Fellow Members, My name is Lucy Roche. I am currently a first year government student in UCC. I am writing to you to humbly ask for your support in running for auditor of UCC Young Fine Gael at this year’s AGM. I am running for this position because I believe I have the necessary experience, dedication, commitment, ideas and skills to chair the branch over the next 12 months. With the general elections occurring during this time period it will be a very challenging period for both our party and our branch, but I am confident that if we work together tirelessly and diligently we will have a very successful year. I would be deeply honoured to chair the branch during this demanding but I believe ultimately successful time. Experience: I have always been passionate about politics and people. I have been a member of Scouting Ireland since the age of 11. I was chairperson of my local scout group for a year when I was in Ventures and I am now currently a Cub Leader and secretary in the group. I believe I have gained a lot of experience from working and volunteering with various groups of people. I currently volunteer with the SVP society helping kids with their homework every Monday. I went to Lourdes as a youth helper with the Diocese of Cloyne when I was 17 and I volunteered with my local Special Olympics club during my secondary school years. I have been a member of Young Fine Gael and Fine Gael since the age of 16. These are the positions I've held on various committees which I feel will benefit me during my time as Chair:
Current Assistant PRO of UCC YFG Government First Year Rep of Government and Politics society Former Chairperson of my Ventures group Secretary of Doneraile Scout Group
My Aims: The goals/aims I would like to achieve during my year as Chairperson of UCC YFG are as follows:
I want to organise and hold more collaborations with other societies during the year. I feel this could make for more exciting and interactive debates and also the potential for gaining new members through these societies.
I want our debates to be biweekly as I feel there is a better chance of attracting more people and interest in our debates. I feel if we hold debates weekly it may lead to us running out of possible topics for debate and I want our debates to be thoughtprovoking, exciting and interesting.
I want to make YFG this year along with the committee a far more approachable and relatable society by holding more socials during the course of the year which may include: coffee meet ups, bowling, pizza socials held in the Fran Well, movie nights, a quiz and 12 pubs of Christmas.
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I want to make sure that members take part in Yes Equality campaign and canvassing next year in the general elections.
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I find what are we lacking in is female membership. I found that there are female members in YFG with fantastic potential who don't like to speak up in debates and Model Dail, (as I was the only girl to speak from YFG at the Model Dail). This is something I really want to push this year. I feel we need to encourage more girls to speak up in debates and to join our society. I want to make our society more appealing to women by holding a seminar on women in leadership and get a guest speaker in who is an expert/experience on this topic.
In conclusion: I have been passionate about UCC YFG ever since I joined last September. I want to lead on from the fantastic and exciting year we've had as a society. Winning Best Party at Model Dail was definitely the highlight for me. I believe we put so much effort into our speeches and it was obvious that we all work well as a team. In the short but exhilarating time of being a member of YFG I have changed, I feel our small but riveting debates have given me far more confidence in public speaking and myself as a person. The YFG elections and conference (debates) were stimulating and engaging, and I loved getting to meet all the different members of YFG across the country. Getting to meet our Taoiseach Enda Kenny twice and him complimenting me on my choice of hat was definitely another highlight for me. That is why I am running for auditor of this great society and if elected, I believe with hard work and tireless effort on my part and on the part of the society we can aim to be not alone the best political society on campus, but the best society on campus in general. I would like to thank you very much for taking the time to read my manifesto and I would like to humbly ask for your support on the 30th of March at our AGM. If you have any questions whatsoever feel free to contact me to discuss my manifesto or any other issue via: email: luroche@gmail.com or alternatively message me on Facebook. Best Regards, Lucy Roche.