July 2016 by Texas Ag Ed

NEWS A Texas Team Ag Ed Publication

July 2016

Are You Making The Most Of Your Chances? Ray Pieniazek, East Central

I’m sure you are wondering where the summer is going. It has flown by, and I often find myself wondering about things I haven’t done so far this summer that I should be doing. FFA convention is here. I hope you took the chance to take some students that could be inspired by attending. I know there will be several in our group that haven’t been, and it is my hope that they will come away with some things that could benefit them. Three summers ago, I took on the five-year commitment to our organization. I followed the footsteps of a few of my inspirations. I can remember when Gerald Young served as President while I was in Area III, and I have always admired the passion that he had for our organization and the FFA. I saw him this past week at our NAAE Region II Conference, and his vibrant personality served as a reminder that all teachers should have that passion for our organization. Another inspiration of mine was Dennis Ellebracht. As his former student, I always looked at him as a man that was dedicated to the profession. I had the pleasure of being his teaching partner for six years and I saw a man that loved the FFA, teaching, and nurturing his students to be the best that they could be. His passion still has not slowed to this day. I try to model my work ethic after him, and hope that I will always maintain my passion for this organization and the FFA. I thank both of them for helping me see how important it is to serve the

groups that provide so much for the young people that we deal with each day. As I am thanking people for providing me support and motivation, I must thank my family. My wife, Gail, has given me her undying support during the years of my teaching and my time as a VATAT officer. I appreciate all of the times she took charge of the things around the home, or watched my classes for a period when I needed it covered. When I took the chance of running for office, I also knew it would challenge my children to pick up some responsibility and deal with all of the things that come along with being an ag teacher’s kid. Johnna and Jared are my children, and they took advantage of all the opportunities that the FFA provided them. If you have kids in the program, never forego an opportunity to give them every possible chance to succeed in it. I also would like to thank my teaching partners, Lorie and Danny Kempen and Chris Cleveland. They have been there to watch my classes, when needed. They also provided me someone to bounce ideas off of and have given me some ideas to work on for the VATAT and the FFA. I truly appreciate them for putting up with my absence. Also, I appreciate my administration in supporting me in this endeavor. Thanks, to Mr. McKay, my principal, Mrs. Taffi Hertz, my CTE Supervisor and Assistant Superintendent, and finally, Mr. Toscano, who began as my Principal and is now my

Superintendent. I would also like to thanks all of those who have offered me advice and lent me their ear while I served in this position. Andrea, Melissa, Liz, and Ryan, thanks for letting me vent and share ideas and problems with you. Charles, Jack, Kevin, Russell, Shane, and Michael, it has been great to have had the chance to serve with each of you. Finally, each of you should consider taking the chance to serve our organization. You will not regret taking the time out of life and your career to serve the greatest teacher organization in the United States and, without a doubt, the best youth organization in the world. I am looking forward to seeing each of you at conference.

VATAT News

What Documents Should an Agriculture Program Maintain?

Barney McClure, VATAT Executive Director A few months ago, I wrote an article detailing the importance of a good departmental inventory. However, there are other documents needed for the efficient operation of any agriculture department. Here are a few ideas on the topic. Any program that operates a school project center for student use needs to have a standard agreement signed by the parent and student outlining expectations and management of the facility. This should cover everything from pen assignments, cost of the space, cleanup, student and parent conduct while at the facility, as well as any restrictions imposed by your school district. A copy of the FFA Constitution, along with the by-laws, should be on file. Practices on how student officers are elected, how teams are selected, how students are selected to go to meetings and conventions, and how any other FFA management issues are handled should be covered. As you make plans for the future of your program, developing a good strategic plan with stakeholders will be an asset to you. It becomes not just your

idea, but the idea of many. The companion piece for FFA is a Program of Activities. A good POA provides structure and meaning for any chapter. Departmental and FFA budgets should be available. The FFA budget should be easy to access by members and administrators. The departmental budget is more of an in-house document between your administration and the teacher, but it is still good to keep a copy available All documents should be approved by the administration, posted on the school and FFA websites, and be available in paper copy form. These written documents are your best friend in the event of a contentious situation. If you have followed all school policies and your own departmental policies, things should go well.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE VATAT................................................................1 - 2 Texas FFA...............................................................6 Foundation....................................................7 Texas FFA Alumni................................................8 Young Farmers.............................................9 - 10

