The Rural Voice, 1982-01, Page 15RURAL NEWS IN BRIEF
Corporate takeovers
threaten CO-OPS
Co-op members were strongly urged
to be on the alert against corporate
take-overs of local co-operatives, by the
Norfolk Federation of Agriculture, at the
annual meeting of the OFA.
The unbelieving expression on many
delegate faces soon turned into under-
standing when a director of the Norfolk
Co-op explained how it can happen.
The Norfolk Co-op has some 4,000
members, of whom approximately 50 turn
up at the annual shareholders meeting.
Each shareholder has one vote, regardless
of the number of shares he holds.
One shareholder, with a large number
of shares, may come to the annual meeting
and explain the advantages of the co-op
incorporating. If he brings with him a
number of members who he has convinced
that such a move is only sensible, it is
conceivable that 26 of those present will
vote in favour of the idea.
The machinery is set in motion and in
due time the co-op is incorporated. Now,
suddenly, co-op members find out that all
those corporate advantages have a string
attached. It is now not one -member -one -
vote anymore, now it is one -share -one
vote. The original proponent of the change
with his large number of shares also has a
large number of votes, and if he has
enough votes, he can turn the co-op into a
public, non -farmer corporation. This way
a feed mill can be purchased by a shrewd
operator with a minimal amount of money.
According to the Norfolk spokesman.
the take-over attempts are threatening the
more successful co-ops first. The Norfolk
Co-op has an annual sales figure in
excess of 540 million.
Perth holstein farmers awarded
Numerous awards were handed out to
Perth County farmers at the annual
banquet of the Perth County Holstein
Association held in Kirkton.
President Royden Clark of Wallace
Township chaired the event and handed
out several awards.
Ken Weitzel of RR2, Tavistock was
recipient of the president's trophy, for
having a first nrize animal with the highest
composite oreed class average.
Other top winners were Harry Van Ness
of RRI, St. Paul's, receiving the I.S.F. Co.
Ltd. trophy for first prize breeder's herd
from Perth County, and Stonetown Farms
of St. Marys area awarded as premier
breeder and exhibitor, with Dave Packam
of RR2, St. Paul's accepting the award.
Anne Hawthorne of Listowel received
the Hooper Memorial trophy for having
highest points in a Perth 4-H dairy club.
Awards were presented to those having
a cow graded excellent. They are as
follows: Robert Hawthorne of Listowel
(two) Charlie Mallott of RRI, Palmerston,
Murray McGonigle of Stratford; Earl
Grant of St. Marys. Murray Grant of RR 1,
St. Marys, Lloyd Kipfer of RR1. Brunner,
Howard Fanson and Son of RRI, Fullar-
ton, Paul Erwin of RR2, Atwood, Brian
Coghlin of RR2, Atwood, and Ken Weitzel
of RRI. Tavistock.
Jeff Willows of RR2, St. Paul's, a
member of the Mitchell 4-H Dairy club
received a 5100 cheque for attending an
international 4-H dairy conference in
September, held at the University of
Wisconsin. Mr. Willows was one of the
three delegates from Ontario and one of 15
from across Canada.
Special guests present included Perth
County Dairy Princess Janet Willows of
RR2, St. Paul's and Jim Neeland a director
on the National Holstein organization.
Gunby named
OFA executive director
Merle Gunby
An Ashfield Township farmer has been
appointed to the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture executive. Merle Gunby, a
past president of the Huron County
Federation of Agriculture, was appointed
to the executive as an executive director at
the Directors Meeting which followed the
OFA annual convention held in Toronto
recently.
Gunby considers the most important
problem facing the OFA as an
organization to be the requirement for
more financial support from its members,
to permit the organization to continue its
representation of Ontario farmers.
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THE RURAL VOICE/JANUARY 1982 PG. 13