“We Seek After These Things”
2011 Young Women in Excellence
Preparing for Young Women in Excellence was a bit challenging this year, I am always up for a big production, however every time we mentioned YWIE the girls literally sank in their chairs. They felt overwhelmed at all the things they had not done during the year, therefore not looking forward to this night. This got me thinking about all of the things they HAD been doing. We gave them guide lines and directions and just asked them to bear their testimonies of something they HAD worked on.
This is what I gave the parents;
Dear Parents,
Sunday November 6th we will meet together for Young Women in Excellence. The purpose of this evening is to celebrate the good things the girls have been doing this year. It is a night, were they share with us some of those things. I have attached a questionnaire that will help them recognize what some of these things are and how they tie into our theme for the year, which is the 13th article of faith.
Each girl will have a few minutes to stand and share their thoughts, feelings, and or experiences. This does not have to be a big elaborate speech, but we are hoping that the girls will ponder on the questions ask to see where they have incorporated this theme in their lives.
As a parent perhaps you could go through this with them and help them see what their strengths are and what they have been doing this year.
I have also added an example the girls can use as an outline if they find it helpful. In addition to their short presentation, each girl will have about a 2 foot by 2 foot area on a table to display items that help demonstrate who they are. For example, Tina might display some sheet music she has been playing, some pictures of herself, her scriptures that she has been studying. Again this does not need to be an elaborate presentation. We are simply offering the girls a way to share and celebrate the wonderful things they have been doing this year.
If you have any questions, please call. We have been talking to the girls for weeks. We just wanted you parents to be aware of what we are hoping for so you can offer direction as needed.
Thank you for your help and support. We love your girls and are so excited to see them shine on this special night.
Green Valley 1st Ward Young Women Leaders
Our invitations
and this is what I gave the girls:
“We believe in being Honest, True, Chaste, benevolent, virtuous and in doing good to all men, indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul, we believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured, any things and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy we seek after these things”
How Honest am I?
(have I tried harder to always be honest this year?)
Is there something I am always true to?
(like no rated R movies, not gossiping, being loyal to a friend, not swearing?)
Are my thoughts clean & Pure?
(is there something you do to keep yourself chaste like hum your favorite hymn)
How do I treat other people, especially people I don’t know?
(Do I have kind feelings for everyone? Do I help when I see someone struggling?)
Am I morally strong?
(What do I do to help me stay virtuous? Am I modest? What kind of music do I listen to?)
What Good things have I surrounded myself this year?
(Like, tennis, swimming, playing an instrument, Photography, art, theater, enjoying nature, learning new things, reading good books, helping someone in need, befriending someone new, spent more time reading my scriptures, spent more time in prayer, more time with personal progress,)
Have I followed Paul’s advice?
(Am I kind to all men? Without prejudice?- seeing the good not the bad in others)
Do I “Hope all things”?
(Do I trust the promises the Lord has given and believe they are for me?)
Have I endured many things?”
(like- family struggles, sickness or health, self-confidence, being picked on, struggling in school? How did I get through it? Did my savior help me during those times?)
Do I believe that I can endure all things?
Have I been seeking those things that are virtuous?
Have I been seeking things that are lovely?
(great, uplifting, spiritual things?)
Am I Praiseworthy?
(do I make choices or act in a way that my parents would be proud, approve or admire? Would my Heavenly Father be pleased?)
Have I tried my best to do what Jesus would do?
(like set goals, being more steadfast, spent more time in prayer or scriptures ect. What have I done to do that?)
Have I actively sought after specific things?
(what did I seek after this year?)
Has the theme this year helped me this year?
(in what ways? Like felt the spirit more, feel closer to my Savior, learned a lot about myself, came to love all people, realized there is so much beauty in the world etc.)
Young Women in Excellence
This year I have been_______________________________________________
(insert- something from the other page that you have been doing like- “Working hard @ being honest always”
I have done that by_________________________________________________
((insert- the things you have done to help you do that like – “I have been really careful to make sure I was being honest before I said or did something, all the time not just sometimes” you can share an experience if you want)
I have found that___________________________________________________
(insert- what you have learned like- “I have found with being honest always that people believe me more, I have felt the spirit in my life more. I have also learned a lot about myself in telling the truth in all things”)
I have come closer to my Heavenly Father ______________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________(insert- if you have- this is a good place for your testimony of the thing you have been working on like- “I have gotten to know my Heavenly Father better by being honest always because I know that I am one step closer to becoming like him, I am grateful to have worked on this because I saw that I wasn’t totally being honest all the time when I really thought I was”)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________(insert- if you have- this is a good place for your testimony of the thing you have been working on like- “I have gotten to know my Heavenly Father better by being honest always because I know that I am one step closer to becoming like him, I am grateful to have worked on this because I saw that I wasn’t totally being honest all the time when I really thought I was”)
What do I need to bring to Young Women’s in Excellence night?_____________
(Insert what you want to bring like- your parents, this paper with your notes, stuff you want to display and anything else you have been assigned)
The night was a wonderful night filled with the spirit, and the girls felt great about the wonderful things they HAD been doing all year long.
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