The Basics
Q: Who is eligible to compete in Chevron’s Delo® Tractor Restoration Competition?
A: All high school students who are members of the FFA are eligible to compete in the Delo Tractor Restoration Competition (TRC). If you are not a high school student during the restoration period and are not affiliated with the FFA, you are not eligible to participate.
Q: Can I/we have help?
A: We encourage parents, agriculture teachers and FFA Advisors to be active in your restoration project from an advisory standpoint. They should be there to offer help with questions, explain best practices, observe and enforce safety precautions, and be your go-to person for any questions. However, this is a student project. Advisors and parents should not be completing the workbooks or restoring tractor components without student involvement. We also encourage students to reach out to the community and Chevron lubrication marketers (distributors) who may also provide advice or technical information. A list of these distributors can be found on: ChevronSignatureClass.com
Q: This project is hard...and expensive! Any ideas?
A: There are several ways to ease the financial burden of this project. Fundraise! Have a bake sale, do community chores, place a story in the paper about your project and see the response you get. You’ll be surprised how many people in your town will come out to get involved! Don’t try to do this all by yourselves. Delo® sponsors the program...so try going to a local store that sells Chevron Motor Oils and ask if they’ll donate the lubricants needed for your restoration project. You may also reach out to Chevron distributors in your area to ask for assistance or guidance. If you don’t have an agriculture shop at your school, see if you can get tools donated, or workshop space donated. It’s not as hard as you might think – just ask!
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Getting Started
Q: Where do I begin? Where do I get a tractor?
A: While Chevron sponsors this competition, we do not typically provide or have any specific knowledge as to where you can get a tractor. Drive around your town or rural surrounding areas. Check the papers to see if anyone is selling an antique tractor, or to find upcoming auctions. Check with your FFA Advisor – they may be able to assist you in finding a tractor. If you are interested in restoring an Oliver tractor, you can contact the Hart Parr Oliver Club at:
www.hartparroliver.org
Q: What kind of tractor am I looking for?
A: There aren’t many rules regarding the types of tractors that you can restore for this competition. We don’t have a rule regarding the age of the tractor or the model of the tractor. However, it does need to be a tractor that, in its past life, was an important working member of the farm. This program is sponsored by Delo. If your tractor doesn’t need any lubricants, it’s probably not the right type of tractor. If you are in doubt, please feel free to contact the TRC Coordinator toll free: 800-859-0485 or email info@DeloTRC.com
Q: I’ve registered and downloaded the Workbook file, but it won’t open on my computer. What’s wrong?
A: In 2011 for the first time, Chevron’s Delo Tractor Restoration has gone green and the workbook template is provided in Microsoft Word®. If you do not have Microsoft Word, you can download open source software which will allow you to open the document and incorporate your content. Go to www.OpenOffice.org to download open source software. Your workbook must be incorporated into the Word template and sent to the competition electronically. If you need technical assistance with the format of the 2011 workbook, please refer to your software (Word or Open Office). For general questions about the workbook submission please contact the TRC Coordinator toll free: 800-859-0485 or email info@DeloTRC.com
Q: I’ve registered for the program and downloaded my Official TRC Workbook, but what if I don’t finish my project and decide not to submit it for consideration in this year’s competition?
A: Registering to get the workbook does not, in any way, obligate you to submit the workbook for the current year’s competition. We know that finishing a project such as this is hard work and you have other priorities. Feel free to use the workbook as a guide as you go along during your project. For the 2011 competition, the new format must be used and all submissions should be in this format. Refer to the instruction book for additional details.
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Submitting Projects
Q: Do I have to use the Word template for my workbook?
A: Yes! The 2011 competition has gone green and we have provided the Word template so that all the workbooks submitted have the same content. We strongly recommend that the finished workbook be converted to a .PDF document before submitting. Please refer to the competition instruction book for more details.
Q: How do I submit the workbook?
A: Workbooks must be submitted electronically by the noted deadline. Send workbooks to: info@DeloTRC.com Refer to the instruction book for additional details of the submission process with respect to emailing large files. We no longer accept printed workbooks; however, finalists will be required to bring a printed copy with them to the presentation.
Q: What should be in the workbook?
A: Your workbook should definitely be creative! It’s the gateway to becoming a finalist. Make it colorful and visual with photos documenting your project. Please refer to the competition instruction book for more details.
Q: When do I need to get my Official TRC Workbook to you?
A: The deadline for workbook submissions is August 29, 2011, but it is best if you try to get your workbook in early.
Q: What happens after I mail my Official TRC Workbook to you?
A: The deadline for workbook submissions is August 29, 2011, but it is best if you try to get your workbook in early. Refer to the official instruction book for details on submission of your workbook. In 2011 for the first time, workbooks must be submitted electronically. The instruction book contains lots of detailed information about all the requirements, as well as tips, and tricks.
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The Finals
Q: I'm a Finalist! What happens now?
A: Congratulations! Finalists will be notified first on Facebook, followed by an official email with details of the final competition to be held at the National FFA Convention. Finalists will travel to the competition to deliver oral presentations on their restoration project to the judging panel. All participants are responsible for their travel expenses. Once selected as a finalist, be sure to make arrangements as soon as possible to attend the convention. You don’t need to bring your tractors with you--just you and/or your team, and your parents/guardians/FFA Advisors.
Q: What happens at the finals during the FFA convention?
A: At the finals, we have a panel of judges experienced in tractor restoration. You will conduct an oral presentation about your restoration project. In this presentation you will use public speaking to reiterate what you have documented in your workbook. Feel free to use any type of visual display – PowerPoint Presentations, Storyboards, actual parts from the old tractor, etc. But we want to hear you speak too! We want to get a sense of who you are, what you’re like and what you learned. You may also include your video in the presentation but it is not necessary or mandatory as the judges will already have viewed your video.
After you give your presentation, there is a Q&A period where the judges can ask you questions about your presentation and/or your project. Be prepared to know specifics about tasks that you performed and your documentation. But don’t be scared...our judges don’t bite...usually, anyway.
Q: What?! An Oral Presentation? Yikes! What should I do?!
A: Ok, breathe. Don’t be scared. Oral presentations can be lots of fun. The most important part of giving an oral presentation is keeping your audience’s interest peaked. If you’re making the presentation as a team, you might start with a skit about your project or something that happened. If you have a PowerPoint presentation, include some funny pictures. It’s perfectly acceptable to have your talking points written on cue cards or index cards with you up there. We know how easy it is to lose your train of thought when you’re nervous. While it’s awesome if you can memorize your speech...don’t feel obligated to do so. We want you to be totally comfortable up there. So do whatever you need to, to be comfortable.
Q: What happens after I give my presentation?
A: The presentations are given over the span of two days during the National FFA Convention, on Wednesday and Thursday, and the Awards Ceremony follows on Thursday evening. We will recognize all finalists and the video competition winners, and then we will announce the First, Second and Third Prize winners plus the team with the Best Presentation and Video Votes. But don’t forget...You Are All Winners. This is hard work and you should be proud of yourselves regardless of the outcome.
Q: Who is invited to the Awards Ceremony?
A: All finalists will receive notification and must respond to the notification. We will need to know from all finalists how many people to expect at the competition. Generally the FFA advisors and the students’ parents attend the Awards Ceremony. We have limited seating so additional family members are welcome, within reason, provided we still have seating available. We need to know how many to expect ahead of time.
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