Starting an FFA Alumni Affiliate

10 Steps to Organize an FFA Alumni Affiliate at your School

1. After you have secured an alumni chartering notebook have your Support Groups Committee or interested students meet with 2-3 community members.
2. Appoint a temporary chairperson.
3. Discuss with your teacher what assistance you need. Coaches, land, equipment, money, etc.
4. Develop a tentative constitution and by-laws (samples are in the chartering notebook).
5. Set a date for an organizational meeting and go ask for members and tell them why you need them to join.
6. Make a list of potential members each will contact. Include farmers, business leaders, parents, Administration, Advisory committee members, etc.
7. Put an article on the alumni in the school and local papers.
8. Invite a state council member - list is here on the web under alumni council or in the chartering notebook.
9. Organizational meeting should start with need and purpose. Have FFA members participate. Define membership eligibility..
10. Have your alumni work side by side with students to support and serve the program and community.

Chartering a FFA Alumni Chapter

1. You need a minimum of 10 members.
2. You need to fill out an application form.
3. You need to have a constitution.
4. You need to have by-laws.
5. You need to pay dues - $15 annual or $150 lifetime.
6. You need to know the national membership year is from Sept.- Aug., but you receive a full year of membership benefits whenever you join.
7. The alumni encourages you to do the activities your community needs.
8. The alumni encourages you to support your FFA members and chapter as needed.

Your mission is to provide a structure that will mobilize and empower your community to support and assist agriculture education programs.

An Action Plan

At the organizational meeting -

• Discuss procedure for chartering a local affiliate.
• Have temporary chair person ask for a motion to form an affiliate.
• When the motion passes have the local FFA advisor take over the meeting for the election of President.
• The President then takes over the meeting to conduct the election of Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, etc
• Review the suggested FFA Alumni by laws, constitution and application.
• A motion to accept the constitution and by laws is then in order.
• Establish local dues (if any).
• Have standing committees for your activities, such as: membership, finance, transportation, judging, award selection, legislation (advocacy), etc. Select other committees as needed.
• Review list of potential members not in attendance and divide the responsibility of contacting each prospect.
• Set a time to have members join.  Many affiliates allow one month, the shorter the time, the better.

 

 

 

 

 

Special notes:

Have all members pay dues immediately following the meeting.  This will insure they will be charter members.

Have Secretary assist the advisor in filling out the application. Complete roster with each members information.

Have Treasurer check with the bank on local policy for non-profit status.  Have two signatures for check signature.

If a new member is currently a member of another affiliate and would like to transfer to the new affiliate, please include all information and make a note of the pending transfer.

Publicity of the meeting should go to all media sources.  Publicize all activities.

Executive Secretary, Lexie Poulson