This year's Summer Party will be on Wednesday 1st August 2007 at Buffalo Joes.  Entry is free up to 11.30pm, sorry no under 18's allowed.  Photo I.D. may be asked for.  For further details please contact your Club Secretary or County Office.

Haltwhistle YFC –Anniversary Ball

Saturday 11^th August, 7.30pm for 8pm

Featherstone Castle, Nr Haltwhistle

Tickets £25.00 – Available from Nicola on 07803132103

Durham Sixth Form College was the venue for the Northern Area Weekend on 10th & 11th March 2007.  Several members from Northumberland headed down on the Saturday to compete in the Brainstrust & Debating Competitions,  special thanks to Claire Fairbank and Jenny Rix of Ponteland YFC who took on all five parts in the debating and came a very respectable 5th. 

Sunday saw teams competing in basketball and badminton and in the afternoon Whitley Chapel took to the stage in the Drama Competition.  This competition was as keenly contested as ever and Whitley did us proud and were very unlucky to come away third.  Well done to Jill Oakley who was awarded Best Actress for her part as Dotty the cook.

Well done and thank you to all members who competed at this weekend.

Monday 19th and Tuesday 21st February saw the eliminators of our Drama Competition at the Queens Hall, Hexham.  The competition was keenly contested by four teams and once again we were able to see what tremedous talent we have within our County YFC. 

Going through to Saturday's final are Bellingham, Haltwhistle & Whitley Chapel.  The judges commended Ponteland & Stamfordham's joint production of 'The Romantic Legend of Don Quixote' and praised the cast for some good individual performances.

Tickets for the final on Saturday 24th February can be purchased from County Office or The Queens Hall.

Well done to Daniel Nixon of Whitley Chapel YFC who has been selected to go on a three month exchange to Zambia as part of the National Discovery Programme. Daniel was selected after being interviewed in December.  He leaves on 14th January 2008 and will be based in Choma.  The trip will give Daniel a chance to find out about education and rural life in Zambia.  He hopes to bring home new ideas that he can use within Northumberland YFCs.  Daniel will also have the chance to do some sight seeing in Zambia, which is best known for its Victoria Falls at Livingstone.

The Discovery Programme is a reciprocal exchange programme run by the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs in conjunction with other rural youth organisations around the world.  It provides members with the opportunity to travel and learn about agriculture across the globe.  The selection day for the limited places available is held each December.

Thank you to the Clubs who sent in the Tesco Sports Vouchers we managed to collect 731 which was pretty good considering we only joined the scheme half way through.  With these we have managed to order a new set of rounders bats and balls which will be kept at County for Clubs to use.  Bellingham collected the most vouchers 346 in total and were given three free tickets into the YFC Christmas Party back in December. 

The County AGM was held on Friday 17th November at the Queen's Head, Morpeth.  Well done to the following Clubs and members who received awards

Club of the Year - Whitley Chapel

Kershaw Cup for the highest percentage increase in membership - Haltwhistle

Member of the Year - Stewart Weatherson (Haltwhistle)

Dawson Trophy for Charity & Community Work - Whitley Chapel

Most improved Club - Ponteland

Best Set of Secretary's Books - Stacey Adamson (Bellingham)

Best Club Programme - Shaftoe

Best Website Article - Ailsa Wraith (Shaftoe)

Oliver Award in recognition for their contribution to Young Farmers joint winners David Taylor (Berwick) & George Walton (Ponteland)

Chalmers Shield - Bellingham

Dixon Shield - Coquetdale

Intermediate Brainstrust - Whitley Chapel

Good luck to the following new office bearers for this coming year.

County Chairman - Stewart Weatherson

President - John Gilhespy

Vice Chair - Lindsay Carr

Vice President - Stephen Shell