Omar Ortiz - Liturgy Coordinator

COSDU have given me so many joys: heaps of friends, lots of happy moments, opportunities to grow in faith and in my relationship with Jesus, etc. So very soon after joining the society, I began to feel a desire of doing something in gratitude, of giving back and contribute to our COSDU family in some way. And just then the AGM came around... I was worried mostly because of the time commitment, and doubting whether to run or not for the committee. But now I know that the nomination for Liturgy Coordinator was the perfect one for me. And here it is why.

The Liturgy Coordinator role is certainly among the easiest ones in the committee. In brief, the tasks are basically to organize all COSDU Masses (welcome, exam, graduation, AGM and monthly) during the semester. This involves booking churches, contacting celebrants, preparing slides and finding readers, altar servers and people to help with the collection and Offertory on the day. The Liturgy Coordinator works together with the Music Coordinator to arrange Hymns accordingly with the readings for every Mass, and with Fr. Thinh to discuss the line up of churches/celebrants for each semester. Beside Masses, the Liturgy Coordinator also organize the Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday, and additional activities like altar server trainings, feast days, etc.

Since COSDU Masses happen roughly once a month, this gives great chance for the Liturgy Coordinator to assist committee members with their duties, help in other events and take up extra projects for the club. So if you are thinking of it but concerned about time dedication, this role is for you! It doesn’t require any particular skill or ability, and you will always have the support of your committee, our chaplains and your predecessor Liturgy Coordinator =)

Now, I also want to tell you about being a committee member in general. Even though there is plenty of work to do every week in the society, and therefore meetings, emails and administrative stuff are always around, the reward is so much bigger and worthy. You learn to work as a team, without any interest, unconditionally for the members. You experience the presence of God helping us to cope with the responsibilities and to do well in all our events. And also you have so much fun!! committee retreats are really very nice, and because you form such nice friendships within the committee every single meeting, session and event is a pleasure to work for and as fun as a day out with your mates!

I hope you let God’s will lead you in your meditation about the next committee and the future of COSDU. See you at the AGM!

Kimberley Ngu - Sessions Coordinator

The role of the sessions coordinator is a vital one. It is the role that keeps COSDU moving throughout the semester when there are no ‘special’ events. It is the role that is directly responsible for the weekly spiritual feeding of the people in this community. This may sound very daunting and it actually was for me.

As always, it is just getting over that first hurdle. It is getting over that fear of taking responsibility and diving into the deep waiting for God to catch you. That’s what I did. And it was worth it.

For some reason the role appealed when I first ran for sessions coordinator. Of course, I was quite nervous about taking it on but there was that nagging feeling that I had to do it and that God will hold my hand as I take on this tall task and He did.

The role is simple. Just decide what goes on every Friday. You will have the lovely assistance of the chaplains, Fr Thinh and Sr Delma to help with the decision-making on the sessions you organise. Most of all, I’m sure God will not leave you in the deep end. The sky is the limit when it comes to the kind of sessions you can organise. It can be the normal talk or be a games night or prayer night or… ANYTHING!

So really, there isn’t much to the role at all. It is a fulfilling one, one whereby you can directly see the effects of what you have worked for with very tangible results. Ultimately, those don’t matter and what matters is the kind of heart you carry out this calling and it is this that shows.

Don’t worry about whether you are capable of this position because you will have heaps of support – from your committee, your chaplains and most of all, your God. This in my opinion can get you past any mountain!

Clio Lin - Treasurer

Treasurer sounds like the typical commerce student? No anyone can do it because it only involves plus and minus.

1+1=?

Is your answer 2? If it is, well done! You have the skill that is needed of a treasurer. Here are the 8 things I did throughout my term.

8 ‘So Simple’ things to do as a Treasurer:

• Attend Trainings

Just sit down and listen to a very informative lesson on everything you need to know as a treasurer. I guarantee you will not be spilling your guts out trying to understand and it takes so little of your time. Also there is no numbers involve!

• Prepare an excel spreadsheet to keep track of COSDU’s money

Fret not if you don’t know your debits and credits. You will only need to create 2 columns: cash in and cash out. That’s it!

• Familiarise yourself with the UMSU office and the people

UMSU office is so conveniently located at the union house and just outside the office you have whatever you need (forms, information sheets etc.) all lined up nicely in a shelf.

• Apply for grants and wait for the money to flow in

Grant application is pretty much dummy proof. Fill that up, submit it to the office and you will be notified once it has been approved. Submit the receipts (proof of purchase) and you get your grant. Direct credit into the bank account so no need to personally go down to pick up the cheque or cash.

• Collect membership funds

This is done only once a semester. No stress at all!

