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The Alabama

FFA REPORTER OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ALABAMA FFA ASSOCIATION

Vol. 8 Spring 1981 No. 2

FFA - Building Tomorrows Today

Warner Smith Secretary

Be a Good Competitor T he competition, a t t his our 52nd

State FF A Convention, promises to be the best ever. T herefore, those of us who are going to be engaged in this competi­ti on must be prepared to the best of our abilities and ready to give that ext ra effort which will make the difference in close competition. With this thought in mind, we must remember the principles of good sportsmanship, as well as prac­tice them.

Your chapter's reputatio n will be de­termined to a large degree by your actions before contests, during contests, and after contests. When the winners are announced, you should congratu­late the winners, console the losers. Remember win or lose we are all winners in our own right.

Convention Issue Montgomery Civic Center

June 2-4, 1981

Phillip Holland President

See Historic Montgomery While in Montgomery be sure and see

all the historic sites around town. Among the things to be seen are the State Capitol , Archives and History Build ing, and tbe White H ouse 'of the Confeder­acy. But, remember we are guest of this great city so be courteous and consider­ate all the time you are here. Time has been set aside for you to seeour Capital City. We hope you will spend this time wisely. H ave a good time and see his­toric Montgomery.

Morris Saker Vice President

/

Building Tomorrows Today As FFA mem bers, we have been cha l­

lenged by our national theme to Bu ild T omorrows Today. Because we live in a free nati on, our opportunities are un­limited.

However, America is kept strong by an abundance of natural resources and citizens with the ingenuity to harness them. America's efficiency in agricul­ture has played a vital role in her suc­cess, just as the success of agricul ture continues to rely on the experience and enthusiasm of Agriculture's New Gen­eration - members of the Future Farmers of America.

If you utilize opportunities, you will have built the steps to your foundation for the future. You will have Built Your Tomorrows Today!

An Invitation fr om the State Officers

THE ALABAMA FFA REPORTER

SPRING 1981 Puhlished quonerly durin!: fhe J{'hv(J/year under (h(" !;upeTl·jsivn

of the Axrihusiness Edu('ofion Serl'ic€'. DiI'ision vI Voco/ional

Edw'{Jlion. Stafe DepOTInH!nl 0/ Education. Address all C"Ummuni­

cations IV: The A lahoma F FA Repuner. 8245101(> q[tic(' Building.

Munt!{umer.... A/ahoma 36130.

Editor Frank B. Killough

Siale Officer!ii 1980·81

President Wm. Phillip Holland

Holtville Chapter

ROllte 2. Box 30-A, Deatsville 36022

Vice President ,\-f orris BiJker

Eutaw Chaplcr

P .O . Box 541. Eulaw 35462

Secretary Warner Smith

Collinsville Chapter

P.O. Box 198, Collinsville 35961

Treasurer Mil:iwel Chapman

Woodland Chapter

Route I. Box 7, Newell 36270

Reporter Donald L. Dekh'

Coltonwood Chapter

Roule I. A shford 36312

Sentinel Brian G/£"nn

West Morgan Chapter Route I. Box 109A. Decatur 35601

State Advisor J. C. Hollis

Momgomery 36 J 30 Executive Secretary c W. Reed

Montgomery 36 r30

Donald Dekle Reporter

Motivation: How The FFA Convention Can

Help You

Fellow FFA members, motivation is the key to the success of the 198 1 State F FA Convention. Your state officer team is excited about this year's convention. We wa nt to motivate this type of excitement to all of you.

Be attentive and learn all you can at the convention. By doing this, you wi ll gain val­uable knowledge which can be used to better your home chapter. This year's convention will be meaningful and worthwhile if you will ma ke it that way. Yes, motivation is the key to the success of this year's state FFA convention. Resolve to motivate yourself, and this convention will be the most excit­ing, educational and rewarding one that you will ever experience.

Mike Chapman Treasurer

What Convention Time Means It's almost that time again, convention

time. A time for you to meet new friends, see old friends, have a good time and be on time. Be ready to lea rn and laugh, maybe at the same time. I'm going to have a great time, and you wi ll too. C ome on down, over, or up to Montgomery for your 52nd convention. T here will be good speakers, good enter­tainme nt, a nd a convention as good as you ca n make it. Convention ti me-a time you won't want to miss!

Brian Glenn Sentinel

Meet New Friends

I hope you will try to meet as many people and make as many friends as possible while at our 52nd state convention. When you loo k back on the convention, what you will remember wi ll be the frien ds that you have made. You will form friendshi ps that will always be remembered and cherished. But, remember to have a friend you must be a friend. So please don't waste your free time, use it wisely-make new friends.

The best friends we wi ll ever have as FFA members are our sponsors. Without them the convention would not be possible. We need to be sure we express our sincere thanks to all of our sponsors and contributors.

Convention Program Montgomery Civic Center

Montgomery, AL June 2, 3, 4, 1981

Monday, June I P.M.

