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To help each young woman in the ward feel loved,
accepted, needed, and to have a desire to "Come unto Christ" as they strive
to
live the gospel.
1. Represents the need and interests of the Laurel class in the following meetings:
2. Presidency Meetings
Meet regularly with Laurel class presidency to discuss
needs of individual class members and plan upcoming Mutual activities.
Class presidency should be meeting at least 2 times a month; other times
as needed. The class president should plan the agenda and conduct
the meeting. Contact her before the meeting if you have any items
to be on the agenda.
Your class presidency meeting should be a spiritual
meeting. Help the young women recognize and follow the promptings
of the Spirit as they consider different issues. Help them stay focused.
Try to stay 3-4 months ahead in your planning so you can focus on different
issues
at your meetings. Leadership training should
be done by the member of the Young Women's Presidency who is over your
class. You may be
asked to assist with the training. Help the
girls understand the great responsibility they have and the seriousness
and importance of their callings.
Assist in assigning each girl in your class to a member
of your class presidency on a phone tree. Each presidency member
should be responsible for calling her girls about activities, birthdays,
other special events, on days when she's not there, etc. Special
assignments
beyond the phone tree may be made for those struggling.
Plan with a purpose! Help make sure activities are planned that reinforce the principles taught in Sunday lessons or the Young Women Values. One activity a month should be planned on service. Normally the service activities will be on the 4th Wednesday of the month. Evaluate previous activities and find ways to improve ones yet to come. Be willing to give input and guidance. Your guidance is crucial in making sure we have worthwhile activities that will help these young women gain a testimony of the gospel and the YW Values.
3. Sunday Instruction
a. Should be planned and prepared so that you
can teach the young women gospel principles and how to apply them in their
every day lives.
b. Lessons are to be taught from the approved
Young Women manuals. You may use other approved church materials.
c. Each young woman should bring her scriptures
to the Sunday meetings.
d. Prayerfully consider the lesson to be taught.
You do not have to teach the lessons in the order they are in the manual.
Mutual activities should try to be planned around the Sunday lesson in
order to reinforce the principles taught. In your planning, work
with the counselor
in organizing it accordingly.
NOTE: New church policy for 1999 year is to
teach the lessons in order starting with #1 in Lesson Manual #3.
e. Take time to thoroughly and prayerfully plan
your lessons. Rely on the Spirit to help you teach the young women.
Help them recognize the Spirit as you feel it during class time.
4. Wednesday Mutual
a. Responsible for assisting with Wednesday
Mutual. Attend and assist in whatever areas are needed. Encourage
your class to be involved, supportive, and respectful. Encourage
class presidency to delegate to other girls in the class. The other
girls love to feel needed and included, instead of always just showing
up.
b. Help keep track of class during the activity.
Gently bring those who are wandering back in to the activity.
c. Be positive and enthusiastic. Be supportive
of class presidency and help girls in the class recognize the time and
efforts made by the presidency on their behalf.
d. Lead and guide with love when problems arise.
Pull young woman aside and encourage her and try to find out why she isn't
participating or whatever else the situation may be.
e. ALWAYS end Mutual with a prayer.
5. The YW Counselor will
be responsible for interviews with the girls. Due to the large number
of girls in some classes, you may
be asked to assist. Your class should be interviewed
AT LEAST once every 3 months. If you assist with the interviews,
go over the following:
a. Personal Progress: Counsel them to
set their goals with the Lord and to make Him a part of it. Determine
where they are with their Laurel projects. Do they need help?
Discuss the other responsibilities (p. 72 Pers. Prog. Book) for the age
group they are in. Help them
make it a very personal thing between them and the
Lord. Encourage them to really stretch themselves and to do projects
that will be a challenge for them and will really help them grow.
Encourage them to include their parents.
b. Standards of Personal Worthiness (Found on
page 9 of the Pers. Prog. Book). Especially encourage them to stay
morally clean and to obey the Word of Wisdom. If there are problems
in these areas, do not get details, encourage them to see the bishop to
take care of them. FOLLOW UP!
c. Go over Young Women motto ("Stand for Truth
and Righteousness"), class mission statement ("Being a young woman of faith"),
and the class symbol (the temple spires).
d. Find out how they are! What's going
on in their life? What are they involved in? How are they spiritually?
How do they feel about Young Women's? Do they have any input or suggestions?
Etc.
e. Challenge them to pray and read their scriptures
every day. Challenge them to do service. Challenge them to
bear their testimonies!
f. All these things would still be wonderful
ways to reach the young women even if you were meeting on a casual basis.
7. Personal Progress/Laurel
Value Projects
a. Go over ALL the responsibilities for their
age group.
b. Go over "How to Plan Your Project" (p. 76
Pers. Prog. Book) with them. Discuss these things and make
sure they understand
what a Laurel Value Project is, what the long range
goal is, and why they are required to do them. Gain a testimony of
the program and help each young woman to do the same. Be encouraging
and supportive, Help them learn to love the program.
c. They should obtain one of their parents signatures
and your approval by signature before they start their project.
d. Go by the Spirit when signing approval.
