National FFA Officers to Visit

Group discusses leadership with 75 high school students

Wiley Bailey, National Vice President for the Future Farmers of America, breaks out his banjo during a workshop Monday morning at Fayetteville High School. Several National FFA officers came to the school to put on workshops for other FFA members from other area schools.
Wiley Bailey, National Vice President for the Future Farmers of America, breaks out his banjo during a workshop Monday morning at Fayetteville High School. Several National FFA officers came to the school to put on workshops for other FFA members from other area schools.

— Wiley Bailey attends Auburn University, plays a banjo and is the champion hog caller in his hometown of Sand Rock, Ala.

What is FFA?

The National FFA Organization, also known as Future Farmers of America, is an organization that helps young people develop career, leadership and life skills in an agricultural-based environment. There are 557,318 FFA members, aged 12-21, in 7,498 chapters in 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Of that number, 44 percent are female.

Source: www.ffa.org

As national vice president of FFA, he is spreading the message of leadership to students across Arkansas this week.

About 75 students from Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs, St. Paul, Farmington, Prairie Grove, Lincoln and Neosho, Mo., high schools sat down with the six national officers of the agriculture organization to discuss aspects of leadership.

The officers, all of whom are college students, will visit with about 2,000 students at 10 high schools, said Marion Fletcher, state FFA adviser, who is traveling with the group.

“They are here for motivation and to challenge the students,” Fletcher said before the program began in the Fayetteville High School auditorium. Agriculture education courses are among the most popular at the high school with about 400 students enrolled.

“Their message is ‘you have a purpose in life,’” Fletcher said.

About 25 students sat on the floor in four circles in a choral rehearsal room to play a game Bailey called Duck Commander, similar to the children’s game of Duck, Duck, Goose.

It was the first in a series of games and activities, built around the concepts of ability, talent and interest, to help the students understand that by using those qualities they can grow to influence others.

The lesson behind the activities was that everyone has a purpose in life and it is important to play that part.

As an example, Bailey said, he plays the banjo in his family’s gospel bluegrass group. He is the only banjo player in the group and he has to play that part right to aid the other members of the group.

Playing the different parts is a way of life, he said.

“We can influence others with the talents, interests and abilities,” Bailey said. “Now go play your part.”

Dylan Swinford, 16, and Ashlyn Mallory, 17, students at St. Paul High School said the program was good because of the interaction.

Lindsey Alexander of Escalon, Calif. and western region vice president, said the weeklong tour provides a two-way learning environment between the officers and the high school students.

Clay Sapp, national president of Madison, Fla., said the officers take a year off from school and spend that time logging about 100,000 miles visiting schools across the country.

“We’re great packers by the end of the year,” he said.

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