Hard Work Can Go A Long Way

Often times we are told that hard work can get us anything we desire. We are told that with "elbow grease" and some persistent attitude the world is putty in our hands. We hear it over and over and over again, until it slips in the back of our minds, only to be thought of when the going gets tougher than we expected. It is cliché to think that our hard work is what makes us successful. There is merit in the value that is hard work, and I am honored to be a part of an organization such as the FFA that exemplifies what can happen when we work hard.

The FFA is made up of so much more than just "farm kids." While attending the state FFA convention, I like to watch the CDE and SAE Pageants that recognize individuals who displayed hard work and skill in their field. The winners are not just those of us who live on farms; they are everyday people who learned to work hard and because of their efforts, they excel.  We should all strive to be more like those members. They have all taken the value of hard work very seriously.

Hard work is taken further yet even outside of FFA. We should all strive to apply it to our everyday lives. Whether it be schoolwork or sports, our jobs or our relationships, we can see all of those things flourish with some hard work. One of my favorite sayings heard often in the FFA is "the world needs what the FFA has." By working hard, even when our job may be less than desirable, or our homework is making us pull our hair out, we reveal a lot about our character. The world needs citizens with character and moral fiber, and hard work can help shape us all into those people.

As all of our semesters come to a close, I hope this motivates some of you who are struggling to get across the finish line. I know I am feeling the lag after coming off of Thanksgiving Break. I wish you all best of luck on finals. A reminder that NCD Dodgeball is coming up quickly on Dec. 2!!! Be sure to attend with your chapters! With a little hard work, your chapter could become the NCD Dodgeball Champions.

 -Garrett Craig
NCD Vice President

Give Thanks

I hope everyone had a wonderful Veteran's Day weekend. It is truly amazing the country we live in. The people that gave their lives for us, so we can wake up every morning and live our lives to the fullest. In case you have not already, take a moment to thank the people who have served for our country. I stopped by to see my 91 year old grandpa and spent some time with him on Saturday to show my thanks. My school held a ceremony last Friday for the veterans around our county to honor everything they have done for us. Our FFA chapter was asked to wear official dress and be escorts for the veterans. It was such an honor to have a part in the ceremony and be able to show our thanks for our local veterans.

Thanksgiving is coming up next week and I can't wait! This is always one of my favorite times of the year because I get to see family on both sides of my family. I want to wish everyone safe travels to wherever they are going, and enjoy a week with family. Remember to be thankful for the life you get to live. Be thankful for your family and friends. Lastly, be thankful for the wonderful organization we get to be a part of.

Also a couple reminders for all FFA members: NCD dodgeball will be held on December 2nd in Beloit, so start organizing your teams! There are flyers that will soon be sent out to all of the advisors. Also, be sure to represent your district, by ordering a t-shirt. These order forms are being sent out.      

      NCD Treasurer

                -Lauren Simmons

The Best Things in Life Aren't Things

The Best Things in Life Aren't Things
This is a quote that was written on the wall above my bed when I lived out on the farm. As a kid growing up you constantly want everything. You want toys, candy, money, and anything any of your best friends own. As a little kid growing up I wanted all these things, but this quote looked at me every night before bed, and every morning when I woke up. It became engraved in my head at first, but now is engraved in my life.

You don't start applying principles like this in your life until you understand what they truly mean. This quote isn't difficult in finding its meaning, but it can take time to a adapt it into your life. In high school everyone constantly says, "It's the best time to make memories!" or people ask you, "What was your funniest high school memory?" Most of the time you have two different people. Those who go out every weekend "Making Memories" and those who stay in all weekend. I am an even mixture of both. I like to go hang out with friends and do simple things, but I also really cherish the short time I have left living with my family.

Family is where this quote comes into play. In two years I will be moved out. I won't get to wake up every morning to my mom yelling at us to get out of bed, my brothers fighting, and almost being late every day. Although these are the things that some days make me say, "I can't wait to move out." they are also the things that make me say, "I don't ever want to move out." This is exactly what I mean when I say the best things in life aren't things. It is the memories you make and the love in your life. The moments that you remember forever aren't going to be made by buying the brand new iPhone X, they're going to be made spending time with the people you love.

