Napoleon Dynamite and Blue Jackets

Parli.

Huh?

Parliamentary Procedure.

What's that?

It's the proper way to conduct a business meeting.

Blank stare.

I competed on it in FFA. It's how to make motions, 2nds, and amendments.

Oh. Okay. FFA has contests?

Yes. *eye roll* Like on Napoleon Dynamite. The dairy (milk drinking) contest. That's a real contest. No, I didn't do that one!

Weird.

That's about the extent of the conversation when I tell people I competed in FFA on the Parliamentary Procedure contest team.

What I'd like to be able to tell people...

First, FFA is NOT just for farmers! It teaches leadership, sometimes through agriculture.

Second, on Parliamentary Procedure...

Each of the 6 members on a Parli team take a 25 question, multiple choice test.

Then the team demonstrates a mock meeting.

In 10 minutes, with a 30 second leeway, members have to:

• Make the motion given on their card (5 total)
• One member makes the main motion, also given on card
• Debate the main motion twice (10 total)
• Debate two other debatable motions (10 total)
• Make an extra motion, not on the card (5 total)
• Vote on the given main motion and leave no unfinished business
• The Chairman must properly preside over the meeting
• The Chairman must adjourn the meeting

The card is not seen by members before the mock meeting. You are given 1 minute to look over the card, but cannot discuss it with teammates.

Following the demonstration, judges ask each member and the chairman questions about their given motion. Following that is a 2 minute, free rein questioning session about the demonstration in general.

The nerdy side of me would love to go into a 30 minute conversation about FFA and contest teams, but I do my best not to bore people with it. So I figure the quickest way to help them understand is by using the Napoleon Dynamite reference, even though I hate the movie and have only seen it once from beginning to end.

However, what seems weird to most people had the biggest influence on making me who I am today. FFA and it's contest teams pushed me more out of my comfort zone than I had ever been. Parli made me more nervous and challenged me more than I had ever been at 16. So even if it means using a Napoleon Dynamite reference, in the end I get to talk about something I hold dear. And yes, I rocked my blue corduroy jacket, black skirt, and black tights.

It pains me to include this picture.
But for those of you visual learners...