1. FFA Creed Speaking CDE
Regional Event: Regional FFA Day
Location/Time of State Event: State FFA Convention
Purpose
The FFA Creed outlines the organization’s beliefs regarding the industry of agriculture, FFA
membership and the value of citizenship and patriotism. The Creed is recited by FFA members
as part of the requirements to earn the Greenhand FFA Degree. The purpose of the Creed
speaking career development event is to develop the public speaking abilities of 8th and 9th
grade FFA members as well as develop their self-confidence and contribute to their
advancement in the FFA degree program.
Rules/Format
 Freshmen in high school who are enrolled in their first year of agricultural education are
eligible. In schools providing only three years of agricultural education, sophomores who are
enrolled in their first year of agricultural education are eligible.
 Each chapter will select its top participant to represent it at the regional FFA Day.
 The participants in the FFA Creed event should be dressed in complete Official Dress as
outlined in the FFA Manual.
 FFA Creed participants in the regional FFA Day event will be rated by the judges as Superior,
Excellent, Good, or Fair.
 The winning speaker and the runner-up will be selected by the judges to represent the region
in the state FFA Creed event held during the Kentucky FFA Convention.
* The event at the state level will consist of 2 parts: (a) Reciting the creed from memory; (b)
Answering judges questions about the creed. Regions may or may not choose to have
questions as a part of the regional FFA Day event.
Scoring
Items to be Scored
Stage Presence
Voice
Power of Expression
General Effect
Response to Questions
Points
25
25
25
25
25

2. Extemporaneous Public Speaking CDE
Regional Event: Regional FFA Day
Location/Time of State Event: State FFA Convention
Purpose
The FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking Career Development Event is designed to develop
the ability of all FFA members to express themselves on a given subject without having
prepared or rehearsed its content in advance. This gives FFA members an opportunity to
formulate their remarks for presentation in a very limited amount of time.
Rules
1.
The participant will draw at random three specific topics from the list of possible topics.
This list will be sent to all teachers by the Executive Secretary by January 15th each year
and will include current agriculture issues. The student will have two (2) minutes to select
their topic from those drawn. After selecting the topic on which they desire to speak, all
three topics will be returned to the original group of topics prior to the next drawing.
2.
The person in charge of the preparation room will supervise the drawing of topics and
notify participants when they are to speak. Participants shall draw for order of appearance
or be scheduled. After order of appearing is determined, speaker number one shall draw
30 minutes before he/she is to speak. Approximately 10 minutes later the next speaker will
draw his/her topic and so on until all speakers have drawn.
3.
FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking participants shall use only those cards supplied by
the person in charge of the event for his/her notes to use in speaking.
4.
The person in charge of the FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking event will have the
authority to supervise the preparation room for the event to see that all participants meet
the rules of the event.
5.
Reference material will be screened by the officials in charge of the event preparation room
on the following basis:
a. Must be printed material such as books or magazines. Cannot be notes or
speeches prepared by the participant or notes prepared by another person for the
sole purpose of use for this event.
b. Resources printed from the internet must contain the URL at the bottom of the
page which proves the material was printed in whole from the internet.
c. Shall be limited to five (5) items. To be counted as one item, a notebook of
collected items may contain no more than 20 separate items or 100 pages.

3. 6.
Each speaker shall speak a minimum of four (4) minutes and a maximum of six (6)
minutes. Five (5) minutes additional time will be allowed each participant in which to
defend his/her speech on questions which shall be asked by the judges. A participant will
be penalized one point per each half minute on each judge's score sheet for being over six
(6) minutes or under four (4) minutes. Time commences when the speaker begins
speaking.
7.
A timekeeper will record the time and give it to the judges. Note: the timekeeper in the
State contest will not stand at any time during the event.*
8.
The participants shall be judged by three (3) persons who represent, as far as possible, the
fields of agriculture, business, and education.
9.
The judges will select the winner of the event using the official score sheet only to
supplement their combined opinion.
10. The winner of the state event will represent Kentucky in the FFA National Extemporaneous
Speaking CDE.
*Regions may choose to have the timekeeper stand during the regional FFA Day events.
Extemporaneous Scoring
ITEMS TO BE SCORED
Knowledge of Subject
Control of nerves; Good eye contact;
confident
Body language; gestures; facial
expression
Conversational yet enthusiastic;
voice clear & projected; varied
speaking rate, volume & pitch
POINTS ALLOWED
20
10
Organization
General Effect - Interesting;
convincing; achieved purpose;
Official Dress
10
10
Response to Questions
20
Total Points
100
Over/Under time deductions
1 pts/30 sec.
20
10

