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Orientation for Ward Leaders
Your most important responsibility
as a Young Woman leader is to help The Young Women grow spiritually. The
Young Women program is to help each young women "come unto Christ" (Moroni
10:32) By following the Savior's example and teaching, she can fulfill her
mortal mission and return to live with her Heavenly Father.The Young Women
program Is simply a tool to help you provide spiritual experiences,
meaningful involvement, and caring relationships. Each YW has an area of
risk in her life.. .even the very active cheerleader and school leader,
EVERY YW IS AT RISK! You have been called to love and shepherd some of our
Heavenly Father*s children at an especially important time in their lives.
As you humbly ask for his help, you will receive the guidance and insight
you need to do this work.
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee... I will strengthen thee .... will help
thee ....I will uphold thee.* (Isaiah 41:10)
Tools that are available for you:
Young Women Leadership Handbook
Personal Progress Book
YW Camp Manual
Laurel Manual
Mia Maid Manual
Beehive Manual
Activity Book
YW Music Book
Scriptures
For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet
Guidebook for Parents and Leaders of Youth
True To Your Faith Booklet
WARD YOUNG WOMEN DIVISION OF
RESPONSIBILITY
PRESIDENT:
1. Presides over entire ward YW program
2. Responsible for Sunday Instruction.
3. Works with and supports Laurel adviser.
4. Counsels with Priesthood (monthly PPI).
5. Co-ordinates with Young Men
6. Attends Bishop*s Youth Council meeting.
7. Presides over and conducts ward Young Women presidency.
8. Helps with Personal Progress.
9. Interviews advisers regularly.
10. Attends ward council meeting (once a month).
11. Is spirituality prepared.
12. Reviews and signs quarterly report.
13. Reviews overall monthly attendance,
14. Responsible for Yearly budget planning.
15. Signs all cheque authorization and expense requests.
16. Attends all Young Women meetings and activities
PRESIDENT & COUNSELORS'
FIRST COUNSELOR:
*Responsible for Mia Maid age group
*Works with and supports Mia Maid adviser
SECOND COUNSELOR:
*Responsible for Beehive age group
*Works with and supports Beehive adviser.
Ultimately each counselor is responsible for everything on the list and the
activity of each YW
If not there on Sunday or at Mutual call to see why
Help the Young Women plan activities on class nights
Plan with a purpose, think of less active girls and plan activities around
their interests.
Plan activities around personal progress goals.
Hold class presidency meetings monthly (or as needed). Use to teach and
train. Do a 5-10 min. leadership lesson each time.
Be at presidency and/or board meetings
Attend all Sunday lessons Mutual activities, firesides, stake activities.
Whenever possible be at extracurricular activities of young women.
Make sure each girl is called by the class president before each mutual
activity and fireside.
Encourage them to work on Personal Progress.
Get to know your girls, what they do, like, etc.
Use your class presidency, delegate, have them help.
The presidency and advisors work closely together and do not rotate being at
activities, etc. They are to attend both Sunday and mutual activities.
Pray for each young woman by name and ask for inspiration to recognize and
fulfill her needs.
Plan combined young men-young women activity when in charge
SECRETARY:
1. Maintains all records accurately.
3. Keeps minutes of presidency meetings and other meetings as assigned.
4. Helps with agendas when assigned.
5. Follow-up on assignments when directed by president.
6. Schedule interviews with Bishopric (YW).
7. Assists and trains Young Women class secretaries,
8. Helps with Personal Progress Program.
9. Prepares and submits monthly report to ward.
10.Maintains budget records.
11. May be called to assist advisers in scheduling Personal Progress
interview times and keeping records.
12. Other assignments as requested.
13. Attends Young Women activities as directed by the presidency
ADVISERS:
THE ADVISERS HAVE A MINISTERING ROLE WITH THE Young Women. THEIR
Responsibility AND FOCUS OF ATTENTION IS TO:
Prayerfully and through inspiration meet the needs of the Young Women of
whom they have been given stewardship.
Teach Sunday Lessons
Teach correct principles
Involve YW in experiences that implement the 3-Fold Mission of the Church
and the Young Women values.
