Clann Gathering Report 2002

On Sunday morning I was able to relax a little as the first scheduled event; a walking tour of Ferns was not due to kick off until midday. I took a nice bath, lounged a little in my room and then headed downstairs for breakfast where I discussed the previous evenings gossip with Jungle Jim, German Jim and Melissa. Suitably nourished for the day ahead, I returned to my room to change into something respectable. The day ahead was very important for two reasons; the Clann AGM was due to start at 2 o'clock and the inauguration of the new Chief at 4 o'clock. I headed into Ferns and promptly spent the next few hours in a Committee meeting, which unfortunately meant that I missed the walking tour around the town. In fact the meeting was still going on as people began to file in for the AGM. But the overrun did have one positive side effect - it took my mind off the fact that I would have to stand up and present a report on the website to the AGM! You must understand that I prefer to stand in the shadows and observe events rather than take part in them.

The next forty minutes were absolute hell; I began to suffer from sweaty palms, extensive forehead wrinkling and fidgety fingers. In honour of my mother I double-checked that I was wearing clean underwear in the event of my fainting and being carted away to hospital by strangers. My appointed time duly arrived and I forced myself to speak sl-ow-ly, to keep my hands out of my pockets and not to run from the room screaming the "Normans are coming! The Normans I tells yer!!" In the end I managed to drag things out for three to four minutes and make it appear as if I had something interesting to say. For the rest of the AGM I tried not catch anyone's eye for fear of provoking him or her into asking a question.