YOUNG FARMERS ORGANISE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19338, 31 May 1937, Page 10

YOUNG FARMERS ORGANISE

DISTRICT COMMITTEE GREATER, CO-OPERATION SIX CLUBS UNITE A district committee of the Young Farmers' clubs of the Gisborne district was inaugurated at a conference of representatives of the movement on .Saturday evening*. The object of the newlyformed committee is to bring the various clubs info closer touch and to ensure greater co-operation in the future. The meeting, jvhich was held at the courthouse, was convened by Mr. £.. M. Bates, of the Agricultural Department, whilst .Mr. S Freeman, general secretary of the Young Farmers' clubs for New Zealand, was also present. The delegates included the following memws : _Poverty Bay Club: Mr. K. W. 1 'Cooper, chairman, Mr. G. H. Smith, secretary; honorary members, Mr. G,. V. Smith, "pr psi<lpnt > anc * H. Cooper, vice-president. Nuhaka • Mr, N. -T. Alexander, chairman, Mr. .1. C. MeIn tyre, secretary ■ honorary member, Mr. G. 0. Tod, president. Waikohu: Mr. R. Beattie, cliajrman, and Mr. A. Manuel, secretary; honorary members, Mr. G. Brown, president, and Mr. W. G. Beattie. Tolaga, Bay: Mr. T. Post, chairman, and Mr. N. Saddler, deputysecretary; honorary member, Mr. H. Irving. Wairoa,: Mr.' It. Powdrcll, chairman, and Mr. -W. Brownlee, secretary; honorary member, Mr. A. C. dcLantour, vice-president. 'Die convener of the- meeting, Mr. Bates, expressed appreciation of the representative attendance and explained that the meeting had been called to inaugurate a, district committee, bringing the clubs into closer touch and thus ensuring greater co-ordination of effort. In a number of cases delegates had attended at considerable personal inconvenience, involving a great deal of travelling. This spoko of the keenness of members for the welfare of the movement.

Mr. G. V. Smith was appointed chair man.

A Large District

Mr. Freeman congratulated them on the representative nature, of the gathering, seeing that the district was a, large one, extending from Wairoa to the Coast. Ho briefly described the Young Farmers' Club movement, which was started at Dunedin 3J? years ago with the formation of three'clubs. Ho spoke of the growth and extension to the North Island, and the formation of a New Zealand federation. He paid a tribute to the officers of the fields division of the Agricultural Department, who had been ■largely responsible for the starting of the organisation and its subsequent development.

Emphasising the importance of linking up the clubs by the formation of district committees, Mr. Freeman pointed out that it had been possible to arrange last year for a young) farmers' camp at Masterton, which had proved a great success. This year it was anticipated that there would be an attendance of about 400 out of a total membership of approximately 3000 New Zealand. This result spoke of 'the- keenness displayed by members generally. The speaker outlined different ways in which a district connnittce could prove of value, notably in arranging tours to other districts 'of the Dominion and assisting in the arrangements for instructional addresses. He was quite sure that a number of activities would emanate from the constitution of a. district committee. The object of the committee would be to help the clubs to help themselves.

Mr. Bates, organising secretary, submitted a report on the movement throughout the Gisborne district. Six clubs had been formed, centred at Gisborne, Nuhaka, Tolaga Bay, Buatoria, Te Karaka and Wairoa. Regular monthly meetings had been held and the total membership of the clubs had increased from 10 at the inauguration of the Gisborne club, to a total of members over a period of two years. Five of the clubs had been inexistence for only the past year. The activities had taken the form *of lectures, debates, field clays, root growing, essay and skin curing competitions and. entries in the local A. and I*. Shows. Fourteen members attended the dub-week at Masterton last year and it was expected that about 50 members would attend a similar camp at Palmerston North this year.

The Progress of the Clubs

As organising secretary lie had acted us district secretary for the individual clubs, and where requested had arranged for suitable lecturers to attend the club meetings. The progress of the clubs was due to the interest and enthusiasm of members in conducting their own affairs, ably assisted by prominent farmers and others who realised the advantage of promoting a free and orderly discussion on agricultural problems. Now that there were six clubs in this area it was obviously necessary to form a district committee and he felt sure that an energetic committee would find plenty of scope for work in assisting the club movement. The main functions of this body would be the organisation of visits nnd tours to other districts and centres, lecture's and demonstrations by visiting and local farmers and departmental oilicers, the selection of delegates to the annual North Island conference, and arranging competitions, such as Btock judging. He considered that an effort should be made to work up interest amongst capable farmers in Poverty Bay in the club movement.: These should be approached, and an organised scheme of lectures should be developed to help the clubs with their programmes. If this was not done clubs might experience difficulty if left to their own devices to keep the movement going. Koforring to the Nuhaka and Wairoa clubs, which now will be in Mr. Hill's district, he suggested that in the meantime they should join with the (iisborne and East Coast clubs in the formation of the district commij tee.

Mr. Bates recorded his appreciation of (lie whole-hearted support given to the movement by members, officers and others associated with the Young Farmers' clubs. He hoped that this valuable educational movement would become universal and recognised as of primary importance in promoting a high standard of farming throughout the district.

Mr. Freeman explained the constitution of a district .as adopted by the New Zealand federation. In the course of a lengthy discus-

sion the Wairoa delegates said that although they were in the Hawke's Bay district they werei glad they had been invited to co-operate in the Poverty Bay district committee. A similar expression was voiced by the Nnhaka delegates. Personnel of Committee It was unanimously decided to set up the following district committee: Messrs Bates and Hill, agricultural instructors for Poverty Bay and Hawke's Bay respectively, a representative of the live stock division, Mr. W. E. Chamberlain, secretary of the Poverty Bay A. and P. Association, and three representatives of each club, two Young Farmer members, preferably the chairman and secretary, and one honorary member. Owing to the widespread nature of the district, an emergency committee was constituted, comprising the chairman and secretary, together with Messrs. G. V. Smith, G. Smith, jun., and 11. Cooper. Mr. K. W. Cooper was elected chairman, while Mr. Bates in his official position would act as secretary. The chairman and secretary were appointed delegates to the North Island conference in Palmerston North on June 17. On the motion of 'Mr. A. C. deLautour, it was decided to make a levy of 2d per member to provide funds for the district committee. It was resolved to submit a remit to the North Island conference suggesting that the age limit for Young Earmer members should bo fixed at 30 years. The emergency committee was authorised to confer with the various clubs and arrange for the monthly meetings to be held on consecutive dates. It was resolved to hold a meeting of the committee during Show week and at a suitable prior date to be arranged'. The newly-elected chairman, Mr. K. AV. Cooper, expressed the appreciation of the'Poverty Bay and East Coast clubs of the 'valuable services rendered by Mr. Bates, the organising secretary. ' Mr. Bates was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. Votes of thanks were passed also to the genoral secretary, Mr. Freeman, nnd to Mr. G. V. Smith for presiding.