Vice President - Calista Adabelle

What I’ve come to observe is that being a Vice-President, as with Any Other role, is daunting, because COSDU is not just another club, but a society that builds character and a lifestyle of its members. While it is important to take one’s role in God’s ministry seriously, the key is to remember that you are not expected to do it alone. You will have past committee members, your own committee members, the chaplains and most importantly, God, to provide you counsel, guidance and strength. That is the one thing, that anybody confused about whether to run for any position, should bear in mind as they discern about what the next step is.
Also, I have shared this very long ago for those who are concerned with how much time they may have on their hands to help out, but I thought it bears reminding : 

“Busyness becomes dangerous only if your activities replace real accomplishment or if you are neglecting God or the people in your care. The key to overcoming empty busyness is… by understanding His call and purpose for your life and prioritising your activities around them.” 

Indeed, it will not always be easy to juggle your newfound responsibilities amidst your other ones, but if God calls you to it and you accept and approach with an openness to be touched by the Lord, you will find joy in your busyness.

To those who question how ready and able you are specifically for this role, I have two things to run through with you, the first being the responsibilities this position entails :

1) Assisting the President, where possible, to ensure President is not overloaded

2) Administrative registrations for Orientation

3) Organising the Welcome BBQ in Week 3 each semester

4) Liasing with UMSU International

5) Organising Festival of Nations and Night Market

6) Keeping an Assets List and keeping track of the inventory

7) Checking the Assets List with UMSU once a year

The additional roles of VP are not completely specific, as any other responsibilities may be rotated, shared or added on based on the committee you’re working with – that is, the flexibility of the role allows for you to do more things than those listed above. For example, it could be looking out for the committee members who seem to be struggling, reminding them of possible deadlines and of things like the next committee meetings.

Secondly, if you think this is something you are passionate in, do not be afraid, for God does not call the ready – He makes the chosen ready. As long as you are open to His gentle prodding and guidance, you will be in for a roller coaster ride’s worth of growth that will change your life in a way you won’t regret. J

As I sign off, I’d just like to leave you with one crucial point : every committee member is as important as the other. Working as a VP to my committee has been a fascinating journey of learning to step up and yet learning your limits. It is a great role that helps you to grow in confidence, yet learn to be humble, as you will be in a position of great awareness of how much you will need the support of other people.

If anyone is interested at all in this role, don’t hesitate to come talk to me about it or ask me questions as you discern about how you may best grow with your fellow cosduans!