College honestly scares me. I don't know how living on my own is going to go, but I know everyday of my life will be an adventure. Those adventures will always mean more to me then an item I buy ever will.

Cherish your loved ones! They will make your life unforgettable! And always remember, The Best Things in Life Aren't Things.

~Breezy
2017-18 NCD Reporter

Breathe

Sunday, October 22, 2017 marks the day of my senior pictures. As a member of the graduating class of 2018, I indulged in the tradition of capturing the peak of my years in high school with a typical photo-shoot which took a majority of my afternoon. If some of you are like me, you may question the need for an extensive amount of time, money, and preparation for an album that will serve you for about a year, maybe two, before it is filed away until a later date where you might find yourself reminiscing on the floor of your new apartment while eating ice cream straight out of the carton with a wooden cooking spoon because you’re and adult and can do that now. For others, my mother included, the task of senior pictures creates a certain level of finality. By this I simply mean that our parents started capturing moments of our lives with outrageously embarrassing photos of us as naked toddlers and now they get to flaunt how well their children grew up and can finally dress themselves and not have to undergo the sometimes ridiculous event of bath-time with uncontrollable kids. 

Despite my slight dislike of photo-shoots, I found myself enjoying moments of my senior picture session. My photographer, a close family friend, asked me questions about my life that even I hadn’t thought about yet. As a senior, the questions about the next step in our lives seem endless. Where are you going to college? What are you majoring in? How many scholarships have you applied for? Are you going to move back home when you graduate? Most of the time, I find that I answer these questions with “probably’s,” “maybe’s,” and “that’s the plan anyway.” The fact simple fact: I don’t know. Yes I have applied for college, yes I am applying for scholarships, yes I have a major, but all of these things could change in an instant. Much like the college classes I am taking now, due dates could be changed at a moment’s notice, plans might have to be rethought, and our futures ever changing.

 Recently celebrating turning 18, yet another “senior perk”, the only gift I asked for was an Apple watch. Some of you might groan and ask the relevance of this gift (which I questioned after Apple released the new technology). However, the watch had a surprising feature that I have come to love and rely on. Every night, without fail, the watch dings and buzzes on my arm with a simple reminder: Breathe. This notification takes me through steps of releasing the stresses of the day, week, or month and allows me to focus on the more important aspects of life instead of stressing out on yet another college assignment that randomly popped up on the assignment list. If we all could just keep this little reminder in the back of our heads during the day, we might just find ourselves being a little less stressed and living a (semi) picture perfect life. 

Still breathing,

Scuyler Zenger

NCD President

Lauren Simmons NCD FFA

Pike Valley Greenhands

Clay Center Greenhands

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is having a great year! I can't believe it is already October. I am certainly ready for the fall weather. Greenhand Conference was held on Wednesday, September 20th. I think the whole officer team thought it went great. I hope everyone had a fun time. The turn out was amazing. Congratulations to all the Greenhands on their information test. You guys did amazing! The pictures posted are my chapter buddies for the year.

Fall CDE's are already starting. Be sure to participate. You never know if you will like something until you try. My Greenhand workshop was pushing kids to step out of their comfort zones and try new things. I want to encourage everyone to try something new this year. I hope everyone continues to have a great year! Enjoy every step of the way, because before you know it, it will be over. 

Rock Hills Greenhands

Our next district wide event will be district dodgeball this December. The NCD officer team looks forward to seeing you there!                               -Lauren Simmons 

Solomon Greenhands

Riley County Greenhands

Life Flies by When You're Having Fun

Hey guys!

Hope your school year is off to a super start! Mine has definitely been a blast, but junior year has hit me like a brick wall. All the sports seasons are in full swing and every class has already had one or two tests. I've already had late night study sessions and spent time memorizing speeches for college classes, but nothing is better then spending those free weekends with your friends. Most schools have already had homecoming and the school year is already an 1/8 of the year over. Let me say that again. The school year is already an 1/8 of the year over. My junior year is already 1/8 of the year over!

