More Active Membership Is District Y.F.C. Aim

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29193, 2 May 1960, Page 13

More Active Membership Is District Y.F.C. Aim

Young farmers’ clubs in the Christchurch district had a membership of 747 at the end of March, including 365 in school clubs. Reporting this to the twenty-third annual meeting of the district committee, the chairman (Mr S. C. Miller) said that it represented a "ain of 29 country and 12 school members in nine country, five school and the Lincoln College and Avon clubs. Mr Miller said that a new club had been formed on Banks Peninsula at the beginning of the year and there was now a good prospect of forming a club at Dunsandel. A problem that had faced the district throughout the year had been how to get all financial members to become active members. In this respect, Mr Miller said, club officers, and chairmen and secretaries in particular, should realise that this was their problem and responsibility. “I consider that by reading and following the club handbook themselves, and encouraging the ordinary member to do likewise, this problem can be overcome to a great extent,” he said. Following the federation’s annual general meeting in Gisborne last June the chairman said that the committee had discussed a proposal that it consider a division of the district. “Although clubs were not in favour of the proposal at the time, I feel that he matter should be investigated again at some future date,” Mr Miller said. The district committee’s land settlement committee had not met during the year as land and finance were still hard to come by. “To those members interested, do not dispair,” he said. "The Dominion executive committee have had talks with the Minister

of Lands and they were not altogether in vain.”

Mr Miller said that district farm safety officers had been quite active in the last year giving lectures to most clubs. “To those clubs who have not invited our officers to their meetings I urge them to do so as it is up to young farmers to make farming safer,” he said. Club farm safety officers had formed themselves into a group and it was hoped to hold three meetings a year. Mr Miller said that the Ladbrooks club had won the efficiency contest with 781 points. The three clubs filling the top positions this year had all gained more points that last year’s winning total. The annual meeting was attended by 50 delegates from clubs.

Officers elected were:—Chairman, Mr J. King; vice-chairman, Mr T. Jenkins; organiser, Mr F. G. Ferguson; treasurer, Mr J. Davis; auditor, Mr R. Hill; secretary, Mr G. Aveyard; co-opted members, Messrs P, Morrison, N. Wright, D. Watson, M. G. Paterson and G. Butcher; delegates to Canterbury Council, Messrs J. King, N. Wright and T. E. Streeter; Federated Farmers’ representative, Mr G. Butcher; Country Girls’ Clubs' representatives, Messrs R. F. Gilbert and N. J. Moorhead: farm safety officer, Mr B. Watson; emergency committee, Messrs J. King, T. Jenkins, S. C. Miller, F. G. Ferguson, and G. Aveyard; debating sub-committee, Father J. B. Loft, Messrs G. R. Lyall, W. Stark, A. Rivers, J. King and N. Wright; selection committee, Messrs J. King, A. F. Wright, F. G. Ferguson, S. C. Miller; land settlement sub-committee, Messrs J. King, T. Jenkins, D. H. Watpon, A. F. Wright, and G. Aveyard.