Friday, April 29, 2011

Kim - Sessions

Honestly, I do not know what would make a good opening for this write-up. I do not know what opening will pull you and immerse you in my writing that will lead you to consider running for the position of sessions coordinator. I’ve got nothing.

The main concern of the sessions coordinator is to make sure something happens every Friday session. He/she can either invite speakers to speak on certain topics,conduct the sessions by him/herself or choose to have an activity such as trivia night or the like. It is wholly subjected to the creativity of the coordinator and the inspiration given by God. Simple, ain’t it? :)

Being the sessions coordinator has been the most fulfilling thing I’ve done in COSDU. I had first run for the position with the desire to share, to help the members grow in their faith but little did I know that I would gain so much more than I would give.


God has been such a gracious Teacher through this journey. He taught me to trust Him to provide even when hope didn’t seem to exist. He taught me to listen to what people need and not what I thought they needed. He reached out to teach and this experience has beckoned me to learn.

Being sessions coordinator does not mean that you are more superior in the faith or more knowledgeable about the Church, spirituality or anything of that kind. It does not and should not mean automatically put you in holier light. It means serving the COSDU family by paying attention to the members’ spiritual needs. It means offering up all that you don’t know and expecting to receive what God wants you and COSDU to know.



There is no prerequisite to be a sessions coordinator except a heart that is open to be shaped and directed by God. You do not need to have a vast bank of theological knowledge to fill these shoes. Do not think that you have to first be holy before being worthy to serve as a sessions coordinator. All these are not necessary except a heart that desires to join others on the journey of discovering more of God’s mystery. A willing heart is all you need, as I would always say.



I am not going to try to convince you to be a sessions coordinator. I believe God will nudge you hard enough for you to not ignore Him. I am going to appeal to you to allow God the freedom to nudge you in the first place though, because He knows what He can do through you and what He can teach you through these experiences.

This is an incredible journey to be on. Please don’t deny yourself of the experience if God has called you to it.

Yours in Christ,
Kimberley

Jess - Social Justice


Ever since I was 6, I remember telling my mum that one day I would like to go to South Africa and help the children there. Over the years, I have come to realise that my purpose in life was to help people, mostly children and that is why I took up the role as Social Justice Coordinator last year. My goal was to educate cosduan’s on the importance of Social Justice in our Catholic Faith.

What is Social Justice

In order to define social justice, let us begin, by taking a look at what social ministry is: Social Ministry has two main aspects: Social Service (parish outreach) and social action.

SOCIAL SERVICE is giving direct aid to someone in need. It usually involves performing one or more of the corporal works of mercy. That is, giving alms to the poor, feeding the hungry, clothe the naked, visiting the sick etc. Another name for it is CHARITY. This is the typed of activities that has been organized by Social Justice Coordinators in the past.

However, there is another side of Social Justice and that is SOCIAL ACTION which is correcting the structures that perpetuate the need. With social action, we began to look at the problems and issues facing our own communities, the nation and finally the world, and we begin to ask questions such as “Why is there so much unemployment in our area?" "Why are there so many poor in our community?" "How will the deforestation of our rain forests affect our global climate?" Very often when you are performing social service, you also become involved in solving the problem which created the need in the first place, and the two are closely related and often blend together.

Where we get our identity
  • We are all One Body in Christ -1Cor 12:12
  • Together we are Christ's Body, each of us a different part -1Cor 12:27
  • All are one in Christ -Gal 3:28
  • "I am the Vine, you are the branches...” -John 15:1-5
  • You are God's temple. -1Cor 3:16
There are so many verses in the bible that teaches us the importance of Social Justice and what it means to incorporate them into our faith. It clearly is an important element as a Catholic. The goals and mission that we are drawn to is to:
  1. To follow the command to “love one another as I have loved you”
  2. To enable everyone to enter into a relationship with Christ in such a way, so that everyone can come to know Christ in the same way that the Father knows the Son.
If we think about this for a moment, it becomes clear. If our basic human needs are met, that is to say that if we are not concerned with obtaining food, clothing, shelter etc., then we are better able to enter into a closer relationship with Christ.