Name: _________________________________________ Phone Number: _________________________________ Address: _______________________________________ Send Order Form and Payment To: VATAT Attn: Buckle 614 East 12th Street Austin, Texas 78701

$75

Net proceeds go towards the VATAT Scholarship Fund

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VATAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

28TH ANNUAL

SCHOLARSHIP GOLF

TOURNAMENT MONDAY - JULY 25, 2016

Northshore Country Club (361) 643-1546 801 E. Broadway Blvd. Portland, TX. 78374 6:45 - 7:15 a.m. Check-In | $90.00 Entry Fee All registrations after July 15 must be made by contacting Mike Gann

ALL PLAYERS MUST BE CURRENT VATAT MEMBERS Benefits the VATAT Scholarship Fund 2016 VATAT GOLF TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION FORM NAME: ADDRESS: CITY/STATE/ZIP: PHONE NUMBER: E-MAIL:

AREA: CHECK/MONEY ORDER#

Send Registration Form & Fees to VATAT Address: 614 East 12th St. - Austin, TX. 78701 Office: (512) 472-3128 Fax: (512) 472-0555 (make checks payable to VATAT Scholarship Fund) For more information, contact Mike Gann: 254-855-3865 (call or text) | gannm@meridianisd.org 3

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Scholarship Fun Run, Walk or Crawl MONDAY - JULY 25, 2016 Cole Park

6:30 a.m. Check-In | $20.00 Entry Fee Benefits the VATAT Scholarship Fund

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for information on the approval, adoption and funding of new materials.

VATAT News

UPDATE The New State Leadership Conference

Tyler Koch, Texas FFA Director of Leadership

On the morning of June 7, 2016, State President Jason Edmondson lowered the gavel at the conclusion of the Texas FFA State Leadership Conference. As Conference Chair, Kaylynn Kiker delivered her closing comments to the collective of 74 Texas FFA Area Officers, there were feelings of pride among the State Officers, accomplishment among the attendees, and relief among the Texas FFA staff. It had worked. After decades of history with coordinating State Leadership Conference (SLC) in more of a “camp” environment, the 2015-2016 Texas FFA Officer team faced a challenge of innovating the status quo of the expected SLC delivery. This challenge was one that had been tossed around, talked around, cussed and discussed, all in preparation for the right time, and the right team to deliver results. The 2015-2016 team seemed to be the logical choice; because, let’s face it, they were elected through innovation. This team was a product of an intense redesign in the State Officer election process, which served as a platform for their pursuit of each process encountered throughout the year. Texas FFA Executive Director, Tom Maynard, said “We’d discussed the transition of State Leadership Conference for a while now, and just never have had the right things or people in place to make it happen. Once we committed to the concept of making a move, we ripped the band-aid off the old way, and there was no turning back.” The “band-aid” was the idea that the “C” in SLC stood for camp, and therefore implied that it should be conducted in camp setting. Mr. Maynard reached out to Jake Paine, a longtime supporter of the Texas FFA and Global Sales Director for our corporate partner, La Quinta Inns and Suites, to get the ball rolling on a new venue. The prime location of the La Quinta Capitol in downtown Austin was booked, and the Texas FFA was committed. The state officers and staff began to put the pieces together and design the look and feel of the conferencedriven by one simple concept: Begin with the end in mind. Texas FFA staff asked themselves, “At the conclusion of SLC, when the officers are returning to their areas, what knowledge, skills, and abilities, do we want them to depart with?” 6

