County Chairman's report
by Chris Bowley

10th November, 2006

What a year!!! Right then, so where to begin, Kent YFC have had some big challenges this year but I've just received my biggest challenge! To sum up my reign as County Chairman in enough words that it covers the essentials but is kept to a BRIEF minimum in order that once you've read it you are still young enough to be a member!! I don't know what's being suggested!!

Ok, Kent YFC in short?? Hard work, time consuming, frustrating, taxing and at times enough to revert you to a quivering wreck hiding in the darkest deepest corner! A bit harsh you might think, but you'd be wrong, trust me I've had many a quivering moment. But the saying goes "you only get out, what you are prepared to put in". So I lie not when I say these things but then I've been prepared to make these sacrifices even if some of them have resulted in sacrificing the follicles on the top of my head and I have made the effort and contributed to the organisation and as a result I've also found Kent YFC to be rewarding, enjoyable, something to be proud of, educational, entertaining on so many different levels!, and most importantly something I want to be part of.

So my election time was baptism by fire, no L plates, it's sink or swim time. Well I bobbed about for a bit (I know, fat floats!) and then got on with the task at hand. Early in my year as Chair I had the opportunity to attend The National YFC Leadership Development Course with Stuart Jakeman (aka Canterbury YFC Chair, aka tart of the course!). Well we gained a lot from the weekend, the skills and role play scenarios are a superb footing for both YFC and great life skills within your own career path. Meeting the lads and lasses from other counties mixing in a little pubbing & clubbing, did I mention lasses - Stuart, was great. Anyway we got a lot out of it and Stuart the lady magnet with his childlike charm was just lucky to get out!

Its been a full on year but I wouldn't dream of taking any of the credit for such a fantastic County organisation I could not be where I am without the assistance of my committees and their respective chairman's that have done sterling work. Steph, Michael, Lucy & Immy have each gone above and beyond the call of duty often with only the minimal of committees to assist. Of course not forgetting the efforts of yesteryear put in by the previous committees before my time being headed up by Katie & Leigh over the last couple of years and the many chairs and committees before them who have all helped build what we have today, I only hope I have added to what has been started. Yeah I'd be lying if I said we haven't had some trials and errors along the way but remember we are all human, yes even the reputedly scary Kent Show Committee fall into the human bracket of being bog standard YFC members just like you and me. Oh yes, and that even includes Haggis, one of our long standing members & helpers and breeder of the lesser spotted Hagerwish Cow!

July sees members signing up for an annual week of self destruction that is better known as the Kent Show. The committee can seem fraught and sometimes less than approachable but remember the scale of the show that they are trying to host for your benefit, all for no pay and often no thanks. It's an event we love but loath at the same time. I saw many a smiling face and have heard many reports of people having fun, enjoying themselves and already talking about next year, so on reflection I'm positive the show was a success. I do recognize that the Kent show needs an injection of fun back into it, competitors & committee need to chill down a bit and somewhere under all the muck and stress of the show is an event that we can all go to, representing your individual clubs and Kent YFC as a whole mixing with others and have a fun and relaxing weekend. All this is possible, so long as everybody remembers the Committee are volunteers giving up their time. I'm sure they will all support me when I say that none of them are experts, none have been trained or employed in this roll, it is what we make it and they are just trying their best with what is available and I reckon looking back at the amount of stock and the classes held I think we as YFC pulled of a fantastic event that should only continue to grow stronger and for that I thank Steph Dean, our Kent Show committee chairman, and her team for what they have done this year.
For some the Kent Show is the beginning and end of YFC, the rules are the bible to which YFC evolves around but rest assured all is not what it seems. As with any culture there are many different religions and beliefs and we have them too. We have those that would never be seen at the Kent Show let alone be caught with a cow in one hand and a brush in the other but these people are no less a member than the other. YFC caters for all needs and whether its animal, arable, sports or partying I'd like to think we have a little of something for everyone which is one of the things that makes us such a unique organisation.

There is the well know YFC reputation of having a party population. So I give you the Social Committee. Wonderfully chaired by Immy Gausden and her small team we've had a variety of social events that have left many a member with a rosy cheeked fixed glazed grin expression of Honest I'm ok, but I might collapse any second now and need carting off in a wheelbarrow!! Ahh,, the wheelbarrow our brightly coloured high tech barrow with the much sort after paint job sporting Burberry checks & grease lightening style flames to name just a few features but sadly it was so sort after that in a moment of drunken blurriness it was kidnapped and has been on the missing in action list ever since. So what am I talking about, the hugely successful County Ball. Still to this day survives a mist of controversy and myth as to the mysterious disappearance of the psychedelically painted wheel barrow. Never before have I seen two more baffled bouncers who where called in to remove a marauding wheelbarrow which was being waltzed across the dance floor with random occupants riding at even more random angles!! Also amongst the tried and tested favorites was a County pub quiz and with Kent hosting the South East Area Competitions this year we put on a party for those that where there, now numbers where a little disappointing but camping at Hadlow proved less disastrous than previous years where we where plagued by YFC Crop Circles, aka handbrake turns on the sports field!! Excitingly we tempted to break the mould and try something new! Brace your self as we invite onto the stage our new entry for 2006 our own home grown Junior Ball. Wow do you guys know how to party!!! It was a real superb event and something that I hope to see continue in future years and I hope to see more junior clubs that missed out this year make sure to get their names on next years guest list. Immy also ran a County Barn Dance held just outside Ashford which despite being highly requested did not see the number of boots bounding boisterously around the barn that we had expected. It is such a shame because so much effort had been put in to ensure a fantastic event was on hand including a live band, bar, hog roast and the real potential for fun. An opportunity missed by many but a great night had by those that where there at what was another well organised event so our thanks to Immy for that.

