Made it home from the State FFA Opening Ceremonies contest. No, we didn’t win. But I’m not mad. Not happy, but not mad, either. These 6 sophomore kids were not a match set. One girl really wanted to participate in this event. (She made the whole deal happen). One boy didn’t have a choice (Duke). One boy said he would do it as long as he didn’t miss football practice (he did and he did). Another boy said “No.” I told him that there was 2 ways that this was going to go down–either you volunteer or I’m calling your Mom. (He volunteered) Another boy acted like he didn’t want to do it, but he enjoyed being begged by the others (he did it). Another girl wanted to do it, but didn’t. (She got strep throat the night before the qualifying contest)–so, the first girl conned another girl that had NOT been practicing with the team into learning a part the night before. (She did it and did it well).
It isn’t any secret that I am a fan of getting kids to learn to talk in front of others. This contest does just that–in a quasi-group fashion. Six 8th-9th-or 10th graders perform the opening & closing FFA ceremonies. Enunciation, timing, gestures and voice quality are all key points of emphasis. Any public speaking event is easier to coach if the kids have experienced parents, older siblings, etc. Tradition is key. Duke has been around it. The others…not so much.
As these kids have worked in class, of evenings after football practice, Sunday afternoons and fall break mornings, I have been pleased with work ethic, willingness to learn, maturity, cooperation amongst the kids/athletic coaches/parents and the desire to get better. These kids have been thankful to Tammy for helping at some practices. Practices have been fun. The contests have been fun. The suburban rides have been fun. EVERY meal has been fun–Gusto’s, Eskimo Joe’s and the Smokey Pokey. As I stated earlier, these 6 are not a matched set. One of these boys and Duke got into a scrap at the end of last school year. No problems since. That deal has turned into one of those “good” fights that probably should happen more often in today’s society.
If you can’t tell by now, I am real proud of these kids–Shaelyn Longhofer, Duke Kelln, Damien Gibson, Gatlin Goodson, Korbyn Schick and Jolie Tucker. Even though they did not win today, they are winners. The official FFA dress nazi–(Tammy) had them loooking sharp. Skirts the right length and not too tight. Ties tied right. Proper shoes and jackets that fit. They performed exactly as they had been coached. I had no critiques with them today. And I’m a picky son-of-a-gun. They were good–real good. This deal will pay off for years to come.
Congrats to Fairview for winning. Continuing a huge tradition that will be tough to match.
And another small victory for tonight. I stepped out onto the carport this evening. Something moved. I thought it was a barn cat. I turned a light on and realized that I was straddling a decent size bull snake. Somebody should have been there to measure my vertical AND sideways leap. Of course, nobody needed to be there to record my language. Yes, the snake is still alive. I won’t kill a bull snake if I know it is a bull snake. I hate mice and rats worse than I hate bull snakes. Also, no skid marks in my shorts! Small victories.
