HAVE A GOOD MID-TERM BREAK!

COSDU Exam Calendar Semester 1 2014

Let us pray for each other as we face our Semester Final Exams and we also pray for the lecturers and tutors who will by assessing our assignments and papers.

Committee Portfolio's

Dear Cosduans,

The current committee portfolio's are up! Please feel free to browse though any roles that might interest you for the coming year. Pray and think about whether running in the COSDU committee is something you're called to do and if it is, we hope you take up the challenge as we did a year ago. We have been truly blessed to be able to serve all of you in COSDU thus far and we hope that our COSDU family will continue to grow and nurture its current and future members in love and faith. If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to contact any of us!! See you at our AGM this Friday at Newman College Oratory!

God Bless,

The Cosdu Committee 13/14

President: Bernice Lim

As stipulated by our constitution, these are the roles of the president:

·      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

However, in COSDU we’re more than just a list of duties and responsibilities. If you have a vision for COSDU, an idea of how to improve COSDU, whether its how to help the members grow in their Catholic faith, how to make Catholicism more present in our secular campus or what we do to help Catholic students live their faith, then the role of president may just be for you.

In my role as president so far, the most important thing that I’ve learnt is to trust God. Remember that we are His hands and feet and we do our best to serve Him and give glory to His name in all we do. Remember that no matter what you do, He will provide you with the grace and resources to make it happen. All you need is a willing heart.

‘He doesn’t call the worthy, he makes worthy those who are called and the ones who respond to His call,’ were the words that inspired me to accept this role a year ago.

On the way, you’ll develop your own leadership style and grow your organizational abilities if you are willing to learn and open to growth. As Christian leaders we’re called to serve. The role of president of COSDU is one that involves much service and behind the scene works. It’s important to liase with the spiritual directors, archdiocesan office for Youth, and different youth groups to help COSDU expand its horizons as well. Within the committee, a president’s role is more of a facilitative one. You pull strings and oversee the running of COSDU and make sure things get done by leading discussions and chairing meetings. Help and support your committee members. Be there for them physically and emotionally when problem arises.

Each leader is different in the way they approach their roles, but know that you will always have the support of your team members, spiritual directors and past committee members in your undertaking. Also, ‘if God is for us, who can stand against us?’ He will be your best guide and support and if you do take up this challenge, and He will see you through it all.

So if you do take up this role, know that you will be blessed beyond your own expectations and you will grow both in faith and as a person if you trust and rely upon God.

God Bless,

Bernice

Vice President: Christopher Ngu

In my initial years of joining COSDU, I told myself “Man, don’t ever think of joining the committee. There’s nothing you can do really well there anyway. Just being a member is fine.” And yes, that was the idea I withheld for a year or two more. To any of you out there sharing the same mind set as Chris from 2010, please allow me to try and change your mind! So please, bear with me.

Before I begin, allow me to clarify one thing: this is definitely not an entry to attempt to brag about the work/effort I’ve put into this role. Rather, it is one to encourage those whose thoughts or feelings may resonate with mine, be it from myself of the past or from present times.

The idea of taking up the role of Vice-President, or any role in the committee to be frank, didn’t come straight off the bat for me – well it took 4 years. I was apprehensive of my capabilities and whether or not I would really be able to contribute to the society through any of the committee roles. But sometimes there come incidents where doing has to come before thinking, and for me, taking up the role of Vice-President was one of those times.

To shed some light on the role of being a Vice-President, it can sound incredibly daunting and intimidating right from the start! Trust me, I know. But once you get past those feelings of intimidation, you find a role which for most of the part may not necessarily require and depend on your individual contributions alone. No, this is definitely a role which sees you drawing on help from all the other members of the committee!

The main responsibilities of the Vice-President are few, but require persistence and perseverance. This is all from memory, so forgive me if I miss out on anything:

•           Organise Welcome Barbeque events at the beginning of each semester

•           Being the main correspondent with UMSU International for events such as Night Market (Semester 1) and Festival of Nations (Semester 2)

•           Keeping an inventory of the contents of the COSDU cupboard

Of course, as the name of the role suggests, you will have to work closely with the President, and step in if times require you to do so.

