The Beef Checkoff presents: FFA Career Development Event: Telling the Beef Story Contest Toolkit Resources and tools to engage in the growth and development of the beef ca le community. Revision date: 5/16/12
TELLING THE BEEF STORY FFA CDE TOOLKIT CONTENTS AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOU LL FIND IN THIS RESOURCE FFA Telling the Beef Story CDE overview and objec ves Volunteer roles and responsibili es List of required materials Links to templates for all required materials including: Official rules & scorecards Tabula on spreadsheet Marke ng materials Budget worksheet Other forms and resources Step by step outline of what tasks should be completed before, during and a er the event Sugges ons for event evalua on process Start planning early! Students will need plenty of me to plan and prepare their speeches! Revision date: 5/16/12 2
WHY HOST A TELLING THE BEEF STORY CDE? WHAT S IN IT FOR YOU AND HOW MUCH OF AN INVESTMENT IS NEEDED? What s in it for Ca lewomen to host a Telling the Beef Story CDE? Support FFA students who love agriculture and the beef community! Engage Ca lewomen who are passionate about beef educa on and promo ng youth development in a fun event. Grow your membership base by marke ng local Ca lewomen membership to female CDE par cipants! To host a CDE, plan for the following meframes and volunteers: Total me: Approximately 40 hours Prep me: 20 30 hours Actual event me: 4 8 hours Follow up me: 4 8 hours Volunteers needed: Contest Chair Main point of contact and event project manager Contest Assistant assists Chair during planning and execu on of event Manuscript Judge judges speech manuscripts prior to event Accuracy Judge par cipates at event Timekeeper par cipates at event Speech Judges (no more than 3) par cipates at event Door monitor par cipates at event to control interrup ons General Contest Helpers (1 2) par cipates at event and supports chair as needed *See CDE Rules template for more informa on. A good rela onship with your state FFA staff is key! They will help to market the contest and ensure everything runs smoothly. Revision date: 5/16/12 3
TELLING THE BEEF STORY CDE PROGRAM OVERVIEW WHAT S THIS EVENT ALL ABOUT? The FFA organiza on currently offers 20+ categories of Career Development Events (CDEs) throughout the school year. Events range from public speaking, meat and wool judging, to marke ng plans and farm business management contests. Although FFA CDE programs offer such a wide variety of topics, there has not been a specific event focused on the rich and relevant Beef Story...un l recently! The first FFA Telling the Beef Story CDE was hosted in Arizona in December 2011 and a er this experience ANCW feels confident that there are vast opportuni es to expand the program to other states, with the support of our Ca lewomen volunteers! The Telling the Beef Story prepared speech CDE provides FFA students an opportunity to learn about beef and develop their professional presenta on skills. Events are held at a local, district and state level with winners taking home cash prizes and award plaques. (If we can get more than 18 states consistently hos ng a Telling the Beef Story CDE, it could become eligible for the na onal FFA CDE compeon.) Students who compete start out by researching a par cular beef topic (including current beef industry topic such as: Animal welfare, Marke ng, Beef Nutri on, Promo on, Animal Iden fica on, Interna onal trade, or Beef Ca le and the Environment). Then they write their speech and submit a manuscript which is judged for both content and composi on. Next, contestants deliver their five seven minute speech in front of a dis nguished panel of judges who rate them on accuracy, delivery and poise. The scores from the manuscript and live delivery are combined and the top scores indicate the winners. Review the Official CDE Rules template for more details (linked on the ANCW webpage). 2011 AZ WINNER Revision date: 5/16/12 4
TELLING THE BEEF STORY CDE PROGRAM OVERVIEW WHAT S THIS EVENT ALL ABOUT? This toolkit, funded by the beef checkoff, is designed to help Ca lewomen execute Telling the Beef Story CDEs within their own states. Funding for each CDE is the responsibility of the organiza on(s) who will host the event. Local Ca lewomen are needed to sponsor and conduct Telling the Beef Story CDE events across the U.S. to meet the following objec ves: Engage high school youth who are passionate about agriculture in ac vi es which support the promo on of beef. Provide opportuni es to help youth develop strong communica on and leadership skills. Ignite an interest in youth to pursue careers within the beef community. Revision date: 5/16/12 5
