Young Women told 'you belong with us'
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Like all stakes, the Phoenix Camelback Stake cares about its young adults. And like all Relief Societies, we've been concerned about welcoming our young women into Relief Society.
We know that as the years pass, these young women will begin to appreciate the sisterhood that binds us. But we feel an urgency to meet their needs now and to help them gain strength from that sisterhood while they are young and their lives are somewhat unsettled. We also want them to know the joy that comes from service freely given and to appreciate the heritage that is ours as members of this God-given women's organization.Most of all, we want them to know that they belong.
Wards in our area have employed several different methods to help incoming young women feel welcome. One bishop in our area goes into Relief Society on the young women's first day to welcome them and to present each of them with a rose. Another popular way to welcome the young women into the organization is with a luncheon held in their honor. We have experienced a lot of success with this activity.
We usually invite the entire Relief Society presidency, the ward Young Adult representative and the Relief Society board member responsible for Young Adults to the luncheon. We also present each new Relief Society member with a gift-wrapped Relief Society personal study guide. We also briefly explain the visiting teaching program.
One ward Relief Society president in our area uses a young adult on the homemaking committee at all times. She says that her motto is: "Use `em or lose `em. And they are too dear to lose."
Many of the wards in our area invite the young women in the Young Women organization to join them in homemaking meetings two or three times a year.
We have also recently adopted a program that originated in the Phoenix West Stake called, "`Reaching out to Womanhood through Relief Society." This is a series of lessons adapted slightly to be suitable for teenage young women and is a joint effort between the Young Women and Relief Society organizations. The lessons are designed to be given to young women ages 12 to 17 and are taught on a 5th Sunday or at a special fireside planned for that purpose. The lessons introduce the young women to Relief Society and help build enthusiasm for that great organization.
