Sitting around an oak table, Walter Newman stated the following need for a new organization for young farm boys:
"In my opinion the farm boys of Virginia who are enrolled in vocational agriculture are equal to any other group of boys in the State. But somehow the boys themselves seem to have a feeling of inferiority. Especially is this true when the farm boy goes to the city and has to compete with his city cousin. This condition should not exist. I believe that a strong organization of our boys in agriculture would help them to overcome this handicap. Let's form an organization that will give them a greater opportunity for self-expression and for the development of leadership. In this way they will develop confidence in their own ability and pride in the fact that they are farm boys."
Newman met with Edmund Magill, Henry Groseclose and Harry Sanders around that oak table and created the parameters of the Future Farmers of Virginia (FFV); the organization that turned into today's National FFA Organization. The men used team-based leadership to create the new organization. Henry Groseclose, considered the "Father of the FFA," created the constitution, ceremonies, rituals, and degrees of membership. Walter Newman advocated for the new organization and helped create new statewide organizations throughout the nation. Edmund Magill trained a generation of agriculture teachers as a professor at Virginia Tech. Harry Sanders served as a district agriculture teacher supervisor and established an agricultural education department in Puerto Rico before returning to Virginia Tech. The FFV served as the framework for the foundation of the Future Farmers of America in 1928.
Each member of the team recognized the need to create an organization for farm boys. The team members pursued different paths while expanding the FFA. The foundation of the FFA was a solution to a problem developed through a team approach. When faced with a challenge, teams need to analyze problems then pursue solutions based upon the strengths of the individual members. True team leadership can create solutions that can positively affect millions of people.