Therefore, what makes us Catholic?
  1. Celebrate the Eucharist
  2. Proclaim the Good News of the Gospel
  3. ACT FOR JUSTICE
The greatest commandment from Jesus (John 13:34):

He said, I give you a new commandment:

(What) – To love one another

(How)- As I have loved you

As a Social Justice Coordinator, the most important thing is to have the passion to help people, passion to better the environment and most important to love one another as god has loved us.

A few things that the S.J. Coordinator does:
  1. Have a Social Justice Session every semester
  2. Organise Volunteering Activities
  3. Update the Notice Board or Social Justice Blog
  4. Organize Documentary Nights

Becoming an SJ coordinator will also help you grow and mature as a person in terms of one’s self-awareness as well as being enlightened by the diverse social issues that are present in our current societies. The role will challenge you to question what is right or wrong. We live in a world where individualism has taken over, what we need to do is work together to make the world a better place.

Ultimately the role is flexible, but as mention before, as long as you are passionate about helping others and you want to make the world a better place. It’s never too late to take the first step. I want to encourage those who are sincere in helping others to run for this position. I challenge them to view the world through the lens of those suffering from indignity. There is no right or wrong in how to be a SJ coordinator. As long as the person is willing, that is all that matters. So step right up and make a difference in the world.

Love

Jess

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Jon - President


President of the society. It is a burden to carry, a heavy but not necessarily tough one, one that carries certain connotations and responsibilities – and it was one that I never thought I would run for, but the Lord had other plans and somehow it got to this. I’m actually sitting here, writing down my experiences as COSDU president.

So what do you do as president? In a nutshell, you get elected, you have to be a University of Melbourne student, and you hold the post for 2 semesters. The president’s responsibilities, as stated in COSDU’s constitution, are as follows:



  • Take care of each ministry in COSDU
  • Oversee and ensure the overall smooth running of COSDU
  • Keep the Spiritual Directors informed of COSDU’s wellbeing
  • Supervise and delegate tasks to committee members
  • Chair and prepare AGM
  • Call and chair committee meetings
  • Liaise with The Archdiocese
  • Attend AGM and other necessary training conducted by UMSU

If you just gave it a glance over, it looks like there’s nothing in there but paperwork, meetings and liaison, but the responsibilities of the president extend way beyond paperwork. One of the most important roles of a president is to determine the direction COSDU will take in the coming year. Without direction, COSDU’s activities will be disjointed and scattered, and the members will sense the discrepancy in the flow. Another important role you play, together with your vice-president, is being the glue that holds the various ministries together – you watch out for them, make sure they’re not overworking, and be there for them should crises arise. And you will represent the face of COSDU to the university and church, administration and students alike, in various functions and activities.


It has been an amazing run, being president of COSDU. Besides being able to write home and tell your mother that you’re president of the society, you do get to meet many, many interesting people. As president, I had the opportunity to meet up with members of various Catholic societies across Victoria, and even Australia; and in doing so, get to understand how the Catholic Youth Ministries in Australia operate. Also, to be able to lead and grow with a team of people so dedicated, so vibrant and so passionate in the ministry truly is an unforgettable memory; and a humbling one as well. I could write about all the activities and experiences we’ve gone through as a team in the past year, but that would fill up another blog post.


I’ve had my share of downs, and as president, you are not exempted from error - you do pay for your mistakes. I learnt you have to be meticulous and punctual - fail to set a date for monthly meetings at the start of the semester, and you’ll never manage to get everyone together at the same time. Also, you won’t always have all the cards in your hand when you make decisions. Sometimes, the decisions you make will have to be made on the fly, and you can’t always please everyone with your results. And I have had to make sacrifices – some from my personal life and some from my university life, but looking back, I have no regrets.


