FLOCK HOUSE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 152, 30 June 1932, Page 5

FLOCK HOUSE

APPEAL FOR SUPPORT ROOM FOR MORE BOYS An appeal to support the Kock House scheme for the training of New Zealand boys was made to the annual conference of tho New Zealand Keturned Soldiers’ Association at Wellington by a deputation representing the central executive managing the scheme. Complaint was made that the returned soldiers’ organisations throughout tho country had not given thg scheme the support that was expected. The managing trustee (Mr T. R. Lees) said the object of the deputation was to instil enthusiasm for the scheme into the representatives of. the various returned soldiers’ associations. Since the inauguration of the scheme eight years ago over 700 boys had been established on tho land and were not in the ranks of tho During the four months which had elapsed since the scheme was thrown open to New Zealand boys only 20 boys had entered Flock House, whereas fully 60 should have entered. It was to be regretted that the returned soldiers’ organisations had not taken up tho scheme as enthusiastically as might have been expected. Scheme Reviewed. The chairman of th 0 Central Executive (Air L. 0. 11. Tripp) said the com mitteo had found that there were 112 interested organisations, 55 R.S.A.’s, and 57 patriotic associations, and these were now grouped intp 60 centres, 13 provincial and 47 district offices. The secretary (Mr A. O Leach) had worked out the quota of boys to be supplied eadi district, on a popu 1 ation basis.

That worked out at 58 for the North Island and 32 for the South Island— Auckland 28, Gisborne 2, Hawke’s Bay 5, Taranaki 5, Wellington 18, Marlborough 1, Nelson 3, Westland 1, Canterbury (North) 12, Canterbury (South) 2, Otago 9. Southland 4. “Tho training of the boys at Flock House is for a period of eight months, and the number of boys that Flock House can take at one time is 60, which maker a total of 90 for the year; so to keep up the full number at Flock House we want to supply 90 boys a year,” said Air Tripp. “Naturally, in launching a scheme such as this, some districts did not function as quickly as others, but in the last few weeks matters Lave improved considerably. The Auckland Patriotic Association have decided that they will do their share, and that body has agreed to finance 20 boys, so we hope that with tho help of the R.B.A, the Auckland Province will soon be able to find its full quota of 28 boys. The Alarlborough district is to supply one boy, and Neison district three 1 understand that these districts have raised the necessary finance, but so far the boys have not been forthcoming. The Taranaki Province should find five boys, and lately I understand the R.S A. has formed strong committees in different parts of the district, so we hope that their quota will soon be forthcoming.

Not a Bad Beginning. “At present there are twenty sons of soldiers at Flock House —nine from the North and elevel from tho South Island, of whom eight have been sent from Otago. As far as we can see, by the end of July there will be 40 there, 20 from each Island. This is not a bad beginning seeing the scheme has only been launched for some four months, but 1 want to urge all members of the R.S.A. to do all they can to provide the full quotas in their respective districts so as to make the scheme a success and take advantage of tho Government offer to provide £25 toward* tho cost of each boy’s training. In some districts there seems to bo a scarcity of trainees, so the committee, after consulting with tho Flock House trustees, has agreed to make the maximum ago 19. ami wo hope in doing so more boys will be able to take advantage of tho scheme. “As 1 am also a trustee of Flock House, and know the good that has been done in the past by the training of boys and finding them billets, in my opinion the scheme is so good that it would be well worth the while of any father, if he can afford to do so, to pay the full £5O, the cost of training the boys for eight months, so that when an offer is made to provide tho boys with training at Flock House for practically nothing, there surely should not be any difficulty in keeping up the quota at Flock House. The boys, apart from their training in general farm work, aro taught, thrift and discipline, and Colonel Powles, who is well known to you all, is in charge of the boys at Flock House, and you know that he will do his best to develop the boys’ character. In these hard times, when it is so important, to find occupation for our boys. 1 feel that everyone should do his best to see that Flock House is kept going as long as possible as a training school for the boys who want to go on the land.”