The Rugby FFA chapter sent 26 members to Winter Leadership

Conferences earlier in January.

There were three different conferences -Greenhand, Made for Excellence (MFE) and Advanced Leadership Development (ALD).

Greenhand conference is put on by state FFA officers and staff and is the first component.

The theme was: “FFA’s got talent”. The programs taught students banquet etiquette, proper dress, agricultural careers, goal setting, and FFA basics.

Made for Excellence is the second component in the National FFA Leadership and Personal Growth Series. It is primarily for freshman and sophomores. The

overall outcome of this conference is personal growth, including building confidence and competence.

The Advanced Leadership Development conference was the third component of the National FFA Leadership and Personal Growth Series building upon the curriculum of Greenhand and MFE. It offered an experience specifically for juniors and seniors.

During the conference students explored the wide variety of careers available in the field of agriculture. Students learned how to best prepare for their future careers whether through hands-on experience or advanced education. Participants then generated ideas on how to utilize their leadership skills in community service and volunteerism efforts.