As my wife and I headed to visit her folks for the evening, I quickly packed a travel bag for an over night trip. As I went to grab it, the words FFA on the top brought everything in perspective. FFA has been my literal Travel Bag, because this organization has opened many doors and I’ve carried so many FFA memories through them. It seemed weird, for many of the past years, I’ve spent this very week at the Oklahoma State FFA Convention with thousands of members, Ag Teachers, and sponsors. It felt very strange not attending the convention nor seeing my former state officer teammates at the State Officer Reunion Banquet. To some folks, FFA might sound like a foreign thought, but my experiences in this organization shaped largely who I am today as well as many others. However, although the State FFA Convention is a huge moment in an FFA member’s career, I’ve learned that the FFA is not just an event, it’s a group of people.
A group of people who:
-Advocate for Agriculture
-Serve beyond themselves
-Speak with information, persuasion, and passion
-Build friendships at the local, state, and national levels.
-Prepare for global impact
-Receive quality instruction and education from quality Agricultural Educators
-Learn how to be dependable and responsible
-Equip to be experience career success.
-Will Go the Extra Mile for Others
-Come Together for a Common Good
-Inspire the next generation of leaders
-Witness incredible life changing moments in the show ring, classroom, and of course, in the times spent in the Blue Corduroy Jacket.
These are just some of the things FFA members do. Take it from an Old FFA Has-Been, if you make this organization all about you, your experience will be all about you. But, if you make it all about others, then you’ll find it to be a travel bag of joy. Although convention is not happening, the memories and connections can still happen.
~Pick up a pen and write someone in FFA a positive note.
~Pick up the phone and send someone a positive text.
~Share this post with someone and let them know how much they mean to you.
You’ll be surprised at how big of an impact you will make with just a few small gestures of service. And one day, I hope you will look back at life with your own FFA travel bag, thankful for the memories that made you who you are and the many doors you’ve carried those memories through. I’m sure thankful for the memories, the education, and the friendships. I’m a better person because of all these people. So don’t let anything from stopping you from creating your FFA Travel bag. After all, you may retire the jacket, but as leaders, we must never retire the service. #OKFFA #Convention #TheFFATravelBag #RoadToImpact
Brandon Baumgarten 