SETUP
  To prepare for our New Beginnings program,  we drew up a picture of a bedroom and hid a Personal Progress book in the room. (kinda like the "Where's Waldo" theme) We had 3 pictures like this with the book always in a different spot. Then for 3 Sundays prior to the program, we took a couple of minutes during opening exercises and passed these out to the girls each Sunday and had them find the P.P. book.

  For the program we took the moble particians or room dividers (usually each building has them) We set them up creating a backdrop for a
bedroom scene.  We then did a darling bedroom using a cot for the bed, a comforter, pillows, shams, rugs, a small dresser, a lamp, an end table, we put up posters (we used Mormanads) for pictures on the dividers and real  light wallhangings.  We went all out to create a really cute "teenager's" room.

  Other things you need to do is:  Be sure not to put the dividers too close to the wall, you need room for the Detective in the skit to be able to go behind it.  Put a few clothes in the dresser and then a tiny bikini, you will also need a few C.D.s for the skit and CD player.   For the skit itself,  you only have one person in the skit and one person narrating.  Our detective wore a trench coat and hat, and carried a magnifying glass and kept a small notebook and pencil in her pocket. The narrator used their best Rod Serling voice ("The Twlight Zone" voice) She wasn't seen during the skit and used a pen light to read by. We used the Pink Panther music prior to the Detective entering and leaving the room.  The whole room is dark except a small spot light that shines on the bedroom scene.  The main lights come on only during the talks that come in at different points during the skit.
 Now finally here's the skit.  (smile) Bet ya thought I'd never get to it. hee hee

  (The stage is clear, only a voice from the dark--don't forget to use your best Twlight Light Zone voice--this sounds alot better if ya really
play it up.  Smile--the Detective should also have fun with her part,  bounce with the music etc.)

Narrator:  Brenda the Beehive is in a panic.  Her birthday is coming,  she'll soon be the coveted Mia Maid.  But Brenda has an anxiety.  She
hasn't completed her Beehive goals, and her Personal Progress book is nowhere to be found.  Brenda has searched and searched to no avail; and time is running out.  At her wits end, Brenda turns to her last hope, Detective Denise. Brenda explains to the Detective her dilemma.
Discerning the magnitude of Brenda's problem,  Det. Denise takes on the case.

(small pause, then the music begins, after a couple of bars, the Det. enters the room from behind the dividers,  bouncing slightly to the music, using her magnifying glass to look closely at various things, she stops and pulls out her notebook, Music stops.)

Narrator: (Det. Denise makes a few notes in her notebook)  From outward appearances the room seems to be a haven for someone with High Standards & Values, a person striving to better herself,  but things are not always as they seem. (Det. puts pencil and notebook back in her pocket and walks over to CD player and picks up 4 CD's, she looks at them one by one nodding approvingly at the first three and then shocked as she peers at the 4th, then holds it away from herself as the Narrator begins again) What is this??  A drawback in the investigation? This CD doesn't belong in this scenario, why, there's nothing uplifting or upright about this music???  (Det. Denise puts all the CD's down but the "bad" one and disappears behind the dividers.)  Detective Denise leaves the scene to question Brenda about this new finding.

(Music plays as the Det. leaves the room, using her magnifying glass looking round and bouncing slightly to music.)  (Music off)

END OF ACT ONE

Main lights are turned on. A speaker gives a short  5-8 minute talk on music.  Here is where you can fine tune this to your YW"s needs.  We
kept the night upbeat, with very little lecturing, we needed a light fun program at that time in YW's.

(After speaker finishes, main lights go off, spotlight on.  Music begins as Det. enter the room.)

Narrator:  Detective Denise returns to the scene.  As she had surmised the CD was not Brenda's.  It was the possession of an acquaintance.  The Det. resumes her investigation.  (Det. looks around the room)  The dresser draws Det. Denise's eye.  Perchance a lead will be established
in it's drawers.  (Det. D. opens the drawers one by one takes out a journal, holds it up and nods approvingly then returns it to the drawer.
Opens the next one,  moving the clothes around, does the same in the next drawer, this time pulling out a skimpy bikini)

Narrator:  Det. Denise is stunned once again! (DD holds the bikini away from herself and shakes her head) Is this an article of clothing an
unpresuming young woman would wear?  By the same token,  does it reflect the goals in the vanished Personal Progress book?  Be that as it may, Detective Denise's investigaion is at a standstill.  Det. Denise departs in pursuit of Brenda, to reopen the interrogation.  (Music begins DD disappears behind the divider, *remember to bounce to the music smile*)

END OF ACT 2

Main lights on.  Speaker #2 talks on Modesty.  Again gear this to your needs.  Our speaker was a riot talking on Modesty in
clothes, dating, talking etc. again this was a short 5-8 min. light and fun talk.

ACT #3

(Main lights out, spot on, Music, DD enters)
Narrator: Back at the scene Det. Denise returns to restore the garments to their original location.(put bikini back in drawer) Det. D's
misconceptions were aleved.  The owner of the goods is allegedly Brenda's female parent.  These bits of cloth are retained as a momento
of the woman's unripened days decades before the first published Personal Progress book.  DD scans the room.  Only one vicinity remains
uninspected.  The all engulfing black hole - ie; under the bed.  It is undertakings such as this that earn Det. Denise the big bucks. (DD looks
under the bed and pulls out the PP book holding it up)  What is this? (DD Stands) Can it be?  Eureka, the mystery is solved!! (DD begins to
leave the room then turns back to audience) Then again, was there any doublt. (Music)

END OF SKIT

lights go on, the last speaker talks on Personal Progress. We had a girl who had just recently gotten married in the temple she was in her early 20's, she told how YW's helped her, and setting goals etc.

We gave out handouts on each value, it had a place to write two goals for each one.  Sorry but I can't remember what we did for refreshments,

  This was a very fun night, we all had a good laugh, the speakers were great.  You could easily change the items that are found by the Det. if
there is something that needs to be talked about in your ward, ie,  a nasty letter (for gossiping),  a book ( for good literature), a mini-skirt (for modesty), whatever. 

Sue Roquemore