I have three things to say, should you be discerning for the role. Firstly, should the role of president seem too overwhelming, never underestimate the strength of your committee. There’s this really cliché line that goes ‘united we stand, divided we fall’ – but it holds true for many groups, and COSDU is no exception. Time and again, the COSDU committee has stuck together and pulled through dozens of events, obstacles and opportunities. Also, as COSDU president, you will have to watch yourself, and stand tall in university, for everything you do will be judged against you simply because you are the leader of a group promoting Catholicism. Finally, when I said that being president is a humbling experience, I do not say this lightly. If you are reading this and you are discerning as to whether you should run for president or not, remember that God is the real leader, and you are simply His servant. Everything you do is because He permits it, and entrusts it to you.

“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”

1 Corinthians 3:5-7

In the end, I’m not perfect. I know it, despite my various jokes about being how awesome I am. But the reason I chose to run for president, nearly a year ago, was because I knew that God chooses the weak to shame the strong. So should you have the heart for God, and be willing to put in a little time, effort and kindness, I say go for it. Take the leap and God will make you a leader as only He knows how.

God bless.

Jon




AGM is happening on 13 May 2011

Renee - Vice President


Hi you!

Have you been awed by COSDU? Has COSDU left you feeling loved and inspired one Friday night? Do you want to be more involved with what COSDU has to bring? If you’re reading this, it’s probably because COSDU has made an impact on you that has caused you to think about being more involved with the process, right? Or maybe you just have too much time on your hands and like to read people’s attempt at writing. HAHA. Well, nonetheless, you’re reading this – the testimonial of the current vice president of COSDU.




COSDU, first of all, is a club unlike any other on campus. We are a family away from home journeying towards Christ. So you want to make sure COSDU embodies that. Being VP is not about being almighty, bossy, and knowing exactly what you want to implement into COSDU. It’s actually for anyone who wants to contribute to COSDU no matter what experience you have, and is looking for a journey that allows Christ to lead YOU. You are His instrument!



It has been an amazing journey with COSDU as vice president. It turned out to be much more than I thought. Being vice president is definitely a learning process. You don’t have to be spectacular at anything in particular – but you must have a willing heart. As vice president, first and foremost, you should be supportive to the president and committee. So of course, you must want to be a genuinely caring person as well, and be willing to help out with anything. The thing with working in COSDU committee is that everyone will help each other out – so you are never alone to manage your position.


Being VP is a blessed role because you will witness God’s providence – in the inspired ideas, teamwork, miracles, success of events, etc. And it’s a flexible role, so it’s up to you how involved you want to be and you can even take up little projects of your own like what I did – intercessory prayer ministry. Great thing is you can give your ideas to anyone on the committee and work together. You also have a chance to work with a diverse committee, and get to know people that you probably won’t be able to get to know otherwise.

So don’t worry if you feel like VP is a big title, being in committee is a learning process and doesn’t require you to be some super leader. You just got to have an open and willing heart for COSDU, and let Him guide you. You will find that being in committee is much more rewarding that you’ll ever think and end up with friendships that will last a lifetime.



AGM is happening on 13 May 2011

Kershia - Secretary


Hello people!!

I know I’ve not been that AWESOME in promoting my job as a secretary and I somehow made it sound horrible but trust me, it ain’t that horrible at all =) No doubt there’s paperwork to do but there’re lots of other cool stuff that you could acquire through this post i.e. establishing connections, improving soft skills, developing organizational skills, meeting and knowing new members and the list goes on and on.

There are quite a few things to handle but when you’ve gotten the hang of it, it’ll be easy for you. Don’t worry too much about and if you need any help, I’m always here for you guys.


Just a rough idea on what you’ll need to do as COSDU’s secretary:
  1. Paperwork i.e. filling in forms, meeting minutes, compilation of new membership list and mailing list
  2. Attend UMSU & MUOSS meetings on behalf of COSDU
  3. Making announcements at the end of the sessions and updating the “Announcement” page on the blog
  4. Sending Christmas cards at the end of the year
Daunting as it may look or sound but after the first time, all these will just naturally come and I’m SUPER DUPER sure you’ll be just fine! And a little secret and Florence has said it, secretaries do secretly rule the world.