TELLING THE BEEF STORY CDE MATERIALS NEEDED CHECKLIST OF WHAT YOU LL NEED TO HOST THE EVENT Required Resources & Materials: State FFA staff liaison from your state s FFA organiza on Official contest budget* PR & Marke ng materials (printed, social media, and electronic)* CDE contest loca on with tables and chairs (generally arranged by FFA partners) Official CDE rules* Official CDE scorecards for all judges (samples included in CDE rules document) CDE tabula on and contestant informa on spreadsheet* Pencils for judges and contest helpers Calculators for each judge Name tags for judges and contest volunteers* Templates for all required Small gi of apprecia on for judges and key volunteers documents can be found on Electronic mer (with extra ba eries) the ANCW website Water and candy/snacks for judges Contestant numbers* Door sign: Quiet Please Judging in Progress W 9 Form (if winner(s) will receive cash prize in excess of $600) FFA Advisor evalua on forms* Winner informa on document* Le er of congratula ons for winners which includes addresses of where to send sponsor thank you cards Thank you cards Laptop with Excel to complete final score tabula ons or calculate by hand Op onal Materials: Over sized checks to present to winners at award ceremony Black sharpie to write winner s names on checks Par cipa on Agreement (signed by winner) *Template available online Use the provided templates! You can simply make a few changes to fit your state and you re good to go! Revision date: 5/16/12 6
TELLING THE BEEF STORY CDE GUIDE: PLANNING STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS Outline of what to do BEFORE contest: 1) Determine who from your Ca lewomen organiza on is interested in suppor ng a Telling the Beef Story CDE. 2) At least six months prior to proposed contest, host planning mee ng to map out strategy. Discuss the following: FFA contacts in state Poten al contest dates Roles and responsibili es Establishing contest chair and other roles Poten al fundraising opportuni es and sponsors/partners State Beef Council partnerships Contest prizes Contest marke ng and PR ideas Overall contest budget needs (see budget worksheet template) Schedule of commi ee mee ngs/calls needed to plan and prepare for CDE 3) Schedule and host mee ng with FFA contacts to flesh out contest date, loca on and marke ng. A. Gaining FFA buy in and support is the number one goal of this mee ng. You will provide an overview of what the contest will look like, the prizes available, the contest rules and other informa on you think will help them to see your vision. Although Ca lewomen will engage in marke ng and administra ve ac vi es of the CDE, FFA staff will be responsible for coordina ng the event with all FFA chapters in the state, they will gather all manuscripts, secure a contest loca on and more. Do you best to create a win/win rela onship during this first mee ng. B. Explore poten al CDE dates each FFA chapter will host local CDE events and will send their regional winners to the state CDE. At the state CDE several different contests will be occurring at the same me and the Telling the Beef Story speech contest will be one of contests. Note: Some states have several events throughout the school year while others may just have one. You can coordinate with your state s FFA staff to determine which event will work best for your contest and for the students in the event there are several state events. Most of your me will be spent in the planning phase of the project! By pu ng in a big investment of me at the beginning, you set yourself up for success! Revision date: 5/16/12 7