Make sure the project is worthwhile, will force them to reach and stretch
themselves, and will
accomplish the purpose of strengthening them in the
YW Value they have chosen to focus it on. If it doesn't meet the
requirements, guide them and counsel with them on how to improve it or
maybe give some other suggestions. Let young women know Laurel Value
Project should take a minimum of 20-30 hours to complete.
e. Follow up with them and assist when needed.
Find creative ways to remind them and encourage them to really make these
projects important to them. Most importantly, involve the parents.
Touch base with them on a regular basis to encourage them to be involved!
f. Recognize the girls once they have completed
their projects. Make sure the project forms are signed and completed
by everyone.
g. Plan a special presentation night once a
year where those who have completed their Laurel Value Projects for the
year can present them. Can be done at YW in Excellence. If
you do it at YW in Excellence, plan a separate night where those who have
earned their Young Women's medallion can be recognized.
8. When a young woman
advances into your class, make sure the YW President and Secretary are
both aware and that she is
recognized and presented with her Report of Progress.
Remind your secretary to update your class list and assign her to someone
on your phone tree. Class presidency should also plan a special welcome
for each young woman as she enters a new class.
9. Develop a close relationship
with the counselor that works with you. She is a valuable resource
and tool for you. Follow her counsel and guidance. If you have
concerns with girls in your class, share them with her and seek her advice.
Develop a partnership in working with the
girls. Support her and assist her when needed.
Her main responsibility will be the administrative area of the program.
Your main responsibility should be to develop a close relationship
with each young woman in your class. You are also in charge of the
Sunday lessons and assisting with Mutual activities. Work with the
counselor over you so that you can be freed up to really spend some quality
time working on each young woman individually.
10. Service
a. Encourage your class to participate and have
input on service ideas.
b. Have valuable service activities on the 4th
Wed. Mutual night.
c. Teach the girls to serve each other.
d. Follow the spirit in helping them to gain a testimony of the importance
of service and the blessings that will be theirs as they do it.
e. Especially encourage class presidency to
find ways to serve the young women in the class. The class counselor
over service should come to the presidency meetings with a variety of ideas
for service or ideas to strengthen and encourage attitudes on service.
11. Less Actives/Missionary
Work
a. Determine what needs there are for those
who are less active and reasons they are not participating.
b. Help class presidency understand their responsibility
to fellowship less active young women.
c. Make sure they are getting a weekly phone
call from the person who has them on their phone tree AND from one of the
leaders in your class.
d. Encourage the girls in your class to reach
out to them and to get to know them!
e. Make a special assignment to someone in the
class to fellowship them on an individual basis.
f. PRAY FOR THEM and maybe consider fasting
for them as a presidency or as a class.
g. Have faith and rely on the Lord for guidance
in how to approach her and on ways to touch her heart.
h. Help girls understand that fellowshipping
is not easy. It requires hard work, fasting and prayer, sacrifice,
and planning. Be happy with any amount of progress. It is important
for each young woman to know you are genuinely interested in her and not
just her attendance at
meetings or activities.
i. On a regular basis discuss progress made
with less active young women and develop new plans for reaching out to
them.
j. Provide adequate opportunities in planning
Mutual activities for the girls to bring their non-member friends.
Let them know when the activity is going to be a good one for them to bring
a friend to and encourage them to do so. Make sure that there is
something at the activity
to allow the Spirit to be present. Maybe a group
discussion at the end or a little talk. Help them recognize the good
feelings they feel.
12. Work together with YW presidency
to determine those who are less active or those who need extra fellowshipping.
Keep in
close contact with the girls in your class.
Show encouragement, support, concern and love for them. Make time
to talk to them and to find out what their life is all about. Be
an example of righteousness and strength. They will look to you for
guidelines and for what is and isn't appropriate. Stand firm for
those things that are right and encourage them to do the same. Most
importantly, pray for them.
As mentioned earlier, your main responsibility will be to provide a close, on-going, supportive relationship with each young woman in your class. You are to help the class presidency succeed in their callings. Help them understand and care for class members. Provide a loving and supportive environment for each young woman in the class. Be especially sensitive to the needs of young women who are less active or who do not feel accepted by other young women. Help each young woman feel loved, accepted, and needed.
13. Responsibilities in the
YW Board
a. Counsel with President when needed
b. Be involved in the planning and implementing
of the Young Women's program in the ward.
c. Be involved in the planning and implementing
of the main programs of the year (New Beginnings, Standards Night, and
Young
Women in Excellence)
d. Be supportive of members of the YW Board
e. Be willing to offer input, counsel, advice,
and suggestions.
f. Read Personal Progress book and YW Leadership
Handbook from cover to cover.
g. Participate in the Personal Progress program
if you haven't already done it.
14. Other assignments and responsibilities
as needed.