ESSAY CONTEST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 November 1941, Page 7

ESSAY CONTEST

WAIRARAPA YOUNG FARMERS RESULTS* ANNOUNCED. SATISFACTORY JUNIOR ENTRIES. The annual essay competition held by the Wairarapa district committee of. the N.Z. Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs resulted ,-as follows:— Senior: W. T. Cheetham (Mauriceville) 1, C. A. Mackay (Masterton) 2. Junior: R. E. Andrews (Carterton) 1; M. Renall (Carterton) 2; J. Madden (Masterton) 3.

The judge was Sir William Perry. “Although it was to be expected that the senior entries would be fewer this year, it is nevertheless disappointing to record that only two entries have been received from the whole district,” stated a report issued by the committee. “The junior class, introduced for the first time this year, was rather more satisfactory, and seven good essays were received. The senior subject dealt with the relative attractiveness of a farming career, while the junior entrants were asked to give their views on how the Young Farmers Clubs’ organisation might be made more attractive to young members. In view of the special concern at present in the matter of attracting younger members, the opinions of the junior competitors is of interest in planning future activities. It was a noticeable feature of all the junior entries that great stress was laid on the popularity of field days, experiments and demonstrations. Many were quite frank in their condemnation of an unvarying diet of lectures and urged the greater use of films, debates, etc. The importance of some form of transport, organisation was also recognised by essayists, and there is no question that much could be done in this direction by clubs through arranging for members in one locality to travel to club functions in a single car. On the whole, the interest taken by junior members in the essay contest and the opinions they have expressed are distinctly encouraging and one feels that the contest would be fully justified on these grounds alone.”