Volunteering, Garden Fete and Food
Many moons ago, I was a year behind my peers when I eventually struck out on my own and headed to Cork to begin an intensive secretarial course. My parents decided I should stay in a hostel and that proved to be a learning curve. I always viewed it as a stepping stone but met people who had spent years living there! I became a 'joiner'. It was a case of anything but sitting looking at four walls and I was never the person who'd been involved in sport so voluntary organisations were the natural outlet for me. One organisation very often led to another so that when there was a N.Y.C.I - 80's Revisited (National Youth Council of Ireland) gathering in The Mansion House, Dublin recently, I was delighted to go. From Scouting to church organisations and political, this umbrella organisation crosses many a divide and those people who were involved in voluntary organisations 30 and 40 years ago are still willingly giving their time to the same and other organisations in their neighbourhoods. It was great to catch up.
Last week, I attended the launch of the Directory of West Cork Artisan Producers organised & produced by A Taste of West Cork. I couldn't help but reflect on the way home about this very successful 10 day festival which encompasses events from Bandon to Beara, and most organised locally by volunteers. You may remember that last year, I had a mad idea to organise a seminar on Food: Fiction, Fads & Phonies. A small crowd attended but we're going to do it all again. Am I the mad one, I sometimes wonder!
Before that on Saturday, 8th July, I'll be one of those people manning a stall and chatting with any who come through The Deanery gate (or in the case of bad weather, the Cathedral door to the Narthex) for the annual Garden Fete in Rosscarbery. There are, of course, the usual sections like Tea & Coffee; Cakes; Plants; Books (a bewildering quantity will await any booklovers to search through); A Taste of West Cork Food; Bric á Brac; Games and raffles, Strawberries & Cream but my favourite has to be the Dog Show. This dog show is like no other I have attended and be prepared to laugh heartily as someone checks which dog has the longest tail or the cutest face or whatever. The fete begins at 2.30pm, but volunteers will have begun setting up the stalls on Saturday morning and when all is over, there will be a few who remain behind to clean up.
It's funny how much easier it is to volunteer to set up rather than clean up, but that's another story.
Until next time...
Avril
Last week, I attended the launch of the Directory of West Cork Artisan Producers organised & produced by A Taste of West Cork. I couldn't help but reflect on the way home about this very successful 10 day festival which encompasses events from Bandon to Beara, and most organised locally by volunteers. You may remember that last year, I had a mad idea to organise a seminar on Food: Fiction, Fads & Phonies. A small crowd attended but we're going to do it all again. Am I the mad one, I sometimes wonder!
Before that on Saturday, 8th July, I'll be one of those people manning a stall and chatting with any who come through The Deanery gate (or in the case of bad weather, the Cathedral door to the Narthex) for the annual Garden Fete in Rosscarbery. There are, of course, the usual sections like Tea & Coffee; Cakes; Plants; Books (a bewildering quantity will await any booklovers to search through); A Taste of West Cork Food; Bric á Brac; Games and raffles, Strawberries & Cream but my favourite has to be the Dog Show. This dog show is like no other I have attended and be prepared to laugh heartily as someone checks which dog has the longest tail or the cutest face or whatever. The fete begins at 2.30pm, but volunteers will have begun setting up the stalls on Saturday morning and when all is over, there will be a few who remain behind to clean up.
It's funny how much easier it is to volunteer to set up rather than clean up, but that's another story.
Until next time...
Avril
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