TELLING THE BEEF STORY CDE GUIDE: PLANNING STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS Outline of what to do BEFORE contest (con nued): 3) Con nued... C. Determine how many districts are in your state. This informa on will be needed to determine if a semi final will be needed prior to the final round or if you can move straight into the finals. If you have 25 contestants for example, this can make for a very long day and your contest rules will need to be adjusted accordingly. 4) Schedule and host mee ng with State Beef Council to explore contest cross promo onal opportuni es, funding opportuni es, judge ideas, and other poten al partnerships. 5) Finalize contest awards Consider cash prizes for top four winners. Grand prize winner could also receive a special added prize. For instance the winner of the Arizona CDE won a trip to the Annual Ca le Industry Conven on and gave her speech during the ANCW Membership mee ng. Note: If your winner will receive a trip, confirm with FFA if school board approval will be required for travel. 6) Source qualified CDE judges and establish communica on melines see official CDE rules template for more informa on. Once judges are confirmed, ask for a bio from each to be read during contest. Determine how the manuscript judge would like to receive copies of student s work (email or regular mail) and be sure to request that he/she create a list of poten al ques ons for each speech that the judges may use during speech delivery sec on of the contest. These ques ons should be based on the content of the speeches and will serve as invaluable tools for the speech judges. A best prac ce when planning and selec ng your contest judges is to include a few alterna ve judges. These individuals can be used in the event of illness, unexpected schedule conflicts, etc. 7) Establish PR and Marke ng plan Printed materials, social media messages, and more can be used to spread the word about your CDE. Be sure to explore who will distribute the materials and the dates in which the tasks will be completed. See marke ng templates for ideas. Be crea ve with your contest prizes and marke ng plan. Facebook, Twi er, YouTube and other social media pla orms can work well! Revision date: 5/16/12 8
TELLING THE BEEF STORY CDE GUIDE: PLANNING STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS Outline of what to do BEFORE contest (con nued): 8) At least 20 30 days prior to event, send speech manuscripts to manuscript judge and allow no more than two weeks to complete judging tasks and send results to contest chair. 9) Create tenta ve schedule for CDE contest day, including: A. Room set up B. Judge s orienta on C. Contestant orienta on and group photo D. Welcome and contest kick off E. Lunch plans (most o en contestants are on their own, but plan for judges and volunteers) F. Post contest mee ng: Score tabula ons with judges G. Provide contest results to FFA contact H. Awards ceremony & photos I. Post awards ceremony mee ng with winners 10) Schedule and host pre event mee ng with all volunteers. A. Timers discuss what signal will be provided to the contestants once their me is ending and how to document me of speeches. B. Helpers discuss their roles at the contest. Determine who will tabulate scores. C. Others as needed. 11) Remind everyone who will par cipate in event that the contestants are to be iden fied by their numbers only. No names, FFA district names, hometowns, etc. are to be used. Be crea ve with your contest prizes and marke ng plan. Facebook, Twi er, YouTube and other social media pla orms can work well! Revision date: 5/16/12 9
TELLING THE BEEF STORY CDE GUIDE: CONDUCTING THE EVENT STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS Outline of what to do DURING contest 1) Locate contest room and FFA contact to confirm plans for day. Request FFA contact help with the distribu on of the FFA advisor evalua on forms for those who will not be a ending the actual event. 2) Set up room, locate closest bathroom, and confirm assignments with all volunteers. 3) Welcome judges and conduct orienta on. Review score sheets carefully and expecta ons for wri ng comments for each contestant to help them improve their skills. Provide judge s gi s. 4) Host contestant orienta on and take group photo. Review expecta ons for conduct, remind them that judges will ask ques ons, reinforce speech meframes and warning signals that will be given, and set agenda for day. An cipate the following ques ons: Q Will I get a cue when my me is almost up? Q What happens when my me is up? Do I have to stop if I m not finished? Q Will I get comments from the judges? Q How many ques ons will be asked of each contestant? Q Where is the bathroom? Q Do I have to stay in the room during all contestant speeches? Q Is it ok if I use note cards? 5) Welcome all guests and kick off contest. Remind everyone to turn off phones. 6) Pass out FFA advisor evalua on forms to those who are present and ask they complete them at the end of the event. 7) Conduct post event mee ng with judges and tabulate scores. 8) Write winner s names on award documents. (Checks can be provided that day or a le er of congratula ons which indicates checks will be mailed). Check in with judges at regular intervals throughout the day to see if they have ques ons or need anything. Revision date: 5/16/12 10
