SEVENTEEN OUT of 27 clubs represented might, in ordinary circumstances, be an acceptable proportion but hardly to discuss the final draft of the county's strategic plan 2010-14, an exercise ordered by the top brass.

Wednesday's board meeting lasted less than an hour, and not to be too critical, the level of discussion smacked of an ambivalence a document charting the next five years hardly deserved.

There were less than a half dozen contributions from the 19 delegates on the document which took many people, including non-GAA members, quite a few hours to produce.

It was presented to clubs some time ago, but to a range of people who might not have been the best cross-section from clubs to rubberstamp the plan. A number requested to attend would probably have had the same enthusiasm as the under 21 delegate at a GAA congress of very senior figures. And two of the delegates had to be female, as if their own two codes are not struggling for numbers and have to resort to men to fill many of their roles.

One would have expected a far more robust examination of the plan given the period over which the findings are expected to be implemented, and the effect it will have on the future of clubs. And now they have the additional supervision problems which call for even more bodies, especially looking after mixed groups.

There was little urgency among delegates last week, rather the opposite, with at least one expressing misgivings about his club asked to join a county lotto, and with just cause given the pressure they are under to support the county draw in which they have to sell so many tickets to fund the Centre of Excellence before going to club profit.

Not to denigrate the work of the five committees - which included several non-GAA members - their suggestions will not find queues to deliver the plan, many of the ideas have been around the block more than once and over many years.

The number of 'ideas' was baffling, but not too many innovative, but to expect heavy penetration at the implementation stage would be unfair to those who are already heavily involved in a myriad of activities within the association.

The 'passing' of the plan by the senior board without deep discussion was disappointing in that none questioned where the additional volunteers were to be found. Not one felt that it would be more practical to sift out the urgent aspects – like communications, juvenile hurling in Carlow town, urban promotion, and the almost impossible task of keeping border players in school in other counties remaining 'at home' for their club activity. This plan risks having the core problems lost in the effort to address everything the committees threw up, and probably none of them – including me – expected to be at the coalface when it all hits the fan.

There is heavy repetition in the document and a number of suggestions which are already daily work in the county, particularly in the area of fund-raising where there is a perception that there can be 'better marketing' of games already heavily publicised, and the baffling line 'improve culture for teams would enhance options to raise money.' Surely the Friends of Carlow are on top of that one. How does that idea differ from the next line, 'success of county teams – naturally would help?

With the exception of communications, through several channels (some clubs are well down that road) and urgency to attract juveniles in untapped areas, and competing for bodies with soccer (other codes don't really threaten native games) this will only be achieved with an increased number of matches for those age-groups (unlike some adults who are limited to less than a dozen in a year) over soccer which is saturated in OTT publicity through either Trap or players many of whom hardly merit such fussing over.

It is a rather simple exercise to jot down a few ideas and arrive at a presentation without thinking of the framework in which they expect it to be implemented; that is if they gave it any thought. A collection of ideas is not a plan, and I have to be the first to admit contributing to that list without considering phase 2. Perhaps those committees should have been indentured to produce the implementation plan also, and perhaps they would not have come up with so many glib lines.

But, there are a number of excellent ideas, if only they can be divorced from the mass and executed as core objectives. Some are repetitive, others well within reach, a number too ambitious in this fiscal climate; too many bullet points without direction on how to achieve.

The plan, in its present form, does not represent progress but a collection of over-lapping ideas and without consideration of the manpower to implement them. Just where did the authors of the report think the bodies were to be found to deliver?

In its ambition to make millions D2 should realise that its rank and file members do not want it to be custodians of all things Irish but to see to their core role to provide football and hurling games for those they, rather hypocritically, call the 'grassroots.'

That phrase covers the 90 per cent who are not in the way of AllStar trips (not that finance generators are not entitled to a day in the sun) Compromise holidays, those who cannot rise to Railway standards, or are in the cadre of Sports Council/GAA 'grants.' The 'others' cannot even enjoy enough games to be considered a member of a sports organisation. And they wonder why soccer succeeds?

Back to the Plan - loads of ideas, but haven't they copped that the GAA, like most other organisations, is struggling for manpower and that population is diminishing in proportion to the difficulties parents and families are currently encountering. Those promoting the ideas may be insulated, but have they considered the milieu tortured by abysmal governmental failure and perhaps their voluntary notions stifled by insecurity.

There was not any rush to involve in a number of D2 originated initiatives in the past, and if this one is to produce in a struggling county then a priority must be established, for there are a number of very plausible ideas, which would sit favourably with GAA community.

Nothing will discourage more than senseless expectations of individuals by those who populate the administrations, and with little appreciation of what it takes to achieve on the ground, or the numbers required. Yet they seemingly expect a return. And the same bods expect Scor and Rince nights and other cultural events for members who do not get enough matches.

The Plan dredges little new, save for an additional juvenile hurling initiative in Carlow Town, and school leagues (why didn't they recall the street leagues which would hopefully involve many, including our foreign neighbours?) while that committee asked why no parish 'split' in the capital town which would minimise the influence of any one club.

The entire thrust of the document is based, weather they realise it or not, on quadrupling the volunteer base, and while that may have been a runner in '01 it is, as we see daily, not the case a decade later when most adults are faced with problems which do not allow much time for recreational activities.

And it is unfair to expect the financially-challenged - perhaps those scraping to make ends meet - to be pillars of sporting endeavour, and certainly not to 'accommodate' them in their hour of need by expecting them to baby-sit the children of the better-off.

It is a grand delivery, if in an ideal and pressure-free world. Perhaps the authors should return to the starting point, and when one floats an idea, are asked to back it up with an implementation procedure. It's too easy to jot down ideas and expect others to put them into action.

- Paul Donaghy