National Christmas Tree Association facts for kids
The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) is a group in the United States for people who work with Christmas trees. It has over 5,100 members, including tree growers and others. This organization helps its members in three main ways: promoting Christmas trees and doing research, talking to government officials about their ideas, and offering training and education. The NCTA started in 1955 and has more than 1,800 active members.
Contents
The National Christmas Tree Association
The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) is a special group for people involved in growing and selling Christmas trees. Think of it as a club for Christmas tree experts! They work to support the Christmas tree industry across the United States.
What the NCTA Does
The NCTA focuses on a few key areas to help its members and the Christmas tree industry:
- Promoting Christmas Trees: They help share how wonderful real Christmas trees are. This includes doing research to find better ways to grow healthy trees.
- Talking to the Government: The NCTA represents its members by talking to government officials in Washington D.C. This is called lobbying, and it means they share their ideas and concerns to help make sure laws support Christmas tree farmers.
- Educating Professionals: They offer training and information to help their members learn new skills and grow better trees. This helps ensure that families can find beautiful, fresh Christmas trees every year.
The White House Christmas Tree Contest
One of the most exciting things the National Christmas Tree Association does is provide the official White House Christmas tree. This special tree is also known as the Blue Room Christmas Tree. The NCTA has been donating this tree to the First Lady since 1966.
How the Tree is Chosen
The White House Christmas tree isn't just picked from any farm. It's chosen through a fun and competitive contest among NCTA members!
- First, Christmas tree growers compete in smaller contests in their own state or region.
- The winners from these local contests then get a chance to compete at the National Convention.
- The grower who wins at the National Convention is named the "Grand Champion."
- The Grand Champion then has the honor of presenting their beautiful Christmas tree to the First Lady at the White House. This tree becomes the centerpiece of the White House holiday decorations!
See also
