The Chair of Council chairs all the meetings of Union Council and all Union General Meetings. Council is basically the Union's equivalent of Congress and is made up of just over 100 people - all the Officers, and Councilors representing the students in their faculty - and is usually held in S0.21. Council is where the majority of Union Policy is formed / reviewed, and where Union Officers are held to account. The Chair is responsible for the smooth running of the meetings, and in a wider sense the smooth running of all the Union's democratic structures.
The Chair of Council also chairs all Union General Meetings. These meetings are larger than Union Council. UGMs need 200 people to be quorate (able to take binding decisions) and are usually held in the Cooler or Ramphal lecture theatre. UGMs can be called for a variety of reasons and at ad-hoc times throughout the year. The Chair does receive prior of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Term 2.
In addition to the chairing of big meetings you would also have several other responsibilities. Chair of Council chairs the Steering Working Group which is a small group of students who help finalise motions and the agenda , and advise Council on policies due to lapse. You will also have a non-voting seat on the Democratic Oversight Committee which monitors and coordinates the Union's internal democracy and suggests changes.
The Chair must be familiar with the way workings of Council and the Union. The Chair of Council is the only officer who is completely neutral. The Chair has to encourage attendance at Union Meetings, and keep order during meetings. A skillful Chair can make a big difference to the Union and the student body.
Union Council meets at 7pm on Thursday Evening of weeks 3, 6 and 9 of terms 1 and 2, and weeks 3 and 9 in the third term.