The Portfolio of the President in the Committee

“Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4)

This was the passage I read during Gospel Sharing the week after I was elected and I know it was no coincidence.

Many times in my term as President, I have had to remember that COSDU does not belong to man; but to God. There were many times when circumstances went beyond my control and I did not know what to do. Being quite a perfectionist, I struggled with my need to know how to act in situations. I got angry with myself from not doing better and for not having greater foresight. Yet each time, God reminded me that I am not in charge of COSDU; He is. I may be the appointed leader of COSDU, but He is the ultimate owner.

Being a President has been a very humbling experience for me. Knowing my need for perfection, God has repeatedly challenged me to let go and to let His Spirit work. Even though we know that COSDU is a community for God, I think that many times, we can (I know I have) forget that God is truly dwelling in our midst. We worry that things will not go well and take it upon ourselves to make sure things do not fall. We rely on our own human strength, forgetting that God is real and will therefore give to all who seek!

Thankfully, He knows that we need to learn to trust in Him and He gives us time and space to do so. During my term as President, I have grown much more in my trust in Him because sometimes, I have been forced to depend on Him. Haha… but I am glad I was occasionally forced, because it has helped me to know and to trust God so much more.

I wouldn’t say that I have done my job perfectly. In fact, I know that I have disappointed people at times. Yet, it is through my weaknesses and mistakes that I have learnt to be humble. It is also because of my weaknesses that I have learnt to seek forgiveness and very importantly, to forgive myself. I read a quote the other day from Max Lucado. It said that “What makes a Christian a Christian is not perfection, but forgiveness.”

Thus, I believe that anyone has what it takes to be a leader of COSDU as long as he/she is one who loves God, loves COSDU, and is prepared to be committed and faithful to his/her term.

These are most important qualities but it is, of course, good for a leader to be able to listen, with an open heart, to the voices in his/her committee as well as to the voices of the wider COSDU community. With that said, if the President feels strongly about an issue and others may not, the President must not be afraid to stand up for what he/she believes in (but do so in a gentle and respectful way). Also, a President must try not to be too caught up with his/her duties that he/she forgets to mingle with the members of COSDU because it is only through interaction that he/she can be more sensitive to the needs of COSDU. Other official duties of a President are listed below -

What the President does on an official level:

1. Oversees and ensures the overall smooth running of COSDU
2. Takes care of each ministry of COSDU and takes care of every committee member
3. Supervises and delegates tasks to committee members
4. Calls and chairs committee meetings
5. Organizes a Committee Retreat at the start of each semester
6. Seeks the spiritual guidance and liaises with the Chaplain (Sister Theresa) on a regular basis
7. Participates in any of the UMSU and MUOSS meetings and liaises with UMSU on any club matters. (COSDU must run according to the rules of UMSU and the President must ensure this is adhered to.)
8. Striving towards personal goals that you, as President, may have (e.g. Knowing COSDU as a community and knowing the members at an individual level).

With that said, I would like to urge any of you who may be considering this position to not fear the responsibilities that come with it. Yes, it will be challenging at times but it is also extremely fulfilling and you will definitely learn and grow a lot from the experience. Also, remember that you will not be alone in leadership because you will have 9 other committee members to support you and to lead COSDU with you.

So be not afraid. =) Keep praying for God to reveal his vocation in COSDU for you and if at any time, you wish to find out more about the role of a President, I will be here and am more than willing to share. =)

God bless,

Jean