Y.F.C. jubilee celebration

Press, 9 March 1984, Page 21

Y.F.C. jubilee celebration

The rural areas of New Zealand will this year ring to the sound of jubilee celebrations of the Young Farmers Club movement and the first such event in North Canterbury will be staged by the HawardenWaikari club on Saturday, March 24. This club was one of 50 which started the Y.F.C. movement in 1934 and who are planning to mark their jubilee with some sort of event this year. Hawarden-Waikari will hold a jubilee ball in the Hawarden Hall and any

former members of the club who have not been contacted have been asked to contact Mr G. Olrenshaw, Hawarden, R.D., if they wish to attend. A club member, Mr David Sidey, of Hawarden, has been looking back through the records and says that membership in the early years was around 25. After the Second World War membership lifted to 45 until the mid 19705. It is at present again 25 but Mr Sidey says the drop can be attributed to the decline in

rural employment and not to a lack of enthusiasm. The first club ploughing match was held in 1946 and this continued as a wellsupported club day for 20 years. The club was proud of the fact that one of its members was New Zealand’s first winner of an Atlantic Silver Plough Final.

A shearing and woolhandling competiton was begun in 1948 and this became the forerunner of the present day competitions, which have a keen following.. ; ■