Mississippi FFA Leadership Development Events

How Mississippi FFA Leadership Development Events Work

Leadership development events, or LDEs, test the skills of a good leader: speaking, running a meeting, and working with a team. Unlike career events, many are individual contests. Contests are held at several levels, and the details are set by the Mississippi FFA Association, so ask your advisor for the current handbook.

The Events

These Mississippi events appear in recent reports:

• FFA Creed Speaking: Ava Smith of the Attala Junior FFA chapter placed second in the state in 2026, per BreezyNews.
• Prepared Public Speaking: Taylor Smith of Magee FFA placed second at the Capital Area Federation Contest on December 4, 2025.
• Senior Extemporaneous Public Speaking: Lionel Hamilton of Magee FFA placed third at that contest. Both advanced to the district competition in March 2026, per the Simpson County schools.
• Parliamentary Procedure: Nanih Waiya FFA of Mississippi earned a bronze emblem at the 2025 national event, per the national results.

State Convention Schedule

The 93rd Mississippi FFA State Convention was held June 2 to 4, 2026, at Mississippi State University in Starkville, per Itawamba FFA. Members compete in LDEs, attend workshops and see State FFA Degrees, proficiencies and scholarships awarded. Chapter delegates also vote in the business session, which gives them real parliamentary procedure experience. The 2025 convention was in Hattiesburg.

How Contest Levels Work

The Magee students show the early path: a federation contest in December, then a district competition in March. Creed speaking results are announced at the state convention, and Mississippi's national representatives are chosen through the state contest, per the Local Voice. Your advisor can tell you which federation and district your chapter belongs to.

Parliamentary Procedure

Parliamentary procedure is a team event. At nationals it has five phases: a written exam, a team presentation, oral questions, a team problem-solving practicum, and an individual practicum on minutes and records. The 2025 results listed 43 teams in the gold, silver and bronze emblem lists, and the top four teams listed six members each.

Beyond the Contests

Leadership at the state level includes officer elections. At the 2025 convention, Chrishon Ellis of South Panola High was elected state vice president during the seventh general session after final interviews, per the Panolian. He prepared with officer training hosted by the MSU Collegiate FFA chapter. State officers also run three weeks of summer leadership camps at the C.M. Brewer FFA Center in Raymond.

Speaking Events in Practice

The three speaking events ask different things of a student. Creed speaking is a recitation, so the challenge is delivery: pace, pauses, eye contact and sincerity. Prepared public speaking means you write and rehearse a speech in advance, so the work is in the draft and the rehearsal. Extemporaneous speaking gives you a topic to prepare on the spot, so the practice is in organizing a clear opening, three points and a close in a few minutes. Ask your advisor for the topic lists and time limits that apply this year, and have family or classmates ask questions afterward.

The Business Session

You do not have to win a contest to practice leadership at the convention. Chapter delegates vote and debate in the business session, per Itawamba FFA, and that is a live lesson in motions, seconds and points of order. Parliamentary procedure team members tend to feel at home there, and even a delegate who never joins the team will learn why the rules exist.

Choosing and Preparing

• Choose a speaking event that fits you. Creed speaking rewards memory and delivery, prepared speaking rewards writing, and extemporaneous speaking rewards quick thinking.
• Ask your advisor whether you may enter more than one speaking event, because entry limits are set by the state handbook.
• Practice in front of an audience and a timer.
• Join the parliamentary procedure team if you like rules and teamwork.
• Get the current score sheets before you write a word.
• Record yourself once a week and watch it with your advisor, since small habits like fillers and rushed endings are easy to see on video.
• Plan for nerves: a memorized opening line, a steady breath and a clear plan for the first thirty seconds go a long way.

Contest Day Habits

Arrive early, know your time slot, and bring a copy of any materials your advisor says are allowed. Dress as your chapter directs, and keep water handy. Speakers should rehearse with a timer until the speech lands a few seconds under the limit rather than over it. Teams should assign roles ahead of time so no one is guessing who speaks next.

Frequently Asked Questions

Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.