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10 THE RURAL VOICE
going ahead on our own with it."
The result was that the foundation,
the university, the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food, and the On-
tario Federation of Agriculture join-
ed forces to sponsor the course. Also,
agribusinesses around the province
will be canvassed to lend their finan-
cial support because the leadership
training will cost about $8,000 to
$10,000 per participant, Hannam
says. The 30 potential leaders will be
asked to pay $2,000 or one-quarter of
the cost; the second quarter will be
paid by the four sponsoring organiza-
tions and the remainder, organizers
hope, will come through corporate
donations.
The deadline for applications was
the end of December, and applicants
will be interviewed by regional inter-
view teams in January. Hannam
notes that an "extremely large
number of people" have expressed an
interest in the program — "it seems
to have struck a very positive cord."
The two-year program officially gets
underway March 25 at the University
of Guelph with a three-day workshop
titled "The Challenge of
Leadership." Seminars will be held in
a variety•of locations from Ottawa to
Huntsville, Orillia, Chatham, and
Oshawa, usually for three -to four-
day periods at a time, so applicants
"will have to demonstrate family or
employer support," Hannam says, so
they can get away from their job or
farming operation.
Although the leadership program is
aimed at both sexes, the eight -
member Agricultural Leadership
Trust, under the honorary chairman-
ship of former Ontario agriculture
minister Dr. William Stewart, is
noticeably short of female members.
That issue was raised at last
November's Turning Point Con-
ference for rural women in Orillia.
The Agricultural Leadership Trust
includes chairman Freeman McEwen,
dean of the Ontario Agricultural Col-
lege, and his assistant, Mike Jenkin-
son, as University of Guelph appoin-
tees. The foundation is represented
by Peter Hannam and Murray
Stewart, public relations manager for
Canada Packers Inc. Harry Pelissero,
president of the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture, and Harry Zwerver,
the OFA executive director, represent
that organization on the trust. The
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and
Food is represented by Ken Knox,
director of OMAF's rural organiza-
tions and services branch, and Clare
Rennie, the assistant deputy minister
of agriculture.
Hannam notes that when the four
sponsoring groups were asked to
name representatives to the trust,
none named women "and we recog-
nize the lack." He adds that an ad-
visory committee is to be established
to work closely with the board in sug-
gesting seminar topics and speakers
"and we expect to have a strong con-
tingent of women on that advisory
committee."
Also, he adds, all of the trust
members except Harry Pelissero and
Murray Stewart have been involved in
planning the leadership program for
some years "and we wanted some
continuity."
Hannam was himself the benefac-
tor of some early training in leader-
ship skills. In 1963, he attended a
five-day program in rural leadership
at Geneva Park Conference Centre.
Then in 1967, a $1,000 Bank of Mon-
treal Centennial scholarship financed
his visit to British Columbia and nor-
thern U.S. states to study the role of
night schools in rural adult educa-
tion. Both those experiences, Han-
nam says, played a major role in help-
ing him look at agriculture in a
broader perspective which is exactly
the goal of the Advanced Agricultural
Leadership Program.
Despite the fact the economic crisis
which led to the creation of the Foun-
dation for Rural Living still haunts
Ontario farmers, Hannam is op-
timistic about the future.
Referring to the old adage, "when
the going gets tough, the tough get
going," Hannam says, "I think that's
all the more need for the development
of leaders to take on future
challenges, to understand and put
Ontario agriculture in context with
the rest of the world."
To pre -order "Farming and The
Rural Community In Ontario: An In-
troduction," send $25 plus 50 cents
handling charge by cheque or money
order to the Foundation for Rural
Living, 491 Eglinton Avenue West,
Toronto, Ont. M5N 3A2.
Information on the foundation can
be obtained from the same address or
by calling (416) 485-3333.❑
ADVANCED
AGRICULTURAL
LEADERSHIP
PROGRAM