I have been working on planning and preparing for our ward's YW standard's night coming on the 24th - next Tuesday. I felt impressed that I should ask two outstanding women from our stake to come share etiquette with the girls as part of the Personal Progress activity for the month, before I realized they had changed the calendar to have Standard's night my responsibility for this month. So, with a little adjusting, I am thrilled with what is emerging, praying it is right, appropriate, inspired.
Last night I woke in the middle of the night (not uncommon since I am very pregnant and sleeping isn't easy!) but I was prompted to pull a book from my bedroom bookshelf that I haven't opened for some time! It is titled "My Dear Sisters" Inspiration for Women from Gordon B. Hinckley. I was concerned about what I should do for the invitations to invite the girls and their mothers to this evening. I found this painting online, and have written to the artist, hoping that I can use this image for the front of our invitations which I hope to have out early this week. I wrote:
We are doing a theme on the art of womanhood, tying in the talk “Come Let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord” by Sister Elaine Dalton wherein she shares her experience as a girl, choosing a personal theme that represented her. She chose a white rose. I would like to use your painting as picture for the invitation to our “Art of Womanhood Evening Seminar” (Standard’s Night) for our 17 girls and their mothers where we will encourage them to be careful as they paint their life’s picture for the future, encouraging them to be feminine, beautiful, and even artistically brave as they make life’s choices.
Sister Elaine Dalton gave a beautiful talk to the YW titled "Come Let Us Go Up to the Mountain of the Lord" in April 2009, LDS General Conference.
When I was a young woman, my Young Women leaders had each of us choose a symbol that would represent the life that we would live and what we would strive to become as daughters of God. We then stitched these symbols onto our bandlos—which were fabric sashes that we wore. These bandlos were our personal banners to the world! I chose the symbol of a white rose because roses become more and more beautiful as they grow and blossom, and I chose the color white for purity. I encourage each of you to ponder what your personal banner would be if you could give one message to the world...
Last year when I was called to be the Young Women general president, as I was leaving President Monson’s office, he reached over to a bouquet of white roses, took one from the vase, and handed it to me. The moment he handed me that beautiful white rose, I knew why. I went back to the time when, as a young woman, I chose the white rose as my symbol of purity—my personal banner. How did President Monson know? I took that precious rose home, put it in a beautiful crystal vase, and placed it on a table where I could see it every day. Every day that rose reminded me of the importance of my own personal purity and virtue, and it reminded me of you. As you grow and blossom, your personal purity will enable you to become a force for good and an influence for righteousness in the world. I truly believe that one virtuous young woman, led by the Spirit, can change the world.
We are planning to hold the seminar in my basement, quiet, peaceful, free of other ward youth groups running the halls, and beginning with a self assessment of the YW Values taken from a book given recently to L by her dear friend C.W. where in it asks the girls to respond with their first and second choices, and helps them realize which values they are strong in and which ones they should focus on to strengthen themselves. We plan to have both the moms and the girls participate in this as everyone gathers.
Then I have asked J.H. to share the Art of Expression with the girls, covering such things as graciousness, thank you notes, and the art of conversation, proper introductions, etc. She is bubbly, friendly, darling, and a beautiful mother! I look forward to learning from her! I have asked both of these ladies to take about 25 minutes.
The other guest is J.A. to speak on the Art of Womanhood. I hope she covers appropriate clothing, body language and signals, practical details of walking in heels and getting in the backseat of a car! She is such a beautiful, elect lady in every sense, it will be fun to learn from her.
Then we will close, and end the evening with a kickoff of writing a note to a "Secret Grandma" in our ward, and after a quick refreshment, encouraging the girls to go deliver their first gift to them, a delicate white handkerchief tied with ribbons and a homemade note card with a note from the girls, stating they are adopting them as a 'Secret Grandma' for the next several months, and their desire to learn about them.
I am excited about the evening, and hope it will all come together. I hope to work out permission to use the 'Delicate Rose' painting as the invitation tomorrow. Details to work out, one at a time, with prayer and miracles it will come together!