Attend and help with Young Women camp if necessary.
Build testimonies in Young Women.
Interview for Personal Progress
Help Young Women gain an Identity and feeling of self-worth as members of
the Church.
Help Young Women "Come Unto Christ"
Help youth be contributors in their families. schools and communities.
Teach leadership through Presidency experiences and activities,
Be spiritually prepared and set a strong, good example.
Weekly awareness of attendance of age-group.
Attendance at meetings as requested by president - ALL activities; not just
Sunday lessons
WHEN A YOUNG WOMAN ENTERS THE YOUNG WOMEN PROGRAM
1. She is interviewed by the Bishop.
2. She is recognized in Sacrament Meeting.
3. She is welcomed into YW by spotlighting her in an opening exercise.
4. She is visited by YW president or age-group counselor, YW class adviser,
and Class President in her home prior to her 1st Sunday in YW. It is
preferable to have one or both parents present.
5. She is given her Personal Progress Book at the home visit and this is
explained to her.
6. Young Women advance on their birthdays. This is done so they can learn to
move independently and strengthen their identity.
PERSONAL PROGRESS
The First Presidency has said to young women, "As you participate in
Personal Progress, you join with thousands of other young women who are
striving to come unto Christ"
Personal Progress is a goal-setting program that helps a young woman develop
a testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel. A young woman can work on
Personal Progress even if she is the only young woman in her ward or branch.
Personal progress gives a young woman activities to do that will help her:
Know she is a daughter of God.
Rely upon the Holy Ghost.
Develop personal religious behaviors, such as prayer, scripture study,
obedience to commandments, and service.
Keep her baptismal covenants and prepare and qualify for temple covenants.
Develop talents and skills that prepare her for her future roles.
Establish a pattern of step-by-step progress through her life.
She will have a pattern of progress for her life that will bring her joy and
happiness
Personal Progress Requirements for Young Women**
The following are the requirements for completing Personal Progress for
young women:
Live the standards in For the Strength of Youth. The bishop or branch
president verifies this in an interview.
Complete six Value Experiences and one Value Project in each of the seven
Young Women values.
A young woman should complete the six experiences in a value before doing
the project in that value.
A parent or Young Women leader should approve the project before she begins.
A young woman reviews her completed work with a parent or a leader, who
initials that experience in her Personal Progress book.
When all six experiences and the project in a value are completed, a leader
may present an achievement emblem to be placed in the back of the Personal
Progress book.
Keep a personal journal.
Record her testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Have a personal worthiness interview.
She can then be presented with the Young Woman Recognition Certificate and
Young Womanhood Medallion by a member of the bishopric in sacrament meeting.
After receiving the Young Womanhood Recognition, the young woman should
continue to live the standards set forth in For the Strength of Youth and
continue to make step-by-step progress in her life.*
ANNUAL YOUNG WOMEN EVENTS
1. New Beginnings to be held in January/February every year.
*Attended by Young Women, leaders, stake leaders, parents and Bishopric.
*Informs parents of Young Women program and plans for coming year.
*Could be a time to state intended value projects for Young Women in
Excellence Program.
*Emphasizes values.
*Introduces new Young Women.
*Motivates Young Women on Personal Progress.
2. Young Women in Excellence to be held in October/November as a culminating
event for Personal Progress.
*YW chooses a value that she is Interested in understanding on a more
personal level
*YW chooses a project that will help her achieve the desired knowledge.
*YW in Excellence allows YW to show what they chose, how they did it and
what was learned through the experience.
*Attended by YW, leaders, stake leaders, parents and appropriate priesthood
leaders.
3. Standard Events held anytime throughout the year.
*Inform YW (or YM YW) of the standards of the church as they apply to dress,
chastity, etc.
*Attended by invitation and under the direct supervision of the Bishop.
*Emphasize eternal goals and moral values.
*See YW handbook for further information.
*Could be YM YW activity, fireside, special class activity. etc.
