl framed by some nasty looking tusks. The story behind Oscar was that he had once been a pet that had escaped and chased then chased the present owner down the street, at which point Oscar was shot.

After we finished looking at the displays and hearing the stories behind each of the mounts, it was time for the banquet to begin. The Wilkes officers presented their opening ceremonies. For many of them, this was their first time presenting a program, but it was so much fun seeing members learning and growing right in front my eyes. They struggled a few times but did a great job. The highlight of the night was probably when Wilkes County's very own National Turkey Calling Champion came and talked about his experiences turkey calling and appearing on the David Letterman show. He even put on a demonstration for the audience. Justin, Daniel, and I eventually left our new friends well fed, entertained, and happy for having been invited to take part in West Wilkes' success.

Dairy Judging

It was cold. Other than that, I had a blast at my first Dairy Judging event. Growing up in Carteret County, I wasn't exposed to a lot of dairy cattle. It was awesome to go out and see students working with and developing their dairy skills. This year the event was held in Salisbury at the Rowan County fairgrounds. For the state-wide event we had record turn out with approximately 700 students there. I love seeing so many familiar faces, from students to Ag. teachers. And of course, I made some new friends too. All in all, it was a very successful and enjoyable first Dairy Judging for this member.

National Convention Continued

The rest of convention went by in a flash. It was one of the quickest weeks of my life, yet I was so busy. After all of our delegate business was taken care of, the general sessions began to recognize members for a year's worth of hard work. Our main job at these general sessions was to get as excited as humanly possible. We danced and carried on and had a good time. Until this point, I was totally unaware that people from Oregon, Washington, and Montana are the most amazing swing dancers I've ever seen. They were hitting flips and spins and twirls. It was downright ridiculous. The students from Texas, not to be outdone, stuck to their native two-step and danced with a grace and style native only to the Lone Star State. I witnessed all of this convention excitement from the floor directly in front of the giant stage in Conseco Field House in the very first row. It was an amazing experience.

Another highlight from convention was the North Carolina Association brunch. North Carolina always has a good showing at convention, and the brunch allows us to all come together and visit with familiar faces after a week of meeting new FFA members from different states. This year Mount Olive College sponsored our brunch, which had a great turnout.

Lastly, Saturday came. It was the day that our Association had been waiting for. We were ready to find out the results of the National Officer nominating committee. Kara Miller, our candidate, had trained for months for the opportunity to run for one of the 6 National Officer positions. We all held a collective breath as the results were announced, and we were all left disappointed. Unfortunately, Kara wasn't named an officer, but we still love her, and we know she did her best.

National Convention as a delegate was one of the best experiences I've ever had as an FFA member. It was surreal to know that you are affecting change in an organization that reaches over 520,000 students. You meet wonderful people from across the nation. The experience is second to none, and I will never forget my time as a delegate.

National Convention-Tuesday

Day 2 of our National Convention adventure started at 8 AM with delegate training. This is where the delegate coordinators stressed the importance of our tasks and described what committee sessions would entail. After delegate training, we were treated to an excellent meal at the Welcome to Indy Luncheon. This is where the delegates got an opportunity to mingle with sponsors and honored guests that helped make convention possible. I had a very nice lunch with two members of the Indianapolis Housing Bureau, an Indianapolis police officer, a state officer from Georgia, and another state officer from Kentucky. One of the most memorable things about the lunch was the autographed football on the table. At the center of every table was a football autographed by Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark. Unfortunately, I didn't win the football, but it was still pretty sweet.

After our lunch, we headed over to our committee meetings to get started. My committee was a steering committee for National FFA to create a Vet Science CDE. We had an expert come in from National FFA and breakdown the situation for us, and then it was up to us to create a guideline from a student perspective as to what we wanted in this CDE. It got heated at times, but eventually we put together a very respectable recommendation for the entire delegate body.

Finally finishing up the delegate sessions, it was time for the highly anticipated Wrangler dinner. As a first time delegate myself, I had heard stories of past Wrangler dinner's that had me excited. Basically, everyone dresses in their wranglers and flannel or plaid and puts on big belt buckles and then we eat a great meal. Wrangler sponsors the dinner and there is usually a guest speaker. This year, the speaker was a professional bull rider who overcame a speaking deficiency to pursue his dreams of riding bulls. The best thing about all of the dinners, aside from the delicious food, is probably getting to mingle with people from all across the United States. Delegates are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet, and everyone is so excited to learn about their counterparts from across the country. At the Wrangler dinner, I sat with some great folks from Texas. All in all, it was just a great meal.

National Convention-Monday

It was one of those weeks that passes in such a flash you remember everything at once and nothing at all. Looking back, I don't know where all the time went. I can clearly remember Monday. The day started early at 7:00. I grabbed my bags and coat and headed for the door, the North Carolina State Fair, and eventually the 83rd National FFA Convention.

