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Spring
Convention
Procedures
The following procedures will be effective at this year’s annual Convention:
- Convention schedule. All student contests, student and chapter awards competitions, officer elections and the Annual Awards Banquet will be conducted on Thursday. This format allows for more equally-based participation among students and less stress for state officer candidates. A TJCAA advisors’ breakfast is scheduled for Friday morning. Tours will be conducted on Friday morning, as well. There may be concern that some schools will leave without participating in these tours on Friday. Remember -- we are accountable and should be responsible enough to ensure that we do stay and participate in the tours. They provide valuable learning experiences for the students. Additionally, our participation expresses our appreciation and courtesy to the host university for the hard work that the Agriculture Department willingly performs in providing these beneficial opportunities for us.
- Dress code. All students should dress business-professionally during all the activities on Thursday. All current state officers, state officer candidates, and Outstanding Student applicants should meet the following requirements: Ladies - dress slacks or dress (no miniskirts or mini-dresses), blouse, dress jacket; Gentlemen - dress slacks, dress shirt, tie, and dress jacket. Additionally, no inappropriate attire will be allowed during any other TJCAA activities at the Convention (including Wednesday night and Friday morning).
- Student business meeting. A minimum of three (3) advisors will be present during the proceedings to ensure adherence to proper parliamentary procedure and proper member conduct, as well as utmost courtesy and respect displayed to officer candidates. All voting delegates (two from each attending dues-paying school) will vote responsibly, voting for the best qualified candidate in each election. Each completed ballot will have the voting delegate’s name and his/her school’s name on the reverse side.
- State officer elections. President and Secretary-Treasurer will no longer run as a team. Each will run separately. This should help to alleviate the skit-acting syndrome that has seemed to develop the last couple of years. Also, modern communication technology has eliminated the need for Pres. and Sec.-Treas. to attend the same school. Each candidate must submit at least fifteen (15) copies of the “Officer Candidate Information Sheet” at Convention registration. No school may be allowed more than two officers elected. A winning officer candidate must receive a majority vote. If four (4) or more candidates are running for the same position, each delegate will vote for two (2) candidates on the first ballot. The top two (2) candidates will then be in the run-off. Candidates not winning an election may be nominated from the floor to run for subsequent officer positions. Ties will be broken according to proper parliamentary procedure. The position of State Advisor will be handled on a rotating basis among advisors of member schools.
- Quiz contests. Quizzes will be conducted in Agricultural Economics, Agronomy, Animal Science, Horticulture, Agricultural Mechanics, Entomology, Equine Science, and Wildlife Conservation and Management. Contest guidelines are included in the enclosed packet of Convention information..
- Prepared Speech Contest. We have changed from Extemporaneous Speech. Each school may enter two (2) contestants. Speeches must pertain to an integral agricultural topic. Speeches must be 6-8 minutes in length. Additional information is included in the supplementary packet.
- Outstanding Student. Each school may enter a maximum of two (2) students. Completed application forms are to be submitted at Convention registration. Each student will be interviewed by a panel of judges. Application forms are included in the packet. Please make five (5) copies of application for selection committee members.
- Outstanding Chapter. Please take credit for all that your chapter accomplishes. Include activities since the last Convention. Guidelines are included in the information packet.
- Public Relations Contest. Each school may enter a PowerPoint presentation, designed for the purpose of recruiting and widening the scope of TJCAA and agricultural education. A maximum of four (4) members may make the 5-7 minute presentation. See enclosed guidelines.
- Job Interview. Designed to enhance interview capabilities of students seeking agriculturally-related employment. Résumé, application, personal interview, and follow-up letter included in the contest. See enclosed guidelines.
- Scrapbook. Guidelines included in information packet.
- School Eligibility. All contests and awards participation is limited to current dues-paid member schools.
As a long time TJCAA member advisor, I urge you to join me in the continued support of the TJCAA. The main purpose of the afore-mentioned modifications is to help develop our students into more productive, responsible members of our society. We can achieve this goal by adhering to the honorable standards set forth by the organizers of our organization. We have a responsibility to enhance the integrity of ourselves, our students, and the TJCAA. And let us have the best Convention that we have ever had. I look forward to seeing you.
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