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There is nothing better than sitting around the Christmas tree with family and a steamy cup of hot chocolate. For me, some of the most memorable moments in my family have happened sitting around the tree. It was tradition for my brother and I to wake up as early as possible, run into my parents’ room and wake them up so that we could see what Santa had brought. Then with our Christmas pajamas on and new toys in hand, we would travel to my grandma’s house for a great Christmas morning breakfast. Tradition is the glue that holds my family together during the holiday season.

Glue: An adhesive substance used for sticking objects or materials together (Webster, 2018). It’s hard to imagine that a tradition can serve as glue, but when it comes to doing something as a family; traditions serve as the adhesive that sticks us together. Just as our families have traditions so does FFA, whether it be reciting the creed as freshman, wearing an FFA stole at graduation as seniors, or wearing official dress traditions hold us together as an organization.

I encourage you to continue to respect traditions this holiday season. Keep applying that adhesive that hold us and our loved ones together. As you know it’s the traditions that bring us together this holiday season. It’s tradition that keeps our amazing organization moving in a positive direction, and it is traditions that will shape you into the person you want to be. So, grab a cup of hot chocolate sit around the Christmas tree and have a happy holiday season while you participate in your favorite holiday traditions!

“Maybe Christmas, he thought doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” – Dr. Seuss, The Grinch

Oh, Christmas time. By far my favorite time of the year. When December rolls around it means the ending of school, the beginning of a beautifully long break and time with the people I love most.

Buying presentsis always on my to-do list during Christmas. I want to buy something special for the people who love me unconditionally no matter the season. Presents are wonderful and can show people that you care, but instead of buying presents, being present will take you much farther. Being present could mean anything from not having my phone at the dinner table to staying up late with my little brothers making ginger bread houses. How will you be present?

Making treatsis a tradition in our household during the holidays. For as far back as I can remember I have loved sitting at the kitchen counter with my family decorating sugar cookies, putting chocolate on the Christmas candy and making peppermint hot chocolate to indulge in while watching my favorite movie, Elf. However, it is not the making treats that I remember most. It’s the making memories. Christmas time is so special to me because I associate it with vivid memories and moments in time. This year, how will you make memories?

Seeing the lights– there is nothing I love more. Every year when we go to my Grandma’s house we go to Carthage, Missouri, to see the huge display of Christmas lights. Even when we are home, my family will hop in the car and drive around Paris looking at all the decorated houses. This year, instead of just seeing the lights, let’s try and be the light. Be the light in someone’s life by giving them a warm hug or basket of cookies. Be the light in someone’s life by donating to them food or clothes. This is the season of giving. How can you be the light?

Don’t be afraid to embrace the things that are truly most important this holiday season.

Our last name is something that is so special to us; it is something that has been carried on for generations and generations. Our last name is also the focus of our FFA jackets, bringing pride, respect and honor to our families. When we think about our ancestry, we immediately think back as far as we can remember. Since I’m a genealogy nerd, I can tell you exactly where my fifth great-grandpa was born, when my family migrated from Europe and even a percentage breakdown of my DNA. However, with all these different family trees and last names that makes up who I am and who we are, one thing reigns true — the significance of our last names. The names might have been worn on the uniforms of our grandparents when they fought in a war, or by our parents who are farmers, business owners, doctors, or lawyers, and now by us on our FFA jackets. To you a last name has always been there, it’s just a few letters put together, but to those before you that last name was everything. It’s what defined your family, gave you the opportunities you have today and pushed you to success. It’s also what you bare over your chest in your FFA jacket.

Though we all have different last names, we all have one common thing on our jackets: the FFA emblem. This FFA emblem is like our last name. It is what connects, what bring us together and what signifies our FFAmily. So, do everything in your power to bring honor and pride to your last name and the FFA emblem because those before you did just that.

It’s December, and that means that another year has almost gone by. For some of us it might mean that we are going into another year, anxious to graduate. Others of us think of it as a fresh start and are looking forward to new adventures that await us in the new-year.

Someone once said, “We must take adventures to know where we truly belong.” As the new-year rolls around, do not be afraid to take those steps and trying something new. I remember when I started high school I did not like public speaking one bit. Then one day, I walked into my ag classroom and my teacher told me that I was going to write and present a speech. I looked at her like she was crazy, but of course I did it anyway. Come to find out, I loved public speaking and every single year after that contest I made sure that I always did something related to public speaking in FFA. During my freshman year of high school, public speaking was my adventure, and I found where I truly belong. Without finding my place in FFA, I do not know if I would be where I am today.

With that being said, Missouri FFA members I challenge you to find that adventure in the new-year — whether it be public speaking or learning all the different types of meat cuts — find your place. I promise that once you find that adventure you have been searching for, you will always find where you truly belong!

“The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do.” -John McAfee

It is quite common that we turn on our televisions or open our Twitter feed and learn of an act of hate that has occurred somewhere around the world. A variety of causes can be blamed for these events, but I believe one of the most common is a lack of kindness.

Take a moment to think about the last time that someone smiled at you while walking down the street—an act so small that we often take for granted can make an enormous impact. Now consider the domino effect in relation to a simple act of kindness. Imagine how wonderful our world could be if everyone smiled at just one person every day.

You see, the impact of that one smile goes far beyond that single moment. As that person goes about the remainder of his or her day, spirits will be lifted. That single smile could change the entire course of a day. That smile could inspire the same in return, creating a chain reaction that can and will change our world.

As we listened to the speakers at the National FFA Convention and Expo, we were inspired to make a change. This is wonderful, but far too often we lose that inspiration when we return home. FFA members, the time is now. We can make an impact and change our world, but we have to start now.

