Feferation of Young Farmers' Clubs

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 66, Issue 1, 15 January 1943, Page 50

Feferation of Young Farmers' Clubs

Meeting of Dominion Executive Committee

A MEETING of the Dominion Executive Committee was held in the Railway Conference Hall, Wellington, on November 18th. Those in attendance were Messrs. D. S. Ross (Dominion President), in the chair, T. E. Streeter (chairman, Canterbury Council), S. G. Avery (chairman, Wellington Council), H. L. Chisnail, J. Barclay, and A. D. Talbot (delegates, Canterbury Council), W. F. McLaren, McGregor Donald, and B. J. Collerton (delegates, Wellington Council), J. H. Bremner and A. P. O’Shea (N.Z. Farmers’ Union), A. C. Morton (Massey College), and S. Freeman (Dominion Organising Secretary). Apologies included those from Messrs. R. J. Reid, Dunedin (Dominion Vic-President), R. B. Tennent, and C. H. Schwass (Department of Agriculture), A. Walter (Auckland Council), A. C. Cameron, S. R. Whyte, Maitland Clark, A. . S. Trotter, and G. C. Grocott (OtagoSouthland Council). Mr. Grocott had intended to be present, but was held up through inability to secure steamer accommodation. The chairman, Mr. Ross, in welcoming delegates, expressed gratification at the attendance; considering the difficulties prevailing at the present time

the representation was definitely encouraging. He particularly welcomed Mr. Talbot, formerly chairman of the Canterbury Council, who was in Air Force uniform and on leave. He stressed the need for all units of the organisation to hold as regular meetings as possible in order to sustain interest. Analysis of Clubs A report presented by the Organising Secretary pointed out some of the difficulties connected with the maintaining of the organisation and the carrying on of individual clubs. The responsibilities of District Committees, and the need for the enrolment of younger members was stressed; clubs carrying on were only active by virtue of the fact that they had recruited from the “under-eighteens.” A detailed list of clubs functioning in individual districts was submitted, giving figures relative also to clubs disbanded or in recess. An analysis revealed the following figures for Council areas: Auckland, 16 active, 38 in recess; Wellington, 20 active, 61 in recess; Canterbury, 21 active, 20 in recess; OtagoSouthland, 13 active. 23 in recess. Total, 70 active, 142 in recess.

Considering everything, this could he counted as reasonably satisfactory, the figures indicating a slight increase over those given at the annual general meeting. Of the clubs listed, eleven were only partly active, but could be considered as functioning, even though they were holding irregular meetings, as they were keeping in touch with the organisation and making every effort to carry on. The chairman, in commenting on the report, expressed the opinion that, taking into consideration the number of members in the armed forces and the essential work being carried out by many others, the position could be regarded as distinctly encouraging, particularly as it indicated that interest in the movement was, in most districts, being maintained. North Auckland could be excused for its lapse, as the effects of military control and operations had been felt there probably more than in any other area in the Dominion; he was, however, disappointed with the position in the Waikato and Taranaki, which districts should be among the strongest in New Zealand so far as Y.F.C. activities were concerned. In moving the adoption of the report, Mr. Bremner congratulated the Federation on its position; no other organisation within the Dominion had suffered to ‘the same extent through its ranks being depleted by war. The position was, on the whole, good, as there was every indication that a nucleus would be left, after the war, with which to rebuild a strong organisation. “Leadership” A report brought down by the sub-. committee set up at the Annual General Meeting covering the remit dealing with “Leadership” was read, and discussed. The sub-committee was thanked for its efforts in compiling such a useful and comprehensive report, and it was decided that copies should be circulated among members of the Executive Committee, and discussed at the next meeting, when it was hoped that the members of the sub-committees responsible would be in attendance. A motion was also carried instructing the secretary to communicate with Dr. Beeby, Director of Education, suggesting the incorporation in the education syllabus of some such course as “Citizenship,”