Throughout this one whole year, I’ve enjoyed immensely working in the committee. Not only have I made an extra 10 wonderful, awesome friends but it also drew me close to our Lord. In the committee, we always support one another, guiding one another and growing stronger in Christ together. I would dare say, if it weren’t for COSDU, I will not be as close to the church as I am right now. For that, I thank God for bringing me to COSDU and I thank the committee for helping me grow deeper in my faith.


One important lesson that I’ve acquired through my service in the committee is the ability to juggle my studies and my commitments to COSDU. It has always been my priority that if one volunteers to be involved in a society or organization, it is exceptionally crucial for he/she to stand by it till the end no matter how hard it gets. Some may find it difficult and tiring, some may just cruise through the year easily. I’m not going to lie and say that it was easy for me but all I needed to do was toughen up and turn to our Lord for rest and strength. With our Lord’s guidance and blessing, it really helped me pull through and the outcome – I got one of the best life experiences. At the end of the day, all that hard work pays off and that satisfaction feeling you get is just indescribable.


Think about it and pray about. That’s what I did and our Lord guided and gave me the answer. I’m sure that the Lord will lead you in making the right decisions.

God bless you all!

Love,

Kershia Kathleen



AGM is happening on 13 May 2011

Theo - Treasurer

Treasurer – the title is pretty much self explanatory. But if you really need me to spell the As and the Bs, treasurer job is basically dealing with the club’s MONEY (obviously) which involves:

1. Keeping track of the club’s balance sheet and profit & loss statement

No, don't worry if you are not from commerce, because it is basic math, two columns: plus (money in) and minus (money out), and there’s always Microsoft Excel to make life much easier. And IF you happen to be from commerce and you want to apply what have you learnt in Accounting using accounting materials such as “debit/credit”, “accrued expense”, “time interest/acid test ratio”, “capital gain tax”, please don't, it will only confuse people. Go do your past year paper instead.

2. Alias with UMSU and MUOSS (because we need their fund – yes, your $5 membership fee alone is not enough to sustain the club)

This is, to be honest, is the only downside (boring part) of being a treasurer. I’m not going to try to sell this position by sugar-coating it: this is the part where treasurer has to deal with paperwork (LOTS of paperwork), meetingS and treasurer trainingS. And have I mentioned the paperwork? But, come on, this is nothing!

3. I wish there are more so that my job does not sound that slack, but yeah, that’s basically it

But, of course, being a treasurer is not always about money. My friend once said: “Money is not everything, money is maney-thing!” And indeed dealing with money involves many (sensitive) things. For one, you have to be trustworthy and responsible. You also have to be diligent in keeping track and updating the cash flow: u missed one and u probably had lots of trouble trying to figure out where that $1.95 went to. Funny thing was that I was not any of those above. Many times I stood outside JB Hi-Fi or Apple Store contemplating. But in life, sometimes, as what Albert Einstein once said: there is a force more powerful than steam, electricity and atomic energy: WILL. That’s all you need: a willingness to serve the club. And along with God’s grace and guidance, I am sure anyone can become an awesome treasurer.

Treasurer is indeed a very diverse role that allows you to be involved in every activities (yes, you need fund in every activities). It also allows creativity and certain level of power and flexibility in terms how you want to organize the club’s money portfolio. Just make sure you don’t make the club goes bankrupt xP. And being in a committee as a treasurer does not mean your job is just money, but you have to do all other stuff too! I have to support other committees as how they have supported me!

Being in the committee has been tiring, stressful, crazy, time-consuming, irritating, and I love every second of it. I learnt a lot about Jesus and I believe I have grown into a better person and a better Catholic. I’ve made 9 awesome friends that seemed to last forever. I’ve been given reason to make new friends and add them on Facebook. The experiences and the benefit of being in a committee totally outweigh the opportunity cost of doing the paperwork. The only thing I would regret is that it has to end.


