Items in this listserv:

HOT TOPICS - MUST KNOW:

• HOT, HOT, HOT - Dave Cain Photo Contest - THAT’s TOMORROW!

  • Click here to submit your photos by Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

  • Here are some good example photos.  

  • Click here for the rubric.  click here to view the 2023 winning photos.  

• HOT, HOT, HOT, SCORCHING - Reporter Award Applications - DUE TOMORROW, May 1, 2024

Each year the top ten chapter and section reporters in Illinois are selected and recognized by the Illinois AgriNews on stage at the State FFA Convention and invited to serve as part of the State Convention Farm Credit Newsroom. Click here for the Chapter Reporter Award application.

***  AGAIN THIS YEAR - ATTENTION Chapter/Section Reporters: 

The top 25 applicants for the Chapter and Section Reporter Award will have the opportunity to be a flag bearer in the First Opening session of the 96th Illinois FFA Convention on June 11, 2024.  

• HEADS UP - Second Semester Students added to the roster.  Just a reminder that if you have second-semester students who are not on your roster yet, please get them submitted.  They must be added to the roster no later than May 1 to be included in the final delegate count for the National FFA Convention.  If you added members for the second semester, please go to your FFA membership tab to make sure you do not have any added members who are still pending due to missing information in their profile.  If you do, please make those corrections and resubmit the members to the FFA roster by May 1.   If you have any questions, contact Tammy at tyard@illinoisffa.org.

•  NEW EVENT - Chapter Showcase

Chapter Showcase - Click here to sign up to bring your Chapter Showcase Display.  DUE MAY 1, 2024

• HOT, HOT, HOT - 2024 Spanish Creed Speaking LDE  - Please complete this intent DUE by Friday, May 3, 2024

•  96th Annual Illinois FFA Convention, June 11 - 13, 2024 

Applications for State FFA Convention

• State Convention Farm Credit Newsroom App DUE May 15, 2024

• State Convention Courtesy Corps Application DUE May 15, 2024

****NEW Information****

1. 2024 National FFA Scholarship Winners from Illinois FFA

2. 2024 State Degree and American FFA Degree - Approved Candidates

3. 2024 Illinois FFA State Officer Candidates

4. Calling ALL Delegates, they MUST be signed up by May 28, 2024

5. NEW THIS YEAR - Meals from the Heartland Volunteer Opportunity at the State FFA Convention

1. 2024 National FFA Scholarship Winners from Illinois FFA

WOW, Illinois FFA members earned over $172,000 in scholarships through their FFA journey.  CONGRATULATIONS to these Illinois FFA members. 

2. 2024 State Degree and American FFA Degree - Approved Candidates

• 2024 State Degree - Approved Candidates

• 2024 American FFA Degree - Approved Candidates

3. 2024 Illinois FFA State Officer Candidates

The 2024 Illinois FFA State Officer Selection Committee process took place on Saturday, April 27, 2024, many thanks go out to the members of our Selection Committee, they had a challenging job to do.  

We are pleased to announce our 2024 Illinois FFA State Officer Candidates click here to view the candidate resume’ folder and click here to view the candidate introduction video.   

****NEW THIS YEAR****

Please click here to view the Illinois FFA Officer Campaigning Guidelines and the press release that an FFA Chapter or Family of a candidate may use.  

FFA Chapters, advisors, family, or friends who wish to recognize their candidate in print or on social media may ONLY use the press release and social media required caption created by Illinois Association FFA. The press release or caption may be accompanied by one photo of the candidate or the official candidate announcement video that is released by the Illinois Association FFA. 

Here is the Social Media required caption:  

(Name) was selected as A 2024 Candidate for the 2024 - 2025 Illinois FFA Major State Officer Team.  (Name) is a member of the (Name of Chapter) FFA Chapter of the Illinois Association FFA.  (Name) is the (daughter or son) of (Names of Parent(s) from (Parent(s) Address(es).  (Name of Teacher/s) is the agriculture teacher and FFA Advisor at (Name of School).

Earning this distinction of being named one of the ten candidates now makes (Name) eligible to be elected one of the five Illinois FFA Major State Officer positions of President, Vice-President, Reporter, Secretary, or Treasurer at the 96th Annual Illinois FFA State Convention on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield, IL beginning at 8:00 a.m.  

