Young Women's FULL year Calendar of ideas

This was created by mostly gathering all the young women at my house one early morning before the new year and just having breakfast together with them.  It was an awesome morning! Afterwards, I asked them all to brainstorm activities we needed to do for the following year and they had so many ideas.  All I did was write down what the would shout out...because that's how exited they got.  They understood that the activities needed to have a purpose, and if they didn't I took the time to create an activity based in that idea and integrate it with something more meaningful with a Personal Progress experience.  It took some time, but then once the ball got rolling in the new year with something established it was just up to us leaders to show up and follow through and let the girls have fun and initiate things as young leaders.  It worked out great :-)

I don't know why the PDF versions got distorted, but they have the same info and activities to the pertaining image.  These customizable calendars can also be downloaded from www.calendarlabs.com for FREE so you can fill them in.

Here are the full details that I also wrote out in a separate document to accompany the leader's calendar and  and to leave to any succeeding leader that might take my place something that would make their life easier too.

Young Women's Friendship box

So, the girls in our ward are great, just I'm sure every leader thinks of her own girls!  In June, they all went to Girl's Camp together, then to the pioneer Trek and they all got so close to each other..it was touching.  So, to keep motivating them to continue their friendships without boundaries, and stop the unfortunate habit of creating groups, I created the friendship box.  In Spanish, la caja de amistad

I pretty much made it from my son'd old shoe box, covered it with scrapbook paper, added the value colors in jems, and put in ALL their names, one by one with their phone number.

The purpose is to make sure they k.i.t. with each other always.  So, each Sunday, during announcements, we have one girl pick out a name randomly from the box.  We started the first time with the eldest girl in YW.  She then has to "hang out" with the girls she picked out at least once during the week. Church activities do not count, and they do not have to go spend money.  It can be something simple like, bake the other girl cookies, study together, or if they can (within their own means) go out and see a movie.  The purpose is to make sure they get to know each other and see how much they have in common.  Then, the girl who was picked OUT of the box, picks a name.  If the girl who was picked out is innactive (since ALL girls are included) and she cannot pick a name for herself, then we go with the 2nd oldest young lady.  It's fun and encourages them to stay together, sharing fears or likes and dislikes.  That's what church is about sometimes, being one.