Committee Positions

[EoinK]

Ok, so there was some talk recently about what positions are there on the committee, and what they involve. So here's a document that I put together a few years ago. If anyone has any questions fire away! And if anyone who has been on committee has any corrections or improvements let me know!



Captain
Current: Gavin Sheehan. He (or she!) who is the boss of everything! It is the captain’s job to ensure that the club runs smoothly and benefits all of its members as much as possible. They will delegate as much as possible to the other committee members to minimise the workload on themselves and retain an overall view of the work that is being done by everyone. They must work with the other committee members to ensure that everyone is getting on ok and make sure that everyone is putting in an effort. They must also liaise with the SU. To take on the job of captain is a big commitment which takes up a lot of time but is extremely rewarding and looks great on a CV when you’re finished college. Ideal for someone who is responsible and committed, with excellent organisational and people skills and a thorough knowledge of how the club works and functions as a part of the larger student’s union.

Secretary
Current: Luke Kelly. The captains right hand man (/woman!) The secretary takes the minutes at the committee meetings, follows up on other committee members action items to ensure that they are being done and generally helps the captain to run the show. Suits someone who is extremily organised and has good communication skills.

Treasurer
Current: Emer Farrel. Mr Moneybags! It is the treasurer’s job to oversee the spending of the clubs annual budget allocation. They must ensure that the money goes to where it has been set in the budget and that it is used to it’s maximum potential. The treasurer must ensure that all bills are paid as promptly as possible, in order to maintain a good reputation with retailers and accommodation owners. The treasurer is also responsible for the annual budget submission. This is one of the most important jobs in the club because if it's done badly then we'll get less money the next year (or none, if it's fŭcked up really badly!). This job suits someone who is responsible, organised and has a head for figures and book-keeping.

Safety, Training and Development Officer
Current: Caoimhe Farrel. The name says it all. First and foremost it is their job to ensure that all the clubs activities are run in as safe a manner as possible, by making sure that the proper ratios of beginners to competent paddlers are maintained and looking over all trips with a safety-critical eye. It’s the STD's job to organise all training courses and assessments run by the club, constantly push people to improve their personal paddling as much as possible through level 2, 3 and 4 skills training and assessments. They should also organise REC (Rescue and Emergency Care), RSR (River Safety and Rescue) and instructor courses as neccessary to ensure that all of the club's trips have plenty of people well trained in river rescue and first aid. Would suit someone with good organisational skills. Familiarity with the Irish Canoe Union’s awards structure is also be beneficial.

Disciplines
Current: Eoin Keyes. Promotes diversity within the club. The various disciplines of kayaking include whitewater, freestyle, surf, slalom, marathon, sprint, polo and sea kayaking. It is the disciplines officer’s job to encourage people to broaden their vision and try something new, and get people out of paddling Castleconnel every weekend! In order to do this knowledge and some experience of the various disciplines is useful!

Polo
Current: Simon McCormack. It is the polo officers job to promote competitive polo in the club. They are the team manager and they must organise training and entry to competitions during the year. Their no.1 responsibility is to ensure that we’ve got a kick-ass team to enter into varsities! This job would suit someone with a keen interest in polo and/or experience or interest in managing/coaching competitive team sports.

Trips
Current: Sean Murphy. Organises the various trips the club goes on during the year, usually Lahinch, Wicklow, Sligo and varsities. Also has overall responsibility for the organising of international trips like Wales and the Alps but the rest of the committee help out with those since there is so much to do. Would suit someone with good organisational and people skills.

Equipment
Current: Jack Phelan. Responsible for the upkeep of ULKC’s stock of gear. Also organises the purchase of new gear when necessary. Repair skills such as plastic welding, composite repairs, basic mechanics and electronics are useful but you don’t need them since you can always organise for someone else to do the actual repairs. So all it really takes is a bit of organisation so that all the small jobs that come up get done promptly.

PRO
Current: Caoilinn Doran. Responsible for the image of the club that is received by non-members. This image is enhanced by regular, well-written posts and articles in An Focal and on the club website and by posters which are created to promote trips. Also organises regular club nights out; very important! This is an often overlooked position that can have a huge impact on everyone’s experience in the club; the more people hang out together the better they’ll get to know each other and then everyone will have a better time on the river. People who know each other well will also be in a better position to work as a team for rescues and other situations that can occur on the water. There’s no real formula to be followed as there is with trips so use your imagination and see what you can come up with to give everyone the best time possible! It’s the perfect position for someone who’s enthusiastic, has got good literary and organisational skills and likes acting on their own initiative.

First Year Rep
Current: Eoin Howard. The voice of the first years! Whatever first years want, be it level 2 assessments, more nights out or whatever, badger the rest of the committee and make it happen! Not much is needed besides enthusiasm. Lots of enthusiasm!

Web Admin
Current: Cathal Ferris. Maintains the club website and facebook page. Some knowledge of web design and website maintenance is obviously required.

Spare Person
Current: Eoin Farrell. The spare person is the previous captain, who is retained to have a hands-off, advisory input into the running of the club.

Additionally, the Quippy and STD have assistants. Positions and assistant positions etc can be juggled around a bit at the AGM if needed. Though it would be a pity to lose the position of Ass STD from the committee...