FFA Creed

FFA chapters have been competing in reciting the creed for many years.  However, Sycamore has not had anyone compete in a couple of years.  This year Mr. Silvy, Tina's FFA teacher, asked her if she would be up to the task of learning the creed and going to compete.

Competition day comes and Tina can't find her black skirt.  There is a strict dress policy for the girls that includes a black skirt, black hose/stocking, black shoes, white button up shirt, and the FFA jacket.  So we are scrambling at 6:00 in the morning and there is no skirt to be found....  So she takes one of Tori's that doesn't fit and heads to school.  The competition was at 3:00 that afternoon.  All morning I just couldn't stop worrying about her not having a skirt that fit and how that would shake her confidence... So lunch time comes and I send a message to my co-worker and tell him I will be about 15 minutes late coming back for lunch.  I jump in the car and head to Kohl's in Clarksville.  They had a skirt and I bought it.  It was full price... who pays $40 for a full price skirt at Kohl's?  This mom that was trying so hard to help out her daughter.  If you have ever shopped at Kohls you know that they always circle what you save and tell you.  The cashier had already started talking saying "you saved" and then she realized I saved NOTHING.  It was funny when I told her "yep, I paid full price".

So I drop off the skirt at school and I just felt so much better.  2:00 pm comes and Mr. Silvy and Tina leave school to head to TSU.  I worked until about 2:45 and headed down to the competition.  I had been there maybe 2 or 3 minutes when Mr. Silvy gets a call that the competition was cancelled because of the impending weather and postponed to the following week....

So now that we had a skirt, the next week was much less drama.  She didn't win, she took 3rd place behind the two power house teams - Waverly and McEwen.  We were all very proud at how well she did.  There were a lot of kids competing and she should be proud of that 3rd place finish.

In case you wonder what the FFA creed is...

I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds – achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years.
 
I believe that to live and work on a good farm or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement I cannot deny.

I believe in leadership from ourselves and respect from others. I believe in my own ability to work efficiently and think clearly, with such knowledge and skill as I can secure, and in the ability of progressive agriculturalists to serve our own and the public interest in producing and marketing the product of our toil.

I believe in less dependence on begging and more power in bargaining; in the life abundant and enough honest wealth to help make it so-for others as well as myself; in less need for charity and more of it when needed; in being happy myself and playing square with those whose happiness depends upon me.

I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.