Boys’ and Girls’ Agricultural Clubs

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7269, 23 September 1933, Page 3

Boys’ and Girls’ Agricultural Clubs

MANAWATU-OBOUA DIVISION

MEETING OP COMMITTEE

The committee controlling the activities of .the Manawatu-Oroua Division of the Boys’ and Girls' Agricultural Club movement met at Eeilding yesterday afternoon, Mr J. H. Mason presiding in the absence of Mr H. J. Pagan (chairman). Those present were Messrs It. P. Connell (Department of Agriculture), E. H. Lange (Wanganui Education Board), A. G. Dear, G. J. Pitzpatrick, K. M. Little, 0. M. Hyde, A. A. O’Donnell, C. M Lind, W. E. Thomas and W. J. Croueher. A letter was received from the Director of Agriculturo intimating that the Government had decided to grant some financial assistance to the Boys’ and Girls’ Agricultural Club organisations throughout tho Dominion, and as far as the Feilding district organisation was concerned a grant of £2O had been authorised. General satisfaction was recorded at the receipt of this grant, which Mr Council pointed out was over and above tho assistance previously accorded the movement by the Government. He was able .to state that the Agricultural Department had agreed to supply the certificates which had been received, and were almost ready for distribution. It was agreed to forward a letter to the Department of Agriculturo recording the appreciation of the grant, which would materially assist the organisation. The retailers’ committee of the Feilding Chamber of Commerce wrote forwarding a donation of £1 to the funds of the movement. A donation of £2 2s was received from the Dairy Farmers’ Union, while tho Manawatu A. and P. Association regretted being unable to make any donation this year. It was decided to thank the donors. In connection with the letter from the Manawatu A. and P. Association regretting inability to make a donation, Mr Croueher reported that in view of the position certain members of the executive had voluntarily subscribed a contribution of £3 3s, which he had pleasure in handing over.—The announcement was greeted with applause, and it was decided to forward a letter of appreciation of the act of those gentlemen who had made the donation!

The matter of marking the calves was referred to and it was decided to take steps to have all calves entered marked as soon as possible. Mr Connell reported that the Manawatn Flour Mills had donated a challenge trophy for the judging class in connection with the calf club competition.—lt was decided to forward a letter of thanks to tho donors.

Tho championship judging of the calves will take place at Feilding on Wednesday, December 13, at 10.30 a.m. Drawing attention to tho extent to which other issues arise from tho calf club movement, Mr Croueher mentioned that as tho result of a field day held for the calves at Mr H. J. Lancaster’s property, the children following the demonstration went away to write essays upon the outing and the knowledge gained from tie instruction given. A large number of essays had been received, and it occurred to the speaker that there should bo some recognition, by way of merit cards, of the intelligent appreciation of the subject recorded by the children. Ho had handed over the essays to Mr Connell for judging, for he felt the task beyond him. In the discussion that followed it was stated that the demonstration at Mr Lancaster’s farm was purely a private affair and that there was no provision for any official recognition of tho essays.

While admitting the advantages of tho essays Mr Lange felt that it would be unwise to provide for recognition of them, as it would mean increasing tho obligation of the school teachers, who would have to see that the papers were properly prepared. If tho different groups wished to take the matter up on their own behalf, well and good; but it would bo unwise for the committee to take up the question generally.

The meeting agreed not to take up the question of issuing certificates of merit for essays written in connection with the calf club movement.

It was announced that the Rongotea School Committee was arranging for tho presentation of the Stuart Wilson Cup to Master Murray Lind, winner of the Agricultural Clubs’ Dominion crop growing championship, at the

school on Monday afternoon at 1.30 o’clock. Entries Received Mr Lange reported that the entries received for tho current season’s competitions totalled 388, made up of 214 calves and 174 mangel plots. Details of the entries were as follow:

Group I. (Longburn, Tiakitahuna. Kairanga, Eangiotu, Bainesse, Tiritca schools): Calves 33, mangel plots 28. Group 11. (Rongotea, Kopane, Glen Oroua, Taikorea, Oroua Downs schools): Calves 84, mangel plots 21. Group 111. (Cheltenham. Kiwitea, Lytton Street, Makino, Apiti schools): Calves 27, mangel plots 36. Group IV. (Bunnythorpe, Ashliuvst, Raumai, Pohangina, Fitzherbert East, Kelvin Grove schools): Calves 34, mangel plots IG. Group V. (Taonui, Te Arakura, Colyton, Newbury, Awahuri schools): Calves 17, mangel plots 24. Group VI. (Sanson, Ohakea, Carnarvon, Waitohi, Clydesdale, Kakariki, Mt. Bigg’s schools): Calves 19, mangel plots 30. In addition there were 19 mangel plot entries outside the groups and in a few cases the complete and final entries had not vet been notified.

It was worthy of note, remarked Mr Lange, that the children had made tho entries with the full knowledge that tho awards would be confined to certificates only. This, ho considered, reflected a most commendable spirit. Generally speaking, the entries were well up to those received last year.