To: High School Agriculture Instructors September 21, 2009
From: Mariah Dale-Anderson
Youth Activities Manager
Re: Heritage and Cooperative Activities Programs
The IFB® & Affiliates Youth Education Committee is proud to again offer the Heritage and Cooperative
Activities Programs to the Illinois FFA Chapters. Before I get into the nuts and bolts of this year’s program, I
want to make you aware the Youth Activities phone number will be changing to 309-557-2350 on September
28. The tour for this year has been moved up from mid-July to June 27-July 2. This was due to better
hotel rates & feedback from teachers.
As in the past, we have again given a specific date that all names of the winning chapter tour
representatives must be in our office. We have set the date for May 6, 2010. As in previous years, the
policy states, that if a chapter fails to get the names (and other information of the students) into our office, by
the deadline (by mail, fax, email), the chapter will forfeit their trip and the recognized alternate chapter will
take their place.
We also remind you that, applications are not to be submitted in binders or sheet protectors. Any
applications submitted in binders or sheet protectors will loose points, and the binders/sheet protectors will
be discarded and not returned. However, application pages should be stapled together in the upper left-
hand corner.
The Youth Education Committee has revised sections of the Cooperative Activities for this year. Application
templates for each of these programs will work on Microsoft Word 2000 & XP. If another word processing
program is used, the templates may not work properly. Copies of the templates may be downloaded from the
State FFA website. Applications are due to your Section FFA President by April 1, 2010. Section
Presidents will then send applications directly to my attention at the Illinois Farm Bureau Office
instead of the Illinois FFA Center.
As mentioned above, the Heritage & Cooperative Activities Award Tours will be held June 27 - July 2, 2010.
Note: This year the tours leave on SUNDAY and return on FRIDAY. The tour groups will be departing
Bloomington Sunday afternoon. The tours will then head toward Washington, D.C. Both tours will travel
through Gettysburg, PA, Maryland and Virginia. Tour repeats are not recommended for the tour as parts of
the tour are the same each year.
The 2010 IFB & Affiliates Youth Conference will be March 29 & 30 at the Decatur Conference Center &
Hotel, Decatur, IL. We have an updated and outstanding program with new growth sessions and a career fair
planned, so please mark your calendars for these dates!
Again this year, FFA Chapters must participate in their County Farm Bureaus® Acquaintance Program to
be eligible to participate in the conference. This year, Acquaintance Programs must be held between
September 1, 2009 and February 10, 2010. Also, the conference is only open to sophomore and junior
FFA members and no repeats. Therefore, we recommend that you contact your County Farm Bureau®
manager now to set a date and snow date prior to the acquaintance program deadline. More information, with
the final registration material, will be sent to County Farm Bureau Managers in November. If you are not
contacted by your County FB Manager regarding the acquaintance day and conference registration, please
contact them directly. We will also send a notification to teachers when materials have been made available to
County Managers.
The Harvest for All material is also available at the Illinois FFA website.
The Illinois Farm Bureau® & Affiliates are proud to sponsor these unique programs for FFA Chapters in
Illinois. We certainly hope you will consider participating in these programs in the 2009-10 program year.
MDA:dmf
mspryed/hcappletter
cc: County FB® Managers Youth Education Committee
Regional Managers FCAE Staff