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Young Women Leadership Training,  Waitara, New Zealand — June 24, 2015

— Elder Michael Taylor —

1/ The importance of the Red Handbook

• Page V: “Leaders also learn their duties by studying the instruction in Church handbooks.  These instructions can facilitate revelation if they are used to provide an understanding of principles, policies, and procedures to apply while seeking the guidance of the Spirit.”
• “The Taranaki Way” versus “The Lord’s Way”;  not always the same.   The Lord’s Way is usually the same as “The Handbook Way”.  Two examples: 3rd hour business meetings (page 46) and sacrament prayers (page 174).

2/ Meetings and councils for the branch Young Women president

• Branch Council meeting (Red Handbook pages 17 and 18).  “Focus on subjects that will bless individuals and families.”  Specifically, focus on blessing the lives of young women.
• Branch Presidency Youth Committee meeting (Red Handbook, page 142).  “Identify the needs and interests of individual youth in the branch.”
• Branch Young Women Presidency meeting (Red Handbook, page 81).  “Discuss ways to plan activities that will help the young women incorporate values into their lives.”
• Young Women class presidency meetings (Red Handbook, page 81).  “Plan ways to strengthen class members.”

3/ Planning and conducting meetings

• Schedule your meetings for a specific day and specific time every week or every other week.  Be consistent in holding the meetings!  Be dependable!
• Start and end on time.
• Always use an agenda.  Agendas foster organization, efficiency, preparedness.
• Focus on people, not programs!  
• Match activities to the needs of the young women.
• Let the young women lead out and conduct at every available opportunity.
• Stay focused — don’t wander!

4/ Standards (Red Handbook, page 81)

• It is the upholding of Standards that make Latter-day Saint youth unique
• Pay close attention to paragraphs 2 and 3 on page 81.
• Elder Taylor’s copy of “For The Strength of the Youth”