a model of VIRTUOUS LIVING page 3 CONSCIOUS CONTENT page 9

7 MEN AND THE SECRET OF THEIR GREATNESSpage 10

FINE LINE walking a page 7

November 2013 | Volume 12, Issue 02

hen I was 4, I had my life all mapped out. I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. After all, it made total sense; I was a whiz! Yes, even at that young age, I was an expert…in dinosaurs!

I could have told you what each dinosaur ate, what physical features set them apart from the rest and which would have been the most gentle if they still roamed the planet. I owned just about every book on the matter (or at least every book they sold at Kmart), wore out our family’s VCR watching “The Land Before Time” and, like any young boy, would unearth any soft patch of soil with dreams of uncovering a fossil. Dinosaurs were my favorite topic of conversation and, if prompted, I would talk about them to anyone who was willing to listen.

A few decades later, I’m hardly the paleontologist that I planned on becoming. Truth be told, most of that Jurassic knowledge has been replaced by more practical information. I’m no more an expert on dinosaurs now than I was at the age of 4. As I grew up, my interests began to change and dinosaurs became less and less important. Sure, I might spend a few extra moments being fascinated by the T. rex display at the museum, but dinosaurs simply aren’t my passion any longer. What are your passions? How do they make their way into your conversations?

As a state FFA officer, my guess is that you’re passionate about FFA. Chances are that when someone compliments you on your professionalism, poise or polish, you attribute your skills to FFA. Rightfully so! We’ve been given training and experiences beyond measure thanks to this organization. All the more reason

that, as state FFA officers, we put that training to good use by telling the story of FFA. When we stop to think about it, we really are experts in FFA! We’ve competed in career development events, earned degrees thanks to our supervised agricultural experiences and have participated in more than our fair share of leadership development conferences. We’ve ate, slept and breathed the FFA mission and now we are part of making that mission possible for those who will one day fill our shoes. So how can we tell the story of FFA? Here are a few ideas…

• As you interact with the public, share how FFA prepares students for more than 300 careers in agriculture that range from production and business to science and technology. Tell your audience how FFA has personally helped you strive for career success.

• When you hear someone discuss STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education, introduce them to an FFA member in your state who participates in the agriscience fair or an agriscience research SAE. Help your audience understand how agriculture must use new technology in order to feed 9 billion people worldwide in the year 2050.

• Explain the concept of an SAE, focusing on the fact that FFA members collectively earn $4 billion annually through their SAE programs. Help the public understand that FFA members develop business and financial management skills as a result of their SAE. Tell them a little about your SAE or that of a student you’ve met this year.

You’re experts in FFA not just because of your own experiences but because of the experiences of those whom you serve. Use your FFA network and connections to show an uninformed public that agriculture and FFA are still relevant to the needs of a growing world population. For more information on how to tell the story of FFA, visit www.FFA.org/tellingyourstory. The dinosaurs that I was obsessed with when I was young are certainly extinct, but FFA and agricultural education are here to stay so long as passionate people like you and me will continue to advocate on its behalf.

Scan the code to read our Telling Your Story blog filled with more ideas.

W

Shane Jacques is the education specialist for the National FFA Delegate Process and State Officer Programs with the National FFA Organization. He has a degree in agribusiness management from the State University of New York at Cobleskill. A self-proclaimed Strengths nerd, he is certified by the Gallup Organization in Strength-Based Education and is a licensed facilitator of the Habitudes curriculum. He served as state FFA president in Rhode Island during his time as an FFA member.

by Shane Jacques

experts in our own right

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experts in our own right

2Bright Ideas • Volume 12, Issue 2

GIVING IT ALL AWAY

Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in 1901 to a family of the wealthiest class in Italy. As a boy he began to act differently than other kids in his social class. Frassati gave away the shoes off his feet on walks home, rode his bike to buy food for the hungry with his bus fare, and even shared meals with children who were contagiously sick, just so they didn’t have to eat alone.

As a teenager, Frassati and his friends would go on mountain-hiking adventures where he would offer his luxurious lodging to his companions who couldn’t afford a fireplace in the snowy mountain ranges. When he was given a car for his 18th birthday, he sold it that same day and made housing payments for those who could not afford their homes. In fact, by age 21, he was supporting about 125 families with food, housing, clothing, medical needs and tuition.

Frassati began hiding his charity more and more, even telling those he served that his name was “Brother Jerome,” so that his well-connected and very-public father would not hear about these virtuous works. To his affluent and powerful folks, Frassati’s life was a stain on the family reputation.

Or so they thought.