2:00 ­

Final Interview of Officer Candidates (Civic Center) Tuesday, June 2

A.M. 8:00- 12:00 Registration (Civic Center) 8:00 -

Ag Mechanics Contesl (Elmore Co. A VC. Wetumpka) Bldg. Construction Contest (Montgomery)

8:30 ­

Power Mechanics Contest (Montgomery) 9:00 ­

Forestry JUdging Contest (Montgomery) Livest oc k Judging Contest (Auburn) Da iry Cattle Judging Contest (E . V. Smith

Research Center, Milstead) Land JUdging Contesl (Auburn) Nu~sery/ Landscape Contest (Civic Center) Floriculture Contest (Civic Center) Public Speaking Contest (Civic Center) Quartet Contest (Civic Center) String Band Contest (Civic Center)

P.M. 12:45 ­

Entertainment - Second Place String Band 1:00­

Delegate Orientation 1:30 ­

Opening Ceremony Invocation - Donald Dekle, State Reporter Official Seating of Delegates

Greetings -Honorable Emory M. Folmar. Ma yo r, Montgomery

Greetings-Susie Barrett. National FFA Vice President Speaker-Rev. John Ed Mathison, Minister. Frazer

Memorial Methodist Church. Montgomery Business Session Appoinlment of Committees Entertainment-Second Place String Band Retiring Address- Brian Glenn. Sentinel Proficiency Awards-Crop Production. Dairy Produc­

tion. Horse Proficiency. Beef Production , Swine Pro­duction. Poultry Produclion, Agricultural Mechanics. Agricultural Electrification. Fruit / Vegetable P roduc­tioo. Nursery/ Landscape Operalions , Floriculture

Greetings and Announcements - J. C. Hollis, State FFA Advisor

Closing Ceremony

Meeting all Local Advisors (Civ.ic Center) Courtesy Corps Meeting following Advisors Meeting

Tuesday Evening P.M.

7:00 ­Entertainment-First Place String Band

7:30 ­FIRST GENERAL SESSION

Opening Ceremony Retiring Address-Donald Dekle. Reporter Future Farmer of the Year Award Honor Parents and Advisors of 1980-81

State FFA Officers Entertainment-Second Place Quartet Address - Susie Barrett , National Vice President Awards-Forestry Judging. Champion Corn Growing,

Nursery / Landscape Judging. Floriculture Judging. Land Judging

Vespers Program-State FFA Officers Announcements

Closing Ceremony

(Continued on page J)

(Continued from page 2)

Wedntoda y, June 3 A.M.

S:30 ­Music-Clarkston Parker, West Point FFA Chapter

9:00 ­SECOND GENERAL SESSION

Opening Ceremony Speaker-Pat Dye, Auburn University Football Coach Awards- Dairy J Udging. Livestock Judging, M. K.

Heath Anima l Health and Sanitation Award, Safety Retiring Address-Michael Chapman, Treasurer Entertainment-First Place String Band Chapter Awards Activity Program Retiring Address - Warner Smith, Secretary Awards-Building Construction, Agricultural

Mechanics, Power Mechanics Announcements Closing Ceremony

P.M. 1:00 - Tours

Wednesday Evening P.M.

6: 15 - Foundation Board of Directors Meeting (Civic Center)

6:45 ­Entertainment-First Place String Band

7:00 ­

Entertainment - First Place Quartet

7:30 ­THI RD GENERAL SESSION

Opening Ceremony Address-Sammy Peebles, Attorney at Law, Pensac­

ola, FL Conferring of Honorary State Farmer Degrees Entertain ment-First Place Quartet Speech- Fi rst Place Winner in Public Speaking Contest Proficiency Awards - P lacement in Agricultural Pro­

duction, Agricultural Sales and / or Service, Agri­cultural Processing, Soil and Water Management, Home and Farmstead Improvement, Fish and Wild­life Management, Forest Management

Retiring Address-Morris Baker, Vice President Announcements

Closing Ceremony

T,bursday, June 4 A.M.

9:00 ­LAST GENERAL SESSION

Opening Ceremony Star Farmer Ceremony Entertainment-Second Place Quartet State FFA Officers' Annual Report ­

Warner Smith, Secretary Building Our American Communities Award Crime Prevention Award Retiring Address- Wm. Phillip Holland, President Entertainment - Miss Alabama, Paige Phillips State Farmer Degree Ceremony Installation of New State Officers Presentation of Past Officer Pins Presentation of Gavel to Past President Announcements

Closing Ceremony New Officers and their Local Advisors Meeting

(Civic Center)

Convention Speakers

Susie Barrett Susie Barrett, of Vincent, Ohio, is the

Eastern Region Vice President of the Nation­al Organizati on of the F uture Farmers of America (FFA) , As a national office r, she serves nearl y one- half million members across the nation , A public relations career in the livestock ind ustry is Susie's goal. S he's studying agricultural economics at the Ohio State University.

