Happy New Year to all young farmers, farmers and our many supporters and sponsors.

I’d like to start this report by thanking everyone for making 2013 one of Suffolk YFC’s most successful years, from membership rising by 20% across all clubs and three new clubs being launched to our biggest Country Fair to date, being back in the ring at the Suffolk Show and our biggest ever Muck Move event.

We ended 2013 with parties and public speaking, not in that order fortunately as I’m not sure the results would have been so good.

Members of all clubs took part in the public speaking competitions day, held at Otley College. It has been many years since the senior clubs have had “enthusiasm” for standing up and making fools out of themselves without prior oiling. Maybe it’s their new competitive spirits, a lack of something to do or even that they thought it might be fun?

First on stage were the “Just a Minuters” from Stowmarket, Hadleigh and Debenham. Bob from Stowmarket stunned Tom from Debenham into complete silence with his entire minute on Dinner Party etiquette while Charlie was very vocal in his views on double chins. I’m not sure that surgery abroad is for everyone while we all know that Bob would like a cheesecake brought to his dinner party along with some mints and that trousers are purely optional!

A very interesting round between Izzy from Debenham, Angharad from Hadleigh and Jenny from Stowmarket involved topics on advice for a 21-year-old girl and, most interestingly, the chairman’s best features. I promise I had no involvement in this topic being assigned to Ed’s sister, girlfriend and latest member of staff. I am open to offers for the video evidence.

Megan from Debenham managed to fill an entire minute, and won the “outstanding Just-a-Minuter” for her surreal venture into the subject of “Five things to do with a banana”. I can only wonder whether they really are good for Christmas decorations. The win went to Stowmarket, second place to Debenham and third to Hadleigh.

The Junior Public Speaking competition, as always, made the art of public speaking look easy and again amazed me with the wide range of topics that were chosen. A huge “well done” to the Deben Valley team who won the competition, with Lark Valley in second and Gipping Valley third.

The Junior Reading teams were given the challenge of a variety of passages from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Well done to Gipping Valley A for their win, to Deben and Gipping B for second place and to Brett for third.

Stowmarket rounded off the year’s activities with their annual post Christmas bash. As usual young farmers celebrated in style and I hope our supporters and friends had as good a time as we did.

Tory Lugsden