Pioneer and proud of it...

At a time when the country's welfare appears to have been thrown to the dogs, it's hard not to despair when you see grown men and women making more of a fuss out of pubs being closed on Good Friday.However, if every pub from Malin Head to Mizen Head had opened its doors on Friday last, it wouldn't have fazed Ballynacargy's Tom Riggs, who since the 1970s has been one of Westmeath's leading Pioneers.Forty-five years ago, Tom - a former pupil of Ballynacargy National School, who worked as a nurse at St. Loman's Hospital for 38 years - took the Pioneer pledge to abstain from alcohol, and to this day he has never touched a drop.Tom has worked for the betterment of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association (PTAA) in his native parish for his whole adult life. His dedication to the organisation has earned him the title of Chairman/President of its Mullingar region, which administers fifteen "centres" in north Westmeath."My mother, an Offaly woman, was my main inspiration for going into the Pioneers," Tom told the Westmeath Examiner last week. "She didn't coerce us into it, but none of her family at home in Offaly drank, and they did very well for themselves, so they were a great example to us."I took my Confirmation pledge, and two years later I became a full Pioneer. Fr. Kilmartin was the parish priest in Ballynacargy at the time," he said.The Ballynacargy centre almost died off during the 1970s, but was rejuvenated by Fr. Pat Kearney, who came to Ballynacargy from Longwood. At that point, Tom became very active in the organisation.This year, Ballynacargy welcomed sixteen new members, and the centre is enjoying its best period in a long time. Many of these young Pioneers are attracted to sporting and cultural tournaments run by the PTAA.The centre also boasts eight Dr. Cullen Medal holders (the medal is given after sixty years as a Pioneer), and one golden jubilarian.Tom - whose wife Mary, also a Pioneer, is secretary of the Ballynacargy centre - is himself is due to get a gold Pioneer pin in five years time.MessageGetting the Pioneer message across to young people, especially in these straitened economic times, is the most important task facing the PTAA, Tom says."Even though we are in a recession, drink and illicit drugs seem to be in plentiful supply. Sadly some young people become addicted," he explains."When you become a victim of addiction, it may take more than human effort to break the habit. Matt Talbot is a great example to people who wish to overcome addiction; he achieved this through prayer and trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus."So I think, even though sometimes we seem to achieve so little, we should continue in our efforts to work for sobriety, and to let young people know that there is another way to enjoy life free from drugs and alcohol."We should encourage them to take the pledge, and keep it until they are eighteen years of age, or until they are wise enough to drink sensibly and in moderation, and to give themselves a chance."They will find that people will respect them for their decision. They may even discover that life can be just as enjoyable without drink, and they may keep the pledge for life."Bringing younger people on board to talk to children in local schools, Tom explained, is key to introducing children to the Pioneer way of life.He is happy that there is no shortage of adult volunteers to carry the flag for abstinence in Westmeath."I think that most of our centres do their best to encourage all young people to take the pledge after their Confirmation, and we should all encourage them to take part in Pioneer activities, such as the quizzes, Réadóirí competitions and sports tournaments."There are exceptional people working in some of our centres. Peter Fagan in Killucan, Rita Clarke in Rochfortbridge, Michael Leonard in Delvin and Michael Power in Taughmon, who seem to have the knack of getting the youth in their centres involved in all of the above."I know they have put a lot of time and effort into it. Mick Power, for instance, devotes himself to organising the Pioneer football and hurling blitzes out in Turin every year."I realise that young people need to mix and socialise in general, and that it's no good keeping them in isolation from others. But while they're in their vulnerable years, there is a need to keep them in touch with the Association, and these competitions help them to do that."Tom describes these people as the "life blood" of the PTAA; he paid tribute to his friend Marie Naughton, the secretary of the Dunshaughlin centre, who died last year."Marie did more for the Pioneers than any of us will ever hope of doing," he said.OrganiseAs well as organising competitions, Tom and his colleagues in the Mullingar Region PTAA (including secretary Kathleen Lennon, treasurer Margaret Hynes, assistant chairman Joe Monaghan, youth officer Peter Fagan and PRO Marie Smith) work hard every year to organise Pioneer Masses, and abstinence seminars, such as those which take place at Rathwire Hall.In recent years, Pioneer Youth Weekends have also been organised, and local Pioneers are playing a key role in organising the latest one, which takes place at Gormanstown College, Co. Meath between July 2 and 4."This is a great opportunity for young Pioneers from all over the country to come together and have lots of fun, make new friends and have an enjoyable and active weekend," Tom says.The Pioneer Total Abstinence Association was founded by Fr. James Cullen SJ in 1898, in a bid to combat the problem of widespread alcoholism among Irish Catholics.For more information, log on to www.pioneertotal.ie.