Members took part in an agricultural advocacy workshop led by Wisconsin Section 6 Vice President Abel Kooima.
For Wisconsin FFA members, fall doesn’t just mean leaves turning colors and frosty mornings; it also means it’s time for Fall Leadership Workshops (FLW). These are held to provide training and skill development to members and also allow the state officer team to experience each other’s hometowns and chapters.
This year, the state officers taught members how to go “all in” to teach members that the best way to get the most out of an experience is to make the most out of every opportunity. FLWs are hosted by the Wisconsin FFA Officer Team, who spend about three weeks traveling to teach workshops to local members. FLWs are hosted in the hometowns of the 10 sectional state officers, and Glenwood City, the home of Vice President Amalia Draxler, got the honor of hosting the Section 2 workshop.
Glenwood City FFA members not only had fun attending the workshop but they were also crucial in the behind-the-scenes preparations it took for the night to run smoothly. Members spent time putting together programs, preparing food and ensuring the usage of school spaces. Members also decided they wanted to give the state officer team a surprise, so Glenwood City FFA members ran outside, yelling, with homemade posters and asking for autographs to welcome the facilitators of the workshop.
Glenwood City FFA members put together program books before the Wisconsin Section 2 Fall Leadership Workshop.
Members’ time at FLW is split into five parts: an opening, three workshops and a closing session. Members were welcomed into the opening session with line dancing, a skit of the state officers preparing for the Olympics, and a rundown of the night’s events before workshops began. Members were split off by officer positions, each going to the state officer holding the same position to refine skills to bring back home. Along with this was a session for general middle and high school students to learn more about how they can get involved in their home chapters.
Members were scrambled for two more sessions, learning about ways to get involved and develop the skills of members. They were then moved to the closing session to end the night. Members heard a speech by Wisconsin FFA President Jessey Thompson about how “your clock expands” when you fill your life with experiences of value. A second speech by Vice President Amalia Draxler followed, with her thoughts on a question presented to her as a state officer candidate, “Does FFA create winners or losers?” — the answer to which Draxler found was that FFA gives members tools to grow.
The work for the state officer team doesn’t end once people head home, and spaces are cleaned up. While eating dinner with the hosting chapter, the state officer team reviewed performance evaluations filled out by every attendee. They discussed ways to improve, how to take criticism from members, and how to strengthen workshops.
The impact of the Wisconsin officer teams is always shown in their work, but FLWs are a special way Wisconsin goes “all in” to build leaders, connect with members and educate them.