it being realised that this is one of the most valuable and important subjects that can be taught in schools. Policy The matter of policy was discussed at length. The chairman intimated that the Federation’s policy had been framed from time to time to meet altered circumstances, and he could see no reason under present conditions to diverge from the policy laid down at the annual general meeting. A motion was carried reaffirming the Federation’s policy as laid down at the annual general meeting. Y.F.C. Pamphlet The Y.F.C. pamphlet, instructions regarding the preparation of which had been given at the annual general meeting, was read for consideration. The following motion was carried: “That the pamphlet as submitted to the meeting be paragraphed, with appropriate sub-headings, and printed for distribution to high school teachers and others, and that a dodger be prepared and distributed to school pupils; the matter of preparation, printing costs, and distribution to be left in the hands of the secretary, in collaboration with Mr. S. A. La Roche, of the Canterbury Council.” Competitions The matter of national competitions was discussed and it was decided that an essay competition should be held, in both senior and junior classes. A motion was carried as follows: “That the subject of the essay for national competition be ‘Citizenship and the part that can be played by the young farmer’; the length of the essay not to count in judging, but the material to be of not less than one thousand words; the closing date to be August 31, 1943.”

Resolutions Passed

Other resolutions passed included the following: “That future series of the Y.F.C. Roll of Honour should be headed so as to indicate that the Roll applies to all members serving with the armed forces”; “That, owing to the uncertain economic position obtaining at the present time, further consideration of a Y.F.C. Land Settlement Scheme be deferred until the next Dominion Executive Committee Meeting, and that the Land Settlement subcommittee be asked to acquaint that meeting with the latest steps taken by the Government in respect of land settlement”; “That, having regard to the' approval given by the Federation to the formation of clubs in secondary schools, and recognising the value of such clubs at the present time, and appreciating the need to enrol new

members from fourteen to eighteen years of age, a request be issued to all councils and district committees urging that every endeavour should be made to put this policy into practice.” The venue of the next annual general meeting of the Federation came up for discussion; Mr. Morton, referring to the fact that it would be held in Palmerston North, asked if consideration could be given to the meeting taking place at Massey College. On behalf of the college he offered the hospitality and facilities available. Ap-

preciation was expressed to Mr. Mor-

ton and to the college. Mr. Avery (chairman, Wellington Council), in thanking Mr. Morton, stated that the offer would be put before the next meeting of the Wellington Council, which body would be responsible for the local arrangements for the annual general meeting. It was decided that the next meeting of the Dominion Executive Committee would be held in Christchurch during the first week in April, if possible.

Canterbury Y.F.C. Council Meeting

A MEETING of the Canterbury Council was held in Christchurch on November 17. Those present included Messrs. T. E. Streeter (chairman), H. G. Stephens, L. W. McCaskill, H. L. Chisnail, R. S. France, J. Barclay, S. Watson, and R. Whiteman. Messrs. D. S. Ross (Dominion President) and S. Freeman (Organising Secretary) were present by invitation. The meeting was a very representative one. Reports indicated that in the Canterbury Council area, out of the original 41 clubs in existence before the war, 21 were still active; as there appeared to be reasonably strong clubs still functioning in each of the six main districts, the position was considered, under existing circumstances, to be quite satisfactory. The Dominion President, Mr. Ross, in an address, stated that he was gratified to see such a good representation at the meeting. While fully aware of the difficulties confronting the organisation, he appealed to delegates to exert every effort to maintain the existing clubs, and reminded them of the immense value of the movement, both from the educational standpoint and from the point of view of leadership. The organisation had demonstrated, so far, its ability to carry on in spite of the war; clubs generally would, doubtless, suffer further depletion of membership, but this should call for greater effort and sacrifice on the part of those, left. The necessity to enrol new members was apparent. He pointed out that there would shortly be numbers of lads leaving secondary schools, who would be choosing farming as a calling; every Y.F.C. member should realise his responsibility and endeavour to assist these schoolboys who have their lives before them. He considered that club work could be made more attractive; field days could still be held and lectures and demonstrations encouraged.