4. Impromptu Speaking Events
Regional Event: Yes – Regional FFA Day
Location/Time of State Event: State FFA Convention
(Beef, Crop, Dairy, Fruit/Vegetable, Goat, Greenhouse, Floral, Horse, Nursery/Landscape, Poultry,
Sheep, Small Animal, Swine, Turf/Lawn Care) A separate event will be held in each of the listed areas
Rules
1. Impromptu speaking topics will be set by KAAE and posted on www.kyffa.org
2. In each event, participants will receive two speech topics from the provided list of possible
topics. Participants will choose one of the two topics on which to speak.
3. Approximately thirty (30) minutes before each event is to start, all participants shall
assemble, preferably adjacent to the scene of the event. A referee shall supervise the
drawing of subjects and shall notify participants when they are to speak. Participants shall
draw for order of appearance or be assigned. After order of appearing is determined,
speaker number one shall draw a subject twenty (20) minutes before he/she is to speak.
Six (6) minutes later the next speaker will draw his/her topic and so on until all speakers
have drawn.
4. FFA Impromptu Speaking participants shall use only those cards supplied by the person in
charge of the event for his/her notes to use in speaking.
5. The person in charge of the FFA Impromptu Speaking event will have the authority to
supervise preparation in the events to the extent of limiting resource materials to books,
circulars, pamphlets, and other published material.
6. Each speaker shall be limited to six (6) minutes. The timekeeper will stand at 5:00 and
again at 6:00. A participant will be penalized two points per each half minute over six (6)
minutes. The penalty will begin at 6:30.
7. Each local chapter should provide for a local event. Teachers are urged to have local
persons interested in the respective areas provide local prizes. These individuals should
also be used for judges if convenient.
8. A chapter is allowed one participant in each of the impromptu speaking events.
9. Three judges for each event, are to be selected by the regional organization of the
Kentucky Association of Agriculture Educators (KAAE). The judges will select the winner of
the event using the official score sheet only to supplement their combined opinion.
10. A state event in each area (beef, crop, dairy, fruit/vegetable, goat, greenhouse, floral,
horse, nursery/landscape, sheep, small animal, swine, and turf/lawn care) shall be held at
the time of the Kentucky FFA Convention. The 1st and 2nd place participant from each
region may participate in the state contest.
Impromptu Scoring

5. ITEMS TO BE SCORED
Content (50%)
Introduction - Grabs Attention;
Transition into body.
Body of Speech - Organized; Points
supported.
Conclusion - Speech summarized;
Decisive and effective.
Well Prepared; Not memorized;
Central idea clear.
Use of Words – Vocabulary and
grammar.
Delivery (50%)
Control of nerves; Good eye contact;
Confident.
Body language; Gestures; Facial
expression.
Voice clear & projected; Varied
speaking rate, volume & pitch.
Voice sincere & conversational, yet
enthusiastic
POINTS
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
General Effect - Interesting;
Convincing; Achieved Purpose,
Official Dress.
10
Total Points (Gross)
100
Less Time Deductions
2 points for
each 30
seconds

6. Prepared Public Speaking CDE
Regional Event: Regional FFA Day
Location/Time of State Event: State FFA Convention
Rules
1. The speech of each participant is to be the result of his/her own efforts. Training in both
composition and delivery is limited to the facilities and faculty of the school from which the
participant comes. Facts and working data may be secured from any source.
2. Participants may choose their own subjects for their speeches. Any current subjects of any
agricultural character and of general interest to the public will be acceptable.
3. Each speech shall be a minimum of six (6) minutes and a maximum of eight (8) minutes.
Five (5) minutes additional time will be allowed each participant in which to defend his/her
production on questions which shall be asked by the judges. To prevent being penalized, a
participant must speak over 5 minutes, 30 seconds, and under 8 minutes, 30 seconds.
4. The speeches shall be judged by three persons who represent, as far as possible, the fields
of agriculture, business, and education.
5. Three (3) copies of the participant's manuscript that includes a copy of the advisor
certification sheet will be required for the regional and state event. The certification sheet
will follow the bibliography. A bibliography must be included as a part of the manuscript and
direct quotes from any source of information must be marked in "quotes" on the manuscript
and be identified with the bibliography. Failure to do so will automatically disqualify a
participant. The participant will present manuscripts to the chairperson of the state event
before speaking.
6. Participants shall draw for order of speaking in the regional event. Each participant shall be
introduced by the chairperson. The order of speaking for the state event will be announced
2 weeks prior to the convention.
7. A timekeeper will record the overtime, if any. Deductions will be made as provided by the
score sheet. The timekeeper will stand at 7:00 and again at 8:00. Points will be deducted
for speeches over or under the time limit.
8
The judges will be select the winner of the event using the official score sheet only to
supplement their combined opinion.
9. The winner of the state event will represent Kentucky in the National FFA Prepared Public
Speaking CDE.

7. Public Speaking Scoring
ITEMS TO BE SCORED
Content (30%)
Introduction - Grabs Attention; Transition
into Body
Body of Speech - Organized; Points
supported
Conclusion - Speech summarized; Decisive
and effective.
POINTS
5
10
5
Well Prepared; Central idea clear
5
Use of Words – Vocabulary and grammar
5
Delivery (50%)
Control of nerves; Good eye contact;
Confident
Body language; Gestures; Facial
expression
Conversational yet enthusiastic; Voice clear
& projected; Varied speaking rate, volume
& pitch
Composition
10
20
10
10
General Effect - Interesting; Convincing;
Achieved Purpose; Official Dress.
10
Response to Questions (20%)
20
Total Points (Gross)
100
Over/Under time Deductions
2 points
per 30
seconds