FLOCK HOUSE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 146, 17 December 1924, Page 6

FLOCK HOUSE

TRAINING BRITISH BOYS

FOR LAND

KOW THE SCHEME IS WORKING

HIGHLY SATISFACTORY

REPORTS.

Some interesting particulars of the working of the scheme for the training of British boys for farming in New Zealand at Flock House, Rangitikei, are contained in the report of the Hon. Edward Newman, chairman of the New Zealand Sheepowners' Acknowledgment of Debt to British Seamen Fund, presented to the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees this afternoon. The area of land acquired amounts to 6071 acres freehold and 1818 leasehold with ample buildings, including Flock House itself, where the boys are domiciled. -Uiere is a staff comprising the manager and the usual farm employees—gardener, shepherds, ploughman, fencer, carpenter, dairyman, etc.—and a master and matron to run the hostel. "Very great care was taken in the selection of a suitable staff," says the report, "and the result has been very satisfactory; all the staff being of a high moral character and expert at their particular jobs, who work with the boys and teach them the best way of doing all classes of farm work. Flock House Station has proved, as anticipated, most suitable for the purpose of training overseas boys in the initial stages of farm and station work, as it comprises all classes of land and enables every description of farm lyork to be. undertaken. There is ample accommodation for fifty boys and the staff,- with dining accommodation for over one hundred. . . ." The property has been fully stocked with sheep and cattle, the latter comprising a lar"e well-bred herd of Polled Angus for fattening and a dairy herd of grade Jerseys.'. The sheep are of a good Eomney type. All the stock ai'e in good condition. A start was made last July with the afforestation of the lighter land, 75 acres being planted with pinus radiata. ■A nursery has been. established to provide trees for. planting 100 acres in each of the two following years. The boys are selected in England by the London Advisory Committee from those;' whose fathers were killed or injured while serving in the Royal Navy or British Mercantile Marine during the war.-. "The committee is keenly alive," states the report, "to the necessity that only lads of good character and sound health and physique should be sent out, and the boys already received area credit to their selection. Ihe ages.vary from 14 to 18."

The first draft of boys (25) arrived by the s.s. Remuera at Auckland en 2800iine, 1924, and at Flock House on 30tlr'June. The second draft (29) rrrived by the s.s. Rotorua at Wellington on 18th September, and reached Flock House on the same day. The boys travelled from England in charge ox cfficers of the V.M.C.A., who kindly place suitable officials at our disposal for the purpose. The third draft (29) left' England by the s.s. Corinthic on 29th November, due in New Zealand on 4tb .January, 1925. • :'..... TRAINING OF BOYS. ■ ' "All the boys settled down to work on arrival with enthusiasm aud determination to make good, and many have become quite useful farm assistants. They, are allotted weekly by the manager in drafts to the different jobs of dairying, fencing,; shepherding, ploughing, gardening, and orchard, carpentering, scrub-cutting, etc., and work under and with the foreman of the particular job to which they are allotted. A number, vare ■ also allotted weekly to . the hostel, as orderlies, and these boys assist m the house-cleaningj washing, preparation of food, cooking, etc. A very good arid full kit of clothes, covering all necessaries and including oilskin, overcoat, rug, etc., is supplied to each boy by the fund before leaving England, and becomes the boy's own property on leaving Flock House. ;

" Technical instruction in the theory and practice of agriculture, live stock raising, seeds, manures, insect pests, weeds, etc., is given twice weekly by the director and lecturers of the Feilding Agricultural High School.. Military drill, and physical exercises have been provided for by the formation under the Defence Department of the Flock House Senior Cadet Company, an experienced officer, who is an employee of the, station, being company- commander, and it is intended to shortly install a rifle range. Football, cricket, and tennis (besides indoor^ games) are played by the boys, the cricketing outfit being presented by His Excellency the Governor-General (Viscount Jellicoe), and the tennis outfit by Levin and Co., Ltd. " Church services are held every Sunday at Flock House by the ministers of the different denominations, at which the local residents as well as the boys and staff of Flock House attend; It is hoped during the current year to be able to. erect our own chapel for this purpose.

OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT.

The report goes' on to state that the ' trustees have received many applications from farmers who wish to obtain the services of the boys as farm assistants when they are fitted for employment. Preference is given as employenj to sub- I scribers to the fund and the utmost care is taken to place the boys suitably. Up to date nineteen boys have bi>en placed in -satisfactory positions with good' homes and at curernt rates of wages on •three years' agreement with subscribers to.the .fund in the following districts:— Wairarapa (1), Hawkes Bay (5), Poverty Bay (I), Wanganui (2), North Taranaki (1), Wellington.-Manawafju (8), Marlborough (1). The farmers with whom the boys are employed are taking the greatest personal .interest in the lads, rind have expressed their appreciation of the excellent' initial training which been effected in so short a time. It is probable that before the end of the year all the first draft of boys will have been placed. FUTURE WELFARE. The boys leaving Flock House have been_ encouraged to form themselves into a "Flock House Old Boys' Association," and to keep closely in touch by correspondence with each oth(>r and the managing trustee (.Mr. T. H-. Lees). It is intended to hold at Flo>;'k House an annual camp and re-union of all old boys on the 30th June in ench year, the anmversary of the arrival of the first lot of boys, ex the s.s. Rcjmuera, to further the spirit of comradeship and to cultivate in the minds of ,the boys the feeling that Flock House is their New Zealand home. The trustees' interest in the lads will not cease until the time comes when they are all -satisfactorily settled on farms of their ovni and in a position to help others in ijhe way they have themselves been helped When they are of mature- age and aye competent farmers ■and have proved tiieiv worth by employers' reports and t/ieir own savings, the trustees will consider further assistance towards the desired end, so far as funds will permit. '

ASSISTANCES TO GIRLS AND

MOTHERS.

"It is very necessary," concludes the report, "that Uie work which is being

clone for the assistance of the orphaned boys should be extended to their sisters, and the trustees are closely considering methods by which this can be done. In many cases widowed mothers and sisters of boys under training at Flock House wish to come out to New Zealand, arid the trustees hope within a reasonable time to inaugurate a satisfactory scheme by which this can be accomplished."