As you walk to the other end of the stage and look out at the sea of ​​blue and gold corduroy, you realize it! This is the moment you have worked for over the past four years. You've stayed long hours after school working on your record book, spent grueling hours memorizing speeches, experienced the joy of winning first place in a state CDE competition, and best of all, you met so many amazing people and doors opened to opportunities. never imagined. Finally, after all your efforts, you receive your FFA State Diploma! All this by making a simple decision during your freshman year of high school, enrolling in FFA. What you didn't realize at the time was that this wonderful organization would help you develop leadership skills and teach the life skills you will need in the years to come. The FFA was officially founded, as the Future Farmers of America, in 1928. However, the idea began several years earlier, in 1917, with the Smith-Hughes Act (FFA History para 1). The Smith-Hughes Act provided funding to states for job training courses. Then, in 1925, Henry Groseclose met with Harry Sanders, Edmund C. Magill, and the Virginia State Supervisor of Agricultural Education, Walter S. Newman, to discuss an organization for boys in agricultural classes (FFA History para 2). Finally, in 1928, the Future Farmers of America was formed at a meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. This first national FFA convention was attended by 33 delegates from 18 states (FFA History para 5). However, in 1988, the name Future Farmers of America was changed to the National FFA Organization to better reflect growing agricultural opportunities (FFA History para 37). In its early years, FFA membership was restricted to boys. ...... middle of document ......life-skills.aspx>“FFA Statistics” National FFA Organization. ffa.org, ffa.org, and web. January 29, 2014 Langstaff, Dave. “A Brief History of the FFA Jacket and the People Who Make It” Universal Lettering Co. www.universallettering.com, nd web. January 29, 2014. “The Agricultural Education Mission” National FFA Organization. ffa.org, nd web. January 29, 2014. “Who we are”. National FFA Organization. ffa.org, nd web. January 22, 2014. “FFA History” National FFA Organization. ffa.org, nd web. February 14, 2014. National FFA Organization. Official FFA Handbook. Alexandria, Virginia: National FFA Supply Service, 2006. Print.