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I thought it'd be a good idea to have a thread for those of us in YW class presidencies. I am a newly called Laurel pres. eek Scary lol. I have a question for all you presidency people; how do you unite the girls?

So yeah, feel free to discuss activities, problems etc smile

Well, near the beginning of the year, we had huge issues in the class. Cliques were the main problem but, over all no one was willing to really step back from their clique and get to know each other. So, we had a friendship day for mutual. We (as in the presidency) assigned each girl a person and they had to find out all they could about that person without being caught by that girl and then that day, we guessed who it was. Personally, I saw a few friendships built that way. They found out they had more in common then they thought and were more willing to get to know each other.

I have found a good way to get the girls to really talk is to do a inside service project with all sorts of deserts. Like, we made scarfs for kids in mexico who had nothing warm for the winter. Our leaders had us sit in one circle and the leaders sat elsewhere as to not intrude. Everyone became more friendly and opened up a bit. Because of the way we sat, we couldn't just talk to the one sitting by us, it was a group discussion and once again, I saw friendships born that night to as girls found more similarities as they talked and worked towards the common goal of finnishing the scarfs.

I think the reason the leasders push friendship instead of unity, is because if you are friends with a person(or are willing to be a friend of sorts) then you are more willing to unify with them.

I also was a Laural president and was recently released (I got to old and was kicked out into Relief society and the singles ward, and I moved... so yeah, enjoying it, but it's still new) and now that I look back on it I see several things that I should have done to help the girls open up to one another and not be so closed up in their groups, and encourage attendence to the meetings and activities...
So I guess one thing that would help with unity would be to help the girls all be there, or go together to the people who aren't as active and invite them to come with you. You cant really be unified with people that aren't there.

As with the known and disliked part of it, I know exactly what you are dealing with, I had the same problems, and I still am not sure how to fix it. I think that if you get the girls to know each other, then they are more likely to be willing to like each other more readily(or it may just backfire and they really don't like each other after getting to know them, but I doubt it) After getting to know one of the girls in my class better I found that I enjoyed talking with her, though we didn't talk much either way, I now look at her in a different light, besides being an annoying person who talks too much.

I also find that girls (and guys) act differently with their friends, and without them. If you can have activities where two or more groups of people that gennerally don't talk much(to each other) together and have them do get to know you games or what the other people have sudgested, you might find that they are more willing to work together. Also, if you have very spiritual activities, that will help a lot. If any one has gone to EFY, you know what I'm talking about. when you have spiritual experiences together, you are more likely to bond/unite/whatever.

I hope my little(*looks up* ok I lied, big) bit helped in any way.

Mind if I speak from the "outcasts" point of view? I'll try not to complain(it's hard, bt I'll try).

When I was in young womens, I really liked the service activities where we all split up and and did randome things for people in the ward. It got us to know each other and other people as well. For about four years, I knew some girls in the ward and only saw the bad side to them, the side I saw each time they broke a small rule I liked to harp on. Not until I started actually talking to them, getting to know their intrests and talents (instead of their tastes in boys and clothes), I finally became friends with them. It took me four years to learn that.

Irony of the whole thing, two months later, the stake rearanged their boundries. stare Then I went back to skiping mutual and dreding YW.

The problems I had were more with mindsets than anything else. Some of my old leaders had to stick their noses where they didn't belong. When the ward switched, they couldn't get it through their heads that it was two wards merging together. That, and they either looked down their noses at me or dismissed every word I said. I don't care what they say about then, that was how I felt. I literally ran from my YW class; if I was in there another week, I would have lost my temper so bad, they'd glare at me forever.

