One of the most valuable skills you can develop during your FFA experience is public speaking. It will boost your confidence and provide experience from which you can draw for the rest of your life. When you begin your career, the ability to communicate with others on an individual basis or in a large group will be important. Learning about FFA, discussing business in chapter meetings and presenting committee reports are only the beginning. . . many more opportunities await.
The top 4 in each speaking competition at the Sectional Level will advance to the Regional Level. The top 4 at the Regional Level will then advance to the State level. State winners in each event receive a cash award and earn the right to represent their state at the national regional competition. The national regional contests in both divisions narrow the field down to four national finalists at the National Convention in Indianapolis in October. Cash awards are presented to the finalists and they receive a portion of their travel expenses to the National Convention. Advisors can provide more information about these leadership events and tell you how to become involved.
Creed- This contest is specific for freshman. The speaker is required to recite the FFA Creed from memory and answer three questions related to the creed. Students also have the opportunity to recite the creed in Spanish.
Impromptu- This contest is for sophomores only. The speaker in this contest is given a prompt or word and one minute to gather their thoughts. From there, the competitor must speak for a minimum of 30 seconds up to two minutes on that related topic.
Job Interview- The Job Interview contest allows young adults to prepare for actual job interviews. The contestants are required to submit a cover letter and a job resume to the judges prior to the actual contests. On the day of the contest, the competitors must fill out an application for a specific job. They then go through a ten minute oral interview. While being interviewed, contestants are scored on appearance, maturity, presentation, and response to questions.
Prepared Public Speaking- In this contest, you write a manuscript about a controversial topic in agriculture and deliver, from memory, a six to eight minute speech and answer five minutes of questions afterwards.
Extemporaneous- During this contest, you select one topic from a choice of three areas. You have thirty minutes to prepare a four to six minute speech, and after delivering it, the judges will ask five minutes of questions.
Parliamentary Procedure- Ask your advisor for more information about this contest!
Chapter winners advance to section level competition. Section level winners advance to regional level competition, with regional winners going on to state finals.