How to Prepare for the FFA Parliamentary Procedure Contest

The first time a novice team practices parliamentary procedure, someone will probably say “I move” at a moment when everyone was hoping to move on. The point is to learn which action the group can properly take, then take it clearly enough that an observer can follow the business. Speed improves with a correct sequence. Rushing through the wrong sequence only gets you to an incorrect vote sooner.

Train for all of the contest components

The National FFA Parliamentary Procedure event page describes a written exam, a team presentation, oral questions, problem solving, and a minutes and records component. Download the applicable handbook through the official event directory. A district or state may use a different format or scoring process. Get the coach's rules before building a practice rotation around what a team from another state posted online.

Learn motions as decisions the group needs to make

Make a study card with a purpose, when the motion can be made, and any requirements the applicable rules assign to it. On the back, use a plausible chapter situation. If the group is discussing replacement signs, an amendment could change the specified quantity. Have a partner tell you whether a proposed action is in order for the situation they gave you. Then switch roles. Practice the words after you understand what the motion changes.

Give each mock meeting a problem

Run a short, timed presentation about a real chapter issue, such as how to organize volunteers at a plant sale. Give members sample motions or tasks based on the official materials. Assign an observer to track who stated the motion, who spoke, where the chair clarified the pending question, and when the final outcome was announced. The observer should record one time stamp for each error. That helps the team fix a particular moment. “The whole thing felt weird” describes a lot of meetings and fixes very few of them.

Train the chair to restate the exact question

Pause periodically in practice and ask someone outside the group what is pending. If they can't tell you, work on transitions. The chair should say the current question clearly enough that a member who joined the meeting late could recognize what a vote would do. Give committee members practice listening for the exact wording and answering oral questions from the rules, especially when the exercise changes midway.

Take minutes during practice, then compare versions

Have two students take separate notes of the same run. Afterward, compare which decisions, actions, and vote outcomes made it into each set. Follow the event handbook's record requirements. A joke about the treasurer does not need a long paragraph in the record. The amount and purpose authorized by the motion probably deserve the attention.

As contest day approaches, rotate in tasks the team did not rehearse word for word. A student who can explain why an unexpected action is in order is better prepared to handle a new prompt. Bring the official documents and approved materials, and let correct, audible procedure do the work. A meeting that everyone can follow is the performance.