Many people hesitate to pursue leadership positions in a Conference or Council because they feel there is too much they don’t know or understand. Shatter the notion that being a Conference/Council president is overwhelming by consolidating pertinent materials into a well-organized packet or binder. We suggest you include the following:
Records
- A current roster of members
- Minutes from previous meetings
- Financial records, along with a current balance sheet and a list of anticipated expenses
- A brief history of your Conference
- Information on the founders and patrons of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Timing
- An annual calendar of your Conference’s typical activities (include contact information for key people for each event)
- A schedule of tasks you usually do each month to support the Conference
Contact Information
- Members
- Other Conference/Council presidents in your area
- Diocesan Council president, regional vice president and National Office (perhaps include examples of situations when you might expect to contact or hear from these contacts)
- A list of partners you work with in your area/city with their contact information
- If relevant, local Council and staff contacts
Notes
- How your Conference/Council operates within your parish/diocese (e.g., how often you meet with the pastor, what kinds of communications are preferred, which parish staff members interact with your Conference)
- How your Conference functions (regarding home visits, food drives, etc.)
- A list of roles in your Conference and their responsibilities (officers, home visit coordinator, committee chairs, etc.)
- Your own personal notes and suggestions about where your Conference/Council is poised to head next
- Instruction sheet for how to use the National Database (Members Portal)
- Instruction sheet for how to fill out the Annual Report
- Information about the next regional and national meetings
Resource List
- The Rule, Manual, copy of Conference/Council bylaws, information on Ozanam Orientation, Serving in Hope, Servant Leadership and Vincentian Spirituality (including spiritual reflections and prayer cards), material you have on how to run an effective meeting and any other reference resources that would be helpful
Take the fear of the unknown out of the equation for a potential leader. Make sure your Conference knows about this Conference President binder. Sit down with potential successors and talk through it with them. Then watch to see how many more people might be able to envision themselves doing what you never thought you could do either.