There was also the definite promise to members overseas to carry on with the organisation. The Federation had laid down a- policy, but it had to be

planned locally to suit the requirements of individual districts. The District Committees could assist materially; so long as they were functioning, so long would the movement prosper. These committees should meet regularly, work out a definite policy, and put it into effect. Mr. Ross reminded members that this was his second term of office; he would particularly like to see the movement in a healthy condition, ready to hand over to a new Dominion President at the end of the Federation year, more especially as there was a likelihood of the incoming President being selected from amongst the active members. He suggested that perhaps in the New Year it might be possible for the chairman of the Canterbury Council and some of the delegates to make a tour of the district committees with a view to stimulating interest. He was encouraged and inspired by the meeting and the attitude of those present, and appealed to them to use every effort to maintain the movement, so as to give a good account of their stewardship when their comrades returned from

Concrete on the Farm

Although concrete has been used for hundreds of years as a building material, its application to farming is of comparatively recent origin. Its use in the construction of floors, tanks, silos, troughs, fence-posts, paths, buildings, pipes, field drains, etc., is well recognised and there are few farmers who have not at some time laid down a path or constructed a trough in concrete. The advantages of concrete lie in the fact that it is relatively cheap to use, easy to prepare, and, once placed, is there for years. Valuable information on the mixing of concrete and its practical uses on the farm is available in the free illustrated bulletin “Concrete on the Farm,” obtainable from the Department of Agriculture, Wellington.

overseas. The chairman thanked Mr. Ross for his address and referred particularly to the matter of the recruiting of boys from 14 to 18 years of age stating ' that this matter would be broiiP-ht un for discussion at a later S °/Sf VL 1 1 te stage or me meeting. The business of the meeting included the following: writing off unpaid affiliation fees owing by unfinancial clubs

now in recess; calling of nominations for the Lincoln College Old Students’ Association Scholarship; formation of a Women’s Auxiliary by the ScargillOmihi Club - enrolment of members umini '-Luo, enrolment oi memoers between 14 and 18 years of age. In regard to the latter, many constructive suggestions were made, and remits were framed for presentation at the Dominion Executive Committee meet-

i.ng in Wellington the following day. It was considered that the formation of dubs in secondary schools should be v f ry d^ fin 1 1 t ely encouraged, and that steps should be taken to contact lads m rural areas leaving school, with the idea of interesting them in local clubs, It was tentatively decided to hold the next meeting of the council immediately prior to the next Dominion Executive Committee meeting.

Bay of Plenty Y.F.C. By A. F. WALTER, Paengaroa Y.F.C.

CnmnoMinn UeDCmng uompeimon. INTER-CLUB debating competitions . . . ® J have been a feature of Y.F.C activities in the Bay of Plenty since 1937, when the combined clubs purchased the Debating Shield. The district committees conduct the preliminary contests between the clubs in their respective areas, culminating in the final contest between the leading Eastern and Western club teams. ™ To determine the Western Bay representative club team this year Te Puke competed with Paengaroa, the subject for the debate being That Agriculture offers as good an Opportunity to Young Men as does other Employment. The Te Puke team took the negative. After a lively encounter in which' some quite eloquent speeches were made, the adjudicator, Mr. R. S. McDonald, awarded the decision to the Te Puke team, Pat Nichol (leader), Ken Fetch, and Lou Ashe; the Paengaroa team was led by Gordon Spratt, with Doug Ross, and lan Spratt as supporting speakers. This win brought Te Puke against Waimana in the struggle for the coveted shield, which took place in the

