MAUVSA’s Mom
Halfway through my term, I finally understand what a vice-president actually does
Around this time last year, I was nominated for two positions on MAUVSA’s executive board: secretary and internal vice-president (IVP). I declined the nomination for secretary and accepted the one for IVP. I wanted to focus my efforts on one position and believed that I could make a more profound impact as IVP than as secretary. Little did I know of the profound impact that the IVP position would have on me.
When you ask any VP or IVP what they do for their organizations, they spew a list of vague and abstract duties: Resolving conflicts among officers. Ensuring that the officers follow the organization’s constitution. Assisting officers with their tasks. Stepping up as president if necessary. Keepin tha peace. It’s a seemingly random assortment of necessary tasks that no other positions take on, so they’re tied together in a loose bundle for the IVP. Luckily for us IVPs, most other officers on our respective boards don’t really know what our specific tasks are either. So, we rely on the “fake it til you make it” strategy for the first few weeks or months. On my executive board, Amber (the previous IVP), gave me all her resources, a little guidance, and told me to figure out the rest. It was disorienting at first, but I realized that it forced me to learn the ropes more quickly. I had to own the IVP position, not let it own me.
My past VSA experiences and realistically ambitious nature helped me embrace being IVP. I not only put MAUVSA’s plans in action, but I also made sure they were feasible and logistically sound. Whenever we planned events in semi-inaccessible locations, I arranged rides for the MAUVSA representatives and staff. I was always the first to offer rides for the Marylanders and DCers. On one occasion, I borrowed my mom’s minivan to drive three ladies from Maryland to the MACV staff retreat and then to the MACV hotel. As we jumped out from the minivan to the hotel parking lot, someone commented that I was the “conference mom.” I took pride in that.
A few weeks after that, MAUVSA held a volunteering event that quickly filled up. Seeing the amount of people on the waitlist who couldn’t participate due to capacity, I dropped out of the event to let someone on the list take my spot. When I told my mom what I did, she agreed that I made the right decision. Suddenly, I realized that I was indeed becoming a mom… Not in the category of females who have offspring, but in a category of people who unconditionally love our organization and care for its members.
Looking back, the best way to describe my term is that I have been MAUVSA’s mom. I’ve been as fair as possible to all VSAs and VSAers when it came to making decisions. I’ve dedicated myself to doing the less-visible everyday chores that keep MAUVSA running like a well-oiled machine. I’ve prioritized and answered to the needs of members and schools before my own. I’ve been a cheerleader for every VSA in the area. Sometimes I’ve had to play the bad cop or defend an unpopular opinion in order to benefit our organization as a whole. And I’ve co-parented with an executive board that wholeheartedly trusts each other and sticks together even through all the back-and-forth disagreements and other dilemmas.
I’m not saying that MAUVSA has taught me to raise a child. Real motherhood is not my ultimate goal in this organization. MAUVSA has taught me to truly appreciate the VP and IVP positions because we essentially start with a list of random duties and end up becoming the glue that holds our respective organizations together. We make this happen by learning and growing with the organizations. As we become more invested in different aspects of our organizations, the organizations gradually improve us in different aspects of our lives.
As the current IVP of MAUVSA, I celebrate all the past VPs out there for making your organizations better one meeting at a time. I empathize with all the present VPs who put in work that isn’t always recognized (your day will come!). And I encourage all the future VPs to become the best moms that your organizations have ever seen (minivans are optional).
