Letters – Reader asks CCJLS Board to reconsider new sale rules

o the Editor:
I would like to voice my distress at the rules being enforced by CCJLS Board.

In this year’s rulebook, Rule No. 7 states: “The Committee (CCFA President, General Superintendent, Division Superintendents and/or assistants involved) may break all classes and have the right to combine classes if necessary. The bottom 15 percent rounded is NOT eligible to

move up and may not sell.”

Last years rule states: “The Committee (CCFA President, General Superintendent, Division Superintendents and/or assistants involved) may break all classes and have the right to combine classes if necessary. A maximum of the top 75 percent rounded may sell with double entries being replaced by moving up next place animals in that class.”

The way that I read the new rule is that every child will not have the chance to sell, period. My understanding for the rule is that the sale will not take as long for the buyers, and so that the children who make sale will receive more money for their projects.

I thought that the reason for children to be involved in 4-H and FFA was for the kids to learn responsibility, husbandry and community. All this rule will teach them is that they worked hard all year to raise and show the best animal possible, and that their hard work is for nothing, because they never got a chance to sell.

Placement in any show can vary greatly on what a judge prefers in any animal. One child’s animal may do well at one show and not at another.

However, most children who show in Lockhart, only show in Lockhart. They do not go to major shows. So this is the only opportunity that they have to show or sell their animal. The buyers, whether buyers’ groups or individuals, will buy all of the animals that are put up for sale. The Lockhart community as a whole has always supported the children of CCJLS with their projects, and I don’t see that changing.

I would rather that my child had a chance to sell for any amount of money than not sell at all. Sale is the climax of the project. Not being able to sell is like cutting out the end of a great movie.

I wish that the CCJLS Board would reconsider this decision that will only affect the kids in the long run.

How many will never show again, and learn what their potential to mankind could be because they were denied the chance to sell their project? Aren’t we supposed to be helping these children to decide what they will be when they grow up by giving them all of the opportunities we can, and encouraging them to give it their all?

These children will be making the decisions that affect all of us in the future.

We will still need farmers and ranchers to sustain or economy and way of life. Without these skills, how will we feed future generations? Granted, we all want our children to grow up to be the next President of the United States, but even the President has to eat.
Sincerely,
Laurie Davis
Lockhart