5 Lessons I’ve Learned As My College Republican Chapter’s First General Counsel

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As my College Republicans chapter’s first General Counsel, I have learned many things through my experience. A College Republican General Counsel is a person that guides the chapter’s executive board on how to follow to the College Republican Chapter’s Constitution, the state College Republican Constitution, and the national College Republican Constitution. Little did I know that after 4 months of being a member, I would be unanimously appointed as my chapter’s first General Counsel. I was extremely honored, but I knew it would be a challenge. The position of General Counsel for the College Republicans at Liberty University has also caused me to learn a lot about myself, the people on my campus, and the surrounding community.

Stand up for your beliefs

 I obviously had no previous General Counsels’ experiences to learn from. However, I knew that I would be immediately tested in my beliefs. If my beliefs were not strong and I did not stand up for them, how could I stand up for the chapter’s members or the chapter’s Constitution? I was tested within the same week of being appointed. I am sure that if I did not stand up for my own beliefs, I would have not been able to continue to help the chapter succeed.

Always think of the good of the chapter and the campus

Keeping the good of the chapter and the campus in-mind is key when you hold any board position within a chapter on your school’s campus. A General Counsel’s position is one that the chapter’s board will look to you to know the issues, to be educated on them, and to have a potential solution to almost all of the problems. When a General Counsel is able to think of the good of the club and even the school, rather than personal issues, they can help the board and other students even better than before.

How to work well with those who you disagree with

Working with those that you disagree with is inevitable, not just in your College Republicans chapter, but in any vocation. This will be one of the biggest tests that you will ever face, no matter what your field of expertise just so happens to be. In College Republicans, you will run into people from all walks of life, different beliefs, and different personalities. A member of the chapter’s executive board will deal with different people more than most in the club. However, the General Counsel has to work with the board as a whole. They must ensure that the chapter Constitution, the state College Republican Constitution, and the national College Republican Constitutions are all being followed. This causes you to run into many people that you might disagree with on one or two things, or even on almost every topic. You will just have to learn how to respect the other person, regardless of your disagreements.

Minimize the bias

A College Republican General Counsel will have to make decisions that will affect the club’s executive board and sometimes the chapter as a whole. Any person cannot have bias in their decision-making and make a clear ruling on the matter. However, the talent of being able to minimize the bias is crucial for any General Counsel to master. Bias causes small issues to become larger and more impactful within the structure of the club. If there is a position that the executive board has designated to be unbiased, then there will always be that one voice that can speak for both sides of an issue.

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Keep calm in tough situations

Keeping calm in tough situations is one of the hardest tasks to uphold when you are in a position of leadership. Tough situations and circumstances will always be expected in any job, but most likely with that of a General Counsel. A General Counsel has to be prepared to be looked to be calm when there are circumstances that are not the easiest to navigate. Sure, there are other executive board positions that warrant keeping your cool in difficult incidences. Regardless, the General Counsel has to be prepared to be a calm, collected voice in the midst of the storm.