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President

Fancy being in charge of the Best Outdoor Society! Sounds glamorous doesn’t it, all the power to change LUUHC for the better (or run it to the ground)

As president you are responsible, fundamentally, for everything that happens in the club. As you may have noticed, there’s quite a lot going on. This is great when things are going well and you take credit for all the fabulous events and trips the club is putting on. Naturally, however, when things aren’t going quite as swimmingly, it’s your job to make sure things are resolved. You can’t just pass the blame or responsibility onto your other committee members, you have to get involved to help solve any issues that may arise.

Attending lots of trips and socials is really important. Becoming a recognisable face for lots of people and ensuring everyone feels welcomed and involved. Being friendly and approachable is a must (and prepare to lose your voice chatting away to all the new keen beans at freshers fair). The hardest part sometimes is smiling through the stress caused by accommodation cancelling, being given the wrong vehicles for a trip or simply anything else that can be thrown at you, and still having to look like you are having a good time!

Running the weekly committee meetings is another important part of the role, making sure your fellow committee members are performing their roles as they should be. You’ll be involved in the key decisions the club makes, and offering support to others as and when required. Often, the President will be the first point of contact with the union - lucky you. It’s important to keep tabs on their emails and communications and pass the relevant information on to the rest of the committee. The role does come with its fair share of paperwork, risk assessments are completed every year to keep the club as safe as possible, and you are responsible for any updates to all essential LUU paperwork like this. Planning and organising leader training is one of the more rewarding jobs you’ll have to do, selecting where you are going and more importantly who attends summer training in September and overseeing the applications process for winter training in January. And of course, ordering committee jumpers is the most important thing you’ll be doing during your twelve-month tenure (looking good in the Library is a must!). 

The club recommends that those running for President have either done a year in one of the other committee roles, or, have been around the club for a few years and have an understanding of how the committee keeps the club running with all its little quirks and inner workings (although this isn't a hard requirement for the role, it just helps!). Good organisational skills will go a long way to making your life easier, along with an adaptable and forward-thinking mindset. Having people skills is also vital to complete the role successfully - you have to talk to quite a lot of members throughout the year!

Being president is a very rewarding role to have on a committee, you get to oversee the club run successfully and take pride in providing access to the outdoors for around 400 members (if the club continues on the same trajectory).