Information
Career Development Event (State Only)
Revised July 2011
The rules for this career development event are to be utilized in conjunction with the rules contained in the
introduction section of the Arizona Association FFA Career Development Event Manual.
I.
Purpose
To provide a stimulus for FFA members to know more about their organization and recognize them for this
accomplishment.
II. Event Description
Greenhand FFA members are first year agricultural education students well on their way to becoming great
leaders of our organization. The FFA information contest challenges students by testing their knowledge of
FFA and its rich history.
III. Standards
9.8
 Demonstrate memorization and comprehension skills
 Utilize leadership skills
 Demonstrate communication skills
IV. Objectives
 The objective of the State FFA Information Career Development Event is to help the members know the
history of the FFA and agriculture.
V. Event Format
A. ELIGIBILITY
Any 7-9 grade student, or tenth grade (sophomore) student in his/her first year, who is enrolled in
agricultural education and who holds FFA membership is eligible to participate.
B. GENERAL RULES
1. The event is run similar to a spelling bee. District winners will be selected on the basis of their
knowledge of the FFA determined by questions selected from the FFA units in freshman and
sophomore agriculture classes. The list of questions is the resource, “The New FFA Questions and
Answers.” This reference is not revised annually, only as needed. This reference is available at the
State FFA Office.
2. The state event is open to two individuals per district not to exceed 16 individuals. In the event
that a district does not fill its quota, the remaining slots may be filled using either a succession or
lottery of the 3rd and/or 4th place individuals from other districts.
3. It will be up to each district to determine methods for conducting the event.
VI. Tiebreakers
Once the final four students have been determined, all four students will participate in the “tie breaker”. The
event chair will hand out two sets of note cards to each of the four remaining contestant. One set will contain
Information
Career Development Event (State Only)
Revised July 2011
an event (or set of events) in FFA history. The second set of cards will contain the years in which those events
occurred. The contestants will have five (5) minutes to align the years with the corresponding events. The
tie-breaker is worth 100 points. Each card aligned with an incorrect date will result in a 2 point penalty. The
contestant with the most points wins. Following the five (5) minute tie breaker, the students will be excused
while the event chairperson tallies the scores. The results of the tie breaker will remain confidential until the
awards ceremony.
VII. Awards
The district winner will receive a plaque from the Arizona Association FFA. The top four individuals will
receive plaques at the state competition.
VIII. References
The New FFA Questions and Answers
Official FFA Manual
1929
1930
1933
1935
 National blue and corn gold adopted as
official colors.
 Carlton Patton of Arkansas named first Star
Farmer of America
 Official FFA Creed Adopted
 First National Public Speaking Event held
Edward Drance from Missouri won.
 First official dress uniform was adopted:
dark blue shirt, blue or white pants, a blue
cap and yellow tie.
 Delegates restrict membership to boys
only.
 Blue corduroy jacket adopted as official
dress
 A group of FFA officers and members made
a pilgrimage to Washington D.C., where
they were greeted on the White House
lawn by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
 New Farmers of America founded George
Washington Owens, a teacher trainer from
Virginia State College, wrote the
constitution and bylaws for the NFA in
1927
 Active FFA membership exceeded 100,000
members.
1937
 During national convention action was
taken to establish a national FFA camp and
leadership training school in Washington
D.C.
1939
 28.5 acres of land purchased for the first
FFA owned national headquarters the land
was part of George Washington’s estate.
 Identical twins Albert and Arthur Lacey of
Hondo, Texas became the only members to
share the title of Star Farmer of America.
1944
 Future Farmers of America Foundation
founded.
 138,548 FFA members were serving in the
Armed Services in World War II
 First National FFA Agriculture ProficiencyAgricultural Mechanics-presented
1947
 First National FFA Band performed at
National FFA Convention
 FFA Week established during the week of
George Washington’s birthday.
1948
 First FFA Chorus and National FFA Talent program held
at national FFA Convention.
 National FFA Supply Service began operation.
 First International Exchange Program for FFA members
with Young Farmers Club of Great Britain.
 Record jump in membership from 238,269 in 1947 to
260,300 in 1948; so many members attended the 20th
anniversary national convention that a folding-cot
hotel was set up in the basement of the Municipal
Auditorium in Kansas City.