Waimana Hall. The Waimana team, H . c. White (leader), R. T. While, and R McDonald, took the . affirmative of the debate “That the Marketing of Primary Produce shou i d be Producer-Con-trolled.” The Te Puke team, P. Nichol (leader), Don Caldwell, and L Ashe supporting the negative, won the contest Mr Hubbard Headmaster of the Whakatane District High School, kindiy adjudicated. At the conclusion of the contest Mr D S Ross YF C Dominion President,'presented the’shield. ~ „ Worthy of mention was the high standard of debating skill and technique evident throughout, and the ability of the speakers to drive home their facts. Capacity audiences were provided, both at the Paengaroa and Waimana Halls, by the older members o f the farming community and the genera i public. Previous holders of the Bay of plenty Debating Shield: 193 7_ Ka ti K ati runner-un Te Puke 1937 au , atl ’ runner up Te Puke. 193^' 39 “ Waimana > runner-up, Pae- & • . 1940 Waimana, runner-up Omokoroa 1941-42 Te Puke, runner-up Waimana.

Stock-Judging for Wright. Stephenson Cup

IjWERY year representative teams from the Eastern and Western Bay of Plenty meet to compete in a stock-judging contest for the Wright, Stephenson Challenge Cup. This year the event was held on Mr. T. W. Wardlaw’s “Greenmeadows” property. Mr. Wardlaw being a well-known breeder of high quality stock, the activity was looked forward to with more than usual interest. The competing teams were as follows: Eastern Bay, D. Woolfield (leader), R. McDonald, and B. Hughes; Western Bay, Cliff Riddell (Leader), Jack Gulliver, and Sam McDowell. In this event each team fills in one card only, the judging being the joint effort of all members of the team. On, this occasion pedigree Jersey heifers were paraded. Both teams placed the heifers in correct order, giving very excellent reasons and faults, and it was only after a considerable time spent in close scrutiny of the cards that the judge, Mr. J. S. Rae, awarded the decision to the Eastern Bay team. Mr. R. Fleming, a Jersey breeder of Waimana, gave an instructive demonstration on the points of judging, and there was a competition amongst individual club members for medals presented by local farmers. Included amongst the competitors were some members of the Whakatane District High School Young Farmers’ Club. „

Western Bay of Plenty Y.F.C.

By A. F. WALTER,

Paengaroa Y.F.C.

Stock-Juddina * » e s Compositions

. . . ’" I 'HE art of selecting and judging 1 stock is definitely encouraged amongst the members of Young Farmers’ clubs. To this end a field day is held annually in the Western

Bay of Plenty, at which members from the various clubs gather to compete in the dairy cattle, sheep and pig classes, This year’s competitions were held at a g e i d da y on Mr. q. r Spratt’s farm, Paengaroa, members being present from the Te Puna, Tauranga, Te Puke, Paengaroa and Pukehina clubs. For the purpose of judging the usual Auck-

land Council judging-cards were used, animals (marked A, B, C and D) to be placed in order of merit, reasons, and faults to be given. One hour was allowed for the completion of the cards in the three classes—dairy heifers, breeding ewes, and baconer pigs, and an extra class for allotting the points of a ewe. The pedigree Jersey heifers

were paraded for a short time so that competitors could make comparisons. At the expiration of the time limit the cards were collected and Mr. G. F. D. Watson, who judged the dairy heifer class, announced his placings, and gave a short demonstration; he was followed by Mr. G. P. Spratt, judge of the sheep class, and Mr. Norman Carter, judge of the pig class. Interest then centred on the announcing of the place-win-ners in the three chief classes. The club whose members secured the high-

est aggregate of points was to hold the Gulliver Cup for the year; this, cup was presented by Mr. J. A. V. Gulliver, and was awarded on this year’s performance to the Paengaroa club.

Ensilage Competition for Doidge Cup

/AWING to prevailing conditions it was not possible to judge all the

entries received; on this account at the last meeting of the Western Bay of Plenty District Committee it. was resolved that the Doidge Cup competition be deferred this year. A trophy is to be presented to the winner of those judged. Results: Bruce Gordon (last year’s winner), Pukehina, 89 points; P. Nichol, Te Puke, 85 points; P. Voltz, Paengaroa, 82 points; M. D. Steel, Paengaroa, 77 points; J. Gulliver, P'aengaroa, 75 points; S. McDowell, Paengaroa, 69 points.

