I know that this constitutes my third post in less than 12 hours, so just try to keep up.
First of all, bravo to those of you who caught on to my clues in my last post about my new calling! Yes, I have been called to serve in the Young Women's program in our ward. I am the first counselor in an all-new presidency.
Woah!
I have served in YW twice before. Once in college briefly. (Our YW program was so small that we met in the kitchen of our branch building.) The second time was when I was newly married, working full-time, and pregnant with Guy. So, I have a small hunch about how much work this calling will entail, but I also have had a taste of the blessings that come with it and the eternal friendships that I will form with the young women.
It seems like every time I get called into the YW program, they go adding stuff to the YW theme that we recite. Tricky! But each addition was a wonderful improvement...First it was "strengthen home and family". And most recently they added "Virtue"as one of the values.
Another thing that I witnessed today, that I had never seen before was the wearing of the Beehive Hat! Apparently, whenever there is a new girl entering the YW program for the first time in our ward, the girls have her wear this hat that looks like a beehive with bees buzzing around it and honey oozing out.
Ah, good old-fashioned hazing. Gotta love it. As I drifted off to sleep last night, I was thinking about how the YW program reminds me of a sorority. (The Beehive Hat did nothing to dispel my theory!) But unlike the sororities of the world that you'll find by the dozens on any college campus, the sorority of sisterhood that you will find in the Young Women programs, in congregations of Latter-day Saints that dot the globe, encourages its members to remain chaste, virtuous, modest, to serve others, to obtain knowledge, and to seek the blessings of the temple.
Now that is a sisterhood that I want to be a part of!
Is that Broghan I see in your picture, I can't be sure, but it looks like her! I think she was moving your way, right? Anyway, have fun in YW. You will be great.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to say that the hat looks WAY more disgusting than I imagined when I read your post!
ReplyDeleteWow, that hat is really something! What a great new experience.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! You'll be fabulous in the Young Women program. :)
ReplyDeletecongrats on the new calling!! YW are sooo fun!. I'm serving right now as the Laurel Advisor. Have fun with it, you will be great!!
ReplyDeletegreat fun is in store for you
ReplyDeleteWe did that when I was a beehive...the tradition didn't start until AFTER I was in young women's though, haha! Lucky me! But we sure did get a hoot out of participating in the tradition!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy young womens!
sounds like a perfect calling for you. Don't know if I like the idea of a beehive hat...or not.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think the beehive hat is totally AWESOME! If I were a beehive, I'd be totally down with wearing that hat. Plus it looks warm!
ReplyDeleteYou are going to be awesome with those girls! I just got released from that same calling, and it was such a fun and spiritual place to be. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Amy- that hat looked a little disgusting in one of the pictures. Funny!
ReplyDeleteBut I love the idea of the hazing hat. I may need to introduce that in my ward.
I just switched wards actually. I was in YW in my other ward, and on my first Sunday in this ward I got called into the same calling! HA!
Aft a year of serving, I still can't say the theme without stumbling over "strengthen home and family." The cadence just isn't right!
I love it! Congrats again! What FUN that is sure to be!!! :)That hat is a crack up... I've not seen anything like that here. :o Must be a fun loving relaxed bunch of girls! :)
ReplyDeleteCorine :D
Exciting! I'm also the first counselor in my ward's Young Women. It is such a fun calling. It's a lot of work, but your heart is so filled with love. And there is nothing quite like the vibrance of youth and their unabashed testimonies.
ReplyDeleteI'm also excited to see the great Ideas you'll have for this calling...
YAY!! I'm the YW President in our ward! I'm loving it! Have fun! Check out my blog for some fun ideas! We are planning YW in Excellence and have a fireworks theme!! FUN!!
ReplyDeleteLove the hat! You will be amazing in YW. I have worked with our YW for 2 years (longest calling I've ever had!) and I love it. And I have a whole new appreciation for the leaders I had!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on being called into the YW program. I have enjoy serving in that program off and on through the years. I imagine you are going to be wonderful in this new calling. I earned my personal progress award while serving in the program.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you and enjoy all the precious moments you will have with the YW.
That crazy hat is such a fun idea!
ReplyDeleteYW has always been my favorite calling. They are lucky to have you...and vice versa!
=)
Yay! I love the young women program and am so sad I don't have that calling anymore. I am excited for you. And your girls!
ReplyDeleteAwesome, Jocelyn! I wish you many adventures as you go forward with the calling! How cool! I haven't served in YW yet so I have no tips to give you but I am a little jealous?/excited for you to make friendships with all those beautiful young ladies ;)
ReplyDeleteIn defense of the cow-pie-looking hat...there is a lot of glitteriness in the paint that you can't see in the photo.
ReplyDeleteThose are some seriously lucky Young Women! You will be great (I'm sure you already know that!). I just got released from serving in YW...I loved it. I often say I think I was born to serve in YW. I had been president before, too, and it was my dream calling. I now serve as 2nd counselor in the Primary presidency and I'm really enjoying it, too (I'm definitely enjoying it more than when I was Primary president!!). I did want to say, though, that there are some really awesome boards on pinterest dedicated to YW stuff!! If I come accross any good ones (I know I follow some already) I'll send them your way. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteI, too am in YW! I am the President in our small branch in Eldon, MO. What a wonderful experience to work with the Youth! I got called to be YW 2nd Counselor the very same Sunday that I was welcomed as the newest member of the Branch! Haha! Wow. I truly do love it! I will be excited to read your ideas!
ReplyDeleteYou will be a great influence to the Young Women that you serve, such blessing to those YW to have you serve them!!
ReplyDeleteI feel so WAY behind with everything going on here i do not know how to catch up anymore, and now blogger is giving me a hard time uploading my pictures from all the way back in SUMMER vacation.
I hope to be able to catch up when our Primary Sacrament Presentation is over, which is this coming SUnday already!!
I was a first counselor in the YW for awhile. I loved it and miss it so much. The YW program really is one oc the busiest in the church... at least we were.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, on you note about it being a sorority, it made me giggle. With my girls I decided to make a "Rose society" They each got a ring I made our of felt and had to be "initiated" into the society. Silly stuff, like sing "I'm a little teapot" in the Foyer. (If a girl forgot to wear their ring to a rose ceremony I would make them "Haze" all over again) We also had an "oath" where we talked about the symbol of the rose (love, faith, and purity) The girls LOVED it. It made being a MM special. It is tough being in the middle!