Thursday, December 17, 2009

Parly Pro

I am rooting for the Fayetteville FFA in the State Parly Pro finals in Columbus Saturday. Ten Ohio FFA districts are sending their district winning team to select the winners of meeting procedure from the three hundred plus chapters of Ohio.

Parly Pro is FFA lingo for Parliamentary Procedure, a contest that teaches young FFA members how to conduct a proper meeting, a long standing tradition in the country and in the FFA.

FFA is centered around a monthly meeting where the officers and members meet to discuss and vote on the various things the chapter, as a group, is working on.

I had to learn how to prepare students for these meetings in the fall of 1971 and taught it all my life. I really put it to use as Board President of Blanchester Local School District in 1994.

The contest measures how well the students have learned Robert's Rules of Order and deliver it in speaking and discussion on an agenda prescribed for the contest. A team of judges decide who did the best job by placing scores on each phase of the meeting of each team participating.

We bought our first house on Anderson Station Road near Fayetteville in the early 70's. I was teaching ag at Blanchester and the Superintendent would always rave about the newspaper stories of my students. I said why don't you start a program and chapter here?

It took me thirty years before I dared a friend to run for schoolboard there and she was able to get a chapter started in the late 90's. My oldest boy Matt was hired as the instructor in 2001 and we were able to teach at the same time, different schools until I retired from teaching in 2002.

Now he has a good program going and those students will come out winners whether they win Saturday or not.

"The Sentinel is stationed by the door."

Ed

6 comments:

  1. I did that once or perhaps twice.
    The Reporter is stationed by the flag.
    Why by the flag? -says the Vice President
    As the flag covers the United States of America, so I strive to inform the people in order that every man woman and child may know that the FFA is a national organization that reaches from the state of Alaska to Puerto Rico and from the state of Maine to Hawaii.
    I couldn't remember it all I had to look it up. I think it may have been different a couple years back.

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  2. I can't tell you how much I regret not paying attention and learning Parly Pro in FFA. Not being proficient is a real liability when volunteering in community service.

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  3. Once or twice Budde? I think NOT. In my class you would have recited until you were sick of it, or loved it to pieces. You get an A.

    Russell, I think I would have got hold of your bootstraps and and you would be the Authoritarian of your group now.

    I always hated it when I didn't get that accomplished.

    Go Fayetteville!

    Another one for the little guy!

    Ed

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  4. I mean I competed once or twice. I may have gone to state. I went to state in Soils and extemp public speaking. I aways kind of choked at state...

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  5. The Advisor

    Here by the Owl

    Why are you stationed by the Owl?

    The Owl is the symbol of wisdom and knowledge. Being older than the rest of you, I am asked to advise you from time to time as the need arises. I hope my advide is always based with true knowledge and ripened with wisdom.

    Mr. Vice President, why are you stationed by the plow?

    I rememebered this after practicing since 1971!

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