With this guiding principle in mind, the officers set out to develop the most comprehensive and targeted curriculum in the history of SLC; with every component tying back to the Texas FFA’s support of Local Program Success. Thankfully, the Texas FFA has been able to develop an expansive network of Austin relationships, which has equipped an unconventional amount of access to the Capitol Building, to include conducting a business session in the incomparable chamber of the Texas Senate. This year’s SLC was both content rich and quality focused, with a dynamic lineup of speakers (featuring world renowned Paul Moya, Sports Broadcaster Casey Hogan, Ilissa Nolan and Dan Hunter from Texas Department of Agriculture, Master Facilitator Allison Grainger, Tom Rousse from Limetree Marketing, and former U.S. Congressman Bill Sarpalius), skills-based workshops, expert panels, and comprehensive periods of instruction demonstrating the latest tools available for chapter development. The attendees were given tools to reproduce the quality of training received and challenged to utilize the network of contacts throughout the state of Texas to continue their improvement both personally and professionally. The Executive Director of the Texas FFA had a vision for what SLC “should be,” the 2015-2016 State Officer Team proved, loudly and clearly, just how good SLC “could be.” State Leadership Conference was a snapshot of the caliber of training that all future leadership development endeavors will be. The creativity and innovation within the Texas FFA will not be limited to SLC for long, as our opportunities to continue facilitating world class programs and dynamic events are truly infinite.

VATAT News

UPDATE Silence is Acceptance Aaron Alejandro, Texas FFA Foundation Executive Director What are you doing about it? The future of our communities, state, and country – do you like the direction it is headed? Do you care? What are we doing? One of my favorite quotes says, “If you want to know what the future holds … create it.” In the world of education and agriculture, I think we have another option. “If you want to know what the future holds … grow it!” I recently spoke to a class full of student teachers who are about to venture into the world of education and begin sculpting the minds, imaginations, and spirits of those who will one day take our place. As educators, are we “competing for the minds” of the students in our care? We better be aware competing interests are doing just that: COMPETING! Special interest groups, both pro and con, are competing for the minds of students who will one day assume leadership, consumer, and decision-making roles in our society. What future are we growing by what we are planting? Are we silent? If we are not stretching, challenging, and developing scope, spectrum, and critical thinking skills, our students may be limited to the latest pop culture message, which may not (and in most cases will not) possess the “core values” we would like our future to hold. “Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still.Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” —Harry S. Truman Back to the student teachers. For 16 years, I have worked diligently to promote agricultural education and the Texas FFA. I have done my best not to be silent and find creative ways to compete for the minds of sponsors, donors, stakeholders, students, and teachers alike. Why? We have an incredible story to tell and it needs to be told in an incredible way. With the usual agriculture teacher now having an average of 100 students in their care, let’s do the math. There

are approximately 2,000 agriculture teachers in Texas with 170,000 students in their care. Empowering, engaging, and motivating those students to take ACTION grounded in “core values” like respect, responsibility, and resiliency, while also recognizing the importance of “telling our story” – that is the kind of future we want to grow. The student teachers in one college at one time can do more to change the future of agricultural education and the Texas FFA than I’ve had the chance to do in 16 years. Don’t be silent. Teach your students to “tell our story.” How can our local campus administrators, community supporters, stakeholders, or policymakers ever understand and appreciate our efforts if we don’t share our value and work to grow a better Texas today? “One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency”

VATAT News

UPDATE Going…Going…Gone! Kelly White, Texas FFA Alumni President This article will be short and to the point (I hope). If you have not heard yet, the Texas FFA Alumni holds its annual meeting and auction every year during the State FFA Convention. The auction is the Alumni’s primary source of funding for the awards, grants, and scholarships that we bestow upon worthy candidates. The auction traditionally offers several items that are useful in our industry. Thanks to McCoy’s, we have had a squeeze chute, panels, t-posts, and other miscellaneous items. La Quinta has also donated night stays nationwide. Additionally, several of our fundraising vendors have graciously donated goods such as boots, camping equipment, and more. We have had items that you can purchase for your spouse to show them that you missed them the week of convention or to be given at a later date to get you out of the doghouse. We have even had Southwest Airlines tickets given to us to auction off at this event. So if any of these items have caught your interest, the Alumni Auction is for you. Just ask the ag teachers that were persuaded (drug in) by Liz Treptow last year. Several had not planned to buy anything, yet walked out as winners. We are always looking for auction items. So, if you would like to contribute to the auction or know of someone that would, please feel free to contact me in order to secure it in the auction line-up. I hope to see you at the convention. Come by the booth and ask about starting an Alumni Affiliate.