As suggested by previous portfolios, you don’t need special skills/superpowers to be able to fill this role. All it requires is an open heart, a desire to help and of course space for you to be formed by God through this position. So please do not feel pressured by the weight of this role. It will take time to settle into it, but it will happen nonetheless.

To anyone of you who may possibly be considering the role, I will gladly try to be of any assistance in any way in your path of discerning the role, so feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

In Christ,

Chris Ngu

Secretary: Jeanne Chiew

Thank you for answering the call to consider running for the role of Secretary. Your open heart is truly a blessing. In this portfolio, I will do my best to share with you what is expected of you for this position as well as share my experiences in this position.

Due to the mainly administrative responsibilities, the position of Secretary is well suited for those who are well-organized and has a critical mind. In addition, to run for this position or any position for that matter, one must have the heart to serve the COSDU community.

To summarise the Constitution, the responsibilities of a Secretary fall in the categories:

• COSDU: Committee Meeting Minutes, Weekly Announcements (including blog updates in this regard) and any other administrative areas (wherever needed. examples include event reminders, grant related issues, etc)
• UMSU: liaise with UMSU and MUOSS, attend UMSU training (AGM, Grant, etc), maintenance of Membership List, Constitution and ensure adherence with C&S rules and regulations
• Special: Oversee AGM planning (especially documents)

In my term as COSDU's Secretary, besides being able to contribute to the community that helped me grow in fellowship and faith, I discovered that I have come to know myself a bit better in terms of the skills and abilities that I have. Also, I have enjoyed working with a group of diverse personalities and talents who have never failed to impress me on what they can do, individually, and together as a team.

For those who are having doubts about your ability to take on this role, let me tell you this: I wasn't sure myself whether I could do it. But without trying new things, one can never learn and grow or discover more of yourself that you never knew before. I know for sure that God has blessed each and every one of you with beautiful and unique gifts which are waiting for you to unwrap. So, have a go at this and see for yourself.

I do not wish to bore you further with details, so, if you have any questions about this position, please feel free to approach me about it. I am ready to help you better understand the role or even about the whole committee.

God Bless,

Jeanne

Social Activities Coordinator: Ellie Ngu

Just a blink of an eye the term is over! Being in the committee has been a wonderful experience for me. I am really happy to be in this committee, to serve COSDU and to serve the LORD!  COSDU plays a really big part of my live here in Melbourne.  COSDU helped me to grow in my faith and to deepen my relationship with God. COSDU gives me heaps of friends! Friends that means so much to me, they are my family away from home<3 COSDU brings joys in my live! Being in the committee and to serve COSDU in return is the least I can do for what COSDU has given me.

I really really love being in COSDU. Never have I missed a single session. I just love hanging around with fellow COSDUans so much! And this is the reason I took the role as social activity coordinator. As a social activity coordinator, my job is to organize activities and events so that COSDU members can hangout together and deepen their friendship. The main activities a social activity coordinator has to do are: organize weekly dinner after COSDU, annual event-sports day and scavenger hunt and welcome food and games sessions.

Booking dinner venues that can accommodate 30 people and within walking distance can sometimes be challenging. But our lovely members will never complain having dinner at same place! And they will suggest you places to book too! Sports day and Scavenger Hunt are the 2 main events Social Activity Coordinator is in charge of, but don’t worry, the committee will help with organizing as well!

Other than these mentioned, events such as movie night, weekly sports events, going for a run or playing badminton, or even just having a picnic in the park, anything you can think of can be organize throughout the year.

During my term, I organized Trick Or Eat on Halloween! Instead of collecting candies, we went door-to-door collecting non-perishable food to donate to ASRC (Asylum Seekers Resource Centre). It was a really fun evening, we get to dress up and also do meaningful things together! We also had picnic during Easter. It was a really joyful afternoon. Getting to spend time with COSDU friends and celebrate the joyful day together!

