YOUNG FARMERS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 302, 19 November 1938, Page 6

YOUNG FARMERS

ACTIVITIES OF CLUBS. PROPOSED SOUTHERN TOUR. Activities during the past year of the Young Farmers’ Clubs were reviewed in a report presented by the secretary (Mr G. R. Robinson) at a meeting of the Manawatu district committee, yesterday, over which Mr H. J. Lancaster (Glen Oroua) presided.

“The success of the 1300-miie tour of the North Island by 140 Manawatu members,” the report stated, “showed that the camping method was mo6t satisfactory and should become very popular in the future. The question of a similar trip perhaps embracing part of the South Island in the coming year is worthy of consideration. Congratulations must go to the Apiti Club in being the first winners of the Vilcs Debating Shield. This competition attracted entries from 15 clubs, and next year, following the interest taken in this year’s competition, all clubs, I think, will be entering teams. The success of the cavalcade of agriculture as a publicity method is well-known to all, and it certainly gave the movement a great impetus in this district. A most successful seven-aside football tournament, run in conjunction with the Manawatu Winter Show, leads one to think that a special district sports day should be one of our early projects. Such events as fence battening, tossing the caber, sheaf throwing, tug-of-war, woodchopping, etc., would be very popular, together with, of course, a football tournament. Whether a special day should be set aside for this or whether it could be run in conjunction with the A. and P. Association again is debatable. SHEARING COMPETITION. , "The shearing contest exceeded our expectations in respect of the interest shown by the outside public, and our biggest problem, should we stage another one, is how to accommodate onlookers so that as many as possible can comfortably see the competition. A total of 94 entries provided excel* lent competition, and the judges are to be congratulated on the great job they made of the judging, which was a most difficult task. Undoubtedly, the success of the competition was due to the great work of the members who acted as stewards, enabling everything to be run off to schedule. The success of this project should leave no doubt in our minds that it should be repeated again, preferably next year. “As decided at our last meeting, it was decided to hold a district stock judging competition at the Feilding Show in February. A point that has since occurred is that at. this competition representatives will have to be chosen to judge in a national competition to be held later in the year, following the provincial competition in the Wairarapa, probably in May. The majority of the clubs .will be in recess during the next three months, asd preparation will not be as complete as would be possible, say, in April, following a couple of meetings. Besides, the Manawatu district is now in a position to be able to run off such a competition with a special day of its own. I know there are disadvantages against this, and I have put forward these arguments so that they will not be overlooked and can be fully discussed.

“As there is every possibility of a national debating competition being held next year it will be necessary for our district to find its best team earlier in the season and I would suggest that this commence in April. SOUTH ISLAND TOUR. “Whether a tour should be made of the South Island or not, and my impressions from members throughout the. district are that it is being keenly looked forward to, the time tor such a trip should, I think, be at the end of May. “It has been agreed that there is no point in repeating the cavalcade of agriculture next year. Possibly the Winter Show would provide a suitable time for our sports meeting. This is a side of Young Farmers’ Club life that could well be developed and I can see the time not far distant when each club will have its own club rooms and a small gymnasium. I do not think that finance will be a difficult problem, as most of the halls now used for meetings could bo used for a start, provision of gear being the main necessity. A further competition which could easily be staged at the Winter Show and which our movement could undertake to carry out would be steerriding. This would provide all the thrills necessary for the public. The shearing competition could he mado the main feature of our activities at the Spring Show. However, the fat lamb classes and ivool classes, although well patronised at the past Show, could be made much bigger. This is an excellent opportunity of furthering our knowledge, and should be built up to the strongest classes in the show. A suggestion, I think, that, could well be put forward to the A. and P. Association is that a class be instituted for young farmers in the dairy section. A dairy heifer class to be judged on dairy type would meet with ready response. In regard to the Jersey Breeders’ Club Competition, a suggestion has come forward from the Levin Club. A further suggestion I have is that the competition be staged on the same day as our major project, e.g.. this year on the Saturday. This would ennble much larger entries to come forward.”