Minarets has many opportunities for young leaders to step up and hold an office during their high school years. Clubs here are ran by students, with structured elections every year. The Future Farmers of America- the FFA- is one of the largest and organizations here at Minarets, consistently participating in regional, state, and national competitions and conventions. This is made possible by the wonderful young professionals who step forward to take on leadership positions in the FFA. The elections that determine next year's leaders are rapidly approaching, and it is important to understand how these leaders are elected. Many don’t know the intense process these students go through to become our next leaders.
First, the student fills out an application form and is slotted into interview positions. This application form includes questions that determine which officer position they think would best suit them, their qualifications, the FFA activities they participate in, and their goals for the chapter. Once this is completed, the student must create a 30-second speech that will be shown in every AG-class that tells their peers why they are the best candidate for the position. Computers are set up as polling stations in an AG-classroom, where students can vote on a google form. After these votes are cast, the teachers look over the results and decide who will hold each officer position. The future officers are given their official positions at the Spring FFA Banquet, which will be held on May 28 this year. Once these results are in, the students move onward into the next year to serve on their respective committees and complete their duties, until they pass on the torch at the next Spring Banquet to another worthy student.
These students serve as role models and allow business to be conducted during monthly FFA meetings. These officers participate in an officer retreat during the summer after they are elected, to learn their team dynamic, and plan the theme for the upcoming year. Following this, they go to the San Joaquin Region Officer Bootcamp, and meet the officers from the whole region, building their teamwork and communication skills. They share these skills and decisions they came to with the Executive leadership team before the Fresno State Ag Fest. Throughout the year, the officers serve on one of four committee groups: student relations, public relations, fundraising, and community service. On top of this, they are placed in an AG-leadership class, taught by Ms. Sweet, where they plan out events.
Officer positions are just one of many opportunities for the development of premier student leadership within the FFA. Having these student leaders is important to Minarets because it gives the student body a voice, and allows these students to have a glimpse of real-world responsibilities, and how they can positively impact their community. Minarets focuses on real-world applications of skills and giving students the opportunity to be young professionals. FFA officers demonstrate these Minarets values and are integral parts of our community.