1950

President Harry Truman granted a Federal
Charter, Public Law 740, to FFA.
1952

First issue of The National Future Farmer
Magazine was published.
1953
 The U.S. Post Office Department issued a
special Stamp to celebrate FFA`s 25th
Anniversary.
 President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the
first president to speak at a national FFA
convention.
1957
 Former President Harry S. Truman spoke
during the national convention.
1959
 First National FFA Center dedicated in
Alexandria, Va.
1965
 New Farmers of America merges with the
Future Farmers of America.
1966
 First Agriculture Career Show at national
FFA convention.
1968
 President Richard Nixon attends national
FFA Convention.
1969
 FFA opens membership to girls
 First National Star in Agribusiness, Ken
Dunagan from Arizona, is named.
 Washington Leadership Conference (now
WLC) begins.
1971
 National FFA Alumni founded.
1973
 FFA Official Dress standards created.
1974
 Fred McClure from Texas is the first
African-American elected to a national
office.
 President Gerald Ford is the guest speaker
at the national FFA convention; the speech
is carried live to network television.
1975
 Food for America program launched.
1976
 Julie Smiley, Washington FFA Association, is
the first female elected to a national office.
 Alaska became the last of the 50 states to
obtain a national charter.
1978
 President Jimmy Carter addressed the 51st
National FFA Convention.
1979
 First Extemporaneous Public Speaking
Event is held; won by Christie Peterson,
Wisconsin.
1980
 National FFA Foundation raises $1 million
in one year for the first time.
1982
 Jan Eberly, California, becomes the first
female national FFA president.
1987
 George H.W. Bush spoke at the national
convention as Vice President to Ronald
Regan; Bush would become President in
1988
1988
 Future Farmers of America changes its
name to National FFA Organization to
reflect the growing diversity in the
agricultural industry.
 Seventh and eighth grade students allowed
to become FFA members.
 Agriscience Student Recognition Program
introduced.
1989
 The National Future Farmer magazine
changes its name to FFA New Horizons.
1990
 A Partner in Active Learning Support (PALS)
program is launched.
1991
 Chapters in the Virgin Islands and Guam, along with
five chapters in Micronesia, are chaptered.
1994
 Corey Flournoy, Illinois, is the first African-American to
be elected National FFA President; he is also the first
urban student leader
1996
 H.O. Sargent Award reinstated, promoting diversity
among chapters.
 FFA announces decision to move the National FFA
Center from Alexandria, VA., to Indianapolis, Indiana.
 FFA announces decision to move the national FFA
convention from Kansas City, MO., to Louisville, Ky
 The official website for FFA, www.ffa.org debuts
1997
 First Agri-Entrepreneurship Awards presented.
1998
 National FFA Center in Indianapolis, Indiana is
dedicated July 20th.
 Dedication of Agricultural Education National
Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.
 National convention held in Kansas City, MO, for the
last time.
 Jose Santiago is elected to national office; he is the first
member from Puerto Rico to serve as a national officer
 Public Law 81-740 was revised through Congress and
replaced by Public Law 105-225 on August 12th.
1999
2000
 72nd National FFA Convention held in
Louisville, Kentucky.
 First National Creed Speaking event;
Michael Von Winkle of Arkansas wins.
 FFA Discovery Degree available for middle
school FFA members.
2001
 First National Star in Agriscience is named:
Steven Offer, Wisconsin.
 First National Star in Agricultural Placement
is named: Nicholas Streff, South Dakota.
2002
 First female Star Farmer is named: Karlene
Lindow, Wisconsin.
 Official Dress standards revised.
2003
 Javier Moreno, Puerto Rico, is elected
national president; he becomes the first
person with a native language other than
English and the first Puerto Rican elected as
national FFA president.
2005
 National FFA launched Seeds of Hope, a fundraising
campaign to rebuild Gulf Coast states’ agricultural
education and FFA programs following Hurricane
Katrina; $770, 000 in donations was distributed to
programs affected by hurricanes.
 FFA Foundation breaks the $10 million mark in raising
money for FFA programs and services.