Any who(sorry, I complained! xp I won't any more, I hope), the best thing you can do to increase activation is to listen to them, and honestly respond. I've had more problems with leaders than I have with the other girls, but I do know that I was ignored a bunch, so I didn't want to go, ever. Remember that they're people too and that they want to be heard. If you don't understand, say so and ask them to explain. Secondly, with the activities you have, remember to put a spiritual twist inside them to have Unity. Feeling the spirit together unites people. Also, it follows the rules in the handbooks. Next, keep the activities you planned. If it doesn't work out due to some problem, tell them in advance and ask for sugestions on activites you could do instead. Lastly, don't have competition(make the points pointless in games). Nothing drives the spirit away, or forming friendships, faster than a competition where points matter and there are grand prizes. Games are for fun, not for contention.

Different people have different view of what should and shouldn't happen in YW. Ask those in your class for sugestions. Don't worry about the other classes(unless you have a sibling in there. then you worry); they aren't your problem. Sometimes though, if you repremand them, explain why you did. Just telling someone to shut up with no reason to do so, gets rather annoying and builds contention like nothing else.

I'll shut up now. I've talked too long. sweatdrop

It's been so many years, but I do remember thoes years.

The best thing that our presidency ever did, was to get to know each girl.
Individualy, and then make a point to say hello to them and ask them how they were doing, no matter where they were at. It made the girls feel loved.
It was the best thing that united us spiritualy. And the presidency learned to truely love all of the girls.

I am the miamaid president and also got assigned as the laurel pres for resons and its been like this for about a year..... and we personnaly never had problems with friendships and unity but that dosent mean we have hed problems. We are all friends and really closewhich is because all our girls love to meet knew people and make new friends. There are 8 active members wich contain 2 sets of 2 sisters, and 4 that come about 3 times a month. In all we have about 13 main girls and a few inactive girls.
But we always have activities were we can talk to each other. From doing sevice to crafts we always find a way to talk. Also we like to have getting-to-know-you activites.
But for new people my 1st councelor and kinda set up a system withoug knowing it. Its just our nature to do certain things. But usually my 1st talk to her first and introduces herself and makes sure she has someone to show her were to go and im usually there and introduce my self. But mainly my job is to bring there fun sides out. Now dont know abotu you but i found out when you get a person to laugh they tend to open up a little more. So i make the person laugh and joke around with them and then i find out what they like, there intrest etc. Then find out who they had most in common with which ususally means they will open up more to that person or i set them in a room witht the girls and then the girls find what all of them have in common. Then it usually goes pritty smooth from there.
Also as it is important that your groups ( beeehives, miamains, laurals) are close. In my ward i found out it was better when all the groups were really close insead of the groups separate groups. Beacause that in it's self makes your yw seem like a whole then in cliques. I also saw that when you talk to someone younger than you and stuff you become a part of there life and then they look up to you than in you were in you clique could become a role model in someones life. I think its cool to think that you can make a difference in one of the girls life. I found that this really helps with unity and friendship.
But it is pritty important to get the girls to except people now matter what and open them up. ANd one way to do this is to get them out of there confort zone or cometimes out of yours. In fact I used to be a REALLY SHY person infact i used to be to shy to get up and sharpen my pencil. But by getting theses girls closer ive opened up more.
Also about girls with problems ( spiritual or what ever) I had and have girls who had problems with guys flirt and so on and others. So i whould say things and mention thing that a prophet said or my opinion in the subject but make sure it was descrete. Or you get the group to change subjects and then everyone else voices there opinion with out giving away that girl. Which worked out for me... Also happening to watch movies concerning that subject saying how it was bad and how to change and repent. etc. But if It goes further i would just mention a little something to the Bishop (but leaving it maingly up to the girl .. it is her problem) llike to keep his eye on her or tell him if a girl might end up comeing to see him but not to say enough that im in her life... because it is her life and problem and i shouldn'et be in it.
Well im just been blabbing away and if dosent make sence im sorry its late here and im tired. Soo ill just shut up now.

SAdly Sandy I don't think that is what she is doing. She talks about "going after" a certain guy one week and then how she's "giving up on him" or "he's too....." and stuff like that. I wish it was in ignorance but I don't think it is. She knows that she is flirting but she doesn't realize that it can hurt a guy's feelings (or perhaps she doesn't care i don't know)