FFA Proceedings 2002 - National FFA Organization

Retiring Address
46
Narrator:
In the darkest part of the night,
a captain cautiously piloted his
warship through the fog-shrouded
waters. With straining eyes, he
scanned the hazy darkness,
searching for dangers lurking just
out of sight. His worst fears were
Julie Tyson
Eastern Region Vice
President
Session Five
Traveling Light
realized when he saw a bright
light straight ahead. It appeared
to be a vessel on a collision course
with his ship. To avert disaster, he
quickly radioed the oncoming
vessel.
Voice 1:
“This is Captain Jeremiah
Smith,” his voice cracked over
the radio. “Please alter your
course 10 degrees south! Over.”
Voice 2:
“Captain Smith. This is Private
Thomas Johnson. Please alter your
course 10 degrees north! Over.”
Voice 1:
“Private Johnson, this is
Captain Smith, and I order you to
immediately alter your course 10
degrees south! Over.”
Voice 2:
“With all due respect Captain
Smith, I order you to alter your
course immediately 10 degrees
north! Over.”
Voice 1:
The captain growled back over
the radio, “Private Johnson. I can
have you court-martialed for this!
For the last time, I command you
on the authority of the United
States government to alter your
course 10 degrees to the south! I
am a battleship!”
Voice 2:
“Captain Smith, sir.
Once again with all due
respect, I command you
to alter your course 10
degrees to the north! I
am a lighthouse!”
I’ve never piloted a
warship through fogshrouded
waters, but
over the past 12
months, I have traveled
in a variety of different
ways: by car through
the cornfields of
Nebraska and the hills
of West Virginia…by
bullet train past Mt.
Fuji in Japan…by ship
on the Potomac River
at the State Presidents’
Conference…by van to Pike’s
Peak in Colo.…by plane to
Phoenix, Ariz.; Spokane, Wash.;
Minneapolis, Minn. and Tulsa,
Okla.…and by van to this, the
2003 National FFA Convention!
Even when getting on a plane
was a pretty regular part of the job,
this year has never taken me far
from thoughts of home. The family
that welcomed me home with
loving arms was always with me.
No matter the destination or mode
of transportation, my focus was the
same. The same beacon that has
been with me all of my life, the
one that will shine for all that is to
come, cast rays that guide our
path. Rays like those of a
lighthouse. A lighthouse: steady,
unmoved and visible no matter
what the weather conditions.
This year, more than ever
before, I realized what great
beacons my family and friends are
to me. Like the rays of a
lighthouse, their example has
shone brightly in my life, casting
rays of light that guide my path.
They’re leaders who chart a clear
course in rough waters and through
foggy nights.
What is it about leaders that
draws us to them and compels us
to follow?
The people I’ve always admired
are honest and hardworking!
Individuals who live their values
and enjoy the lives they lead.
People who laugh often and
display passion, joyfully
experiencing each and every day!
When I was in the eighth grade,
I tutored students in a fifth grade
math class. Whether we were
working on word problems,
fractions or long division, I can
still hear the students saying, “Hey
Julie! How do you solve number
10? I don’t understand.”
Some of the greatest moments of
joy that year came as I sat with the
students in Mrs. Brown’s class…as
I saw the light of understanding
turn on behind their eyes…when
they smiled and proudly shared the
results of their most recent test
with me…when I saw them after
school and we talked about the
other events in their lives.
We never quite understand why
we’re blessed with certain experiences,
but when I look back, I realize
it was then I decided that if
people were going to look to me
for guidance, then I ought to be
the sort of person who’s worth following,
who’s worth looking up to.
The decision to be a leader
seems like an easy one to make,
but how do we actually become a
person who can be a light for
PHOTO BY KELLY ROGERS