TELLING THE BEEF STORY CDE GUIDE: CONDUCTING THE EVENT STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS Outline of what to do DURING contest (con nued) 9) Provide scores/winners to FFA contact. Determine if you will be passing the judge s comment cards to the students or if the FFA contact will take care of the task. 10) Present awards to winners. Be sure to let them know you will need to meet with them following the ceremony for approximately 15 minutes. 11) Conduct post award ceremony mee ng with winners. Have them complete winner profile forms and W 9 forms (if appropriate). Make a special request for each winner to help with PR by sharing your official press release with their local media. 12) Celebrate a successful contest and thank all volunteers. Revision date: 5/16/12 11
TELLING THE BEEF STORY CDE GUIDE: AFTER THE EVENT STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS Outline of what to do AFTER contest 1) Complete an ANCW ac vity report. Share your best prac ces and include: Number of contestants Total number of volunteer hours contributed by Ca lewomen volunteers Pictures 2) Send press releases to local and state media and the beef community. 3) Send thank you notes to all volunteers, judges, FFA supporters, and sponsors. 4) Determine appearance opportuni es for grand prize winner. Do you have an upcoming Ca lewomen mee ng in which their speech can be shared? Are there other upcoming events that could be considered? 5) Pay invoice from FFA upon receipt. 6) Review FFA advisor evalua on forms, summarize results and iden fy did wells and next mes. 7) Begin planning next year s event. Send pictures of your event to the ANCW office so they can be shared with all Ca lewomen online and in upcoming newsle ers. Revision date: 5/16/12 12
CDE EVALUATIONS GATHERING FEEDBACK TO IDENTIFY DID WELLS AND NEXT TIMES Gathering feedback a er a CDE is conducted will provide valuable informa on that will help you to know what went well, what had the most impact and what you can consider changing for future events. Collect feedback at the event to increase the number of evalua ons you collect. If this is not possible, send evalua ons out as soon as possible a er the event. If a survey monkey report is desired, please contact ANCW headquarters for assistance. Use the FFA Advisor Evalua on form to collect feedback. (linked online) It s also a best prac ce to host a CDE commi ee post event mee ng to discuss thoughts about the event and to review the FFA advisor survey results. Host this mee ng no more than 30 days a er the event, while the experience is s ll fresh. Be sure to iden fy specific did wells and next mes. It can be easy to only focus on what you d do differently, so be sure to celebrate what went par cularly well first! Revision date: 5/16/12 13
TELLING THE BEEF STORY CDE APPENDIX OTHER USEFUL S AND TOOLS Materials acknowledgements: Special thanks to Suzanne Menges ANCW s Animal Well being chair for championing the first ever Telling the Beef Story CDE event in her home state of Arizona. Contact Suzanne at (928) 961 0915 or bf4dnnr@yahoo.com for ques ons, advice, or assistance. Addi onal assistance can be provided by Sarah J. Bohnenkamp ANCW Program Manager at (303) 850 3440 or sbohnenkamp@ancw.org. To learn more about FFA Career Development Events visit: www.ffa.org/programs/awards/ cde/pages/default.aspx Frequently Asked Ques ons Ques on: How are qualified judges located? Answer: State beef councils, Ca le Growers or Feeders Associa ons, 4H leaders, College Ag professors, Breed associa ons, etc. Ques on: When making the schedule, how much me should be allo ed for each speech? Answer: About 15 minutes. This means you d need three hours for 12 speakers to make their presenta ons and be judged. Ques on: Can a partnership be made with 4H instead of FFA? Answer: In order to reach the goal of crea ng a na onal beef promo on speaking contest, we ask state affiliates to partner with FFA exclusively for this contest. As the largest student gathering in America, the annual na onal FFA CDE contest will be an excellent venue for students to present their speeches once we reach the 18 state goal! Ask Ca lewomen to market the event on their personal Facebook and Twi er pages to help spread the word. Revision date: 5/16/12 14