Leaders of Tomorrow

FFA & 4-H: Developing Youth Today to Be Leaders of Tomorrow

(This is the real purpose of 4-H/FFA Livestock Projects)

One purpose of the FFA and 4-H animal projects is to teach young people how to feed, fit and show their animals. The more important purpose is to provide an opportunity for personal growth and development of the young person. This statement has been used for years to justify the livestock projects.

The Josephson Institute of Ethics, as a part of its nationwide CHARACTER COUNTS! effort, has  developed a curriculum called “Exercising Character.” This curriculum identifies six core values that may help to better describe the value of FFA and 4-H livestock projects. The curriculum also presents the idea that people develop and strengthen character by practicing certain behaviors, just as muscles are built through exercise.

Therefore, the purpose of the FFA and 4-H livestock program is to provide opportunities for young people to develop character. The character traits identified and some practices (exercises) that may build character follow:

Trustworthiness includes honesty, promise keeping and loyalty.

• feeds and waters the animals daily (promise keeping)
•  adheres to possession deadlines (honesty)
•  adheres to withdrawal time on drugs and de-wormers
•  uses only approved drugs

Respect includes courtesy and proper treatment of people and things.

• handles and treats animals humanely
• cares for animals properly
• listens to and follows advice of advisors
• recognizes that the animal project is dependent on the youth to provide daily feed and water

Responsibility includes the pursuit of excellence, accountability and perseverance.

• feeds and waters the animal daily (even on the busy, difficult days)
• goes beyond providing the daily needs of the animal in giving additional time and attention to produce a winner
• adheres to deadlines for entry form and for arrival for livestock shows.
• never gives up in the show ring (perseverance)

Fairness involves consistently applying rules and standards appropriate for different age

groups and ability levels.

• feeds only approved livestock rations
• uses only approved drugs
• accepts winning or losing with grace
• follows recommended procedure in the show ring
• follows recommended procedures for fitting and grooming an animal

Caring promotes the well-being of people and things in a youth’s world. It denotes action

and not just feeling.

• feeds and waters animal daily
• provides clean barn/stall for animal
• treats animal humanely at all times

Citizenship includes making the home, community and country a better place to live for

themselves and others.

• accepts instruction
• wins and losing with grace
• helps others at stock shows
• teaches younger members
• treats animals humanely
• ensures that meat is safe for consumption

The opportunities for exercising character listed above are not intended to be complete but to express the idea that the FFA and 4-H livestock projects offer numerous ways for young people to build character. It is the responsibility of adults to ensure that all exercises are building positive character traits for youth. While recognizing that a young child must have some help to halter break a calf or to shear a lamb, the idea is for parents and advisors to insist that the child does all he or she is capable of doing.

It should be pointed out that the tasks of daily feeding and watering contribute to the strengthening of at least four of the six core values. It is important also to recognize that the size of the animal does not have any effect on the value of the project for the young people to develop character. Therefore, a child may learn the same things and have the same opportunity to exercise character with a rabbit as with a steer project.

FFA Creed and the 4-H Pledge

Let’s take a minute to review the 4-H Pledge and the FFA Creed. You will notice similar themes to the work all of us do in these programs.

The 4-H Pledge

To make the best better

I pledge

My head to clearer thinking

My heart to greater loyalty

My hands to larger service and

My health to better living

For my club, my community, my country, and my world.

The FFA Creed

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 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 of charity and more of it when needed; in being happy myself and playing

square with those whose happiness depends on me.

I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our

national life and that I can exert and influence in my home and community which will

stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.

Exhibiting livestock allows all of us to work together as a team to develop each other for a

better tomorrow. In the midst of competition through exhibition, remember the real

winners are the youth in the FFA and 4-H programs.