Meadow Brook FFA team teaches Byesville Rotary how to hold a meeting

Pictured: The Meadow Brook FFA Parliamentarian Team—back row: Erica Showalter, Dakota Burris, Miranda Miser, Andrea Kackley, Olivia Anderson; front row: Sarah Mercer, Connor Frame, and Taylor Modro.

The Parliamentarian Procedures Team from the Meadow Brook FFA chapter demonstrated how to hold a meeting and showed their expertise in applying Robert’s Rules of Order. And, wow, can these kids hold a meeting. They were effective, wasted no time, were courteous to each other even when they were disagreeing, and each person who wanted to express an opinion got a chance to.

The team competes at the state level and their demonstration was impressive. At a competition, the 8 person team has 15 minutes to present opening and closing formalities and a meeting during which the team must correctly use at least 6 points from Robert’s Rules of Order. For example, the Meadow Brook demonstrated how to make and 2ed a motion, make an amendment to a motion, discuss pros and cons of the motion, and vote on the motion.

Each member of the team wore the official FFA uniform: a dark blue jacket with the FFA and, a white blouse or shirt with a blue tie or scarf, black slacks or skirt, black shoes, and black stockings.

Dr. Joe Smith, who often serves as a judge for the parliamentary competitions, pointed out that standards are high for the Parliamentarian competitions. He explained that the meeting secretary was actually taking minutes during the competition and that the minutes will later be reviewed by competition judges for accuracy. He noted that judges are strict. Teams can lose points if jackets are not zipped to the correct height or if FFA members display more than two pins. One member later open up her jacket to reveal that she stores the other dozen or so pins she has been awarded on the inside of her jacket.

The goal of the FFA Organization is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing a student’s potential for leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Evelyn Spring, 740-439-4343.