Texas FFA Membership Radio Broadcasting Script
Sawyer : HOWDY! You are listening to the Ag report
brought to you by the Seguin FFA. I am Sawyer
Richardson coming to you LIVE from Blanco High School
at the Area Seven FFA Leadership Development Event…
Here with me today… is the lovely Gus Strauss.
Gus: Leadership Development Event? Is that like an
LDE….? OH and don’t forget Lindsay.
Lindsay: Lindsay Koenen here, Seguin FFA Chapter
President
Sawyer: Madame President… I hear Seguin FFA is setting
some records this year. How did those come about?
Gus: Well for one, having all of our members in the Ag.
Shop during meetings is like spider mites in a plant
nursery. I think that’s a record.
Lindsay: We are setting some really exciting records here
at Seguin FFA. To start off, we are setting record numbers
with member attendance at our monthly FFA meetings
thanks to the 273 members we have this year. That’s an
increase of almost 100 members within the last four years.
I would say that makes for an amazing year.
Gus: The Fear Factor meeting really reeled in those
FISH… I mean freshmen…GET IT!
EVERYONE: YOU CAN LAUGH GENUINELY
Lindsay: Yes Gus! At our first meeting we set a Seguin
FFA Chapter record. 132 FFA members in attendance…
Sawyer: It was history in the making. Our meetings do
keep our members interested and bring in new faces each
year. Our main goal is to promote a family and friend
atmosphere among our members.
Lindsay: That family and friend atmosphere is created
when our members have the opportunity to work with each
other at the meeting’s fun activities.
Gus: So, what you two are saying, is that by our members
having tug of war contests, eating worms and catching
eggs on their heads, we are actually increasing our
membership numbers?
Lindsay: Well Gus, YES and NO! By putting a fun and
easygoing spin to our monthly meetings students from all
over campus are encouraged to attend. However this year
Seguin FFA, for the first year in the school’s history has
chosen to affiliate through the use of Perkins money.
Gus: I think I’ve heard our advisors speak of Perkins
money before but what exactly is Perkins Money?
Lindsay: Perkins is short for Carl D. Perkins Vocational
and Technical Education Act. Its purpose was to provide
federal funding and leadership…
Sawyer: Its purpose was also to increase the quality of
career and vocational education with in the United States
in order to help the economy.
Lindsay: Can you believe, that, through this act Texas
receives about 1.8 BILLION DOLLARS each year in basic
grants?
Gus: That’s aaaa loot of money…
Sawyer: Well that money, allows for school districts to use
the money for occupational relevant equipment, materials
for learning labs, curriculum development and many other
things.
Gus: So were the six new Lincoln Arc welders, the
Scotchman Iron Worker and those nice welding set ups
purchased with Perkins money?
Lindsay: That’s right Gus! Also, our Advisors have the
opportunity to go to Ag teacher’s conference each year
thanks to this money. It really has deeply impacted our
program.
Sawyer: I honestly believe that to be a great benefit to our
chapter affiliating. Each member that we gained this year
will be able to experience what WE have had the
opportunity to feel during OUR years in FFA.
Lindsay: I agree with you Sawyer, but what is important to
point out here is that, if it were not for the impact our
Agriculture department has on this campus we would not
have those numbers. Currently Seguin is a three-teacher
department, with classes reaching up to 35 students.
Sawyer: Well I have a quick Ag fact for you…. Did you
know that 1 in 7 students that attend Seguin High School
is an FFA member? That is the same amount as the
number of people who are employed in an Ag. Related
job.
Gus: Wow … if your numbers are right Sawyer, then that
would mean that our FFA chapter currently has more
members than the athletics department has athletes. You
know now that I think of it, it has always been nice to feel
connected to so many students. I can start a new year in a
new classroom, with new teachers and I will always
recognize a face that is an Ag student.
Sawyer: Now, not just an Ag student, an FFA
member!