On July 4, 1925, Frassati died quietly at home after contracting polio from a stranger. He was only 24. When his parents held his funeral a few days later, they couldn’t believe their eyes. A whopping 10,000 people showed up. And they weren’t political or aristocratic types. They were thousands of the city’s poor, and they were there to say, “Thank you,” for this astounding young man’s virtuous life.

VIRTUE

Frassati was a man of virtue. Stemming from the Latin “virtus” (power, strength) and the Greek “arête” (excellence), virtue is moral excellence. Virtues are powers or strengths of excellent living rightly, and they promote both the common and individual good. Frassati believed that what he had was given to him to share, that loving his neighbor was the rule for life. Contrary to his social standing—power, prestige and separation from other classes—Frassati believed in justice, in meeting the needs of all.

DEVELOPING CHARACTER.A MODEL OF VIRTUOUS LIVING by Tyler Tenbarge

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PERSONAL VIRTUE INVENTORY

STEP 1:

Playback the main events of the day (a conference, meeting someone new, strong emotions, etc.) If it comes to mind, it’s probably important to you.

STEP 2:

Categorize each situation that comes up with, “That went well.” or “I could have done better.”

STEP 3:

GIve thanks for the good that was done and label each opportunity for improvement with “excess” or “deficiency” in a virtue. (The seven virtues listed in bold above are a good start.)

STEP 4:

Choose the most important virtue to focus on for the coming day. Don’t worry about writing it down or setting a reminder. Simply anticipate a likely situation you will encounter the coming day and consider how to act virtuously in that moment.

In “Virtuous Leadership,” Alexandre Havard, attorney and director of the Havard Virtuous Leadership Institute, writes, “Leaders either strive to grow in virtue as surely as they breathe or they are not leaders. Life for them is a quest for personal excellence.”

Hundreds of educational institutions, leadership organizations, social groups, authors and others have invested so much in seeking a list of virtues that “transcend” religious, cultural, historical or other divisions. Why? We want what is true —for all people, of all times, in all classes and contexts. We want a moral standard that transcends what divides.

FINDING VIRTUE

Let’s start looking at when we don’t see virtue.

We easily recognize deficiency in “justice” or an excess in “self-control.” Too much “hope” becomes superstition, and not enough “temperance” leads to promiscuity. These are easily recognized as un-virtuous, and we innately want better for ourselves and for the collective whole.

Virtuous action? Well, it’s found in the middle. As noted in his “Nicomachean Ethics,” Aristotle taught that virtue can be found between extremes. For example, “courage” is the mean between the extremes of cowardice (deficiency) and foolishness (excess). The virtue of “hope” would be the middle point between the extremes of unrealistic wishing and the

lost hope of depression. As state FFA officers, the virtue of “socializing” or “friendship” might be found between being unapproachably cold and obnoxiously imposing.

It is easy to find lists of all kinds of virtues, but the most widely accepted and most time-tested list includes prudence, justice, courage and self-control, found in Plato’s writings. Today, many add faith, hope and love. However, what seems to be of more significant concern isn’t which virtues, but how to live them in concrete, messy, everyday life.

Frassati lived the virtue of justice to the max. This Italian teenager gave away to the point of becoming poor, even losing his life. Yet this virtue was the acme of his existence. His friends were more interested in typical teenage things: fashion, entertainment and partying. But when they were around Frassati, they recall acting differently. They said that it wasn’t his verbal commands for virtuous living that influenced them. He was simply a virtuous person, and being around Frassati influenced others for good.

TOWARD THE TOP

In my September article, we discussed how character is the impression we make on others—in person or online, positive or negative. We talked about how Nelson Mandela chose to be expelled rather than give in to what he knew was wrong.

Frassati and Mandela are both dynamic, contemporary, young models for virtuous living. And, often, a model like them—or maybe someone we personally know—is the best concrete revelation of encountering virtue in action. Asking yourself, “What would Frassati have done?” or “What did Mandela do in a similar circumstance?” is a sure route to building good character for yourself. Virtuous action forms a solid character.

Frassati had a saying, “Verso l’alto!,” “Toward the top.” Let’s go, then, toward a way of life that is for our good and the good of all!

Stay tuned: We have now defined character and looked at virtue. In my third article (Jan. 2014), we will look more at growing in virtue. My final article will discuss persevering in virtue.

(left) Want another idea on taking a personal inventory of virtue? Before you retire for the evening, do a short examination of your day. I’d recommend keeping it short. This should be something you could do even at the end of the most exhausting days. As you continue to examine your days, you will begin growing in virtue, finding the middle ground between the extremes of living.

