Bygone Days: Young farmers must provide ‘hope and vision to face the future’ says minister (1954)

No one could see very clearly at the moment what shape agriculture was going to assume in Northern Ireland during the next two or three years, he said.

“We are passing through period of transition. Methods of marketing, with which we have become familiar, have become befogged. A sense of resentment and uneasiness is perhaps spreading.”

The minister said that he thought the young farmers, “with the opportunities and advantages that they enjoyed through the movement”, could do lot in the difficulties that were before the industry.

He said: “We have been living an area of social services with a government which is supposed to look after everybody and see that all the wheels are oiled.”

He added: “I was just wondering if, having enjoyed that system for years, the farmers would have the 'guts and grit' to stick to the job in hazardous winds.

“It is up to the members of the YFC to supply the encouragement, hope and vision to face the future.”

The minister said that he hoped the YFC would have “from year to year such influx of young people and young blood and enthusiasm” that instead of “becoming decrepit with the advancing years it would grow from strength to strength”.

The function, which was attended by civic and government representatives, was presided over by Miss J K Dobbs, president, who launched a trust fund appeal for the advancement of the Young Farmers’ Clubs.

Among those present at the dinner were representatives clubs from all over Northern Ireland.

They included the victorious team which had won awards at the Royal Show, Windsor, and the Royal Highland Show – namely, Miss A Evans, Miss M.Torrens, and Messrs W Millar, R Morrow, S J Morrow, N Richmond, E Hegarty and J McFerran.

GOVERNOR'S TRIBUTE

The Governor of Northern Ireland, Lord Wakehurst, said that the clubs were doing a “really wonderful job” teaching young people “how to be better farmers and better citizens”.

He noted that the clubs did not confine their activities to terming. He related how was patron of the Hillsborough Club, and he had been impressed by the range of other activities, including public speaking.

The Governor said that he was also very interested in the international side of the clubs’ activities.

He said: “Everyone is apt to have too narrow a horizon, especially if their job, like farming, is an exacting one.

“It is wonderful if we can have the opportunity to meet people with different opinions who are farming under different conditions.

“It makes the members more conscious of their responsibilities, as well as increasing their capabilities.”

Lord Wakehurst said that in a of century the clubs had flourished and developed very greatly. He congratulated them on that progress.

Launching the trust fund appeal, Miss Dobbs said: “The founders of the first club, some whom are present at the dinner, could never have visualised that the Silver Jubilee would celebrated by such a strong and flourishing organisation as it is at present.

“Because it is strong we now dared to ask for outside help. The clubs have collected £8,000 for the fund which it is hoped will reach the £80,000 figure. The annual income from the capital will be used to help extend and improve the organisation of the YFC.”

She added: “The founders of the first club believed that they had a part to play in the education of the agricultural youth Ulster. That is still our aim and we feel we can best carry that work adequately with the establishment the trust fund.”

The following cheques for the trust fund were presented: Dunlop Rubber Company, £100 (Mr E J Lawson Clark, area manager); Ferguson Tractors, Ltd, £500 (Mr J Dickson, manager); Ford Motor Company, £100 (Mr F W Daniels, tractor sales manager, Dagenham); Messrs E T Green, £700 (Mr E T Green); and Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd, £500 (Mr P A Fitzpatrick, agricultural sales manager).