Stop by the Texas FFA Alumni booth at the Texas FFA Convention and ask about starting an Alumni Affiliate. 8

The Texas FFA Alumni is always looking for testimonials regarding the hard work that your local affiliate does for your FFA Chapter. Contact Kelly White via the website to submit your testimonials.

Texas FFA Alumni Chapter Basket Contest Tuesday, July 12th

You are invited to fill a basket and enter your FFA alumni chapter in the Texas FFA Alumni Chapter Basket Contest. Each alumni chapter may enter one basket. It may have homemade jellies, items made by local companies, homemade items, items from the local ag department, caps, etc. Baskets should be delivered to the FFA Alumni booth by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12th. The baskets will be judged on a penny ($.01) per vote. The basket with the most votes will receive the rotating “Basket Winner” plaque. The baskets become the property of the Texas FFA Alumni Association and will be sold in the auction on Thursday evening.

Contest Rules • Baskets need to be delivered to the FFA Alumni booth by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. • Contest ends on Wednesday when the exhibit hall closes and the votes will be counted that evening. • A list of the items included in the basket should be clearly labeled on the basket. • The basket can be of any creation. • No alcohol should be included in the basket.

VATAT News

UPDATE Notes From the Executive Secretary Don Beene, Texas Young Farmers Executive Secretary Howdy! As I write this, the sun is shining and “We don’t do it that way.” “We have always done it the green grass is flowing in the breeze. We are this way.” “That just doesn’t work here.” “That will very thankful for the rains and, while it appears that never work.” “You can’t change that.” These are the summer is going to be plentiful, we all know the catch phrases that will turn most young leaders Texas heat can set in and turn our surplus of rain away from an organization or community. These are water into drought before we know it. people that have invested themselves in leadership Discussing the rains and how quickly they can and are being shut down before they even get an vanish leads me to a topic that is often discussed, opportunity to showcase their potential as leaders. but never in the manner that I am going to address The handful that does not get turned away will spend it. That topic is young leadership in, not only our an inordinate amount of energy trying to prove that Young Farmer Chapters, but in all organizations their skill sets and ideas are worthy. Spending an and communities throughout Texas. We have all excessive amount of time trying to prove yourself not heard and spoken about the need to recruit and only weighs on an individual, but also sends them retain younger members within our chapters. This mixed signals about the leadership training that they is a common theme amongst other organizations have received. Are these young leaders always and even in our small, rural communities. When going to be right? Absolutely not, but failure and examining a lack of involvement, there are a lot of overcoming failure is another leadership opportunity. factors that people point to. Those factors include a Let the young leaders LEAD. difference in generations, priorities, and technology, The Texas Young Farmers is allowing the young just to name a few. One factor that is not spoken leaders to LEAD. We are an organization that has about often is the lack of trust in our young leaders, a great mixture of young leaders and seasoned as well as the lack of support for ideas that differ leaders all working in conjunction to make the from the status quo. organization better. We strive to let these young The Young Farmers pride themselves in being leaders showcase their training, their experiences, able to help mold, shape, build, and grow future and to breathe a new life into our organization. I leaders through our involvement with the FFA challenge each and every Young Farmer chapter to programs and adult educational activities. As do the same. Young Farmers, we are an extension of the best These young leaders are like that summer rain, leadership training program there is to offer a high they are very much needed to grow the organization, school student. Leaders are created, and as Young but don’t take them for granted. Don’t let your Farmer members, we do a great job of contributing chapter be that hot Texas heat that causes a drought, to that cause through our support of the FFA. We because it might be quite a long time until that young invest time, effort, money, and energy in building leader comes back around. strong, young leaders. As such, one thing that we as Young Farmers, like many other organizations and communities, need to improve on is letting these Stop by the Texas Young young leaders do what we have prepared them to Farmers booth at the do, and that is LEAD. There is nothing more crushing than having Texas FFA Convention and a well-trained, young individual come into an organization or community that claims they want VATAT Conference! younger leadership only to be shut down at every turn. 9

