FLOCK HOUSE FUND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20402, 2 November 1929, Page 11

FLOCK HOUSE FUND.

REVIEW OF OPERATIONS, GOOD WORK IN PAST YEAR. BbYS started AS -FARMERS;

[8X.... TELEGRAM. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTONFridiiiir.:Tlie annual meeting oJ; sub?ii:ribera to the 'New Zealand S;iieepownerfe T'.-Acknow-ledgment of Debt to British Seamen Fund, well known as the- Flock' House organisation, was held in Wellington yesterday. Tho Hon 111. Newman, M.D.C.-, chairman- of the hoard of trunte.es, presided, .- . ' ' . ' The annual report stated that dnving tho year grants were made t(> disabled sailors, and to the dependants of sailors who \j;ere incapacitated or who .had- (lied as the result of injuries received during the war. The sums granted in New Zealand amounted to £779, and i.u England

to £843. Since tho commencement of the operations of the fund in 1921 the cash grants to beneiiciarios in New Zealand amounted to £25,840, an; 3 in England to £31,707. Loans to beneficiaries (outstanding) were £31055, immigration, training and settlement :in New Zealand of boy and girl dependants cost £45,555, a total of £106,206. All participants must bo of g<iod character, intelligent and healthy, and with a genuine desire for lii:e in the country. Scope of Training. ' At the date of the laist annual report 397 boys and 38 girls had. arrived in New Zealand. Since then 92 more boys had arrived and 24 morei girls. The training of the lads . had been continued on the same lines .as heretofore. All the lads now have eight months' training and a few have a. considerably longer tima at Flock House. It ill designed that each lad shall, during his time of training, have at least two periods at each particular kind of farm work, in addition to their hostel orderly duties. The lads have also a course of elementary technical instruction given by the principal. In that period an obiiervant ?md willing lad becomes adapted to country- life and gains an initial knowledge of general farm and station work, sufficient to ms.ke him a useful farm assistant and able to progress rapidly when he goe3 out to employment. The 429 boys and 93 girls who had completed their initial training had. teen placed in employment in various -parts, of the Dominion. Success ol Farm Operations. The report stated that the f:irm -operations, had again been successful, and the improvements made on the land were having the desired effect in an annually increasing stock-carrying capacity. Daring the year four of the young men had, with the assistance of the trustees ii.iven as promised in proportion to their own savings, been established on farms of their- own, and would undoubtedly have a prosperous future. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the clbairimn said he regarded the after care of-the boys .and girls as really the keynote of the success of the scheme. Although he had the highest opinion of .New Zealand boys, he was inclined to think that the boys coming from the Old Country had this advantage,. that they were not .nearly. • so wrapped up in sport of various kjinds, and were even more prepared to ta)ice,up,positions in the back blocks, 'V The motion for the adoption of the report and balance-sheet was agreed to, on the motion of Sir Ja;mes Allen. Tha Hon. E. Newman was re-elected president. A vote of thanks was passed to the staif.