Boys Don’t Want the Girls

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 121, 23 May 1941, Page 4

Boys Don’t Want the Girls

AS MEMBERS OF Y.F. CLUBS Two romits urging that land girls be admitted to membership ot' Young Farmers’ Clubs came before the annual meeting of the Wellington council in Palmerston North yesterday. The sponsors were Manawatu and Central Taranaki district councils. Mr. P. Thevcnard (Kimbolton) said a number of Majfawutu clubs had already admitted young women to meetings, with a “ terrific boost” to tho clubs. The young women Were taking j up the activities with enthusiasm. However, the federation constitution needed amendment to place the matter in order. Mr. R. O. Gloyn (Rongotea) said his club was much in favour of the move as one way of keeping the clubs alive where they were likely otherwise to go into recess. Tho girls were filling the positions of brothers on farms and wanted to learn all they could about the job. Mr. H. de O. Chamberlain said he did not know why gills had not been admitted right from the start. New Zealand was the only country which had excluded them from the clubs. There was no shadow of doubt that where the girls had been included the clubs were far more efficient. There had been less “cackle” and more “do.” It was idiotic to say there would be embarrassment during lectures ou biology. However, if the young women were expected to work on farms they wanted all the knowledge they could get, and where better could they be trained than through the Young Farmers’ Clubs. ' Mr. J. Gilbert (Taihape) declared that in shearing sheds Maori girls grasped the job of handling fleeces quicker than boys and did a more efficient job. Mr. W. G. Brownlie (chairman) said many girls were doing shepherding thes* days. Mr. R. O. Gloyn: And they are learning herd-testing, also. Mr. S. J. Avery (Bulls) thought the inclusion of the women should be treated as an emergency measure only. The aim should be to get the women out of I the cowsheds, he said. He thought the genetic lectures were embarrassing and

that many would not attend similar lectures again. Woman’s place was in the home and their interests could be catered for by tho women’s division of the Young Farmers’ Federation. Mr. J. Y, Maclntyre (Inglewood) supported Mr. Avery’s viewpoint. Mr. K. W. I?. Mitchell (Woodville) •feared that the young men might be iorganised out of tho clubs unless care was taken. He favoured a young women’s division. Tho chairman (Mr. Brownlie) thought a separate club for the girls meeting on the same night, with a general meeting ou certain occasion, would work better. Mr. C. J. Haniblyn also thought two organisations could function satisfactoiily and the proper approach was to ask the W.D.F.U. to make the effort. Mr. Toulmin (Wanganui): These girls want to learn farming and don’t want lectures on cooking. Pilot Officer E. W. Barnett said there were comparatively few junior branches of the W.D.F.U. and he had approached the Women’s Division asking if it would be possible to bring about cooperation between the Y.F.C. and junior branches of the W.D.F.U., but no reply had come to hand. That was some time ago, but now, if another approach was made, he thought the W.D.F.U. would give its whole support. Mr. Thevenard, in replying to the opposition, said their thoughts ran along the lines of knitting circles. Mr. Amery’s suggestion that there should be separate young women’s branches was carried by eight votes to six.