Walking down aisles filled to the brim while thousands of students and advisors craning their necks to see who the “Best Delegate” of that committee is – well, that’s the dream. For Model UN delegates across the world, gaveling is an integral part of why we do what we do. It justifies the hours of research we put in, the sleepless nights we have the week before the conference, and the gallons of coffee and carbonated sugar we consume to try to stay active. Generally, gaveling refers to winning the award of “Best Delegate” that is given to one delegation per committee. This award usually encompasses a certificate and gavel – and the sheer pride that you were considered the best delegate of the committee.
But as great as a gavel is, it can also hurt you. Here are a few reasons why it is great to gavel…and why it isn’t.
Gaveling helps you increase your confidence…
After spending countless hours on research and preparation, coming home with a gavel to prove it all can be extremely rewarding. The extra place on your trophy shelf can be a consistent reminder to persevere for what you want and to work hard for your goals.
…but makes it easy to become overconfident.
On the other hand, earning a gavel can make you think that MUN is less work. You mastered the formula so why do you need to do all that work again? While you might need to invest less time in your next conference, that certainly does not mean that you can give up on learning MUN skills. There is always room to improve; not recognizing that can be a disastrous mistake at your next conference.
Gaveling can open doors to leadership roles…
Earning a gavel can be an effective way of gaining leadership opportunities within your schools Model UN team. Whether that means running for an officer position or simply playing a more prominent role during preparation time, showing that you can invest your time and energy makes you a much more meaningful candidate for leadership opportunities.
…but you might start to slack off.
Earning a gavel doesn’t always mean that you’ve mastered the “magic” formula. It’s a recurring phenomenon to see delegates who start to win awards slack off at their team meetings or their responsibilities. Whether it’s training novice members or simply keeping track of the clubs finances, a gavel doesn’t warrant forfeiting your responsibilities to your teammates.
Gaveling makes it easer to help others on your team…
After winning an award, you might notice that novice members often flock towards you for advice – and that’s a good thing! Gaveling at a conference can give you the credibility to help train novice members so that they can start winning awards too. A major component of being a team player is passing off your knowledge to those who come after you. Getting a gavel can give you the reassurance that you have the credibility and ability to do so.
…but you could lose your sense of diplomacy.
Wanting to keep all of your information and ideas to yourself can often work against you. As a team member, your teammates expect you to offer advice and input on situations. Losing a sense of helpfulness in an attempt to keep your secrets can make you lose respect in the eyes of your teammates.
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All in all, gaveling is a rewarding experience. The feeling that you get after spending months researching and investing time into a topic to finally be rewarded is unexplainable. Just recognize that what you do after you gavel is up to you. You can use that experience to help yourself and others or you can you use it as a strategy. Whatever you decide, just remember to have fun! Model UN is about diplomacy and international relations but the most important part of any committee is to enjoy yourself!
