Top Tips for Avoiding a Festive Society Punch-Up

Ever heard of the November blues? Over the half way point of the first term, the excitement of welcome week seems like a distant memory, the Christmas still seems an age away and all too real is the essay deadline you've been putting off for the last three weeks.

This is about the time that you start getting a bit ratty about the fact that your housemate listens to ‘that dubstep remix’ on repeat when you are trying to sleep, that the guy who sits next to you in lectures never seems to make as many notes as you or do the reading but never fails to get a first and to top it all the president of the society you are a member for is really getting on your nerves. The kicker is that they’re all the same person and you spend most of your time around them.

This is when societies go into meltdown!

So here are some tips you might like to consider before you casually lace their morning brew with a dusting of constipation medicine sufficient in strength to drain the colour out of the boldest ox and sweat the bristles off a badger’s bum.

Have you read The Societies Handbook? It is available here kentunion.co.uk/societies/runsociety/societyforms/ to all societies and is packed full of useful information. It is a one-stop shop for basic queries and a great starting place for you to start if you need information.  

Have your committee attended societies training? A big training day is held at the beginning of the first term and at the end of the summer term. However, there will be some mini top-up training sessions organised throughout the year. If you are interested in attending one of these either because you missed the training at the beginning of the year or because you’re a new society then e-mail standout@kent.ac.uk to book your place on the course. If there is any additional training you feel would be useful then you can also send requests to the same address.

Are you struggling to organise an event? Remember that external organisations will want one point of contact between you and them. This helps the Union also. It’ll make things easier for you as everyone will be on the same page and have the same information.   

Plans scuppered by others? Although it can be difficult to do this try and plan as far in advance as possible. It takes 3 weeks to get permission for an external speaker, a week to book a room, three weeks to apply for a performance licence etc. The bigger the event and the more people involved the greater the chance that somewhere along the chain something will get delayed. Or lots of something’s.

Have you got written role descriptions for your committee members? This is something that can be very useful as the society can outline the voluntary role responsibilities in advance giving the committee something to refer to if allocated tasks are not being completed. You can even have individuals sign this when they ‘take office.’ If you would like to see a copy of a template try contacting Steph s.l.j.hughes@kent.ac.uk.

Delegation of tasks: This is an important tip for presidents. Trust your team! Sometimes entrusting a member of the team with a task can be very empowering, it also means that you don’t have all of the weight on your shoulders. Conversely, giving someone a task and then micro-managing them or not entrusting them with anything at all can be very dis empowering  This is a difficult technique to learn if you have had no previous managerial experience but it is key to maintaining a cohesive team and achieving great things. Don’t underestimate your volunteers; they can achieve incredible things with a little freedom and your presidential support.

Document your committee meetings. If something is agreed, get it in writing. This is the responsibility of the secretary to do.

Have you got an up-to date constitution? This isn’t something you should be having on every society committee meeting agenda, if you do then you’ve probably got other issues in the committee that need addressing. This is the document the committee, members, staff, myself and Union chair refer to when needing clarification or when things go wrong with elections or democracy within your society. Not having an up to date constitution means it’s difficult to get union support. I have about 40-50 digital constitutions. If you’re not sure if you’re one of the groups these belong to, contact us in the office.

Money worries? Read the handbook and find out what kind of support is available. Do you really know how much is in your account? Do you know how the grant system works and that you are entitled to more than meets the eye on your accounts? If you’re not sure... ask! One of the reasons the trustees struggle to justify more money for societies is that they never spend what they have.

Societies federation, Your Union zone and Union council and A.G.M. are your voice on campus not only as individuals but as societies. If you want to be represented and informed then you need to show up.  The most successful groups are the ones that keep abreast of the latest information and the ones leading the pack are the ones setting the trend. If you don’t know when, what or where the meetings are then ask!

Make friends with other societies. Many hands make light work, two heads are better than one etc. This is a great way to boost the membership of your society as well as pool resources, contacts and cash. This applies to KTV, CSR and Inquire as well. Nothing wrong with a bit of mutual back-scratching.

Are you on the KSCV scheme? If not, why not? As a society committee member you are a volunteer and this means that you are eligible for the KSCV. Contact Natalie n.tiu@kent.ac.uk if you want to know more or visit the website www.kentunion.co.uk/eandv As part of the scheme you are entitled to reviews with a member of staff where you can flag any concerns you have with your volunteering or society.   

Has it all just gone a bit Pete Tong? Want to come in and talk about it? If things have really gone ‘a tad bad’ then we can do mediation meetings with a staff member and officer and work out a way forward for your society.