• Keep track of petty cash and bank account

Make sure your cash on hand is always kept safe and that you know how much is in your bank.

• Collect monthly bank statements from our mailbox

Guess what? Mailbox is also located at the Union house on the same level as the UMSU office.

• At the end of your term, do up a treasurer’s report

This is basically the excel file you have created at the beginning of your term and the bank statements that you have been collecting. All you have to do is to submit to UMSU. Simple!

I implore you to take on this role and be God’s treasurer!

COSDU isn’t all work, it means so much more to me. I really thank God for guiding me to COSDU and back to his embrace. Till this very day, I am still very surprised that I actually walked to the COSDU booth on O-week and signed up. That was the light leading me back. I am very glad I followed and through this journey in COSDU, I have learnt to treasure so much. Treasure my friends, my family, my life and most importantly God. He has taught me the meaning of endurance and patience through this ministry. Now I understand the importance of God’s presence in my life and I know through it all he will always be there for me.

It has been an awesome year with the COSDU committee, I will always remember the retreats we had and the abundance of food God has nourished us with. Even though COSDU is small in size, I believe that it has touched so many people within. I know it has touched me in many ways and that; it is a place I look forward to every Friday.

Indeed it is a family away from home.

God Bless

Triton Wui - Vice President

The prospect of being a vice-president of COSDU may seem alluring but one should never put that into the priority of your choice. I decided to take up the role of Vice-president as I felt the urge to help God like how he aided me during my first few days here in Melbourne. Being guided by COSDU, especially Father Thinh to become a new Catholic, inspired me to make this decision. There’s no greater joy than to spread the word of God to the students of Melbourne University and other universities.

Upon taking up the role, all of us were elated and enthusiastic to push COSDU to newer and greater heights. High expectations were place on our shoulders by ourselves and we were very determined to give our full commitment in our given roles. As we took over from the previous committee, I felt that I had to change the roles to balance my social life and my studies. It is important to know that you should be yourself and not satisfy the expectations of others in order to be a good leader. Although the perception of a vice-president is deeply carved in the minds of the members, it is important to remember that one serving as a vice-president serves out of a personal desire for God. Nonetheless, every obstacle makes you a stronger person rather than a weaker one. Despite a seemingly exhausting journey, I assure you that it is an utmost fruitful one that you have travelled with the other 9 members. And not forgetting God.

My role was to coordinate the whole committee so that they do not veer off track and to ensure that COSDU were to move in the right path. As a vice-president I’m tasked to send out reminders COSDU related events to the committees. Coordinating events such as Festive of Nations, O-week, committee retreats, Night market are the main line-up. Being in touch with the President is an important aspect. You would have to liaise with him/her thoroughly to ensure that he/she is able to cope with the workload. Although it sounds daunting, the experience is worth it. You’d make good friends along the way that you will
always cherish.

It is important to have a good time management as well as strong interpersonal relationship within the committee to maintain the good relationship is vital. There is no hierarchy in this committee as everyone is equal.

To the faithful one who have taken the time to read this, would consider the role as a vice-president, to lead COSDU and spread the word of God. Fun should never be limited in the next committee. Having fun together is an important aspect as it brings the committee together and makes the club successful in spreading the word. I hope you would embed this idea in the next batch.

Abigail Leong - Secretary

“I’m a Secretary.”

Generally, that’s how you would introduce yourself, if you are the Parliamentary Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Secretary-General for a non-profit organisation, or the secretary of your neighbourhood knitting club. So what makes being the secretary of COSDU unique?

Frankly, the position of Secretary was one that I never imagined running for. After all, past secretaries were known to be ruthlessly efficient and these were pretty big shoes to fill. At that time, I had only been in Melbourne for less than 3 months and was still preoccupied with memorising road names, understanding my lecturer’s Irish accent and remembering new names and faces. Thankfully, God had other plans, and here I am. Yes, there have been stressful and frustrating times, but these are amply balanced by some of the most valuable experiences I could ever hope to get. At the end of the day, it’s really all worth it.

If I summarise from the Constitution, the main responsibilities of the COSDU Secretary are to:

• Oversee all administrative responsibilities
  Basically, paperwork stuff. You take meeting minutes, maintain the Membership List and Constitution, make announcements at the end of each session.

• Send out Christmas cards at the end of each year
  (This might sound strange, but it is seriously one of the best ways you can learn about the hierarchical system of our Catholic faith, especially if you haven’t been paying much attention to such details in past Catechism classes.)

• Liaise with UMSU and MUOSS to ensure affiliation
  Includes filling up the relevant forms, attending training sessions conducted by UMSU and working with the President and Treasurer to obtain grants for COSDU.