SUNDAY LESSONS
Encourage the young women to bring their copies of the scriptures to class
each week. Teach your lesson in such a manner that the scriptures will be
used every week. If time is limited or attention lags, select only those
references that will be most effective. Use scriptures wisely. Through your
preparation they can become a powerful teaching tool. The young women in
your class should read individually from the scriptures during almost every
lesson. Motivate them by asking a question or presenting a problem. You will
probably want to write the scripture reference on the chalkboard so they
will know where to look. Usually a question should be asked before a
scripture is read. Otherwise, the young women will likely have to reread the
scripture to be able to answer the question. Sometimes a young woman may
give the correct answer in her own words without turning to the passage of
scripture. When this occurs, ask additional questions to get her to read the
scripture; for example, "How did Paul say it?" or "What additional insights
can we gain from this passage?" Before you can get the young women excited
about searching the scriptures, you must become excited about them yourself.
Prepare yourself through in-depth study, prayer, and meditation on those
passages you expect class members to read and discuss
This information is quoted from Young Women Manual 1, Resources
YOUNG WOMEN*S THEME
On the correct method used when saying the Theme
The Young Women's Theme is repeated during opening exercises at each Young
Women's meeting. There are a few rules to remember when repeating the Theme:
"The Young Women theme helps each young woman understand her identity,
purpose, and destiny as a daughter of God. Young women and their leaders
repeat the theme during Sunday opening exercises and at other Young Women
gatherings. The simple pattern for repeating the theme is exemplified in the
annual general Young Women meeting. Additional words or themes repeated in
conjunction with the theme are not necessary or appropriate." (Source:
LDS.org - YW Theme and Logo,)
MIDWEEK ACTIVITIES (MUTUAL)
One way to make Mutual meaningful is to reinforce Sunday lessons on Mutual
night. For example, you could reinforce a lesson on the art of homemaking by
teaching a specific homemaking skill during Mutual." - YW General
Presidency, "Planning Meaningful Mutual Activities," Ensign, Sept. 2000, 70.
Mutual provides opportunities to do the following:
**Meet in a social setting
**Apply gospel principles
**Strengthen testimonies
**Provide service
**Develop wholesome relationships
**Reach out to less-active youth
**Prepare for missionary work and the temple.
**Develop home arts skills.
**Develop cultural awareness and nurture talents.
**Develop physical skills and participate in sports.
**Focus on the specific needs or interests of the young women in the ward or
branch.
**Support and involve the family as appropriate.
**Work on Personal Progress.
Mutual should be held at the same day, time, and place weekly. The lessons
and activities are planned by leaders and youth, and include opening
exercises, class or quorum activities, and an optional practice or social
activity. After opening exercises, which includes a song, prayer, spiritual
thought, scripture theme practice, and announcements, the youth may stay
together for a combined youth activity (Young Men and Women leaders and
youth together) or separate for combined YW activities (Beehives, Mia Maids,
Laurels, and Young Women's leaders together), or a class activity (just the
Beehives class and Beehive Leaders or just the Laurels class and leaders).
Young Men, Young Women, and their leaders meet together as a combined group
for opening exercises.
"Mutual is fundamental to all that we are trying to do with and for the
Young Women and the Young Men. Many parents recognize that when youth reach
the adolescent years, they benefit from positive influences to reinforce and
supplement the correct principles taught at home. No matter how clearly we
understand the resources of the achievement programs for both Young Men and
Young Women, if Mutual is not properly in place, our efforts are more likely
to fail" (Elder Cecil O. Samuelson, Quorum of the Seventy).
Mutual Opening Exercises
Begin Mutual by inviting the Spirit. Involve youth in a short opening
meeting (often called "opening exercises").
Opening exercises should include a prayer and a hymn. Opening exercises may
also include:
**A talk about the annual Mutual theme.
**Testimonies about the standards in For the Strength of Youth.
**Introduction of friends and visitors.
**Opportunities for youth to share a talent or hobby.
**Recognition of good things youth have done.
**Music practice.
"What can 15 minutes each week of well-prepared, spiritual involvement do
for a youth over six years?"
*Elaine S. Dalton, second counselor, Young Women general presidency
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"Choose
you this day
whom ye will
serve
but for me
and my
house we will
serve the Lord "
