Progress of Young Farmers’ Clubs

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 74, Issue 1, 15 January 1947, Page 58

Progress of Young Farmers’ Clubs

THE Young Farmers’ Clubs movement in New Zealand

has made good progress during the past year, and its activities have spread into practically every farming district. The pre-war tally of 6,000 active members in 203 clubs has been

exceeded,* the present strength being 272 clubs with a membership of nearly 8,000.

r T , HE clubs are located in the following council areas: —

Otago-Southland: 37 clubs—Western Southland 13, Eastern Southland 5, South Otago 6, Central Otago 4, Dunedin 6, North Otago 3.

Canterbury: 53 clubsWaimate 5, Timaru 9, Mid-Canterbury 7, Christchurch 10, North Canterbury 9, Marlborough 4, Nelson 5, Westland 4.

Wellington: 89 clubsHorowhenua 5, Manawatu 18, Wanganui 10, South Taranaki 10, Mid-Taranaki 4, North Taranaki 14, Wairarapa 7, Southern Hawke’s Bay 9, Central Hawke’s Bay 7, Northern Hawke’s Bay 2, Poverty Bay 3. Auckland: 93 —Taumarunui 4, Te Kuiti 3, Hamilton 13, Matamata 14, Thames 7, Rotorua 1, Western Bay of Plenty 10, Eastern Bay of Plenty 9, Auckland 16, Warkworth 4, Whangarei 5, Dargaville 4, Kaitaia 3. In addition six clubs have been formed in J-Force in Japan, with a membership exceeding 250. This evidence of the high regard in which the Y.F.C. movement is held was borne out during the war by the formation of a number of Young Farmers’ Clubs in the Forces, including those in Egypt and various parts of the Middle East, a club in a prisoner-of-war camp in Italy, and 14 in the Pacific.

Past Year's Activities Among major activities undertaken during the past year have been educational courses at various centres and a number of educational tours. An innovation has been an invitation extended by the North Taranaki District Committee to a party of 50 OtagoSouthland members, who went to New Plymouth and were billeted for a fortnight among local club members; the visitors attended club meetings and other gatherings and were given every opportunity to study the farming methods of the district. A party of 25 South Canterbury members took advantage of a similar invitation from clubs in the Auckland district. These visits will no doubt be repaid next season, and it is understood that a

number of other districts will be following the lead.

Debating contests have been encouraged, and the national Y.F.C. debating championship has been revived; the debating starts in the clubs, and is carried on through inter-club and inter-district competitions to council contests, the best club team in each council area being in the semi-finals for the national championship. Stockjudging competitions are being carried out in somewhat the same manner, and these will be completed in the coming autumn.

The main work of the clubs themselves has been lectures, discussions, and impromptu debates at their meetings, the conducting of field days on local farms, and visits to places of agricultural and general interest. Clubs have combined for district field days and other activities, visits to agricultural colleges, research institutes, and other places of educational interest. >

The social and recreational side is being developed. Sports meetings, gymkhanas, dances, card parties, and social evenings are being held, and do much to attract new members, besides assisting with club finance.

A number of clubs has been formed in high schools and secondary schools throughout the Dominion. They are proving a valuable asset to' the agricultural courses at the schools, and are becoming an important recruiting ground for the Y.F.C. movement in both islands. The Y.F.C. movement is creating in its members a deeper interest in their calling. They are taking an alert and enlightened interest in both farming and community affairs, and are increasingly realising that farming is not just a way of gaining a living but a way of life.

Any one who would like further information about the Young Farmers’ Clubs movement should communicate with the local fields officer of the Department of Agriculture, or with the Organising Secretary, N.Z. Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, P.O. Box 3004, Wellington.