Orlando Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (ODCCW) at n/a, Orlando, FL 32802 US - HELLO, I'M JANE DOE

Communications are high on the list of responsibilities for all deanery/vicariate presidents. So here's a tongue-in-cheek example (using the following skit) of what you might expect in that area.

Imagine two officers of a local Parish CCW council are having a chat at one of their homes. The deanery/vicariate president, who's passing through their town, stops to pay a visit. She knocks on the door.

A woman comes to the door and, through the peephole, asks, "Who's there?"

"Hello. I'm Jan Doe from St. Ann's parish in Saratoga, and I'm the Rock Springs Deanery President."

"It's Jan Doe from Saratoga. She's the Rock Springs Deanery president?" the woman says to her friend.

Silence from the other side. Then voices whispering. "What's she doing here?" "How do I know. Ask her!"

"What do you want?" one of them asks.

Some what taken aback by the still closed door she answers, "I'm traveling through town and thought I'd stop by and introduce myself."

Through the closed door, "Well, nice to meet you. I have one of the council officers here so I really can't talk."

"Well, I'm sorry to bother you. I just wondered if I could pick up the form for the volunteer hours."

From inside, the door still closed, more whispering. "What volunteer form is this lady talking about?'

"Oh you know, she's been bombarding us with emails and letters about the volunteer time we give to the church and stuff."

"I've never heard of it!"

Still on the porch and now with rain drizzling down, the president patiently asks, "If you have the number, I'll just copy them down. It's starting to rain, could I come in for a moment?"

"We don't open the door to strangers!"

Then, more whispering. "This lady just isn't going away. Maybe if we make up a number, she'll be satisfied and leave."

"Ah, lady?? My friend has the numbers right here. Do you have your pencil?"

"Yes, I do. Go ahead." She looks skyward and squints at the rain.

"Well, here it is. Our council of 14 women has performed 891, 465 hours of community and church service this past year. (Pause) Nice to meet you. So long."

As Jan walked away from the house, she thought, "Our state WCCW president ought to do cartwheels over these numbers."

So as you can see, the job isn't always easy. On a more serious note, I see two main categories of responsibilities of a deanery president.

 

There are tasks that only a president can perform and those she encourages her board to perform.

In the first category, she does the obvious things like attending meetings and other council related events. She should have a solid grasp of her deanery's by laws, at least a working knowledge of parliamentary procedure, know the structure of the CCW organization, know the function of each of her board members and be prepared to jumpstart them in their positions.

As she encourages her board to perform their duties, the deanery president needs to—ear her tool belt at all time. (Bring out tool belt and put it on.) It is often necessary to done your kid gloves, (put on gloves) Be firm but not overbearing, letting your board members know they're appreciated while emphasizing the importance of getting the job one.

As you call for a nominating committee for the slate of new officers, you'll definitely need a pair of pliers as you try you hand at dentistry, (show pliers) What's a couple of teeth in the face of having no new officers?

Thirdly, a few sticks of TNT, (hold up TNT) may be m order as you call for reports or input of any kind from your affiliates and board members. Busy lives take people in all directions so it often takes a little blood, sweat and tears to accomplish your goals.

Finally, advice to the incoming deanery president: Don't assume the local affiliates are using the materials you and the board are sending. Be patient.

This is where the final tool in the tool belt comes into action. (Pull out rosary beads). Be sure to pray for wisdom and patience, and do pray for each other as we implement the programs dear to the hearts of our catholic women. Thank you!

This can be done as a skit, with members participating in the roles of the president and two women. It can be a very effective tool of information regarding any program of Council. The tool belt and items is a wonderful example of how to emphasize what is needed at times to get the job done! Point of information: In some areas the term deanery or vicariate is used to designate this ring of Council.

 

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