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Prepared Speakers for Agriculture
Career Program Area

Goals

The purpose of the Prepared Speakers for Agriculture Career Program Area is designed to develop leadership ability by providing an opportunity for members to take part in an agricultural speaking activity at the local, state and national levels. The Prepared Speakers for Agriculture Career Program Area is designed to:
  • encourage the development of specialist opportunities.
  • provide incentives to develop and improve curricular and instructional techniques.
  • evaluate participant and program efficiency.
  • recognize individual accomplishments and educational curriculum in the industry for Prepared Speakers for Agriculture.
  • encourage cooperation between education and industry.
  • strengthen the PAS organization by encouraging active participation.

General Rules

Though not required, each individual is highly encouraged to write a general, unsealed thank-you letter to the career program area sponsor of the Prepared Speakers for Agriculture event area. Thank-you letters should be submitted to the Prepared Speakers for Agriculture coordinator at the beginning of the competition. Thank you letters should be written to the career program area judges after the award program and turned in to the coordinator that day, before awards are determined. Thank the judges for their time in providing this experience and mention any other favorable
comments about the award program and conference. The names and addresses of judges will be provided. If possible, write thank you letters on local or state PAS stationary; therefore, participants will be responsible for their own thank-you stationery and their own writing utensils.

Any participant who achieves 1st Place High Individual in the Prepared Speakers for Agriculture program area at Nationals will not be eligible to participate in this program area in the coming years.

Prepared Speakers Specific Rules

• Manuscript: Participants must submit four copies of their manuscript to the program coordinator at the beginning of the event by the time stated in the
conference program. The manuscript must be the work of the participant, and the certification form must accompany the manuscript. The manuscript must include a title page, statement of purpose and the body footnoted to the bibliography. The following statement should appear as part of the title page:

“I hereby certify that this manuscript is the work of (student name).” Signed by: the student and the advisor.

Subject:
Participants are to select a topic relevant to the business or occupation for which they are preparing. These may include:
  • Agricultural Education Systems
  • Agribusiness Management & Marketing Systems (non-Retail)
  • Animal Systems – Two separate categories, participants must choose one.
  1. Animal Systems Ruminant Animal
  2. Animal Systems Non-Ruminant Animal
  • Horticulture, Environmental & Natural Resource Systems
  • Plant Systems
  • Power, Structural, & Technical Systems
  • Retail Agribusiness Systems
  • Agricultural Processing and Biotechnology
Time Limits:
Each speech will be a minimum of five minutes and a maximum of eight minutes in length. A 10-point penalty will be assessed for each minute or major fraction thereof under or over the time limit. Each participant will be allowed five minutes additional time to answer questions from the judges. The timekeeper will stop questioning when the five-minute mark is reached.

Career Program Procedures:
  1. Participants will be assigned a time for the order of appearance. If the participant does not meet his/her assigned time, the participant forfeits participation unless previously arranged with the award program coordinator.
  2. The Prepared Speakers for Agriculture coordinator will introduce each speaker by name and title of the speech.
  3. Note cards may be used. However, points will be deducted if the use of notes detracts from the speech’s effectiveness. Props or visual aids will not be allowed.
  4. Competent and impartial persons will be selected to judge the award program. At least two judges will have an agricultural background. Prior to the award program each judge will be furnished with one copy of the manuscript of each speech. The judges will score each participant using the rating sheet and comment sheet provided.
  5. Each judge will ask questions of the participant. Questions will relate directly to the speaker’s subject. The full five minutes for questions should be used.
  6. When all participants have finished speaking, each judge will total the score on the delivery and questions. The timekeeper’s record will be used to compute the final score. Each judge will then rank all participants. The winner will be the participant with the lowest total numerical rank by the judges.
  7. Should there be more than 20 participants, it is recommended that the award program be divided into two sections. Participants will draw to determine the section in which they will appear. Three additional judges and one timekeeper will be required. Each section will select the top three participants to appear in the finals, where all six judges will select the overall winner. Appropriate awards will be presented to the top three participants.
  8. Observers are welcome and encouraged to attend these sessions and listen to the speakers.