Tyler Tenbarge is a former state and national FFA officer from Indiana and is currently studying for priesthood for the Diocese of Evansville at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. After serving as a facilitator for the Washington Leadership Conference, he has remained involved in FFA by developing and facilitating various pieces of curriculum and content for state FFA officers. He also blogs at tylertenbarge.blogspot.com.

4Bright Ideas • Volume 12, Issue 2

Leveraging talentby Dustin Clark

Have you ever tried to put together a puzzle but realized that you didn’t have the right pieces? Have you ever tried to cook something but didn’t have all of the ingredients? Or have you tried to watch an NBA all-star game but quickly lost interest?

Alright, maybe the NBA example only applies to me, but you get the point. All of these scenarios can leave you feeling frustrated and unfulfilled. This is not so different from being on a state officer team where the recognition and respect of each other’s strengths isn’t apparent. Our 2002-2003 national officer team was arguably the most productive and synergistic team that I have ever been a part of. In my opinion, this is because of one reason…we all had different strengths, and we embraced those varying strong points rather than be jealous of those characteristics that others had.

It all starts with knowing your personal strength. Sure, to arrive at the level of leadership that you have, you must be well-rounded and do a lot of things well, but there is most likely one thing that you absolutely rock. There is a strong correlation between what we are passionate about and what we excel at.

When I was preparing for the national officer selection process, a mentor took me through an exercise in which I was asked to explain why I wanted to be a national officer. I answered with a rambling three-minute explanation as to why I wanted to serve. Then he told me to say the exact same thing, but in

only a minute and a half. I did as he said. Then he told me to say the exact same thing but in only 30 seconds. I thought that would be the shortest, but once again he told me to say the exact same thing, but in only 10 seconds.

While it was a difficult exercise, it forced me to focus on the one thing that I was most passionate about in relation to serving FFA members. Not coincidentally, the result of the exercise was that I had just concisely communicated my greatest strength. I’d challenge you to go through that exercise with one of your mentors and see if you can come up with your greatest strength.

The next part is a litmus test to see if your perception matches reality. I believe that the most successful people in life are those who have a healthy self perception. We see this in basketball all the time. We’ll be in practice and tell one of our players what he did wrong in a certain play, and sometimes the player will disagree. Rather than arguing with him, we point up to the camera and say, “Well, we’re filming it…so you can come by the office and we’ll look at it together.” The saying is “the eye in the sky doesn’t lie!” The camera is the ultimate master of accountability.

In state FFA office, fortunately you don’t have a camera following you around 24/7. So, this is where your teammates come in. To see if your perception matches reality, I’d

AUTHENTIC TEAMWORK

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challenge your team to set aside a few hours one night and let everyone go around the room and tell you what they perceive is your greatest strength. Then repeat the process for everyone on the team. This will do two things: It will allow you to see how others perceive your strengths and it will allow you to discover the strengths of your teammates. This will be a defining moment of your state officer year, I promise.

There are so many roles to fill on a state officer team: business and industry relations, internal team organization, keynote speaking, workshop facilitation, policy making, career development events, etc. One person can’t be everything to everybody. When a teammate excels at filling a role, it is essential that their teammates celebrate that and show appreciation.

When your year is over, you will be viewed and remembered by what your team accomplished, not what you did as an individual. However, to maximize your influence, this realization has to occur during your year of service. One of the best things that your team can do is to have dinner together after you all have been apart for a period of time and tell stories of what has recently happened while on the road. While each of you will have different stories to tell, it will all revolve back around to the successes experienced, and inevitably it will all tie back to your individual strengths and how they contributed to those successes.

Knowing your teammates’ strengths, appreciating them, and celebrating them are the next steps to being an authentic and influential team. It is alright to envy the specific talents that you may not possess, but in doing so…let that envy manifest itself by celebrating your teammates’ successes. Once you do that, your teammates will in turn celebrate your successes. Embrace the accomplishments of your team, don’t have a singular focus on your contributions, and you will be happy during your year of service and satisfied after your year together.

Dustin Clark is the director of basketball operations for the University of Maryland Terrapins. As a past state and national FFA officer, he has shared leadership lessons learned in agricultural education with college basketball players to help them reach their potential on and off the court. Dustin has been a part of highly successful coaching staffs at Texas A&M University and the University of Maryland.

6Bright Ideas • Volume 12, Issue 2

I’ve been there. A chapter officer asks for your phone number to follow-up on running for state office or for counseling through a tough time.

A member adds you on Facebook and starts up a chat conversation about your relationship status.

A student from a recent chapter visit sends constant, flirtatious emails to your FFA inbox.

