FFA Proficiency Awards

1
FFA Proficiency Awards Degrees
2
Four FFA Degrees

• American Degree
• State Degree
• Chapter Degree
• Greenhand Degree

Supervised Experience
3
The Greenhand

• The first FFA degree is the Greenhand
• Greenhands receive a pin in the shape of the FFA
  emblem made of bronze
• Many FFA chapters recognize an Outstanding
  Greenhand at the end of the school year.

4
Greenhand Degree Requirements

• Be enrolled in Agricultural Education
• Have satisfactory plans for a SAE
• Explain the FFA creed, motto, salute, and mission
  statement
• Describe the FFA emblem and colors
• Have a knowledge of the Code of Ethics and proper
  use of the jacket
• Have a knowledge of the FFA

5
Greenhand Degree Requirements...

• Own or have access to a FFA Manual and FFA
  Student Handbook
• Submit a written application for the Greenhand
  Degree

6
Greenhand Trivia

• A book titled The Greenhand was written in the
  1930s and was later made into a movie.
• The movie was made in Georgia and involved actual
  FFA members and officials
• The story is about a FFA Greenhand.

7
Chapter Degree

• The second degree, which is given at the local
  level, is the chapter degree.
• Chapter degree recipients receive a pin in the
  shape of the FFA emblem made of silver.

8
Chapter Degree Requirements

• Have the Greenhand Degree
• Completed 180 hours (or equivalent) of
  agricultural education
• Have in operation an approved SAE program
• Earned 150 from the SAE or worked 45 hours or a
  combination thereof
• Have plans for continued SAE growth

9
Chapter Degree Requirements....

• Help conduct 3 official chapter functions found
  in the Program of Activities
• Lead a group discussion for 15 minutes
• Demonstrate 5 parliamentary procedures
• Submit a written application for the degree
• Show progress in the FFA individual achievement
  awards program
• Have a satisfactory scholarship record

10
Chapter Degree Trivia

• Originally the chapter degree was called the
  Future Farmer degree but this proved to be
  confusing. After about 10 years the name was
  changed.

11
State Degree

• The third degree, given at the state convention,
  is the State degree.
• State degree recipients receive a pin in the
  shape of the FFA emblem made of gold.

12
State Degree Requirements

• Have received the Chapter FFA Degree
• Have been an active FFA member for 2 years
• Completed 360 hours (or equivalent) of
  agricultural education
• Earned and invested 1000 or worked at least 300
  hours or combination thereof

13
State Degree Requirements ...

• Demonstrate leadership ability by
• (a) Performing 10 procedures of parliamentary
  law
• (b) Giving 6 min. speech on agriculture or FFA
• (c) Serving as an officer, committee
  chairperson, or member of chapter committee

14
State Degree Requirements...

• Have participated in planning and completion of
  chapter Program of Activities
• Have participated in 5 FFA activities above
  chapter level
• Have a satisfactory scholarship record

15
State Degree Trivia

• Originally, the chapter, state and American FFA
  degrees had the word Farmer as part of their
  official name. This word Farmer was dropped in
  1988.

16
American Degree

• The fourth degree, given at the national
  convention, is the American degree.
• American degree recipients receive a pin in the
  shape of the FFA emblem made of gold. It is
  bigger than the state degree and has a special
  vertical bar attached.

American
17
American Degree Requirements

• Have received the State FFA Degree
• Have been an active FFA member for the past 3
  years
• Have record of satisfactory participation
• Completed 540 hours (or equivalent) of
  agricultural education
• Have graduated from high school

18
American Degree Requirements..

• Have in operation an approved SAE program
• Earned 7,500 from the SAE or earned and invested
  1,500 and worked 2,250 hours
• Have record of outstanding leadership abilities
  and community involvement
• Achieved a scholastic record of C or better

19
American Degree Trivia

• During the first 10 years of the FFA the only
  degree pin with the American eagle on the top was
  the American degree. The Greenhand, Chapter, and
  State degrees did not have the eagle. If you ever
  see a FFA pin without the eagle, it was made
  during the 1930s.

20
FFA Proficiency Awards
21
What is a Proficiency Award?

• An award presented by the National FFA to
  recognize excellence in a SAE program.
• There are over 40 areas of agriculture for which
  awards are available.

22
Proficiency Awards

• Proficiency award winners are recognized at the
• local level
• district, federation and/or area level
• state level
• national level

23
Proficiency Awards!

• There are 40 categories of proficiency awards
• Placement and entreprenuership SAE programs are
  recognized in each category

Entrepreneurship
Beef Production
Placement
24
Proficiency Award Categories

• At the national level, the top four individuals
  in placement and in entrepreneurship are
  recognized in each category (a total of eight).
  If adequate sponsorship is not available both
  placement and entrepreneurship are grouped
  together for judging and the top four are
  recognized.

25
Proficiency Award Categories

• Number of categories vary from year to year
  depending upon sponsorship.
• The slides that follow show the typical categories

26
Agricultural Communications
27
Agricultural Mechanical Technical Systems
28
Agricultural Processing
29
Agricultural Sales and/or Service
30
Beef Production
31
Cereal Grain Production
32
Dairy Production
33
Diversified Crop Production
34
Diversified Livestock Production
35
Emerging Agricultural Technology
36
Environmental Science
37
Equine Science
38
Feed Grain Production
39
Fiber Crop Production
40
Floriculture
41
Food Science and Technology
42
Forage Production
43
Forest Management
44
Fruit and/or Vegetable Production
45
Home and/or Community Development
46
Horticulture
47
Landscape Management
48
Nursery Operations
49
Oil Crop Production
50
Outdoor Recreation
51
Poultry Production
52
Sheep Production
53
Small Animal Care
54
Soil and Water Management
55
Specialty Animal Production
56
Specialty Crop Production
57
Swine Production
58
Turf Grass Management
59
Wildlife Management
60
Proficiency Award Tips

• Dont wait until the junior or senior year to
  look at the application. Look at the application
  early and start working on it.

61
Proficiency Award Tips

• Look at past applications from the chapter.

62
Proficiency Award Tips

• Take pictures throughout the year

63
Proficiency Award Tips

• On pictures in the application
• Dont Say This is a picture of.. The judges
  know it is a picture.
• Change shirts/caps
• Make captions action oriented Suckering tomatoes
  has been shown to
• Dont show unsafe practices in your pictures
  (such as no safety glasses while working on
  machinery)

64
Proficiency Award Tips

• Neatness makes a big impression

65
Proficiency Award Tips

• Visit the FFA Proficiency Award page on the World
  Wide Web. The URL is http//www.ffa.org/activities
  /index.html