VATAT News

credit. These community members quickly took control and decided that, in order to be in this Terry Hausenfluck, Bryan Young Farmers Young Farmer group, members had to be presently In my article last month, I referred to the need vested in production agriculture. Soon, despite for young members in our organization. I have their hard work and contribution the founding of shared before how the Bryan Young Farmers the chapter, the high school graduates and college was brought back in 2000 by young graduates students were told that they were too young to be looking for a way to stay connected, continue their members and would not be allowed to participate. More than fifty years later, this man has never educational benefits, and give back. In response to my remarks, a non-member been in Young Farmers or had a desire to become bent my ear with his own personal story about the involved. He felt that none of the young men that Young Farmers. During the 1950s, Young Farmers worked to start their Young Farmers ever had the was still a relatively new organization. He told me chance to participate. Most of them have strong that he, some graduating seniors, and some recent ties to agriculture and many of them have been graduates thought it would be a great addition to involved in production agriculture. He was glad their high school agriculture program. As such, to hear that some young people today are being they gathered information on the Texas Young encouraged to participate and become leaders, Farmers and convinced their ag teacher to support and feels that they will benefit from activities that its formation. It was mutually felt that this group he was denied. needed to be advertised to the community in order As stunned as I was by the timing of his story, to gather as many members as possible. A meeting it ultimately worked to solidify my belief that our was held in the community, and the response was organization needs its youth to forge our way to very enthusiastic. This Young Farmer Chapter the future. Once age and education requirements was well on its way. The community members that are met, a motivated desire to participate should came in were local farmers and ranchers with land be all it takes to begin as a Texas Young Farmer member. and an assortment of crops and animals to their

Youthful Blast from the Past: A Response to My Last Article

CASINO NIGHT JULY 27, 2016 6:30 - 10:00 PM FOOD - FUN - GAMES

VATAT News

Celebrating Texas agriculture

Big Tex invites you to the ®

State Fair of Texas Livestock show. IMPORTANT DATES Entry Deadlines - Youth Aug. 25; Pan Am Sept. 1 Market Week - Oct. 3 – Oct. 7

Visit bigtex.com for our new schedule, shows, contests and more!

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EVERY GENERATION NEEDS ITS LEADERS. As a farmer-owned cooperative, we help lead the agricultural industry by promoting the most innovative, responsible farming practices available today. And we want to make sure that the next generation of leaders is well trained for tomorrow. That’s why we proudly support youth leadership programs like FFA. It’s also why we’ve invested in scholarships and countless land-grant university initiatives across the country. At CHS, we know every generation needs its leaders. And every potential leader needs a little help becoming one. Visit chsinc.com/stewardship to learn more about our ongoing commitment to leadership.

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VATAT

614 East 12th Street Austin, Texas 78701

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Professional Development Conference Highlights Sunday, July 24

Monday, July 25

4:00 pm VATAT Board of Directors Meeting

Tuesday, July 26

8:00 am Certification & Training Workshops

7:00 am Registration

1:00 pm Registration

8:30 am Opening Session

7:00 am Exhibit Show

1:00 pm Exhibit Show

11:30 am Taste of Texas

6:00 pm New Teacher Workshop

Wednesday, July 27 7:00 am VATAT Board of Directors Meeting

1:30 pm Area / District Meetings

Thursday, July 28

Friday, July 29

8:00 am Exhibit Show

8:00 am Closing General Session

8:30 am Professional Development Workshops

8:00 am Exhibit Show 8:30 am Professional Development Workshops

10:15 am Area Meetings

6:00 pm Family Night

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Contact www.vatat.org

(512) 472-3128

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Officers Ray Pieniazek, President

Shane Crafton, Vice President

Michael Meadows, Secretary/Treasurer

Staff Barney McClure, Executive Director

Ashley Dunkerley, Communications

Karen Jones, Membership Services