How North Carolina FFA Leadership Development Events Work
Leadership development events, or LDEs, reward the skills that help a member run a meeting, speak to a room or land a job: public speaking, the creed, parliamentary procedure and employment skills. In North Carolina they follow the same ladder as other FFA contests, from the chapter to a regional rally, then the state convention in Raleigh, and for winners, the National FFA Convention. A NC State article described LDEs as individual competitions such as public speaking, with more than 40 CDEs and LDEs available to North Carolina members. Rules change by year, so check the current event handbook with your advisor.
The Event List
The National FFA career and leadership events page links these leadership events:
- Conduct of Chapter Meetings
- Creed Speaking
- Employment Skills
- Extemporaneous Public Speaking
- Parliamentary Procedure
The page also links Prepared Public Speaking and the Agricultural Issues Forum without labeling them either way. North Carolina recaps use the state's own wording, such as Employability Skills, Spanish Creed and Quiz Bowl, so expect the state list to differ somewhat from the national one.
Creed Speaking
National FFA says Creed Speaking is exclusively for seventh, eighth and ninth grade members. Contestants memorize and recite the FFA Creed, then answer questions about the creed and basic agriculture. North Carolina also runs a Spanish Creed contest: Trinity High School won it at the April 2026 West Central regional rally, per a school recap. At the 2025 state convention, Lumberton's Esmeralda Pedro Cuevas placed first in Spanish creed speaking and advanced to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, according to a WKML report. The 2026 state creed champion was Brayden Patterson of Lumberton, per a Lumberton FFA recap.
Public Speaking
The two public speaking contests test different skills.
- Extemporaneous Public Speaking: per National FFA, members give an impromptu speech on an agriculture topic with no advance preparation. Judges score speaking, presentation, content and answers to questions.
- Prepared Public Speaking: per National FFA, it has three parts: a manuscript, an oral presentation and a question and answer session on a current agricultural topic. At nationals, top participants move through preliminary and semifinal rounds to a final.
At the 2026 West Central regional rally, Alyssa Hampton of Southwestern Randolph High School won Extemporaneous Public Speaking, per the school recap. Time limits and grade divisions are not given on the national pages, so get them from the state handbook.
Parliamentary Procedure
Parliamentary Procedure is a team event in which members run a meeting and handle motions. At the 2026 state convention, Lumberton's six-member team placed second, per the Lumberton FFA recap. Ask your advisor for the team size and officer roles used in your region, since the national pages reviewed do not state them.
Employability Skills
National FFA calls this contest Employment Skills, and it has virtual components scheduled for late September and early October ahead of the national convention. North Carolina recaps call it Employability Skills. Providence Grove High School's Leah Morton placed third at the 2026 West Central rally, per the school recap.
The State Convention
The 2026 North Carolina FFA State Convention ran June 23 to 25 at the Raleigh Convention Center, per the event listing. The 2024 convention page shows how the logistics ran that year: registration through judgingcard.com at $30 per participant, CDE and LDE registration closing in early June, and advisors required to register regionally advancing students for state. Registrations were non-refundable once submitted. Confirm each year's deadlines on ncffa.org.
Reaching Nationals
North Carolina winners have gone far. At the 2022 National FFA Convention, South Lenoir's Rachel Noble won Creed Speaking and Sydney Loflin earned a Silver Emblem in Extemporaneous Public Speaking, per NC State. Nationals for 2026 were scheduled for October 21 to 24, with team certification and uploads due September 1.
Preparing
- Start with your advisor and the current handbook for the event you want.
- Creed contestants: memorize the creed, then practice answering basic agriculture questions out loud.
- Extemporaneous speakers: practice on many agriculture topics, since you do not choose the issue you get.
- Prepared speakers: write the manuscript early, because it is scored along with the speech and the questions.
- Parliamentary Procedure teams: meet often to rehearse, and recruit enough members before the regional rally.
- Register on time for the state convention, because late registrations can miss printed materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can enter Creed Speaking?
Only seventh, eighth and ninth grade members, according to National FFA.
Is there a Spanish creed contest?
Yes. North Carolina FFA recaps from 2025 and 2026 report Spanish Creed contests at the region and state levels.
When is the state convention?
The 2026 convention was June 23 to 25 in Raleigh. The date changes each year.
How do state winners reach the national contest?
Recent North Carolina winners were reported advancing to the National FFA Convention in October. Ask your advisor for the certification steps.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.