National Future Farmer

16
FOR ALL OFFICIAL
FFA MERCHANDISE
See your chapter
catalogue
ir i^ ir
FUTURE FARMERS
SUPPLY SERVICE
Box 1 1 80
Alexandria, Va.
* * *
Owned and operated
by the Future Farmers
of America.
Boy Scouts and FFA
A TEAM FOR SAFETY
A Future Farmer explains some of the hazards
of operating farm machinery to a local Scout.
Careless use of machinery causes nearly one-
third of the accidental farm deaths in U. S.
I'luitos by Bob E, Taylor
FUTURE FARMERS are old hands
at promoting safety. So are the
Boy Scouts. Now the idea of the two
working together in the area of safety
has been proposed and it has benefits
for both groups.
When the National FFA Officers
visited the national headquarters of the
Boy Scouts of America on their 1958
Good Will Tour, they were informed of
the Scouts' National Rural Safety Good
Turn for 1958. This is the Scouts"
largest single activity to date, and they
have asked the FFA to assist them in
promoting rural safety. The National
FFA Office has given its nod of approval
and has asked State FFA As-
sociations to co-operate.
Your chapter is no doubt engaged in
safety activities in its program of work
each year. Why not co-ordinate some
of these activities with the Scouts?
FFA members are particularly suited
to this type of activity. Their age and
leadership ability, along with their
knowledge and experience of power
equipment and machinery, should make
this a "natural program" for every
chapter.
Most of the work carried on by the
two organizations is in different areas
of safety. This makes joint demonstrations
fit like hand and glove. And
after demonstrating at FFA and Scout
meetings, don't overlook other interested
groups. Parent-Teacher Asso-
ciations, civic clubs, and other local
organizations would certainly be in-
terested in a program of this type.
Several areas of safety that receive
little attention from the FFA are where
the Scouts are at their best. They are
These Scouts are showing two
Future Farmers how to handle
firearms in a safe manner.
qualified to give demonstrations to
FFA chapters on First Aid, Aquatics,
Lifesaving, Boating, Swimming, and
Firearms Safety.
Some suggestions on rural safety
demonstrations for the FFA to give include;
Tractor Safety, Machinery and
Equipment Safety, Highway Safety,
Power Tool Safety, Safety with Animals,
Fire Prevention, Home Safety,
Electrical Safety, and Handling and
Using Agricultural Chemicals such as
insecticides and sprays.
Don't think that accidents always
happen to someone else. You can
learn from these safety demonstrations
and it may save your life. A recent
study of farm accidents in Pennsylvania
for one year showed that boys,
from 15 to 19 years of age, had the
highest accident rate of anyone.
Here is a breakdown of how the ac-
cidental deaths on the farm occur in
the United States, and unless we get
right to work on promoting safety,
some of us aren't going to be around
this time next year.
FATAL FARM ACCIDENTS: Machinery
caused 31.1%, Drownings accounted
for 12.9%, Firearms 12.7%,
Falls 11.0%, Animals 6.3%, Burns
6.2%', Blows 6.0%, Electrical Current
3.2%. Lightning 3.1%, and other types
of accidents 7.5%
From these figures it seems as if
members of the FFA and the Boy
Scouts of America have selected critical
areas for promoting rural safety
LET'S BACK THE ATTACK with a
GOOD TURN. The life you save may
be your own.
The National FUTURE FARMER