 
 

There was a brisk feel in the air that morning, but the sun signaled that this cool would not last for long. This particular Monday proved to be one of those temperate fall days that North Carolina is noted for. Everyone met at the North Carolina FFA Association office at 8:00. The group was a combination of the six state officers, eight delegates, and Mr. Bledsoe and Ms. Beth. After some brief greetings and instructions, the small convoy headed over to the state fair grounds for the first ever FFA Day at the 143rd NC State Fair. Here students had the opportunity to hear former national officer Mr. Marty Coates, enter a scavenger hunt, receive a fair t-shirt, and enjoy all that the state fair has to offer.

 
 

Several hundred state fair t-shirts later, we packed everything up and headed for the Raleigh/Durham airport and Indianapolis. After the TSA made sure we weren't up to anything sinister, we boarded a tiny two row plane that didn't instill much confidence in some of our first time fliers. I awoke from my nap on the plane to Daniel yelling about the slight turbulence, yawned to pop my ears, and got ready for the descent. We had finally arrived in Indianapolis.

East Central RLC

The Tuesday of the East Central Regional Leadership Conference came quickly. Daniel and I scrambled about the office that morning preparing for an afternoon of Greenhand workshops. I tried to stay calm, but Daniel has the ability to perfectly imitate a whirling dervish and seems to be everywhere at once. After gathering all our materials, we were ready to set out for South Granville High School in Creedmoor, North Carolina. We loaded up the Explorer and off we went.

I started off strong by entering the parking lot through the gate that plainly stated DO NOT ENTER. In my defense, I didn't see both signs until after they had already past. Luckily they were no cars coming. Safely parked, we grabbed our stuff and headed into the high school.

School hadn't dismissed yet, so Daniel and I waited outside the room where we were to present. In the interim, we talked with the regional officers who were bursting with energy for their first workshops. Forty-five minutes later, our room set up, Daniel and I headed down to the mouth of the school to greet the arriving FFA members. The majority of students arrived in a ten minute span and we were inundated with fresh and familiar faces. Students we knew, students we didn't, all of them flooded through the doors of South Granville.

It wasn't long before opening ceremonies started and the masses headed for the auditorium. John Stewart presided over the RLC and the rest of the team belted out their opening ceremonies and recognized special guests. The faintest hint of nervousness found in their voices disappeared as they all quickly gained confidence did an outstanding job.

Soon it was time for the students to head to their workshops. Daniel and I rushed to our room to greet our group of students. We were charged with enlightening Greenhands with the abundant opportunitites available to them in FFA. I thought our workshops went well. We made some new friends, played a few games, and hopefully inspired a few Greenhands to jump into FFA head first.

Grange Camp

Mystery. That's the word I associated with Grange prior to attending the North Carolina State Grange Camp. The unfolding of this mystery began when Elizabeth and I traveled to the wilderness known as the Northeast region of North Carolina. Grange Camp is located in the beautifully remote Bull's Bay and we had little trouble finding the camp. Our first snafu however, came upon arrival at the Eastern 4-H Center. Arriving late due to a prior commitment, Elizabeth and I found a camp completely in the dark. Finding only one building from which light illuminated, we naturally ventured inside. There was not a soul to be seen. We then walked back out, and, following Elizabeth's lead, we made our way down to the waterfront. Once there, we found a path leading towards the faintest sound of voices. The only problem was that the path was completely pitch black. Seeing as both of us were clad only in flip flops, we warily walked down the path hoping to find some Grangers. With each passing step, the path grew darker and darker. Fearing for Elizabeth's safety, lest she get bitten by a snake, I suggested that we turn back and search for people elsewhere. It wasn't until after about half an hour of searching that we finally found a camp counselor to point us in the right direction.

After our bewildering first night, the next day at Grange Camp was slightly more enlightening. Elizabeth and I joined our small groups and got busy learning how to be Grangers. One of the most interesting and unique aspects of the Grange is their Model Grange. Model Grange is where the Grangers work on their opening ceremonies and learn the traditions of the Grange. Elizabeth and I, being first time Grange campers, learned that marching is an integral part of the Grange opening ceremony. Our first attempts at marching were amateur and we stumbled through the steps clumsily. However, with Jennie Gentry's unwavering energy we quickly perfected our march. Looking back, it was pretty awesome to see the Youth Team and Grange State Officers flawlessly perform complicated routines with military like precision. The most intricate spirals and windmills looked effortless to these masters of the march.

In retrospect, I learned a lot from Grange Camp, and it was a complete surprise. I went to Grange Camp expecting to teach them about agricultural education and inspire them to join the FFA. In reality, the Grange taught me to never miss an opportunity to make someone feel special. From their goodnight circles, to their "warm fuzzies", the Grangers seized every chance to fill the buckets of their fellow campers. They connected with each other in a very deep way. The atmosphere at camp was that of a family and it was beautiful to watch and unique in its unquestioned inclusiveness.

I saw so much potential in the Grangers I met that it saddened me to leave and miss seeing the realization of that potential. I was deeply touched to have shared these memories with the Grangers. I'll never forget the Grange for their quirky ways, songs, and square dancing, but I'll always remember them for their loving hearts and amazing sense of family.