Reports on Club Activities

SOUTH OTAGO. Warepa.— Applications for Lincoln College Old Boys’ Scholarship discussed. Tentative arrangements made for a butchering demonstration. Lecture by Mr. Hayhurst, Veterinarian, on “The Castration of Horses”; after questions put by members, a discussion followed on “Ailments of Farm Animals, and the Treatment Usually Applied.” There were nine members in attendance. CHRISTCHURCH. Ellesmere. General business. Address by the Rev. L. McMaster on “Aspects of Life as it Affects the Young Man of Today.” Nine members present. NORTH CANTERBURY. — Arrangements for next meeting. Decided that club send Christmas greetings by cable to members overseas. Lecture by Mr. J. W. Earl on “Farm Pastures and the Harvesting of White Clover for Seed.” NELSON. Murchison.— club held a practice dogtrial on November 21; this activity was such a great success that it has been decided to hold a trial on a proper scale after Christmas. WAIRARAPA. Carterton. Arrangements made for several club members to give talks on topics of their own choosing at the December meeting. Lecture by Mr. N. Lamont, Department of Agriculture, on. “Serpentine Super” and “Vegetable Culture.” Nineteen members present out of a membership of twenty-two. 5 MANAWATU. Bunnythorpe.— The secretary reported that the entries in the potato competition totalled twelve, nine entries being from club members. It was decided to donate a points prize in the root-crop section at the forthcoming local Women’s Institute Show. Informative address by Mr. Sparrow, of the Bunnythorpe Sub-Station, on “The General Construction and Establishment of the Hydro-Electric Power Schemes of New Zealand.” At the previous meeting arrangements were made for club members to visit the Seed Testing Station in Palmerston North. The rules and conditions for the proposed potato competition were laid down, being as follows: Minimum area to be % acre, and entries to be invited not only from club members but from farmers in the local Primary Production District area. The idea of extending the competition was so that the observations of the results of growing potatoes by the various methods employed by farmers would cover as many plots as possible. A talk was given by Mr. L. Williamson on “Seeds.” At both of these meetings there was an attendance of eleven members out of a total membership of fourteen.

Rongotea. Letter to be sent to Mr. W. Croucher thanking him for his most interesting series of broadcast talks in the Y.F.C. Session at 2ZA, entitled “Farming Through the Years.” An invitation to the W.D.F.U. Birthday meeting was accepted with thanks. Decided that the club would go into temporary recess during the busy season and meet again in February. Mr. J. Gloyn gave a very interesting lecture entitled “The Circulation of the Blood.” The speaker demonstrated by means of the blackboard and coloured chalks the action of the heart and the circulatory system of the blood stream. The meeting decided to recommend Mr. Gloyn to kindred clubs as a speaker on this particular subject. There were twelve members present out of a club membership of twenty. BAY OF PLENTY. Paengaroa. — Club dance to be held during December. Lantern lecture by Mr. J. R. Murray, Department of Agriculture, on “The Develop-

ment of Pumice Lands. Attendance of twentyfive members out of a total of thirty-five. Four new members were enrolled. The Western Bay of Plenty District Committee held a successful meeting at which forty-two members and delegates were present. Te — General business. One new member enrolled. An effort to .be made to collect rubber and raise club funds. WARKWORTH. Kaukapakapa. Two new members enrolled, bringing the club membership up to forty-one. Interesting and informative lantern lecture by Mr. J. M. Smith, Fields Superintendent, Department of Agriculture, entitled “Life in the Chatham Islands.” The speaker, who had visited the Chatham Islands some years ago, gave members some very interesting facts about farming in the island and transport to the mainland. Thirty-two members were present.