If you're thinking of taking this role, the only thing you need is to love being around with COSDU members and wanting to put a smile on their face! Don't worry about not being able to find dinner places every week, organizing big events like scavenger hunt or sports day, because you'll have a great team of committee members to help and support you!

So good luck, have fun and serve the Lord!

God Bless,

Ellie 

Treasurer: Patrick Ng

The role of treasurer is pretty much self-explanatory. It does not require much, just the will to serve the Lord by serving the community.

Having basic accounting knowledge would be beneficial although not a must. Here’s a list of the ‘musts’. The 7 things a treasurer does:

1.         Keeping track of the money.

Record the inflows and outflows of cash somewhere, in a book or excel spreadsheet.

2.         Apply for Grants

When having events or intending to purchase assets, you can apply for funding from UMSU. Documentation may include Safety Food Handling and Sample paperwork to be printed.

3.         Reimburse members who paid on behalf for COSDU.

Most of the time, members use their own money to pay for things such as gifts for speakers or pizza for members. The treasurer has to reimburse them as soon as possible as the amount may sometimes be big and the member might need the money for their own daily expenses. Remember to ALWAYS get the receipt from them before reimbursing ☺

4.         Apply for Payments

Once the receipts are collected, apply for payment from UMSU with all documentation such as Attendance List and Payment Application.

5.         Attend Training by UMSU

There will be trainings held by UMSU in which the treasurer would have to go.

6.         Prepare budgets for upcoming events.

Ensure there are enough funds to carry out the activities. Don’t worry. There usually is. The Good Lord provides. ;)

7.         Prepare Treasurer’s Report

The final duty at the end of the term would be to prepare the Treasurer’s Report for AGM. This report includes Income Statement and Asset List. As COSDU’s annual turnover is usually less than $5000, the club would not likely need an ABN, nor would it need to pay tax as it is a religious club which is tax exempt.

I enjoyed my term as treasurer, and I implore you to gather the courage to take up this position. Remember, the only thing needed is the will to serve and the Lord will show you the way.

God bless you.

Your brother in Christ,

Patrick Ng

Publicity Coordinator: Ruth Dooley

Hi all, I’d like to start by sharing my journey in choosing and also taking on the role as Publicity Coordinator. Before taking on this role, I felt I had a deep sense of serving cosdu but I had no idea what I wanted to do. In previous years (whilst studying), Ive always pulled away from committing too much to clubs & activity for fear of my studies. 

Last year after some nudging from a friend that this role is perfect for me, I decided to take a plunge, and the rewards were amazing! I’ve not only gotten close and made a great life long friendships, but also the gratification of success though my input! My only wish to you (who is considering this role) is that you will be well and truly satisfied that whatever you give in to cosdu will be rewarded by God hundreds of time more!

Now, just some fine details of this role. Like I mentioned at my brief presentation last Friday, being the publicity coordinator, you are mainly responsible for two main things. Firstly, the Orientation Booth during the two semesters that you will be serving as Publicity Coordinator. This includes, planning of what need to be done for this event such as liaising with the treasurer to get the orientation booth grant into UMSU, designing orientation fliers, preparation of give bags (this is the fun bit!- you get to choose what goes in the give bag, ie fliers, sweets, note pads, magnets, badges) and managing the orientation booth itself on Orientation week. All these are done with the help of fellow cosduans and committee, and you not only participate but also manage what needs to be done and so on.

Next, are the weekly duties of our cosdu social media. This includes sending out weekly emails (the event themselves are organised by other committee members, so its just of case of cutting and pasting what needs to be sent out), maintaining the Instagram & Twitter accounts (Instragram is linked to our twitter and facebook page, therefore updates are really easy as you will only need to post one picture into instragram and it will appear on both twitter and facebook), and updating the blog on recent events, upcoming events and anything interesting of your choice!