As state officers, we want to build lasting, deep, authentic relationships with members. But we also have to protect ourselves and avoid sending the wrong messages to our members.

It’s a balancing act and, like it or not, how we interact with students impacts our reputation—with other students, teachers, teammates and our peers. If students are overly casual with us to the point of disrespect, or they use romantic undertones, people notice. People talk. And talk can damage our reputations.

Have no fear: Setting boundaries with members without sacrificing quality, in-depth relationships is possible.

PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR ALWAYS TRUMPS WOO

We all know someone with WOO who will do anything short of walking on hot coals (well… not super hot anyway) to win others over. Many of us might think it’s our job to make members like us. It’s not. Being a positive, professional role model is our number one priority.

Don’t be afraid to set professional boundaries with students explicitly and implicitly. If a student asks an inappropriate question—whether in person or electronically—it’s always best to kindly let them know that they’ve crossed a line. “I don’t feel comfortable talking about that,” “that’s too personal” or “I don’t think that’s something we should be talking about—have you tried talking to (insert appropriate contact here)” are all great responses.

Draw a line in the sand early and reinforce it continuously by letting members know what is (and is not) appropriate.

by Alex Schnabelrauch

Alex Schnabelrauch (Henry) is a past state and national officer from Michigan and has served as a national FFA conference facilitator. She graduated from Michigan State University (Go Green!) with a degree in agriculture and natural resources communications in 2012. Alex currently works as communications coordinator for the Michigan Milk Produces Association, a member-owned dairy co-op.

REP-YOU -TATION:

WALKING A FINELINE

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THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU OFFER YOUR DIGITS

I met this seemingly innocent out-of-state FFA member once. We talked for five minutes. That’s it. No connection. No relationship. No follow-up communication—on my end anyway.

He asked for my number. I couldn’t say no. Five years, later, I’m still getting calls! I’ve asked him to stop calling and haven’t answered his calls for three years. Yet, they continue.

For many of us, we use our personal phones during our year of service and, after retiring our jacket, we’ll be keeping the same number. Remember: Your phone number is a precious commodity and thought should be given to whom you share it with and when.

With the advent of email and social media, there are plenty of not-as-intrusive communication options. Simple explanations like, “I have to pay my own cell phone bill and I don’t have tons of minutes or texts each month. Can we stay connected through Facebook?” can build communication without damaging relationships.

If nothing else, communicate with a student via social media or email for a month before offering up your cell number. Think of it as a trial period to weed out the “jacket chasers” and “invasive groupies.”

TAKE CAUTION: SELF DISCLOSURE CAN BE A SLIPPERY SLOPE

I’m guilty of getting caught in the weeds on this one, myself.

You’re talking with a student and the conversation gets longer and longer. The topics get deeper and deeper. And all of a sudden you’re sharing life stories. It’s like “The Notebook” or “P.S. I Love You” in real life… minus the public display of affection.

Newsflash: Sometimes too much self-disclosure can be a bad thing.

Talking about romantic relationships, inappropriate behavior or personal experiences—whether they ask or you offer it up—can give students “the green light” to step over the professional boundary line. What starts out as a simple discussion about past girlfriends or breaking the law can turn into a member asking you out on a date or divulging underage drug or alcohol abuse.

Start point: fun, icebreaker conversation. Like how you felt playing with that giant parachute on the first day of elementary school.

End point: inappropriate, awkward tension. Like hugging your Great Aunt Martha who smells like Aquanet and always “good games” you every chance she gets.

Avoid Aunt Martha moments! Don’t even start walking a path that could lead down that road. Pick “safe” topics of conversation and facilitate the conversation in a way that steers students away from those awkward land mines.

“THEM-FOCUSED” CONVERSATION REVERSALS

The clutch asset you possess to avoid the sticky situations mentioned above? “Them-focused” conversation reversals!

When a member starts talking about an inappropriate topic, switch gears by jumping to another semi-related “safe” topic.

A student asks about your love life, you dodge the question by saying, “Awe, it’s nothing too exciting” and then ask about their favorite chick-flick movie. A member starts talking about drinking at a party last weekend, you change gears by adding what you did last weekend and asking about the type of music they like listening to while they’re hanging out with friends.

It’s like a chess game. Respond to their moves, but attempt to redirect the focus in a more appropriate direction, all while making the conversation about THEM.

People love talking about themselves and there’s no better way to build deep relationships than listening to what matters most: our members.

Don’t feel pressured to sacrifice your personal information or boundaries in the name of “serving members.” Guard your reputation and build lasting relationships intentionally through appropriate, strategic communication.

