Hughson High School part 2 Future Farmers of America.

  One of my greatest memories were the things we did with FFA. While on FFA events, even the bullies would be nicer and treat me better. We were a team and worked together a lot. Everything was about the good of the chapter not so much personal agenda. My first VO-AG teacher was Mr. Searcy, who was also the Dean of Boys. I used him as a counsler many times with my personal Issues. He either went to be only dean of boys or retired and we got a younger gentleman, Ken something, and he was also a Great teacher and a good person.

      There were a lot of activities with FFA, and lots of field trips.  At least twice we went to San Francisco, (actually Daly City) to the "COW PALACE" for the  Grand National Livestock Exposition,  Horse Show and Rodeo.. We would split into small groups and look at all the exhibits. Once I got to see Roy Rogers Horse Trigger and Dale Evans Horse Buttermilk. There were all kinds of things there that just amazed a small town boy like me.  At a  prearranged time we would take our seats for the Rodeo, what a treat that was.  The country's top cowboys were there, and always a special group performed for us. One year it was a group of Charro's from Mexico with trick riders and lots of interesting events. Another year it was the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  What a wonderful drill team this was. all in their Red Jackets on black mounts and doing fantastic maneuver's.
     The second trip was around Halloween, and boys being boys, our bus wound up getting stopped by the police in a small town because some one was throwing eggs out the window. LOL  We were released with a warning and made it home.
      Another of our field trips were "Judging Contest" designed to teach how to judge animals, crops, and land, we competed against other schools and each other to be the best. I at times was on the Land Judging team where I did fair, and the Agronomy team. Where i was better.  We traveled to places like Modesto Junior College and Cal-State Davis for contest.  It was always fun to go to these places, and look around the campus. We were always served lunch. and had a great time. 
      Another thing we did was to build a float for the Homecoming.  Always an interesting time. My freshman year it was the initiation. and one year we were building a huge scoreboard showing us winning (Yeah Right)  but one evening when I was not there, someone was smoking and caught the float on fire. We did not have a float that year. 
     Another event was the chapter fair and equipment show. Farm equipment dealers from all around would bring there tractors, harvesters, and implements to our school to show them and demonstrate what they would do. We would have a Parade of equipment through downtown and most of us would be driving the tractors in the parade.  There was a tractor driving contest for us and other chapters I never entered. But it was great to watch.  It was a big event for a small school.
       One spring the FFA went camping at Yosemitie National Park. We had a great time, Swimming, hiking and just camping. Some of the bullies were there, but again this was not a time for them to be bullies. We cooked together ate together, and had a great time with all.