Captain Charlie Plumb, a farm kid from Kansas that grew up to be a pilot for the United States Navy, expressed this during one of his motivational speeches. Captain Plumb was a graduate of the Naval Academy. After training to become a pilot, his squadron was called to action for an eight-month tour. After 75 missions and only five days before the end of his tour, his airplane was shot down and he was taken as a prisoner of war (POW) for six years.

Plumb survived the hunger, isolation, monotony and terror as a POW for six long years. He became an inspiration to all of the POWs and now inspires all those he encounters. He does not consider himself a hero and takes advantage of every opportunity he has to thank those that participated in the constructing and packing of his plane. He survived the unthinkable and came out stronger after his time as a POW.

In Plumb’s words, “If life was perfect and everyone said yes, you wouldn’t try as hard or dress as neat. Therefore, there is great value in being blown out of the sky.” In other words, life throws obstacles our way. However, it is how we handle them and move forward that develops who we are in the future. Setbacks will occur and obstacles will get in the way, however, we write our story and live our life by the choices we make. If we choose to be defeated, it probably will become so. If we choose to embrace the challenge and fight through it, great things await. How will you choose?

To all who have bravely served our great country, THANK YOU! If you ate today, thank a farmer!  If you ate in peace, thank a soldier!

This year’s National FFA Convention was one for the books! Every year an invitation is extended to the President of the United States. This year, Donald Trump accepted the invitation. He talked about many different agriculture issues that impact our agriculture industry, and he even discussed the skills we learn in FFA. His words hit home with me for different reasons. Many different opinions exist on important issues in agriculture, but who better to hear about the issues from than the current leader of our country. His speech also sparked many good conversations of how we can improve what we already do as agriculturists. On top of that, we heard some really good country music from Garth Brooks. To be completely honest, I was hard-core-fan-girling when one of the members sitting up by the stage got Garth’s hat. I grew up listening to Garth Brooks, and it was amazing to see him in concert. He put on a great show. The national officers presented him with an FFA jacket in a shadow box. I had never seen anything done like that until this year. I found it really cool, though. I am thankful an artist like him still represents country music so well. This quite possibly was the greatest National FFA Convention of all time. Thank you for allowing me to serve one more year in the blue jacket and have the opportunity to attend this amazing week of events.

The lyrics to one of my favorite songs ask, “if not us then who?”. The song really asks the listener to consider if they are doing their part to do good in the world and make a change. It is easy to see a problem, then simply assume that someone else will take care of it. It is easy to get stuck in everyday routines and forget that you can step up to make a change. No matter how big or small the act, you can make a difference in someone else’s life.

Many of you just got back from National FFA Convention where we learned about the power of “Just One”. FFA members, I know that many of you want to make a difference in your chapters and in your community. However, the task seems overwhelming or you doubt your own abilities. FFA members, there is absolutely no need for this. I promise you that you have the will, knowledge, and determination to make a difference. You have capabilities far beyond what you imagine right now. You and you alone have the power to make a change through just one act of kindness, compassion, or encouragement. Believe that you have the power to make a difference because if you don’t, who will?

When we are little, we are told to always follow our dreams. Everyone’s dreams look a little different, but the summer of 2006 my only dream was to catch a peacock. During two weeks at the Blacktail Ranch, a dude ranch nestled deep in Montana’s Rocky Mountains, I tried everything my 6-year-old brain could think of to reach my dream. I tried outrunning them, sneak-attacking them, lassoing them, and I even tried trapping them in a corner! Nothing worked. As we were getting ready to leave the ranch Tag, the ranch owner finally took pity on me. He got a bucket of feed from the barn, brought it to me and told me to wait calmly and quietly. Sure enough, soon the peacocks were flocking around me, and I finally got to live out my dream of petting a peacock.

Fall is such a promising time in the FFA. Classes have just started up and as FFA members we are tasked with figuring out what we want to do with the rest of the year. Just like 6-year-old Shelby had a dream of catching a peacock, we also need to dream dreams that will propel us through this new-year in FFA.

The first step is figuring out what your dream is. A great place to look for ideas you want to accomplish is our website, www.ffa.org. There, you will find links to all the amazing career development events, leadership development events, camps, trips, proficiencies and so much more that are available in our organization. With all the options available, I have no doubt that you will quickly find one that you can make into a dream worth chasing!

Fall is my favorite season — from spending days walking around pumpkin patches to traveling into corn mazes and raking up leaves to nights spent at bonfires gathered around family and friends. But as fall comes upon us, it also comes with more responsibilities.

One very large event that occurs in the middle of fall is the annual National FFA Convention. Each year, my FFA Chapter takes a select few students out to either compete or participate in national convention. My sophomore year of high school, I was lucky enough to be chosen.

National FFA Convention was the highlight of my year, and I had a blast attending different workshops and speakers with my friends. As the event came to a close, it was time to get back to school. But when we came back, I found it difficult to get caught up in my classes. I had not asked my teachers for work beforehand, and I had not known about different assignments that would be due when I got back. As a result, I had to spend more time figuring out how to get caught up and ended up missing even more assignments. Eventually, everything did even out, my grades still took a hit because of it.

FFA members, fall is a busy time and the year will only get busier. Prioritizing our time is more important than ever. As you begin participating in various clubs and organizations, be sure to inform your teachers of what you might miss and to work on assignments ahead of time, you could even buy a planner! Whatever it is you need to do to stay organized, do it. If you stay ahead of the game, you can spend more time doing all your favorite fall activities, whether it is attending national convention or fallinginto leaf piles.