North America Northeast Area: Varsity team organized

BANGOR, MAINE - The first-ever Varsity Scout team in Maine has been organized in the Bangor Ward, Bangor Maine Stake, said Aaron La Cross, team captain. The team, which was registered May 10, already has had a canoe outing and held a service project to help a family move. Involved in the team are nine boys, including one non-member and two reactivated members.

North America Northwest Area: Celebrating a century

POCATELLO, IDAHO - Church members here recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Church in Pocatello. A reunion of the Pocatello 1st Ward began the festivities, which also included an open house and a program of drama, song and dance commemorating the history of the ward and the Church in the city. Additional centennial festivities are planned for the city's July 24 celebration. The first branch of the Church here, which then was a part of the Bannock Stake, was organized May 6, 1888, with 178 members.

North America Central Area: Winter Quarters easy to find

OMAHA, NEB. - Many Church members who visit historical sites along the Mormon Pioneer Trail miss the Pioneer Cemetery at Winter Quarters, said Elder and Sister Darel O. Johnson, who are serving at the Winter Quarters Historical Site here. The missionary couple said many members place Winter Quarters in Iowa instead of Nebraska. "Confusion seems to abound where this important site really is," said Elder Johnson. "But many, upon visiting here, experience a feeling of reverence and appreciation for those who gave their lives for their religious beliefs." He said the site is easy to find off Interstate 680 in Omaha.

North America Southwest Area: Early president returns

TALIHINA, OKLA. - More than 100 people attended the dedication of the first new building for the Talihina Branch of the Fort Smith Arkansas Stake. Among them was Walter Petersen of Burley, Idaho, who was branch president when the branch become independent in 1964. After being organized in 1954 as part of the McAlester (Okla.) Branch, the branch was named the Choctaw Branch in 1965 and later re-named the Talihina Branch. In the 1960s, the branch had 75 members and met in various buildings until a parcel of land was purchased with an old home on the property. The new building was dedicated by stake Pres. David Bednar.

North America West Area: Flags for 100,000 graves

SAN BRUNO, CALIF. - In preparation for Memorial day services, Margaret Dillender, wife of Bishop Ronald Dillender of the South San Francisco Ward, helped more than 400 Boy Scouts place flags on the 100,000 graves at the Golden Gate National Cemetery May 28. She and her son Ronald Jr., an Eagle Scout, have taken part in this project every year since 1978.

Philippines/Micronesia Area: Fight drugs, leaders urged

QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES - Church leaders have a role in fighting drug abuse, said Pres. Bartolome Baldemore, counselor in the Philippines Quezon City Mission. He conducted a recent day-long seminar for district leaders on drugs, in cooperation with the Dangerous Drugs Board of the Philippines, which was represented by Lilia V. Dulya, senior training officer, and Toribio Medina, training officer. Subjects discussed included drug abuse, prevention, and legal aspects of the drug abuse problem, said Rafael B. Osumo, public communications officer of Metro Manila.

Pacific Area: Conference comes via video

TARAWA, KIRIBATI - Some 230 members on this island nation gathered May 1 for a monumental occasion - the first showing of general conference. The members viewed videotapes in English, with interpretation for those who needed it. "This was first time many of the saints have been able to actually listen to the prophet speak," said Elder Dan Jensen, public relations director of the Fiji Suva Mission. "It was an uplifting and spiritually motivating experience for these members."

Utah South Area: Children given scriptures

OREM, UTAH - All 127 children in the Geneva Heights 4th Ward recently received a personal copy of the Book of Mormon. Most of the children earned the book by reading scriptures assigned by the Primary each week. Because some of the children already had personal copies of the Book of Mormon, they gave the extra copies to friends, said Cindy R. Williams, Primary leader.

Utah North Area: Stake supports summit quest

KEMMERER, WYO. - James Burnett will represent the Kemmerer Wyoming Stake in the Wyoming Centennial Everest Expedition this fall. Burnett, a returned missionary and son of Pres. Dee Burnett of the Kemmerer Wyoming Stake presidency, will join a 34-member climbing team that will take part in scientific and medical studies on the world's highest mountain. He will be part of the high-altitude Support Camp that will be established at the 28,000-foot level. The climb will be made in honor of the state's centennial.

Europe Area: BYU on Italian television

ROME, ITALY - Italian television station RAI-TV presented a live science show June 5 that featured BYU's Earth Science Museum. The main attraction was a recently discovered dinosaur egg that may hold a rare fossilized embryo. The television station sent a crew to Provo, Utah, to film the show. Included in the program was a taping of various international aspects of the university and an interview with BYU Pres. Jeffrey R. Holland.

United Kingdom/Ireland/Africa Area: Wins soccer tournament

WIGAN, ENGLAND - Church teams from Ireland and England squared off here as finalists in the Heber C. Kimball Anniversary Soccer Match June 4. Throughout the year, soccer teams from 36 stakes in the United Kingdom and Ireland participated in the tournament. After a penalty kick in overtime during the final match, Sheffield England Stake emerged victorious over Belfast Ireland Stake. Elder Jack H. Goaslind, president of the United Kingdom/Ireland/Africa Area, presented the winners' cup. "During the year, about 500 people took part in the tournament," said Alexander Cumming, regional representative. "Twenty-five percent of the players were less-active brethren." The final match was followed by a dinner and dance.

Mexico/Central America Area: Members serve one-day mission

CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO - Members here recently helped find investigators for the missionaries. The members served one-day missions, following the same daily schedule as the full-time missionaries. Some 306 members from four stakes tracted and obtained 986 referrals. In the Frontera (Juarez) Ward, 22 members received 100 referrals on their one-day mission. All the referrals were turned over to the full-time missionaries for teaching. Some of the contacts already have been taught and baptized.

South America South Area: Cager leads branch

ROIJA, ARGENTINA - Mac Dowell, a star basketball player on the Roija Bank Club basketball team here, has been called as president of the Dorthus Branch of the Argentina Cordoba Mission. Branch members, pleased with their unusual leader, said that he has shown love and concern for each person in the branch since he became a branch member two years ago. Even before his call as branch president, the local basketball star had visited some of the branch's less-active members, said Romando A. Gatti of the La Roija District.