FFA New Horizons

Highlights of 1 9 8 9
just before the door was swung shut on the 1 980s, the FFA underwent historic changes.
National Summit on
Agricultural Education
Forty-seven leaders from
student organizations and all
other areas of agricultural education
met in February and
May to establish a unified
mission and plan of action for
agricultural education. Faced
with declining enrollment and
a continued broadening of
students" career interests, the
two Summit meetings held in
Arlington, Virginia, focused on
defining what agricultural edu-
cation should be and how to
make it attractive to more students.
The National Council
for Agricultural Education
coordinated the meetings.
New Convention
Delegate system
After lengthy and intense
debate at the 1989 National
FFA Convention, delegates
voted to revamp the organiza-
tion's dele. :ite representation
system. Star ng in 1990, each
state will senc uielegatesto
national convci plus one
delegate for e 2.000
members in the state new
system replaces a "o. 'c-
gate per 10,000 men. ,; x"'
formula.
38
National Officers Visit
the Orient
In January, the 1988-89
national officers visited China,
including Tiananmen Square
in Beijing and the Great Wall
of China, only a few months
before a democracy movement
was crushed by the Commu-
nist government. The officers
also visited Thailand and Japan
during their tour of the
Orient, which was sponsored
for the tenth year by Mitsui &
Company.
Constitutional Changes
Begin
When 18 amendments to
the national FFA constitution
passed in the fall of 1988.
everyone knew 1989 would be
a year changes. For example,
! Service
with "agriculturaleduca-
tion"appear- ing in the official
emblem
instead of
"vocational
agriculture."
the National
FFA Supply
had to
sell off a huge
inventory of
goods and
retool all machines that printed,
embroidered or stamped the
FFA emblem.
President Bush meets
with State Presidents
President George Bush
spoke to over 100 state FFA
officers about their leadership
role in the future of American
agriculture at the Old Execu-
tive Office Building, adjacent
to the White House in Wash-
ington. D.C.. July 27.
American FFA Degree
Redefined
After years of discussion,
the 1989 convention delegate
body voted to drop the quota
system from the American
FFA Degree which had lim-
ited the number of degree recipients
from each state. The
quota system has been replaced
by stiffer requirements including
higher levels of money
earned and invested. There is
also a new formula for equat-
ing hours worked with dollars
earned. All members who meet
the requirements will receive
the degree.
FFA New Horizons
Premiered
For 37 years. The National
FUTURE FARMER magazine
served FFA members from
coast to coast, covering FFA
national news and featuring
stories on FFA members. Start-
ing in December, that tradition
was continued under a new
title, FFA New Horizons. The
name was changed because of
the rising number of non-farm
members and their broad ca-
reer interests.
00
in
m»^
m-C/D-
Foundation
Raises More
Money, Again
The National
FFA Foundation
once again broke
their annual fund-
raising record in
1989 by raising
$3,763,578.97
That is a $350,000
increase over
1988.
FFA New Horizons