So yeah, think about it. Approach any of the committee. Pray. Discern. Take the first step. Facebook me. Come to AGM =D

xoxo

Theo




AGM is happening on 13 May 2011

Ana - Liturgy


Hello there!! So you’re interested in knowing what COSDU’s liturgy coordinator does eh? As previously mentioned (after one of the Friday sessions), it really is a piece of cake. Here’s an overview of what a liturgy coordinator does for COSDU
  1. Book the venue for monthly mass, exam mass and graduation mass
  2. Invite priests for mass (all the contact details are with me)
  3. Find readers, people to read out the prayers of faithful, people to do the collection and offertory
  4. Get altar servers for mass (you don’t need to serve if you prefer not to, you’ll get the contact details of all the servers)
  5. Have fun during committee retreats and sessions


I’ve learnt a lot in my months of serving COSDU as a liturgy coordinator. I didn’t know much about mass and what comes first or next, nor do I know much about the significance of each action performed during mass. I don’t know everything still, that’s for sure, but at least I know enough to get by now.


As for being in COSDU’s committee in general, it is a very enriching and refreshing experience. I’ve served in COSDU’s committee for 3 years now, and I kept coming back. Being able to be a part of COSDU this way has helped me a lot with coping with all the stress at school. It has been my source of happiness. I often find myself looking forward to seeing your faces. To me, COSDU is indeed my family away from home. To be able to serve all of you this way is truly an honour. I hope that the next liturgy coordinator will find this experience equally valuable, and equally enriching. Do not be afraid of taking the first step, you’ll never shine if you don’t glow ;D




AGM is happening on 13 May 2011

Alphonsus - Music


I will begin by writing that the music coordinator’s job is probably the most tiring position ever in the committee, because I do not hide from the truth and reality. You hardly get a break from any COSDU sessions because you need to organise Praise and Worship every week. During COSDU monthly mass, you have to assist in planning the music for liturgy. In addition, you have to manage and organise a team of musicians to keep the music going week after week, carrying instruments around, organising practices, setting up the instruments and the list goes on and on. You will feel burn out and underappreciated at times and all the other negative feelings...



Being put off by the laborious job of a music coordinator, huh? I guess I will just add The Parable of the Three Servants (or the Parable of the Talents) from Matthew 25: 14-30 for your reflection and discernment.


“The kingdom of heaven is like this. it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.



19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’



21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “


I guess the point I want to make here is not about the tiring and laborious work you have to put in, but the fruits that you bear and the rewards that come after. During my time as a music coordinator, I have grown from strength to strength, finding myself achieving something which I never have thought I could have done, for e.g. Running and organising the Sacred Music Appreciation Night (the FIRST ever music concert organised by any music coordinator, XD. Remember, all things are possible with the grace of God and awesome team members. =)

I will not say what qualities should a music coordinator have but I would like to add that: Music is a gift. So if you are faithful in using your talents in music, God will surely reward you and develop your talents further, no matter how small the gift of music you think you have, because by taking the first step (inspired by the Easter Camp 2011 Theme) in running for the position of Music coordinator, God is already developing your gift in music. =)


So.. Would you share your gift to others?



AGM is happening on 13 May 2011

Flo - Publicity


As a publicity coordinator, you have a lot of freedom in your role. How you want to publicise COSDU is largely up to you… so long as you do end up publicising COSDU, not another Catholic society. So if you’re looking for a role that’s fun and will give you lots of freedom to do your own thing then publicity is right for you.

There are no pre-requisites to be a publicity coordinator. You don't have to be techy or outgoing and you don't even have to be holy. The latter was my biggest concern about taking up the post, but trust me, you don't need to be holy to be on the comm.