Everything that I have talked about has one thing in common. Time. There's some cool things about time.
"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back." ~Harvey Mackay

As we continue on in our school year we learn that our lives are never slowing down. Junior year is said to be the hardest by many people. I definitely agree, but it seems to be going the fastest out of my high school years so far. There can be only one cause to this. I'm having so much fun in my life! I've learned so much in this short time of the school year! Since I've started taking college classes I've learned that my future is coming so fast and there's more important things to be stressed about rather than the 2 questions I didn't answer on my Physics homework.

In the rest of my school year there will be so many things that happen. There will be trips to state in sporting events, relief from acing tests, fun times at dances, ACT tests to take, and memories to be made the whole year. There will be a lot of stress, tears, and smiles in the mix but it will all happen so fast. I'm so blessed that I have found my passion in my life. I've found what makes me smile and what makes the bad times turn back into good times so quickly. I've found what makes my heart beat and I've met friends along the way that share my passion. This is what makes my life fly by so fast.

It doesn't matter if you're 14 years old or 64 years old and you're reading this. If you haven't found your passion in life it's not too late! Don't waste any more of your time doing something you don't love! Don't pursue that high money making job if it's not putting a smile on your face! Yes, doing what I love makes life fly by, but my life is flying higher than it ever has before! Do what you love, not what you think you're supposed to do!

Go fly high!


~Breezy Schroeder 2017-18 NCD Reporter

Scuyler Zenger 2017-2018 District President

Here we go again, another four-hour drive from my house to my grandparents. It wasn’t the fact that I didn’t want to go see my grandma and grandpa because I love them with my life. It was simply the fact that seven-year-old me could not STAND being in a car that long, so I sat the whole way there. Have you ever tried to entertain a hyper child who would ask every 10 minutes if we were there yet, high on the idea of getting to see his grandparents for the first time in about five months? It’s impossible because let’s be real, grandma’s cooking? Nothing could beat that. If you asked my parents how they dealt with the issue of me for so long they would probably answer that they didn’t because not only was I hyper-active, but I was also terrified of the car-wash my parents ALWAYS went through on the way from Washington to Oakley, Kansas.

Now, I find something enjoyable about a nice two to four-hour drive. It gives me time to just watch a nice movie, talk to people on my phone, or catch up on some much-needed Z’s because Lord knows I don’t get enough as it is. It’s a time when I don’t have to worry about schoolwork, housework, or work-work.

The evolution I undertook, called “aging,” is one that we all go through eventually but with varying levels of results. Others might still be hyper-active during long drives, but for myself, I’ve learned to just sit back and enjoy the ride. I feel the same concept can be made for FFA. Some approach it with such high energy and accomplish things in the first five-minutes of the year while others do so in a more managed time-frame.

The giddiness I had as a kid still reappears from time to time. Whether it’s right before a football or basketball game, as I walk into the cattle show, or as I’m getting ready to present a workshop I feel just like a kid again. Luckily for me, I have found my element. I have found that working with my show heifers, long sports practices, or rehearsing a workshop to perfection are all things that I enjoy and hope will contribute some life-long lessons I can take with me as I journey through the maze that’s called “LIFE.”

As your North Central District President, I solemnly promise to meet every day with a renewed dedication to the reason I serve you, the members. I swear my loyalty to you. FFA has so much to offer. Let it be your masterpiece. Shape it, mold it, frame it to your desires. Get as excited about anything you’re passionate about just like seven-year-old me got about seeing his grandparents because before you know it, your high school years are over, you’ve attained your American Degree, and you can no longer compete in CDE’s. So, while you’re still here, still young, live your life, learn new experiences, do something great, and live to serve others.

Learning to Do,

Doing to Learn,

Earning to Live,

Living to Serve.

Scuyler Zenger

North Central District President.