Rural Youth Activitiesi 



Two members of our State Rural 

 Youth Committee represented Rural 

 Youth at the Springfield Farm Bu- 

 reau leaders meeting March 4. They 

 were: £)oreen Marti, Bond, who is 

 also on the national committee; and Bob 

 Sievers, Rock Island. They were inter- 

 ested greatly in their first meeting since 

 election to the lAA State Committee. 



Impressive to them was the democratic 

 way in which Farm Bureau subjects were 

 discussed by Farm Bureau leaders from 

 all over Illinois. Such topics as the long- 

 range farm program, the financing of co- 

 • operatives, and road problems were 

 brought close to them by men who have 

 been at the center of activities relating to 

 these outstanding issues. 



Becoming acquainted with the prob- 

 lems of agriculture and a firsthand con- 

 tact with leaders and with methods of 

 discussing the problems helps to build 

 democratic leadership for Rural Youth 

 and for Farm Bureau in general. This 

 privilege of attending leaders meetings 

 is appreciated by the Rural Youth Com- 

 mittee. 



From many groups comes news of re- 

 ports by Rural Youth, FFA, and 4-H 

 members to county Farm Bureau boards 

 and to annual meetings of the Co-op 

 Training Course held during Farm and 

 Home Week in Urbana. Such follow-up 

 by alert young men who attended the 

 CTC and by the cooperating Farm 

 Bureaus is to be complimented. The re- 

 sults will mean much for the future ad- 

 vancement of agriculture and the growth 

 in leadership ability of the young men. 



Youth Under AFBF 



The most recent big event on the na- 

 tional level for Rural Youth was the 

 AFBF Rural Youth conference held at 

 Kentucky Dam State Park, Gilbertsville, 

 Kentucky, March 7-9- While designed 



By ELLSWORTH D. LYON, Director 



Young Peoples Activities 



for state leaders of yoiith on the state 

 level and for state committee members 

 and presidents. Rural Youth leaders in 

 counties will be interested in the event. 

 This conference set up for the purpose of 

 guiding the program of Rural Youth was 

 under three general headings of: Or- 

 ganization, Education, and Recreation. 



As a background for the three themes 

 mentioned above was the presentation 

 of Farm Bureau philosophy by Roger 

 Fleming, director AFBF, Washington 

 office, Mrs. Charles W. Sewell, Associ- 

 ated Women, AFBF, and Frank Pierce, 

 California Farm Bureau. 



Mrs. Sewell addressed the conference 

 on two different occassions. One of her 

 talks dealt with citizenship as it relates to 

 Rural Youth in which pointers were 

 given for the National Rural Youth Talk 

 Meet which will be held in December. 

 The general topic for this Talk Meet will 

 be, "Rural Youth Citizenship in a Demo- 

 cratic Government." 



She pointed out that there are four 

 pillars of government: (1), alert in- 

 formed citizenship, (2) a simple plan 

 of government, (3) team work in ad- 

 ministration, and (4), a plan for future 

 growth. For reading material she sug- 

 gested Decline ' and Fall of Rome by 

 Gibbons. Mrs. Sewell saia this book 

 points to five factors which led to the fall 

 of Rome: Increase of divorce, excessive 

 taxation, craze for pleasure, huge arma- 

 ment programs and decay of religion. 



She challenged all present to be proud 

 of their citizenship. She pointed out that 

 delegates should carry back to their state 



^ 



lAA Vice President 

 rioyd t. Morris 

 (right), Sangamon 

 tounty, cfcats with Ku- 

 ral Youihar* Bob 

 Steven*, Rock Itland, 

 and Oorreen Marti, 

 Bond, following farm 

 Bureau leader* meet- 

 ing they attended re- 

 cently In Springfield. 



26 



organizations the things which they want 

 to have happen and ideas of ways to 

 prevent what they don't want to have 

 happen, a realization that legislation must 

 protect both producer and consumer alike 

 and that to be effective. Rural Youth 

 must build an action organization. 



Some of the ideas emphasized by Frank 

 Pierce in his talk upon public relations 

 should be of interest to Rural Youth 

 members, especially those who are public 

 relations officers in their groups. "The 

 effect of our activities on others and 

 others' activities on us is public rela- 

 tions," said Pierce. He pointed out that 

 the public relations director should be 

 as close as possible to the chief executive. 

 He said further that good public relations 

 leads us to accept the truth rather than 

 shy away from it. 



Roger Fleming drew much attention in 

 his speech entitled, "Relationship of 

 Government and Farm Bureau." He 

 pointed out that congressmen are the only 

 hope of control of freedom in our 

 government. He challenged his audience 

 to return to their comniunities and be 

 participating members in their farm or- 

 ganizations and in the life of our govern- 

 ment. A question and answer period 

 following his address brought forth many 

 more questions than there was time for 

 discussion. He said that Rural Youth 

 groups would be safe as they work in 

 their local counties if they will plan their 

 activities in harmony with the AFBF 

 resolutions. 



Mimeographed copies of the addresses 

 and discussions will soon be available 

 for distribution. If your county group 

 desires copies you many contact the office 

 of the Department of Young People's 

 Activities. 



County Activities 



Sangamon passed a resolution March 

 10 promoting Standard time. After dis- 

 cussion it was decided to send the reso- 

 lution to all mayors of all towns and to 

 publishers of all newspapers , in Sanga- 

 mon County. This action is in harmony 

 with the action of many county Farm 

 Bureau annual meetings. 



"Cancer" was the theme for Knox's 

 educational feature, March 1 . The speaker 

 was Dr. Alexander M. Burke, M.D., 

 District Health Officer. 



A good job of publicity brought out an 

 attendance of 315 Rural Youthers to 

 Henry's annual banquet, March 5. Ray- 

 mond Johnson and Florence Staley are 

 given credit for an outstanding publicity 

 program. i 



L A. A. RECORD 



