State CDE Committee Report
Report provided by Committee Chair: Will Hartnett
We’re a couple years away from any major rule revisions and really only discussed issues with contest providers along with a few clarifications of current rules. Please let me or Ramon know if you have any questions about what was discussed.
1.) Length of drive to and from Tarleton Area/State Land/Homesite/Range contest sites from Stephenville. While we appreciate the beauty of these ranches and the generosity of the owners, it’s very challenging for schools with single teachers competing in multiple contests to get everywhere on time when the contest sites are such a long drive from town.
2.) State Livestock Contest @ TAMU - quality of classes and/or logic in how classes are structured needs to improve. Example: Market Hogs & Breeding Does this year. A&M officials need to understand how to properly evaluate feeder cattle or get help from a qualified individual. Absolutely horrible officiating this year on that part of the contest.
3.) It was brought up that Tarleton ran out of some products in milk quality contest.
4.) Cotton and forage need to look at having area qualifiers to reduce size of state contest. Nothing will likely happen until rules change year but something to keep an eye on. Will possibly try having 3 groups at state cotton contest this coming year.
5.) Lots of schools/areas still don’t understand or like the wildcard system for state qualification. More complaints this year than last. Primary concern is how long it takes to certify those results and the confusion that can come from a school thinking they qualified but actually did not. There is no provision in the rules saying each area is guaranteed a team at state. The wildcard rule says that every area’s last qualifying spot is up for grabs. Meaning, if an area only has one team competing at area, it could lose that spot to anyone area.
6.) Areas need to be better at providing monitors for materials and dress. Some area contests didn’t have anyone there to check.
7.) Dress code rules don’t address holes in jeans and that cannot be a disqualification. Use common sense when checking dress code.
8.) Multi-tools with rulers can not be used for knives in Land/Homeside. Goes against rule for having measuring devices.
9.) New contest idea was presented (Ag Education theme). A few other states have this contest and National FFA is looking into it. Monitoring what National does going forward. Needs lots of work before anything happens. Based on the presentation we saw, I could easily see this also considered for SDEs or possibly an LDE.