This article is from page 38 of the 2007-10-30 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 38 JPG
KINCORA Macra, founded in No- vember 2003, is based in the Ballina/ Killaloe area and attracts members from surrounding areas including Bridgetown, Ogonnelloe, Scarriff, Feakle, Ballinahinch and Whitegate.
The club has a current membership of 35 and this year had the honour of been chosen as one of the final 12 clubs in the AIB Club of the Year Sroyeayereisisceyee
This competition is designed to award the most dynamic and active clubs in the country.
As a relatively new club, adjudica- tors were impressed with the level of involvement and commitment Kincora club members had shown to
competitions and festivals through- out the year. The Macra na Feirme Leadership Training Programme is hugely important to the organisation and has been acknowledged by many of today’s leaders as the foundation for future careers.
Kincora members have taken part in club, county and national training programmes and are proud to have members on both the county com- mittee and national executive.
Learning the skill of oratory is a key area in the club’s programme and members competed in the na- tional debating and impromptu speaking competitions. Links were made with the local Toastmasters Clubs and Janice Mooney, PRO of Kincora branch, would like to thank
Toastmasters for all the help and ad- vice members were given.
Farming members of Macra na Feirme were kept up to date through- out the year through discussion eroups, young farmer development groups, seminars and competitions. Key areas, which members compet- ed in were The Bord Bia Stock judg- ing Competition, The Alltech Silage Competition and FBD Farm skills Competition.
Every member has an opportunity to travel with Macra and take part in exchanges with other clubs. Recently Kincora members have travelled to Edinburgh, Brussels, Paris and they are discussing the 2008 programme.
Kincora members had a very suc- cessful year at various festivals, with
three ladies from Kincora chosen to represent Clare in the Blue Jeans Festival, The International Miuiss Macra Festival and ‘Queen of the Land Festival’.
Macra is a democratic organisa- tion and every member is entitled to his or her opinion at club meetings. The success of Kincora Club was in the collective responsibility of all the members in the running of it. It was not in the individual skill of one person but in the way members sup- ported and worked with each other.