A big thank you and congratulations goes out to all of those who contributed to making the 2013 National AGM in Waterford such a great success. The weekend was enjoyed by all who participated and we got some great feedback from all over the country.
It was an honour for the Waterford Branch to host the 2013 National AGM. This was first suggested in the early part of 2012 and the entire Branch Committee were behind the idea from day one. This enthusiasm prevailed to see the project through to the success that it was, with a lot of hard work along the way. This included meetings with Annette O’Neill and Pat Clarke in Waterford and in Dublin, to co-ordinate the official business of the AGM with the Branch organised activities.
The weekend kicked off with a Mayoral Reception on Friday 7th June in Waterford City Hall, generously hosted by Waterford City Council, and His Worship Councillor Jim Darcy, Mayor of Waterford. The Mayor gave a warm welcome to local Branch members and a large number of visiting delegates, including Pat Clarke (CEO) and Clare Leonard (outgoing President). A special thank you goes out to the Mayor and his staff who made this such a memorable occasion, and particularly to Emma Smith who closely liaised with the Branch in the months leading up to the event.
Following the Mayoral reception, the party moved across the road to the Tower Hotel for a disco which was attended by a large number of younger delegates. The AGM was held at The Tower Hotel where many of the visiting delegates also stayed. The Tower also hosts the annual Christmas party for the Branch, and as expected, they did a great job accommodating us for the weekend.
The AGM took place on the afternoon of Saturday 8th June and the National office arranged a series of delegate workshops in the morning. In association with these, the Branch arranged a series of activities for 6-16 year olds in the new Red Kettle Theatre Company headquarters on the quay. We would like to thank all of the facilitators for these activities, including Helen Arthur and Sharon Moore, who did a Music Therapy session, Libby Seward who is director of our Traces Dance Ensemble, the Rhythm n Shakes drumming troupe, and Niall Devereux who facilitates our Branch fun and fitness sessions. In the afternoon, the Little Red Kettle Company hosted a most enjoyable theatre workshop. These activities would not have been possible without our army of volunteer assistants, including parent/sibling volunteers, as well as many Special Needs Assistants from Waterford schools, who generously gave of their time to help out. All of our volunteers also 
gave up their time to attend DSI Policy & Ethics Training, which was provided by the National Resource Team in Waterford in April. The Branch also provided qualified crèche staff to keep the little ones occupied, and May Gannon hosted workshops for over 16s during the day. There was also a number of workshop for parents organised by National Office.
The Branch organised a number of poster presentations during the morning workshops. As in most other aspects of the weekend, we received generous support from several quarters to organise these, which we wish to acknowledge. Three Transition Year students from St. Angela’s Ursuline School, Rebecca English, Orla Trihy, and Caoimhe Sauvage, produced two wonderful projects for the Branch. A display was also produced by the Traces dance group, and Desmond Curran and Elaine Hearne did a presentation on behalf of the Waterford Latch-On group. We would also like to thank City Square Shopping Centre for loaning us noticeboards, and the Edmund Rice International Heritage Centre for additional notice boards, storage, and the loan of the van.
Following a very busy and eventful AGM in the afternoon, the Branch hosted a Cheese & Wine reception in the fabulous Waterford Medieval Museum which is close to the Tower Hotel. We would like to sincerely thank the Museum for allowing us to hold the event in this wonderful space. We particularly want to thank Mr. Donnacha O’Ceallachain for helping to organise the event and for giving delegates the benefit of his expertise during a guided tour of the Museum. Music was provided by the wonderful Una McSweeney who charmed delegates with her harp playing. Una and her husband Michael generously volunteered their time and we are eternally grateful to them. Catering for the event was expertly co-ordinated by Catherine Prendergast and Bernard Butler (parents of Julie) and their family, and by Geraldine Kennedy who also gave up her kitchen for the weekend and provided transport. Wine glasses and serving dishes were generously provided by Paul McDaid of The Main Event Catering Company, and we would like to acknowledge Sheridan’s who did a great deal for us on the cheese, and Lamber de Bie for donating flowers.
The cheese and wine reception was a great start to the evening, which finished with a great meal and dancing at the dinner dance in the Tower hotel. During the meal, the delegates were entertained by a very moving performance by the senior Traces dance group, directed by Libby Seward.
We would like to thank whoever controls the weather for allowing us to showcase what Waterford has to offer at its best. A big thank you to Kavanagh Electrical who helped keep us cool with a loan of a ventilation fan for our morning and afternoon activities. We would also like to acknowledge Tara Kerry of the Failte Ireland Waterford Office who was most helpful in the early stages of planning the weekend.
On Sunday 9th June the Branch arranged a trip on the Waterford Suir Valley Railway followed by a picnic in the sun. A special thanks goes out to Ardkeen Quality Food Store who produced the food for the picnic at short notice (sorry guys) and at a substantial discount. A great day was had by all and it rounded off a great weekend. We all went home exhausted but satisfied. Thanks again to everyone who attended the AGM or helped out in any way.