• Ensure that COSDU adheres with the Clubs and Societies rules and regulations

Even though the above tasks might sound overbearing and intimidating, it all boils down to a matter of practice. Ideally, the secretary is someone who is meticulous and organised, to keep track of the membership matters and dates of events. It also helps if you are a great networker and multi-tasker. (Of course, it helps if Excel and Google Calendar become your best friends.) But I don’t have the above qualities, and I’m still learning as I go along. So don’t worry too much about being perfect – sometimes, God calls upon the weak for a reason, all you need to do is listen and follow Him.

That said, I believe integrity and trustworthiness are of the upmost importance if you are thinking of applying for this role. As Secretary, you would have almost unlimited access to a lot of personal details, but this does not mean you can use them to further your stalking abilities or sell them to telemarketing companies for extra petty cash. I cannot stress this enough – please do not misplace the trust members have in you.

An old school motto of mine: Via, Veritas, Vita – the Way, the Truth and the Life. Throughout this journey, I have learnt to deepen my faith in Christ and hopefully, become more Catholic in virtue and a better person overall. In response to my previous question, what makes the COSDU Secretary unique is the knowledge that you can always depend on God’s guidance and providence. He will always extend His gentle hand, often through prayer or the assistance of those around you.

Lastly, as all past secretaries were wont to do, I am obliged to share this little piece of well-known secret: Secretaries secretly rule the world!

God Bless and have a fulfilling discernment.

Matthew Heng - President

Though seemingly daunting and overwhelming, the role of a President is one for certain exciting and enthralling. The President of the COSDU Catholic Society works very closely with every single member of the Committee and ensures that the Society functions on a day-to-day basis as well as achieving long-term goals in line with its vision. Externally, the President acts as the liaisons between the University of Melbourne Student Union as well as external organizations that may benefit the Society or an avenue which require the Society’s assistance.

Mentored by chaplains, Fr. Thinh and Sr. Delma, and supported by pillars of unyielding strength from the Committee, the President is tasked to organize the Committee and aims to achieve synergy amongst the delegated tasks by the Committee members.

Unlike managing an ordinary team, the President of COSDU Catholic Society follows both the top-down as well as the bottom-up approach. Apart from directing the Society in line with its vision, the President also studies feedbacks to better cater to members and note opportunities of growth for the advancement of the Society.

During my one-year tenure as the President of the COSDU Catholic Society, I must admit that I’ve grown much as a leader, and as a servant of others. The two-prong approach adapted, both having to lead as well as serve at the same time, is one that is definitely challenging but yet, bountifully fruitful. The unconventional approach is one that has surely nurtured me to be a leader for God, and a servant of others.

From buzzing through deadlines, and hectic event planning, the role of a committee member is nevertheless one that is utmost fulfilling. I remembered a dear friend once told me, to never limit my horizons. Till today I live by that line, for I’m certain God would not put anyone through anything without giving one the ability to do so.

Ivan Fung - Social Activities Coordinator

The role for social activities is quite straight forward, it’s all about fun! The biggest joy for this role is to organize all sorts of fun games and activities for COSDUans throughout the year, such as Welcome food and games, sports day and the scavenger hunt. It brings me great sense of happiness and achievement when all my friends are laughing and having a great time together in the chaplaincy, on the field or in the movie theatre.

Student life should not be occupied with only lectures and assignments (please note: they are still very important), we all need to get away from our busy university schedule and just have a great time together. The activities help the COSDUans to enrich their experience here in Melbourne. And more importantly, strengthen our bonds with each other so that we can share our joy and support each other in rough times.

So here is a little summary of the responsibility of social activities coordinator:

• Organize dinners after Friday sessions and masses.
• Plan games for Welcome food and games and other special events.
• Organize social gatherings/activities for COSDU members.

You will work closely with our committee members and there is a wealth of information about things to do and see here Melbourne. So don’t worry even if you are the new kid on the block.

I thank God for letting me this fantastic chance to have fun, serve and learn (please note: not in any particular order). A social activities coordinator does not have to be the most outgoing person or have the best knowledge for Melbourne. As long as you like the idea of putting a smile on other people’s face, you are right to go!

May God keep you.

Cosdu Easter Camp

Welcome Mass

Week 2 was our first welcome mass. Checkout the photos, because pictures say a thousand words...

COSDU Welcome Food and Games

So week 1 = welcome food and games! Lots of people came, which was quite exiting! The music team started off enthusiastically followed by Mats welcome speech. The room then turned game mode as Ivan Fung hosted the welcome games. After feeling a quite tired, the food came and thats when everyone mingled and chattered around. Hopefully everyone had fun that day. there are more photos bellow!