NLCSO Part 2

Tuesday morning came with an excitement mixed with anxiety. Our team was ready to see how we lined up against our Southeastern counterparts. We arrived in the lobby of the hotel to greet the members of the Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Alabama state officer teams. We wondered how similar or different each team would be. If they would like us, if we would like them... We mingled for a couple of minutes and soon headed to breakfast where we broke bread and exchanged some small talk. We soon found that all our worries were for naught. It wasn't a competition; we were all there to learn to better serve.

After breakfast, Florida, being the host, performed opening ceremonies and then turned the session over to Randa Braune and Bethany Bohnenblust, our two national officers. The opportunity to work with and learn from the two national officers is something that I'll remember long after NLCSO. I probably learned more from watching these two amazing young women then from the workshops they presented. They were poised, passionate, and their command of the room and subject matter was awe inspiring. It was like their voices and body movements worked seamlessly to communicate their love for FFA and the values of a strong team. No movement in their presentation was without purpose. Whether it was a hand gesture, or the inflection in their voices, every aspect melded so effortlessly and transitionless that it made listening truly enjoyable. It was very motivating to know that communication can be that beautiful in its efficiency.

After Florida finished with their opening ceremonies, each of us were given the holy grail of workshop presenting, "The Arsenal". This book contains a treasure trove of presenting goodies. I'm kind of excited to peruse this volume full of workshop techniques.

I look back fondly on NLCSO. It was a very positive experience in that it brought our team closer together and allowed us to learn by watching some amazing leaders in action. And, after all of this team building and leadership development, we got to go to Disney World! We spent our final day at the Epcot theme park touring the different countries of Disney. Nothing put the cherry on top of our NLCSO experience like Disney. It was an amazing week with amazing people, and I feel confident that it will help us better serve the members of the North Carolina FFA Association.

NLCSO Part 1

The National Leadership Conference for State Officers (NLCSO) is held each year as an opportunity for state officers from various states to get together to learn leadership skills and share ideas before going out and serving the members of their respective associations. This year, our NLCSO was held in Daytona, Florida.



Monday morning found the state officers pulling out of Jamie's driveway around 9:20 AM and headed for Florida. The drive was an opportunity to catch up on sleep, jam out to some road trip tunes, and talk about plans for our year of service. Traveling south, our first stop was the beautiful city of Savannah, Georgia, where we had reservations at Paula Dean's revered Lady and Sons restaurant. Arriving in Savannah with several hours to kill until our reservation, we wandered the streets of one of the oldest and magnificent cities of the South. We walked streets framed by live oaks covered in Spanish moss and basked in the sultry air only present in the coastal cities of the South.



The hot afternoon was beginning its slow transition into balmy evening as we waited outside of Lady and Sons in anticipation for the meal to come. More like a line for an amusement park than a restaurant, the street filled with people as Paula's restaurant was preparing for its 5:00 opening. We waited patiently in line until finally hearing the matron call out, " Davis, party of 7." Crossing the street quickly, we entered the eatery as a blast of cold air and the savory smell of fat greeted us. Sidling towards the elevator, we rose to the third floor with stomachs eagerly rumbling and ready for an excellent meal. The table was set for seven and we wasted no time in perusing the menu. After several agonizing minutes of deliberation in which I weighed several delicious sounding dishes, I decided upon fried oysters, shrimp, and scallops. It was awesome, enough said.

After stuffing ourselves to the point of gluttony, we said goodbye to the sweet city of Savannah and continued on our way to Daytona.

2010 SLC Week One

I just arrived home fresh off my first week at State Leadership Conference. The week started on Monday around ten o'clock when campers began pouring in to register. I don't remember being as excited as I was when members started arriving. It was like Christmas in June.
The next day the real fun began as members dove into leadership workshops on topics ranging from public relations to time management. Presenting my first was a little daunting, but the FFA members made the experience a memorable one as well as an enjoyable one. Following Tuesday, the week flew by. I really valued the time getting to know my small group the Hot Tamales from North Johnston and South Rowan. We played big booty and ninja and learned to shag in the course of one week, all while discussing focus, kindness, perseverance, and attitude. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.
Next on the agenda was Wednesday Night Live, where my fellow officers and I acted out some of our favorite Saturday Night Live skits. Justin rocked his guitar, and Alycia and Daniel showed us how rowdy a chess match can get with their Spartan Cheerleader skit. I had so much fun performing Matt Foley motivational speaker. However, I want to say sorry to Jamie for spitting on her during the sketch. Apparently during the heat of acting, I spit like a llama.
Thursday's night dance gave all the campers and staff a chance to boogie down. Whether it was shagging the night away, or doing Mr. Holt's broom dance, everyone seemed to have a great time at the dance.
I was sad to see the conference come to an end today. But, I look forward to seeing FFA members using the leadership skills learned at the conference put to use in their homes, communities, and chapters.