Pat Dye AubUrn University's football coach, Pat

Dye, will speak at the Wednesday morning session of the Convention, Coach Dye has coached at the University of Alabama; East Carolina University and the University of Wyoming. Coach Dye has received many ho nors for his a thletic a bility - high school All-American; All-American two years while playing at the University of Georgia, He was also the Most Va luable Lineman in the Sou­theastern Conference. While in the service, he was All-Army for two years and voted Player of the Year for all armed forces in 1964. He received tbe "Tim my Awa rd" from the Washington, D. C. Touchdown Club. Coach Dye played pro ball in the Canadian Football League. Married to the former S ue Ward, t he Dyes have four child ren, sons Pat , J r. and Brett, and daughters Missy and Wanda.

Sam Peebles Sam Peebles began his F F A career with

his enrollment in vocational agriculture at W. S, Neal High School. In 1969-70 he served as State FFA President of the Ala­bama FF A Association, In 1971-72 he served as Natio na l F FA Vice President. For the past three yea rs he has been working for the Public Defender's Office in Pensacola, Flori­da,

John Ed Mathison Dr. John Ed Mathison is the Senior Mi n­

ister of the Frazer Memorial United Metho­dist Church in Montgomery, the fastest growing United Methodist Church in the South. Dr. Mathiso n will speak at the Con­vention on Tuesday afternoon, J une 2. Dr. Mathison is a native of Opelika . Dr. Mathi­son has served five years as Platform Speaker for the Nationa l Conference of the Fellow­ship of Christian Athletes, Twice he has been the P latform Spea ker for the Protestant Retreat at the Ai r Force Academy at Colo­rado Sp rings. He was selected as " Man of the Year" in Montgomery in 1978 and received the Distinguished Service Award from the J aycees in 1979. Married to the former Joan Walters, the Mathisons have two children, a daughter Vicki and a son Si.

Auburn University FFA 'ers Speak . . .

"How the FF A and Agribusiness Has Changed My Life"

Harold Barrow The FFA has done many things for me. I

didn't know what I wanted to do until I became active in FF A, and it wasn't long before I knew I wanted to become a teacher. Being reporter of my high school chapter and a member of the Buildi ng Construction Tea m gave me responsibi li ty, taught me many things about leadership, taught me how to compete and get along with others. T hrough the FFA I have met many impor­tant people, and I have made ma ny fr ie nds. Being a member of the Auburn Collegiate F FA has also helped me in all of the above ways, plus it is p reparing me for my fut ure as a teacher.

Robin G. Clark T he FFA and agribusiness began molding

my life at age I S. I found the F FA to be an organization that formed bonds between people like none I had ever experienced. The happening that changed my life most and caused me to prosper in F f A was a disaster on my first productive project. I purchased two Yorkshire feeder pigs, a barrow and a gilt . The barrow died of pneumonia before the hogs were to be sold, but I bred the gilt to my dad's boar and kept trying. When I saw that first litter of snow white pigs, my love for agr iculture and FFA began to grow and hasn't slowed since. The Auburn Collegiate FFA has strengthened my leadership abili­ties and has educated me on important ideas about people and agriculture.

Patti Dunn The FF A has helped me immensely. Before

my fi rst enrollment in high school VoAg, ] had no idea where my life was heading. ] had no goals and little pu rpose. The FFA changed a ll of that! Aft er my sophomore year in high school, 1 had entered numerous FFA con­tests-public speaking, la nd judging, lives­tock judging, etc. I was a chapter officer, a ttended two sta te conventions a nd a nat ional convent io n. I served as district vice­president and was State F FA Secretary . I am now able to participate in the Collegiate FFA in Auburn. I plan to spend a good deal of my future working with the f F A-I plan to be a VoAg teacher !!

Tim Monroe T he FFA and agri busi ness program in my

hometown high school was the main influ­ence in my decision of what to choose as a career and the setting ofgoals in my life. The FFA programs that I was involved in deve­loped in me: d iscipline, leadership , courtesy and many other qualities I prize as valuable. Because of the Future Farmer's organiza­tion, what it stands for and what I've learned from it, I have the potential to be a contribu­tor to my community and a productive American citizen. F F A has meant a lot to me not only in my physical life but has enhanced and helped me in my spiritual growth also.

Gregory P. Tatum I was reared on a farm in Nort h Ala bama

and agribusi ness was always a part of my life. It was the FF A through my high school a nd college career that developed many leadership and agricultu ra l a bil ities and my career object ives . In high school l dwelt on two things- playing foo tball and joining the FFA. In three years of football, we won seven games. I n three years of FFA, our Cha pter climbed to Bronze Emblem, then Gold Emblem Cha pte r. I served as an offi cer in the chapter, wa s on the dairy j udging team and honored with several local, county and state FFA Awards. An Aubu rn graduate in vocati ona l agriculture inspired me to go to college and enter this field.

Miss Alabama

Miss Paige Phillips, Miss Alabama 1981, will be appearing at the Convention Thurs­day morning, June 4. Miss Phillips, who was chosen First Alternate in the Miss America Pageant, won an ovation for her talent pres­entation with 'Dinkle' and ' Darlene'. Miss Phillips will perform her talent during her appearance. Miss Phillips is a native of Leeds, AL.