Revising Resolutions

It is 11:59 on December 31st. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. In the moment that the clock strikes twelve and calendars turn over, people across the world magically become "new." NEW YEAR NEW ME is something I often find plastered around social media. This year, "2018 is gonna be my year" was extremely popular.  A new year means new beginnings. We often look with anticipation upon the blank slate that is the year ahead. It presents a fresh start much needed by struggling people or an opportunity to reach the horizons that could not be touched in years past. The new year is a time to dream about what we someday want to become, and what we are going to do about it. A time to make resolutions.

It is lunchtime on January 8th. All. You. Can. Eat. Buffet. Need I say more? The fascination with the new year has faded after eight short days and the urge to lose weight or maybe eat healthier is crushed when you walk in the door of your favorite restaurant. Where is the motivation that was strong in December? As we progress into the new year our dreams require an action, it is no longer acceptable in our minds to just think about what they will be. People either want to accomplish them or quit, putting them back into the dream file. When the results are not immediate and the reality of the resolution sets in, many a time they go out the window until December 31st. This doesn't always have to be the case though. With some revising and encouragement, you can achieve your goals or at least part of them.

If you fall a little bit on the weak side of your resolution, don't sweat it. Lack of instant achievement is not the equivalent to failure. Having realistic expectations and a doable plan of action can make following through on your new year's resolutions much easier. Most importantly, I believe that by not giving up personally and setting yourself up with a great support group, you can accomplish those things that you have been waiting to do for so long. And then. Then you can set your sights on some different horizons, knowing that you drew a great picture on the slate of 2018.

I wish good luck to those starting school again and hope that everyone can follow through on their new year's resolutions!

My best,

Garrett Craig
NCD Vice President

'Tis the Season

As the end of the semester winds down, I find myself frantically struggling to get projects in on time, finish homework assignments, and study for finals in both high school and college classes that I have been studying for the past few months. This amount of stress, as is typical, brings on certain mood swings and without doubt a touch of sass and short tempers. While I attempt to rein most of my emotions in, I find myself letting slip a snide comment here or a sarcastic reply there. This just makes me wonder, why is finals week RIGHT before Christmas season? Maybe it’s to test our true character and bring out our true selves in ways that otherwise would remain hidden.

Just recently, my family went and picked out the PERFECT Christmas tree. This tree was exactly six feet tall and was just destined to stand in our living room for the holiday season. Now, the art of Christmas tree shopping is something my family has kind of perfected over the years. We pull up at the Christmas Tree farm, hop out, divide and conquer. All five of us, my dad, my mom, Jacki, Shai, and I, spreading throughout the area, weaving between trees big and small, full and thin. It takes less than 10 minutes before all of us are shouting that we have found the perfect tree. Which then turns into a tree parade as we all exhibit our chosen tree to the others until we have a general consensus of who picked the perfect tree. Once the tree is bought, it is instantly installed in our house and Christmas proceeds to spread its cheer. All. Over. It.

 By “cheer” I mean an assortment of ornaments. Ranging from hand-made ornaments from kindergarten, to hallowed ornaments from my parents past, to the epic moving ornaments that are plugged into the lights. Oh, and you can’t forget the lights of varying colors and brightness. And to top it all off, a star at the very top. Decorating the tree has always been a family affair (although getting it to stand by itself always has dad in a particular “festive” mood…). Even with everyone’s busy schedules, varying amounts of homework and responsibilities, never-ending house chores, and livestock that need to be cared for, the Zenger household always has a block of time for the annual Family Tree Decorating.

With the festive cheer increasing by the second, and Christmas creeping closer every day, Let us not forget who we are and where we come from. Schedule a family get-together

instead of business trips. Schedule a vacation instead of a meeting. Make cookies instead of plans. Buy gifts for others instead of nonsense items for yourself.

Above all, care for others as much as you care for yourself.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Scuyler Zenger

NCD President 

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