8Bright Ideas • Volume 12, Issue 2

oors swing open and students burst out in abundant laughter, racing to find their advisors. As students get settled into their seats on the bus, the advisor interrupts their conversations with a simple question, “What did you all learn today?”

Silence.

The students throw all their energy into not making eye contact and sitting still. Finally, a brave soul speaks up and says, “We had a blast eating marshmallows off a string while we ran around the room and made animal noises depending on what card we were given during the workshop.”

Laughter began once again only to be cut short when the advisor asks, “What was this workshop about exactly? What can you bring back to your chapter?”

Does this scenario sound familiar? How often do we focus on the “fun” of a workshop instead of its usefulness? It is easy to get caught up in the glamour of having the one workshop everyone talks about. What good does this do for the students in the long term? Short term, they have a good time. Long term, they have missed the key opportunity to soak up new tools to grow them personally and the teams they serve on.

The second major factor of facilitation is conscious content.

The word “conscious” is defined as being aware of and responding to one’s surroundings, or having knowledge of something. “Content,” in this case, is the curriculum for our workshop itself. This is where the key skeleton of the magic formula should be utilized.

When writing our workshop content, the first thought we need to put on the back burner is “What is the most fun activity I can incorporate into this for students?” Rather than this train of thought, we need to consciously place our minds in the needs of our students.

Based on our students’ age and leadership roles with, what tools do they need to be equipped?

What are our students’ surroundings, and how does this influence the way they lead and communicate?

What positive and negative situations can students find themselves in?

Thinking about our audience is the key and first step when writing a workshop. Take a moment and review the Magic Formula you should have seen at Blast Off and the National Leadership Conference for State Officers. All components of this formula should be utilized, and the one we should give the most conscious focus to is “application.” If our students do not walk away from our workshop able to apply what they have discovered to their lives, then we have done them an injustice. Do your students justice; give them conscious content.

D

Ag girl, leadership nerd and “FFA groupie” are all nicknames Becky Sullivan has been dubbed and worn proudly throughout her career as a state and national officer and conference facilitator for the National FFA Organization. A graduate of Kansas State University, she currently works at the Kansas Department of Agriculture dealing with local food promotions and international value-added food exports from the state.

FACTORS OF FACILITATIONConscious contentby Becky Sullivan

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OFF THE SHELF7 Men and the Secret of Their Greatness, by Eric Metaxasby Bethany Parker

THE READ

In a recent survey, 50 people age 95 years or older were asked what they would change about their lives. The top three answers were:

1. Take more risks.

2. Leave a legacy by investing my life in something that would outlive me.

3. Take more time to reflect.

This puts a bit of perspective on life. If we want to live a life of greatness, we must take into consideration others who have gone before us. Author Eric Metaxes identifies seven men from history and discloses their secret to success.

George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II and Charles W. Colson were men who left their mark on history. Each coming from different backgrounds and causes, they fought for human rights in their respective decade.

Metaxes takes you through the stories of these men, all of whom achieved a level of greatness that few others reach. Their secret to success? Their beliefs.

Your personal beliefs may differ from these men, but the author convinces us to ask the question, “What is the secret of my greatness?” Metaxes reveals the basic truth that our core beliefs will dictate our behavior and the path we’ll carve for ourselves throughout our lives.

THE REALITY

At the end of our professional career, each of us will have a few degrees and awards to hang our hats on. Our resumes will be filled with accomplishments, and there will be varying honors that we can each boast. But what will be the greatness inside of us that pushes us to that point?

On a foundation visit, I remember a businessman commenting, “FFA members are some of the most driven young people I know.” It’s true. FFA members are known for their drive, motivation and “no quit” attitudes. You are living a legacy that has been 86 years in the making. The organization’s history would not be nearly as noteworthy if the early members of FFA had chosen to skimp on their values.

We can learn from our forefathers that it is worth discovering, investing in and developing your core values.

THE RESPONSE

• Brainstorm what you want to be true of your life at age 95.

• Review your life purpose statement. If needed, rewrite or revise.

• Create three applications to implement now in order to start reverse engineering your life around this purpose. For example, if you want to give $1 million to charity, start giving $20 a month now.

• Share with your closest friends your core values, so they can hold you accountable and encourage you.

Live in such a way that people will wonder your secret to greatness.

Bethany Parker (Bohnenblust), a graduate of Kansas State University, served as a state and national officer from Kansas. Now she works with The Traveling Team campus ministry, investing in college students across the country and in several countries while helping them to determine their life purpose. She and her husband, Morgan, love their adventures together. bethany.bohnenblust@gmail.com.

“What is the secret of my greatness?”

10Bright Ideas • Volume 12, Issue 2

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