Family Month designation in Georgia cities
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What started out several years ago as Church leaders and members helping establish November as "Family Month" as a state designation in Georgia has now taken root on the community level and continues to spread.
In the Roswell Georgia Stake alone this year, several cities in northern Georgia signed proclamations designating November as Family Month in their communities.
In just the second year of city-level attention, the stake counts a half-dozen communities — Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton, Duluth, Johns Creek and Norcross — with Family Month proclamations in 2008. Neighboring stakes are joining in — not only because participating communities overlap unit boundaries but in helping other cities in their own area consider implementing the month designation.
In the similarly worded proclamations, the cities all "recognize the family as the fundamental unit of society and an essential part of cultural, social and spiritual fabric that comprises our communities" as well as "the foundation of our society and a source of stability and love for generations."
The proclamations also state "strong families teach children to live moral lives and help us pass down the values that define a caring society" and "spending more family time together facilitates the development of positive and open relationships between parents and children."
Mayors in their respective communities signed the proclamation, taking time in city council meetings to not only read the documents but to also read a list of suggested family-oriented activities during the month (see accompanying box).
Also as part of the city meeting formalities, ward leaders and member families were introduced and recognized for their involvement in supporting the proclamation efforts. In some cities, other religious and education officials were also recognized in conjunction with the proclamation.
President Russell K. Jenson of the Roswell Georgia Stake, recalled when Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder D. Todd Christofferson, then of the Presidency of the Seventy, joined Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue as the latter signed a state proclamation declaring November 2006 as "Family Month," adding that stake and ward leaders wanted to build on the momentum by taking the family designation to their city leaders.
President Jenson said the result is Church members recognizing successful efforts in their communities and friends of other faiths recognizing values and principles they have in common with the Church.
He added that Church members plan to not only return to the same cities and more next year but also to work in greater harmony in doing so with representatives from other faiths, such as the larger community churches in the area.
