Understanding FFA’s Parli Pro

■ Editor’s note: The FFA Ag Marketing team, which took first place at state last week, will be featured in this newspaper next week.

What exactly is Parli Pro, in FFA vernacular? And why is it important? How did the Chase County Schools (CCS) FFA chapter’s team become state champions this year?
    Parli Pro is the shortened name for Parliamentary Procedure.
    Parliamentary Procedure is the way a meeting is conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order. It is used in most governmental and social meetings as the way to conduct those meetings.
    FFA chapters around the nation compete to show their members’ understanding of that process.
    Last week the Chase County chapter’s Senior Parli Pro team took first place at the state level, followed by Raymond Central High School, Arlington Public Schools and Hayes Center Public Schools.
    This isn’t the first time CCH has recently taken a state title. That also occurred in 2019, when the team went on to become national champions.
    Parli Pro coach Jeremy
Vlasin, who is also an agriculture and social science teacher at CCS, noted that once a team has won, its members cannot compete the next year.
    Therefore, “It gets tough. After the year we win, we don’t have a team with experience the next year.”
    This year’s team consists of sophomore Kade Anderson as President, sophomores Carter Leibbrandt, Madelynn Hanes, Colin O’Neil and Elizabeth Reeves and junior Morel Jurrado.
    There are multiple parts to competition, Vlasin noted. The first tests, in writing, a student’s knowledge of parliamentary law.
    The second tests the student’s knowledge orally with questions he or she has to answer.
    The third gives a student motions to demonstrate; the student also must show knowledge of additional motions.
    The fourth is to carry on a debate on the main topic of the demonstration.
    The parliamentary procedure demonstrated by the teams is more rigid than the interpretation of Roberts Rules of Order used in regular, normal meetings such as the local school board or city council, Vlasin noted.
    The whole competition process takes 11 minutes, he said.
    Normally, the students compete at the State FFA Convention in Lincoln each spring. However, due to Covid-19, all FFA competition was held virtually this year.
    Twenty-four teams participated in the preliminary competition March 25, out of which four moved on to state competition
April 6.
    Vlasin said that although showing the competition via Zoom from St. Patrick Catholic Church’s Fellowship Hall in Imperial didn’t have the same ambiance as Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, it did have one advantage.
    “Normally most people in Imperial don’t get to see the team’s reaction to” being declared winners. “So, it was fun to watch the videos and the expressions, and how much it actually means” to win.
    However, practicing for competition via Zoom is not as acceptable, Vlasin stated.
    Last year that’s how practice was held, with students staring at a screen and not talking to each other, Vlasin said.
    “The kids know I’m competitive and want to put them in a position where they can win and be the best,” he said.
    But, “It won’t mean anything if they’re not doing it for each other, to commit to each other. Without that it wouldn’t matter if we win.”
    In addition, competing virtually causes stress due to the uncertainty of technology. Is the Internet going to crash halfway through the video, or will the sound cut out? “Technology could fail and cost us the win,” the coach added.
    Vlasin questioned the decision to hold the State FFA Convention virtually this year. He pointed to the 6,000-per-day audiences at the state boys basketball tournaments in Lincoln, and the state wrestling tournament, which, of course, were not held virtually.
    “I walk away being most proud of our teams because they’re being asked  to do what previous teams have been asked to do, but with no crowds, no Pinnacle Bank arena, the things that make it (State) unique.”
    It’s a mentally tough process, he stated. “They’re being robbed of a huge chunk of experience.”
    The Senior Parliamentary Procedure team may be traveling to the national competition in Indianapolis, Indiana next October. Or, it could be competing virtually again. As of now,  National FFA has said there will be “virtual components,” Vlasin said.
    “I hope that as time goes on they can walk that decision back” to in-person interviews and competition.
    Vlasin, who has coached Parli Pro  since the 2009-2010 school year, wants to see FFA teams receive the recognition due to state and national champions.
    “What you do isn’t on display every week like sports teams. There’s a lot of work that goes into competition.”