Media Library

Speeches

ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE PRESENTATION OF GAISCE CHARTER MEMBER PARCHMENTS

ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE PRESENTATION OF GAISCE CHARTER MEMBER PARCHMENTS ON WEDNESDAY 1 APRIL, 1998

Firstly I’d like to thank Micheal Webb, the Chairman of Gaisce - The President’s Award, for his warm words of welcome this evening and for giving me this opportunity to meet and spend some time with the “Charter Members” of Gaisce. Most importantly, I’m delighted to have this chance to acknowledge the great support which you are giving to Gaisce and, through Gaisce, to so many young people to set and achieve personal goals.

The essence of the Gaisce award scheme is that it gives recognition and affirmation to young people who are prepared to make a special effort – willing to overcome obstacles - to see their faith in themselves pay off – and, in the process, to show others what they can do with the right motivation and attitude – how they too can be achievers.

The Gaisce awards, which were set up in 1985, have been going from strength to strength since then. They were designed to encourage young people, between the ages of 15 and 25, regardless of background, ability, creed or culture, to develop their skills and help their communities, by setting themselves target to be achieved within a given time frame.

This morning I opened a Youth information Fair in Finglas, and I was struck by the level of self-assuredness – self-confidence – and self-belief that young people have today. I was impressed that they were willing - and very able - to bring the different youth and voluntary bodies in their area together - and to work with State agencies and the local authorities - to mount a comprehensive exhibition on the many options that are available for youth to work for their own benefit and for their community. Everybody needs some challenge or goal in their lives, if they are to realise their potential. Young people especially need challenges in an age when so much is taken for granted – challenges which test them and engage them in a process of self-revelation through which they grow in self-knowledge, self-esteem – and put their talents generously at the service of others.

The Gaisce award scheme is a very effective way of setting and meeting challenges - an ideal means of developing young people in their important, formative, years. Gaisce is about personal development for the able-bodied and the disabled alike - about the pursuit of excellence - about stretching people to their emotional, intellectual, and physical limits. It instills a high degree of initiative, of perseverance, self-discipline, of leadership ability and, most importantly, caring skills.

Change is the only certainty in life. As Newman said, “To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often”. Gaisce itself is making changes to meet new demands and to reach new horizons. It’s building bridges and links to other award schemes, and working to include more and more young people within the scheme. Plans are being put in place for the “Millennium Encounter” in 1999 - a major international event for ‘Gold’ awardees, which is being jointly organised with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Northern Ireland. Indeed, Gaisce and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award have built up a very good working relationship and have established a ‘Joint Committee’ – of which I am a Joint Patron with Prince Edward – to explore areas of mutual interest - to look into ways of building bridges between the two communities in Northern Ireland and between people on both sides of the border - and to identify other ways to develop relationships between North and South.

The President's Award Charter for Business – which extends the scheme to young people in the workplace as a means of developing their potential - is another example of the positive developments that Gaisce are bringing about. As the first Charter Members, your interest and support is greatly appreciated – and you will have considerable influence on others to support Gaisce. Some of you – such as Ulster Bank, Glen Dimplex and Heinz – have already introduced the programme to you young employees - and have realised the benefits to your organisations. There is a stribg business case for confident, well-motivated employees quite apart from the altruistic investment in staff self-development.

Gaisce has been very fortunate to have the generous and dedicated assistance of Michael Kirkham over the last two years in implementing the Charter Membership Programme. Michael is moving on to work on the World Conference “Millennium Encounter” – the event which I mentioned earlier – and which will take place in Autumn 1999. I know that Michael will be a great loss to Gaisce and will be greatly missed, but many young people on this island will be the beneficiaries of this important bridge-building work.

Finally, as Patron of Gaisce, I would like to thank you for your great support as Charter Members of Gaisce. Involvement takes time, effort and commitment – on top of already stretched diaries and demands. You have gone yet another extra mile and we are grateful for it.