Members of young farmer and rural youth organisation Macra na Feirme are being urged to return – and “make a difference to your club and county” following a really difficult 18 months.
In a letter circulated to Macra members across the country, Macra na Feirme national president John Keane called on young people to show what the organisation has “always been about”, namely community, friendship, togetherness and common interest.
This will be part of a drive to re-engage in communities around the country as restrictions ease – with the young farmer organisation seeking to hold a number of outdoor meetings next month, in line with the beginning of the traditional Macra year from September 1.
Noting the difficulties everyone has encountered over the last year and a half, in the letter Keane pointed to the vaccine rollout and a potential easing of restrictions as real positives, adding:
“Over the course of the next number of months we look forward to returning to a greater diversity of events and activities.”
The president said that an “integrated plan of action” for a support structure has been developed by the organisation’s presidential and training and development officer (TDO) teams.
“We are acutely aware of the challenges you as members and officers face in organising events and getting members reengaged, but together we will return stronger than before,” Keane said.
“I ask each and every member to get back to Macra and to make the difference in your club and county, to show our members what we have always been about: community, friendship, togetherness and common interest.”
A number of actions have been planned to help members, including: outdoor meetings of region and county executives to set out a development plan over the first two weeks of September; outdoor meetings of all clubs to compile a development plan for each individual club; and the removal of the three-day rule in attending Macra events.
“I hope that with the gradual easing of restrictions and as the appetite grows among members to get back to Macra, we will all see the engagement increase across all our clubs and counties,” Keane said.
Concluding, he urged members to continue to fill in contact tracing and risk assessment forms, and to abide by Covid-19 guidelines.