.^.^ 



'^ 



together if the voice for agriculture is 

 to be well balanced and wisely used. 



Farmers have placed a great financial 

 trust in the Association and its affiliated 

 companies. The Board of Directors of 

 the Association are increasingly aware 

 of the huge responsibility which rests 

 on them as a result of the tremendous 

 investment which farmers have in their 

 own organizations. Some idea of the 

 magnitude of this responsibility is re- 

 flected by the increase from $14,691,637.- 

 19 total assets in 1938 to a total of 

 $64,350,525.92 in 1947. Country Life 

 Insurance Company alone now has invest- 

 ments totaling more than $43,000,000. 



The Illinois Agricultural Association 

 itself is in excellent financial condition. 

 However, expenses have been increasing 

 at a much more rapid rate than has in- 

 come. This same situation faces many 

 of the County Farm Bureaus. Either 

 income must be increased or services now 

 deemed essential must be eliminated. The 

 American Farm Bureau Federation faced 

 with a similar dilemma is proposing an 

 increase in membership dues to be voted 

 upon at the forthcoming annual meeting. 



The first concern of the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Association in building One 

 Voice for Agriculture is to train leader- 

 ship and maintain a large participating 

 membership. We have just discussed 

 the second, but no less important, func- 

 tion of the Association which is to pro- 

 vide the means of fitting the necessary 

 business service and marketing coopera- 

 tives into their proper places as an in- 

 tegral part of the Voice of Agriculture. 

 We have built this coordinated program 

 in Illinois on the principle of Farm Bu- 

 reau membership control through the 

 use of corporate management and vot- 

 ing stock to insure that our cooperative 

 organizations have sound business and 

 financial management and continue to 

 work in harmony with the general farm 

 organ f^tion. 



Building good public relations is the 

 third broad function of the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Association in fulfilling our ob- 

 jective of developing a single strong voice 

 for agriculture. During recent months 

 farmers have been convinced of the need 

 for a better public relations program for 

 agriculture as we have felt the sting of 

 unfavorable public opinion resulting from 

 increasing food costs. There are two 



phases of this public relations problem; 

 first, the need for a program of better 

 information and improved relationships 

 within the agricultural field itself, and 

 secondly, the need for a program which 

 will reach the general public. 



Your organization has developed a very 

 successful information and publicity pro- 

 gram which reaches practically every 

 member. The Illinois Agricultural As- 

 sociation Record is an attractive maga- 

 zine and is read by more Illinois farmers 

 than any other publication. News releases 

 from the Association are generally well 

 received by the downstate press. Other 

 membership relations activities have been 

 maintained at a high level. The Illinois 

 Farm Sports Festivals with its thousands 

 of participants, is truly the greatest farm 

 folk and sports event in America. Mem- 

 bership interest and participation in an- 

 nual meetings, leadership meetings and 

 special conferences continues quite active. 



The division of General Services has 

 the task of stimulating local interest in 

 the action programs of the Association. 

 We have had excellent cooperation from 

 the counties in establishing the statewide 

 plan for uniform county committees 

 through which our department directors 

 are attempting to carry out local action 

 programs in taxation, rural school prob- 

 lems, safety and health, better roads, 

 conservation, animal health and legisla- 

 tion. The greatest hindrance to the most 

 effective use of this plan is the lack of 

 sufficient manpower in most counties to 

 fully implement these activities. Proper 

 use of these committees, coupled with 

 active local community organization 



President Sheman delivers hit annual ad- 

 dress to the assembled voting delegates. 



would both increase the effectiveness of 

 our organization and insure increased 

 membership participation. 



In general, the membership relations 

 program of the Association is fairly effec- 

 tive and does show considerable improve- 

 ment. Our great unsolved problem is 

 in the field of public relations with the 

 general public. Our weakness here is a 

 result of the great influence wielded by 

 the powerful metropolitan press and 

 radio. Every available opportimity has 

 been used to secure a fair hearing for 

 Agriculture. 



The most dramatic function of your 



(Continued on pagt 32) 



lAA President Shmnan (rlgkt) dhcttsses 



farm Issues over station WBBM wM Aif 



oouncer Harry Campbell, 



WIS Announcer Art 

 Page (right) presents 

 lAA President Shuman 

 with a gavel during 

 lAA annual meeting. 

 Page loklngly sug- 

 gested It was (he 

 thing to keep dele- 

 gates In line because 

 It was made of or- 

 angewood, the "stuff 

 that kept pioneer kids 

 on their toes." 



