Tri-State Neighbor: South Dakota Farm Newspaper

Paul Dybedahl (in back) his dad, Craig, and brother, Matt, have all participated in the FFA Creed Speaking Contest. Paul is competing at the National FFA Convention Oct. 22-25 in Indianapolis, Ind. Tri-State Neighbor photo by Lura Roti

In 1929, E. M. Tiffany wrote the FFA Creed for what was then, the Future Farmers of America. Almost 80 years later, Paul Dybedahl, 16, an FFA member from Tri-Valley High School, Colton, S.D., is reciting the FFA Creed at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind.

He says that even though the creed was written many years ago - when many Future Farmers of America members lived on the farm - the words echo truth, even today, when most of the 500,823 members of what is today, the National FFA Organization, are no longer involved in production agriculture.

“It amazes me how true it actually is. Without agriculture we would not be able to function as we do today,” Dybedahl said. “My favorite paragraph of the creed is the last paragraph because of how factual it is, how American agriculture has endured through all the challenges so far.”

The paragraph he refers to states, “I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.”

Dybedahl won the South Dakota state FFA Creed Speaking Career Development Event (CDE) last December. He will compete with about 48 other state winners from across the nation in the FFA Creed Speaking CDE during the National FFA Convention Oct. 22-25.

The FFA Creed Speaking CDE is open to freshman and sophomore FFA members. Students are expected to memorize and present the five-paragraph creed and then answer questions before a panel of judges.

“I'm really excited about competing. I'm just realizing what a big thing it is, getting to be first in the state and going to a national competition,” said Dybedahl, who serves as his chapter's reporter and is the District VII FFA vice president.

To prepare for the national competition, Dybedahl has presented the creed before several service organizations, his peers, his teachers, his family - basically anyone who will listen. He has also visited with local producers to get their perspective on today's agriculture.

“Paul does a lot of preparation on his own,” said Sarah VanDerVliet, his agriculture education teacher and Tri-Valley FFA adviser. “He looks for people to help him fine-tune things.”

VanDerVliet adds that involvement in the FFA encourages students to think on their own and discover their strengths.

“The FFA provides life skills. The creed for example, presenting the creed is a class assignment. I judge them on speaking, eye contact and stage presence. At some point in their life, they will have to speak in front of a group,” she said. “FFA takes skills a step further and applies it to life.”

Dybedahl's dad, Craig, says that he has seen his son grow a lot through the FFA and preparing for this national competition.

“Paul has really blossomed and developed through this process. It has been an opportunity for his self-development and for building of self confidence,” said Craig Dybedahl, a Pfizer Animal Health territory manager. “He has a gift that is related to theater and speaking. He has spent many hours preparing for this.”

A family tradition

Participating in the FFA has become a tradition for the Dybedahl family. Paul is a second-generation FFA member - Craig was the South Dakota state FFA president in 1977-1978 and his brother, Matt, 20, was the state FFA treasurer in 2007-2008. Paul says he decided to join the FFA after seeing his brother receive a state FFA office.

“One of the main reasons I got involved was after seeing Matt be elected to a state office - it was really neat to see him up on stage,” Paul said.

In the South Dakota State FFA Association, there are only six, college-age students selected each year to serve as state officers.

Throughout their year of service, they host leadership camps, meet with agri-business leaders and travel to the 82 high school FFA chapters across the state putting on leadership workshops for the more than 3,000 members.

Matt says that he gained a lot of leadership skills and friends during his years as an FFA member and state officer.

“I gained a lot of leadership skills and met tons of people from South Dakota and other states as a member of the FFA,” said Matt, who is a sophomore animal science major at South Dakota State University.

Craig says he couldn't be more proud that both his sons participated in an organization that he says gave him his career direction.

“For me, it was the single organization that provided the greatest opportunities for me. It helped point me on a career path. It's not as likely that I would have gone to college at all had it not been for being elected to a state FFA office,” Craig said.

Craig and Matt both competed in the FFA Creed Speaking CDE when they were FFA members, however, Paul is the first Dybedahl to win the state competition. Dad and big brother say they are very proud. They, along with his mom, Bonnie, and little sister, Mary, 9, will be in Indianapolis to watch Paul compete.

“Paul was fired up about doing the creed. He took it upon himself to prepare and it turned out that he won state,” said Matt, who is actively involved in the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences at SDSU.

Paul says that public speaking is something he really enjoys. While he prepared for the creed competition, he was also practicing for the the school musical. He has the lead.

“As I am trying to get ready for national convention and preparing myself of the musical - I've been busy. I have an assignment book where I keep track of my assignments and a monthly calendar where I keep track of everything else,” he said. “I've become a more responsible and organized person and a better leader through this.”

There is no magic trick to raising motivated children, Craig and Bonnie say, it's all about time and encouragement.

“You have to spend time to build a solid family today. We were very fortunate that my wife, Bonnie, was able to stay home from the time Matt was born until the time that Mary started kindergarten,” Craig said. “We always provided them with opportunities and set out what our expectations for behavior were.”

“We always encourage them to do their best and help push them to do their best,” Bonnie said. “We encourage them to believe what they are truly capable of and be motivated to do well for themselves and their future.”

Craig adds with a chuckle.

“And anytime they weren't on track and we didn't see the behavior we wanted to see, we would drive them by the state penitentiary and remind them that people are in there because of the choices they made,” he said.

Both Matt and Paul say they look up to their parents and appreciate Craig's example.

“He's always willing to meet someone new and he knows how to treat people right,” Matt said. “I was proud to be a state officer after my dad was. It was a neat experience. Not a lot of people can say that their dad was a state officer back in the day.”

To learn more about the National FFA Organization or the FFA Creed, visit http://ffa.org.