Two individuals who pushed this concept from the very beginning were Danny and Lynn Clayton, a husband and wife team who are both residents of the Pungo Christian Academy community. They saw a tremendous need for their private school to offer courses in agricultural education and leadership training through the FFA. Because of their persistence and the support of The North Carolina Farm Bureau and many other citizens and school officials in both the Pungo Community and throughout North Carolina, the North Carolina FFA Board of Directors was petitioned and voted to grant PCA a charter. The new FFA policy language which makes this possible is as follows:

FFA Membership

Private schools that wish to charter an FFA chapter must meet the following Requirements:

1. Systematic instruction in agricultural education must be provided.
2. A chapter constitution in keeping with the state FFA constitution has been created.
3. FFA officers must be elected and installed.
4. A current program of activities must be in effect.
5. State and National dues are submitted in a timely manner.
6. A request for a charter is submitted to the State FFA Coordinator.

Immediately after the passage of this policy language, Pungo Christian Academy Headmaster, Alice Keeney, with the cooperation of the Pungo Christian Academy School Board advertised and hired Mr. Gary Lewis as the agriculture teacher. Mr. Lewis immediately began working to establish an Agricultural Production and Management Curriculum and in putting together an FFA Program of Activities. Students of the school were quickly identified as to their interest in agriculture and fourteen students were placed in the newly formed agriculture program. Students were charged a special fee for agriculture which included their state and national FFA dues. As a result, all of the students who are enrolled in agricultural education at PCA are FFA members. The success of the program during its first year has led to an astounding increase in agricultural enrollment for the second year. The school has reported that nearly 50 students have enrolled in their agricultural classes. Mr. Lewis said, " It is absolutely unbelievable at the amount of interest we have here for agriculture and the FFA. My biggest problem now is to find the space that is needed to teach all of them. I even have some of the parents eager to become members of the FFA Alumni Association."

Other private schools in North Carolina have learned of the success of the agricultural education program at PCA and have included the program in their school curriculum as well. Hobgood Academy located in Halifax County is the most recent example of this. This school hired Ms. Kim Cannon as its agriculture teacher at the beginning of the year. The newly formed program had its formal FFA Charter signing presentation in March with local television coverage of the event provided. All of the agriculture students enrolled in the program must be members of the FFA and therefore were privileged to place their names on the FFA charter representing the first FFA members at Hobgood Academy. Interest has grown to the point that Ms. Cannon will see an increase in the number of courses involving agriculture at her school for next year. "I truly am excited, 'she said. The students are the ones who sell the program. I already have many of them who have indicated that they want to continue their agricultural education experience beyond high school."

Last revised May 22, 2001

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