COOPERATIVE BULL ASSOCIATIONS. 
21 
Each member must realize that all parts of the association can 
not be arranged entirely according to his wishes. He should re¬ 
member that the association carries such great advantages that it 
pays to put up with what he thinks are undesirable features. Such 
conditions are met with in private affairs and can not be eliminated 
in an association. ] 
Article V. Blocks. 
Sec. 1 . — Blocks defined. The term “block” in this constitution shall mean a 
subdivision of the association for the convenient grouping of members, so that 
each group, or block, shall have the required number of cows and have the 
exclusive use of one of the bulls of the association. 
Sec. 2. —Designation of blocks, 'minimum number. The association shall be 
divided into three or more blocks, and the blocks shall be designated numeri¬ 
cally and in order. 
Sec. 3.— Blocks arranged by the board of directors. The subdivision of the 
association into blocks, the addition of new blocks, or any change in the 
arrangement of blocks shall be made with the approval of the board of 
directors. 
[One of the greatest advantages of a bull association is the oppor¬ 
tunity it affords to exchange bulls with another block every two years 
without any additional cost. In order to obtain the most benefit, 
however, the association should contain at least three blocks, which 
will supply bull service for six years. If the association purchased 
young bulls, by the end of that time they will be about seven years 
old. With proper handling the service of bulls can be extended much 
beyond that age, and it is more economical, therefore, to have more 
than three blocks in an association, four, five, or six blocks apparently 
giving the best results. There are successful associations with even 
larger numbers. A desirable feature of a large association is that 
because of the large number of members the assessments for replacing 
a bull are very small. However, some of the large associations are 
unwieldy, and the exchange of bulls is not so satisfactory as in an 
association containing five or six blocks. It is suggested, therefore, 
that a large association arrange for the exchange of bulls in sections 
of from three to five blocks. 
The grouping of the members in the block should always be 
such that each can take his cows conveniently to the farm where 
the bull is kept. If the arrangements are thoroughly understood 
in the first place any unsatisfactory feature will be accepted and 
later misunderstandings avoided. No definite distance can be given 
as the maximum which a member should travel to take his cows to 
the association bull. The question should be discussed thoroughly 
and an arrangement satisfactory to all must be made. One member 
may so value the opportunity to use the association bull that he is 
willing to load a cow in a wagon and haul her 5 miles, while another 
may think that leading a cow a quarter of a mile is too far. 
