WORTHY MOVEMENT

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 75, Issue 6444, 10 November 1947, Page 5

WORTHY MOVEMENT

AIMS AND OBJECTS OUTLINED ORIGIN AND HISTORY TRACED The feature of the meeting of the Young Farmers’ Clubs on Friday night were the addresses delivered by Mr Spratt, chairman of the Auckland District Council and Mr D. S. Ross, past Dominion president, patron and honorary life member of the movement. The speeches were complementery to each other.

The first speaker was Mr Spratt who assured members it was a pleasure to be present. He would touch briefly on the aims and objects of the Young Farmers’ Clubs movement, the land settlement scheme and the movement’s National War Memorial Scheme.

First important matter in any organisation was the constitution. The aims of the Young Farmers’ Clubs were many and four or five were very essential among them were the aims to promote among young farmers interest in the wellbeing and advancements of farming in New Zealand. They must realize the importance of farming in the country economy. They were blessed with a wonderful climate but they were cursed by the lack of minerals. Mr Spratt went on to refer to the need for , assisting in the education of members. In their school days they could recall the stern discipline, a discipline that to-day was not strict enough. There was a tendency to-day to devote too much time to pleasure. Education could be carried out in many ways. School education was one kind and they could also learn by going round the country and receive education by seeing the sues cesses and failures of other farmers and by discussion groups at the farms they might viqit. Another of the important aims of their movement was the development of the spirit of leadership among the youth of the community. Ambition led many men to the top and that did not always mean that they were leaders. Many refused to accept office because they believed that they could do more by remaining in the ranks. The spirit of leadership was essential. They had come a long way over the past one hundred years in New Zealand. To-day they were at the cross-roads so far as farming was concerned. Without leaders they were in grave danger of the farming degenerating into a peasant industry. Through efficient and inspiring leadership they would restore farming to the position of a pre-eminent science. Mr Spratt emphasised the need for leadership in the community. The speaker appealed to members to support the art of leadership which would result in better farming and better living. In dealing with the age limits imposed on membership of the Young Farmers’ Clubs, Mr Spratt said the life blood of any movement was in its young members. They should encourage young men to take a greater interest in the movement and eventually take the responsibility of office. A prime responsibility was to see that meetings were made attractive. Mr Spratt said that he was pleased to see the cup for the most improved speaker. It was a most valuable trophy and it should encourage young men to get u on their feet and speak. The first time they did so was the most difficult, but each succeeding effort made the task easier.

Mr Spratt then dealt with the land settlement scheme and he detailed the answers to some one thousand questionaires, the contents of the latter being confidential. A deputation from the Young Farmers’ Club hgd waited on the Minister of Land and the Minister of Finance and they had received a most sympathetic hearing. The Minister of Land said he was willing to accept the principle of grading but he had made certain stipulations in regards Grade A men, but full financial assistance would be granted. It was recognised that the young farmers could not go on to the land until the rehabilitation of returned men was completed Mr Skinner agreed that there should be a constant flow of applicants. Mr Spratt appealed to members to fill in the questionnaire for it was most important and valuable. Mr Spratt then dealt with the Young Farmers National War Memorial. Many "roposed forms of a memorial had been put forward and eventually it had been decided that wings should be erected at the Massey and Lincoln Colleges. They would be memorials to the five hundred or more members who had died for them all. Their true memorial would of course be in the hearts and minds of those who passed through those colleges. Auckland Council had as representative of the strongest and richest section of the movement assumed responsibility for raising £6OOO and so far just over £2OOO had been raised. They hoped to complete the raising of the sum next year. Mr Spratt asked every member and ex member to subscribe to the memorial any sum he thought right and if all did so the objective would be attained.

Address by Mr D. S. Ross Mr Ross also expressed nleasure at being present. He woulld deal with the history of the organisation as piany members who joined in knew very little about it. Mr Ross first stressed the need for supporting the National War Memorial. He felt that members were appreciative of the sacrifices made even to death, by members of the Young Farmers’ Clubs, and that being so there was no reason why the sum aimed at should not be raised. Turning to the history of the movement, Mr Ross said that nearly 50 rears ago in a small village in Gloucestershire a number of young men amet to exchange (ideas about farming and to discuss country life. They formed a club which flourished to-day and was the forerunner of the world-wide Young Farmers’ organisation. Lord Northcliffe, who was interested in 1921 visited the United States and saw the work the four H Clubs were doing there. They were drawing together young people from agricultural areas and giving them the opportunity to travel and take part in state and national conven-, tions. Northcliffe saw how work of a similar nature would be of decided value in Great Britain and on his return and in co-operation with United Dairies Ltd., formed Young Farmers’ Clubs. The movement in England was designed to teach young people interested in agriculture the rudiments of farming. The members were mainly

interested in rearing dairy heifer calves, growing vegetables and the production of clean milk. They were run more or less on lines similar to New Zealand. Boys’ and girls’ agricultural clubs that have been so successful in our schools and were more or less of an elementary nature. Turning to New Zealand, Mr Ross said there were 200 clubs with 6000 active members and 1000 advising members. Today there were 296 clubs with 9000 members. Dealing with the early history of the movement in New Zealand Mr Ross said that in 1932 Mr J. Davies of Dunedin asked permission to form the Young Farmers’. Clubs in. New Zealand so that corrected the impression that he (Mr Ross) was the “father” of the movement, but he could claim to take some little credit in helping to foster the growth of the movement shortly after. 1932 when three clubs were formed. An educational week was held in Dunedin and the movement eventually given to seven clubs. IThe main objects then was the study of agricultural subjects and during the winter months study circles in clubs were formed, the objects of the movement were enlarged to their present activities and in 1944 the Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs was formed and Mr Cameron was the first president of that federation. After the depression the Department of Agriculture assumed a great deal of responsibility, but later young members were given every opportunity to conduct their own affairs. Every Club should see that advisory members did not take charge *of the meetings. Members Were familiar with the set up of their organisation. Mr Ross advised clubs to select activities that suited their respective districts best and to remember at all times that it was an educational movement. The speaker appealed to members to play their part in rebuilding it from the skeleton foundation that was interrupted by the war years. The movement gave scope for becoming more acquainted with farming activities generally, and more scope for leadership. Mr Ross referred in appreciative terms of the assistance given by officers of the Department of Agriculture who gave lectures and demonstrations. The speaker referred to the value of the debating contests and the fact that members were taught to the art of conducting meetings. If they assimilated all that the movement stood for then farming' would become more attractive and that farming standards be maintained. Mr Ross closed his address by quoting the words of Colonel Quseley an American authority on farming—“l always contemplate the earth with reverence. I like the term mother earth—the source of all our sustenance—the storehouse of all our supplies our raiment our shelter the -pathway of our feet, the final resting place of our worn-out bodies. I cannot but regard its depletion as vandalism and sacrilege. If we despoil it, if we fail to maintain it, if we leave it less fruitful than when we receive it we are unfaithful trustees.”