Gus: So, if I understand this correctly, to affiliate means all
students in an Ag class are FFA members?
Sawyer: Yes. According to National FFA Organization by
all Ag. Students becoming FFA members, it lets our FFA
chapter stand as an essential part of public instruction in
agriculture.
Lindsay: Seguin FFA is now an integral program standing
true to our beliefs in our chapter each student will have the
opportunities for career success, premier leadership, and
personal growth. Seguin FFA is setting the standard
for other chapters in the Guadalupe Valley District.
Sawyer: Now…this goes beyond the Guadalupe Valley
district, its running wild all throughout the LONE STAR
STATE!
Lindsay: All throughout TEXAS?
Gus: “I can ACTUALLY explain this ONE to you Lindsay”,
because recently our very own Shelby Eckhardt, Texas
FFA vice president, spoke on this subject. Texas FFA
recently submitted their one hundred thousandth member.
Shelby also said that Texas FFA is the first state
association in the nation to reach a membership total of
six digits ….SEE I dooo Listen!
Lindsay: We’re breaking down the barriers! Now any
student wanting to be part of FFA will not be prevented
from joining because of not being able to pay FFA dues,
an urban lifestyle, culture, or race.
Gus: WAIT…I remember turning in money for my FFA
Dues this year.
Lindsay: So did Sawyer and I but even though we chose
to affiliate, there are still paid dues members. Both types
of memberships have similar opportunities, however, paid
FFA members get some perks that affiliate members do
not.
Gus: I don’t remember getting a SHINY NEW BELT
BUCKLE…so ARE the advantages?
Sawyer: PAID FFA MEMBERS ARE NOT RODEO
QUEENS. We are all the same. Except by paying 20$ we
get to receive an FFA T-shirt and we get seniority when it
comes to signing up for teams.
Lindsay: Also if you are a paid FFA member for three
years you are able to receive a letterman jacket. That is
how I got my blinged out letterman.
Gus: If those are benefits for “paid” members, then what
are the advantages that affiliate members can receive?
Like… what if they wanted a shirt?
Sawyer: Affiliate members get the opportunity of being
part of the Seguin FFA Chapter and do anything any other
member in FFA would be able to do. And if they wanted a
shirt they could purchase one separately.
Lindsay: Seguin FFA is breaking all these records thanks
to our chapter affiliating. Another very important record
that I almost forgot to mention is the amount of Guadalupe
Valley Youth Show entries we have received this year.
Sawyer: How could we forget… there was 227 youth show
entries submitted on November 6th during our chapter
entry night. 91 of those entries are non- traditional entries.
Gus: I can bet you my Gardner salary that almost all those
91 entries are in baked goods
Lindsay: Go ahead and keep those 5 bucks in your wallet
Gus because even though most of them were baked good
entries, we also had photography, needlework, and Ag
Mechanics projects
Sawyer: And you wouldn’t believe it but many of the
entries came from affiliate members. Members that
otherwise would not have had the opportunity to
participate in the youth show.
Gus: It really is amazing, I am glad the Seguin FFA
Chapter decided to affiliate, in order to give the opportunity
to those who otherwise would miss out on the amazing
experiences, that make for the best memories. I can
only hope that by hearing our story of success other
chapters will take a step in the right direction. In FFA we
believe in unity, wisdom, and hard work. It takes a
wise decision to choose to affiliate and with a little hard
work you too can bring unity to your chapter.
Sawyer Richardson: Thank you Gus, those are strong
words that hopefully will make an impact on our listeners.
Thank you for listening to the monthly Ag Report brought
to you by Seguin FFA. Make sure to tune in next month
where we will be previewing our soon approaching Stock
Shows live from the Texas FFA LDE contest at Sam
Houston State University. This is Sawyer Richardson…
Gus: Gus Strauss
Lindsay: and Lindsay Koenan
Sawyer: Leaving you with these words of wisdom from
Henry Ford …
“Coming together is a beginning
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.”