VALUE OF CALF CLUBS IN DAIRY FARMING AREAS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 99, 24 September 1948, Page 5

VALUE OF CALF CLUBS IN DAIRY FARMING AREAS

Delegates Report On Conference At a meeting of the Rangitaiki Plains Calf Club Association at Awakeri recently, Mr A. H. Adams presented a summary of the conference recently held at Hamilton, where representatives 1 from Calf Clubs and schools from all parts of the Province south of Auckland met to discuss the Calf Club movement. The whole tone of the conference, Mr Adams said, tended to place greater emphasis upon the child’s effort in calf rearing, as in many districts the stress was being laid top much upon the type of calf displayed at the Calf Club field days. Mr Adams, who had attended the Conference, also emphasised this point, and said that the educational value of calf rearing lay mostly in the child’s effort whether the calf be pedigree, grade or even “scrubber.” Jn the general discussion which followed the reports, those present at the meeting showed general agreement in this matter. It was agreed that while the Central Field Day Schedule would remain unchanged, individual schools would be advised to give more importance to the rearing and handling sections of their programmes. Where possible extra classes should be arranged in the competitions, so that children who had put in the effort towards training their calves well, should have a chance of securing recognition of their effort, even if the calves had not been of the best dairy 'type. The Central Field Day is to be held at Taneatua this year in the first week of December and the Association is hoping to receive the public support it has dorie on past occasions. In this connection it was suggested that an endeavour be made to interest the parents and general public still more in this worthwhile movement. It was pointed out that the,prosperity of this district (and of course many others) was entirely dependent upon its dairy herds, and the Calf Club movement was the initial step in ensuring that future, farmers be trained along the correct lines of animal rearing. Children need ' encouragement from their parents. Public support at school field days is the only way to ensure their success. Therefore, the Association urges that adult support be given to a movement which is of such practical as well as educational value .in a district such as this.