Collegiate Farm Bureau Discussion Meet
Published
4/3/2019
The Collegiate Discussion Meet is an activity designed to build these crucial skills in young, active leaders in agriculture on the collegiate level. By participating, members build basic discussion skills, develop a keen understanding of important agricultural issues and explore how groups can pool knowledge to reach consensus and solve problems. The Collegiate Discussion Meet is a competition promoted by the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee.
The Collegiate Discussion Meet is designed to simulate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each committee member. The competitors will discuss pre-selected topics. The four fundamental bases of general discussion are: Cooperation; Constructive Criticism; Problem Solving; Communication.
The discussion should not be "conversation" or aimless talk, nor should the participant take the role of a persuasive speaker. The participant should try to cooperatively shed light on the problem and tentatively retain a flexible position.
A successful participant is a productive thinker rather than an emotional persuader. Sometimes it’s reasonable to change positions whenever new information and ideas are presented. This is not a panel symposium wherein each participant, in turn, makes a presentation, with the moderator ending the session with a summary. Rather, it is an exercise in cooperative problem solving, with the questions, answers and statements coming from any person at any time. The moderator plays an inactive role during the discussion.
The state winner receives an expense paid trip to the AFBF Young Farmer and Rancher Conference and will compete in the AFBF YF&R Collegiate Farm Bureau Discussion Meet.