Now, all these aside, as a member of the committee, we also support each and every member and committee toward bringing people closer to Jesus whilst practicing to be more like him in his ever giving heart and love towards others.

God Bless,

Ruth

Liturgy Coordinator: Michael Chae

On behalf of Michael, this is a brief summary of the main role of the Liturgy Coordinator.

It includes:

- Booking a venue for Mass

- Inviting different priests to say Mass

- Preparing powerpoint slides

- Appointing people to do the readings and prayers of the faithful

- Liaising with the music coordinator

The title 'liturgy coordinator' really is just a title that not only specifies your main role but also one that you are essentially a part of the COSDU committee. That means supporting the rest of the committee members and helping them where help is needed.

God Bless,

The COSDU Team

Sessions Coordinator: Emmanuel Tan

In a nutshell, as Sessions Coordinator, you’re in charge of organizing the entire session line-up for two semesters. Sounds like a lot of work, but really it only equates to roughly 5 – 7 sessions per semester (not including monthly masses, social activities & social justice sessions, which will be taken care of by your fellow committee members).

As Sessions Coordinator, your primary role is to help facilitate the spiritual growth of COSDU. That being said, it would be ideal for you to understand a few points regarding the dynamics of COSDU:

PORTION

– Naturally, every one of us walks on a unique spiritual journey. While some may be studying the works of the doctors of the Church, some may have only recently been baptized! Most likely, you will find that it is near impossible to cater for each and every spiritual level. Understanding this, and depending on the current batch of COSDUans, you will have to gauge where the majority of COSDUans are spiritually, and address this level.

PLANT

– Remember! It is not your job to organize an epic session where lives are changed – leaving everyone with epiphanies, hearts set on fire and bound for religious life after a single session! Our job is to organize an opportunity for a seed to be planted in their hearts. To spark an interest, and let the Holy Spirit take care of everything else.

PRAY

– Facilitating the spiritual growth of COSDUans, it is important for you to schedule regular meetings with the man on top. And no, I don’t mean your President. Always remember that you are not in this alone. Keep in mind that you are not the one who will deliver salvation for all COSDUans through your sessions! The Holy Spirit wants to use you, and guide you towards hosting the appropriate sessions that will convey the exact message He desires. And He will provide the perfect speaker to convey just that. If you surrender and allow Him to guide you, He will open all the right doors.

PLENTY

– But where do I even begin? Where can I find the right resources and/or the right speakers? Let’s start close to home – First of all, the chaplains are there to help you discern and finalize your decision as to what the session should be about and who will present it. Besides our chaplains, fellow COSDUans are bound to have various resources and contacts available to you, don’t be afraid to ask! Last but not least, you have plenty of options available outside of COSDU as well!

-          Archdiocesan Office for Youth

-          Ascension Press

-          Australian Catholic University Campus Ministry

-          Australian Catholic University School of Theology

-          Catholic Charismatic Renewal

-          Catholic Theological College

-          Central Catholic Bookshop

-          John Paul II Institute for Marriage & Family

-          NET Ministries Australia

-          St. Paul’s Centre for Biblical Theology

-          Youth Mission Team

As for speakers, you have once again, a large pool to choose from! You may choose from the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Dominicans, Franciscan Friars, Jesuits, Lay People, Marists, Missionaries of God’s Love, Salesians, and the list goes on. Talk about having perks!

PREPARE

– Generally speaking, your sessions may either focus on deepening ones relationship with God, or deepening ones relationship with others. For example, to encourage a deeper prayer life, you may host a session on Discernment, Praise & Worship or Prayer. To encourage bonding and fellowship, you may host a Movie Night or Trivia Night. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, you could combine the two and make a Trivia Night focused on the bible!

All in all, becoming COSDU’s Sessions Coordinator is not only a great opportunity to serve, but you will learn a great many things during your term as well.

God is with you!

In Christ,

Emmanuel