So now to the sporting fraternity of YFC, well I hope I won't offend anybody when I say when stood by or up against some of our neighboring Counties we don't always come across as the most sportingly apt County. But my word does that stop us not likely! We get straight in there whether its pool & darts, Land Rover driving, fence erecting, hockey or football. We sign up and give it a go. Our sports and competitions committee this year headed up by Lucy Puttick, again only supported by a small committee around the table she managed to arrange a whole host of varied events.
We've started the year with a public speaking. Where people had a number of different tasks from undergoing a mock interview for a job, being grilled as to what their commitment and involvement with YFC is to having a complete role play debate in teams. It was a great event, I was really impressed and thanks to those involved.
Rally Day came and went smoothly with a good turn out and a whole host of entries in a whole host of classes. Competitions included flower arranging, photography, baking and the finale of a blind sheep dog trial including many cruel but yet entertaining obstacles. Is it wrong to find it so amusing watching someone crawl head first into gates and bails or get soaked as they weave their way through a water filled chicane or wade down a water slide not to mention the grueling task of apple-bobbing with a difference. The difference being that there was no water but instead some thick gooey concoction of slime beans flour and more slime thanks to our chef of the day Haggis! And to add that extra element of cruelty she removed stalks from the apples. I must say the two Ashford teams stole the show. Coming in full fancy dress regalia the mullet'ed moustach'eo guys in tank tops and shorts featuring that 118 logo certainly had your number and your attention, it took guts to entertain us all although Olli nearly lost his guts whilst apple-bobbing!
Although I said we are not the strongest in sport we won the South East Area hockey well done to all those playing. I remember the year I played at the South East Area Spring Comps, we didn't have a clue! There I was goalie, a human target for a solid ball when someone took pity on the obviously inexperienced Kent team and lent me some protective kit. Not that I ever stood much chance of ever getting in between the ball and the goal. We where being cheered for just getting the puck over the half way line!! But that's the beauty of YFC we didn't get ridiculed we got supported yeah we couldn't play but we still had a go we still had fun. Then we got down to business and subjected ourselves to grass skirted humility as we attended the Hawaiian party. Kent took up the reigns of hosting the South East Summer comps this year which included fence erecting, quad biking, rounders, fence erecting and public speaking. This event was well hosted by Kent with many people chipping in to help make a successful weekend and I once again extend my thanks to Lucy and her team for a superb diary of events.

Marketing & Publicity, having been the chair for many years of this committee I hope I don't offend when I say this committee has the reputation of being one of the duller of the committees, but it's what you make it and over the last few years we have turned this around and now have a public face that we can promote drumming up interest. Armed with our new publicity tent, Michael Sims chair of M&P lead a great informative stand at the Kent Show, we also had programs which detail and boast about our organisation. Michael still had the age old trouble of actually getting the programs printed in time. I remember canceling one print run explaining that after waiting 18 months they where now out of date. Michael this year put a bid to the Kent 200 Club, who raise money to support Kent YFC to support the purchase of some new boards for the publicity tent, also paid for by the 200 Club and was successful which really improved our display this year with many photo's. Another avenue that is now also going from strength to strength is our website www.kentyfc.co.uk and our thanks must go to Stephen Paine for his support in this. As always the M&P committee is small but enthusiasm and ideas are still large. This year I dressed up in an ostrich outfit to try and lure attention to our stand. Thanks Michael for your sterling efforts.
There are many people busily working behind the scene to ensure events and activities happen but please ensure that you support our events and if you don't see something you want or you think of something that can be approved then ask, pop along to one of sub committee meetings, pick up the phone or write an email, it's an open door policy all help, all advise and support is always gratefully received.

County staff, yeah I know there paid to do there job but I'm not quite so sure that any other job based on a similar wage and expected hours would be quite so demanding but hopefully also not so rewarding. Our staff Philippa, Cathy & Toyin are fantastic for their dedication and enthusiasm that show us and they do give up so much more than they are ever required and they are asked of so much more than they should but time and time again they still come through for us. I certainly would have struggled without their continued support this year. Alas we are loosing Cathy soon pending a move out of the County, I've just finally moved into Kent and she's off is it something I said? We are now beginning the task of interviewing a replacement.

I have loved being Kent County Chairman, I have some real proud moments, some real trying moments and some real crazy moments but best of all I've had fun and I've got to share these time with some great people. It's a real life experience that can't be measured or matched. I have had to work hard and drive myself to drive others time and time again but if you can spare just a little time to help out here and there then I guarantee you the success of Kent YFC will live on and will go from strength to strength. There is nothing quite like the Young Farmers organisation. You can get so much out of it at any level from member to Chairman.

So for those of you still reading who haven't yet slipped into unconsciousness or given up the will to live, I want to thank you for your support and wish you all well.

Chris Bowley
Kent County Chairman 2005-2006

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