Young Women Camp

As Stake Young Women Camp Director, this Laurel Expedition would be my dream to plan and implement for the Young Women in my Stake.
Specifically, the YCL (Youth Camp Leaders who are 16-18 year old) or Laurels.

It takes a lot of "out of the box" thinking and support on the part of Young Women Leaders and Priesthood Leaders. A LOT. A lot that I would totally be up for!

The area I currently live in would not have the support or understanding for this need from the Stake Level and many of the Wards, It takes so much to change perspective and thinking of "this is the way we always do it".

As a people, we need to be much better at providing these opportunities for our boys AND girls. MUCH BETTER.

I love this. I love the leaders who made this happen!

Go Laurel Expedition 2017

Camp Planning Perspective

Camp 2017 is in the books and it was a remarkable year. One of the best I can remember. In the next few days, I will post photos and my thoughts on why it was such an incredible week.
For now, I am sharing this post I read a few years back and it rings true for me.

Planning Young Women Camp in different parts of the world takes a different approach for each leader. It is important to not compare your camp to others and to do the best with the resources and circumstances available to you and your Stake.
It is generally much more expensive and involved to plan a camp outside of the Utah/Idaho (Western USA) where there are more choices in low cost camp facilities.

My perspective is to do your best.

Enjoy this read from Mormon Girl in the Bible Belt. 
I totally get where she is coming from.

Happy YW Camp planning! Stay tuned for 2017 details.

Turkey Shoot-Scripture Activity

This is a fun way to help students learn the Doctrines associated with each Doctrinal Mastery Scripture. It is not my original idea. 

This idea is from fellow teacher, Sharon Haynie, who uses marshmallow shooters for her Turkey shoot. Click HERE for directions she shared on how to make Marshmallow shooters.

I use Nerf guns because that is what I have.

You could also use rubber band shooters.

Set Up:

Turkeys on paper plates stapled to upside down large plastic beverage cups. (see photos below)

Inside each cup is written a point amount ( 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50) 

(I recycled my cups and plates from last year-they come apart easily and store in a small space-I don't like to do double work so anything I can use from year to year is a win!)

Divide students into teams ( I had 4 teams of 3 each-one team had 4 members)

Each team sat together on the perimeter of the "Turkey Coop" (see photos below for set up ideas)

 For each round:

• Students sit as teams in the chairs set up around the perimeter.
• Each team has a Nerf gun
• Call out the key words or phrases from a Doctrinal Mastery scripture
• Teams work together to locate the scripture ( all team members must  turn to the scripture), then a runner comes to me and shows me the scripture and states the Doctrine associated with that Scripture.
• When I confirm it is correct, I say, GO!
• The Team takes their Nerf gun and starts shooting the paper plate turkeys (each round a new team member takes their turn with the Nerf gun-some of them rotated during the same round so they all got more "shooting time")
• Each team  does the same to find the scripture and show it to me
• When the last team comes to me with the correct scripture and doctrine, I call out "30 seconds left" and set my timer.
• When I say stop, the teams would bring their turkeys to me and call out the points earned.
• Points are posted on the chalkboard and added up at the end.
• After each round, the turkeys are put back on the tables so we would have enough for each round.
• I would go scramble them sometimes as I could tell the students were catching on to some of the higher point turkeys.

As much fun as this is, the most important point is that the students had to dig into their scriptures match them to the doctrines associated with them. This was very effective.

Amos and The Pie Face Game

Amos warned the Israelites that they would be destroyed if they did not repent.
If they continued to reject the Lord's Prophets, the Lord would remove Prophets from among them.

The Old Testament Seminary Lesson for Amos  (#150) suggests opening class with these questions:

1) Have you ever tried to warn someone who did not heed your warning? What happened to that person as a result?
2) Has someone ever tried to ward you, but you did not heed the warning? What happened to you as a result?

I added:
Do you think the counsel of the Prophet is for everyone else and you are fine to not follow certain counsel that may not fit your personal ideas? Do you "pick and choose" what you follow?

Do you know other people who don't think following the counsel of the Prophet is necessary? How does it affect their life?

Enter- The Pie Face Game
I fully informed my students about the game, what would happen if they turned the knob enough times, or even one time. I gave them all the option to not play the game, however, still knowing the consequences of turning the knob, several opted to play. Some did not get hit in the face with a pile of whipped cream and others did.

The discussion about listening to warnings fit perfectly with taking a chance of getting hit in the face with a pie during this game.

The Pie Face Game at Seminary? Who'd have thought? Well....me! I have been wondering how it would fit with a lesson for several months and last night, it hit me. This is the time of year, we need variety and a lot of change of pace. The Pie Face Game did not disappoint. Such FABULOUS discussion.

Meeting Your Goliaths with Stones of Faith

Meeting Your Goliaths With Stones of Faith

When studying the account of David and Goliath, 1 Samuel 17,  it is important to focus on the tools used to defeat Goliath rather than be awed or intimidated by his size.

This is true in our lives. If we spend our energies being intimidated and discouraged by the size of our personal Goliaths (adversities, trials, and temptations),  we risk overlooking the simple tools (stones of faith) Father in Heaven has given us to defeat our adversities, trials, and temptations.

As my mother taught me, focus on the solutions, not the problems.

In preparation to teach this principle and to reinforce the importance of using our stones of faith, I am making each student a bag filled with "stones of faith". (see photos below)
Each stone will be labelled with one of attributes President Thomas S Monson taught us to use in his adddress, "Meeting Your Goliath"   

COURAGE

EFFORT

HUMILITY

PRAYER

LOVE OF DUTY

I also purchased these wooden sling shots  from Amazon (I know...not the type that David used) and we will label some softer stones (perhaps crumbled up paper or large marshmallows) and shoot them at a drawing of Goliath (drawing in process at press time) Will post an update. I want the students to see the size of Goliath but spend more time on the stones of faith available to slay him.

A little history on the "Stones of Faith" idea:

I am basing this idea on one I used several years ago when I made "Value Rocks" for a Young Women activity. Before the "Value Rocks", my friend and I made "Gratitude Rocks" as part of table decorations for Thanksgiving. They were great conversation starters at our Ward Thanksgiving Dinner.

I will post photos when my  "Stones of Faith" are complete.

These photos are from several year ago when I used the Value Rocks 

at a Young Women Mother Daughter Dinner

LDS Youth Leaders

I created a Facebook Group for LDS Youth Leaders (Young Women and Young Men Leaders)
The LDS Seminary Teachers Facebook group has been so helpful that I am hoping this new group can do the same for LDS Youth Leaders.
Please join and post ideas for
Young Women Camp
Personal Progress
Ministering and Administering YM/YW Programs
Sunday Lesson ideas
Scout Activities
Combined YM/YW Activities
Quotes from Prophets and Apostles that support the LDS Doctrines we are teaching and living.
Class Presidency ideas
Communication and support with leaders, youth, and parents
Fireside (Bishops Youth Discussion) Ideas
Bishops Youth Council Ideas

Click HERE for a link to the group
Add other Young Women and Young Men Leaders to this group and suggest they do the same.