They played some FFA donkey basketball over at Neillsville the other night, and they’ll be playing more of it at Osseo-Fairchild High School and Black River Falls High School in coming days.
That’s only some of the excitement that rises out of the annual FFA Week activities across the countryside — that week set aside each year to honor the organization’s traditions and activities.
A fellow noted on this morning’s show how much FFA has changed since he and I were of-age to be part of the FFA; I agreed that the changes have been plenty and fully believe all have been for the good. The scene of the landscape has changed across Wisconsin during my years, after all, and the FFA’s leadership rightfully made changes right along with it.
Most know how nearly everyone involved in FFA “back in the day” was deeply involved in production agriculture — most in these parts toiling through the daily chores on a family dairy farm, but many also working hard in other sorts of production agriculture operations. Back then, I thought diversity in the organization was most represented by one of the neighborhood guys being recognized with an FFA award for his chicken-and-egg operation’s management instead of the more common dairy-farm management awards.
Now, as noted the other day by a Wisconsin state officer in a discussion with Bob Bosold, many members, including that officer, aren’t part of a farm but through FFA have become involved in the organization’s programs in many different ways.
We’d also be remiss in not mentioning one of the bigger FFA changes I’ve seen during my lifetime: Young women’s participation in the organization. It wasn’t until 1969 that girls were allowed to join FFA, and few girls joined in those early years after. But thankfully that’s since drastically changed, and thousands of young women throughout the nation are taking their leadership roles in the organization. Wonderful are those moments of when I visit an area FFA chapter and see an entire officer team comprised of young women.
Through those many changes, Bob often makes note that one important matter hasn’t changed: It’s all about good young people doing good things.
I won’t be riding at any of the upcoming donkey basketball games, but I’ll certainly continue to be standing proudly and applauding all the greatness we see among FFA chapters, their members and their advisors.
Happy FFA Week!
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