My role as publicity coordinator is simple, and includes
  • Sending out weekly emails and creating facebook events
  • Updating the blog from time to time
  • Promoting events in a legal fashion
  • Taking charge in O – week and welcoming new members


You would think that being publicity I'd be awesome at promoting my role and getting people to join the committee. But I'm going to attempt to be objective - because from an engineering point of view you need to weigh up all the alternatives, good and bad. So here are the reasons – for and against joining the COSDU committee.

Reasons not to join
  • Busy with studies, work, life, etc.
  • Would rather enjoy the free food, and not help get the free food.
  • You may get banned from a Chinese grocery store (sadly this is true. Most people get banned from pubs, I get banned from grocery stores. Long story :P)
Reasons to join
  • You learn heaps. I learnt how to use Photoshop and create fb events because I was a technical noob when I joined the comm
  • Uni experience. Would you regret it if you left uni having done nothing else except studying and getting good grades?
  • You can justify the amount of time you spend on facebook stalking people by saying that it’s for ‘work’
  • You make closer friends. Nothing brings you closer than sharing a packet of Oreos and a peanut butter spoon on a weekend retreat.
  • Did I mention comm retreat? :P


Being on the committee has been crazy, busy, rewarding, wild and totally worth it. I've made 9 awesome friends, and I know I'll leave Uni with experiences that you'll never get in any other club. So I hope all of you think long and hard about whether you want to be part of the comm - and not deny yourself all the fun that you could be having in the next year.

Happy discerning :)

<3 flo


AGM is happening on 13 May 2011

Felicia - Social Activities

My position as the Social Activities Coordinator has been a very rewarding experience and will become a memorable part of my life. One of the reasons why I wanted to be in the committee was because I wanted to contribute more to COSDU, experience new things that I have never done before and get to know more about the people in COSDU.


A few weeks before last year’s AGM, I was very interested in taking the SAC position but always had doubts because I know that in taking the SAC position it would involve public speaking and confidence, which I know is one of my weaknesses. And even during the AGM, I was still unsure! But then I thought again, if I really want to experience new things, this is what I should take as the first step! And I believe that whatever challenges that I will face, I will eventually get through it with the help of God because He would give me the strength to face them and wouldn’t give me anything that I won’t be able to do!

So, my responsibility as a SAC is to organise:
  • weekly Friday dinner
  • annual Scavenger Hunt
  • annual Sports Day
  • Welcome Food and Games for each semester



For the weekly dinner, there’s a positive and negative side to it!
+ as the SAC, you have the freedom to choose restaurants that you feel like eating: P (and also that the members may like, considering that the size of the restaurant is big enough to take around 30 people, the price is reasonable and that the location is not too far)
- because it is on Friday nights, it’s harder to find a restaurant that would take bookings with a large number of people. But as long as it is planned a few weeks in advance, it should be fine.

For COSDU’s two big social events, Sports Day and Scavenger Hunt, it takes longer to organise. For the Sports Day, you will need to choose a number of sport activities/ games, prepare the equipment and location. Whereas for Scavenger Hunt, you will need to do some research and find out places around Melbourne. These two events will allow you to work closely with the different members in the committee such as for grants, food and if you need more help with the activities.


In addition to the activities above, as a SAC, you can choose to do any other social activities that you think the members may enjoy. Some of the social activities that I have organised are the day trips to Royal Melbourne Show, Mt. Dandenong, Saturday weekly jogging and movie night! But really, you are free to choose any social activities and as many as you want!

The wonderful experience that I’ve had in the committee has helped me to become closer to God, believing that He will always be there for us, nine awesome and very supportive friends, a chance to create conversations with the members that I probably would have not otherwise and taught so many new things! Despite of the challenges faced & time that needs to be put in, being in the committee is definitely something that I have not regret in doing and will miss.


So, if you are interested in running for the SAC position and believe that it is something you will enjoy, I say just go for it! See you at AGM!



AGM is happening on 13 May 2011

Popular Posts

Contact Us

Name

Email *

Message *