4.  Calling ALL Delegates, they MUST be signed up by May 21, 2024

Delegates (up to 2 members from each chapter) need to attend a virtual business session on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at 3:30 p.m. 

AND of course the Business Session and Elections Session, Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 8:00 a.m.  Delegate registration must be completed by May 21, 2024, to reserve their free convention t-shirt for serving as a delegate.  NOTICE:  In order for your delegates to get the vouchers for the free t-shirt, ALL DELEGATES MUST be registered on May 21, 2024.  ALL delegates will be using their own electronic device for voting again this year, we WILL NOT have clickers for voting during elections.  

When will our Chapter Delegates get their delegate t-shirt? Each registered delegate will have a coupon in the convention registration packet to redeem at the FFA Alumni booth for their FREE Convention T-shirt.  Please have them get their convention shirts on Tuesday or early Wednesday to get the t-shirt size they want before they are sold out.  Alumni will be selling convention t-shirts and other merchandise again this year.  

5.  NEW THIS YEAR - Meals from the Heartland

In the beautiful words of Jack Johnson, you can; “Change the world, with your own two hands and make it a better place, with your own two hands.”

Please consider taking an hour and lending your hands to our 2024 Illinois FFA Service project with Meals from the Heartland.  

Illinois FFA is collaborating with Meals from the Heartland to package 200,000 meals for those in need.  Teachers, you may have noticed in State Convention Registration the opportunity to sign up for a shift to build meals.  We need 145 FFA members per one-hour shift.  Please consider taking an hour and lending your hands to our 2024 Illinois FFA Service project with Meals from the Heartland.  The building of the meals will be at the Wyndham Hotel, Rendezvous Room, 2nd Floor.  If you have any questions about registering, please email pdavis@illinoisffa.org.

Here are the shift options:  

• Tuesday, June 11th, 9:30 am - 10:30 am 

• Tuesday, June 11th, 10:30 am - 11:30 am 

• Tuesday, June 11th, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm 

• Tuesday, June 11th, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm 

• Tuesday, June 11th, 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm 

• Wednesday, June 12th, 10:30 am – 11:30 am 

• Wednesday, June 12th, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm 

• Wednesday, June 12th, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

• Wednesday, June 12th, 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm 

**** PREVIOUS Information Shared - WORTH Sharing Again****

• CLICK HERE to view

• 2024 State FFA Convention Tentative Agenda

• State FFA Convention - Wyndham Room Block

• 2023-24 CDE/LDE Calendar Updated 4-11-24

• C.A.R.E. Form in AET Instructions

• 2024 IAVAT Conference - All Teachers Please Read Before Starting to Register including Pre-Service, First Year Teachers, GAST Intern, Ag Ed Student/Intern.

*Please NOTE that clicking on Dates & Deadlines will take you to the www.ilaged.org calendar.  

• May 1, 2024 - State Ag Business Management CDE, District Sites TBA

• May 1, 2024 - WLC Final payment DUE

• May 1, 2024 - Dave Cain Photography Contest Entries DUE

• May 1, 2024 - St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Waitlist Registration DUE

• May 2, 2024 - State Ag Mechanics CDE, Parliamentary Procedure, and Conduct of Chapter Meetings, Illinois Central College, East Peoria Campus, 1 College Dr, East Peoria, IL 61635

• May 8, 2024 - St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Tickets Registration CLOSES at 5:00 p.m.

• May 10, 2024 - ICAE Meeting

• May 15, 2024 - Virtual IAVAT Board Meeting, 3:30-5:00 p.m.

• May 15, 2024 - District Job Interview, District Public Speaking & Greenhand Quizbowl Section Results DUE

• May 15, 2024 - State Convention Farm Credit Newsroom Application DUE 

• May 15, 2024 - State Convention Courtesy Corps Application DUE 

• May 21, 2024 - State FFA Convention Registration ENDS

• May 21, 2024 - Virtual FFA Board Meeting, 3:30-5:00 p.m.

