How Georgia FFA Leadership Development Events Work
Leadership development events, or LDEs, are the Georgia FFA contests built around speaking, meetings and job skills rather than judging animals or crops. A student stands in front of a panel, runs a motion through a team, or sits across a table for an interview, and gets scored. Georgia FFA lists them alongside career events on its CDE and LDE page. The events marked as LDEs there are Conduct of Chapter Meetings, Creed Speaking, Employment Skills, Extemporaneous Public Speaking, Parliamentary Procedure and Prepared Public Speaking, with a Spanish Creed Speaking invitational also listed. Discussion Meet is on the same list and shares the state convention schedule.
Who Can Compete
The General Award Guidelines (revised 2024) require that students be FFA members whose chapter roster is on file with the state office, with fall rosters due November 15 and spring rosters April 1. Students must take at least one agricultural education course or follow a planned course of study. The junior division is grades 6 to 9 and the senior division is grades 9 to 12. Event pages add that students must be paid members of a chartered chapter with their names on the roster at least 10 days before competition above the chapter level.
The Events
Prepared Public Speaking
Per the event page, there are junior (grades 6 to 9) and senior (grades 9 to 12) divisions, and the event is designed to develop agricultural leadership and speaking skills. Per the 2026 convention release, competitors give a prepared speech before a panel of judges and then answer their questions. The top four places in each division earned cash ($100, $50, $25 and $20), and the senior winner also received $500 in travel money for the National Convention.
Creed Speaking
Creed Speaking is for students in grades 6 to 9 who are ag education students and paid chapter members, per the event page. The top two participants in each area advance to state. The event has a national level of competition, and a student may win only one area speaking competition per year that leads to nationals.
Extemporaneous Public Speaking
This is the third speaking event on the list. The guidelines say a student may enter only one state-level speaking LDE with national competition per year: Prepared Public Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking or Creed Speaking. Pick yours early. The 2026 state schedule ran semifinals and finals for it at the convention.
Parliamentary Procedure
Any paid FFA member in grades 9 to 12 may participate in this senior event, per the event page, and it has a national-level competition. The guidelines list a six-member team. Per the 2026 convention release, it has four phases: a written examination, oral questions, a parliamentary presentation and the presentation of written minutes. Tift County won in 2026, and the first-place senior team received $3,000 in travel money to attend the National FFA Convention. Members of the state-winning team cannot compete in any other LDE until after nationals.
Conduct of Chapter Meetings
The event page lists it for grades 6 to 9 and paid FFA members, and the guidelines list a seven-member team. It is on the semifinal and final schedule at the state convention.
Employment Skills
Employment Skills is an individual event designed to help participants with their job search for part-time and full-time work, per the convention release. In 2025-26 the state contest was held December 13, 2025, at ABAC in Tifton, per the state schedule. The top three earned $100, $50 and $25 plus a plaque, and the state winner's advisor received $100.
How Students Reach State
Teams and individuals are selected at an area or region event held after the previous state contest and before the current one. Area LDEs follow the same rules as state events, though regional directors may adjust format and points based on time and facilities. The regional director of agricultural education certifies that qualifiers are eligible. Above the chapter level, a chapter may have only one entry per event unless the director or superintendent says otherwise.
Limits to know about
- Above the chapter level, a student may compete in only one event per day.
- A state winner cannot compete in that same division of that event again, though junior winners may move up to senior if they meet the grade requirement.
- A student who wins a state event with national competition cannot enter another state or area event with national competition that school year.
- Anyone who has competed in a national-level event cannot compete in it again at any level.
- Chapters must notify the event superintendent at least 10 days before an event about special needs, and waiver requests must be in writing at least 30 days before.
The Convention Schedule
The 98th Georgia FFA State Convention ran April 22 to 25, 2026, at the Macon Centreplex. Per the 2025-26 state schedule, the semifinals were on April 22 for Creed, Conduct of Chapter Meeting, Discussion Meet, Extemporaneous Speaking, Parliamentary Procedure and Prepared Public Speaking (senior and junior), plus Marketing Plan. Finals followed on April 23 for Creed, Conduct of Chapter Meeting, Extemporaneous Speaking, Parliamentary Procedure and both Prepared Public Speaking divisions. The Agriscience Fair was April 24.
How to Prepare
- Pick your speaking event first, since you may carry only one with a national level.
- Download the current LDE guidelines linked on the event page, because they contain the time limits and scoring.
- Check the roster dates with your advisor so you are eligible 10 days before any contest above chapter level.
- Parliamentary teams should rehearse all four phases, including the minutes, not just the presentation.
- Ask your advisor which area contest feeds your chapter and when it is held.
Georgia Listings Covered by This Guide
- Area 2 FFA Leadership Development Events
Area 2 FFA leadership events including discussion meet, parliamentary procedure and conduct of chapter meetings at Commerce High School. Held each year; most recent date March 26, 2026.
Commerce, GA Official event details
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.