What do milk jugs, eggs, sugar, cream, vanilla, buckets
and a bunch of community members get you? Gallons and gallons of homemade,
hand-cranked ice cream is the correct answer!
Every year my church family comes together to hand-crank anywhere from
50-80 gallons of ice cream to be sold at Burdick’s Labor Day Celebration. My Dad has even engineered a machine to crush
up milk jugs that we froze water in for ice to freeze the ice cream with. This tradition started long before I began cranking
ice cream as a child every Sunday before Labor Day.
Our lives are surrounded by traditions, such as
hand-cranking ice cream, that were started long before us, just as some
traditions within the FFA. We have
traditions of opening and closing ceremonies, the Creed, National Convention
and, of course, the blue and gold corduroy jacket. We uphold and honor these traditions by doing
our part to continue them.
We often talk about the origin of traditions because often times there is a significant meaning hidden behind the initial event. However, unless the event is repeated then there isn’t a tradition. As you participate in FFA realize that you have a really outstanding opportunity to help carry on the traditions of advocating for agriculture and developing premier leadership skills. Next time you put on your blue corduroy jacket, think about all of the traditions you are able to help continue to thrive and impact the next generation of leaders. And remember, all traditions start with one moment or event, your chapter’s next tradition could begin with you!