• May 22, 2024 - FY25 Section Fair Contracts MANDATORY DUE

• May 24, 2024 - IL FFA Center Closing at 2:30 p.m. for Memorial Day Holiday

• May 27, 2024 - IL FFA Center Closed for Memorial Day Holiday

• May 28, 2024 - Delegate MANDATORY Registration DUE on Google Form

• May 28, 2024 - State Ag Issues CDE Mandatory Registration ENDS & Materials DUE

• May 28, 2024 - Job Interview & Public Speaking Materials DUE

• May 28-29, 2024 - State FFA Officer Meeting, IL FFA Center, Springfield

• May 29, 2024 - IL FFA Convention Business Session, Virtual

• June 1, 2024 - IL FFA Leadership Camp Registration ENDS

• June 7, 2024 - Ag Communications Mandatory Registration & Materials DUE to Lincoln Land Community College

• June 10, 2024 - Ag Communications & Ag Issues, Lincoln Land Community College, 5250 Shepherd Rd, Springfield, IL 62703

• June 11-13, 2024 - State FFA Convention, BOS Center, Springfield, IL

• June 11, 2024 - Job Interview & Public Speaking LDEs at State FFA Convention

• June 12, 2024 - Greenhand Quizbowl, State FFA Convention

• June 13, 2024 - IL FFA Alumni & Supporters Raffle Drawing, 1:00 p.m.

• June 13-14, 2024 - State FFA Officer Meeting, IL FFA Center, Springfield

• June 18, 2024 - IAVAT Board & Section Chairs Meeting, SIU-Carbondale

• June 19-21, 2024 - IAVAT Conference, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

• June 23-30, 2024 - IL FFA WLC Trip, Washington, D.C.

• July 3, 2024 - IL FFA Center Closing at 12:30 p.m. for Holiday

• July 4, 2024 - IL FFA Center Closed for 4th of July

• July 8-12, 2024 - State Officer Meeting

• July 8, 2024 - IL FFA Leadership Camp Health Profiles & Signed Obstacle Course Forms are DUE for each camper.

• July 17, 2024 - Arrive Late/Leave Early IL FFA Leadership Camp Form DUE

• July 22-25, 2024 -  IL FFA Leadership Camp, Allerton Park, 4-H Camp, Monticello

• July 29, 2024 - ELS (New Teacher) Conference, 1701 Towanda Ave, Bloomington, IL 61701

• July 30-31, 2024 - Beginning Ag Teacher Conference, Heartland Community College, 1500 W Raab Rd, Normal, IL 61761

• August 8, 2024 - IL State Fair Parade, Springfield, IL

• August 9-18, 2024 - Illinois State Fair, Springfield, IL

• August 9, 2024 - Ag Day at the Illinois State Fair

• August 23-September 2, 2024 - DuQuoin State Fair, DuQuoin, IL

• August 23, 2024 - DuQuoin State Fair Parade

• August 26, 2024 - DuQuoin Farm Follies, DuQuoin State Fair, DuQuoin, IL 

• August 30, 2024 - IL FFA Center Closes at 2:30 p.m. for the Holiday

• September 2, 2024 - IL FFA Center CLOSED for Holiday

• September 3, 2024 - District I Star Conference, Black Hawk College East Campus, 26230 Black Hawk Rd, Galva, IL 61434

• September 4, 2o24 - District II Star Conference, Joliet Junior College, Main Campus, U Building, 1215 Houbolt Rd, Joliet, IL 60431

• September 5, 2024 - District IV Star Conference, Lake Land College, 5001 Lake Land Blvd, Mattoon, IL 61938

• September 10, 2024 - District V Star Conference, Southern Illinois University, 1263 Lincoln Dr, Carbondale, IL 62901

• September 10, 2024 - District V Greenhand Conference & COLT, Southern Illinois University, 1263 Lincoln Dr, Carbondale, IL 62901

• September 11, 2024 - WIU Greenhand Conference, Western Illinois University, 1 University Cir, Macomb, IL 61455

• September 12, 2024 - District II Star Conference, John Wood Comm College; John Wood Community College, 37803 St Hwy 104, Baylis, IL 62314 

• September 13, 2024 - Special Accommodation Form DUE for State Forestry CDE

• September 14, 2024 - Early Bird Registration ENDS for State Forestry CDE

• September 20, 2024 - Elite Conference

• September 28, 2024 - State Forestry CDE, SIU College of Agricultural Sciences, 1205 Lincoln Dr, Carbondale, IL 62901