The local program is agricultural education's primary delivery vehicle and the local chapter is the FFA's most vital unit. FFA is agricultural education's leadership and personal skill development component. The state association and its administrative subdivisions--districts and areas--exist to support the mission of the local chapter in developing opportunities for members to master and apply leadership skills in a functioning local organization, demonstrate knowledge and skills in competitive events, gain recognition for outstanding supervised experience programs through degrees and awards and earn scholarships for future educational endeavors through a strong award and academic scholarship program.
In each community, school district and on each campus where an FFA chapter is chartered, the local unit is the face of the entire agricultural education/FFA system. Therefore, the Texas FFA has a vested interest in ensuring that each new chapter reflects the values and elements of an effective chapter. The Texas FFA exercises this perogative through the application of the emblem and trademarks of the organization which are protected by federal law and policies enacted by the National FFA Organization and the Texas FFA Association.
Agricultural education programs in public, charter or accredited private schools who wish to charter an FFA chapter should download and print the documents listed at the bottom of this page and follow the chartering steps described, beginning with the verification of a systematic instructional program pursuant to the TEA State Plan for Career and Technical Education. Once the instructional program is verified and approved, a chapter number shall be secured and a provisional (temporary) charter shall be issued. This temporary charter allows a new local chapter to participate just like any other chapter, but expires at the end of the membership year (August 31) during which it is issued unless extended by the state executive director. No temporary charter may be extended more than one additional year. A permanent charter is issued when all criteria and benchmarks established by Texas FFA Association policy are satisfied. Charter documents shall be issued at the state convention held during the membership year of permanent charter issue.