3 minute read
Under 30s
Chairman’s Jottings
WITHOUT really noticing Autumn arrived overnight in my cottage garden. Having a garden has certainly made dealing with the ever changing Covid-19 guidance and legislation that bit easier. Covid-19 has made it increasingly difficult to organise events. Whilst we have been able to arrange some smaller dining evenings it remains impossible to replicate our usual event structure, which is typically very sociable. Nevertheless, in times like these we must make the most of getting together with friends wherever possible. Recently, I managed to take a two-week break from work. After a busy few months I hadn’t appreciated quite how much I needed a change of scene. It was lovely to make it to London for a few days. I was struck by how quiet the trains were, but I never expected the Tube to be even quieter! Everywhere felt very safe with masks and hand sanitiser aplenty. Returning to the Club and ordering a long-awaited Scotch Egg from the Bar, to enjoy on the Terrace, was simply wonderful. It was great to say hello to everyone working in the Club, the atmosphere and service was excellent as always. Changing restrictions make it difficult to predict whether we will be able to hold our November Dining – we will keep members posted. I’ll end by encouraging members to engage with the events being held by the main Club, which are – as always – open to Under 30s members. Please visit our “The Farmers Club U30s” Facebook page to keep up to date.
Contact Eleanor for more information: Eleanor Kay Edinburgh Under 30s Chairman 2020/21 07964 909108 • eleanorkay@live.co.uk
A Look to the Future
Much of this year’s Under 30s calendar has been a writeoff, but we managed to hold some online drinks events, a successful Cocktail Making Master Class in partnership with St Maur, and a few small Dinners in the Club. The Committee thought an update on our plans for the future might give us all something to look forward to.
Events for 2020
For the rest of 2020 we hope to bring back our informal fortnightly (ish) drinks, on a variety of weekdays, not just Fridays, structured so you can dip in and out rather than commit to several hours. We will also provisionally plan some smaller Dinners, as regulations allow.
Member Survey and Feedback
The pandemic provides an opportunity for us to look at our events afresh. With an increase in online events, and the potential to do more, we are interested to hear from members. We are creating a survey to gather ideas and feedback. Please take part – there may even be a prize draw! Watch out for details by email and Facebook.
Scholarships
With the Oxford Farming Conference becoming virtual for 2021, and the RASC biannual conference cancelled for 2020, we are changing our usual scholarship offerings. Lower costs for OFC 2021 mean we can offer more scholarships – application details will be available in late October. We will also continue to work on an interim Scholarship for 2021 before the 2022 RASC Conference.
Committee Update
After such an unusual year the Under 30s Committee held an exceptional meeting and voted to extend the terms of our current Chairman (Eleanor Kay) and Vice-Chairman (Alice Hind) by one year. In the spirit of continuity, current Committee members also have the opportunity to remain in post for a further year. We would also like to increase the membership of the Committee by creating two further seats, giving us a Committee of 11, plus two Jill Willows Scholars and Immediate Past Chair. This will help share workloads. Watch out for Committee applications opening in November.
Plan for 2021
Our current plan is to hold a delayed New Members Weekend in March, when we hope we may be able to hold slightly larger events, and to start the year with some smaller events at the Club and online. We still plan to have some Farm Walks, and depending on demand may try to hold three Farm Walk Weekends. Survey responses will help shape our plans. We look forward to seeing many more of you in the next 12 months.
